Northwestern: Pregame Thread

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Gopher07

Gopher07

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We remain undefeated when I start a pregame thread!

This week is tough but do-able. I hope the team used the bye to get healthy and refocus themselves for their B1G home opener. There was certainly a lot to learn from in the Iowa game and the best way to get the bad taste out of their mouths is with a strong performance on Saturday. Go Gophers.
 

I think this is a critical game in how the rest of the season unfolds. The Iowa game hopefully left a bad feeling to the players and staff and whether it was good or bad, we have a bye week to think about that game and learn from it or a week to think about that game and lose confidence. NU is a solid team that should be beatable at home. If you win Saturday you get back on track but a loss could spiral along with the confidence, not to mention a fan base on the edge of intriguing the casual fan or losing them for the season. Ger 'er done Jer!
 

From what I can tell, NW's QBs have only been picked off twice through 6 games. That's troubling.
 

This is a team we should be able to score on but I am worried about our defenses ability to keep them under control. Helps that they are more of a passing team than a power running team but they have a very talented back and like to run the ball when they can. Fitzgerald is a very smart coach so I have no doubt he will make us prove we can stop the run and will tailor his gameplan to what we struggled with against Iowa.

Physically we should matuch ok assuming we are fairly healthy. Players should be as fresh as they are going to be coming off a bye week. Gray is the big quesion mark but Kill's comments during the sports huddle yesterday don't sound encouraging as far as him playing.
 

They run the ball more than most people think and I'm thinking they probably want to run the ball if it's available. In their games against FBS foes this year, in two they have had more passing attempts than rushing attempts (last week vs. Penn State, week one vs. Syracuse):

@ Penn State: 36 passes (5.5 yards per attempt), 25 rushes (3.4 yards per carry)
vs. Indiana: 35 passes (8.9 ypa), 56 rushes (6.8 ypc)
vs. Boston College: 40 passes (6.7 ypa), 60 rushes (4.9 ypc)
vs. Vanderbilt: 31 passes (4.3 ypa), 46 rushes (4.2 ypc)
@ Syracuse: 66 passes (7.3 ypa), 29 rushes (3.9 ypc)

Total: 208 passes (49% of total), 216 rushes (51% of total)

When their running game is getting >4 yards per carry, Fitz knows to stick with it. I expect our game line will look closer to the Vanderbilt distribution, and not like the Syracuse distribution, given our issues defending the run. Of course, game situation comes into play (if they're down they're probably going to be throwing more) but if I'm Fitz I come out planning on running the ball quite a bit.
 


Gopher07 said:
@ Penn State: 36 passes (5.5 yards per attempt), 25 rushes (3.4 yards per carry)
vs. Indiana: 35 passes (8.9 ypa), 56 rushes (6.8 ypc)
vs. Boston College: 40 passes (6.7 ypa), 60 rushes (4.9 ypc)
vs. Vanderbilt: 31 passes (4.3 ypa), 46 rushes (4.2 ypc)
@ Syracuse: 66 passes (7.3 ypa), 29 rushes (3.9 ypc)

Total: 208 passes (49% of total), 216 rushes (51% of total)
Click to expand...

Note that when they run the ball a lot, they win. When they throw a lot, they lose or barely win (1-pt victory @ Syracuse).
 

The really eye opening thing about those stats is the sheer number of plays they run. Over 90 offensive snaps in 3 of their 5 games, that is a huge number. Our highest total of offensive snaps this season is is 76 against UNLV in triple overtime.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Note that when they run the ball a lot, they win. When they throw a lot, they lose or barely win (1-pt victory @ Syracuse).
Click to expand...

It is interesting. My guess is they're running the ball a lot because it's successful against those teams and when their running game is successful, they're a much better team (helps the offense and the defense). Which is why I'm pretty worried about our run defense against them...in our four games against FBS opponents, we've held one (Syracuse) to less than 4 yards per carry (3.7).
 

