Northwestern – stylistically – is fairly similar to PSU’s last opponent (Illinois) and their next opponent (Michigan).
NORTHWESTERN OFFENSIVELY:
Aside from games against Ball State and a FCS school….NW offense averaging 270 ypg
For the last month:
Their running game has been virtually non-existent.
Their passing game has been virtually non-existent.
QB:
Thorson is NOT a running QB. He has three long runs on broken plays/scrambles that account for 2/3 of his total yards for the year. He is no more a “running QB” than Hackenberg is – except that he has legitimate straight-line speed when/if he breaks from the pocket. UNL twice gave up big QB runs on broken plays where Thorson:
“Dropped back….saw no pass options…found a crease through the pass rush…and ran as fast as he could until someone presented themselves and tackled him”
This happens to UNL a lot – against nearly every opponent. Having seen his long runs on tape, I do not think PSU will underestimate his straight line speed and take the bad angles and make the horrid attempts at tackles that occurred vs UNL. He is also NW’s best option at QB – and he is a RS FR who has struggled mightily to move their offense – are they going to suddenly run 15 designed QB run plays and subject him to the hits that could knock him out of the game? I don’t think so.
RB/WR:
NW skill players? Their best weapon thus far has been Vitale (the HB/TE). Their BEST weapon. Enough said. Vitale DID have a huge game against PSU last year….when PSU failed to cover him several times on dump offs over the middle. Broken coverages on PSU’s part – and I do not think we will see that again. NW’s TBs and Wide Outs won’t scare anyone (I think their TB has about 100 yards rushing in the last three games COMBINED)
#21 (Jackson) is a quick, speedy back, but since the only run scheme their line has been able to block have been the power inside zones, he has had very little room to run. He certainly is capable of making a long run once he gets into open field…..but those opportunities have been few and far between. NW may try to get him involved more in the screen, swing pass game – to try to get him some open space, but their execution in the screen game has been lousy from the offensive line.
#14 (Jones) is a big, veteran wide out who has had success in the past….but NW has been unable to get the ball to him with Thorson at QB (in 8 games, 18 catches for less than 200 yards….not a single play over 20 yards). None of the NW wide outs really scare anyone – and Thorson has been completely unable to deliver a ball on time and on target downfield to any of his outside guys.
Offensive Line:
The NW offensive line might best be compared to a very poor man’s version of a typical Wisconsin offensive line……big, rangy veteran guys who can give you trouble if they simply lock on and zone block in the run game. But, like some Wisconsin lines in the past, if you make them move their feet and move laterally, they can be beaten badly. On nearly every pass protection down, any movement (stunts, blitzes) causes the pocket to be collapsed by the opposing defensive front. NW has had to juggle their front a bit due to injuries.
#72 and #76 (the offensive tackles)can both be beaten by speed rushes…Nassib, Sickels (and Brown and Cothren) could have a field day if PSU can get NW into a lot of long yardage downs.,
What I WOULD hope PSU does on defense:
Against the NW run game, PSU does not want to play into NW’s hands with a “take on the blockers up front – let the LBers flow to the ball” approach. I would expect PSU’s relatively athletic DTs to play a lot of angles and shot gaps to create penetration (fortunately, that is a scheme that PSU uses a lot and is comfortable with). I could see quite a few no-gain and TFL situations out of the NW ground game.
PSU hasn’t run a lot of stunts up front….and they probably won’t change dramatically this week, but this would be the week to run a few more of whatever stunts they have in their playbook. PSU DOES run a lot of different blitz/zone-blitz looks. I would expect to see a lot of that.
Shoop has shown the ability to add new wrinkles/variations to his blitz packages, and – especially with a young, relatively ineffective QB – I would expect to see a pretty blitz-happy game plan. PSU – just as they were last week – should be fairly comfortable playing man coverage behind the blitzes, but should also use some zone-blitz drops to confuse the young QB.
I would not “spy” Thorson. I would rather use that “spy” to blitz and create traffic in the pocket. Thorson is not a Barrett (who can juke and elude pressure and then take off upfield). If you create traffic in the pocket, you are going to get the sack or the throwaway more often than not….which is a better option than allowing him to slip through a seam in the pass rush lanes, and then have to chase him down to hold him to a reasonable gain. If I “spied” anyone, it would be his check-down man (Vitale or the RB) with zone-blitz schemes…..and wait for him to throw to that check down lane….and we just might see a “defensive lineman interception”.
