Rewatched Game- Defensive Thoughts

[TheSker]

Makes alotta sense, yea. But I don't think we want to be responsible for revisiting the recruiting issue, the guys who like stars, the guys who hate 'em and love a 'walk on's heart'...blah blah blah. No, we dont wanna go there.

 

It doesn't have to turn into a stars issue. Here's a recruiting trail example I'll use from two Pelini era recruits at LB..."Hi Will Compton, you have some good high school numbers at the LB position.....let me ask you, what's your time in the 40 and the 100?".........fast forward four years later....."Hi Josh Banderas, you have some good high school numbers at the LB position.....let me ask you, what's your time in the 40 and the 100?".

[BOurNe sUpremacy]

Obviously you have to have the talent to run any scheme.

Exactly my point. When a team has an outstanding defense, do you remember the scheme they ran, or do you remember the players who made it happen?

 

 

Both.

Seriously, I'm having deja vu back to '07 and the "Coz Dialogues". Same ol', same ol'. They're gonna get it fixed, you know they are.

If we end up having a good season, nothing like the 2007 meltdown. Can we ban you?

What, banned for an opinion? yea, wouldn't surprise me on a Husker board, I dont mean this Hukserboard in particular. I think we're seriously looking at an 8-4 reg season finish at this point and hope we play a MAC team in the bowl--and no, not the good one either.

[knapplc]

Stop. Not joking. That goes for everyone.

[BOurNe sUpremacy]

I Agree. It doesn't matter how many blitzes were called. This scheme stinks and needs to be changed to an attacking run stopping style.

I think until we get a dominating DL that can blow up the other guy, it's all just smoke and mirrors.

[ColoradoHusk]

I see some posts about the McBride defense attacking the spread defenses, punishing the QB, etc. Yes, we all love those glory days, but there is a huge difference between now and then. The proliferation of the mobile QB, who is able to also pass, is what makes the spread defenses so hard to defend. McBride was able to send Wistrom and company off the edges and attack Wuerfel because the QB was a statue. Without the fear of the QB taking off and run at any time, the defenses were able to attack more freely. With today's mobile QB's who can also throw, it's so much easier for them to move around in the backfield and make a pass to an open receiver down field. Smith from Wyoming did that countless times last week. Defenses today, have to play more contain/coverage, try to get pressure with their front 4, and try to limit the big plays in the secondary.

 

That's true about mobile quarterbacks. For the most part, I think a mobile QB leans on running instincts to make plays than make accurate throws all game. I would prefer to keep a mobile QB frustrated by holding him under 50 yards rushing, and forced to make plays passing the ball. Braxton Miller for example. Denard Robinson another. If they have to beat us through the air, then I take those chances. The real tricky ones are guys like Brett Smith of WYO, UCLA's Brett Hundley, and Michigan's Devin Gardner. They are pretty accurate passers that can also extend drives and make some plays with their feet. It's not an easy job to say the least.

I really hope that Michigan does the stupid thing and tries to make Gardner a pro-style QB, in a "West Coast Offense". Their offense would be lethal if they stayed with the spread option game that they ran under Denard. But, Bourges is a WCO guy, so that's what he will do with Gardner.

[BOurNe sUpremacy]

Makes alotta sense, yea. But I don't think we want to be responsible for revisiting the recruiting issue, the guys who like stars, the guys who hate 'em and love a 'walk on's heart'...blah blah blah. No, we dont wanna go there.

 

It doesn't have to turn into a stars issue. Here's a recruiting trail example I'll use from two Pelini era recruits at LB..."Hi Will Compton, you have some good high school numbers at the LB position.....let me ask you, what's your time in the 40 and the 100?".........fast forward four years later....."Hi Josh Banderas, you have some good high school numbers at the LB position.....let me ask you, what's your time in the 40 and the 100?".

Not sure I follow you there, Sker. ? Banderas is supposed to be better than Compton, right?

[ADS]

What, banned for an opinion? yea, wouldn't surprise me on a Husker board, I dont mean this Hukserboard in particular. I think we're seriously looking at an 8-4 reg season finish at this point and hope we play a MAC team in the bowl--and no, not the good one either.

That's better than 2007, where we went 5-7.

