SB Nation - Tyrell Sutton

Who are 'your guys?'

Mocking Dan — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 01:03:16 -0000

Every year, for good or bad, I really fall for a few prospects. I refer to them as "my guy" and get pretty stoked when they're picked.

I never designate a high draft pick "my guy" or someone who plays for my favorite team (Akron - don't laugh, please).

Sometimes "my guy" ends up being a solid choice. Last year, it was Michigan linebacker Shawn Crable. I really liked KIrk Morrison of San Diego State in 2005. In 2004 it was, oddly, Memphis kicker Stephen Gostkowski. In 2001, it was Floyd Womack, mostly because I really, really like pork chops.

Other times, "my guy" has an embarrassingly poor career. In 2006, it was Darnell Bing. In 2007, it was sort of Paul Oliver, who was taken in the supplemental draft. There are plenty of others, like Roy Schuening or Lynell Hamilton, but I don't want to make myself look too bad.

This year, I have selected a few guys as "my guy." It's a high honor, clearly. Here they are:

- Jamarca Sanford, Strong safety, Ole Miss
Reason: He's very fast and gets after the ball. Just fun to watch on the field.

- Julian Edelman, Quarterback, Kent State
Reason: What, he's not ranked anywhere on the site? I know. He doesn't really have a position. It's just a coincidence that the next Josh Cribbs is going to come from the same school.

- Kevin Barnes, Cornberback, Maryland
Reason: Before a nasty knee injury, this guy was incredible. He was very fun to watch and has good ball skills. If he's as athletic as he was as a junior, he could be a steal.

- Tyrell Sutton, Running back, Northwestern
Reason: He's another guy who looked so much better early in his career before injuries struck. He's a very intelligent guy and a good receiver.

Tell me, who are "your guys?"

49ers Team Needs and Wants: Draft vs F.A.

briandean — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:00:11 -0000

I should take some time to introduce myself first. My name is Brian and I'll be doing weekly draft related articles here at Niners Nation, focusing mostly on how things look from a 49ers perspective. I currently work in sports radio. Hopefully I can use those connections to get some interviews or Q and A's with people a lot smarter than me. In addition to blogging about the 49ers and the draft, I have worked as a freelance writer for KFFL.com, who you know for their "hotwire" content if you play Yahoo! fantasy sports. Enough about me, lets get to the nitty gritty.

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The draft board is shaping up in favor of the 49ers in 2009. The draft may not be top heavy with elite big-name players to excite the casual fan. However, there is a very good group of about a dozen or so prospects that will be valuable and at least one or two of these guys will be available when the 49ers are on the clock at #10. Let's take a look at the 49ers team needs, how they stack up against the draft board or if that position should instead be addressed via free agency.

OLB- One word...Passrush! Lawson is fine on the strong side, but he's not an elite rusher. Haralson is a solid rotational guy, but he doesn't have the ability to take over a game. The lack of passrush is really the only thing holding this 49ers defense back from being one of the better units in the league. Look, I don't even care if the 49ers run ten players out there on 1st and 2nd downs. The run defense has been strong, but the defense must get off the field after 3rd downs. What bothers me is not only have opposing QB's had all day to throw, but McCloughan and Co. haven't identified this need as a priority in the past and added talent accordingly. That has to end now. Another roster spot is now open with the release of Tully Banta-Cain.

Luckily there are some pretty good options in 2009. I love that Singletary has stated the 49ers will be running a true 3-4 defense and not this wishy-washy, back and forth, 3-4/4-3 BS. Now they can focus on the 3-4, get the best personnel and run the best scheme with those players who fit. Everyone knows the primetime free agents like Suggs and Peppers, who are about to make serious coin. The draft is stocked with 3-4 OLB's as well. Fooch wrote a great scouting report on my favorite prospect Everette Brown. And if Brown is this year's DeMarcus Ware, then Brian Orapko is the Shawne Merriman. Both would be fine choices in the first round, but there is depth at the position too. Aaron Maybin, Larry English and Clint Sintim could all be factors from the middle of the 1st to mid 2nd rounds.

Verdict: 1st round. If the 49ers don't add one of the names above, the offseason will have been a failure. I have my doubts whether McCloughan wants to add a third premier contract on that side of the ball, so this looks like a need that will be addressed on draft day. It might not be worth the gamble to hope the right guy falls to round two.

