STrib: Claeys knows TCU can bury a defense, but he thinks Gophers are up to the task

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BleedGopher

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per Joe:

Gophers defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys has said repeatedly that he'll be disappointed if this year's team doesn't take another step defensively this year. Claeys points to the depth and experience as reasons this defense should be better.

Still, facing TCU in the season opener will be an immense challenge. The Horned Frogs ranked second in the nation in scoring offense last year, averaging 46.5 points per game. And almost everybody's back from that group, including Heisman candidate Trevone Boykin.

"Here’s what you worry about," Claeys said Wednesday night. "You play a team like TCU, if you have a bad game against them, they will put 77 or 80 points on the board against you -- bottom line. If you don’t come ready to play full-speed, and play the way you’re supposed to, they will bury you and score 70 points.

"A regular team, you play them and have a bad day, you give up 35 or 42. But [TCU will] embarrass you if you have a bad day. So that’s the biggest concern as a coach. You want to coach well, and you want the kids to play well."

http://www.startribune.com/claeys-k...-thinks-gophers-are-up-to-the-task/322414671/

Go Gophers!!
 


I do hope this year's team does not wait until next year.
 


Schnauzer said:
I do hope this year's team does not wait until next year.
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I won't mind if next year's team takes another step forward this year. That would pay instant dividends and also put us ahead of the pace for next year, allowing us to take an additional step forward.
 


killme said:
I won't mind if next year's team takes another step forward this year. That would pay instant dividends and also put us ahead of the pace for next year, allowing us to take an additional step forward.
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It would be like taking two steps forward next year........which is better than one.
 

Boys, strap your big boy pants on and hang on to your beer mug.

This year is going to be a fist fight all the way to the end of the season. This makes for one very exciting season. I wouldn't take it any other way.
 

killme said:
I won't mind if next year's team takes another step forward this year. That would pay instant dividends and also put us ahead of the pace for next year, allowing us to take an additional step forward.
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Time travel paradoxes are SO confusing.
 

The only comment worth a damn:


"Matchup issues.
The weakness of our team over the years has been teams with a good QB that can throw the deep ball and/or a good offensive line with a pocket passing QB that can make reads and keep pressure away. With this they are able to open up the run a bit more and pick apart our defense with shorter passes.

Any team that has said they will line up and shove the ball down our throats has never been able to do it. Oklahoma and DeMarco Murray in 2008 we held to their season low, I think they averaged under 1 yard a carry. CJ Spiller and Clemson in 2009 faired no better. Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl we know how that played out. LSU needed their pass game to beat us in 2013. Ole Miss last year said their ground game would get it done against us and it didn't. Samaje Perine was coming off a breakout game vs. West Virginia last year and we held him to 67 yards on 25 carries.

Simply put, you need to be able to throw the ball to beat us because you aren't beating us on the ground. I don't care who you are, yet I have seen Minnesota fans think they will be able to run on us.

Look at some of our losses over the years.

2014 Baylor - Deep ball with a good QB beat us.
2013 Baylor - We win this game if not for 3 turnovers that led to 21 Baylor points. But Lache Seastrunk did nothiing on the ground this game.
2013 Kansas State - Lack of a pass rush beat us, their QB was able to pick us apart especially on their game winning drive
2013 Texas - Deep ball beat us. Their QB completed 9 passes for 230 yards.
2013 LSU - We held their run game in check on 1st and 2nd down but a lack of pass rush on 3rd down helped their NFL QB and Receivers beat us on 3rd down.

I can't think of the last time a team beat us on the strength of their run game. 2013 Oklahoma? But we shut their run game down until late in the 4th quarter when they busted out a 76 yard run.

Minnesota doesn't have the passing game to exploit our defense."

Limegrover can be stubborn. The zone/power read stuff is going to be tough sledding unless their D takes a big step back, which I wouldn't count on.. Time to think outside the box.
 




Pompous Elitist said:
2014 Baylor - Deep ball with a good QB beat us.

I can't think of the last time a team beat us on the strength of their run game. 2013 Oklahoma? But we shut their run game down until late in the 4th quarter when they busted out a 76 yard run.
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Yes and no on this one. Baylor did open it up with the deep pass. But they were knocking off big chunks of yards on the ground in the 4th quarter comeback. Maybe it was because TCU's defense was gassed. Shock Linwood had 29 carries for 178 yds.
 

Just a comment, schematicly the 4-2-5 is vulnurable to the run, unless it has outstanding linebacker play. Gary Patterson has said that he has never before had to start a freshman of any kind at linebacker. This year he has 3 freshmen including two true freshmen in his two deeps with the returning junior expected to be second team. That is not a combination that bodes well for the first game.
 

In theory, the 4-2-5 should be vulnerable to a strong offensive line, up the gut with 7 or maybe 6 defenders in the box. Can this line and #35 do what Cobb and Co could not and attack the interior? I dunno. We'll have to wait and see. My concern is TCU was so strong in their front four, and I believe they return their entire line. If the new linebackers stink...well...
 



nsmike said:
Just a comment, schematicly the 4-2-5 is vulnurable to the run, unless it has outstanding linebacker play. Gary Patterson has said that he has never before had to start a freshman of any kind at linebacker. This year he has 3 freshmen including two true freshmen in his two deeps with the returning junior expected to be second team. That is not a combination that bodes well for the first game.
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Good points.
 

Can our defense contain "Killerbee" Listenbee's speed?

Also, we cannot forget that TCU does have a pretty good running game.

The Gopher's cannot afford to make a mistake against this team.
 

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