Opening Thoughts:
Great Googily Moogily. I thought Texas was supposed to be warm! Other than Kingsville, I've never been to a PO game in Texas that wasn't cold. And even the Kingsville game the locals were blaming us for bringing the cold weather down. I had been watching the weather all week, it started out in the 70's and windy. By Friday night they were calling for 37mph sustained winds with gusts up to 49. I don't think it ended up being quite that bad, but I would say that there was definitely sustained winds of around 30mph with gusts higher. We got to the stadium 2 hours before kickoff and it was windy and rainy - which was miserable. A quick trip to Wally World allowed me to get some much needed gear - since I left all of mine in KC because there was like a 5% chance of precipitation all day. Uff Da. Luckily by kickoff the rain had stopped and the wind was drying off everything. There were at least 3 LSC head coaches in attendance at the game. Obviously MSU's, but I know that Will Wagner made the trip up from Angelo and at one point I saw Chris Thompson from ACU standing behind me in the bleachers.
Last Week's Recap:
The heart attack Cats are back. The similarities to last years team are amazing - having to come from behind in the first two rounds of the playoffs - only to play a fellow MIAA opponent in the Regional Championship. Lets hope that the Bearcats can dispose of the Gorillas the same way that they did the Mooles last year. We'll get to that in a bit, but first lets break down last week's game.
The wind played a huge factor in NW's play calling. Because of the wind, neither teams could pass very much this game was played primarily on the ground. The Bearcats rushed almost twice as many times as they threw the ball (47-25) and I honestly didn't think that they threw the ball that many times! Thru the first quarter I was thinking that it could easily be a game where the team with the ball last was going to win. Each team was able to drive on each other seemingly at will. Then the MSU made some adjustments in the second quarter, and NW wasn't able to do much on a couple of their drives. The third quarter wasn't any better as their 4 possessions of the 3rd quarter ended in fumble, downs, interception, and downs. But then the 4th quarter arrived, and MSU fell victim to the same thing that NW did at Arrowhead. Coming into this game, the MSU defense hadn't really had to play a complete game. They blew everyone out of the water, so their starters were done playing in the 3rd quarter. By the time the 4th quarter rolled around, the MSU D was completely gassed, and the NW O moved the ball at will. The O had some players that really stepped up. Franklin has continued to impress - especially after Simmons hurt his hand in the first quarter. Soy is continuing to play thru some major pain. I think my Offensive MVP has got to go to Kyle Kilgore. Kyle has really flourished with Trevor Adams @ QB who seems to throw to him more often than BC did. Not a knock on BC, just an observation.
I know its rather cliché - but what a tale of two halves. In the first quarter, the NW D couldn't do anything to stop the Mustangs. I do not know enough about Defense to be able to pinpoint what exactly the changes were at half, but I do know that whatever Rich Wright did - worked. I do know that the DE's did a much better job of sealing off the outside and funneling everything to the inside. I do need to give some major props to the MSU offensive line. They were some big boys and they weren't of the slow variety either. The entire line did an amazing job of blocking, I was VERY impressed with their skills. And the Mustangs RB Keidrick Jackson is the real deal. When was the last time that a RB ran up 184 yards against the NW D? I'll tell you: September 3, 2005 - Jamar Day from UNO put up 188 yards. My MVP for the D would be split between DJ Gnader and Matt Longacre - and they are both RS Freshman. Two young guys stepping up big in the PlayOffs. That's Bearcat Football!!
This Weeks Matchup:
Well, here we are again. I can guarantee you that this is exactly where the players wanted to be the day after the Arrowhead game. They want revenge, and they want it bad. And there is nothing better than extracting that revenge in the Jungle, on the Gorillas home field.
Since we've all seen PSU play, writing this one is just as difficult as writing the pregame against MoWest. The NW Offense is not quite the same as it was the first time that these two met. Going into the first meeting, the NW offense was flying high - scoring an average of 65 points per game. Northwest has not been as explosive the last few weeks - but there have been some good reasons for that. Particularly the past two games have been played in wind tunnels, thereby severely limiting the passing game. There have also been some injuries. Jake Soy is still nursing his ankle and Tyler Shaw's foot is getting better but it still isn't 100%. Those are two very potent weapons that have been on the shelf for a while. Bryce Young has been on KO return team the past few weeks, and while he is good - he isn't quite as dynamic as Shaw is. Blake Christopher is injured as far as I know. I saw him in Wichita Falls playing catch in the parking lot, but he did not even dress at the game. JF3 is not nearly the same player that he was going into the first meet up. Prior to the game at Camarrohead JF3 had primarily played in mop up duty, now he is an integral part of the offense. The Bearcat offense now relies a little bit more on the run, and not as much on the pass. That is usually a good thing when it comes this time of the year. I would not be surprised to see a conservative offense, but at the same time they might come out firing. This will be the first game in a while that isn't being played in extreme windy conditions. As of right now, the forecast is calling for a cold rainy game. That could make for an interesting game plan.
The defense too is not quite the same as they were on October 1st. They are playing on a much higher level than they were at that time. In the first game, it was the NW D that was being worn down in the second half - now they are the ones that are doing the wearing down. I don't want to take away from Pitt State's offensive line, as they are good - but I think the the NW D saw the best Oline in the nation last week. One thing that the NW D is going to have to do is trust the Dline and LB's to stop the run. Last time the secondary was very anxious to come up in run support, and that allowed Pitts WR's to be able to get the needed separation. I am still not sold on Zac Dickey's arm. Yes he's completed a good percentage this year, but I truly believe that he played the game of his career the first time. I really don't think he has the ability to do that again. The D is going to have to get some pressure on Dickey and disrupt his rhythm. If they do that, and are able to stop or at least slow down the run, I like NW's chances.
Special teams have been big lately, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them play a vital role in this game as well. Its been a while, but I wouldn't put it past NW to score on a KO or punt return. My prediction for this game: NW 42 PSU 38
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Nov 26: NW Bearcats vs Midwestern State Mustangs
Opening Thoughts:
What a crazy game. But what do you expect in the playoffs? Especially when that playoff game is between two rival teams! I’ve got to take my hat off to the Bearcat faithful. The attendance was 8,420 and I will guarantee you that over half of those were wearing green. For the first couple of minutes of the game I was on the home side because I had to meet someone at the gate. I’ll tell you one thing – the NW fans were LOUD. I spent the rest of the game on the visitors side at the 45 yardline, and the MoWest fans never came close to making the noise that I heard from the NW fans. It was truly awesome. I don’t expect there to be a whole lot of us in Wichita Falls next weekend, but I will make sure that we make as much noise as possible!