OT- The need to add an offensive tackle might be a little overrated. You can't discount the 49ers league leading 55 sacks allowed, but you do have to weigh the Martz factor. His offenses have been among the worst in sacks allowed for years, so how much of that was personnel and how much was scheme? The thing that bothers me is there have been a great amount of recources put towards building both O and D lines. Yet we still need to spend a top ten pick? I do believe there should be some competition for Snyder at RT. On the other hand, if Snyder is the starter to begin the season in '09, I won't be dissapointed. Don't forget, in the scouting world, the term right-tackle is a dirty word. It means you can't stack up athletically with NFL rushers. So, when you read scouting reports this spring about a guy who might not be able to handle LT...be wary. And the leftovers at OT over the years is a who's-who of draft busts. Beware of the big men up front. Often times it's a position of smarts, toughness and technique moreso than pure athletic ability. Eugene Monroe, Jason Smith, Andre Smith and Michael Oher are good prospects and I wouldn't be dissapointed to have any them on my squad. I'm just not sold on the cost.

Verdict: Free Agency. There are a couple guys who could come in and upgrade at RT right away in Jordan Gross (CAR) and Ray Willis (SEA), although Vernon Carey isn't going anywhere. If you were wondering, Carey is a Miami native who attended High School, College and now plays pro ball there. The O-line is a position that needs development, so anybody drafted would need a season to acclimate and then you still don't know what you have in a lot of cases. I worry that if a 1st rounder (Staley), two 2nd rounders (Rachal, Baas) and a third round draft pick (Snyder) are not good enough to form a rock solid line, then maybe the talent evaluators are the problem...lets snatch up a guy who is money in the bank.

WR- A True #1. As 49ers fans we were so spoiled for so long with the likes of Jerry Rice, John Taylor and Terrell Owens. Ah, the glory days. If you ask Mike Singletary, this would probably go in the "wants" category rather than the "needs". If not a true #1, then at least a dynamic playmaker is needed. As witnessed by the fact that DeSean Jackson wasn't even on the team's radar in '08, it's clear this regime doesn't covet a little quick guy. The 49ers war room was talking about drafting a WR in the 2nd round last year, but it was the 6'4" Limas Sweed from Texas.The 49ers are all about "football players". Big strong, physical and most of all tough. Scot McCloughan put best himself, "It's a big man's game."

Verdict: Draft, rounds 2-4. I could really see a guy like Hakeem Nicks or Kenny Britt in the 2nd round if they are available. Maybe Ramses Barden or Pat White in the 3rd-4th range. These are all tough guys. If either Bryant Johnson or Isaac Bruce are not retained, a free agent addition becomes more likely.

DB- The 49ers have a very good defensive backfield. With the hard nosed brand of football we are seeing these days, it's hard to say Mark Roman hasn't been a good fit. At the same time, there's nothing wrong with wanting more..and I know we all do. If one of the current CB's gets the job, then CB jumps way up on the list of needs.

Verdict: In-house. There's probably a sign up in Santa Clara somewhere that reads; "Open Tryouts...free safety wanted who can stuff the run AND not get beat deep...and it wouldn't hurt if you could pick a ball off every now and again". I think there are a couple guys already on the roster who can fill this role. Dashon Goldson is first in line, but I think Reggie Smith the the true heir. Don't forget, having range isn't enough. If you're not a tough guy, you need not apply. So that one little guy from Upper Eastern State University who runs a 4.3 40 and returns kicks and sometimes plays QB...yeah, you can cross him off the list.

RB- This has been a problem for a little while. Foster did a good job backing up Gore in '08, but he can be improved upon and also doesn't have a lot left in the tank. Robinson is not instictive at all as a runner (I still wish they would have tried him at safety instead of running back out of college). Short yardage is one aspect, but this player needs to be able to spell Gore in all situations.

Verdict: Draft. This answer is always draft. The shelf life for NFL running backs is so short, I can't believe anyone ever spends money on a free agent. There are always a number of guys who can carry the rock. Remember when your teacher would give you a test but give one of the answers at the beginning? Well, in 2009 the answer at RB is Tyrell Sutton. He's my guy and a perfect fit as #2 to Frank-enstein. But I'd be surprised if the 49ers draft a guy who weighs less than 220 lbs.

FB- The draft is pretty weak at fullback. The 5th or 6th round is probably the earliest one could be selected. Maybe McCloughan loves one of the college guys, but to me it looks like there are enough proven options in free agency with guys like Tony Richardson and Leonard Weaver. Nothing against Zach Keasey, but you can bet a smashmouth fullback is added in the offseason.

Verdict: Free Agent. My money is on Richardson who has played on two different teams for Jimmy Raye and worry about 2010 in 2010.

