Spartan QB Cousins already eyeing Blackshirts test
- Thread starter n.e.husker
- Start date
knapplc
International Man of Mystery
Cousins seems like a very nice, very well-spoken guy, the kind of guy you'd love to have on your team. I have a lot of respect for him, and that respect won't be diminished by the seven or eight times the Blackshirts are going to pound him into the Memorial Stadium turf.
kchusker_chris
All-American
About 125 of those yards came on 3 plays when he tossed it up, way underthrew Blackmon and Prince had no chance. 3-4 of Blackmon's catches that game were VERY underthrown and Prince had great position...just wasn't much he could have done.
EDIT: OK, after watching that only a couple of them were toss up. Prince kinda got owned that day.
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knapplc
International Man of Mystery
Exactly. And let's be very clear - Justin Blackmon is probably the best WR in the nation, and there isn't a Justin Blackmon on the Sparty roster - not by a long shot.
Play like crap and they'll pass on us all day, I have no doubt. Cousins is a good QB and Martin and Cunningham are no slouches at WR. But if we play like we're capable, they won't come anywhere close to Oklahoma State's 41 points. Not remotely.
Cousins runs a 4.8/40. If ever there was a game where we would want to unleash Eric Martin on a pocket passer, it's this game.
GSG
Assistant Coach
If we had played OSU again, they wouldn't have been as productive. After the OSU game, we benched Thenarse and Smith in favor of Osborne and Cassidy, and that made a big difference. Prince had a bad day against Blackmon, but Dennard shut Blackmon down in the second half, and that's the corner Cousins will have to deal with.
Either way, I don't know what Weeden could have told Cousins other than, "throw a bunch of underthrown jump balls to your best receiver and hope that the cornerback falls over." If Michigan State takes anything from the OSU game, it should be how OSU hurt us by balancing out their passing attack with Kendall Hunter. Still, we would have had better run support in that game had Osborne and Cassidy been playing.
Either way, I don't know what Weeden could have told Cousins other than, "throw a bunch of underthrown jump balls to your best receiver and hope that the cornerback falls over." If Michigan State takes anything from the OSU game, it should be how OSU hurt us by balancing out their passing attack with Kendall Hunter. Still, we would have had better run support in that game had Osborne and Cassidy been playing.
knapplc
International Man of Mystery
OSU was easily Prince's worst game last year. Bizarre, too, since he was going up against Blackmon. For whatever reason Prince was out of position and had bad body control. It happens.
Thing is, it's not likely to happen twice, and with two different DBs. Dennard is equal to the task of whatever they throw at him, and I have zero concerns about the other corner, no matter who that will be.
Michigan State was not a running threat last year, finishing 64th in the country in rushing. Our defense was designed over the last several years to specifically stop these kinds of offenses. It worked very well except against OSU last year, and again, there isn't a Justin Blackmon on Sparty. Not by a long shot.
Thing is, it's not likely to happen twice, and with two different DBs. Dennard is equal to the task of whatever they throw at him, and I have zero concerns about the other corner, no matter who that will be.
Michigan State was not a running threat last year, finishing 64th in the country in rushing. Our defense was designed over the last several years to specifically stop these kinds of offenses. It worked very well except against OSU last year, and again, there isn't a Justin Blackmon on Sparty. Not by a long shot.
n.e.husker
Starter
OSUs spread rushing attack was what really hurt us in my opinion. We couldnt stop Hunter...I know i know that PJ and Rickey were struggling with there tackling but i dont see how it would have been much different.
Lyons in the Sea of Red.
All-Conference
I gurantee you weedon told him were not all cracked up to what people make us, and that makes me even more excited. Add to that graveyard.
There was a night and day difference between how our defense played with Thenarse and Smith, and how they played with Osborne and Cassidy. Not only were Osborne and Cassidy better tacklers, but they were way more aggressive in getting up to the line and stopping running backs at the line of scrimmage.
edit:
Just watch all of the OSU highlights from this game - on almost every big run by Kendall Hunter, there was a missed tackle by Smith or Thenarse. On some of the pass plays, there were guys running completely uncovered (also on Thenarse or Smith), and on the flea-flicker, Amukumara should have had help from one of his safeties.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9rTPow3XN8
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Mierin
Assistant Coach
going slightly off topic after watching the OSU video. As disappointing as last season was, it's very satisfying that we were 3 teams' first losses. I like to pretend that the Missouri game was the last game. At least we got to play the ruiner several times.
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walksalone
Heisman Trophy Winner
I like this kid, he's got guts, and he's a good QB. He's got pretty good receivers too.
But is their offensive line going to afford him enough time to make the throws?
But is their offensive line going to afford him enough time to make the throws?
Looking at Michigan St schedule he might want to worry about the first 7 games before setting his sights on the Blackshirts!! It isn't gonna be easy except maybe the first few!! I could see this team limping into Lincoln on Oct. 29th!! That looks like a pretty rough stretch from ND to NU
9-2 Youngstown
9-10 Florida Atlantic
9-17 @Notre Dame
9-24 Central Michigan
10-1 @Ohio St
10-15 Michigan
10-22 Wisconsin
10-29 @Nebraska
11-5 Minnesota
11-12 @Iowa
11-19 Indiana
11-26 @Northwestern
9-2 Youngstown
9-10 Florida Atlantic
9-17 @Notre Dame
9-24 Central Michigan
10-1 @Ohio St
10-15 Michigan
10-22 Wisconsin
10-29 @Nebraska
11-5 Minnesota
11-12 @Iowa
11-19 Indiana
11-26 @Northwestern