Year in Review

Opening Thoughts:

There is nothing that I like better than cutting a Thanksgiving vacation short in order to go to a playoff game. I doubt that my mother feels the same way – but she understands my passion. I got to admit that I was a little chilly for the game. The wife and I had brought plenty of layers, so it wasn’t too bad. Of course my friend Joel wore shorts for the game – but I’m pretty sure that he is crazy. I’ve never seen him wear pants to a game – including the Chadron game, GV game, or the UNA game. He wasn’t at the Duluth game, otherwise he probably would have tried there too. I wouldn’t have allowed him – for his own safety, and I don’t like going to hospitals! The actual temperature wasn’t too bad, there was just enough of a slight breeze that made the day rather cold. The set up was quite nice – tailgating was very close to the stadium, with ample parking all around. The tailgating atmosphere was great – as the MSU fans were intermingled with the NW fans, I think that the NW fans might have actually outnumbered the MSU fans that were tailgating.

Last Game’s Recap:

I am a firm believer that one person does not win or lose a game. Even if that person is the QB. I know that Trevor Adams has gotten a lot of flack for the loss – and rightfully so, but he is only one person on the team, there were 21 other starters.

TA did a lot of bad things in the game – no doubt about that, but he wasn’t alone. If DeFeo hadn’t of dropped that pass in the second possession, a lot of things could have been different. There were a lot of dropped passes in the game. NW’s three best receivers (Shaw, Simmons, Young) were all hurt and NW really needed some of the other WR’s to step up, and they didn’t. That is disappointing. One could argue that they hadn’t been given the opportunity all year – well, now they had. But the vast majority of them are very young and hopefully they will in this offseason. Jordan Simmons proved why he is one of the best competitive RB’s in my mind. The kid is a winner – and just wants to win. He was the primary recruiter to get JF3 to come to NW knowing that it would cut his own number of carries, but they would be quite the dynamic duo. You could tell he was in a lot of pain out there, but he was going to do whatever it took to give his team the best chance to win. Billy Creason showed his heart and  determination. He is a powerful North-South type of runner. Timely penalties killed NW again – mostly against the OL.I know that I harped on them a lot at the beginning of the year, then I kind of resigned myself that what NW had is what they had. And unfortunately what NW had this year for an OL was not that good – by NW standards at least. Rod Williams and Cole Chevalier are good players, but the rest, I’m sorry – aren’t up to NW standards. I’m sure that they are great kids, but I’d rather have great kids who are great Olineman. NW has had them in the past let’s get them again! The fact of the matter is that the playcalling in the game is what cost it for NW. Granted, a lot of that had to do with how Adams was performing – but still, 2^nd and Goal from the 5 and throwing it? When your QB already has 3 picks? And you are averaging 4.9 yards per carry? As they would say on ESPN… C’mon Man!

On Defense – what can I say. They played pretty darn good. For giving the opponent a short field 3 times, t, o only lose by 3 in OT is really saying something! Plus, they gave the offense a chance to win the game – twice, but creating turnovers at the end of the game giving the ball to the offense within the 45 both times. As good as NW’s defense was this year, I think that they have a chance to be even better next year. DJ Gnader is obviously in a lot of pain – you can see that just by the way that he walks. Hopefully in this offseason he can rehab his hip and regain some of his mobility that made him one of the best LB’s I’ve ever seen in D2.  The Dline was not able to get a lot of pressure on Wolf by themselves, and Bailey wasn’t able to contain the end at all – that is why Wolf was able to get so many darn yards running the ball. The Dline was the weakness of the D in 2012 and will need to improve in 2013.

Special Teams – huge for NW. Two blocked punts, a botched punt return that was almost a fumble. Kyle Goodburn had some great punts. Overall – like I said, Special Teams had a great day!

Looking Ahead

I think that 2013 could be a very good season for Northwest. Northwest Loses some very good talent this year, but I think that the replacements are on the team waiting for their chance. Let’s break it down:

QB: I think after the Minnesota State game, Dorrel has to at least open up the QB spot to fair competition. TA is a good QB – but I’m sorry, he’s not great, and that is what we are used to here at NW, and I believe that there is a kid behind him that has the potential to be great. The biggest problem with Adams is his inconsistency. He’s either on or off – and that can switch by the quarter it seems. When he’s on, he’s pretty darn good – he’s got a decent arm, and can move his feet. But when he’s off, he’s the MVP for the other team. He kind of reminds me of Osborn – a good QB but not great when it comes to the physical tools. But what Joel Osborn had, that TA doesn’t, Joel was a student of the game – he was probably the best game manager I’ve seen at NW. He knew the other team as well as the coaches did – probably because he spent as much time watching film as the coaches did. Which is probably why he is Coach Osborn now. My guess is that Tyler Seals will not come back for the 2013 season. I believe he graduates in the spring, and I would not be surprised if he goes on to graduate school somewhere. Brady Bolles I believe should be the next QB for Northwest. From all accounts he has an even better arm than his brother (which is almost unbelievable.) He doesn’t appear to have the straight line speed that Blake did, but it looks like he has better footwork and is more elusive than is brother was. Colby Bowles I don’t think will see the field as a QB. I think that if he stays (which I really hope that he does) he will be converted to another position. True Freshman Kyle Zimmerman was quite the stud in HS, it will be interesting to see what his future looks like at NW.

RB: NW loses a 4 year starter in Jordan Simmons – who is an absolute gammer and all around impact player not only at RB, but also in the slot, and in Special Teams. I would not be surprised if JF3 does not return to Northwest next year – whether that be because of grades, dropping out to pursue his musical career, or any other excuse. Whatever it is – I don’t plan on him being a Bearcat next year. What’s NW going to do? The dynamic duo is gone! Don’t worry – there is potentially an even more dynamic duo brewing in the ‘ville. Last year, NW brought in Robert Burton III as a JuCo transfer and redshirted him, from what I’ve seen him play – he reminds me (and others) a lot of LC. Also, true freshman Phil Jackson II is rumored to might be the next XO. So it is possible that RB3 and PJ2 could be the 1-2 punch to take NW back to Florence.

WR: Losing Shaw is going to hurt. But NW has lost WR’s in the past and somebody is always there to step up. There are a lot of young WR’s on the team, they just need to step up. I was rather disappointed this year in the WR corp, that none of those younger guys – other than Young, stepped up. So next year Young will be the leading returning WR. After that it’s a big drop off in production. I had really big hopes for Clint Utter this year, hopefully he will really shine his senior year. We’ve seen it done before. As for the younger guys, Jozaites, Cairney, Wilkins, and Flint all saw game time this year. Maybe one of them will really step it up in Spring Ball and will be the next Jake Soy.  Looking at the roster, there are a lot of true freshman that have some good size to them. Hopefully they have some speed and have good hands. Because if Brady is anything like his brother, he is going to be throwing lasers to those receivers. It would not surprise me if the coaches bring in a WR as a transfer for an immediate impact player.