NT- Florida Danny is in the process of writing some great articles using sabermetric style football statistics. I'm glad these are making their way into the football conversation. I'd like to use another stat that hardcore baseball fans are probably familiar with...VORP. VORP stands for Value Over Replacement Player. It basically says how valuable a guy is versus a "free" player who could be called up from AAA at his position. This is how I think about our defensive line. It's similar to my thoughts on the O-line. But instead of comparing with AAA players, Its guys already on our roster. How many resources do we have to put towards this position to get the performance that is neccesary? Raji, is a great prospect, but his VORP isn't high enough to warrant a top 10 pick. Maybe his teammate Ron Brace would be a nice long term prospect at NT in the 3rd round.

Verdict: Draft, mid rounds. Look, Not even the best nose tackles were drafted top 10. Not Casey Hampton, not Vince Wilfork. Repeat after me...wait on big fatty...wait on big fatty.

QB- You'd be crazy not to be angst ridden over who could be the longterm starter at quarterback. I'm pretty sure The Cure even wrote a song about it. Just like teenagers in love, there's no reason to rush into marriage. And that's what you do with a 1st round draft pick at QB. McCloughan has this to say on the issue:

Every year we’re trying to improve the quarterback position as we do with every position. You always want to have some youth in place, knowing that they might not be the starter that year, but in the future they have upside and they can possibly be a starting quarterback in the NFL. It’s also very important nowadays to have two quarterbacks who have some experience, because you’re going to need a second quarterback in a 16-game season. It’s definitely a priority, not just this year, but in every year.

It just so happens that I have a degree in GM-Speak. Let me translate that paragraph for you; "We are NOT drafting Mark Sanchez with the #10 pick, but I don't mind if you keep putting him there in your stupid little mock drafts. Thanks for the smokescreen, bitches! I wonder if Bruce Gradkowski will be available..."

Verdict: Who the hell knows. A lot can change...Aaron Rodgers and Brady Quinn were top 5 locks at this point in their respective draft years. QB is the toughest position to scout, so you have to be careful. They take time to develop. A lot depends on the talent around them. Looking back, mistakes are always made based on tangible ability, arm strength running speed etc. Personally I'd never, ever take a QB in the first round. It's time to see what Hill can do with his first full offseason of starters reps. Oh, and Matt Cassel is the next Elvis Grbac.

Grading The Big Ten Coaches

BSD — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:00:08 -0000

Because there is still a month to go until the Rose Bowl and we have nothing better to do. This will be an eleven part series with a post dedicated to each coach in the Big Ten. We grade on a classic bell curve here so we'll hand out two A's, two B's, three C's, two D's, and two F's. Coaches will be graded based on two criteria. The first part will deal with how much improvement they showed from last year to this year. The second part will grade them against the expectations of their teams as determined by the highly scientific method of what I expected out of them this year. I think I was pretty in tune with what the media was saying before the season so I think I have a pretty good grasp on what the national perception of each program was before the season started.

We'll start at the top of the class with the best coaches and work our way down the ranks to the coaches who utterly failed. So without further delay, let's begin with...

Pat Fitzgerald

Top o' the arbitrary blog rankings, ma!

2007 Record: 6-6 (3-5) - No Bowl Appearance

BSD's 2008 Expectations - 7-5 (3-5) - Motor City Bowl

2008 Record 9-3 (5-3) - Alamo Bowl (Projected)

Wildcats Football Schedule

Syracuse	Sat 08/30	W 30 - 10
@ Duke	Sat 09/06	W 24 - 20
Southern Illinois	Sat 09/13	W 33 - 7
Ohio	Sat 09/20	W 16 - 8
@ Iowa	Sat 09/27	W 22 - 17
Michigan St.	Sat 10/11	L 20 - 37
Purdue	Sat 10/18	W 48 - 26
@ Indiana	Sat 10/25	L 19 - 21
@ Minnesota	Sat 11/01	W 24 - 17
Ohio St.	Sat 11/08	L 10 - 45
@ Michigan	Sat 11/15	W 21 - 14
Illinois	Sat 11/22	W 27 - 10

No coach in the Big Ten did more with less than Pat Fitzgerald. Everyone expected a slight improvement, but nobody outside of Evanston expected nine wins. And if not for one flat game against Indiana it could have easily been ten.

Northwestern's most drastic improvement came on defense where they went from giving up 31 points per game a year ago to just under 20 points per game in 2008. They also gave up forty yards less on the ground and thirty yards less through the air to improve their total defense ranking from #77 to #53 in the nation. Their most dramatic improvement came in the pass rush where the Wildcats went from being ranked #96 to #12 in the nation and leading the Big Ten in sacks.

