What we need to do to beat Wisconsin

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ruppertflywheel

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First of all , getting Richardson and Epke back would help. We don't have a lot of bulk up front.
To beat Wisconsin we need too:
Neutralize Biegel and Schobert on the edges. Both are very good at getting to the quarterback on passing situations. Biegel a legit NFL prospect...
Houston or Stave. It is a coin toss with Stave battling shoulder problems. Houston is more mobile and I think would create more problems for us. I hope it is Stave...
Contain WR. Erickson to short routes . Last year he burned
on deep patterns. Also Peavy has come on strong. He is somewhat like KJ. Maye. ...
Corey C. Is still having problems with a groin injury. Northwestern held Wisconsin with negative yards rushing.We need to keep them around 100 yards on the ground.
I don't think we can run any misdirection stuff at Wisconsin. Northwestern tried it a couple of times and got snuffed....
Like Jackson did for Northwestern, we can run Brooks straight at Wisconsin...
Mitch , if healthy enough, needs to run the lead option. This will take pressure off Brooks...
I think we need to throw underneath Wisconsin coverage
to Maye, Carter, and Lingren. The play a lot of zone coverage so any deep route will have to be play action.
Kicking game: I like us field goal and punting. Returns are a wash....
Mental edge. I give it to the Gophers. Why?
1. The misery of not winning the ax for 11 years...
2. Bowl eligibility. ..
3. How Wisconsin lost last week really kicking them into a , for them, a meaningless bowl game....
4. Kill coming back...
5. Home field...
Summary: Gophers win with a late FG 24-21
 

Good summary. For me I look at it pretty simply, if the offense keeps playing the way it has for the past month or so I like our chances. Wisconsin has a very good defense but the offense has done pretty well against some other very good defenses in recent weeks and with the game at TCF I like our chances.
 

It will be strength on strength. Their defense is very highly rated and only giving up 12 points a game. That said, they've played a weak schedule. They had a bad game vs Alabama, not surprisingly, with Caputo out. They played well against Iowa at home. It will be tough to move the ball on them consistently and Biegel might give us some problems. Quick throws and Mitch being a threat to run will be our friends. Long developing plays will not.

Their offense has really struggled and their run game is really struggling this year. Against our banged up D, they might have some success.

I have a feeling this could be a statement game for Claeyes. I am a bit of an optimist but I have a feeling about this one. It's going to be a great atmosphere with senior day, Jerry there, the Axe, playing for a bowl. Really wish I could make it to see the victory.
 

I think if we score more points than Wisconsin we should be in pretty good shape.
 

On defense, we have to limit the vertical passing attack, especially if Stave is playing. Stave isn't a great all-around QB, but he's very good at throwing the ball downfield. Strong arm and good accuracy on deep balls. I don't think their running game and short passing game are good enough to beat us on extended drives, like we saw with Beathard and Iowa, so we need to limit the big passing plays to Erickson and Peavy.

On offense, we need to have success with the power running game. Biegel and Schobert are too good to isolate on read options. In the 2nd half, Northwestern tried a lot of read options/draws, and Schobert and Biegel at their lunch the whole half. We have to run power to limit the impact of those ends.
 


Our defense is going to have to win this game. Need TOs, need to get our offense good field position, and need to limit big plays. Time for those guys to step up.
 

You hit the nail on the head with your first sentence Ruppert. Of all the injuries this year it is the missing DTs that has been the most noticeable. Our LBs have to sell out a lot to contain runs up the middle and that opens some other things up. I don't see that approach changing against WI either as stopping their run is priority 1.
 

Hit the quarterback every play possible and do it without a penalty.
 

Just gotta make them earn their points and play tough D. No easy crap like busted coverage or missed tackles.
I hope we can get our special teams going. This could be a game where a return TD or excellent punting leads to a W.
 



Section2 said:
Our defense is going to have to win this game. Need TOs, need to get our offense good field position, and need to limit big plays. Time for those guys to step up.
Click to expand...

Yes, it will have to be one of the defense's very best games of the season, perhaps their very best. Nevertheless, our defense is unlikely to limit their scoring the way Northwestern and Iowa did, so the offense is going to have to figure out a way to get at least between 300-350 yards on them. Nebraska, Illinois, and Maryland managed that against them so achieving that is far from impossible. Interestingly enough, all of those were also away games for the Badgers.
 

Don't get me wrong, I love reading everyone's comments and predictions. But, last week is all that I heard was that Connor Cook was going to have an out of this world game for Mich State to win in Columbus. We all saw that he didn't even need to play for Sparty to get the W. Go Gophers!
 






Hope that Clement is still mostly out. Without him their run game is non-existent and they have to rely on a poor passing game. Their second RB ogumbowale (?) seems to make nice cuts, but just has no explosiveness so he doesn't really go anywhere.

I think the game will be decided by our defense vs their offense.
 

Not as important, I am hoping we don't have what the Vikings dealt with and that was Packer fans being louder then Viking fans. No reason why Badger fans on Saturday should be louder then Gopher fans. It will be embarrassing if it's anything like the Viking game or the Nebraska game from earlier.