TE: Vincent Defeo graduates this year. Not really sure who is going to take his place – Joel Gantz did okay last year but nothing spectacular. This is where I would like to see Colby Bowles be moved to.  He’s a big kid 6’5” 230lbs who isn’t afraid to hit people – he was a QB and linebacker in HS. I don’t know if he can catch the ball though – at NW, the TE needs to be able to catch.

OL: I mentioned earlier that the 2012 version of offensive line was not up to the standards of Northwest. It needs to get there. 2013 will bring CJ Keeney back from his medical issues, and the rest of the Oline sans Rod Williams returns. Other than Cole Chevalier that doesn’t really enthuse me. It just means that the same guys are just a year older. I would not be surprised and I would love it if the coaches are able to get an impact transfer to come to NW. Somebody like Callaway who came from Lindenwood for the 2009 season. He wasn’t great at any one position, but he was pretty darn good at all the different positions – you could plug him in anywhere. Somebody like that would be great to have. But those types of guys are very difficult to find.

DL: Like the OL, the defensive line was not quite what we have come to expect at Northwest. That was due to mainly having to work with the players that they had. Mel’s last couple of years, the Dline was not high on his priority list when it came to recruiting. The result is that you end up with guys the size of DE’s playing on the interior line. But I think that that is starting to change. Brandon Yost is the first redshirt freshman to see significant playing time in quite some time – he was pretty good and will only get better. Matt Longacre was also very good at DE and he was just a Sophmore, so he too will only get better. That leaves finding a NT and another DE. I’m sorry but Bailey just doesn’t cut it for me. He isn’t capable of sealing off the edge – and in the last three games where did the vast majority of the rushing yards come from? The edge on his side. If the opposing coaches can see this on film, and I can see it in the stands – I know that Rich Wright can see it too – after  all he has forgotten more about the Dline than I will ever know. I have heard some speculation of maybe moving Colby Bowles to DE. I think it could work – the kid is definitely big enough and smart enough. An effective DE needs to know what everyone on the D is doing and how they fit in that scheme. Could he pick up the position in only one off season? If there is one coach in the nation that could teach him I would say that it is Rich Wright. That man KNOWS his Dline. Here again I would not be surprised to see an impact transfer. But I do not think that it would be a JuCo kid. NW has been burnt too many times the past few seasons – I think that they have finally learned their lesson. Maybe Mel was right after all – and the 4 year kids are the way to go! I think with all the coaching changes the new coaches wanted to try it, since Mel never would. And now they know why. For every Josh Baker, there is 50 Moe Dampeers. Now Josh Baker is a legit D1 talent, and I think that that is what they will go after when it comes to transfers when they do get them in – D1 and not so much JuCo.

LB: Northwest loses Collin DeBuysere and Matt Massey – both have been very good LB’s. With DeBuysere probably being one of the most underrated LB’s in the nation. But Northwest hasn’t picked up the reputation of LBU for nothing. There are a ton of talented kids in the program and I’m sure that Chad Bostwick won’t let this LB corps degrade. I’m excited to see what Brock Sherman can bring to the table. This offseason will be huge for DJ Gnader. Hopefully he can get himself to Omaha and the rehab experts can work their magic and get his hip back in working order.

CB: Since the addition of the Dixon Brothers, the cornerback position has gone from a weakness to a strength for the Bearcats. But its not just the Dixons – Tyshaan Alleyne and Tim Martinez are pretty darn good on their own, in fact Alleyne started at the beginning of 2012 if you remember.

Safeties: I will be honest with you, Nate DeJong ended up being a MUCH better safety than I ever thought that he would be. The same could be said for Clark Snodgrass. Manning did a great job filling in for him, and will do a great job next year as well. 2013 should see the return of Bryce Enyard to the Bearcat squad. The 2010 MIAA Freshman of the Year will be a great addition to the secondary.

Kickers: Losing Todd Adolf is quite a hit. I never thought I would say that four years ago. I remember when they pulled his redshirt and put him in to kick. He was aweful in game time situation. In practice and warmups he would hit them from quite some distance, but in the real life game situation – that ole sphincter muscle would seize up and throw off his mechanics. That all changed in 2010 at the UCM game when he hit the game winning FG as time expired. Ever since then, the kid has the confidence that the position requires. Adolf is currently up for the Fred Mitchel Award which is awarded to the best kicker in non-FBS football. Not sure who will take his place but there are currently two kickers on the roster so there will be a competition. As for punting – Goodburn is one of the best in the nation and will only be getting better.

Coaching: Adam Dorrel has got to give up calling plays from the field. He gets to into the game to be able to be rational about his abilities. He has an offensive coordinator – let him do his job. Charlie Flohr is a talented man – let him earn his paycheck. It is a completely different perspective from 40 feet above the field and 6 feet. As a Head Coach, you have to be a manager and not bog yourself down with the details. Trust the people you’ve surrounded yourself with. Mel often attributed much of his success to those around him. Seriously – how many successful coaches call their own plays? I have no problem if AD wants to do like Mel and let his OC call the plays, but he has the final say to override the play. I understand why in 2011 they went with AD calling the plays, but I thought 2012 was supposed to be Flohr’s chance. I firmly believe that AD has to give up the play calling duties for NW to get to the next level.

Northwest has the potential to have a VERY good team in 2013. But in order to do that they need to maximize the talent that is on the team. If they do that, they should be able to make a very deep run in the PO's and possibly be playing in Florence next year.

Game 13: NW vs MSU

Opening Thoughts

What an absolutely beautiful day for a football game for November 17.  And what an absolutely pathetic turnout. It was sickening. It was the worst turnout to a Bearcat game that I’ve ever seen. I’ve heard a couple of excuses for this. 1) the Spoofies were playing in the semi finals. Okay, well that’s across town and the game started at 1:30. The least you could do is come and watch the first half of the game and then travel all the way across town (that will take forever I know) and still make it in plenty of time for kickoff. 2) Deer Season. Well, the game kicked off at noon. Most deer hunters I know, are out of their stands by that time. So that’s a pretty poor excuse too. There was less than 4700 people in the stands to watch that game. Pathetic. The last time that there was less than that was November 5, 2005 the week after Pitt St beat up on NW at Arrowhead and NW then curbstomped Southwest Baptist on what started their march to Florence.

Last Week’s Review:

Well. So much for Harding. They were about what I was hoping. If they had any kind of passing threat they would be a very dangerous team. But they don’t. So they aren’t.

