[NU Sports] Michigan's d-line and some perspective

[Roy Lamberton]

A couple of things:

1. I thought the game was close, they just scored 10 points on turnovers, just
what we did to MSU last week.

2. The zebras blew the call on the 12 when they spotted the out of bounds play
on the 10 for a first down.

3. I'm starting to believe that NU is once again getting into that "they can't
be that good template" with the refs, and we're getting called for things that
other teams don't get called for because NU just couldn't be that good without
holding, etc....

4. Then again, maybe Michigan's D-Line was playing that well and our guys had to
hold to give Baz another second. In a game, the O-Line coach doesn't necessarily
tell the linemen specifically how to keep the D-Line out, he just says "keep
them out." That sometimes leads to holding calls and maybe that's what actually
happened. All I know is that too many times I saw a guy in white running loose
in our backfield.

5. Michigan put in exactly the right defense to stop a spread attack, and they
have the right LB corps to pull it off. They rushed 4, and kept the LBs out in
space to stop the run, and short passing. They mixed up their coverage such that
they had most receivers covered, and Baz running for his life more than in other
games. 

I'm sure they had several guys blitzing, but I didn't note any one particular
guy. 

NU's offense runs off a progression of plays - the short dump off to Herbert and
Fields in the right flat, the inside handoff on that zone trap play up the
middle, the out pattern to Philmore, and the slant route between the safeties.
Michigan's D seemed to be able to take away virtually all of those routes,
forcing NU to go to secondary receivers. When we don't get that progression
established, we seem to break down. 

What the Michigan LBs and D-backs did do was keep to their coverages. Instead of
trying to be the hero, each guy played his man, or zone. That's how you play
defense and more important the spread. If you get drops, so much the better, but
play your guy and let the other defenders play theirs and it usually works out.

6. I love all the "legacy" talk. Hey guys RW is under contract until 2007. Lets
save all the BS legacy crap for his retirement, whenever it is, and just worry
about next week - ya know? One Game at a time, one Week at a time....

 
Go Cats, Ionize Iowa

rsl

  

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
Computer Applications & Support Associates
and Publisher of Purple Reign, 
The Scout.com Northwestern University Site
(http://www.purplewildcats.com)
AIM Handle: CoachRoy74
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