Western Michigan Breakdown

Husker_x

Husker_x

New member
Hey guys. Had a bit of time on my hands so I figured I'd dig around and do a half-assed analysis of our first opponent.

Which is...

Western Michigan

Mid-American Conference

2007 results:

Sept. 1 at W Virginia L 62-24

Sept. 8 Indiana L 37-27

Sept. 15 at Missouri L 52-24

Sept. 22 Cent Conn. St W 51-14

Sept. 29 at Toledo W 42-28

Oct. 6 Akron L 39-38

Oct. 13 at No Illinois W 17-13

Oct. 20 Ball State L 27-23

Oct. 27 at Eastern Mich L 19-2

Nov. 6 Central Mich L 34-31

Nov. 17 at Iowa W 28-19

Nov. 24 Temple W 16-3

Overall: 5-7

Total team rushing yards: 1565

Total team passing yards: 3211

Total offense: 4776 (57th nationally, 5th MAC)

68th overall defense

11 Returning starters on defense.

8 Returning starters on offense.

Player to watch:

Wide receiver Jamarko Simmons had 38 catches in his first three games and finished with 84 grabs for 980 yards and six touchdowns. Western Michigan sports a talented quarterback in Tim Hiller. He completed 267 passes in 421 attemps for 3021 yards, a 63.4% completion rating. He was picked 15 times and put up 20 touchdowns. He was sacked 23 times.

Game Keys:

Run the ball and allow our athletes to overpower a weaker MAC team. I don't think Pelini will need to get fancy with the pressure packages. Put pressure on Hiller, force turnovers, and adopt a smashmouth style of play on the offensive side of the ball. Without their offense Western Michigan will be ineffective. Nebraska's O-line has a real opportunity here to set the tone for the season. We're deeper, faster, and stocked at the skill positions necessary to put this one away. It would be a bad idea to underestimate this Western Michigan squad, but being this is the first game of the Pelini era, an upset seems unlikely. The players have a lot to prove coming off last season's implosion. I'd look for a two touchdown win at least.

 
I think you're right on in the assessment. WMU does have a pretty decent secondary and their front four may be a little undersized but they are quick. The LB's are pretty active and had some pretty decent blitz packages last year as I recall, so grinding out the yards on the ground, taking advantage of size mismatches, would be a great way to get the season rolling. On defense...bottle up West (keep him from bopping to the outside) and you've stopped the running game. Hopefully some agressive man-to-man coverage where we can body up on some of the smaller receivers will slow down the passing game.

Oh...and don't forget special teams. WMU does have a great punter, a consistent kicker and at least one fast return guy back. Gotta keep those special team mistakes down to a minimum as the Broncos will capitalize on every opportunity that you give them...

 
Appy State had a lot of small guys when they handed Michigan their a$$ last year...size does not always matter, speed and quickness kills, always has.......always will.

 
Cy the Cyclone said:
I think you're right on in the assessment. WMU does have a pretty decent secondary and their front four may be a little undersized but they are quick. The LB's are pretty active and had some pretty decent blitz packages last year as I recall, so grinding out the yards on the ground, taking advantage of size mismatches, would be a great way to get the season rolling. On defense...bottle up West (keep him from bopping to the outside) and you've stopped the running game. Hopefully some agressive man-to-man coverage where we can body up on some of the smaller receivers will slow down the passing game.

Oh...and don't forget special teams. WMU does have a great punter, a consistent kicker and at least one fast return guy back. Gotta keep those special team mistakes down to a minimum as the Broncos will capitalize on every opportunity that you give them...
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By the number of starters returning alone I suppose we should be expecting a bowl team from this crew. But there's just too much in our favor, I think, to seriously think we've got an upset brewing. We should all thank Michigan for losing to Appalachian State: no one's going to look past a weaker opponent this season, and that includes Nebraska.

 
I'm expecting a two score win. But this team did beat Iowa, only allowed 27 to Ball State, and we gave up....forty...ooh :blink:

Then again that Temple score late in the year?

Huskers win, from shear will. You don't think these guys have a chip on there shoulder after 07? Man I can't wait to see some huskers flying to the football and giving it 100%. If I see that I'll be satisfied.

 
Phil Steele has them as one of the most improved teams in the nation. I think they'll put up a fight but we sure as hell won't be looking past them in Lincoln we should be too much. I think it comes in right around the spread at Neb 31 WMU 17

 
Good stuff x

I think it will be close for most of the game. Or at least enough of the game that you hustle during commercial breaks (for more beverages) to not miss anything. At some point the Huskers will finally pull away.

I could be wrong. But I'm not convinced yet.

kick off. please.

 
Hunter94 said:
Appy State had a lot of small guys when they handed Michigan their a$$ last year...size does not always matter, speed and quickness kills, always has.......always will.
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You know I think watching the networks say that Michigan was going to be in the championship game and then seeing them get their butts handed to them on National TV was so wonderful.

Thanks for the reminder of that beautiful moment.

 
I think Bo will have them very pumped up and ready to roll. I see us smoking them, and hope we do. we have not lost a season opener at home since I think 81 or 85. I am ready to see us stomp them and get the cofidence on the defence built back up. Remeber what Bo did in 2003? he took the same players that played horrible the year befor and made them one of the best in the nation. The guy knows Defence. Im not saying our defence is gonna be a great team this year, but I think they will be solid.

 
That West Virginia score looks eerily familiar.....hmmmmm....

Also, they did have a better defense than us last year....but basically everyone did. I'm honestly not that worried about this game. I really expect our team to have a completely new look to them. One that exudes confidence, nastiness, tenacity, and winning.

 
Hunter94 said:
Appy State had a lot of small guys when they handed Michigan their a$$ last year...size does not always matter, speed and quickness kills, always has.......always will.
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Last year people on here were saying how our defense was "small, but we'll make up for it with speed and quickness"

yea, that worked out...

 
General Blackshirt said:
Hunter94 said:
Appy State had a lot of small guys when they handed Michigan their a$$ last year...size does not always matter, speed and quickness kills, always has.......always will.
Click to expand...
Last year people on here were saying how our defense was "small, but we'll make up for it with speed and quickness"

yea, that worked out...
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BeCOZ?

I will say that McKeon specifically was a different player as a senior than as a soph or junior. That's all I'll say.

 
mitch93 said:
Hunter94 said:
Appy State had a lot of small guys when they handed Michigan their a$$ last year...size does not always matter, speed and quickness kills, always has.......always will.
Click to expand...
What about in the 70s to 1997? We killed with big feroshious dudes.
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actually that is wrong, starting in oh bout 91 we started getting smaller players in the defense, mcbride would move a olb to de move a safety to olb and we'ed get small(i believe the de's for the 95 fiesta bowl were around 240)

 
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