NORTHWESTERN OFFENSIVELY:
Aside from games against Ball State and a FCS school….NW offense averaging 270 ypg
For the last month:
Their running game has been virtually non-existent.
Their passing game has been virtually non-existent.
QB:
Thorson is NOT a running QB. He has three long runs on broken plays/scrambles that account for 2/3 of his total yards for the year. He is no more a “running QB” than Hackenberg is – except that he has legitimate straight-line speed when/if he breaks from the pocket. UNL twice gave up big QB runs on broken plays where Thorson:
“Dropped back….saw no pass options…found a crease through the pass rush…and ran as fast as he could until someone presented themselves and tackled him”
This happens to UNL a lot – against nearly every opponent. Having seen his long runs on tape, I do not think PSU will underestimate his straight line speed and take the bad angles and make the horrid attempts at tackles that occurred vs UNL. He is also NW’s best option at QB – and he is a RS FR who has struggled mightily to move their offense – are they going to suddenly run 15 designed QB run plays and subject him to the hits that could knock him out of the game? I don’t think so.
RB/WR:
NW skill players? Their best weapon thus far has been Vitale (the HB/TE). Their BEST weapon. Enough said. Vitale DID have a huge game against PSU last year….when PSU failed to cover him several times on dump offs over the middle. Broken coverages on PSU’s part – and I do not think we will see that again. NW’s TBs and Wide Outs won’t scare anyone (I think their TB has about 100 yards rushing in the last three games COMBINED)
#21 (Jackson) is a quick, speedy back, but since the only run scheme their line has been able to block have been the power inside zones, he has had very little room to run. He certainly is capable of making a long run once he gets into open field…..but those opportunities have been few and far between. NW may try to get him involved more in the screen, swing pass game – to try to get him some open space, but their execution in the screen game has been lousy from the offensive line.
#14 (Jones) is a big, veteran wide out who has had success in the past….but NW has been unable to get the ball to him with Thorson at QB (in 8 games, 18 catches for less than 200 yards….not a single play over 20 yards). None of the NW wide outs really scare anyone – and Thorson has been completely unable to deliver a ball on time and on target downfield to any of his outside guys.
Offensive Line:
The NW offensive line might best be compared to a very poor man’s version of a typical Wisconsin offensive line……big, rangy veteran guys who can give you trouble if they simply lock on and zone block in the run game. But, like some Wisconsin lines in the past, if you make them move their feet and move laterally, they can be beaten badly. On nearly every pass protection down, any movement (stunts, blitzes) causes the pocket to be collapsed by the opposing defensive front. NW has had to juggle their front a bit due to injuries.
#72 and #76 (the offensive tackles)can both be beaten by speed rushes…Nassib, Sickels (and Brown and Cothren) could have a field day if PSU can get NW into a lot of long yardage downs.,
What I WOULD hope PSU does on defense:
Against the NW run game, PSU does not want to play into NW’s hands with a “take on the blockers up front – let the LBers flow to the ball” approach. I would expect PSU’s relatively athletic DTs to play a lot of angles and shot gaps to create penetration (fortunately, that is a scheme that PSU uses a lot and is comfortable with). I could see quite a few no-gain and TFL situations out of the NW ground game.
PSU hasn’t run a lot of stunts up front….and they probably won’t change dramatically this week, but this would be the week to run a few more of whatever stunts they have in their playbook. PSU DOES run a lot of different blitz/zone-blitz looks. I would expect to see a lot of that.
Shoop has shown the ability to add new wrinkles/variations to his blitz packages, and – especially with a young, relatively ineffective QB – I would expect to see a pretty blitz-happy game plan. PSU – just as they were last week – should be fairly comfortable playing man coverage behind the blitzes, but should also use some zone-blitz drops to confuse the young QB.
I would not “spy” Thorson. I would rather use that “spy” to blitz and create traffic in the pocket. Thorson is not a Barrett (who can juke and elude pressure and then take off upfield). If you create traffic in the pocket, you are going to get the sack or the throwaway more often than not….which is a better option than allowing him to slip through a seam in the pass rush lanes, and then have to chase him down to hold him to a reasonable gain. If I “spied” anyone, it would be his check-down man (Vitale or the RB) with zone-blitz schemes…..and wait for him to throw to that check down lane….and we just might see a “defensive lineman interception”.
