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[Hockeybeard]

Only question I have is blitz pickup. Can Williams accurately read the protection scheme and shift to pickup a blitz?

[Hockeybeard]

It would be the biggest blunder of Chris Hill’s career if he let a simple thing like money keep a lifer like Coach Whitt from staying at Utah and retiring a legend here. Plain and simple.

[Hockeybeard]

Zone schemes help against the run. Pease’s first priority (out of his own mouth) is to stop the run. However, I’d argue that we are running more man looks this year vs. last. Last year, I thought Kalani bought into the hype of zone blitzes and really went wild with them – the point where Nate Orchard was asked to drop back and play in coverage (why take your best pass rusher out of the equation?).

This year, our defense is playing more straight up, less blitzes, and keeping things infront while smothering the opponents run game. This requires the opponent to rely on the pass, which allows for more mistakes (right read, right throw, right route, right catch, no defensive coverage, etc.). Its easy for offenses to move between the 30’s, even on our defense, but its damn hard to get past that and into the endzone.

[Hockeybeard]

You touch on the answer in your response – a new offensive scheme.  Look at it this way – Indiana had the same month to prepare for us, and they were able to shut down our Passing attack.  This year, IN CAMP, Troy Taylor has been tweaking the offense bit by bit to answer moves made by the defense so much so that every defensive assistant coach is raving about how it is helping their guys prepare more and more for the season.

On top of this, you have Coach Whitt who says that the DBs are going to be BETTER this year than last…yes, the same defensive backfield that sent 4 guys to the NFL is going to be BETTER with younger, more athletic guys.  The LBs are another year seasoned, with the freak of nature Kavika Luafatasaga who is finally reacting within the defense rather than trying to fit in it, and Sunia who has gotten fully healthy from last year.  Another guy who is finally healthy? Lowell Lotulelei…a guy who made All Pac honors with a busted shoulder last year.  AND we get Kylie Fitts back. AND the coaches are saying our DL is at an 11 man rotation right now.  BEEF. ALL. DAY. LONG.

The offense is a big question mark for a lot of fans – those who doubt Whitt and the coaches see it as a negative (as well as BYU fans, who constantly think only their team improves year to year), while those who want that ‘step on your throat’ mentality see it as a positive. Just listen to Troy Taylor’s interviews, he’s talked about how the offense needs to have that attack mentality, that there needs to be a swagger and attitude about expecting to score.  Look at what he did in one year at EWU – only set up a walk-on QB to break the school record and throw for over 5,000 yds.  You think a first year coach who was hired by a guy prone to firing OCs over lack of performance is going to risk his job on picking a sub-par QB candidate? Hell no. He is going to make doubly sure that the guy he picks is someone who will set the world on fire with a broken match in a rainstorm.

THAT’s why I think we are going to be as good or better than last year.

[Hockeybeard]

Similar idea in Hockey – 98% of the time the guy retaliating is going to get called for the penalty. Better to bide your time and wait to slew-foot/slash/cross-check the douche when refs aren’t look or are busy elsewhere.

[Hockeybeard]

The code tag is just to be able to enter a lot of data in a special window – not necessarily to input html tags and interpret them in the BBCode.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Hockeybeard.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Hockeybeard.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Hockeybeard.

[Hockeybeard]

I read this as meaning the DLine is going to focus on getting hands into passing lanes. If Cal is going to go to their quick pass game to counter-act our strong front 7, then our front 7 is going to make it hard for Goff to throw the short and intermediate routes. 5 guys with their hands up trying to muck up passing lanes is going to make a nightmare for a QB trying to get the quick slant or out route off.

[Hockeybeard]

QB inaccuracy, or pressure by the front seven? I see the Mich game as us gambling that our Def front would get enough pressure on Rudock to hurry the throws. Look at Rudock now, he’s a pretty good quarterback for Mich – to the tune of 4 straight wins.

[Hockeybeard]

I think that has been more a result of us playing mobile quarterbacks than anything else. Chuckie, and Adams/Lockie we wanted to make sure our run lanes and gaps were secure, and then pressure was 2ndary to that. This week, I think we’ll see more of the same, but the front guys will be able to get a good push. Add in that Dimick is hopefully 100% by Saturday, and we’re going to see a good front line D go up against a Cal OLine that has looked suspect.

[Hockeybeard]

Agreed – I’m thinking we are going to see some less traditional blitzes, and more blitzes from the corners to put instant pressure on the QB. One thing is certain – Goff has done well with pressure in his face, but does not do so well when he is forced out of the pocket.