On offense Fitzgerald abandoned the pass happy attack of 2007 and focused on creating more balance in the play calling. Their overall production dropped by 70 yards per game, but they gained an additional 28 yards on the ground and did not drop off much in their scoring. But what's most impressive is how Fitzgerald was able to overcome injuries on offense. Starting quarterback C.J. Bacher missed two games against Minnesota and Ohio State, and Tyrell Sutton missed the last four games of the year from Minnesota on. Yet the Wildcats were able to go 3-1 over their last four games with wins over upstart Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois.

The schedule was pretty favorable as they missed out on playing Penn State and Wisconsin and the out of conference schedule was pretty weak. But they turned around the loss to Duke from a year ago and managed some impressive wins over Iowa, Purdue, Minnesota, and Illinois. Considering the expectations and results and everything they had to overcome, it's hard to argue against Pat Fitzgerald for Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Final Grade: A

Stats-ish Preview: Northwestern

Beauford — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:13:26 -0000

Basketball = 2-0. Woo.

There is still football to be played, however, as the Wolverines go up against the Wildcats of Northwestern [insert Wildcat roar here] this Saturday, Noon ET, at Michigan Stadium. Any momentum gained from the Minnesota game is on the line Saturday; a win means we have somewhat of a hot-streak going into the 'shoe. A loss destroys the aforementioned streak, any momentum gained, and probably some sort of household appliance in the home of Beauford. If you're having trouble getting amped for this game, just think of my toaster. Her life is in your hands, Wolverines.

In Mortal Danger

Via www.lakewoodconferences.com

Northwestern's Offense:

It's looking more and more like starting quarterback CJ Bacher is going to play after all:

11/12/08 - QB C.J. Bacher (hamstring) is practicing again this week with hopes of returning to the lineup. Coach Pat Fitzgerald says he'll regain his starting job once he's healthy. The official depth chart lists the QB job as Bacher or junior Mike Kafka.

Still injured, however, is most of Northwestern's running back crew, leaving Sophomore Stephen Simmons as the probable starter against Michigan. Also seeing time against Michigan will be former receiver turned running back Jeravin Matthews.

Without starting running back Tyrell Sutton, who seems unlikely to return with a wrist injury, the Wildcats moved Stephen Simmons to a starter in their loss to Ohio State on Saturday. Against Michigan this weekend, Simmons will remain a starter, but Fitzgerald has made another shift.

He will move wide receiver Jeravin Matthews to running back to help back up Simmons with Jacob Schmidt and Scott Concannon. Matthews played multiple positions, including running back, because of his speed and athleticism in high school.

Given Michigan's track record in dealing with players who have hastily changed positions mid-season, I'd say that this Matthews character is destined for a good day.

Michigan will be facing a Northwestern offense that features a 3rd string running back not named "Sutton" and a dinged-up (at best) CJ Bacher who, according to the aforelinked article, is still having trouble "opening up and running." This all bodes poorly for the Northwestern offense, which wasn't exactly setting the world on fire prior to the nasty string of injuries. Northwestern is averaging a rather "meh" 370 yards/game this season, good enough for a 55 ranking nationally, and 5th in the Big Ten.

Bacher to date has thrown 11 interceptions to 10 TD's, and has only rushed for 283 yards on the season. That's good for around 30 yards per game after sacks are adjusted. It's safe to say that while Bacher is mobile, he isn't exactly Juice Williams. Bacher dealing with an injury that expressly limits his mobility is even less Juicy. If Bacher starts, expect to see more of his arm than his legs which, given the amount of INT's thrown this year, could be a good thing.

If Kafka starts, however, it's a whole other ballgame. Kafka has shown promise with his legs, but has poor pocket-awareness. He will probably take advantage of what Michigan gives him on the ground, but will be equally flustered by this "roaming Okie" blitz package we've seen recently. If he plays, I expect some exceedingly frustrating picked up 3rd and longs combined with some exceedingly satisfying sacks. Over the two games that he's seen significant time in, he's averaged about 20 attempts per game. Expect to see a lot of the ground attack if Kafka is starting.

FWIW, I kinda think Bacher is going to get the start, but will have a short leash if the injury limits him in any way.

Michigan Defense:

What to write, what to write...

Here's what we kinda know:

1) Schafer has "dumbed down" the defense to a base nickel package, employing an "okie" front on obvious passing downs. Okie basically means that there are 3 down linemen, and a bunch of guys behind them who kind of wonder around showing blitz, or not showing blitz, then maybe blitzing. Sound confusing? That's what it's supposed to do to the offensive line and quarterback. It worked great against Minnesota, and will probably get about as much action against a similar offense in Northwestern. By the way, I'm not a coach, so if I'm waaaay off base on what the Michigan Okie front is designed to do, by all means, correct me in the comments.