Last Weeks Recap:
Talk about taking a trip on the crazy train. The first couple of minutes of that game were absolutely nuts. Like I said earlier, I was standing by the gate for NW’s first possession, so I could only see about half of the field. I saw that Simmons missed the pass, but I couldn’t tell that it was a lateral pass – it just looked incomplete. – so I was a bit shocked when MoWest picked it up and ran down to the one yard line! Absolutely nuts! When I got to the stadium to start tailating, I noticed that unlike last time the wind was coming out of the southwest, therefore making a crosswind. I thought for sure that would hamper Zuerlein’s kicking ability, boy was I wrong!
Offensively NW was a quite a bit shaky in the first half. Coming out and turning over the ball on the first three possessions is not a good thing. I’m sure that and the wind got into Trevor Adams head in the first half, because they were not able to do much of anything for the first 30 minutes. But a lot of football is psychological – it’s a game all about momentum. Northwest got that momentum in the second half and used it to score 21 unanswered points. I am not a fan of trick plays, I’m glad that the little reverse pass by Shaw worked, but I don’t like those plays and think that one should probably be put back into the playbook and not pulled out again! Those are high risk high reward types of play, and more often than not they just aren’t worth it in my book. Trevor Adams came out in the second half and looked like a completely different quarterback. I’m glad that they allowed him to run a little bit – in highschool he was a great passer but also ran the ball a bit as well (like over 100 times his senior year averaging over 5 yards per carry.) How about a big tip of the hat to David Mosely and Taylor Pierce for coming up big in this game. They each had 89 yards of receiving this game. There are so many good receivers on this team, I would hate to be a defensive coordinator and try to prepare for the NW wide receiving corps! Not to mention the stable of backs that NW has. Franklin – OMG. I am so glad that he came to NW. I’ll tell you one thing, if Franklin had been on the team last year – NW would have won that game in Duluth in my opinion. He was an animal out there last week. No to mention Simmons! I would definitely put those two backs up against any other tandem of RB’s in the country. Being down so much so early in the game, a lot of offenses probably would have given up, but not the Bearcats. Way to go Cats!
Defense… one word: WOW. That was easily the best performance by the Bearcat D all year. I bet you that Scott B was lookin’ down and smiling at his boys on Saturday. A couple of years ago (2008 I believe it was) the NW D was rather shaky to start the year. Then about the 4th or 5th game – it was like somebody flipped a switch and they became a shut down D. After Saturdays performance, it sure looked like somebody flipped that switch. The Bearcats held the Griffons to only 93 yards rushing (and 38 of those were on the reverse that which was their only offensive TD that was on a drive more than 1 yard.) If that’s not impressive enough, they limited Jerry’s Kid to only 93 yards passing, and he actually had -16 yards rushing (a vast improvement from two weeks ago!) DJ Gnader had a real coming out party – totaling 11 tackles, 3 for losses, 1 sack, and 1 QB hurry. All year long he’s had the potential, but it always seemed like he wasn’t quite in the right position or something. Well it finally all came together for him, and I hope he is able to continue it the rest of the year.
Special Teams – they played a major role in this game. Believe it or not, I think that having an asset like Zuerlein actually hurt the coaching of MoWest. Because it seemed like as soon as the ball got across midfield, the play calling got real conservative – like they knew that they were at least going to get 3 points out of the deal. But as far as Zuerlein goes – all I can say is amazing: hitting a 52, 57, & 58 yarder in the first half with a wicked cross wind.
This Week’s Match up:
Is it possible to have a game with less than a 20mph wind? Geez, is that so much to ask? As of right now, the weather guys are predicting another windy day for the Bearcats. NW's last two playoff games have been played in 25+ mph winds, I'd rather not make it a 3rd! I keep thinking back to they quote that Tyler Seals told me a few weeks ago: the coaches do all the hard work for us - they create the game plan; all we have to do is execute it, if we do that - we win. My guess is that that is going to be the same thing this week. It all starts with the coaches to create the gameplan - and the players to execute it. We will see how well the latter part works.
Fact of the matter is that historically, the LSC doesn't have great running teams. Heck it wasn't too long ago that Eastern New Mexico was running over all of the LSC teams, yet couldn't win a game. The LSC is a pass happy conference - not saying that that is a bad thing, just stating a fact. When every team passes, that is what teams prepare for - and gear the defense for. So when you have a team that decides to run, then the vast majority of your defensive schemes go out the window. I'm not saying that MSU is the same as they were in 2006 - but there are a lot of similarities - #1 running team in the conference, #1 scoring offense, #1 total offense - but MSU came into Bearcat Stadium averaging 242 yards per game rushing, and walked out with 99. Now I'm not saying that the NW D is as good as the 06 team was - but if they play like they did last week. It could be a rehash of the first meeting. MSU has a whole stable full of backs that like to run - I think that there are like 5 that have 49 or more rushing attempts this year - they are led by their QB. This tells me that these are designed runs and not exactly the scrambling type of yards. NW fairs much better against QB's that run a route versus a QB that has the ability to scramble for 5-7 yards when a play breaks down. Unlike Jerry's Kid, the MSU QB (Brandon Kelsey) can actually throw the ball and does a good job. He is currently averaging 68.9% completion rate. They don't have any stand out WR's, but they have several that are consistently good. If NW can make MSU one dimensional and have to go to the air, I like their chances.
On offense, NW is going to have to have a better performance than they did last week. Their pass D is not good, in fact it is pretty poor. Statistically it ranks 135th out of 154 teams. Normally I would say that the NW would destroy a team like that, but looking at the forecast and seeing such a nasty crosswind, that doesn't help to inspire confidence. Pierce and Moseley will need to come up big again this week, Soy & Shaw have combined for a total of 6 receptions in the last two weeks. Soy came up with some amazing catches last week - including a broken up 2 point conversion that he managed to catch. I really hope that that is an indication that his ankle may actually be getting a little bit better. Statistically, the Mustangs have a really good rush D. They are currently ranked #10 in the nation - giving up only 101 yards per game - which sounds amazing. But like I said earlier, they are the only team in the LSC that likes to run. So when the rest of the conference averages 121 yards per game rushing, limiting them to 101 yards doesn't sound so hot. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that NW is going to be able to just roll over them, but I think that NW will have seen rushing D's that were just as tough and have had success against them.
