[NU Sports] Where do we go from here?

[Roy Lamberton]

Its amazing the number of WRs who want to play at NU, and the number of CBs who
don't.

Maybe it's the "gangsta" philosophy of a lot of d-backs that result in a mutual
turn-off for NU. I don't know. We seem to be able to find Safeties who can
cover, but not CBs.

The only bright spot in this is that next year Cole is a senior and Battle, who
is improving, is a Junior. Oredugba should also be better oriented to pass
coverage in the Big 10 so I really expect next year to be a better year for the
NU pass defense. We're going to lose two big players, Cofield, and McGarigle,
but I still think the good players are there - they just need time on the field.

This is also where I will express an opinion about NU's recruits: 
Most of the present starters were rated as 3 star players coming into NU. That
suggests that they are decent players, but will need a couple of years to
develop. 

We've finally got the O-Line to where we have 14-15 guys who are going to
develop into Big10 type guys, and I think the Linebackers and D-Linemen are in
the same cycle. We're just about to get the "better" group of D-Backs into the
starting rotation and unfortunately, next year is when we'll have a full 4 guys
with lots of game experience in Cole, Battle, Smith and Heinz. We'll also have
the rush end situation handled with Wootton and Mims - there's several LBs who
can also be counted on to step up [Eddie Simpson, for example and don't forget
Jeske].

The big danger is the thought that we should now change coaches.

Nobody is more upset with the Defense than the NU coaches. Colby was very frank
after a couple of practices when I chatted with him about the D - they're going
to have to play way over their heads [my interpretation, not his]. Coach Brown
was also concerned, especially after losing Heinz, that several of his guys were
going to have to really step up. 

You can say Cole made some mistakes during the PSU game - he was burned pretty
badly, but I'm not sure it wasn't more trying to cover two or three guys and
guessing wrong, than "bad coaching." The coaches lay out the defensive plan and
drill it in practice, but if a kid misreads a key, its on the kid, not the
coach. It's the same over on O.

Baz is as prepared as a QB can be under Walker and Dunbar, but if he sees
something on the field and changes the play to something that doesn't work, who
do you blame? Once the game starts, a coach has to put trust in the kids they've
coached all week and hope they read the keys properly, but even in the pros,
guys miss things. I don't know the answer.

This year, I'm helping with the Seaford Cardinals again - I'm the guy who is
teaching O-Line, and the Defense. Our D, which is very successful for a group of
10-12 year olds has some very definite keys, keys that rarely change. We still
give up 10 yard rushes because the kids missed something and get out of
position. Defensing a Big 10 Offense requires multiple keys - the kids have more
experience, but then there's so much more to pick up in the 10 seconds before
the ball is snapped. 

My middle son David, the guy who should be an O-Line coach somewhere, watched
the beginning of the NIU game. His comment was that NU's defense was over
perusing, essentially they were trying too hard. The calmed down and pulled off
the win, but after watching Penn State, there were times I had to agree that
some of our kids are really trying hard, maybe too hard. 

Is that the result of bad coaching? I know my kids know that I expect 100% every
play, and they love me for it.


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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============ Beat 'em All ================== 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com 
> [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On Behalf Of DPENDERG at aol.com
> Sent: Monday, September 26, 2005 9:00 AM
> To: nwu-sports at romaine.tssi.com
> Subject: [NU Sports] Where do we go from here?
> 
> 
> The very disappointing loss on Saturday only exposed again 
> the chronic  
> weakness in the secondary which has plagued the Cats for the 
> last five years.  When 
> our top defensive back (Cole) gets burned twice by -- in my 
> view -- a very  
> mediocre Penn State quarterback, then we cannot hide from the 
> fact that the  
> talent level back there is at best suspect and poor at worst.  
>  
> I know some think our defensive preparation and schemes (courtesy of  
> Colby/Brown) are responsible, but I still return always to 
> the recruiting.   We just 
> don't have the horses.  While Walker does a good job  
> recruiting QBs, WRs and 
> RBs, why hasn't there been more focus on CBs  and safeties, 
> especially since 
> that has been our most glaring weakness? 
>  
> It might be observed that the top DBs are often weak 
> academically and  simply 
> cannot qualify for Northwestern.  If we accept that 
> proposition,  however, we 
> permanently handicap ourselves and will continue see wide 
> open  receivers 
> wandering around our secondary with predictable results.  
> Perhaps  this is 
> heresy, but the University may have to look at those academic 
> standards  if we want 
> to play consistently well.  Let's face it.  The CBs at  Notre 
> Dame, Michigan, 
> Virginia or other fairly "selective" schools probably  would 
> not be admitted 
> without their football credentials, but they are.   D-IA 
> football is a 
> business, period, and if we're going to compete, then I  
> really believe we cannot hide 
> behind sanctimonious pretensions of academic  purity.  Unless 
> we get some 
> highly skilled DBs (and admittedly there are  fewer of them 
> than RBs or WRs, 
> which makes recruiting tougher), we will continue  to see the 
> horrific displays we 
> have seen the last two weeks.  
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