Spartan QB Cousins already eyeing Blackshirts test

[n.e.husker]

Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins won't bother you with the one-game-at-a-time cliché.

 

He's upfront in saying he's already thought about facing Nebraska's defense come Oct. 29 in Lincoln.

 

"There's no doubt that Nebraska will give us as big of a challenge defensively as anybody we'll face all year," said Cousins, a two-year starter and fifth-year senior. "We'll have to be ready."

 

What exactly, in Cousins' eyes, makes Nebraska's defense so difficult to face?

 

"I think it starts at the top with Coach (Bo) Pelini," he said. "Everywhere he's been, he's had a tough defense. I think it starts at the top with him. They've recruited great players. Year in and year out they've had great players, top draft picks.

 

"I'm sure the combination of a great coach, a great scheme and great players, you're going to have a great defense."

http://huskerextra.com/sports/football/article_0b096e5c-0922-57c3-9b20-230bf2b2abad.html

[knapplc]

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]

Weeden had the most production of any quarterback against Nebraska during last year's regular season, when he threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns in a game the Huskers won 51-41.

 

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.

[knapplc]

Weeden had the most production of any quarterback against Nebraska during last year's regular season, when he threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns in a game the Huskers won 51-41.

 

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.

 

 

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]

Weeden had the most production of any quarterback against Nebraska during last year's regular season, when he threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns in a game the Huskers won 51-41.

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

CAVEMAN IS READY!!

 

[Hercules]

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.

[knapplc]

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.

[HuskerT]

Big props to Cousins, any intelligent QB would be thinking the same thing. I think Mich St is going to be really tough this year and I'm glad we get em at home.

[n.e.husker]

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.

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.]

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.

[Hercules]

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.

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.

 

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

[jimk]

The Blackshirts are in his head already. Gonna be a long game for Cousins.

[Moiraine]

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.

[walksalone]

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?

[bowersbd]

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