I'm going to be willing to bet that there will not be any 50+ yard FG's made in this game. And that's a relief! I have total faith the the NW Coaching staff to put together a game plan to beat the Mustangs. If the Bearcats go out there and execute that game plan, they will win. My prediction: NW 42 MSU 35
What a crazy game. But what do you expect in the playoffs? Especially when that playoff game is between two rival teams! I’ve got to take my hat off to the Bearcat faithful. The attendance was 8,420 and I will guarantee you that over half of those were wearing green. For the first couple of minutes of the game I was on the home side because I had to meet someone at the gate. I’ll tell you one thing – the NW fans were LOUD. I spent the rest of the game on the visitors side at the 45 yardline, and the MoWest fans never came close to making the noise that I heard from the NW fans. It was truly awesome. I don’t expect there to be a whole lot of us in Wichita Falls next weekend, but I will make sure that we make as much noise as possible!
Last Weeks Recap:
Talk about taking a trip on the crazy train. The first couple of minutes of that game were absolutely nuts. Like I said earlier, I was standing by the gate for NW’s first possession, so I could only see about half of the field. I saw that Simmons missed the pass, but I couldn’t tell that it was a lateral pass – it just looked incomplete. – so I was a bit shocked when MoWest picked it up and ran down to the one yard line! Absolutely nuts! When I got to the stadium to start tailating, I noticed that unlike last time the wind was coming out of the southwest, therefore making a crosswind. I thought for sure that would hamper Zuerlein’s kicking ability, boy was I wrong!
Offensively NW was a quite a bit shaky in the first half. Coming out and turning over the ball on the first three possessions is not a good thing. I’m sure that and the wind got into Trevor Adams head in the first half, because they were not able to do much of anything for the first 30 minutes. But a lot of football is psychological – it’s a game all about momentum. Northwest got that momentum in the second half and used it to score 21 unanswered points. I am not a fan of trick plays, I’m glad that the little reverse pass by Shaw worked, but I don’t like those plays and think that one should probably be put back into the playbook and not pulled out again! Those are high risk high reward types of play, and more often than not they just aren’t worth it in my book. Trevor Adams came out in the second half and looked like a completely different quarterback. I’m glad that they allowed him to run a little bit – in highschool he was a great passer but also ran the ball a bit as well (like over 100 times his senior year averaging over 5 yards per carry.) How about a big tip of the hat to David Mosely and Taylor Pierce for coming up big in this game. They each had 89 yards of receiving this game. There are so many good receivers on this team, I would hate to be a defensive coordinator and try to prepare for the NW wide receiving corps! Not to mention the stable of backs that NW has. Franklin – OMG. I am so glad that he came to NW. I’ll tell you one thing, if Franklin had been on the team last year – NW would have won that game in Duluth in my opinion. He was an animal out there last week. No to mention Simmons! I would definitely put those two backs up against any other tandem of RB’s in the country. Being down so much so early in the game, a lot of offenses probably would have given up, but not the Bearcats. Way to go Cats!
Defense… one word: WOW. That was easily the best performance by the Bearcat D all year. I bet you that Scott B was lookin’ down and smiling at his boys on Saturday. A couple of years ago (2008 I believe it was) the NW D was rather shaky to start the year. Then about the 4th or 5th game – it was like somebody flipped a switch and they became a shut down D. After Saturdays performance, it sure looked like somebody flipped that switch. The Bearcats held the Griffons to only 93 yards rushing (and 38 of those were on the reverse that which was their only offensive TD that was on a drive more than 1 yard.) If that’s not impressive enough, they limited Jerry’s Kid to only 93 yards passing, and he actually had -16 yards rushing (a vast improvement from two weeks ago!) DJ Gnader had a real coming out party – totaling 11 tackles, 3 for losses, 1 sack, and 1 QB hurry. All year long he’s had the potential, but it always seemed like he wasn’t quite in the right position or something. Well it finally all came together for him, and I hope he is able to continue it the rest of the year.
Special Teams – they played a major role in this game. Believe it or not, I think that having an asset like Zuerlein actually hurt the coaching of MoWest. Because it seemed like as soon as the ball got across midfield, the play calling got real conservative – like they knew that they were at least going to get 3 points out of the deal. But as far as Zuerlein goes – all I can say is amazing: hitting a 52, 57, & 58 yarder in the first half with a wicked cross wind.
This Week’s Match up:
Is it possible to have a game with less than a 20mph wind? Geez, is that so much to ask? As of right now, the weather guys are predicting another windy day for the Bearcats. NW's last two playoff games have been played in 25+ mph winds, I'd rather not make it a 3rd! I keep thinking back to they quote that Tyler Seals told me a few weeks ago: the coaches do all the hard work for us - they create the game plan; all we have to do is execute it, if we do that - we win. My guess is that that is going to be the same thing this week. It all starts with the coaches to create the gameplan - and the players to execute it. We will see how well the latter part works.
Fact of the matter is that historically, the LSC doesn't have great running teams. Heck it wasn't too long ago that Eastern New Mexico was running over all of the LSC teams, yet couldn't win a game. The LSC is a pass happy conference - not saying that that is a bad thing, just stating a fact. When every team passes, that is what teams prepare for - and gear the defense for. So when you have a team that decides to run, then the vast majority of your defensive schemes go out the window. I'm not saying that MSU is the same as they were in 2006 - but there are a lot of similarities - #1 running team in the conference, #1 scoring offense, #1 total offense - but MSU came into Bearcat Stadium averaging 242 yards per game rushing, and walked out with 99. Now I'm not saying that the NW D is as good as the 06 team was - but if they play like they did last week. It could be a rehash of the first meeting. MSU has a whole stable full of backs that like to run - I think that there are like 5 that have 49 or more rushing attempts this year - they are led by their QB. This tells me that these are designed runs and not exactly the scrambling type of yards. NW fairs much better against QB's that run a route versus a QB that has the ability to scramble for 5-7 yards when a play breaks down. Unlike Jerry's Kid, the MSU QB (Brandon Kelsey) can actually throw the ball and does a good job. He is currently averaging 68.9% completion rate. They don't have any stand out WR's, but they have several that are consistently good. If NW can make MSU one dimensional and have to go to the air, I like their chances.
On offense, NW is going to have to have a better performance than they did last week. Their pass D is not good, in fact it is pretty poor. Statistically it ranks 135th out of 154 teams. Normally I would say that the NW would destroy a team like that, but looking at the forecast and seeing such a nasty crosswind, that doesn't help to inspire confidence. Pierce and Moseley will need to come up big again this week, Soy & Shaw have combined for a total of 6 receptions in the last two weeks. Soy came up with some amazing catches last week - including a broken up 2 point conversion that he managed to catch. I really hope that that is an indication that his ankle may actually be getting a little bit better. Statistically, the Mustangs have a really good rush D. They are currently ranked #10 in the nation - giving up only 101 yards per game - which sounds amazing. But like I said earlier, they are the only team in the LSC that likes to run. So when the rest of the conference averages 121 yards per game rushing, limiting them to 101 yards doesn't sound so hot. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that NW is going to be able to just roll over them, but I think that NW will have seen rushing D's that were just as tough and have had success against them.