2) The defensive line is probably going to be good again. They're the only unit who has shown consistency on the defensive side of the ball. I think, given Bacher's immobility and a 3rd stringer at RB that they will be primed for a big day.

Here's what we don't know:

1) The secondary had a good/great day against Minnesota. It's the first one of those they've had as a unit. Predicting what they will do against Northwestern seems foolish given the inconsistency. Having 5 DB's on the field at once, with Harrison playing a hybrid "wolf" position (half LB, half S) in the cover 2 seems to have struck a chord with this particular group. We shall see.

2) Linebackers are inconsistent. Still.

I dunno. You try to sort it out.

Given the Bacher injury/Kafka inexperience, and the 3rd string running back thing combined with the new-found simplicity of the defense, I kinda expect them to have an ok day. Ohio State held a Kafka-helmed Northwestern to only 294 yards of total offense and 10 points last week. I expect Northwestern to gain something closer to their season average of 370 YPG, but nothing exceeding that. Their injuries will limit them, and Michigan's defense appears to have found something against Minnesota.

Michigan Offense:

Per Rivals, and via Mgoblog:

Redshirt sophomore Nick Sheridan will get another opportunity to add to his second chance, head coach Rich Rodriguez reported today. Sheridan led the Wolverines to a win over Minnesota and will start again Saturday against Northwestern ...

So, there you have it. Additionally, it looks as if Minor will be limited/inactive with an injured body:

Michigan running back Brandon Minor has yet to practice this week due to shoulder, rib and wrist injuries.

Head coach Rich Rodriguez said Minor was "doubtful" on Wednesday.

Head, shoulders, knees, toes, wrists, and ribs. It's all hurt. As I mentioned in my less-informative preview, the rushing onus falls onto a combination of McGuffie and Shaw against Northwestern.

As I mentioned before, one of the things I've been most impressed with has been McGuffie coming out of the backfield as a receiver. I expect there to be even more of that mentality now that the Minor-Rage offense is not available. Shaw has been equally impressive; on his 23 attempts he's averaging 6.8 YPC.

The 800 lbs. gorilla in the corner, however, has on a #8 Jersey and plays quarterback. He may not be death anymore, but uh, Steve Young he ain't. To date, he's completing 56% of his passes, and has 5 INTS to his 2 TD's. Any optimism that stems from the fact that Bacher may not be starting for Northwestern should be immediately nullified by the fact that Sheridan is starting for Michigan.

That's not to say that he can't win us this ballgame. Last week, I thought Nick did several things very, very well. When he scrambled he kept his eyes downfield. He throws a screen pass well. He kinda looks like Brian Greise. However, I was terrified on a number of deep balls that hung, and hung, and hung. Minnesota didn't make him pay for those.

Here is Sheridan against Minnesota:

Player	Att	Comp	INT	Yards	TD
Sheridan	30	18	0	203	1

Here is Sheridan against everyone else:

Player	Att	Comp	INT	Yards	TD
Sheridan	54	29	5	262	1

Sheridan was 60 yards shy of matching his entire seasonal output to date against Minnesota, which included playing time of some sort in 5 games. Did Sheridan turn some sort of corner? Maybe. My guess is that he wasn't as bad as his numbers suggested, but I think a regression towards the mean is more than likely against Northwestern.

Reasons for this include the fact that Northwestern will likely be more prepared after seeing what he did against Minny. For example, those hitches to Mathews and Stonum probably won't be there every time, and Stonum probably won't make a SportsCenter top-10 one handed catch for a crucial first down. Add into this the fact that Sheridan likely won't have Minor-Rage offense to lean on, and you see why there is reason for concern.

Speaking of which, I was very impressed with both Stonum and Mathews against Minnesota, and am guessing they will be featured, along with quarkback Odoms, prominently in whatever passing attack Michigan can muster.

Bottom line for our QB: Against Minnesota, Sheridan managed to at least be smart, and was helped by some terrific catches. If he can pull another 0 INT day, Michigan will likely be in good shape. If he starts throwing INT's, it's fail time.

Feagin will likely see time in the same capacity that he was used against Minnesota. I think that he's under instructions to throw if it is absolutely wide-there-is-nobody-standing-within-15-yards open. Rodriguez, at this point, would rather take a loss of yardage on a keeper than have Feagin try to force something. I think Feagin will get an opportunity to throw the ball this weekend; whether he actually does is up for debate.

Another positive note is that Molk will be starting, despite some worry about a toe injury suffered against Minnesota.

