Anyone who watched the Oregon game couldn't help but notice the leaping catches of the Stanford wideouts and TE's. The are exceptionally tall and tough to defend as they go up and grab Costello's passes. Our ability to hurry or sack the QB and/or cover their receivers and get some of the 50/50 balls will be the difference. If this game is close in the 4th Q we will probably lose it because or our inability to run the ball into stacked defenses as has happened vs Stanford and in many other games. We must be able to sustain drives in crunch time and we haven't been able to do it for some time with our delayed handoff running game. If we are able to win it, it will be because our Defense held them off as they did against Mich and you can't expect that to happen all the time especially in the closing minutes in 4 down territory.
than these guys every day? No reason to be intimidated
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Michigan was gonna kill us til they didn't. Stanford is about the same I think.
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If they're unstoppable, all Stanford has to do is throw them jump balls each and every time and they'll score a TD on every possession.
While that's a stretch of a premise, the serious question is how do you stop them?
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arent fit to do their job. There are too many large/tall athletes on that D that can matchup with those WRs and TEs.
Pride and Love should be on Irwin and St. Brown and Wilson and even Love if he's moved out as a WR. They should
NEVER be on any of those mammoth receivers. Bilal needs to be locked up on a guy.
Shayne Simon should out there / Jordan Gen Heath should be out there...
For the love all that is ND Football...DON'T PLAY ZONE!!!
None of these guys are outrunning the ND secondary or LBs. BUT...if you let them run behind you or in front...you're asking them to post you up.
YOu're basically letting them get position then costello's just lobs over the zone. Man up...you know you can run with them easily...now make the throw have to be
excellent...not just a lob. Hand fight, body, push, these receivers so they're at least off balance when the ball comes and aren't just jumping in rhythm when the ball comes.
Vaughn in my mind has a chance to really make a name for himself in this game. 6-3 db who can run and is good in man coverage...I'd challenge him to shut down Arcega-Whiteside...Not lets play zone and watch the game happen. Take the game to them...Man up, blitz..force the ball out quick...guys are already in position because they're tight...it's a short gain or nothing. Plus...if you're trying to tackle one of these guys after playing off-coeverage they have 3-4yd running start now...mucccchh harder to tackle them. Much easier if you're right on them when the ball arrives.
I would be SHOCKED if I saw this style of play tomorrow.
It's a damn shame.
Wondering if we will go "Jordan Rules" , i.e. Love will get his and we (as a fan) shut the rest down.
Pride, Love, Vaughn and the secondary will be tested like never before. If ND doesn't put pressure on Costello, we could be in for a long game.
Play scared, loooooose scared. Play with confidence and focus? Fuckin blowout.
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