[NU Sports] Our D yesterday

[Jeff Beamsley]

There is no question that Michigan was the better team yesterday.

It is also highly unlikely that NU will beat OSU this year.

What I saw yesterday was an NU defense that forced Michigan to put the ball
in the air because they couldn't overpower us on the ground.  In this
league, that is the first thing the virtually every defense attempts to do
with virtually every offense.  We haven't had a defense that was able to do
that since the Barnett/Fitz rose bowl years.  

I agree that the weather helped us stay in the game, but only because it
made it difficult to pass.  If our D had not been able to stuff the run, you
would have seen a blowout in Ann Arbor similar to the OSU/Minny massacre.  

Though we have a long way to go defending the pass, there was even
improvement there.  I don't think that we got any sacks, but there were
several hurries.  Henne had to scramble a number of times because everyone
was covered.  It wasn't a masterpiece, but it was solid improvement over
where we have been.  Part of that improvement is overall team speed, which
speaks to better recruiting.

I'm looking forward to the OSU game because I want to see if this D can
prove to themselves that they can play with anyone.  If so, this year will
be a building block for this success this young team will enjoy for the next
three years.   

Jeff 

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Dennis W. Brandt
Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 7:25 AM
To: nwu-sports at tssi.com
Subject: [NU Sports] Our D yesterday

> I was encouraged by our QB and defensive play ... Had we played like 
> this on D and had a healthy CJ all year, I think we have at least 3-4 
> more wins now.

>We have a defense.  They stuffed the run on a team that would gladly 
>have run on every down.

I hope these two opinions are right, but I doubt it.  Yes, this year's
defensive line is improved over last season against the run.  The pass rush
remains its dismal - make that non-existent - self.  That said, let's look
at the reality of yesterday's game.  The combination of rain and driving
wind provided ripe conditions for an upset, so Michigan went to a
conservative ground game, secure in the knowledge they we were never going
to move the ball on them.  They won with an uninspired effort, and that is
all that was required.  That approach does occasionally provide the
ingredients for upset, but usually, like Texas-Texas Tech yesterday and
1,000 games before it, the better team comes back in the end to frustrate
its physically weaker opponent.  Michigan is a far, FAR more talented team
with athletic skills and depth of which Northwestern can only dream.  Based
on the ratings of this year's committed recruits, that will not be changing
much next season.

Someone said that he couldn't wait for the Ohio State game.  If the weather
conditions are favorable, we won't get within 40 points unless OSU plays
their third-string during the second half.  If the impossible happens, I
like my crow plucked and basted in garlic-butter sauce.  I would greatly
enjoy eating it.

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