Well, I expected NW’s RB to be able to get over 100 yards rushing – I just didn’t expect that RB to be Billy Creason. Then again, I didn’t expect JF3 to go down on the first play of the game. From what I’ve heard, JF3’s injury was a hip pointer and a ‘side stinger’. A big S/O to the offensive line. They opened up some huge holes for Creason and Kohlman Adema-Schulte (KAS) to run thru. Billy and KAS both did a very good job – they both run with lots of power and finish their runs strong. I am always impressed with how fast KAS is. I didn’t realize that Creason had gone over the century mark until after the game and I looked at the box scores. It didn’t seem like it in the game. Both Creason and KAS are really good backs and are great in their roles – but neither have that special “it” factor that J5 or JF3 do – but not many do. I really think that Creason would probably start at a lot of D2 schools. The OL gave TA a lot of time in the back field to make decisions. I thought that this was truly one of his better games – he seems to continually be getting better and better. Still makes the occasional bone-head move, but what college kid doesn’t? As good as the OL has played, they have made some errors the last couple of games – namely some big time holds and false starts. TE Joel Gantz needs to working on his blocking technique some – he got called on it once this week, and a bunch last week. But like AD said in an interview – what one ref calls a hold another will call a block. I don’t think he’s doing anything different than he has all year, it’s just that a ref was calling him on it. The WR’s did a fair job – but they had several dropped balls that they should have caught. Outside of Shaw, there wasn’t a WR that really stepped up in this game, hopefully one really steps it up against Mankato. Statistically NW’s offense did a pretty good job – putting up 179 yards of offense on one of the ‘best’ rushing defenses in the nation and 212 yards in the air. But, maybe I’m alone in this – but it just seemed to me like the offense never really got going – despite putting up 35 points. Credit Harding’s defense for part of that, they were really quick, and didn’t allow for a lot of things to develop, they also made some pretty good adjustments. NW was also without their two starting backs – which obviously changed the game plan. I don’t know, I just kind of felt a little bit frustrated that NW wasn’t able to do what they had been capable of doing in the past.

Defense. Well – it worked. It’s not exactly how I would defend the option, but hard to argue when they come out of it with a shut out.  Most of the game I found myself being very befuddled and confused at the personnel packages, and the coverage. I truly did not understand why your CB’s and Safeties 10 yards off the line of scrimmage, and your LB’s 7-8 when there is no chance that they are going to throw. I thought that NW gave up a ton more yardage than they could have. As we were walking out, my friend Joel looked at me and said – well it worked, I’d rather give up yards than points. Since the game I’ve come to realize a few things. Most of Hardings RB’s were a threat to take the ball to the house any time they touched it, so I think NW’s defensive scheme was that they were going to force them to have to execute 10-15 play drives to score; knowing that an option offense is dependent on being very efficient to be effective. Harding wasn’t able to sustain that – as evidenced by their opening drive. There was a TON of substitution along Dline. There were times in the second and third quarter when it was still a game, that there were all 2’s & 3’s along the line – not a single starter. That goes a long ways in building confidence and experience not to mention keeping everyone fresh! It was great to see Brandon Dixon finally get another interception – since his last one was stolen away from him at Washburn. Defense wins Championships, and if the D keeps it up, they can put this team in the position to be in the hunt!

This Week’s Match Up:

I will be completely honest with you – I really don’t know that much about Minnesota St – Mankato. I’ve spent the last several days pouring over stats and reading what I can, and it all leads me back to where I started, I really don’t know that much about them. But what I do know about is the Bearcats.

The Mankato Mavericks defense is pretty darn good – not great, but good. Statistically their rush D is a little bit better than Hardings was, but I would actually believe theirs a little bit more. Historically NW has done a pretty good job rushing against the northern teams – even the Duluth teams with their amazing D, NW was able to run against them (the play calling didn’t allow it, but it was always there, and NW was able to gain good yardage when they did run.) I’ve heard that Jordan Simmon and JF3 have both practiced this week – I’m really surprised about J5, I thought that they would let that heal for another week. I still wouldn’t be surprised if he suits up but doesn’t play unless absolutely necessary. I’ve heard that JF3 was in a lot of pain at the beginning of the week, but a lot of things can change in a week. I’m sure that they are giving him the strongest pain meds that they can, and at this point it is just a pain management issue. I think both Billy Creason and KAS will see action in this game with JF3 and BC seeing the majority of the reps. I really don’t think that their defense will have seen anybody with the speed of Shaw – this opens some possibilities. If they try to double cover, that opens up somebody else to have a big day. If they don’t, that means that he will have a big day. From what I’ve been told, if the Mav’s have a weak spot, it their pass D. NW needs to exploit this. Use the pass game to open up the run game. That means that somebody other than Shaw is going to have to have a good day catching the ball. It’s been a while since Young’s injury, I’m hoping he will be able to return a bit more to action. Hinchey possibly stepping up would be nice too.  The offensive line is going to have to have a big game – not just blocking and opening up holes, but eliminating the stupid penalties! Those have got to go! They are drive killers and we’ve already seen them bite NW in the butt once.

On Defense, Rich Wright knows what they need to do – much better than I could ever pretend to know.  In the games that the Screaming Eagles, er I mean the Mavericks had the most troubles it was because their run game was limited. Other than against the option, NW has a good track record of being able to limit a run game. Ken Gordon does a pretty darn good job putting together packages to limit the passing game too via the Dixon Bros & Co. The Mavs are a fairly balanced team, but they do prefer to run the ball a bit more than they throw. They have one primary WR that they like to throw to, Adam Theilen, but they spread the ball out more than Harding did – but that doesn’t take much! They have several guys that like to run the ball, including the QB. But I have faith that NW will be able to contain them.

I think that NW has the advantage when it comes to special teams. Goodburn has been amazing punting all year, and Adolf too in both KO and field goals.

Overall I am completely conflicted. My head tells me that we should win this one. That the Mavs are a good team, but nothing spectacular. NW has the better overall athletes and the more experience. The Mavs have some really good stats, and I believe their stats more than Harding stats, but at the same time, I think that the NSIC was a bit down this year. Yeah Mankato beat the heck out of Upper Iowa a few weeks ago, but the two weeks prior to that they struggled with Wayne (Ne) and Sioux Falls. They beat the weaker teams, but anybody that wasn’t a complete pushover, they struggled with. But at the same time, I never overlook an NSIC team – they play tough hard nosed football. So I’m conflicted. If NW plays the way that they can and doesn’t kill themselves with stupid penalties and turnovers, NW wins by 14.

NW 35 MSU 21

Game 12: NW vs HU

Opening Thoughts:

What an amazing day for football for November 10^th. You can’t ask for better temps than 75° this late in the year. I could have gone without the wind, but that comes with the territory this time of the year. It was great seeing so many former players and players families enjoying the tailgating festivities. Speaking of tailgating – my hat goes off to Dr Jasinski for making the rounds this weeks pressing the flesh and shaking hands with the fans and welcoming them to the campus. I forgot to mention it in last weeks report – but Wren Baker made the rounds last week.

