Danny Collins

[Gopherchase]

Who are you hearing this from and why do you believe them? The defense doesn’t seem that complex at all just fundamentally and conceptually bad. DC is clearly in over his head— getting your back blown out by Oregon and Ohio state is one thing, but 525 yards to Northwestern and 456 yards to Purdue (at home)?

When they got rid of Smith back in the day, that was the issue or a big issue that they cited when he laughed and things were simplified. It got way better. I don’t know if it’s the same issue here I think it’s more of this guy just way in over his head

 

[Swaggerson]

Do defenders wrap their arms around the runner any more? Noticed that gopher linebackers and safeties throw their shoulder in but seldom wrap on the tackle.

 

[Stuff]

Do defenders wrap their arms around the runner any more? Noticed that gopher linebackers and safeties throw their shoulder in but seldom wrap on the tackle.

I brought this up in the in game thread yesterday when Koi just dove in head down and head first into the running backs thighs but did not wrap up. I was told by a Gopherholer this was a good way to tackle. Obviously it isn't great being head parallel to the ground and he got hurt on the play but was able to return.

 

[Word]

Do defenders wrap their arms around the runner any more? Noticed that gopher linebackers and safeties throw their shoulder in but seldom wrap on the tackle.

They don't even do that in the NFL any more.

 

[Catechol]

Do defenders wrap their arms around the runner any more? Noticed that gopher linebackers and safeties throw their shoulder in but seldom wrap on the tackle.

#6 Fitzgerald on Northwestern (no relation to former coach) is probably the best tackler in the Big Ten.

 

[gophmeister]

It’s like a Scooby Do episode when they unmask the villain.

 

[Stuff]

They don't even do that in the NFL any more.

Blake Cashman Tackles

I can't post the video here due to NFL copyright, but every tackle Cashman makes in his highlight video he wraps up the runner.

 

[Gopherchase]

Blake Cashman Tackles

I can't post the video here due to NFL copyright, but every tackle Cashman makes in his highlight video he wraps up the runner.

He is a good tackler. Always has been. Your timing isn’t great as he got trucked badly on the goal line today barely a speed bump on the way to a TD.

 

[WorkingMyTailOff]

Fact that our zone drops are so bad that we have to play man, thats the problem

Tackling has been horrible as well.

 

[WHB Brewer]

PJ is blinded by his nepotism OC/DC hires. He has openly discussed his love for Collins being a loyal servant for so long. best we can hope is Smith gets booted at MSU and Rossi is willing to return

 

[The Deliberate Stranger]

With Smith it came down to his in ability to teach talented players what he wanted them to do. At the time Cashman, Barber, Martin, Coughlin, Winston De, Durr had all played alot of football and were all guys who did well under Claeys and Sawvel. When Smith had a healthy Winfield Jr, it covered up a lot of issues, the only game we lost with a healthy Winfield in those first two years was the Maryland game in 2017. Though I believe he left the Purdue game that year and the Maryland game the next year early on. Rossi came in, simplified the scheme and guys who had once been good were good again, then 2019 Winfield comes back and everyone else got a year older and had an off season in the system.
As far as Collins goes, he certainly has some blame in the construction of this roster, not all of it, but a piece of it. We certainly wiffed in the portal last off season and hs recruiting between 2021 and 2023 didn't bring much. Our corners are horrible and it affects what we can do, they can't play zone and we are fucked in man if we don't get home to the QB.
The question for Collins is do we suck at zone because he and the position coaches can't teach it or is it a talent problem? If it's a talent problem he will probably get a year to fix it, if it's a teaching problem than he's toast and should have been out the door yesterday. The one thing he has going for him is his former position is the most talented position on that side of the ball.
Wisconsin offense is cheeks, even in their win over Illinois it was just as much Illinois making dumb mistakes, they are a team we should break as long as we don't turn the ball over, the only thing I'll say about Stone he was an all ACC QB at SMU in 2023, he hadn't shown it at NW, but he at least had a track record of being good before, if Carter Smith and the Badgers puts up 400 plus yards on us, than it's going to make Flecks decision easier to move on. Wisconsin has a good defense that should keep the game interesting, but that offense has no business moving the ball up and down the field.

 

[Taji34]

I don't know if Winston DeLattiboudere has aspirations to be a defensive coordinator, but if we could snag him back from the Arizona Cardinals by offering a promotion to DC I think that could work well. AFAICT he has been climbing the ranks fast as a DL coach because he's been successful coaching that position, but he would be untested at DC so that would be a gamble.