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+----- Thread: What is this team’s identity? (/thread-883361.html)
What is this team’s identity? - Rabid Squirrel - 09-22-2019 10:10 AM
It’s funny how quickly things can change in college football. This was going to be a running team with a stout defense. Quite honestly, I feel like it’s a passing team with a decent defense.
The one consistent is interior of the D-line. Everything beyond that is now equal guess to which is the next best units. The offense has also flipped its strength and weaknesses.
How I saw each unit before and now:
Game 1.........Game 4
1) Tackle.........1) Tackle
2) LB..............2) corner
3) safety..........3) LB
4) corner.........4) safety
5) End.............5) end
1) RB..............1) QB
2) TE...............2) TE
3) QB..............3) WR
4) Line.............4) RB
5) WR..............5) Line
Positions groups obviously move up and down from injury like our LBs, but the other groups are rising and falling due to talent/scheme. The last 2 years were a hard watch but you knew how you were going to win games and what each unit was suppose to do. As of now I’m not sure how to evaluate how to win games. It’s early in a new regime so it’s to be expected. Not criticizing anything, just observing. Maybe that’s good and this team is moving towards balance on both sides of the ball?
RE: What is this team’s identity? - NorthCoast - 09-22-2019 10:13 AM
I asked myself this same question yesterday.
RE: What is this team’s identity? - bikechuck - 09-22-2019 11:15 AM
I am just hoping that our record this season will be better than what we experienced in Coach Novak's final season when he had to deal with so many injured players. One thing that I always gave coach Novak credit for for was not taking the red shirt off of multiple players to help cope with those injuries. By giving his true freshman a full year in a college weight training and conditioning program and by not letting them play against a bunch of 22 and 23 year olds he set Jerry Kill up for a successful season the following year and you could argue that his decision paid dividends for more than a single season.
It will be interesting to see how the current staff deals with the growing number of injured players. Perhaps there are fewer injuries than in coach Novak's final season.
RE: What is this team’s identity? - The Huskie - 09-22-2019 09:20 PM
(09-22-2019 11:15 AM)bikechuck Wrote: I am just hoping that our record this season will be better than what we experienced in Coach Novak's final season when he had to deal with so many injured players. One thing that I always gave coach Novak credit for for was not taking the red shirt off of multiple players to help cope with those injuries. By giving his true freshman a full year in a college weight training and conditioning program and by not letting them play against a bunch of 22 and 23 year olds he set Jerry Kill up for a successful season the following year and you could argue that his decision paid dividends for more than a single season.
It will be interesting to see how the current staff deals with the growing number of injured players. Perhaps there are fewer injuries than in coach Novak's final season.
+1
RE: What is this team’s identity? - 7 - 09-22-2019 10:37 PM
(09-22-2019 09:20 PM)The Huskie Wrote:(09-22-2019 11:15 AM)bikechuck Wrote: I am just hoping that our record this season will be better than what we experienced in Coach Novak's final season when he had to deal with so many injured players. One thing that I always gave coach Novak credit for for was not taking the red shirt off of multiple players to help cope with those injuries. By giving his true freshman a full year in a college weight training and conditioning program and by not letting them play against a bunch of 22 and 23 year olds he set Jerry Kill up for a successful season the following year and you could argue that his decision paid dividends for more than a single season.
It will be interesting to see how the current staff deals with the growing number of injured players. Perhaps there are fewer injuries than in coach Novak's final season.
+1
Wtf? They’re a little nicked up on defense, but they haven’t been hit was some massive disaster of injuries. Pugh, LDJ, And and Leroy have missed time, but isn’t that pretty much it? It’s football, guys get hurt.
RE: What is this team’s identity? - 7 - 09-22-2019 10:40 PM
It also shouldn’t be a surprise that a team that was pretty much running the same offensive and defensive system since 2011 is taking a few games to find an identity, especially when two of those games were good P5 teams.
They’ll be fine.
RE: What is this team’s identity? - bikechuck - 09-23-2019 03:10 PM
(09-22-2019 10:37 PM)7 Wrote: Wtf? They’re a little nicked up on defense, but they haven’t been hit was some massive disaster of injuries. Pugh, LDJ, And and Leroy have missed time, but isn’t that pretty much it? It’s football, guys get hurt.
Wish I could share your optimism, being down 2/3 of your starting linebackers (supposedly the strongest unit on our defense) is not a recipie for success.
Hopefully you are right and LDJ snd Leroy can play this Sat. If not, we are about to learn much about our depth.
