STrib: Gophers know they'll need to pass to beat Nebraska

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Joe:

Coach Jerry Kill was so determined to re-establish the Gophers’ power-rushing identity last week, he said, “I don’t care if we throw it one time right now; we’re going to run the football.”

That plan worked at Purdue. But to beat Nebraska this Saturday, the Gophers probably need to hold their breath and unleash the passing game again. Mitch Leidner and the team’s receivers had better be sharp.

The Cornhuskers have the nation’s eighth-best rushing defense (95.3 yards allowed per game), but they’re the worst in the country against the pass (348.5).

“We’ll take what they give us,” Kill said Tuesday. “… If we need to throw it, we’ll throw it.”

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-know-they-ll-need-to-pass-to-beat-nebraska/332591502/

Go Gophers!!
 

Run it till the stop it. If they cannot, then there is no reason to throw it. Its a simple game. Its all about the ball. Control it, protect it. Ball Security at all times. Woody Hayes had it correct. There are three things, actually four that can happen when you throw the ball, and three of them are bad. First you are sacked and suffer a loss of down and distance. Second intercepted. Third Incomplete loss of down.

If you remember last year, Nebraska could not set the edge on the backdoor.

Stop this drumbeat of throwing the ball.
 

BleedGopher said:
per Joe:

Coach Jerry Kill was so determined to re-establish the Gophers’ power-rushing identity last week, he said, “I don’t care if we throw it one time right now; we’re going to run the football.”

That plan worked at Purdue. But to beat Nebraska this Saturday, the Gophers probably need to hold their breath and unleash the passing game again. Mitch Leidner and the team’s receivers had better be sharp.

The Cornhuskers have the nation’s eighth-best rushing defense (95.3 yards allowed per game), but they’re the worst in the country against the pass (348.5).

“We’ll take what they give us,” Kill said Tuesday. “… If we need to throw it, we’ll throw it.”

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-know-they-ll-need-to-pass-to-beat-nebraska/332591502/

Go Gophers!!
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Hope so - let's not have Kent State again.
 






Their Rushing Defense numbers are a little fraudulent. Wisconsin's Ogunbowale got 117 on a 6.5 yard average. Here are their Rushing Defense stats-

BYU - 26 for 132 - 5.07 per carry - 2 TD's
South Alabama- 24 for 19- for .79 per carry
Miami - 33 for 132- 4 per carry 1 TD
Southern Miss - 23 for 11 - .47 per carry- 2 TD
Illinois - 32 for 131- 4.09 per carry
Wisconsin - 34 for 147 - 4.32 yards per carry - 1 TD

Take away South Alabama and Southern Miss- and their Rushing Defense starts to look more average giving up 4.3 yard per rush. I think Jerry Kill will take that all day.
 

If the opponent's weakness is a "porous pass defense" is no reason to throw the ball. The key is attacking their strength. Once the strongest part of a defense is defeated the opponent beaten. To go into this game with an idea we have a passing game that can take advantage of a perceived weakness is a trap. I have seen this too many times before. The we could get an easy score against them if they load the box. And we abandon the run, and sling it 45 times.
 




oldauggie said:
This guy is in for a rude awakening on Saturday. "Always Empty seats at TCF". I will be there along wiht 50,000 others and I am expecting a great atmosphere for college football.
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Oh yeah.



Nebraska’s defense — celebrated by players before the season as simpler and more user-friendly — is ranked last nationally in passing yards allowed per game. NU is better when you break it down into yards per attempt — 7.7 yards, tied for 94th — but no offense, not even Wisconsin’s, respects Nebraska’s pass defense. And I’m not sure why you would, when so many routes are left unchallenged until receivers are 10 yards downfield.

Watching Saturday’s game again, I thought of that 2002 game against Texas, when NU’s defense was so outmatched by Texas’ offensive firepower that the Huskers essentially gave away 10-yard passes for free, hoping to make stops in the red zone. But 2002 Texas and 2015 Wisconsin aren’t the same beasts.

