[NU Sports] Where do we go from here?

Roy Lamberton rstetson at capps-assoc.com
Mon Sep 26 10:38:10 CDT 2005 

Please change perusing to pursuing down in the next to last paragraph

My spell checker strikes again

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

=============== Go Cats ====================

Every time I think I've got this Computer 
Biz handled 
            -- There's another upgrade.

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

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com 
> [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On Behalf Of Roy Lamberton
> Sent: Monday, September 26, 2005 10:20 AM
> To: DPENDERG at aol.com; nwu-sports at romaine.tssi.com
> Subject: RE: [NU Sports] Where do we go from here?
> 
> 
> 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
> 
> =============== Go Cats ====================
> 
> Every time I think I've got this Computer 
> Biz handled 
>             -- There's another upgrade.
> 
> ============ 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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> > 
> 
> 
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