[NU Sports] perspective and sutton

[Brad Wilson]

OK, yes, the offense was horrible versus Eastern
Michigan. Dull, plodding, predictable.

But what should we expect, realistically?

1) We lost one of the best QBs to ever play at NU to
graduation, plus a decent o-lineman and two talented
receivers. The leadership lost may well have been
worse than the talent.

2) Then we lose Coach Walker, one of most innovative
offensive minds of his generation, and the offensive
coordinator who directed the show.

3) Then the only QB who had a smidgen of experience
and who was the no. 1 QB in the spring goes down with
a nagging injury, along with a top receiver.

4) That leaves 2 inexperienced redshirt freshmen to
play QB and a gap at wideout.

5) Since the playcalling is designed (in my view
correctly, for now) to protect the young QBs and limit
their mistakes, we're almost never throwing down the
field (how many times did we do this Saturday? Five?
Maybe?)

So the result is a offense lacking experience and
confidence, led by green QBs that has one strength:
running the ball. Unfortunately, everyone else knows
this, and the result is (and will be) eight-man
fronts. While the offensive line is talented and
experienced, it cannot open holes against eight- and
nine-man fronts on a consistent basis. Last season,
the respect for Basanez, Philmore, Fields, etc.,
opened up lanes in the running game. Remember Coach
Walker said he used the spread to run the ball first?
It's harder to do when there's no downfield passing
game.

So I wouldn't quite blame the offensive line totally,
not yet. Frankly, given what the offense has gone
through, the struggles are very predictable.

I do have a question: why wasn't Sutton getting the
ball in the fourth quarter? You wonder if he's somehow
in the doghouse. I hope not. While Jordan is a nice
back, Sutton is special. He needs to have the ball.

Brad Wilson


"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law.

"We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were for the moment unpopular." -- Edward R. Murrow, 1954.

"Quis ipsos custodes custodiet?" -- Juvenal

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com