Why Nebraska’s secondary didn’t get up in the faces of Badger wideouts — and make Joel Stave throw into much tighter windows — is a question that hangs over several Husker games this year.

It hung over the first quarter of the Miami game, when the Hurricanes got two easy touchdowns on pitch-and-catch slant patterns. It hung over the fourth quarter of the Illinois game, when Illini receivers twice got behind defensive backs for back-breaking plays. And it hung over Saturday’s game. Wisconsin converted a third-and-15 on its first touchdown drive. Nebraska was flagged for pass interference on the Badgers’ second touchdown drive. You have NU defensive backs grabbing downfield in part because they were off the ball at the snap.

Maybe this defense is simpler. But against the pass, it’s not working yet. Maybe, in the next three weeks against bad passing teams, it will. It frankly must for defensive coordinator Mark Banker, who’s choosing to keep it positive.

“You know what’s great? We got things to work on,” Banker said. “We’re going to go out there — we wish we were doing it in another vein — and there are no moral victories. We’ve got to go back to work.”

Banker is a good quote and thoughtful guy. His unit has been stung by injuries.

But Nebraska’s secondary appears to lack confidence, tackling prowess and consistent ball skills. And if you’re going to put this much responsibility on the secondary — as Banker has chosen to — that unit has to respond in the fourth quarters of games when the front seven will naturally be tired by the wear and tear of a game.
 

We are not suddenly going to become a passing team on Saturday. The game will be won or lost on the ground.
 

DougMN said:
Their Rushing Defense numbers are a little fraudulent. Wisconsin's Ogunbowale got 117 on a 6.5 yard average. Here are their Rushing Defense stats-

BYU - 26 for 132 - 5.07 per carry - 2 TD's - - BYU QB went 21-34 for 268 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT
South Alabama- 24 for 19- for .79 per carry - SA QB went 23-40 for 270 yards and 1 INT
Miami - 33 for 132- 4 per carry 1 TD - UM QB went 25-42 for 379 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT
Southern Miss - 23 for 11 - .47 per carry- 2 TD - SM QB went 26-41 for 447 yards, 2 TD
Illinois - 32 for 131- 4.09 per carry - QB Lunt went 23-45 for 251 yards and 2 TD
Wisconsin - 34 for 147 - 4.32 yards per carry - 1 TD - Even Stave went 24-50, for 322 yards and 1 TD

Take away South Alabama and Southern Miss- and their Rushing Defense starts to look more average giving up 4.3 yard per rush. I think Jerry Kill will take that all day.
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There is the other side of the story. The main part. Looks like big days in the Passing Game against Nebraska could have led to those Rushing numbers. People who believe that the Gophers have no ability to throw the ball are throwing in the towel way to soon.
 



DougMN said:
Their Rushing Defense numbers are a little fraudulent. Wisconsin's Ogunbowale got 117 on a 6.5 yard average. Here are their Rushing Defense stats-

BYU - 26 for 132 - 5.07 per carry - 2 TD's
South Alabama- 24 for 19- for .79 per carry
Miami - 33 for 132- 4 per carry 1 TD
Southern Miss - 23 for 11 - .47 per carry- 2 TD
Illinois - 32 for 131- 4.09 per carry
Wisconsin - 34 for 147 - 4.32 yards per carry - 1 TD

Take away South Alabama and Southern Miss- and their Rushing Defense starts to look more average giving up 4.3 yard per rush. I think Jerry Kill will take that all day.
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Interesting. I doubt we'll deviate much from our Purdue gameplan of pounding the rock unless Nebraska is absolutely shutting us down. The goal will be wearing them down and winning the game in the 4th quarter.
 

husker70 said:
If the opponent's weakness is a "porous pass defense" is no reason to throw the ball. The key is attacking their strength. Once the strongest part of a defense is defeated the opponent beaten. To go into this game with an idea we have a passing game that can take advantage of a perceived weakness is a trap. I have seen this too many times before. The we could get an easy score against them if they load the box. And we abandon the run, and sling it 45 times.
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Agree...I think Kill and Crew will do exactly what they have done the last two years and punish Nebraska into submission. We are the tougher, stronger and meaner team and running the ball will prove it.
 

