Aldon Smith—can NU keep him out of our backfield?

[NUance]

Missouri’s Aldon Smith is the gold standard

By SAM MELLINGER The Kansas City Star

 

 

Gary Pinkel likes to say his football team has no great players, just a bunch of pretty good ones, and that sounds fine enough … except it’s just not true. Not anymore.

 

Missouri’s everyman mantra is about to hit its expiration date, as a program built around stars like Jeremy Maclin and Danario Alexander finds its next one on a defense that’s pushed the Tigers into national-title dreams.

 

His name is Aldon Smith, he’s from Raytown High, and the rest of the college football world is about to realize who he is.

 

He is the breakout star of Mizzou’s breakout season, with the personality for casual fans and the on-field talent to make him a multimillionaire as perhaps the best defensive end in his class.

 

An interception and 58-yard run against Oklahoma are just the beginning for a man absolutely ready for his national close-up — the Pinkel talk about not having any great players being buried under what are becoming known as Aldonisms.

 

“A sack feels like a kiss from a girl you like a lot,” he once said.

 

“It always feels good when you hear somebody feel the pain,” he said another time.

 

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Last year Smith was 1st-Team Freshman All-American and Big 12 Defensive Newcomer/Freshman of the Year. Looks like Sirles gonna have his hands full. Again.

[308_Husker]

Is Sirles still injured, or is he expected to play this week? If he does play, I don't expect him to have as big of a problem against Smith as he did Acho.. I remember watching a couple of plays where Acho just flat out leveled him at the LOS.

[knapplc]

 

 

“It always feels good when you hear somebody feel the pain,” he said another time.

 

 

 

I cannot wait for our Missouri friends to vilify Smith for this statement, in much the same way they have vilified Martin for his hit.

[NUance]

I don't expect him to have as big of a problem against Smith as he did Acho.. I remember watching a couple of plays where Acho just flat out leveled him at the LOS.

You know, during the UT game they kept showing a couple plays where Acho burned Sirles. But Acho only ended up with 2 assisted tackles and one solo (including 1 tfl). Surprisingly low stats. But it's hard to say how many times Acho got through Sirles but didn't get in on the play.

 

Is Sirles still injured, or is he expected to play this week?

WTF!! I didn't know Sirles was injured. /pulls straight razor out of desk. Considers slitting wrists.

[NUance]

 

 

“It always feels good when you hear somebody feel the pain,” he said another time.

 

 

 

I cannot wait for our Missouri friends to vilify Smith for this statement, in much the same way they have vilified Martin for his hit.

Ha ha! Great point. I suspect all you will hear is

 

*crickets*

[308_Husker]

I don't expect him to have as big of a problem against Smith as he did Acho.. I remember watching a couple of plays where Acho just flat out leveled him at the LOS.

You know, during the UT game they kept showing a couple plays where Acho burned Sirles. But Acho only ended up with 2 assisted tackles and one solo (including 1 tfl). Surprisingly low stats. But it's hard to say how many times Acho got through Sirles but didn't get in on the play.

 

Is Sirles still injured, or is he expected to play this week?

WTF!! I didn't know Sirles was injured. /pulls straight razor out of desk. Considers slitting wrists.

 

They showed him being helped off the field sometime during the second half and Yoshi stepped in and played for the rest of the game, I think. I've looked around and haven't been able to find anything about the injury, so maybe he's okay.

[knapplc]

Sirles came back in after his injury, but Yoshi will probably play quite a bit, too.

[epocSoN]

Aldon Smith is going to devour our O Line. He's just too athletic. We better have some schemes prepared for him.

[Tora! Tora! Tora!]

 

 

“It always feels good when you hear somebody feel the pain,” he said another time.

 

 

 

I cannot wait for our Missouri friends to vilify Smith for this statement, in much the same way they have vilified Martin for his hit.

 

He wasn't even talking about football. He was talking about listening to Bob Marley with his friends. JK.

 

The statement is so oddly worded that I don't even know what to make of it. If he is saying he loves the sound of hitting the QB....well what defender wouldn't? If he is saying he likes the sound they make after causing an injury then that's twisted. BTW - I don't know if Aldon has ever injured a player (other than their pride).

[EZ-E]

Smith is good, but he is no Acho. I think Sirles and Hardrick will be okay.

[HUSKER FREAK]

Aldon Smith is going to devour our O Line. He's just too athletic. We better have some schemes prepared for him.

 

Like the Zone Read?

[Tora! Tora! Tora!]

Can NU keep Aldon out of the backfield? No you can't. But I don't expect to see him back there too much. It doesn't do Aldon any good to get back there by himself because T-Mart is too athletic. They'd risk T-Mart exploding past the rusher for a huge gain. Aldon and the rest of the D-line will be staying in their lanes to keep T-Mart in front and making him beat them with his arm.

[HUSKER FREAK]

Can NU keep Aldon out of the backfield? No you can't. But I don't expect to see him back there too much. It doesn't do Aldon any good to get back there by himself because T-Mart is too athletic. They'd risk T-Mart exploding past the rusher for a huge gain. Aldon and the rest of the D-line will be staying in their lanes to keep T-Mart in front and making him beat them with his arm.

 

AAAAH! I get it you watched the Texas game Huh.

[Gabbertnation]

If you try to go one on one against him it will be a long afternoon for Nebraska. You will have to double team him all day long to have a chance of stopping him. The good thing for Nebraska is that you have a very fast QB... this could slow down our pass rush and make us contain T-Magic. Just like Suh last year in our building you will get to know Aldon Smith quite well! Cannot wait to see our defense play against your QB. Should be a great game.

[corncraze]

Why don't we have Yoshi starting ahead of Sirles?