Football **PODCAST: Is Illinois the toughest road game for Penn State?**
- Thread starter Richie O
- Start date
My only real concern about Illinois is the early start time on the road. Historically, this has meant really slow starts for PSU. If this team avoids this, then we win by two touchdowns.
i watched the B1G roadshow from ILL and they were gushing about ILL's defense line. They said that it may not only be the best DL in the B1G but the entire NCAA. Pretty lofty stuff.
I suspect this will be Allar's first real test. If the DL is that good, they'll stop the run so a lot of pressure will be on the passing game.
I suspect this will be Allar's first real test. If the DL is that good, they'll stop the run so a lot of pressure will be on the passing game.
That would be nice but I don't think our OL can dominate a ground game against ILL DL. We're going to have to throw to win.
IIRC Illinois only gave up about 18 pts per game last year. PSU will probably have to score 21 pts to win.
Illinois will follow the typical B1G plan for PSU under Franklin. Load the box, stop the run and play press coverage. Try to force PSU to go with multi tight end sets to reduce the deep threat. We have to be able to either bludgeon them with the run game or throw over the top. Flanker quick screens are an option but you can only do that so many times. Allar and our o-line will also see lots of blitz packages from other teams due to his being a young guy that they want to keep uncomfortable. It helps that Manny probably has been exposing them to his packages in practice with better athletes than everywhere else except, possibly those in Columbus.
We need to do what Mich did against us and OSU last year. Pound it. Or, we can hit some deep ones and get them to change it up. We want them to change for us, not us changing to them. Don't let the other guy dictate.
Clifford was not a consistent deep ball thrower and could not get the other guys to change their plan. Hopefully, Allar is able to.
We need to do what Mich did against us and OSU last year. Pound it. Or, we can hit some deep ones and get them to change it up. We want them to change for us, not us changing to them. Don't let the other guy dictate.
Clifford was not a consistent deep ball thrower and could not get the other guys to change their plan. Hopefully, Allar is able to.
That's true, and especially with this team. Like I've said many times, the best receiver on the what has been the best team in the NFL for the last half decade is a tight end, and that team won a Super Bowl last year after losing its best wide receiver to another team because they used that tight end as their primary receiver.
yep...and a good reason why the RBs are working so hard on pass routes and catching. "load the box" means a really difficult assignment for the SS and FS to cover TEs and RBs. So they are often covered by LBs. But when they blitz, or zone blitz, that gives the TE/RB an advantage.
Illinois is going to have to find an offense this year to be as competitive as they were last year. And this is a team that beat Iowa in a dog fight, beat Minnesota in a low scoring game where Morgan got hurt, lost to Purdue, Indiana, and Sparty while giving Michigan their toughest game of the year (that Michigan won).
With NFL caliber secondary players, passing was the way to beat them. They were tough on the run, but more so in the way that they weren't going to let a ground game gash them yet they still couldn't stop passing well. Their OOC games beef up the ppg allowed, but this is a team you could beat with 20 pts.
Back to finding an offense, their RB is in the NFL and they have a new starting QB. If they can't churn time, I don't think their defense can be as dominant. I have a hard time believing that their pass defense improves. The key here is to not get in a slogging rock fight. Anybody check the weather yet? Farmers almanac?
With NFL caliber secondary players, passing was the way to beat them. They were tough on the run, but more so in the way that they weren't going to let a ground game gash them yet they still couldn't stop passing well. Their OOC games beef up the ppg allowed, but this is a team you could beat with 20 pts.
Back to finding an offense, their RB is in the NFL and they have a new starting QB. If they can't churn time, I don't think their defense can be as dominant. I have a hard time believing that their pass defense improves. The key here is to not get in a slogging rock fight. Anybody check the weather yet? Farmers almanac?
