Griz Defense

[UTGrizFan]

if it comes down to special teams I think we win out. our punter is good and their punt return game not so good. I see Cam hitting Roberts often and setting the tone of the game. I think our defense handles their offense even as good as Infanse is. we win by more than a TD, crowd will be in McKay's head and he will have some miss cues.

Honestly with the way our offensive line has been playing I see that as being a huge concern if Cam can even get the ball to Roberts. They are going to have to play the best game they played all year as the cat's D-line is very good

 

[kemajic]

if it comes down to special teams I think we win out. our punter is good and their punt return game not so good. I see Cam hitting Roberts often and setting the tone of the game. I think our defense handles their offense even as good as Infanse is. we win by more than a TD, crowd will be in McKay's head and he will have some miss cues.

Honestly with the way our offensive line has been playing I see that as being a huge concern if Cam can even get the ball to Roberts. They are going to have to play the best game they played all year as the cat's D-line is very good

This just in; we're playing NAU this week.

 

[Hawkeyebowhunter]

Have to take care of business this week first.

That said-I am and will continue to be terrified of the damn msu game until we prove we can stop them.

As always with them, game will be won on the LOS….right now the scats have a distinct advantage on both sides. Hoping the coaches are focused on winning this week first and foremost, but also have a plan in place to stop the damn pass rush of msu and on the other side force them to become one dimensional.

 

[nzone]

Yes nau first. We have to win this game IMO.

BIG FACTORS regarding the LOS.
1. FORBES
2. COOK
3. ALFORD
4. BELKNAP

Hope to see these guys back..

 

[Dillon]

I had given a shout out to the cats defense, which then made me look at some statistics for the Griz defense as well. We are kicking some ass in a number of categories:

Scoring defense - 14.4 pts per game (2nd in Big Sky)

Yards per Game - 316 (3rd in Big Sky)

Rushing Defense- 75 yds per game (1st in Big Sky…by a lot)

Interceptions - 14 (1st in Big Sky)

Sacks - 30 (1st in Big Sky)

Red Zone Defense- 61% (1st in Big Sky)

Shit, the Brawl may end up a 10 to 7 win for one of us

I remember the U of W game. You could see the defensive and team confidence on the sidelines. The kids believed from the kickoff they were going to win the game. I watched stunned from the stands in the fourth quarter. Different team? Yes due to health issues. The Griz may be healthy come Griz/Scat. Anyone doubting their capabilities is a fool. Brawl is definitely the most relevant term for this year. Going to be a slugfest. Wa Griz and a team with a chip on their shoulder. My money is on the home team and if they are viewed as the underdog - even better.

:thumb: :clap:

 

[retiredpopo]

For those who are terrified, don't be....only people who should be terrified are cat fans. You all saw what Cam did after only a few good days of practice after 4 weeks off..You will see some nice schemes (both O and D) drawn up just for the cats....

 

[MTGRZ]

Interesting thoughts on here. I actually think we match up poor vs MSU. They are not a speed offense. They will pound you to the ground. Infanse is also far and away the best RB in the league and he’s just physical as can be. We also haven’t been the best at tackling. We hit hard but don’t wrap up all that well. MSU will easily eat that alive. I think the key to that game will be obvious. MSU is gonna run, run and run some more. Infanse is gonna run 30+ times. Montana is gonna stunt and bring A Gap all day. That’s what we do. It’s strictly…this is what we do..beat us. From both sides. I think MSU has the best Oline and RBs in the league and has probably the best Dline in the league too. Really the way to beat MSU is do what EWU couldn’t. Get up early and make them be more aggressive than they want to be. Pass on their younger Corners….but so far…nobody has really been able to do that

A- MSU is really good at not letting that happen
B- we’re not very good at starting fast
C- MSU is going to be the most physical team we have played.

Honestly, I think we’re gonna have to look to score unconventionally compared to our normal plan. Maybe we can do it. I sure hope. We also know Bobby is gonna be so fired up for this game. He might have some plans up his sleeve.

First we gotta take care of NAU. Always a tough place to play

Agreed on all points. Which leads me to think these things (trigger warning, this may upset some):
-I believe we will see a new defensive scheme (not the 355) next year
-Maybe a new DC *ahem* Andy Thompson *ahem*
-Need more Oline and Dline recruits, not just FCS transfers (unless they have 2+ years of eligibility).