I'm shocked Riley isn't having more success, I mean his OSU teams were dominant.
Wait, what?
 

husker70 said:
If the opponent's weakness is a "porous pass defense" is no reason to throw the ball. The key is attacking their strength. Once the strongest part of a defense is defeated the opponent beaten. To go into this game with an idea we have a passing game that can take advantage of a perceived weakness is a trap. I have seen this too many times before. The we could get an easy score against them if they load the box. And we abandon the run, and sling it 45 times.
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You summed up the Iowa game in 2013. We need to stick with what the offense was built to do, and we need to get creative in the run game if the stuff it up the middle early.
 

Nebraska has not really been challenged by a good running team.

BYU is 109th in rushing, but 27th in passing offense

South Alabama is 111th in rushing, but 51s in passing offense

Miami is 98th in rushing, but 18th in passing offense

Southern Miss is 73rd in rushing, but 13th in passing offense

Illinois 101st in rushing, but 34th in passing offense

Wisconsin 77th in rushing, but 56th in passing offense

Southern Miss is the best rushing team they have faced.
 



Gopherdrummer said:
You summed up the Iowa game in 2013. We need to stick with what the offense was built to do, and we need to get creative in the run game if the stuff it up the middle early.
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Memories are tricky. The Gophers were down 20-0 when the Gophers finally scored. Maybe that's why people remember the Gopher throwing the ball. The Gophers Offense wasn't much good period, but they ran the ball 27 times for 30 yards and passed it 24 times for 135. Nelson was sacked/ran for -19. He did throw a TD for that first score, but threw 2 INT too. One of them GHers were convinced was because the Receiver didn't "fight for the ball". :rolleyes:

Seems like Iowa in '13 didn't have Purdue's Defense against the run or Nebraska's against the pass.
 

husker70 said:
If the opponent's weakness is a "porous pass defense" is no reason to throw the ball. The key is attacking their strength. Once the strongest part of a defense is defeated the opponent beaten. To go into this game with an idea we have a passing game that can take advantage of a perceived weakness is a trap. I have seen this too many times before. The we could get an easy score against them if they load the box. And we abandon the run, and sling it 45 times.
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"The Cornhuskers have the nation’s eighth-best rushing defense (95.3 yards allowed per game), but they’re the worst in the country against the pass (348.5).

“We’ll take what they give us,” Kill said Tuesday. “… If we need to throw it, we’ll throw it.”

So you think Jerry meant they'd "sling it" 45 times? ;)
 

There should be enough passing to keep Nebraska from selling out against the run.

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk
 


You always "need" to pass, to at least establish a credible threat to keep everyone from playing the run the whole time... so yeah, but that's every game.
 

I just dare Nebraska to try and predict what we are going to do. The 'confusion by media' approach is in full swing. ;)


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Didn't JK say if we threw it 30 times he'd have a heart attack?
 



Iceland12 said:
Memories are tricky. The Gophers were down 20-0 when the Gophers finally scored. Maybe that's why people remember the Gopher throwing the ball. The Gophers Offense wasn't much good period, but they ran the ball 27 times for 30 yards and passed it 24 times for 135. Nelson was sacked/ran for -19. He did throw a TD for that first score, but threw 2 INT too. One of them GHers were convinced was because the Receiver didn't "fight for the ball". :rolleyes:

Seems like Iowa in '13 didn't have Purdue's Defense against the run or Nebraska's against the pass.
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Memories are tricky. We lined up in a 1 running back, 1 TE and 3 WR sets 50% of the time during that game. We passed twice as much out of that formation then we ran. We only used our usual heavy personnel formations (our strength) a quarter of the time. It was a perfect example of abandoning our identity to try and play to an opponent's weakness (Iowa did not have a good secondary coming into that game). So we got the results you mentioned.
 

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