Be loud and proud on Saturday, you see another Gopher fan cheering, join along with him/her. Don't let the Badger fans be louder. No reason it why it should be CR West, it's our turf.
 

dannygopher9100 said:
Not as important, I am hoping we don't have what the Vikings dealt with and that was Packer fans being louder then Viking fans. No reason why Badger fans on Saturday should be louder then Gopher fans. It will be embarrassing if it's anything like the Viking game or the Nebraska game from earlier.

Be loud and proud on Saturday, you see another Gopher fan cheering, join along with him/her. Don't let the Badger fans be louder. No reason it why it should be CR West, it's our turf.
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I am not too worried about "camp randall West", since Wisconsin has never brought huge numbers of fans to TCF, and they are not that great this year. The biggest group in red I recall was in 2011, and that was about 10,000 or so.

What this team needs to do is beat the hell out of that statue Stave before he (or his replacement) gets comfortable. If that happens, Stave is going to make #86 Erickson look like Percy Harvin or Jerry Rice, like last year and we are going to lose again. The Offensive Line cannot be worthless either. I sure would be nice if Campion could play.
 

oak_street1981 said:
I am not too worried about "camp randall West", since Wisconsin has never brought huge numbers of fans to TCF, and they are not that great this year. The biggest group in red I recall was in 2011, and that was about 10,000 or so.

What this team needs to do is beat the hell out of that statue Stave before he (or his replacement) gets comfortable. If that happens, Stave is going to make #86 Erickson look like Percy Harvin or Jerry Rice, like last year and we are going to lose again. The Offensive Line cannot be worthless either. I sure would be nice if Campion could play.
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Agree with getting to Stave. Make him feel uncomfortable in the pocket. Northwestern proved that if you get to him he will crack, I doubt we force 5 turnovers out of him like they did but 3 turnovers changes the game.
 

We should of beat them last year. I think if Claeys coached that game last year we might of won. Why? Because I think Claeys brings a different mentality/mindset. Aggressiveness and a calm, controlled confidence. Last year, we get the touch to go up 21-3 and it's over. Don't know if we have healthy talent this year, but I think they are going to get 60 minutes of fury!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Our D have to play lights out with or without Richardson & Epke.

Could it be that this game may be decided by one electrifying play?

Win or lose this season, I have never recalled a Gophers team that kept us entertained from Michigan on.
 

Some Day...Is Coming! said:
We should of beat them last year. I think if Claeys coached that game last year we might of won. Why? Because I think Claeys brings a different mentality/mindset. Aggressiveness and a calm, controlled confidence. Last year, we get the touch to go up 21-3 and it's over. Don't know if we have healthy talent this year, but I think they are going to get 60 minutes of fury!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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That one hands to the face call changed the game.
 


dannygopher9100 said:
Not as important, I am hoping we don't have what the Vikings dealt with and that was Packer fans being louder then Viking fans. No reason why Badger fans on Saturday should be louder then Gopher fans. It will be embarrassing if it's anything like the Viking game or the Nebraska game from earlier.
Click to expand...

Considering the huge number of Husker fans in the metro, they barely registered a peep in what was a fairly lopsided game most of the day. Conversely, when the Gophers started to rally, the Minnesota fans were very loud. Nebraska fans haven't really turned-out in significant numbers since their first year in the B1G.
 

Out of curiosity I looked at scoring offense for The Big Ten season only. Considering our brutal slate against several top defenses we are doing quite well.

Scoring offense, Big Ten competition only

Pts/game

1. Ohio State 46.7
2. Michigan 34.7
3. Nebraska 32.1
4. Iowa 32.1
5. Indiana 32
6. MSU 30.4
7. Penn State 24.8
8. MINNESOTA 24.7
9. Wisconsin 23.2
10. Rutgers 22.8
11. Purdue 20.5
12. Maryland 18.9
13. Northwestern 17.7
14. Illinois. 17.2

For reference, the Gophers averaged 30.5 pts vs Big Ten teams in 2014, 18.8 pts in 2013, and 17.1 in 2012.
 

keep the penalties to a minimum. see the pack/vike game for a recent example.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Out of curiosity I looked at scoring offense for The Big Ten season only. Considering our brutal slate against several top defenses we are doing quite well.

Scoring offense, Big Ten competition only

Pts/game

1. Ohio State 46.7 28
2. Michigan 34.7 29
3. Nebraska 32.1 48 23
4. Iowa 32.1 40 10
5. Indiana 32
6. MSU 30.4
7. Penn State 24.8
8. MINNESOTA 24.7
9. Wisconsin 23.2
10. Rutgers 22.8 10
11. Purdue 20.5 13 7
12. Maryland 18.9 24
13. Northwestern 17.7 27 13
14. Illinois. 17.2 23 13

For reference, the Gophers averaged 30.5 pts vs Big Ten teams in 2014, 18.8 pts in 2013, and 17.1 in 2013.
Click to expand...

Interesting numbers.
 

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