[NU Sports] a thought

[Jeff Beamsley]

John wrote <snip>
 Watching Penn State, when they tackle someone they go down, not so with NU.

====================

I saw the same thing in the Wisky Iowa game.  Both defenses were so
fundamentally sound that neither team could score and there were only a
couple of first downs for the first 28 minutes or so of the first half.

The Michigan defense had to lose a couple of games before they figured out
how to tackle, but the last two games they also exhibited that same
characteristic.

I think that it also has something to do with scheme and game plan.  When the
players believe in the plan, they are going to play their position and trust
that everyone else is also going to play theirs.  That means that if it is a
good plan, the defensive player will be in position to make a good tackle.
That's when the fundamentals kick in and you see those great take downs. 

Right now, the NU football team is playing without a lot of confidence in
either themselves, the plan, or their coaches.

Jeff