 

 

And I'm done, because Knapp is getting pissed.

[The Dude]

I doubt many people said that about Cosgrove. That guy was pure idiot and had never fielded a competent defense in his life. Bo and Co. have.

The thing that makes me a little nervous about this way of thinking is "Bo and Co." is no longer here. It's now Bo + some guys who have never fielded a competent defense.

[TheSker]

The proliferation of the mobile QB, who is able to also pass, is what makes the spread defenses so hard to defend. McBride was able to send Wistrom and company off the edges and attack Wuerfel because the QB was a statue. Without the fear of the QB taking off and run at any time, the defenses were able to attack more freely. With today's mobile QB's who can also throw, it's so much easier for them to move around in the backfield and make a pass to an open receiver down field. Smith from Wyoming did that countless times last week. Defenses today, have to play more contain/coverage, try to get pressure with their front 4, and try to limit the big plays in the secondary.

Another example involving a Smith was in 1997.....a championship year for us. We destroyed Peyton Manning and the Vols in the bowl game, but Brad Smith gave our defense fits in that Missouri game (the Flea Kicker game).

It was Corby Jones for Missouri in 1997, but it's exactly the same point. Smith destroyed Pelini's defense in the 2003 NU-Mizzou game.

 

Oops, thank you for that correction.....it was Corby in '97 for Mizzou.

[admo]

I see some posts about the McBride defense attacking the spread defenses, punishing the QB, etc. Yes, we all love those glory days, but there is a huge difference between now and then. The proliferation of the mobile QB, who is able to also pass, is what makes the spread defenses so hard to defend. McBride was able to send Wistrom and company off the edges and attack Wuerfel because the QB was a statue. Without the fear of the QB taking off and run at any time, the defenses were able to attack more freely. With today's mobile QB's who can also throw, it's so much easier for them to move around in the backfield and make a pass to an open receiver down field. Smith from Wyoming did that countless times last week. Defenses today, have to play more contain/coverage, try to get pressure with their front 4, and try to limit the big plays in the secondary.

 

That's true about mobile quarterbacks. For the most part, I think a mobile QB leans on running instincts to make plays than make accurate throws all game. I would prefer to keep a mobile QB frustrated by holding him under 50 yards rushing, and forced to make plays passing the ball. Braxton Miller for example. Denard Robinson another. If they have to beat us through the air, then I take those chances. The real tricky ones are guys like Brett Smith of WYO, UCLA's Brett Hundley, and Michigan's Devin Gardner. They are pretty accurate passers that can also extend drives and make some plays with their feet. It's not an easy job to say the least.

I really hope that Michigan does the stupid thing and tries to make Gardner a pro-style QB, in a "West Coast Offense". Their offense would be lethal if they stayed with the spread option game that they ran under Denard. But, Bourges is a WCO guy, so that's what he will do with Gardner.

 

Yeah I don't think the Wolverines are very excited with Bourges. You are probably right because Gardner is kind of good at both. I'd still rather keep him from running and make him beat us throwing. Tip my cap if he does.

[ColoradoHusk]

The proliferation of the mobile QB, who is able to also pass, is what makes the spread defenses so hard to defend. McBride was able to send Wistrom and company off the edges and attack Wuerfel because the QB was a statue. Without the fear of the QB taking off and run at any time, the defenses were able to attack more freely. With today's mobile QB's who can also throw, it's so much easier for them to move around in the backfield and make a pass to an open receiver down field. Smith from Wyoming did that countless times last week. Defenses today, have to play more contain/coverage, try to get pressure with their front 4, and try to limit the big plays in the secondary.

Another example involving a Smith was in 1997.....a championship year for us. We destroyed Peyton Manning and the Vols in the bowl game, but Brad Smith gave our defense fits in that Missouri game (the Flea Kicker game).

It was Corby Jones for Missouri in 1997, but it's exactly the same point. Smith destroyed Pelini's defense in the 2003 NU-Mizzou game.

 

Oops, thank you for that correction.....it was Corby in '97 for Mizzou.

No problem, we are all getting old.