I'm going to be willing to bet that there will not be any 50+ yard FG's made in this game. And that's a relief! I have total faith the the NW Coaching staff to put together a game plan to beat the Mustangs. If the Bearcats go out there and execute that game plan, they will win. My prediction: NW 42 MSU 35
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Nov 19: Northwest Bearcats vs MoWest Griffons v2.0
Opening Thoughts:
What a great day for a football! The second weekend in November could have been turrible weather, but it wasn't. It was an absolutely beautiful day. In fact, I may have gotten a little sun burnt - but I will take it over the alternative! And the Bearcats finally decided to show up after a two week absence. And to top it all off - when the Regional Rankings came out, Northwest ended up being seeded #5 which gives them a chance to avenge their loss to the Griffins two weeks ago. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have gotten a bye, or be hosting a game this weekend - but if NW have to travel, I would prefer to go to Bearcat Stadium South and knock the Griffons out of the Play Offs!
Last Weeks Recap:
Now that is the kind of game that I expect the Bearcats to play. That was a much improved effort from both sides of the ball. NW scored on almost every possession. They did have two turnovers, but both of those were rather odd. One was a tipped ball that bounced off the defender, but he managed to pick it out of the air, the other was more like a pitch that was bobbled and ended up right in the defenders lap. Like I said, both were rather odd. Other than those possessions, NW scored in all but two. Considering going into this game ESU had averaged 3.5 take aways per game, I'm happy with only 2.
I was very impressed with the offense last week. I think that they got in a rhythm and kept it flowing. ESU did a good job of disrupting that rhythm at the beginning of the game. Northwest went 3 & Out on their second possession and on their third they turned the ball over. But the Bearcats responded by scoring the next five times they touched the ball in the first half! NW found success running the ball - to the tune of 349 yards. Which was the most of the year so far. My guess for the reason for the coaches to keep running the ball like they did was two fold... 1) it was working 2) to get ready all the more real game reps before the play offs. With Jake Soy and Tyler Shaw still not being 100%, the run game becomes all the more important. Trevor Adams didn't just hand off the ball all day, he did do a pretty good job of throwing the ball. He got 254 yards passing in 18 passes. I personally think Adams greatest skill is spreading the ball around. Adams hit 10 different receivers, and no receiver got more than 3 catches each. That is pretty darn impressive if you ask me.
Personally, I think that the defense played the best game that they've played since in quite a while. They really only gave up 14 points - not counting the literally last second TD by Emporia against the 3rd String D. They did a great job defending the run. They only allowed a total of 101 yards rushing, and no run was more than 10 yards. Not to shabby for an option based offense. The Bearcats did an excellent job of playing assignment football. ESU did manage to get 285 yards passing, but that is because they threw A LOT! They threw the ball 44 times, only UCM and ENMU attempted more - and both of those are very pass heavy teams. It is my opinion that the LB's played a great game, they were very determined to stop the run, which did open up some passing routes for ESU. ESU didn't have any big passes, infact the biggest gain was 26 yards. When teams commit to the dink and dunk, that has historically eaten the NW Defense alive. Bryce Enyard managed to get his 6th interception of the year, and took it to the house! It was a beautiful play and Bryce read it all the way and jumped the route. Bryce was awarded the MIAA Conference Freshman of the Year. It was well deserved, and he will be a very important part of the secondary for years to come!
This Week’s Match up:
Well what is there to say? MoWest still sucks. I believe that Mel Tjeersdma was quoted once saying something to the extent of that he hated playing a team that he beat earlier in the season in the playoffs, but he loved playing a team that he lost to. Well, Northwest has the opportunity to avenge one of their losses this week, and you can bet that the team is motivated to do just that!
On offense, Northwest has to execute a heck of a lot better than they did two weeks ago. It may come down to seeing how banged up NW is. Two weeks ago, Shaw was coming off of a nasty foot injury, and you could tell. He looked better last week, and hopefully he will be even better this week. Soy is still being hampered by his ankle or foot or something. It's obvious that he is in a lot of pain out on the field, but is being quite a trooper still going out there and helping his team. Coach Dorrel has said that if BC is capable, he will be the starting QB. Last week when he was introduced on Senior Day, he came out with quite a noticeable limp. I don't know if it is just Coach Speak saying that he may play or not. I'm not convinced that NW would have won last time if Christopher was playing. BC isn't that much of a better passer than Adams is, but what he brings to the table is the running threat. But if he's hobbled up, he can't exactly take off. In the last game, I was extremely impressed with the offensive line play - and I think that that will be key again. These games are won and lost in the trenches. If the Oline can hold off Murderers Row again, I like NW's chances!
On Defense, Northwest has got to contain Jerry’s Kid (JK). Last time, the D over pursued a lot and left a wide open field for JK to run. But once NW put a spy on him, that shut down the effectiveness of the MoWest offense. The D has got to do a much better job of containing the overall rush of the Griffons. In the first meeting, the Secondary did a darn good job of shutting down the passing game, they will need to do that again. I think last time, the coaching staff kind of got sucked into the emotions of the game, and that didn’t allow them to make the necessary adjustments quick enough. Each person on the field is going to have to do their 1/11th. They are definitely going to need to work as a team.
Special Teams are going to be huge in this game. If it comes down to a battle of field goals, that does not bode well for NW. Not that I don't trust Adolf, but Greg Zuerlein is a beast. I think he's like 5/5 or 6/6 of 50+ yard. That is insane. He is easily the best FG kicker in Division II, if not in all divisions. If NW can block some of those, that would be huge! It's going to be another windy day in St Joe, so that carries the ball all the more! The NW return teams will also need to be on the toes. I wouldn't be surprised to see Simmons take one to the house.
If NW can contain on D, and execute on O, I think NW wins this one easily. I honestly believe NW played about the worst that they could ever play, and MoWest vise versa in the first game. If NW plays like they can, I pick NW 38 MW 23.
Interesting Facts/Statistics:
What a great day for a football! The second weekend in November could have been turrible weather, but it wasn't. It was an absolutely beautiful day. In fact, I may have gotten a little sun burnt - but I will take it over the alternative! And the Bearcats finally decided to show up after a two week absence. And to top it all off - when the Regional Rankings came out, Northwest ended up being seeded #5 which gives them a chance to avenge their loss to the Griffins two weeks ago. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have gotten a bye, or be hosting a game this weekend - but if NW have to travel, I would prefer to go to Bearcat Stadium South and knock the Griffons out of the Play Offs!
