[NU Sports] So you think the Cats are "snake-bit"

Mon Oct 24 11:44:53 CDT 2011

I thought our run D was better with McNaul & Nwibusi in there. We were  
missing the pass rush that we have had previously.

NU's problem is that we continue to have 11 guys each having a letdown on a  
play. You'd have to watch film with the coaches, but it always seems like  
we're one player away from a tackle on each down. 

RW used to talk about bigger, stronger, faster as the way to success. He  
never made it either.

Rsl 

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

-----Original message-----
From: Jonathan Hodges <j-hodges at alumni.northwestern.edu>
To: "Beamsley, Jeff" <Jeff.Beamsley at covisint.com>
Cc: rstetson at capps-assoc.com, "Dennis W. Brandt" <tbng at comcast.net>,   
nwu-sports at tssi.com
Sent: Mon, Oct 24, 2011 16:32:34 GMT+00:00
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] So you think the Cats are "snake-bit"

Note on uniforms: they were one-time uniforms designed by Adidas.  Much like
other teams sporting alternate uniforms (see: Michigan State vs. Michigan
earlier this year) they are likely one-time deals.  I didn't mind them so
much (they have nothing to do with the play on the field), though it was
admittedly difficult to see the jersey numbers, even from field level.

On defense: Fitz did shake up the starting lineup due to both injury and
performance:

Tyler Scott was out due to injury (stinger) with Kevin Watt getting the
start at DE.
Vince Browne was benched (still played in relief) with Quentin Williams
getting the start at DE.
Bryce McNaul didn't start due to injury (back) but saw limited action (his
brother was in town to watch the game after getting back from deployment in
Afghanistan, but McNaul apparently looked like he was hurting when out
there), Chi Chi Ariguzo go the start at OLB.
David Nwabuisi was benched (still played a good bit) with Damien Proby
getting the start at MLB.
Ibraheim Campbell was benched (played in nickel sets) with David Arnold
getting the start at S (was injured earlier in year); Jared Campbell would
come in and finish the game (he was also injured earlier in the year).
Mike Bolden came in for Demetrius Dugar at CB during the game (Dugar
replaced Jeravin Matthews as starter vs Iowa).  Note that Dugar got beat on
PSU's long TD pass - he wasn't out of position but just plain got beat.

In the second half, NU gave up just 91 yards and the only score was on the
short field following Persa's INT and the return (PSU started at the 19).
Some was due to conservative/inconsistent play out of PSU, but some was
hopefully due to the NU D finally gelling to some extent.  Hopefully Fitz
can find the right combination for the stretch run.

Jonathan

PS: Stat of note - NU is 2-0 when it has more sacks than its opponent, 0-5
when it has same number or fewer.

--
Jonathan Hodges
Contributor, HailToPurple
Web: http://www.hailtopurple.com/jhodges/
Twitter: @hailtopurple
Email: j-hodges at alumni.northwestern.edu

On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 12:22 PM, Beamsley, Jeff <Jeff.Beamsley at covisint.com
> wrote:

> Only saw the first half of the game on Sat. Other reunion stuff got in the
> way.
>
> First, I intensely dislike the new uniforms. Hope they burn them along  
with
> the memories of this game.
>
> What I saw and gathered from comments is that we continue to play a lot of
> underclassmen on defense.  Some of that may be due to injury. But some may
> also be due to effort.  My impression is that there are some issues on  
this
> team regarding commitment that remain unresolved.
>
> Jeff
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Oct 24, 2011, at 11:46 AM, "rstetson at capps-assoc.com" <
> rstetson at capps-assoc.com> wrote:
>
> > Consider the alternative...
> >
> > But I'm not willing to become an SEC light either or drop our standards.
> >
> > Barnetts teams play D well enough to be ranked. RWs did the same.
> >
> > You know that the defensive troubles are eating on Fitz as well as you.
> The trick is fixing it with guys you have and that isn't always easy.
> >
> > Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone
> >
> > -----Original message-----
> > From: "Dennis W. Brandt" <tbng at comcast.net>
> > To: rstetson at capps-assoc.com, DPENDERG at aol.com, nwu-sports at tssi.com
> > Sent: Mon, Oct 24, 2011 12:58:18 GMT+00:00
> > Subject: Re: [NU Sports] So you think the Cats are "snake-bit"
> >
> > <I guess RW and Gary B figured out how to get 119% out of 3 star  
players.
> > <NU's problem always will be the smaller recruiting pool, but like Navy,
> we're no longer the perrenial "doormat" - invited to play everyone'
> homecoming game.
> > <Remember the 70's
> >
> > 70's.  Hell!  I remember the mid '60s when we weren't much better.
> >
> > RW's defenses were always bad.  Indeed, the 2000 team's defense was  
about
> as poor as this year's version.  We won shootouts that year because  
defenses
> hadn't yet figured out the spread.  The only chance we have against
> Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State is if they have a down year.  We have
> defeated Michigan once in a freakish shootout and PSU and OSU never since
> the Fitz-at-linebacker years when those three were playing at their  
expected
> level.  You've got to defeat the big three if you want to win the Big Ten
> championship.
> >
> > Unlike you, I am not happy with no longer being the Big Ten doormat, and
> that damn well isn't good enough for Pat Fitzgerald.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > nwu-sports at tssi.com
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> >
>
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