@BTNTomDienhart:
Just noticed that the #Gophers total offense numbers have gone down in each game: 478; 412; 397; 337; 299. #Northwestern is next. #B1G
 



Nate said:
@BTNTomDienhart:
Just noticed that the #Gophers total offense numbers have gone down in each game: 478; 412; 397; 337; 299. #Northwestern is next. #B1G
Click to expand...

Shocking revelation from TD!! Most pundits agree the competition has increased incrementally since the first two games; the JV team from New Hampshire and UNLV, who should be FCS. Gophers health, particularly on the O-Line, has eroded steadily as well.

Sure hope Tommy O returns this week. They could REALLY use him back in the lineup. Great to hear Shabazz is back, hopefully 100%.
 

Nate said:
@BTNTomDienhart:
Just noticed that the #Gophers total offense numbers have gone down in each game: 478; 412; 397; 337; 299. #Northwestern is next. #B1G
Click to expand...

Not terribly surprising given the uptick in competition but certainly not a good trend. I would think there is a good chance we crack 300 yards against Northwestern so that should snap the downward trend of the past 5 games.
 

Nate said:
@BTNTomDienhart:
Just noticed that the #Gophers total offense numbers have gone down in each game: 478; 412; 397; 337; 299. #Northwestern is next. #B1G
Click to expand...

Not to worry, against NU those numbers are likely to go up. Often the opposing QB has a career day against us. However, if we actually run the offense that works, the read option mixed with some traditional spread passing sets, I think we can outscore the Gophers and control the clock a bit. Our OC decided to try a completely different offensive gameplan against PSU and whiffed badly, which kept our D on the field for 40 minutes. With 2 weeks to prepare for NU it's going to be a tough matchup.
 

I think we match up well with Northwestern in terms of physicality, which should make for a well-fought game. if we keep the errors down, this is a game we can win.
 



50PoundHead said:
I think we match up well with Northwestern in terms of physicality, which should make for a well-fought game. if we keep the errors down, this is a game we can win.
Click to expand...

Can't agree more. The game will come down to execution (duh) and turnovers (duh duh). If we out execute them, we can win. Their athletes aren't that far above our own. We have two weeks to their one (unusual for us), both are coming off losses and we're at home. Those are all positives.
 


Some young pups gradually grow into becoming junk yard dogs. Let's come out as LeRoy Brown and junk yard dogs this game.

At the end, LeRoy was missing some pieces, but the stranger was missing more than pieces:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ooq3JbWbdjk
 

I think they have too much firepower for us - and they play well on the road.
 



I think....the Gophers will be up for this game....Shortell will be more accurate and comfortable @ TCF. Our D will play well at home as they did vs Cuse and the Northwestern D has just been crap.
 

Parski1 said:
I think....the Gophers will be up for this game....Shortell will be more accurate and comfortable @ TCF. Our D will play well at home as they did vs Cuse and the Northwestern D has just been crap.
Click to expand...

Is it for sure Shortell?
 



Obligatory

[video]http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=IRuuF-5ZST8&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DIRuuF-5ZST8[/video]
 





Tom Powers: OverKill: We get it that the Gophers are young

Time out! On behalf of, well, everybody, let me just say that we get it, OK? Geez, it's like getting hit in the head with a frying pan over and over. Look, nobody really thought the Gophers were going to the Rose Bowl this season. The 4-0 start was lovely and got fans excited. Combine the fast start with a fresh new beer garden and it's almost like there's a major college football program around here.

But deep down, nobody is expecting miracles. The loss to Iowa didn't shake the faith of Gopher Nation. People are smart enough to know that these things take time. So relax, Jerry. Nobody is angry. We get it that the team is young. In fact, it seems as if various coaches have been saying that for the past 10 years. These Gophers never age! Players come and go but the overall team stays remarkably young. There's a Stephen King novel in there somewhere.

According to my calculations, Kill referred to his team's youth nine times during his Tuesday news conference.

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/c...rce=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Go Gophers!!
 


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