Great WMU analysis.

Our team is rotating starters each week. Coach is trying to find out who can play.

For instance a new safety will get his start vs wmu.

As you've read this team is Freshman and sophomores who are still growing and learning. Most on this board have tempered expectations from 2-4 or 3-3 predictions down to 1-5 or 0-6.

Friday won't be raining or snowing as currently forecasted.

I'm not predicting this week to be the first win. I just don't see how NIU slows wmu offense.

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(11-25-2020 01:17 PM)Teamduh Wrote:  For instance a new safety will get his start vs wmu.

Yeah...an inexperienced secondary is not a recipe for success against us.

One of the things we do well is give our QB time in the pocket. When he has time, he is excellent. He threw a couple of tight gripped balls into the ground early in the CMU game. He's had one interception on the season (knock on wood) and that was on a pass where he put the ball exactly where it should have gone and our TE stopped his route. Eleby is a very efficient and accurate passer. He is right around 70% completions right now and we don't run a dink and dunk offense. He has good touch on short passes, a laser for an arm when he needs to fit it in a window, and can drop it in a coffee cup from 40 yards out without making our receivers break stride. I've been following WMU athletics since the late 80's and he is easily the most naturally talented QB that we have had in that time.

One of the other challenges that we present is we have three receivers (when healthy) that can get open against anyone one on one. It is impossible to double all of them. If you drop extra into coverage, we have the run game to lean on. It is very much like the 2016 Cotton Bowl team. I'm not saying we are as balanced and talented across the board, but if you want to try and stop the run we can throw it all over the field. If you sell out on the pass we will likely average around 8 ypc. The transfers from MSU and Nevada are as advertised. We are still very inexperienced on offense so your best chance of slowing us down would be scheming us into mistakes. That and we have a knack for starting slow.

The interesting thing for this team is that we really don't flinch. Down 10 against Toledo at home with under 3 minutes, we did everything needed to come back and win that game. Down 14 to CMU in the first 3 minutes on the road, we run off 38 consecutive points. You usually only see this in a team with far more experience and upper classmen. It has been fun to see that approach develop.

As you said, the weather as of now should be a non-factor, but this IS Michigan. I just want to see us grow more as a team, make less dumbazz "extra effort" penalties, and see both sides come out healthy.

(11-25-2020 02:22 PM)AFLAGWA Wrote:  

(11-25-2020 01:17 PM)Teamduh Wrote:  For instance a new safety will get his start vs wmu.

Yeah...an inexperienced secondary is not a recipe for success against us.

One of the things we do well is give our QB time in the pocket. When he has time, he is excellent. He threw a couple of tight gripped balls into the ground early in the CMU game. He's had one interception on the season (knock on wood) and that was on a pass where he put the ball exactly where it should have gone and our TE stopped his route. Eleby is a very efficient and accurate passer. He is right around 70% completions right now and we don't run a dink and dunk offense. He has good touch on short passes, a laser for an arm when he needs to fit it in a window, and can drop it in a coffee cup from 40 yards out without making our receivers break stride. I've been following WMU athletics since the late 80's and he is easily the most naturally talented QB that we have had in that time.

One of the other challenges that we present is we have three receivers (when healthy) that can get open against anyone one on one. It is impossible to double all of them. If you drop extra into coverage, we have the run game to lean on. It is very much like the 2016 Cotton Bowl team. I'm not saying we are as balanced and talented across the board, but if you want to try and stop the run we can throw it all over the field. If you sell out on the pass we will likely average around 8 ypc. The transfers from MSU and Nevada are as advertised. We are still very inexperienced on offense so your best chance of slowing us down would be scheming us into mistakes. That and we have a knack for starting slow.

The interesting thing for this team is that we really don't flinch. Down 10 against Toledo at home with under 3 minutes, we did everything needed to come back and win that game. Down 14 to CMU in the first 3 minutes on the road, we run off 38 consecutive points. You usually only see this in a team with far more experience and upper classmen. It has been fun to see that approach develop.

As you said, the weather as of now should be a non-factor, but this IS Michigan. I just want to see us grow more as a team, make less dumbazz "extra effort" penalties, and see both sides come out healthy.

You guys beat Toledo, thank you. Plus it was a great comeback in a game that Toledo thought they had won, which makes it even better.
If NIU only wins 1 game this year, let it be Toledo. That would give me at least some cheer. Losing to Turdledo would just put the icing on the 2020 cake, like in 2007 when they put 70 on us.

Every week for this team is about learning but if past performance is any indication NIU can be thrown on easily by a talented passing team.



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(11-25-2020 04:22 PM)MiamiHuskie Wrote:  

(11-25-2020 02:22 PM)AFLAGWA Wrote:  

(11-25-2020 01:17 PM)Teamduh Wrote:  For instance a new safety will get his start vs wmu.

Yeah...an inexperienced secondary is not a recipe for success against us.

