MSU Defense Skewed

[Joe_5700]

Beck is going to have to call the game of his life. Power football, option, reverses, misdirection, short/medium passing game, but no screens!!! are going to all have to be used to keep MSU on their heels. Just running it up the gut vanilla football will result in 3 and out after 3 and out and zero points...

 

[StPaulHusker]

I would feel better if I continued with my thinking that Michigan State is very dominant on defense and that our offense is going to struggle. If I build myself up thinking Nebraska offense is going to run over Michigan States "skewed defense" and the huskers lose, I would feel like crap after the game.

 

[alexhortdog95]

Beck is going to have to call the game of his life. Power football, option, reverses, misdirection, short/medium passing game, but no screens!!! are going to all have to be used to keep MSU on their heels. Just running it up the gut vanilla football will result in 3 and out after 3 and out and zero points...

Why can't you run a screen pass? Ameer is perfect for running that. Doesn't even have to be a middle screen - line Ameer up on the outside and run a tunnel screen to him.

 

[SpartanMacks]

Beck is going to have to call the game of his life. Power football, option, reverses, misdirection, short/medium passing game, but no screens!!! are going to all have to be used to keep MSU on their heels. Just running it up the gut vanilla football will result in 3 and out after 3 and out and zero points...

Why can't you run a screen pass? Ameer is perfect for running that. Doesn't even have to be a middle screen - line Ameer up on the outside and run a tunnel screen to him.

We've actually been really good at defending screens this year due to the discipline exhibited by our DEs. One thing that Abdullah would be perfect for is a quick flare out of the backfield, assuming you have some good blocking WRs. A counter draw would also probably be quite effective.

 

[3rd and long]

You can't just "pound the rock" against a defense if they are stacking eight or nine in the box. TA is going to have to complete some passes to loosen up that defense. He has shown the ability to throw on the move, I would really like to see us roll him out a bit where he has an option to throw safe, short passes, or tuck the ball and run. Also, play action against an aggressive defense.

What (I believe) would be the worst thing we can do is come out and try to pound it down their throats on first and second down and leave TA in obvious 3rd down, long yardage passing situations.

 

[Joe_5700]

Beck is going to have to call the game of his life. Power football, option, reverses, misdirection, short/medium passing game, but no screens!!! are going to all have to be used to keep MSU on their heels. Just running it up the gut vanilla football will result in 3 and out after 3 and out and zero points...

Why can't you run a screen pass? Ameer is perfect for running that. Doesn't even have to be a middle screen - line Ameer up on the outside and run a tunnel screen to him.

I should have clarified with WR screens. They don't seem to work for us against good defenses.

 

[Enhance]

I'll agree they haven't been tested by a really good rushing attack, but in their defense, they've mostly shut teams down when they needed to. And if an offense struggles to run, they're likely to call less running plays. Conversely, a team like Nebraska hasn't shutdown rushing attacks consistently this year and let a D2 team run all over them like a city trail during a marathon at one point.

I've watched part of three of their games, and they just play very sound assignment football. They don't make a lot of mistakes and that's what makes them good. Though it's clear their SOS is really weak, they're still a very good defense top to bottom imho.

 

[huskerinacaveman]

Yeah no doubt they are a good defense. I won't take that away from them.

Earlier I read someone talking about Nebraska's rushing numbers being skewed as well.

Didn't have time to really look it up earlier,but here it is.

Wyoming 114th

South. Miss 109

UCLA 80

Illinois 115

Purdue 111

Minnesota 41

Northwestern 70

Michigan 13

One could say with the same logic as my original post that our ranking in rushing is skewed as well.

We did not fair so well against Michigan in the run as we think we ought to have. AA did have a 100 yard rushing game, but those were tough yards.

I will say that we have faced a better rushing defense than MSU has faced in a rushing attack for the year.

We have the ability to be explosive and MSU only has one direction to go and that is down.

IMHO MSU does to us what we did to them with their young defense of two years ago, this is not the game where they get exposed as a defense, that will be relegated to OSU in the CC.

Expect the worse, pray for the best my fellow huskers.

 

[huskerinacaveman]

MSU's defense passes both statistic tests and eye tests. Indiana's offense is no joke. They could move the ball on just about anybody, which they did as you said against (IMO) the best defense in college football.

They were also head to their (by far) lowest statistical outputs of the season. I don't know anything about Indiana's offense and their tendencies and schemes, but the only way we have success running the ball is if Armstrong can be serviceable and accurate in the passing game. MSU is going to put 8-9 guys in the box every play, as they are not scared in the least to leave their corners on islands.

I really hope they put 8-9 guys on the line...we'll option off that all day long.

Maybe a few times during the game. More if they use it out of different formation.

If they are as good as advertised then it won't work more than a few times. Can't win with that.

 

[EZ-E]

They have not played against a back like AA. Dude might be the best in the B1G. I truly think that we may be the most talented team from top to bottom that they play all year. Win this game and winning out isn't only possible, it becomes something that is likely to happen.

 

[EZ-E]

MSU's defense passes both statistic tests and eye tests. Indiana's offense is no joke. They could move the ball on just about anybody, which they did as you said against (IMO) the best defense in college football.

They were also head to their (by far) lowest statistical outputs of the season. I don't know anything about Indiana's offense and their tendencies and schemes, but the only way we have success running the ball is if Armstrong can be serviceable and accurate in the passing game. MSU is going to put 8-9 guys in the box every play, as they are not scared in the least to leave their corners on islands.

I really hope they put 8-9 guys on the line...we'll option off that all day long.

Maybe a few times during the game. More if they use it out of different formation.

If they are as good as advertised then it won't work more than a few times. Can't win with that.

I heard Joel Mackovica (spelling?) explain the effects of a well ran option game on a defense and I would not go as far to say we couldn't win with it. The option we have been running also sets up a lot of other things we do in our offense.

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

It's hard to say what's gonna happen on Saturday, but to say I'm nervous about it with our patchwork offense is being kind. I think we can get it done, but the team needs to rally behind the "us against the world" mentality that faces this team every week and play out of their minds. Beck not going full retard would help as well............

 

[Count 'Bility]

In this day and age of zone reads and shotgun and pistol running game and spreads and such, the way we run the traditional looking option is very unique. And we do it out of the gun and pistol, which makes it more effective cuz it's so much less vulnerable to instant penetration. I'm callin. Our option attack is going to be a huge factor in this game. Not many folks run it like we have been. And we havent even really showed the passes that we have off it yet.

 

[TAKODA]

It's hard to say what's gonna happen on Saturday, but to say I'm nervous about it with our patchwork offense is being kind. I think we can get it done, but the team needs to rally behind the "us against the world" mentality that faces this team every week and play out of their minds. Beck not going full retard would help as well............

Yes this ↑

Just call what works and if it works don't change for the sake of change!

 

[EZ-E]

We have to be able to effectively pass the ball. That way it keeps them from being able to creep more and more guys into the box.

Cethan Carter and hopefully Jamal Turner need to play big to keep their linebackers honest.

Could this be the perfect game for an Alonzo Moore or a Kenny Bell jailbreak screen????