Northwestern Defense

As a unit, Northwestern is giving up around 350 yards per game. That's very middle of the road, and good enough for a 58th nationally, and 7th in the Big Ten. The defense is solid, if not spectacular. If there is one area they excel in, it's playing behind the LOS. Northwestern is ranked 2nd in the conference in both TFL's and Sacks. They are aggressive, and will likely try to pressure Sheridan into making bad reads and throws. Michigan's offense mitigates this aggression slightly with screens and draws, but I expect Sheridan to have to make that all-important decision to just tuck it and take the sack on more than one occasion.

Corey Wootten is among the conference best in TFL's and has 7.5 sacks on the year - good enough for 5th in the conference. The line will have their hands full with him. I wish I had more to tell you here, but I don't. Northwestern's defense does nothing really spectacularly, but nothing really poorly either. Their 3rd down conversion against is solid - 65% of the time they get off the field.

Overall, I expect that Northwestern's defensive gameplan will be to tackle behind the sticks and get Michigan into obvious 3rd and long situations. From there, they should be able to pressure Sheridan enough to maybe force him to make a bad throw. On a play to play basis, Northwestern's D should hold up rather well, but I expect they will be susceptible to the big play by becoming over-aggressive. A few Shaw draws or Feagin keepers will probably go for 30+ yards as aggressive LB's and secondary run themselves out of the play.

Special Teams

Lopata: Check

Mesko: Check

All systems go.

Prediction

I kinda think that Michigan wins this one, actually. Let's make it 17-13.

The Takeaway: Indiana

Oops Pow Surprise — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:59:10 -0000

Sure, Iowa just rocked the Hoosiers' world, 45-9. But how much do we really know? What was really important about beating Indiana? What does it all mean, Basil? The Takeaway has the answer.

Mike Daniels got up. First and foremost, Mike Daniels is okay. The reserve defensive lineman collapsed on the field following the Wisconsin game. It's unclear whether he lost consciousness, but the fact that he walked off the field under his own power is a blessing; sometimes they don't get up. Chalk it up to dehydration, heat, whatever, but be very glad the Hawkeyes aren't walking out of the tunnel this weekend with the decals off their helmets and #93 stickers.

"I'm a better runner than you, and you, and you, and you..."

Don't start jocking the Jewel Thief just yet. I know, I know. Dig that Hampton (spelled with an Ampton). 114 yards as a true freshman is no joke, and DAMN did you see that dive on the sideline? I know. But you don't win starting jobs by running it up on disinterested backups, which is what Hampton did--again. I think it's safe to say that even when Paki comes back, your #2 is still Hampton. But he's only showing occasional flashes when it matters. Do you really think Hampton can produce against a front seven like the Badgers'? Only if they've given up.

The staff can breathe easily--for a week. Iowa sure looked like a well-coached football team, didn't they? The passing game was crisp, Greene rumbled for over a hundy again (in three quarters and on a bum wheel, no less), and the line of scrimmage beloned to Iowa all game long. It was an ass-kicking of historic proportions; Iowa hasn't posted a larger road victory in the Big Ten since 1985.1985, as you may recall, was a good year for Iowa.

That's not to say, of course, that this is Iowa's best team since then or anywhere close. But it speaks to the overall level of dominance Iowa displayed Saturday, and that bodes well for this year and beyond. Be honest--there's no damned way that two months ago, you could have predicted Iowa would be 4-3 right now andstill favored over Wisconsin.

This has no bearing on any of the three items, but just pointing out that no foul was called.

And at the same time, there's still no room for the letdown games that have plagued the Hawkeyes since, well, what? 2005? The only remaining game in which there's an obvious favorite would be the Penn State tilt, and Iowa's not winning that one. They could go 5-1, or they could go 0-6. Where this season goes from here will determine where the program goes from here.

Indiana found success by attacking one member of the Iowa defense, and only one. Regular readers of BHGP know exactly who the lone weak link of the defense is: FS Brett Greenwood. Being that this is--for all intents and purposes--the same ultra-conservative Iowa defense that Norm Parker was trotting out in 2002, offensive coordinators should know exactly what to expect Iowa defenders to do on 1st and 10 or 2nd and reasonable by now.

That in mind, it's clear what quarterbacks need to do to have success passing against Iowa--find Brett Greenwood, then throw at him. INSTANT SUCCESS. Don't be fooled by Greenwood's pick in the first half--he was merely the closest player to a tipped ball. I can't recall a single good play in coverage by Greenwood all week long. Iowa has multiple strong safeties who are capable of starting. You're telling menone of them can shift over to FS? Hard to believe.

Free interception NOT EQUALS proper Cover 2 responsibilities.