Last Weeks Recap:
Now that is the kind of game that I expect the Bearcats to play. That was a much improved effort from both sides of the ball. NW scored on almost every possession. They did have two turnovers, but both of those were rather odd. One was a tipped ball that bounced off the defender, but he managed to pick it out of the air, the other was more like a pitch that was bobbled and ended up right in the defenders lap. Like I said, both were rather odd. Other than those possessions, NW scored in all but two. Considering going into this game ESU had averaged 3.5 take aways per game, I'm happy with only 2.
I was very impressed with the offense last week. I think that they got in a rhythm and kept it flowing. ESU did a good job of disrupting that rhythm at the beginning of the game. Northwest went 3 & Out on their second possession and on their third they turned the ball over. But the Bearcats responded by scoring the next five times they touched the ball in the first half! NW found success running the ball - to the tune of 349 yards. Which was the most of the year so far. My guess for the reason for the coaches to keep running the ball like they did was two fold... 1) it was working 2) to get ready all the more real game reps before the play offs. With Jake Soy and Tyler Shaw still not being 100%, the run game becomes all the more important. Trevor Adams didn't just hand off the ball all day, he did do a pretty good job of throwing the ball. He got 254 yards passing in 18 passes. I personally think Adams greatest skill is spreading the ball around. Adams hit 10 different receivers, and no receiver got more than 3 catches each. That is pretty darn impressive if you ask me.
Personally, I think that the defense played the best game that they've played since in quite a while. They really only gave up 14 points - not counting the literally last second TD by Emporia against the 3rd String D. They did a great job defending the run. They only allowed a total of 101 yards rushing, and no run was more than 10 yards. Not to shabby for an option based offense. The Bearcats did an excellent job of playing assignment football. ESU did manage to get 285 yards passing, but that is because they threw A LOT! They threw the ball 44 times, only UCM and ENMU attempted more - and both of those are very pass heavy teams. It is my opinion that the LB's played a great game, they were very determined to stop the run, which did open up some passing routes for ESU. ESU didn't have any big passes, infact the biggest gain was 26 yards. When teams commit to the dink and dunk, that has historically eaten the NW Defense alive. Bryce Enyard managed to get his 6th interception of the year, and took it to the house! It was a beautiful play and Bryce read it all the way and jumped the route. Bryce was awarded the MIAA Conference Freshman of the Year. It was well deserved, and he will be a very important part of the secondary for years to come!
This Week’s Match up:
Well what is there to say? MoWest still sucks. I believe that Mel Tjeersdma was quoted once saying something to the extent of that he hated playing a team that he beat earlier in the season in the playoffs, but he loved playing a team that he lost to. Well, Northwest has the opportunity to avenge one of their losses this week, and you can bet that the team is motivated to do just that!
On offense, Northwest has to execute a heck of a lot better than they did two weeks ago. It may come down to seeing how banged up NW is. Two weeks ago, Shaw was coming off of a nasty foot injury, and you could tell. He looked better last week, and hopefully he will be even better this week. Soy is still being hampered by his ankle or foot or something. It's obvious that he is in a lot of pain out on the field, but is being quite a trooper still going out there and helping his team. Coach Dorrel has said that if BC is capable, he will be the starting QB. Last week when he was introduced on Senior Day, he came out with quite a noticeable limp. I don't know if it is just Coach Speak saying that he may play or not. I'm not convinced that NW would have won last time if Christopher was playing. BC isn't that much of a better passer than Adams is, but what he brings to the table is the running threat. But if he's hobbled up, he can't exactly take off. In the last game, I was extremely impressed with the offensive line play - and I think that that will be key again. These games are won and lost in the trenches. If the Oline can hold off Murderers Row again, I like NW's chances!
On Defense, Northwest has got to contain Jerry’s Kid (JK). Last time, the D over pursued a lot and left a wide open field for JK to run. But once NW put a spy on him, that shut down the effectiveness of the MoWest offense. The D has got to do a much better job of containing the overall rush of the Griffons. In the first meeting, the Secondary did a darn good job of shutting down the passing game, they will need to do that again. I think last time, the coaching staff kind of got sucked into the emotions of the game, and that didn’t allow them to make the necessary adjustments quick enough. Each person on the field is going to have to do their 1/11th. They are definitely going to need to work as a team.
Special Teams are going to be huge in this game. If it comes down to a battle of field goals, that does not bode well for NW. Not that I don't trust Adolf, but Greg Zuerlein is a beast. I think he's like 5/5 or 6/6 of 50+ yard. That is insane. He is easily the best FG kicker in Division II, if not in all divisions. If NW can block some of those, that would be huge! It's going to be another windy day in St Joe, so that carries the ball all the more! The NW return teams will also need to be on the toes. I wouldn't be surprised to see Simmons take one to the house.
If NW can contain on D, and execute on O, I think NW wins this one easily. I honestly believe NW played about the worst that they could ever play, and MoWest vise versa in the first game. If NW plays like they can, I pick NW 38 MW 23.
Interesting Facts/Statistics:
- NW finished the regular season with the #1 Scoring Offense in the nation, averaging 53.8 ppg
- NW finished #2 in the regular season in total offense, averaging 529 yards per game
- NW is averaging 51.6% on 3rd down conversions
- NW only allowed 17 TD's out of 31 attempts when opponents were in the red zone
- Jordan Simmons, James Franklin, and Todd Adolf were to top scorers in the MIAA, all scoring over 105 points
Cats Corner:
In the upper right hand side of this page there is a link to the Bearcat Report's 2011 Bracket Challenge. This is our version of March Madness. In the past we utilized an Excel spreadsheet, this year I found an online site to use. Please fill out a bracket and see how well you know D2 football!
Also, please vote in the poll on the left hand side as well.
As a side note, I wanted to mention the fact that Bart Tatum was asked to resign at Missouri Southern. I really feel that is a loss for that program. He was dealt a bad hand when he got there, by a non-supportive administration. If MoSo intends to have a legitimate team in the future, they need to really improve the atmosphere. I have heard of rumors and speculations of an indoor practice facility and a remodeled stadium. But as it stands, they haven't even completed the stadium from the last time they tried. I think that speaks volumes.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Nov 12: #9 NW Bearcats Vs Emporia Hornets
Opening Thoughts:
I realize that MoWest is not accustomed to big games. And I know that the NW vs MoWest game is a heated rivalry. But from a logistical point of view, that game was quite a cluster ****. I do have to give MoWest a little bit of props – two years ago the rent-a-cop security guards spent their whole day harassing the tailgaters. To their credit, they didn’t do that this week. But that is about where the good stuff comes to an end. Two years ago there were a bunch of port-o-poopers all around the tailgating area, yet this year there was only 1. I know that that is not something to be real upset about, but it just adds to the entire experience. I’m not sure what MoWest expected to happen, but I think that they had the entire St Joe police force there, including the SWATabago, just incase it happened. They did make a wise decision to move the band, who was originally going to be behind the NW bench – I think that was more for the bands well being than NW’s. Oh well. I guess if NW had won the game I probably could have overlooked these things, but as it is it just ticks me off all the more!
