[NU Sports] Back from the Cow Pasture

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

> the Purdue fans - despite the programs limited
> success (certainly between the Agase and Tiller
> eras), the fans, with their cutesy 'synchronized'
> chants and cheers, the silly cheerleading PA
> announcer, and the inane steam whistle are a pretty
> annoying bunch.  I must say, however, that everyone

I actually kinda like that -- kinda like the KSU fans
in the Big XII. Hokey? Yeah. But you can't leave West
Lafayette and not hear two toots of a whistle and
instinctively yell "Boiler up!" :) And now that I've
moved from NW Indiana, I haven't heard a train whistle
in ages.

> - I love the victories, and BB and TS are special
> talents, but this defense is maddening.  I know they
> hit some people harder today, and ball-hawked better
> on some interceptions, but remember that in the past
> three weeks:

I won't try and defend the D for the Wisconsin game,
but I will defend them vs. PSU and especially today.
Against PSU and Purdue, the D succeeded in creating
turnovers and in setting up the offense to score and
put the game away many times. Agsinst the Nits, we
settled for FGs and didn't go for the end zone.
Against Purdue, we never got the ground game going and
again disappeared after halftime on offense.

Look at the league games and find out how many 29 will
win you this year in the Big Ten. The offense has to
continue to be aggressive and can't rest on its
laurels after scoring 28 in the first half. Thankfully
we awoke in time today to save it (and remember, the
Boilers got back in it on a kickoff return and a punt
return to the 5 - not the D's fault).

Would I love to have a shutdown D that pitches
shutouts and never lets the opponent cross midfield?
Of course. But those are few and far between
(especially this year -- look around the nation and
see how offenses have again leapt ahead of defenses).
I'll settle for a hustling, aggressive D that forces
turnovers (and has gotten two to end games the last
two weeks) and hope that the offense manages to keep
that same aggressiveness and awesomeness throughout
the game and doesn't get complacent with a lead.

I wouldn't expect much defense next week in East
Lansing either. MSU's pass D may be as poor as
Wisconsin's ... hopefully Baz is on early and often
and we continue to spread the field vertically and
horizontally to keep scoring with Sparty.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


		
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