So since Greenwood's spot in the secondary appears to be in no danger whatsoever, Parker had better be drawing up coverages to give Greenwood more help; he can't adequately cover a deep half by himself. If this means Spievey or Fletcher needs to start playing five yards further back to take away that easy corner route, that's one solution. Or take Edds off man coverage on the slot and have him cheat middle/deep so Greenwood can get to the sideline in time to make a play on the pass rather than tackle a guy after he makes a 15-yard catch. Whatever, dosomething.

It's easy to beat a team when they give up. I don't know if Kellen Lewis tells his team something nice every time they're in the huddle or if Ben Chappell slept with the offensive line coach's mother or what, but when Lewis stayed on the sideline to start the second half, Indiana's hopes--hell, their motivation--vanished. Iowa proved just two weeks prior that a 17-9 halftime lead is hardly a guarantor of victory, but unlike the plucky, undertalented, chess-loving Northwestern team, the Hoosiers simply rolled over.

Guess who else didn't show up for the fourth quarter??

That led to all sorts of second-half fun--for Iowa, anyway. The Hawkeyes held the ball for well over 20 of the second half's 30 minutes, and Jewel Hampton rushed for 85 yards in the fourth quarter alone. We're not saying Hampton would have kept that up for four or even two quarters if it was just him carrying the rock. We are saying Indiana flat out quit, tired of trying to fight a brutal front five.

Indiana's vaunted defensive line

From here, Iowa faces another team that quit in the second half, the newly woeful Wisconsin Badgers. Yo Bucky--what in the fuck? Remember that Wisconsin was in the top 10 just a few weeks ago; now, they're 0-3 in the conference, reeling from a 48-7 ass-kicking by Penn State (at Camp Randall!), and trying to figure out how the hell to win without a quarterback or any other means to stop a defense from teeing off on their tailbacks.

Their work is cut out for them, as Iowa has been downright unpleasant to opposing tailbacks. Indiana's top rusher was Ben Chappell, and that is not a typo. No player has rushed for over 100 yards on the Hawkeyes all season, and of the three rushing TDs they've given up on the year, two were on QB draws. Overall, Iowa gives up under 100 yards rushing per game on a measly 3.1 yards per carry, and that's having faced backs like Tyrell Sutton, LeSean McCoy, Javon Ringer, and A'Mod Ned. NED, PEOPLE. To say the Wisconsin offense has its work cut out for them is a mild understatement.

You can guess how this worked out.

The line for Saturday's game is Iowa -3.5 right now, and we expect it to move in Iowa's favor by a point or two. Wisconsin is in total disarray, and the only sure thing about their quarterback situation is that it'll suck on Saturday. More on Wisconsin later this week as we bring in a guest expert to tell us more about the BAD-gers. SEE WHAT I DID THERE? DO YOU???

Purdue and Painter: Inconsistency and Mediocrity, But Why?

grahamfiller10 — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:30:39 -0000

"Taking steps forward." Whether you're in AA or trying to date someone, this expression is key to success...It appears that the 2008 Purdue Boilermaker football team has failed to follow the aforementioned phrase. Proof? Saturday's 17 point loss to a beatable Notre Dame team, veteran QB Curtis Painter's inability to manage an offense he has been running for four years, the linebackers inability to stop the run....

Painter, because he is the QB at a Big 10 school, is sure to take brunt of the blame. A four year veteran with a strong arm and good size, Painter was supposed to lead the Boilermakers through their brutal schedule. Instead, Painter had shown an inability to finish drives with TD passes and as one Purdue follower commented, seems to have developed the "yips," ala Rick Ankiel whipping the ball to the backstop in 2001. Painters stats Saturday are a microcosm of his overall inconsistency:

29-55, 359 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 INT (returned for a TD)

What happens now? The undersized LB's couldn't stop the normally decrepit ND running game, giving up 201 yards on the ground...so the thought of physical Big 10 play probably doesn't give Boilermaker fans anything to look forward to. Purdue is currently 2-2, but could easily be 2-5, with consecutive games versus Penn State, Ohio State, and surprising Northwestern. You better believe Evan Royster, Beanie Wells, and Tyrelle Sutton are licking their chops.

Off the Tracks, Purdue Blogger: "We succeeded only in making Jimmy Clausen looks like Joe Montana and Armando Allen look like Marcus Allen."

There's A Game On Saturday? Northwestern!!1

Oops Pow Surprise — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:34:29 -0000

So, the Big Ten schedule is starting. That's big news, folks, big news. At least that's what I have to tell myself tonight, anyway.

My ho-hummery stems from one simple fact about the game--it's just Northwestern. They're the Rain Man of Big Ten football--unusually smart, probably too inept to live alone or wear shoes without Velcro. A Northwestern player is great if you want to learn how to program your TI-85, but fucking miserable on the gridiron.