Last Weeks Recap:
Will the real NW team please stand up? I don’t get this team. Which is the real team, the team that destroyed Washburn, Central, etc or the team that struggled the second half of Pitt, all of MoSo and MoWest? If it’s the latter, NW will probably be one and done in the PO
I don't know what I can say about the NW Offense. This game reminded me so much of the UMD game last year it wasn't even funny. They came out playing flat, the play calling was good - the players just didn't execute. And the receivers couldn't catch a cold! I've heard some people suggest that if Blake Christopher was the QB, the game would have been different. There is the possibility that the intangibles that he brings would have been enough of a spark to get the rest of the team to not be playing so flat - but I don't really see that happening. BC can't make a receiver catch a ball that bounces off of their hands, any more than Trevor Adams can. NW seemed to play just like they did last week versus MoSo, but this week their opponent was obviously better than last week.
Prior to the game last week, I was speaking to one of the players who gave me a great quote: Our coaches are great. They do all the hard stuff. They come up with a great game plan, we just have to go out and execute it. If we do, we win. Well, I think its safe to say that the team did not execute on Saturday. I think that the main problem against MoWest was the execution of the receivers. I don't know how many balls bounced off of their hands. Those things can't happen when you play good teams. I think its safe to say that Shaw certainly wasn't 100% and Soy is still hampered out there. It really does amaze me what taking those two out of the equation does to this office. I said last week that we needed somebody to step up, and I think Mosely & Pierce did just that. Mosely only had 1 reception, but it was a deep ball. Taylor Pierce got a couple of balls thrown to him as well. But overall, I'm willing to bet that there will be a lot of receiving drills done this week! Rushing wasn't bad at all, in fact, I wasn't that impressed with "Murders Row" at all, NW averaged 5.2 yards per rush. MoWest did a great job of not giving NW a lot of opportunities to do something with the ball - they definitely won the battle of the time clock, by almost a 2:1 ratio. I think the biggest thing to me was NW's horrid 3rd down conversions - they were only 2/8. In the PSU game, they were 3/10. To me, there is no doubt that plays a huge factor in why NW lost those two games.
Defensively, I really don't have many complaints. NW was able to hold MoWest to below their season average. The NW D has given up an average of 348.2 yards per game, and NW gave up 348 yards. NW was able to limit their #1 RB (Michael Hill) to only 81 yards on 30 attempts (2.7 avg). What killed NW was the scrambling ability of Jerry's kid - who managed to get 106 yards rushing; granted 51 of which were on 1 play (where there was a massive hold/block in the back - but that is a completely different rant that I won't get into here.) Once the D started to put a spy on Jerrys Kid, that pretty much took that option away from them. NW's tackling on the line has been suspect all year. MoWest took advantage of that in combination with NW's over pursuit! The biggest advantage that MoWest had was their kicker - Greg Zuerlein (from UNO). I said before the game that if it comes down to a FG, MoWest has the definite advantage. The shortest one he made was a 37 yarder into the 25mph wind (which would have been good for a lot more), not to mention the 53 and 58 yarders that he made later. I think the guy is definitely the best kicker in D2 this year, and may very well be the best at all levels. I have no doubt that he will be kicking on Sundays next year somewhere.
This Week’s Match up:
With the loss last week, NW has basically made the playoffs start one week sooner. If NW loses this week, they are done for the year. If everything stays the same as it is right now, the Bearcats will be getting their revenge against Pitt State Emporia State
So I’ve been pouring over these stats sheets for the past couple of days to figure out what I can about Emporia Emporia Emporia
Overall, I think NW is going to win this game. It doesn’t hurt that NW’s Secondary/Special Teams coach, Ken Gordon, was Emporia
Interesting Facts/Statistics:
- The last time NW & PSU both lost on the same day was Sep 18, 1993. NW lost to MoWest, PSU lost to MoSo.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Nov 5: #3 NW Bearcats vs MoWest Griffons
Opening Thoughts:
The football season is way too short to miss a game. Even if it is a long roadtrip, you have to go. You never know what you’re going to miss. I for one did miss this very strange game. I did get to see the game online, but you lose so much by not being there. And now this week is one of my favorite weeks of the year – the MoWest week. I hate me some Griffons, and there is nothing more fun than seeing the Bearcats stomp a mud puddle in them.
Last Weeks Recap:
What a funky game. I don’t know if it was the play calling or if MoSo defense is that good, but the NW offense looked horrid out there. They looked very uninspired. When I saw them out there, the first thing I thought about was that this was going to be a trap game. They had that huge win last week against Washburn, and next week they play MoWest. It was just not a good game. Prior to the game, if you had said that NW was going to be limited to less than 300 yards total offense I would have called you a liar – let alone tell me that they would score 52 points I would have laughed in your face. In fact, I still don’t totally believe it.
Offensively, it was a hot mess out there. I don’t know where the heck Soy was this game. I was forced to watch this game online and the camera vantage point was not that good. From what I understand is that the Lions were doubling up on Soy – so he only got thrown to twice, both of which were incomplete. Normally that would open up Shaw or one of the other WR’s. Well, Shaw was injured on the second kickoff of the game. I’m not sure the status of Shaw’s injury, but my guess is that he will probably be out a week or 2, if not more depending on the injury. I don’t think Hinchey even made the trip, but I could be wrong. So that takes 3 of the primary receivers out of the game. Kind of explains why NW got all of 131 yards receiving. BC was injured in the 3rd quarter with a knee injury. It looked to me like a MoSo lineman got blocked into and rolled onto his knee. I heard he was walking on the sideline during the game, but he still could be out for a while. My initial reaction to the NW playcalling was that they were bound and determined to run the ball and not throw. But looking at the stat sheets, NW didn’t really throw the ball that much less than they normally do. It is just that the receptions weren’t for as long as normal and the receiving percentage was really low. The fact that there was a pretty nasty cross wind didn’t help anything. NW didn’t do too bad running the ball. It was their lowest output of the year so far – only 167 yards on the ground. I think two things caused that – MoSo having a good rush D, and not having the passing option to help open up the run game. Yet they still managed to average 5.4 yards per carry. I’ll take that any day of the week, and twice on Sunday. Simmons looked great out there running the ball. What impressed me was the way that MoSo was able to stop JF3. He managed to only run for 38 yards, but lost 14, so he netted the day at only 24 – very uncharacteristic. I think that is the word that sums up this game the most – uncharacteristic. That and weird. It was just an overall weird game.
