MSU Game-planned PS and won

[Richard the LIONhearted]

MSU went into that game with one goal on defense: stop the Trace McSorley designed runs and limit the yards that TM got while improvising. They didn't use a dumb spy tactic like OSU, they just stayed in their lanes and gang tackled #9 - they flowed to him all night. The strategy worked and PS had no adjustment - it hamstrung the entire offensive attack for PS as the receivers also got no separation the whole game (a recurrent theme in 2018). A team that once led the NCAA in scoring put up 17 points.

Why didn't PS have an adjustment? What was the response to keying on #9? There wasn't one.

 

[83wuzme]

MSU played two high safeties the entire game and usually a generous cushion. Despite this, they had a better pass rush than us and Trace was trying to make throws on the run much of the time. I kept thinking something must have been there for the taking. We had some success early with smash routes, but never really returned to them. The TE was open much of the time. We maybe threw to the back once. I saw no significant adjustments on our part after halftime.
The two units I expected to be the most solid before the season performed the worst today ; OL and WR.
Just for perspective, MSU was the 122nd ranked pass defense. NW put up 34 on them on the road. We had two weeks to prepare. JF said stuff happens during the game that doesn’t happen in practice. Well, it isn’t going to get easier from here on out.