Northwestern is led by Pat Fitzgerald, an absolute fraud of a coach. Fitzgerald is the Trig Palin of Big Ten coaches: impossibly young for the center stage, a result of unexpected catastrophe, and severely retarded.

Fitzgerald is best known for being the Big Ten's youngest coach since 1917, when following a lost bet, the Michigan Wolverines were coached for one week by seven-year-old Hamilton Wiltonwood. They won by 83 points. In addition, Fitzgerald coached the entire month of October 2006 without pants, resulting in a crippling four-game skid. Wait, did we say "crippling"? This is just Northwestern, so we meant "annual."

The Wildcat quarterback is C.J. Bacher (Bacher, of course, is French for "frightened rabbit"). Bacher is coming off a 19 TD, 19 INT season and is once again not expected to contend for any meaningful postseason honors. Bacher's production is suffering in 2008 largely due to sore fingers; his injury is no surprise, as the human hand is not designed to spend three hours every Saturday with its thumb up its owner's posterior.

At tailback, Northwestern boasts Tyrell Sutton, easily one of the three best tailbacks in the nation conference state local area (ETHS has a couple burners). Sutton, not understanding the definition of a tautology, announced that he was 100% on account of his self-diagnosis of 100%. Because hamstring injuries totally disappear in seven days, you know.

Northwestern's wide receivers are six frat brothers playing a cruel prank on Fitzgerald. You'll know I'm right when Bacher throws to a receiver named "Bonestick" wearing #69.

The Northwestern wide receivers, as far as Fitzgerald knows. Beware P-Dawg's deceptive speed.

On defense, the Wildcats "appear" to be tough. We use quotations with "appear" because any notion of actual competence is flatly fucking ridiculous. This is the same defense that gave up 31 points a game last season, while allowing 243 passing yards per game on 63% passing. You may remember them from such farces as "Jake Christensen torches NU for over 200 yards in one half" and "No seriously that Jake Christensen thing happened."

Northwestern's stats are much improved on defense this season, and for good reason: they have played absolutely fucking nobody. This is their slate so far: Syracuse, @Duke, Southern Illinois, Ohio. Seriously, that's it. I was going to make a "St. Mary's Sisterhood of the Retarded and/or Canadian" joke, but why? Syracuse is worse than that. So sure, you guys have given up like 20 points or whatever, but come on. Northwestern makes Minnesota look like the 1985 Bears.

As for Iowa's approach to attacking Northwestern, it will be two words:

Quarterback. Sneak.

No, it's Shonn Greene. Of course it is. Sure, he only lasted three quarters in last week's demolition derby, but his conditioning improves from week to week--he set career highs against Pitt in both carries and yards. Look for him to encounter significantly less resistance against a line that comes from just Northwestern. 200 yards and 4 TDs? Probably.

How important is it that Greene put together another high-powered performance? Let's let Captain Kirk put everything into proper perspective:

Asked this week if he had considered where his offense would be had running back Shonn Greene not successfully made it back from a year of academic exile, Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz gave a pretty good indication of how much Greene means to the Hawkeyes, who open Big Ten play at 11 a.m. today against Northwestern.

"No, I didn’t think about that," Ferentz said sharply. "I didn’t think about our plane crashing the other day, either. That could have happened. I try to avoid topics like that. I have enough things that are bringing me down."

Allegory: The Paki O'Meara Experience

As for the passing game, Iowa will whip out the Hangin' and Swangin' Dick Stanzi again. Christensen had his opportunity to solidify the starting role by leading a second-half comeback against Pitt, and that clearly didn't happen. And yes, while SDS throws way too many Stanziballs, far more than Christensen does, at some point an offense needs the ability to consistently hit through the air, and Stanzi's probably the only one on the roster who can do that.

Meanwhile, the entire Iowa receiving corps is healthy and eligible for the first time since 19-fuckity-never. Between Tony Moeaki's health problems and Iowa's near-constant need for 2-TE sets in 2007, the Hawkeyes now have three very capable tight ends.

Similar problems with injuries have provided Iowa with five WRs with starting experience, and all (with the only possible exception of Stross) have improved since 2007. That's not to say, of course, that Iowa's going to rewrite receiving records or that NU needs to be prepared for that A-11 shit (unless Fitz is reading this; in that case, YES ABSOLUTELY PREPARE FOR ONLY THAT), but the weapons are finally there.

If you want a prediction, here it is: Iowa 31, Just Northwestern 13. Northwestern is the worst 4-0 BCS team in many years, and this week will only confirm it.