Our current team is better defensively than 2019. But I think we will still run into the same issues with the cats as we did in 2019. Both the offensive and defensive lines have flaws that are exposed against a team built with lines like msu.

I firmly believe in Hauck's ability to lead the program, but I am concerned about our current defensive scheme and offensive line. Many current players are adamant that Germer is the right guy. I think he gets one more year to prove he can get and develop his guys to play the style of DOLA we remember. Don't overlook the fact that we are still feeling the S(h)itt era repercussions on the Oline. But we need to see marked improvement next year.

 

[kemajic]

Interesting thoughts on here. I actually think we match up poor vs MSU. They are not a speed offense. They will pound you to the ground. Infanse is also far and away the best RB in the league and he’s just physical as can be. We also haven’t been the best at tackling. We hit hard but don’t wrap up all that well. MSU will easily eat that alive. I think the key to that game will be obvious. MSU is gonna run, run and run some more. Infanse is gonna run 30+ times. Montana is gonna stunt and bring A Gap all day. That’s what we do. It’s strictly…this is what we do..beat us. From both sides. I think MSU has the best Oline and RBs in the league and has probably the best Dline in the league too. Really the way to beat MSU is do what EWU couldn’t. Get up early and make them be more aggressive than they want to be. Pass on their younger Corners….but so far…nobody has really been able to do that

A- MSU is really good at not letting that happen
B- we’re not very good at starting fast
C- MSU is going to be the most physical team we have played.

Honestly, I think we’re gonna have to look to score unconventionally compared to our normal plan. Maybe we can do it. I sure hope. We also know Bobby is gonna be so fired up for this game. He might have some plans up his sleeve.

First we gotta take care of NAU. Always a tough place to play

Agreed on all points. Which leads me to think these things (trigger warning, this may upset some):
-I believe we will see a new defensive scheme (not the 355) next year
-Maybe a new DC *ahem* Andy Thompson *ahem*
-Need more Oline and Dline recruits, not just FCS transfers (unless they have 2+ years of eligibility).

Our current team is better defensively than 2019. But I think we will still run into the same issues with the cats as we did in 2019. Both the offensive and defensive lines have flaws that are exposed against a team built with lines like msu.

I firmly believe in Hauck's ability to lead the program, but I am concerned about our current defensive scheme and offensive line. Many current players are adamant that Germer is the right guy. I think he gets one more year to prove he can get and develop his guys to play the style of DOLA we remember. Don't overlook the fact that we are still feeling the S(h)itt era repercussions on the Oline. But we need to see marked improvement next year.

This is the best UM defense in BH's tenure at UM. There are things that need to be improved, but the defense is down the list. The defense keeps us in all games, it's been carrying the offense all year. Maybe you expect them to spin a shutout every week.

Why would Andy Thompson look for a lateral? I would think his next move is a FBS DC, if not a FCS HC job.

 

[ABQCat]

You'll probably get this from Brint next week, but I'll make his job easier (as long as I'm not on ignore).

Cat OL:
This might come as a surprise to the casual fans but not to anyone paying attention: the Cat OL is only a shell of the one in 2019. We lost our top two OTs - one to the SEC where he is now starting, and one to a season ending injury around the time Vigen arrived. We've been playing with our most experienced guy at Left OT (Kidd, a nature OG) and a freshman at right OT with mixed results. In the interior, we are now starting a 260-pound freshman from Bozeman at Center. He's doing an exceptional job making calls and getting the unit organized (that's why he's starting IMO), a pretty good job at run blocking, and he and several other guys show weakness to pass pro. The guard play has been pretty good. Cole Sane (sent from you guys actually) has done a pretty good job but has battled injuries, and as was shown at EWU with Tuiasosopo was held out for disciplinary reasons, we dropped off very fast on depth. In 2019 we knew there would be 8 in the box, and we simply didn't care. The Cats still ended up the top BSC team in rushing (I think, maybe 2nd). This is a very different year, and we can no longer simply bully people in the running game in the same way. We are much more vulnerable to the disguises, blitzes and various forms of pressure sent continuously from you guys.