A good friend of mine gave me a sideline pass to watch this game. I watched the first quarter from the stands and then moved down with a few minutes left in the quarter. As soon as I did – NW got the interception, needless to say, I had to stay on the sidelines for the rest of the game. I have to admit being on the sidelines with so many former players was really really cool. Having Jake Soy and Xavier Omon give you a high five after Bryce Young has a great catch is an amazing thing. But I learned that I have lost my skill of being able to watch the game from the field level and know exactly what is going on. The view is soo much better from my place in the stands – that is probably why they have coaches up in the booth! Plus, I might be a jinx. My first game on the sideline and they lose? Coincidence? I think its probably best not to tempt fate. Speaking of jinx’s – this was the first game that one of my friends has attended since the UCM game. I’m pretty sure that he is the jinx – don’t worry Bearcat Nation, I have told him that he is officially banned from watching anymore games live in person this year. It’s funny how football can turn a perfectly normal rational person into a superstitious fool. I know that there is nothing that I do that will directly determine the outcome of the game, but that doesn’t change the fact that there are certain things that I have to do on gameday.

So losing sucks. But officially finding out that NW is getting a new videoboard seemed to take the sting out of the loss. I had heard about the videoboard a few months ago, but its always nice to be confirmed.  From what I understand, it is going to be very similar to what UNO had. Approximately 20’ x 40’ for the video screen. It will have nice brick on the sides. I’ve been told that it WILL be on the south side. That they powers that be learned their lesson with the previous video board – that you can’t see it when the sun shines on it. My only hope is that they are smart and do like Pitt St did and put a video booth above it for the cameras to be in. That way they can get rid of the scissor lifts – which would be much safer on those very windy days. My hat is off to Wren Baker and Scott Nielsen for their fundraising efforts and already putting their stamp on this program!

Last Week’s Recap:

Wow. Talk about a tale of two halves.  If you had told me that NW would limit Hill to just 40 yards in the first half and be up 17-0; I would have said that NW would win no problem. But that didn’t happen. Credit Jerry for making some great adjustments at halftime – basically scrubing their entire offense that they used all season and went to much more pass dominant offense. There was also a lot of blame to go around on the NW side of the ball.

I thought NW ran the ball a little bit more than I would have like to see – but that was probably due to the weather conditions. And they really didn’t do that bad of a job of it. Both JF3 and Simmons averaged almost 4 yards per carry. I heard before the game several people predict that the game would be determined by the QB play – it turned out that both QB’s played very well. I thought this was one of the best games that TA played. He had some excellent check downs and played smart ball – didn’t try to force anything. A big shout out to the offensive line – they gave TA all day to throw back there. They also only allowed 1 sack. This was not a good game for the TE’s and WR’s. Or I should say – it was not a good second half for them. The refs (don’t get me started) apparently didn’t like the way that they were blocking, and kept calling them for holding. And the WR’s had WAY too many dropped balls. All I can say is that the second half the team played not to lose instead of playing to win. It really wasn’t so much the play calling – although that was a little bit more conservative, but not much. The team was very tight – very tense. And that was the only emotion I saw out of them. Other than that, it seemed like the offense was very emotionless. A lot of that comes from their lack of execution. It’s easy to get down on yourself when you’re not executing. And the offense definitely wasn’t executing. And when they were, they were shooting themselves in the foot with costly penalties. I said after Washburn that if they continue those types of penalties, it would cost them – and it did. The thing that I can blame AD for was deciding to take the wind in the 3^rd quarter. It was the same mistake that MSU did. Try to put the game away in the third quarter. It didn’t work for them, and it didn’t work for Northwest. But AD is still a young coach, and I’m sure that he has learned from this experience.

The NW D – that’s a different story. The first half they did an amazing job. They still did a great job containing Michael Hill. He was able to get over 100 yards, but that was because he did get a couple of nice runs – but 12 of his 19 runs were for 5 or less yards that’s pretty darn good. That comes from the Dline and LB playing disciplined football. It is very difficult for a RB to run thru a wall, when a defender tries to shoot the gap, even a little bit and try to get to the defender – that opens up a hole in the wall for the RB to go thru. This is what NW was doing to Hill. They were giving him a few yards, but weren’t going to give him much. There were a few times that the NW D didn’t wrap up that he was able to bounce to the outside and get more yards – but he wasn’t able to power run over the NW D like he was most of his competitors the rest of the year. This game was probably the worst game for the Bearcat LB’s that I’ve seen in a long time. It was like they couldn’t quite decide if they should cover the receivers or try to cover the run, so they tried to do both – and ended up doing neither. Same thing with the secondary – they were so concerned with run support that they got soft on their coverage. Now give Jerry’s Kid credit – he did throw the ball where only the receiver could get the ball (often times about 6” above the turf or on the way out of bounds) but it was effective. On that first TD, it looked like Brian Dixon tried to jump the route a bit and get the interception – which he normally gets. But he didn’t get it that time, and the MW WR got the TD. The last couple of minutes of this game reminded me a lot of the Minnesota Duluth up in Duluth. The defense made a lot of costly mistakes which led directly to some touchdowns.

Overall – it comes down to execution. NW just didn’t execute in the second half – plain and simple. The coaches can put the players in the right position to make the play, but the coaches can’t make catch, block, tackle, hike the ball, etc for the players. The question is how does the team respond from this loss. Historically the team has done very well coming off of a loss. The last time that the Bearcats lost shortly before the playoffs started was 2005 – and that season ended up okay for the Cats.

This Weeks Match Up:

Well, unless you’ve been living under a rock the past few days you’ve probably heard that Jordan Simmons will not be playing in this game. He apparently broke his arm in a ‘freak accident’ in practice. On Wednesday he underwent surgery to put a plate in his arm and put in 6 screws. Apparently he sustained a ‘butterfly fracture’. From what I understand of those type of breaks – it is theoretically possible that he could return in a few weeks with a big ole cast and lots of padding on his left arm. Not saying that he will by any means – a lot depends on how quickly he heals, and where exactly the fracture is at. NW has lots of capable backs – hopefully they will step up to fill his void there.

The Harding Bisons run a triple option offense – much the same as Missouri Southern. Unlike Missouri Southern, HU runs it much more efficiently. Their Oline isn’t the big guys like MoSo, they are much smaller and quicker. The option offense is the great equalizer. It can make the not as athletic players be able to compete with the much more athletic defenses. But it requires the offense to be very disciplined and efficient. MoSo was not. And it cost them – big time. Harding can be very efficient – but in some of their games I’ve seen, they can be less than efficient as well. They’ve actually lost 15 fumbles – that’s not even counting how many they recovered themselves. Statistically they are very similar to MoSo. MoSo is #9 rushing the ball, HU is #5. MoSo is #153 passing the ball, HU is #152. Both teams essentially have one receiver. For Harding – that receiver is Donatella Luckett who has 26 receptions and 7 TD’s. The next highest reception total is Kamper who has a total of 4 catches on the year. Harding does have a lot of good runners though – starting with their QB. In fact, they have 3 different runners with over 450 yards this year, and 9 total with more than 100.  Southern Arkansas did a great job limiting Harding’s offense. They did this by not worrying about their passing game – they did get burnt a couple of times, but it pretty much shut down their offense. They stacked 8 men the box and took away the dive and QB keeper. SAU’s D was pretty quick and was able to limit any option out to the sides as well. Looked to be a pretty good recipe for success for the D. But the NW defense is going to have to do a much better wrapping up than they did last week. If NW’s D can duplicate what SAU did, I like the Bearcat chances. I think they can. I can see this being a lot like the MoSo game for the Defense.