One of the things we do well is give our QB time in the pocket. When he has time, he is excellent. He threw a couple of tight gripped balls into the ground early in the CMU game. He's had one interception on the season (knock on wood) and that was on a pass where he put the ball exactly where it should have gone and our TE stopped his route. Eleby is a very efficient and accurate passer. He is right around 70% completions right now and we don't run a dink and dunk offense. He has good touch on short passes, a laser for an arm when he needs to fit it in a window, and can drop it in a coffee cup from 40 yards out without making our receivers break stride. I've been following WMU athletics since the late 80's and he is easily the most naturally talented QB that we have had in that time.

One of the other challenges that we present is we have three receivers (when healthy) that can get open against anyone one on one. It is impossible to double all of them. If you drop extra into coverage, we have the run game to lean on. It is very much like the 2016 Cotton Bowl team. I'm not saying we are as balanced and talented across the board, but if you want to try and stop the run we can throw it all over the field. If you sell out on the pass we will likely average around 8 ypc. The transfers from MSU and Nevada are as advertised. We are still very inexperienced on offense so your best chance of slowing us down would be scheming us into mistakes. That and we have a knack for starting slow.

The interesting thing for this team is that we really don't flinch. Down 10 against Toledo at home with under 3 minutes, we did everything needed to come back and win that game. Down 14 to CMU in the first 3 minutes on the road, we run off 38 consecutive points. You usually only see this in a team with far more experience and upper classmen. It has been fun to see that approach develop.

As you said, the weather as of now should be a non-factor, but this IS Michigan. I just want to see us grow more as a team, make less dumbazz "extra effort" penalties, and see both sides come out healthy.

You guys beat Toledo, thank you. Plus it was a great comeback in a game that Toledo thought they had won, which makes it even better.
If NIU only wins 1 game this year, let it be Toledo. That would give me at least some cheer. Losing to Turdledo would just put the icing on the 2020 cake, like in 2007 when they put 70 on us.

I too, find great joy in watching you beat Toledo!

We are a 20 point underdog.
Hopefully we can prevent WMU from covering the spread, limit mistakes and injuries!

Watching the CMU at EMU game. EMU is not having much trouble moving the ball against CMU. Our game against EMU will be far from easy.

This game is going to be ugly. Broncos are going to roll.

WMU quarterback sounds like the real deal. No Deveaux or no Pugh in the first half. This one could get ugly quickly.

(11-27-2020 04:49 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  Watching the CMU at EMU game. EMU is not having much trouble moving the ball against CMU. Our game against EMU will be far from easy.

If you are patient, EMU seems to do a fairly good job of coaching their way out of games.

(11-27-2020 11:34 PM)142niu Wrote:  WMU quarterback sounds like the real deal. No Deveaux or no Pugh in the first half. This one could get ugly quickly.

He's got the skill set, but he is still young. This is really only his 9th college game. He is still prone to missing reads. He isn't much of a scramble threat, but he can do it when needed.

I am most interested to see if we come out flat. We have kind of been a slow starting team this season.

If there was a year to suck, this was it. College football just sucks this year. I love college football vs nfl , because the party atmosphere. MAC teams have weak crowds but even seeing those few thousand gutting it out, makes it more entertaining!

(11-27-2020 11:34 PM)142niu Wrote:  WMU quarterback sounds like the real deal. No Deveaux or no Pugh in the first half. This one could get ugly quickly.

I’ll check the score periodically but I’m not watching it. I know the eventual outcome, and I can’t stand watching carnage and blood. If you guys have the guts and plenty of alcohol to watch it, good luck....and enjoy!

I don’t think NIU “rotates” starters as much as we move guys around for matchups.

The safety thing isnt a “rotation” as much as it is a benching for too many mistakes.

This week we have 2 true freshman outside linebackers who can run. Not the worst thing in the world against WMU who can pass.

The real problem with this team is our veteran corners...they can’t cover. They do an OK job of tackling though. Wonder how long it takes for them to come out once we see that WMU is passing and run support doesn’t mean anything?

It is going to be a beat down unless something changes there.

On offense...who know. Added a fullback. Going to slow the game down. Maybe our new goal is to cover the spread? NIU did much better playing with tempo- so this is going to backfire.

Quote:That's CMU for us. They always beat us, even when we're good and they suck.

Us WMU fans have had periods of time like that. Not quite like that in recent history, but more like -- when we're SUPPOSED to easily beat them, we don't. But it doesn't so much go the other way.

That's why I DON'T want to play CMU in the final week (rivalry week). If we're good and CMU isn't, we're likely to lose. See year 2000 -- WMU was ranked #26, and all we had to do was go up to Mt Pleasant and beat a hapless CMU team who barely won a game. Didn't happen.

(11-29-2020 08:12 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  See year 2000 -- WMU was ranked #26, and all we had to do was go up to Mt Pleasant and beat a hapless CMU team who barely won a game. Didn't happen.

No...but I did win their 50/50 raffle that day. Over $2,000. Wasn't a total waste of a day :)