[BOurNe sUpremacy]

The proliferation of the mobile QB, who is able to also pass, is what makes the spread defenses so hard to defend. McBride was able to send Wistrom and company off the edges and attack Wuerfel because the QB was a statue. Without the fear of the QB taking off and run at any time, the defenses were able to attack more freely. With today's mobile QB's who can also throw, it's so much easier for them to move around in the backfield and make a pass to an open receiver down field. Smith from Wyoming did that countless times last week. Defenses today, have to play more contain/coverage, try to get pressure with their front 4, and try to limit the big plays in the secondary.

Another example involving a Smith was in 1997.....a championship year for us. We destroyed Peyton Manning and the Vols in the bowl game, but Brad Smith gave our defense fits in that Missouri game (the Flea Kicker game).

It was Corby Jones for Missouri in 1997, but it's exactly the same point. Smith destroyed Pelini's defense in the 2003 NU-Mizzou game.

Chase Daniels destroyed him in '08.

[NUinID]

The biggest difference between the 90's and now it the style of offense that everyone runs. The spread type offense is designed to slow down the attacking style of the 90's type defense. In the 90's most teams ran a lot of Miami formations or Pro formation. Hardly any were sitting at 4 wide as their basic set formation. Even Spurriors fun and gun had a very conventional look to it most of the time.

 

The spread principles is all about making space for runners and receivers to run. They want one on one match ups. That is why you see lots of short passing, lots of zone read. A spread team loves to play an attacking defense, it creates more space to run.

 

BP big problem, and IMO is a philosophical one is that he doesn't want to give up the big pass play. He loves bracket coverage. That creates gaps in the run defense. He needs to make a choice to bring more bodies into the box against a true spread team and give up a little of his pass coverage.

 

The Spread Offense isn't new - it's been used for decades. Spurrier used in at Florida - his "Fun 'N Gun" offense was basically a version of the Spread with the QB under center instead of in the pistol or shotgun. Defenses have shut this offense down for decades, and specifically the attacking style of defense McBride ran in the 90s was able to shut them down as well.

 

The Spread is always going to get yards, and some points. But by attacking the QB and putting him on the ground multiple times, the bet is that he's not going to have the same ability in the fourth quarter as he did in the first quarter. That's a gamble I'm willing to take if I'm Bo, especially seeing how his current philosophy has been exploited by so many teams over the past several years, using vastly different combinations of Husker defenders.

 

Never said it was new, but they way it is used has evolved. I will disagree with the fun and gun being a spread. He had a true TE in the game and his basic set was 2 wide with 2 backs. Chris Doring, Ike Hilliard, were his starting receivers in 1996 game with Green coming into the game when the FB was out. His game was much more vertical than a traditional spread.

[BOurNe sUpremacy]

What, banned for an opinion? yea, wouldn't surprise me on a Husker board, I dont mean this Hukserboard in particular. I think we're seriously looking at an 8-4 reg season finish at this point and hope we play a MAC team in the bowl--and no, not the good one either.

That's better than 2007, where we went 5-7.

 

 

And I'm done, because Knapp is getting pissed.

Well, 7-5 isnt outta the question. Best case scenario, 9-3, reg season, provided they get their act together.

[beanman]

The proliferation of the mobile QB, who is able to also pass, is what makes the spread defenses so hard to defend. McBride was able to send Wistrom and company off the edges and attack Wuerfel because the QB was a statue. Without the fear of the QB taking off and run at any time, the defenses were able to attack more freely. With today's mobile QB's who can also throw, it's so much easier for them to move around in the backfield and make a pass to an open receiver down field. Smith from Wyoming did that countless times last week. Defenses today, have to play more contain/coverage, try to get pressure with their front 4, and try to limit the big plays in the secondary.

Another example involving a Smith was in 1997.....a championship year for us. We destroyed Peyton Manning and the Vols in the bowl game, but Brad Smith gave our defense fits in that Missouri game (the Flea Kicker game).

It was Corby Jones for Missouri in 1997, but it's exactly the same point. Smith destroyed Pelini's defense in the 2003 NU-Mizzou game.

 

Oops, thank you for that correction.....it was Corby in '97 for Mizzou.

 

It's not like Mizzou ran up and down the field on our D. They didn't even hit 400 total yards in that game.