The Northwest offense could be very interesting going into the playoffs. Simmons injury is going to hurt – he is arguably the most involved player, one of the best RB’s, leading receiver, huge in special teams. But NW isn’t a one trick pony.  There are more than capable RB’s one the team – both Creason and Adema-Schulte have shown their skill sets this year: Creason is still a powerful runner, and KAS always amazes me how fast and hard hitting he is. I would not be surprised to see either one or both of them step up big time in the playoffs. JF3 went off the charts last year in the playoffs – it would be awesome to see that history repeat. As far as the receiving corps goes – they need to put last week behind them. I know Shaw took the loss very personal – well it takes a team to win and a team to lose. Bryce Young will be back, he came back last week after an injury to his shoulder. That injury is normally a 6 week heal time, he came back after 2 weeks. So another week and it’s feeling better. With J5 out, I would like to see a WR or two or three really step it up in the PO’s. I am looking at Utter, Flint, or Jozaites or possibly somebody else. Hinchey has had some very good games – maybe he comes out and just kills them. NW has a history of WR’s stepping up in the PO’s – I don’t see why this year should be any different. The Bison defense is very quick. From a statistical point of view – they are very good. But statistics don’t really mean anything when you don’t play anybody – ask Emporia about that. I really don’t know what to think about them. I think NW should be able to score. NW will need to utilize their strengths. Use the short passing game to help open up the run game – mix in the deep ball to Shaw to help open up everything. TA did a great job of checking down last week – he’ll need to do that again this week.

Both of NW’s kickers made the All-Conference team – both deservedly so in my honest opinion. Goodburn has been amazing at punting, and Adolf kicking – both KO and FG has really impressed this year. It is great having these weapons when you need them – but hopefully we don’t need them too much.

I have been going back and forth all week how to predict this game. I can see this game being very close, or I can see it being similar to MoSo. A lot is going to depend on momentum. If NW gets it, and keeps it rolling, it could be a blowout. Or it could be squeaker if they don’t get the momentum going. I saw NW gets up big and then coasts, HU scores a couple of trash TD’s and the final score makes it look closer than it actually is: NW 45 HU 30

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Game 11: NW vs MW

Opening Thoughts:

Well, I’m pissed at myself. I had originally predicted a score of 55-10. But then when I went to put it in the Predictions pages, I noticed that somebody had already predicated 55 and somebody else picked 10. And I don’t like to share – so I changed my prediction. I could have been my first ever perfect prediction –but no: I was stupid and changed it. That’s two weeks in a row I should have just gone with my head. That’s it, from here on out, I’m going with my head!

I am also EXTREMELY disappointed with the Student Section. It was absolutely terrible. There was a time when the Student Section was CRAZY! Heck they were known as the Rickenbrode Rowdies. Not anymore… more like the Bearcat BUMS! Take a look at this photo: 

I know what you are thinking – it was a blowout, what do you expect. But at the time I took this photo, the score was NW 7 ESU 3 and it was 3^rd down.  This is a picture of section FF – which is right at the 50 yard line. If you notice, the vast majority of the students are SITTING down. Absolutely sickening if you ask me. You guys are totally spoiled. I had kind of hoped that two years of not going to Florence would make our Student Fans not be so spoiled. But I guess I was wrong about that.

Last Week’s Recap:

That is what I call an old fashion whoopin’. I really did expect Tyler Eckenrode to be able to score a few more points than he was able to. Oh well, I guess that NW is just that good. I was kinda hoping that it wouldn’t be a total blow out so that the players would be extra focused next week. But my guess is that they won’t need any outside encouragement to stay focused.

This is quickly becoming one of the best overall D’s that I’ve seen NW have. I’ve already said that its easily the best secondary, and the LB corps is top of the line, and now the DLine is really coming together. They are getting a ton of pressure with just the front four. NW has been able to rotate a lot of guys thru there and gotten a lot of experience. That also allows them a lot of time to rest. That will come in to play next week! I noticed that the coaching staff kept the starters in a little bit longer than needed – my guess is that was to help them with full game conditioning. After all, its been a while since the starters had to play a full game – in fact, I don’t remember the last time that the starters played a full game – probably UCM. That will quickly change starting this week and continue on throughout the playoffs.

The NW offense is really coming together more and more all the time. I can tell that this team is just that – a TEAM. It seems like it is even more of a team than it has been in the past – and its not like there has been a ton of divisiveness on the team – but it seams to me as an outsider that there is something more there. Maybe it’s because there really are no All Stars on the team. Don’t get me wrong, there are some really really good players on the team, but there isn’t the Xavier Omon, or Josh Baker, or Jake Soy type of individual on the team. But I think as a whole – when this team is hitting on all cylinders – it rivals any of the teams since I’ve been following Bearcat football (2007) I would not have said that at the beginning of the season – or even midway thru the season. The OL has a lot to do with that. They have improved immensely since the SNAFU that was the UCM game. The play calling has completely changed as well. The coaches have been playing to the teams actual strengths – rather than what they want the strengths to be. The RB’s this game did a great job. Neither JF3 or Simmons broke the century mark, but they both came within 10 of doing it – and combined for 5 rushing TD’s. I also want to give TA a shout out. He went out there and gave that LB a heck of hit rather than sliding. I can understand why AD was pissed about it – but at the same time I can see why he did it. I also thought that he did a great job of checking down. He didn’t throw to his first guy every time – he did force a throw to Shaw that what picked, but there were a lot of times that he checked down and found an open receivers. And the OL needs to be given credit for that as well – they were giving TA all day to throw.

If I could vote for Kenny Gordon for Coach of the Year I would – between the Secondary and the Special Teams (two things that he coaches) NW has been amazing. Special Teams – how cool was it to see Simmons run that KO back on Homecoming. I felt like I was watching it develop in slow motion, and I was like – OH Yeah – Simmons is going to extend the MIAA record! Todd Adolf did a great job kicking off, as well as kicking FG’s – that 45 yarder would have been good for quite a ways more it looked like to me!

This Weeks Match Up:

Going into this season, I said that if MoWest was ever going to go the distance, this is their year. They return a ton of seniors. I think that they start 8 seniors on offense – including their entire offensive line, and 6 or 7 on defense. This is not a bad team by any means.