Defensively, the Bearcats didn’t do too bad at all. In fact, they held an offense that had been averaging over 450 yards per game, to only 302 yards. That’s not to shabby in my opinion. But there is always room for improvement. The run D did their job, only allowing 106 yards – most of which were QB scrambles. The secondary didn’t do quite as well – giving up 196 yards. I think the Northwest Cornerbacks have been the weak link in the D as long as I’ve been watching, even when NW D was one of the best in the nation. And this year, not having the pass rush that they’ve had in the pass, only exacerbates that weakness. When I looked at the rankings, I was amazingly unimpressed that the NW D ranks 107 in pass defense. That is not good. But stats don’t tell the whole story. I think the more important stat is that NW ranks #20 in the nation in scoring D – averaging giving up only 19 points per game. And considering they have the #1 offense in the nation, that more than makes up for it.
This Weeks Match up:
Jerry’s kid. Jerry’s kid. Jerry’s kid. You know that that chant will be in full force this weekend. I really don’t know what to think about this game. On paper, NW should win this one. But games aren’t played on paper – and when it comes to rivalry games, all stats can be thrown out the window. You add to that, the fact that NW is dealing with some injuries, and that all adds up to a big bag of question marks. But I will do my best to break this matchup down.
It is really quite amazing to me the affects of losing your deep threat WR to injury is. During the MoSouth game, when Shaw went down that dramatically changed the game – I would contend more than losing BC did. Having that deep threat automatically commits the safety to staying back and helping the CB cover. By not having him, that safety can come up and help everyone else out. The good news is - from what I’ve heard - Tyler Shaw did not break any bones in his foot. So it is primarily a matter of pain management. It’s amazing what was a shot of cortisone and some good ole natural adrenaline will do for pain. That being said, I’m not convinced that NW needs Shaw to beat MoWest and/or Emporia. I would much rather him rest the foot and let it heal completely and have it ready for the PO’s. And if NW wins out, and with a little luck (in the form of PSU or MSU losing) NW could still get a bye week. Which would give Shaw another week to heal. I’ve heard that BC didn’t tear anything in his knee, that it is just a sprain – which means he is probably out 2-3 weeks. So that falls in that same timeframe. I know that Chad Kilgore is also nursing a sprain in his foot, as well as an injury to his elbow sustained in the Southern game. I’ve been told that the trainers are working on his elbow to get the swelling to go down. If I know Chad, he would love one more chance to beat down the Griff’s. With Shaw being out, this is the perfect opportunity for some of the younger receivers to step up. I’m expecting Bryce Young, Clint Utter, or even Taylor Pierce to come up big. Young was initially in the 2 deep before the season started, but a hamstring injury dropped him. I believe that that has healed itself, and it is now time for him to shine. He looked real good in the Spring Game, but that game doesn’t always translate. From a statistical point of view, St Joe is kind of middle of the pack in the MIAA. They are #4 in the conference in rushing defense, giving up 124.7 yards per game, and in the pass D they are #5 giving up 233.9 yards per game. The MoWest Dline has named themselves Murders Row. They are currently leading the conference with 33 sacks, but MoSo is second with 29 and the NW line only allowed 1 last week. The thing that concerns me the most is the fact that they are leading the MIAA (and #5 in the nation) in passes intercepted – with 17 so far this year. Trevor Adams, despite having an amazing QB rating, has thrown 5 interceptions so far this year. I think a lot will depend on how much contact the refs allow between the WR & DB’s. If you remember, last year in the PO’s the first half the DB’s were mauling the NW receivers, and NW wasn’t able to do much. But in the second half, the refs started calling some interference and the Griffons were forced to play fair and the Bearcat WR’s ate them for breakfast.
From a defensive point of view, this may be a battle. These two teams always seem to play their best when they play each other. I guess that is what rivalries are all about. MoWest comes into this game with the #13 rushing offense in the nation – averaging 235.9 yards per game (NW is right behind them with 232.8) The MoWest backfield is lead by Michael Hill, who is currently averaging over 108 yards per game. But unlike NW who has a pretty formidable passing game (300 yards per game) MoWest is near the bottom in the MIAA, averaging only 173 yards per game. This is almost the exact same set up as the Arrowhead game. And we all know how that one turned out. This will be a good game to judge the improvement of the secondary. In the PSU game, NW was bound and determined to make Pitt State beat them thru the air. I wonder if NW will take that same approach to MoWest. The secondary will need to be able to trust the line and LB’s that they will stop the run. If they try to come up and support the run D too early, Jerry’s kid may be able get it to his receivers. But he is currently only completing 55% of his passes this year. But if those passes are deep, it won’t bode well for the Cats.
I can guarantee you one thing before this game ever gets started: there is going to be a lot of jawing between the players, and probably lots of penalties. MoWest is the most penalized team in the conference, averaging over 81 yards of penalties per game. Emotions will run high, and could get to be a dirty game. The weather may very well be a factor in this game. I just hope that NW can get out of therewithout any injuries and a win. My prediction is NW wins this one 52 – 28.
Interesting Facts/Statistics:
The football season is way too short to miss a game. Even if it is a long roadtrip, you have to go. You never know what you’re going to miss. I for one did miss this very strange game. I did get to see the game online, but you lose so much by not being there. And now this week is one of my favorite weeks of the year – the MoWest week. I hate me some Griffons, and there is nothing more fun than seeing the Bearcats stomp a mud puddle in them.
Last Weeks Recap:
What a funky game. I don’t know if it was the play calling or if MoSo defense is that good, but the NW offense looked horrid out there. They looked very uninspired. When I saw them out there, the first thing I thought about was that this was going to be a trap game. They had that huge win last week against Washburn, and next week they play MoWest. It was just not a good game. Prior to the game, if you had said that NW was going to be limited to less than 300 yards total offense I would have called you a liar – let alone tell me that they would score 52 points I would have laughed in your face. In fact, I still don’t totally believe it.
