San Jose State's D Line

[RashoLives]

I don't understand all the talk around the site that we won't be able to dominate big ten foes up front like we did today. Yes overall there is a lot more talent in the big ten that at SJSU but they're defensive line is relatively stout.
One of their D tackles, Travis Raciti, was all WAC first team last year as a sophomore and is projected by CBS sports to be the number ten tackle off the board in 2015.
Anthony Larceval, their other tackle was second team all WAC last year and is ranked the number 61 senior D Tackle this year in the NCAA (both rankings by CBSsports.) Both Tackles also weigh over 285 as well so it's not like they are small guys.
Eugene Taylor had 3 sacks coming into the game and most of their other linemen play at weights over 280. It's not like the games against the Dakota schools from a couple years back where we were struggling to get a push against 240lb lineman. These are grown men, some of whom will get a sniff of Sunday and we absolutely dominated them. They were similar in size to those we will see during the big ten system and we were blowing them off the line.
I think the one aspect of our game today that has been universally discounted is just how well our offensive line played. We don't need to qualify the push these guys made by saying but it was against an overmatched D line. This was a decent D line and we made them look like a highschool team. I don't coach O line so I can't speak as much to technique as I would like but our boys are nasty and they are STRONG. Bring on the pigs and we'll push them around as well.

 

[BarnBoy]

Good to know! And i agree with you.

But I have a feeling you're going to get hammered for posting this. Your optimism is not welcome here.

 

[GopherinPhilly]

I'm not in disagreement with you on the D-Line - they will compare to lower level B1G teams (too bad we don't play many of those). But running the ball is more than just point of attack blocking. It is getting a helmet on the LBs and how aggressive are the safeties.

I think when we get into B1G play, we will see more one on one at the edge and a full commit to the box and stopping the run until we start to throw the ball.

My hope is the look we haven't shown yet this year but have in our pocket is running from the spread formation.

Splitting our TE/HB out into the slot, with 3 WRs and a single back. Widen our splits on the line and then run a pass/run read prior to the snap based on defensive alignment. I think Williams can beat any LB in the league and KJ Maye is favorable against a safety.

 

[KD6-3.7]

I don't understand all the talk around the site that we won't be able to dominate big ten foes up front like we did today. Yes overall there is a lot more talent in the big ten that at SJSU but they're defensive line is relatively stout.
One of their D tackles, Travis Raciti, was all WAC first team last year as a sophomore and is projected by CBS sports to be the number ten tackle off the board in 2015.
Anthony Larceval, their other tackle was second team all WAC last year and is ranked the number 61 senior D Tackle this year in the NCAA (both rankings by CBSsports.) Both Tackles also weigh over 285 as well so it's not like they are small guys.
Eugene Taylor had 3 sacks coming into the game and most of their other linemen play at weights over 280. It's not like the games against the Dakota schools from a couple years back where we were struggling to get a push against 240lb lineman. These are grown men, some of whom will get a sniff of Sunday and we absolutely dominated them. They were similar in size to those we will see during the big ten system and we were blowing them off the line.
I think the one aspect of our game today that has been universally discounted is just how well our offensive line played. We don't need to qualify the push these guys made by saying but it was against an overmatched D line. This was a decent D line and we made them look like a highschool team. I don't coach O line so I can't speak as much to technique as I would like but our boys are nasty and they are STRONG. Bring on the pigs and we'll push them around as well.

but how close did you watch their defensive line? even though the depth chart had the spartans starting a 4-3 defense, they were lining up in a 3-4 as much as they were lining up in a 4-3. number 53 was a freshman, is listed at 6'2" 225 pounds (that's smaller than leidner, as the announcers pointed out) and had absolutely no idea how to play the option. sjsu has a new coach who is trying to install a 3-4 and he just doesn't have the beef for it. playing a 3-4 with a 280 pound NT and a 225 pound freshman defensive tackle just isn't going to cut it against a big ten offensive line.

even so, in running situations, the gophers are not likely to see many more teams with sub 300 pound lineman for the rest of the year. all-wac first and second team is nice, but pretty much any defensive lineman from the big ten would get all-wac honors in 2012. look at the teams in the wac last year, outside of utah state and sjsu, the competition for all-wac honors is Louisiana tech, utsa, texas state, idaho and new mexico state.

 

[KD6-3.7]

in fact is you watch Claeys break down SJSU last week, he says exactly what the gophers were going to do when the spartans lines up in the cover 2 defense with a 3 man front.

 

[thailleagle]

Everybody said we would push around SJSU's D-Line for a reason & we did... nobody is saying we'll push around Iowa's for a reason...

 

[Spoofin]

I don't understand all the talk around the site that we won't be able to dominate big ten foes up front like we did today.

You bring up good points. My assumption is that most (including me) are basing that talk on years and years of watching it happen.

4-0

 

[corcoran1]

We we were able to run on them because they had to spread out to stop the QB runs. Without Leidner's running, we would have been getting two yards per rush. That does not mean the o-line was not effective, but this is not a dominant o-line. We can probably run as long as we let the QB run a lot, and if we develop any ability to throw to keep people honest.