When the Griffons have the ball – they are going to run it. They love to run it. They are a running machine. And the guy that they give the rock to is Michael Hill. Hill is averaging 150+ yards per game and over 7 yards per carry. He could actually have more yards per game, but since they have been blowing people out of the water, he hasn’t played much in the second half of games. Hill is a good runner – but I’ve never been overly impressed with him. He’s got a good line in front of him – and that gets him a lot of yards – but he’s not a homerun threat. He honestly reminds me a lot of Birmingham from UCO with a better line in front of him – in fact Birmingham I think has better speed than Hill. Historically, the NW offense has done a pretty good job of being able to slow down a power run game. Only Isaac Odim from Duluth able to run it over the NW D, and they still held him below his average. I think that the key for the NW D will be to slow down the run game, and get pressure on Jerry’s Kid. They don’t have to sack him – just get him uncomfortable – and then let the Dixon Bros & Co do what they do best. Being at home is going to be an advantage for NW – they may be able to sub in a few guys that wouldn’t normally travel. I’m thinking of Jordan Chrisman. He played well in the first game and then had an emergency appendectomy. ESU was his first game back playing DE. He got in the game in the 3^rd and 4^th quarter – I think he could really help there give some relief and contribute as well. I doubt that we will see it happen, but I would love to see Sony Theodate out there on obvious passing plays – and just tell him to get Jerry’s Kid. The guy is a massive human being, and I hope he sticks around. He definitely has the measurables, I hope that he is taking the time to soak up the knowledge from Rich Wright!

A lot of this game is going to depend on the game plan. If AD and Charlie Flohr use that same stupid offense that they tried in the ECU, UCM, and first half of Pitt St – NW will be in for a long day. I don’t think that NW is going to be able to simply pound the rock on the MoWest D. They are going to need to have the pass game there to help open up the run game and vice versa. I’ve heard that Bryce Young may very well be back for this game – and that is a huge plus. The other receivers have stepped it up, but it is always nice to have Young there. I really hope that Utter gets a chance to show his skills – it almost seems like the coaching staff picks some WR’s to be targets, and others to simply run routes. Last year Miller and Hinchey never got a ball thrown to them, this year Hinchey has become that clutch go to receiver on 3^rd down and Utter (who is crazy fast and can go up and get a ball) seems to be relegated to simply running routes. Hopefully he will stay dedicated because I think he has a bright future as a Bearcat. I am going to do my best to help JF3 have a spectacular day – I am going to sit him on my bench on my fantasy football team. He’s done great every week I’ve done that – so I will continue that tradition. Really, I know its cliché – but this game will be won in the trenches. And I think that the offensive line is playing their best now. I am really excited to see the matchup between one of the best DEnds in D2 (David Bass) and one of the best Offensive Tackles (Rod Williams) in D2. If the OL can give TA some time to throw, and open up some holes for the runners – I like our chances.

I think when it comes to Special Teams – NW definitely has the advantage in all facets. KO & Punt return, field goals and punts. What more can you ask for? Just keep up the good work boys!

The last two weeks I’ve gotten screwed by going with my gut rather than my head. My gut says that this is going to be a battle royale. Complete with all sorts of extra curriculars and diarrhea of the mouth. But my head said that NW will stay focused, NW matches up well with the MoWest strengths. I can see both NW and MoWest scoring on their opening drives and then both teams make adjustments. But NW makes better. NW gets up by 14-17 points and then the landslide begins. A running team isn’t built to come from behind. Jerry’s Kid gets frustrated and starts forcing things – and the Dixon Bros & Co have a field day. NW ends up winning this one 45 – 24.

Game 10: NW vs ESU

Opening Thoughts:

What a beautiful day last Saturday was for some football. A little brisk in the morning, but in the afternoon the sun came out and the conditions were perfect. I really like the atmosphere at Washburn. The school gives visitors a great area to tailgate (it could use some Port O Johns since the arena is a bit of a hike) and it’s easy to get to – not a huge fan of toll roads, but if you don’t like them there are always around them. Saturday was their homecoming (Happy Homecoming, you got destroyed) – their parade route went right next to the parking lot that we were in, and it seemed like a nice parade. I even walked in it for a little while! That will make two parades in a row that I will be in. I will once again be riding on the NW Alumni Association float throwing out beads. That brings me to this week’s gripe – game day atmosphere at NW on Homecoming. I feel like the powers that be have done everything possible to ruin this day for us tailgaters. The newest thing that they’ve done is announce that they are not going to allow anyone into the largest parking lot – where the VAST majority of the tailgating takes place – until 11 o’clock. I don’t have a problem fighting others to get their early and get my regular spot, but when it feels like I have to take on the school as well, it is ridiculous. I know that I am not the only tailgater that feels this way – basically everyone that tailgates in that lot has shared their frustration with me about it. It seriously makes it such a headache to try to plan out, that it almost makes it not worth it. I hope that the powers that be take notice soon, but I doubt that they will. In the past, Dr Jasinski and AD Wren Baker always made it a point to come down and walk thru the tailgate area. That was really cool – and made NW feel unique. But not this year. I haven’t seen either one of them going thru the tailgate area meeting with people. Maybe they should! They are in the middle of a campaign – and there is a lot of money there, not a good time to start alienating yourselves!

Last Week's Recap

So this was a rather interesting game. Very frustrating at times. If you were as frustrated with the officiating crew as last week, you should have been – it was the same crew. And they hadn’t gotten any better in the week.  It was also very frustrating watching the players make stupid mistakes and costly penalties.  Those have to change. NW had 6 drives that they did not score on – three of those were in the 3^rd and 4^th quarters where NW had pulled all of their starters. The other three drives all had drive killing penalties in them. NW can get away with that with lesser competition (who would have thought that Washburn would be considered lesser competition) but against better teams, NW will have to get their act together.

I cannot say enough great things about this defense. If I had to pick one word to describe them this last week – that adjective would be SMOTHERING. While it is true that the front 4 aren’t quite as dominate as I would like – they are still getting better every week and are so very much better than they were in week 1. This secondary is easily the best secondary that I’ve ever seen at Northwest. Brian and Brandon Dixon are beasts and obviously anchor the secondary, but they aren’t alone by any means – whether it be Manning, Snodgrass, DeJong or Alleyne – I really don’t feel like there is a weak guy in the bunch. In the past there has been one really good cornerback or safety, but this year the entire secondary is amazing. There were several plays on Saturday where I could just tell the way that NW lined up and WU lined up, that NW was going to be in a good position to intercept the ball. As it was, they officially got 6 – should have been 7; Brandon Dixon’s pick6 was called back on a BS holding call. Really the only success that Washburn had of any kind was when all of the starters and the primary backups had been pulled.

So I mentioned it earlier, but this was the first time that it was frustrating for me to watch the offense – because of their execution. I have been frustrated in the past because of the play calling, but never because of their execution. I seemed to me like the offense was kinda half assin’ it at times. Even Tyler Shaw – who I am a huge fan of him and his leadership, seemed to not give some plays 100%. I was close to his family, and I could tell that his mom noticed it too and was frustrated at times. The one turnover seemed to be a total miscommunication – TA went to hand it off and Simmons had no idea that it was coming. Not sure what happened there – could have been a huge momentum swing for WU, but as it was the Defense pulled out another trick and got the ball back. I think all of Bearcat Nation heart dropped a little when we saw Brady Bolles get injured and carried off the field. I’ve never seen the head coach come over to the table to get briefed – but I have now. I, like most everyone, assumed from that type of hit and the amount of pain he seemed to be in – that it was a torn ACL or MCL and he would be done for the year and probably need surgery. The good news that I’ve heard is that the MRI didn’t show any tear. And everything that I’ve heard just keeps getting better and better. I don’t know if/when he will be back – but it is great news that there is no tear!