Offensively, it was a hot mess out there. I don’t know where the heck Soy was this game. I was forced to watch this game online and the camera vantage point was not that good. From what I understand is that the Lions were doubling up on Soy – so he only got thrown to twice, both of which were incomplete. Normally that would open up Shaw or one of the other WR’s. Well, Shaw was injured on the second kickoff of the game. I’m not sure the status of Shaw’s injury, but my guess is that he will probably be out a week or 2, if not more depending on the injury. I don’t think Hinchey even made the trip, but I could be wrong. So that takes 3 of the primary receivers out of the game. Kind of explains why NW got all of 131 yards receiving. BC was injured in the 3rd quarter with a knee injury. It looked to me like a MoSo lineman got blocked into and rolled onto his knee. I heard he was walking on the sideline during the game, but he still could be out for a while. My initial reaction to the NW playcalling was that they were bound and determined to run the ball and not throw. But looking at the stat sheets, NW didn’t really throw the ball that much less than they normally do. It is just that the receptions weren’t for as long as normal and the receiving percentage was really low. The fact that there was a pretty nasty cross wind didn’t help anything. NW didn’t do too bad running the ball. It was their lowest output of the year so far – only 167 yards on the ground. I think two things caused that – MoSo having a good rush D, and not having the passing option to help open up the run game. Yet they still managed to average 5.4 yards per carry. I’ll take that any day of the week, and twice on Sunday. Simmons looked great out there running the ball. What impressed me was the way that MoSo was able to stop JF3. He managed to only run for 38 yards, but lost 14, so he netted the day at only 24 – very uncharacteristic. I think that is the word that sums up this game the most – uncharacteristic. That and weird. It was just an overall weird game.
Defensively, the Bearcats didn’t do too bad at all. In fact, they held an offense that had been averaging over 450 yards per game, to only 302 yards. That’s not to shabby in my opinion. But there is always room for improvement. The run D did their job, only allowing 106 yards – most of which were QB scrambles. The secondary didn’t do quite as well – giving up 196 yards. I think the Northwest Cornerbacks have been the weak link in the D as long as I’ve been watching, even when NW D was one of the best in the nation. And this year, not having the pass rush that they’ve had in the pass, only exacerbates that weakness. When I looked at the rankings, I was amazingly unimpressed that the NW D ranks 107 in pass defense. That is not good. But stats don’t tell the whole story. I think the more important stat is that NW ranks #20 in the nation in scoring D – averaging giving up only 19 points per game. And considering they have the #1 offense in the nation, that more than makes up for it.
This Weeks Match up:
Jerry’s kid. Jerry’s kid. Jerry’s kid. You know that that chant will be in full force this weekend. I really don’t know what to think about this game. On paper, NW should win this one. But games aren’t played on paper – and when it comes to rivalry games, all stats can be thrown out the window. You add to that, the fact that NW is dealing with some injuries, and that all adds up to a big bag of question marks. But I will do my best to break this matchup down.
It is really quite amazing to me the affects of losing your deep threat WR to injury is. During the MoSouth game, when Shaw went down that dramatically changed the game – I would contend more than losing BC did. Having that deep threat automatically commits the safety to staying back and helping the CB cover. By not having him, that safety can come up and help everyone else out. The good news is - from what I’ve heard - Tyler Shaw did not break any bones in his foot. So it is primarily a matter of pain management. It’s amazing what was a shot of cortisone and some good ole natural adrenaline will do for pain. That being said, I’m not convinced that NW needs Shaw to beat MoWest and/or Emporia. I would much rather him rest the foot and let it heal completely and have it ready for the PO’s. And if NW wins out, and with a little luck (in the form of PSU or MSU losing) NW could still get a bye week. Which would give Shaw another week to heal. I’ve heard that BC didn’t tear anything in his knee, that it is just a sprain – which means he is probably out 2-3 weeks. So that falls in that same timeframe. I know that Chad Kilgore is also nursing a sprain in his foot, as well as an injury to his elbow sustained in the Southern game. I’ve been told that the trainers are working on his elbow to get the swelling to go down. If I know Chad, he would love one more chance to beat down the Griff’s. With Shaw being out, this is the perfect opportunity for some of the younger receivers to step up. I’m expecting Bryce Young, Clint Utter, or even Taylor Pierce to come up big. Young was initially in the 2 deep before the season started, but a hamstring injury dropped him. I believe that that has healed itself, and it is now time for him to shine. He looked real good in the Spring Game, but that game doesn’t always translate. From a statistical point of view, St Joe is kind of middle of the pack in the MIAA. They are #4 in the conference in rushing defense, giving up 124.7 yards per game, and in the pass D they are #5 giving up 233.9 yards per game. The MoWest Dline has named themselves Murders Row. They are currently leading the conference with 33 sacks, but MoSo is second with 29 and the NW line only allowed 1 last week. The thing that concerns me the most is the fact that they are leading the MIAA (and #5 in the nation) in passes intercepted – with 17 so far this year. Trevor Adams, despite having an amazing QB rating, has thrown 5 interceptions so far this year. I think a lot will depend on how much contact the refs allow between the WR & DB’s. If you remember, last year in the PO’s the first half the DB’s were mauling the NW receivers, and NW wasn’t able to do much. But in the second half, the refs started calling some interference and the Griffons were forced to play fair and the Bearcat WR’s ate them for breakfast.
From a defensive point of view, this may be a battle. These two teams always seem to play their best when they play each other. I guess that is what rivalries are all about. MoWest comes into this game with the #13 rushing offense in the nation – averaging 235.9 yards per game (NW is right behind them with 232.8) The MoWest backfield is lead by Michael Hill, who is currently averaging over 108 yards per game. But unlike NW who has a pretty formidable passing game (300 yards per game) MoWest is near the bottom in the MIAA, averaging only 173 yards per game. This is almost the exact same set up as the Arrowhead game. And we all know how that one turned out. This will be a good game to judge the improvement of the secondary. In the PSU game, NW was bound and determined to make Pitt State beat them thru the air. I wonder if NW will take that same approach to MoWest. The secondary will need to be able to trust the line and LB’s that they will stop the run. If they try to come up and support the run D too early, Jerry’s kid may be able get it to his receivers. But he is currently only completing 55% of his passes this year. But if those passes are deep, it won’t bode well for the Cats.
I can guarantee you one thing before this game ever gets started: there is going to be a lot of jawing between the players, and probably lots of penalties. MoWest is the most penalized team in the conference, averaging over 81 yards of penalties per game. Emotions will run high, and could get to be a dirty game. The weather may very well be a factor in this game. I just hope that NW can get out of therewithout any injuries and a win. My prediction is NW wins this one 52 – 28.
Interesting Facts/Statistics:
· The top three scorers in the MIAA are still Simmons (96), Adolf (88), Franklin (84)
· Both NW QB’s would be at the top of the NCAA passing efficiency ratings, but neither have started 75% of the games
· NW has 16 players that have 20 or more tackles this season
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)