RE: What is this team’s identity? - pvk75 - 09-23-2019 04:30 PM
Regardless of the outcome of the Vandy game, it can also be seen as critical evaluation time under the NCAA 4-game redshirt rule. I don't know the redshirt status of backups and third- and fourth-men-up for the injured but -- as for "identity" -- the season structure has to be taken into account. Whether Northern finishes the o-o-c portion of the season 2-2 or 1-3, there are the 8-game MAC season, possible West Division title, possible MACC and possible bowl game at the other end to consider. THammock has already acknowledged that "championships are won in November." We may see some interesting substitutions depending on game situations and, while the Vandy game is the last chance for a "boneyard win" this season, there are a lot more (bigger?) goals. The depth chart fo this game compared to any redshirt list (which I don't have) will be interesting. Forgive a long-winded observation.
RE: What is this team’s identity? - klake87 - 09-23-2019 04:38 PM
My question is why do you burn the 4 games during our ooc part of schedule?
RE: What is this team’s identity? - pvk75 - 09-23-2019 04:51 PM
(09-23-2019 04:38 PM)klake87 Wrote: My question is why do you burn the 4 games during our ooc part of schedule?
I don't know the answer ... injuries, necessity, trying out some options at various positions? As I said, I don't have the RS list to compare to an upcoming depth chart, so I haven't figured who is, is not playing under the 4-game rule. Maybe someone else on the board has. I'd imagine the injury to Pugh and perhaps others would force some changes somewhere down the line. Maybe the Vandy game is less critical than the first few MAC games. So we wait to find out. At least there is a 4-game option.
RE: What is this team’s identity? - bikechuck - 09-23-2019 07:02 PM
Most eighteen year olds need time to mature and develop in a weight training program before they can compete with 22 and 23 year old young men. So I am not sure how much I want to see our true freshman playing other than the skill positions.
RE: What is this team’s identity? - pvk75 - 10-03-2019 09:35 PM
(09-23-2019 04:30 PM)pvk75 Wrote: Regardless of the outcome of the Vandy game, it can also be seen as critical evaluation time under the NCAA 4-game redshirt rule. I don't know the redshirt status of backups and third- and fourth-men-up for the injured but -- as for "identity" -- the season structure has to be taken into account. Whether Northern finishes the o-o-c portion of the season 2-2 or 1-3, there are the 8-game MAC season, possible West Division title, possible MACC and possible bowl game at the other end to consider. THammock has already acknowledged that "championships are won in November." We may see some interesting substitutions depending on game situations and, while the Vandy game is the last chance for a "boneyard win" this season, there are a lot more (bigger?) goals. The depth chart fo this game compared to any redshirt list (which I don't have) will be interesting. Forgive a long-winded observation.
I'm tacking this on to my own earlier comment because it seems it has come to pass ... unfortunately ... critical time to determine how to use those 4 freebies without using up a year of eligibility. Tacked onto Carter's story in the Chronicle about NIU-GTech game was another story about decision-making with redshirts.
Scroll down on this link from that story for a review of which players may/may not burn a redshirt due to injuries, etc.
https://www.daily-chronicle.com/2019/10/03/niu-announces-2021-football-game-against-georgia-tech/axb6c32/
RE: What is this team’s identity? - Huskiepower2003 - 10-03-2019 09:46 PM
(10-03-2019 09:35 PM)pvk75 Wrote:(09-23-2019 04:30 PM)pvk75 Wrote: Regardless of the outcome of the Vandy game, it can also be seen as critical evaluation time under the NCAA 4-game redshirt rule. I don't know the redshirt status of backups and third- and fourth-men-up for the injured but -- as for "identity" -- the season structure has to be taken into account. Whether Northern finishes the o-o-c portion of the season 2-2 or 1-3, there are the 8-game MAC season, possible West Division title, possible MACC and possible bowl game at the other end to consider. THammock has already acknowledged that "championships are won in November." We may see some interesting substitutions depending on game situations and, while the Vandy game is the last chance for a "boneyard win" this season, there are a lot more (bigger?) goals. The depth chart fo this game compared to any redshirt list (which I don't have) will be interesting. Forgive a long-winded observation.
I'm tacking this on to my own earlier comment because it seems it has come to pass ... unfortunately ... critical time to determine how to use those 4 freebies without using up a year of eligibility. Tacked onto Carter's story in the Chronicle about NIU-GTech game was another story about decision-making with redshirts.
Scroll down on this link from that story for a review of which players may/may not burn a redshirt due to injuries, etc.
https://www.daily-chronicle.com/2019/10/03/niu-announces-2021-football-game-against-georgia-tech/axb6c32/
Great article. Thank-you for posting.
Would be a pity to use up any of those precious freebies on BSU who is tied with us at the bottom of the MAC West.
Hopefully we could save them for Eastern Michigan or Toledo.