This Week's Match Up:

Here we are again. That time of year again - Homecoming. Not sure I remember a time when Homecoming was the second to last game of the year, but I’m kinda glad that it is this year. Being that it IS homecoming – hopefully that will make the team stay focused. Because this does have the potential to be a huge trap game – they could all be looking forward to next week and the Griffons. But the Bearcats can’t afford to look ahead, they have to take this one game at a time. The team is going to have to overcome the Nixon Jinx. I think almost every game that Gov. Nixon has been to, the home team has lost. I think he should stay at home!

Last week – at the time of me writing this anyway – Emporia was still undefeated. But then they ran into some actual competition in Western Missouri (kinda like Washburn did.)  Sr QB Tyler Eckenrode ran into the perfect storm – cold, wind, and a good defense. In the first half his receivers weren’t helping him at all, when he was getting the ball to them, they were dropping it. Watching that game, it was similar to the NW/WU game, in that Eckenrode didn’t have any success until MoWest pulled all of their first string defense. When they did that, ESU was able to score, and score quick. Eckenrode does have a cannon for an arm, and has some good receivers. But NW has some darn good CB’s and Safeties. I have been looking forward to this matchup for some time. Unlike Pitt who was probably the last really good passing QB that NW faced, ESU doesn’t really have the running threat to contend with. Eckenrode is going to be able to score – possibly on one or two deep balls, but I would not be surprised to see him get picked off several times. I know that Brandon Dixon is hungry to get another interception since the one last week was stolen away from him.

Watching last weeks game between MoWest and Emporia, Emporia seemed very undersized compared to MoWest. What really impressed me about MoWest was the way that they just bowled over ESU. The yards after contact was amazing. So when NW has the ball, I expect them to be able to score. I also expect them to take care of the problems that we saw last week. I would be very disappointed to see them continue having those penalties that they had. Just not acceptable. I would not be surprised to see JF3 go 100+ and have multiple TD’s. I also liked how the coaches worked Creason in the play book more – he is more of the bruiser RB on the team, and I think this is a good opportunity to showcase those skills. I also would not be shocked if the WR’s don’t light up the scoreboard.

Todd Adolf and Kyle Goodburn have been kicking butt so far this year in the special teams. Goodburn even managed to register a tackle last week. I expect them to continue this trend this weekend. If NW has to punt, Goodburn will do what he does best, and I’m willing to bet that Adolf has a heck of FG saved up for his final Homecoming game.

Final prediction: ESU is going to be able to score a bit, but NW is going to score a bunch more. NW 59 ESU 20

Game 9: NW vs WU

Opening Thoughts:

Great Googily Moogily - I've seen some bad officiating, but this weeks game takes the cake. I will say that they were equally bad for both teams - but there is no excuse for what we all saw on the field on Saturday. It was almost as depressing as as the stairway to nowhere that is the visitors side of MoSo's stadium. But it was a beautiful day for football. I think I actually got a little bit of a sunburn - which is a great thing for Oct 20th!

I wanted to send a shout out to the Hampton Hawks. It was a tough year, but it was a building year. And you got better each week. That hard work will pay off dividends in the future. Even the almighty Bearcats went 0-11 in Tjeerdsma's first year. We all know how that ended up. Follow the advice that Brady Bolles gave you earlier in the year - focus on your effort and your attitude and the results will follow.

Last Weeks Recap:

Well, it wasn’t a stomping. But NW did win by 24. And it would have been 31, but MoSo scored on the second string D. And NW escaped without too many injuries. I think Petroff sustained a concussion – not sure how long he will be out. I’ve also heard that Young has some sort of strain in his shoulders and will be out the next two week more than likely. I thought that I saw that Hummel came out with a shoulder injury as well. I noticed and DJ didn’t play in the second half. My guess is that that is just to give him some rest. Anyone that has seen him run off the field, can see that he’s hurting.  Other than those, NW came out of the game relatively healthy – unlike last year!

I really am not sure how that Southern team beat MoWest, who then pounded Pitt State. It does not make sense to me. Their QB was horrible at pitching the football. I think the NW D had something to do with that. The Bearcats made sure that if the QB was going to run with the ball, he was going to get hit – whether or not he still had the ball. I think that got into his head at times. But the overall speed of the NW D was able to eliminate much of the threat of the triple option. If MoSo had had any kind of passing game (their QB completed 3 passed, two to NW and 1 to his own guy for 5 yards) they could be dangerous. They were able to gain a lot of yards on the ground – 253 the most by far that NW has given up. But like I mentioned they only had 5 yards thru the air. The majority of those yards came off of 5 plays – those 5 plays were for 20 or more yards and totaled 147 yards. 

I don’t know why, but it whenever NW plays MoSo it feels like they should blow them out of the water. But they don’t. Granted NW scored on every possession except like 3 or 4. So that should be really good. But I always feel frustrated coming out of Joplin. Maybe it’s just that long drive that puts me in a bad mood. I don’t know. I do know that I thought that this was Trevor Adams best game to date.  I thought that he looked confident and didn’t make any bonehead throws. MSSU’s defense had something to do with that – but overall I would have to give credit to TA. He did a great job of spreading the ball around. Nine different players registered at least one reception – and none got more than 5 catches on the day. That is a good job of spreading the ball. They also tried once or maybe twice with having two QB’s in there. That hasn’t worked out yet this year, but I think that it will eventually.

This Weeks MatchUp:

NW faces the Ichabods this week. The Bods are one of the remaining teams with only 1 loss on their record. But in this new watered down MIAA - that really isn't saying a whole lot - especially when their loss was to UCO and they had to score on their last drive last week against Lindenwood to escape with a win. I think its safe to say that the Ichabods are not the power that they once were. But - the Ichabods ALWAYS play the Bearcats tough. The two teams match up very well, and that usually means that its going to be a defensive battle. Plus with it being Washburn's homecoming - you know that they are going to be fired up!

The Bods have not played the toughest schedule.Despite their easy schedule, they haven't been lighting up the scoreboard. In fact nothing about this team impresses me or scares me - and THAT scares me. Because I know that its Washburn and with the exception of last year, they always play with NW. If its possible to have a two week trap games, this might be it as the team might be looking forward to MoWest. But I doubt that they are. They know that they are pretty much in a fight for the playoffs every week - if they win, the hope is still alive, if they don't - odds are they won't make the playoffs. Statistically speaking - Washburns strength on D is their pass D. But I think that that stat is bloated because they really haven't faced any good passing teams. On offense, I would like to see something very similar to last week. Good QB play, good playcalling, spreading the ball around a lot. I would also like to see JF3 go over 100 yards. I've got him sitting on my bench in Fantasy Football - and we all know how that works!

Unlike the MoSo Lions, the Ichabods will be able to pass the ball - to someone on their own team. Dane Simoneau is gone, he has been replaced with Sophmore Mitch Buhler. Buhler is not a threat to run - so far on the year he has -10 yards on 18 attempts - 8 of which were sacks. Buhler is also completing just under 52% of his passes, and has 5 interceptions so far. My guess is that those numbers aren't going too get any better after this game.

My head tells me that this game is going to be a blowout - but my gut says that its going to be close. So which should I go with? Screw it, I'm saying NW 35 Ickybods 17

Game 8: NW vs MSSU

Opening Thoughts:

So after the fiasco that I had last year and the crappy hosts that the Arrowhead staff were this year, I am all in favor of moving this game. I  never would have said this a couple of years ago – but I think its time.I know that next year will be the last one since NW and PSU currently aren’t scheduled to play in 2014. If I had my druthers, this game would be replaced with NW vs PSU/UCM/WU at Livestrong Sporting Complex. The stadium is designed to hold approxiametly 18500 – I think that it would be awesome to play infront of a packed house rather than a mostly empty stadium. Plus people could park in the area that the Nascar track uses – and that is big enough that everyone could have plenty of space to tailgate and there wouldn’t be any need for the Parking Lot Nazis.

Last Week’s Review:

What a strange game. It was a game that left me scratching my head at times. The playcalling was very questionable at times. I know that AD said that since they were the underdogs they were going to come out swinging and not leave anything on the table. Well it certainly didn’t look that way in the first half. In fact the play book looked almost identical to the playbook that they used in the first half of UCM. And at the end of the half NW would have been able to call a time out and get the ball with about 30 seconds left on the clock – but AD was content to let the time expire and come out the second half . Not to mention the cluster that was the game management at the end of the game where NW coaches apparently weren’t able to figure out that they needed one first down in order to be able to run out the clock. Overall a major head scratcher! I think Charlie Flohr and AD need to take those pages from the playbook, take them over to the incinerator and dispose of them properly.

Huge KUDOS to the entire offensive line. For the most part they gave TA plenty of time. They picked up the blitzes well, and handled them. In the first half they were less effective in opening up run lanes, but I think that was more of a function of the playcalling. The Bearcats were very conservative and it was run, run, run in the first half. When it’s obvious that you’re going to run, it makes it much easier to defend it. The RB’s did well – JF3 finally broke the century mark in this game – netting 115 yards and 2 TD’s on 20 carries. Adams even managed to get off a couple of long scrambles.  I thought that TA did a great job in the second half. I won’t deny it – I was seriously surprised that we didn’t see more Bolles than we did – especially after the second interception. I’ll give TA a pass on the first interception, but the second one he basically threw right to the defender. Not Good! I did like seeing them put Bolles in and trying that reverse that he threw out of – and he made the correct choice to throw the ball away, all of his defenders were covered. A big S/O to John Hinchey! How big was that 4^th down conversion that he took for a TD! I’ve been waiting for years to see him do that! He’s a big guy with tons of athleticism, I’m glad that he finally was able to take it to the next level! It did seem like a repeat of the PSU playoff game last year – Adams not able to make the throws and when he did his receivers weren’t catching them. How many dropped balls were there in this game? I don’t think I’ve ever seen Shaw drop so many, felt like the 2008 NC game and Kendall Wright couldn’t catch a cold that game. This was a perfect example of how momentum affects a game. NW got the momentum in the second half and rode it to 31 unanswered points.

I can’t say enough good things about this defense. They held the PSU offense in check the vast majority of the game. I won’t lie I was a little nervous when PSU came out the second half and shoved the ball down NW’s throat. But they made the necessary adjustments and PSU wasn’t really able to do much more the second until NW went into Prevent D at the very end. How big was that stop on 4^th & 1? Absolute killer of any momentum that Pitt had going for them and a total swing towards NW. I can’t say enough for how much this secondary has improved over last year – a big part of that is the Dixon brothers. They both did an excellent job. But it isn’t just them, Alleyne, Manning, Snodgrass, etc – I think that this is seriously the best overall secondary that I’ve seen at NW since I’ve been following them. 

Hats off to the Special Teams again this week. Adolf was able to limit the KO returns by either causing touchbacks or by giving lots of air time allowing the defenders time to get down and stop them early. Goodburn did an excellent job averaging over 46 yards per punt on his 6 punts – 3 in the redzone, 1 inside the 10. For his efforts he was named the MIAA and D2Football.com Special Teams Player of the Week.

 Next Weeks MatchUp:

I’ll be honest with you – I don’t know a whole lot about MSSU this year. I know that in the off season they fired Bart Tatum (who is now with UCM’s former head coach Willie Fritz at Sam Houston State) and replaced him with Coach Daye. Daye came from the NFL where he was an Asst Coach with the Buffalo Bills. Before that he was the defensive coordinator for MSSU. He’s also served as Head Coach of Nichols State. His other coaching experience was at LSU and Southern Miss. So he’s got lots of connections to that part of the country – and his roster shows it. Daye is really beginning to create a good football culture at MSSU. So far his team has been a bit of an enigma. They are currently 5-2 and are coming off a win against MoWest last week. Which is a good sign, but they also lost to Southwest Baptist. Which proves that they still have some improvement to do.

From what I understand, the Southern offense runs an option style offense. Being born and raised in Nebraska – I am a fan of option football. When it is done right, it is very difficult to defend. My only question is how well will they run it.  UNK had success against NW running the option – but I think that had more to do with the fact that NW hadn’t prepared at all for that offense. NW’s overall team speed on defense is going to be their biggest strength in this game. The speed of the linebackers will be MSSU’s undoing. The key to defending the Option, is to take away the pitch man. If you have someone designated to take away the option, then everyone else can focus on the QB. It’s not rocket science – but it is very difficult for defenders to not go after the guy with the ball. It also takes a lot of communication on the defense – I remember on one play against UNK that three guys ran right by the QB to take out the pitchman. But I think that Wright will have his guys prepared for this game.

On offense – the biggest goal should be staying healthy. This game last year killed NW with injuries. Shaw went down and BC was essentially done for the year after this game. Southern is pretty good at stopping the run – like best in the MIAA. They are averaging only giving up 88 yards per game on the ground. But their pass D is their Achilles heal – giving up over 244 yards per game. If AD comes out and tries to pound the rock like they did the first half last week – its going to be a VERY long day for NW. But if they open up the play book and use the strengths of this team, the players could have a lot of fun in this game. I would not be surprised to see JF3 break a few long runs, but I wouldn’t depend on it. Use the passing game to open up the ground game, not the other way around in this game. If NW does that – they win.

It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day for football. 70° and sunny with a slight breeze. Sounds like a good day for football to my – but like my friend always says – It’s always a good day when the Bearcats are playing!

NW wins 48 - 17