Cat Offensive Skill Players:
So, after all that negativity on the OL, why do the Cats have one of the best performing RBs in the entire NCAA? Great question. Keep reading.
In 2019 with Rovig, all we needed him to do was protect the ball and occasionally hit a wide-open receiver when teams got too carried away with loading the box. We rode that all the way to the semis. This year we have an athletic QB that plays very efficiently, and a new head coach that knows how to get the most out of a QB. McKay is far from perfect, but he is a significant upgrade. With the emergence of Lance McCutcheon as an all-conference performer at WR, this team is truly balanced (I might have just lost a few of you with that, but it’s true). In other words, all year long we’ve been able to beat teams in the air and on the edges that overload the box, and once teams start playing us straight up, the holes start to look pretty good for Ifanse even with medium performing OL. Also note we are doing a much better job involving the TE's compared to 2019, and Patterson has done a good job on slants off of RPO giving McKay other options.

Outlook for the grizz defense:
Here’s the good news. Weber put the formula on tape on how to bring the Cat O to a grinding halt, and the grizz D just might have the personnel to do some of the same things. McKay has shown in Ogden (and a few other times this year) that he’s prone to getting rattled. In these instances, he tends to rush his reads and he’s far more likely to make poor decisions. He’s simply not the same player as when he’s settled and confident. The other thing Weber did well was shut down McCutcheon in single coverage when most teams cannot. As such, Weber successfully cheated the safeties into the box and Ifanse only managed 85 yards on the day. Your dropdowns on the outside may have the same success. It will be critical for you that they do. If McKay starts hitting the #86 on routine hooks and fades, the #22 breaking loose isn’t far behind.

 

[Griz Time]

You'll probably get this from Brint next week, but I'll make his job easier (as long as I'm not on ignore).

Cat OL:
This might come as a surprise to the casual fans but not to anyone paying attention: the Cat OL is only a shell of the one in 2019. We lost our top two OTs - one to the SEC where he is now starting, and one to a season ending injury around the time Vigen arrived. We've been playing with our most experienced guy at Left OT (Kidd, a nature OG) and a freshman at right OT with mixed results. In the interior, we are now starting a 260-pound freshman from Bozeman at Center. He's doing an exceptional job making calls and getting the unit organized (that's why he's starting IMO), a pretty good job at run blocking, and he and several other guys show weakness to pass pro. The guard play has been pretty good. Cole Sane (sent from you guys actually) has done a pretty good job but has battled injuries, and as was shown at EWU with Tuiasosopo was held out for disciplinary reasons, we dropped off very fast on depth. In 2019 we knew there would be 8 in the box, and we simply didn't care. The Cats still ended up the top BSC team in rushing (I think, maybe 2nd). This is a very different year, and we can no longer simply bully people in the running game in the same way. We are much more vulnerable to the disguises, blitzes and various forms of pressure sent continuously from you guys.

Cat Offensive Skill Players:
So, after all that negativity on the OL, why do the Cats have one of the best performing RBs in the entire NCAA? Great question. Keep reading.
In 2019 with Rovig, all we needed him to do was protect the ball and occasionally hit a wide-open receiver when teams got too carried away with loading the box. We rode that all the way to the semis. This year we have an athletic QB that plays very efficiently, and a new head coach that knows how to get the most out of a QB. McKay is far from perfect, but he is a significant upgrade. With the emergence of Lance McCutcheon as an all-conference performer at WR, this team is truly balanced (I might have just lost a few of you with that, but it’s true). In other words, all year long we’ve been able to beat teams in the air and on the edges that overload the box, and once teams start playing us straight up, the holes start to look pretty good for Ifanse even with medium performing OL. Also note we are doing a much better job involving the TE's compared to 2019, and Patterson has done a good job on slants off of RPO giving McKay other options.

Outlook for the grizz defense:
Here’s the good news. Weber put the formula on tape on how to bring the Cat O to a grinding halt, and the grizz D just might have the personnel to do some of the same things. McKay has shown in Ogden (and a few other times this year) that he’s prone to getting rattled. In these instances, he tends to rush his reads and he’s far more likely to make poor decisions. He’s simply not the same player as when he’s settled and confident. The other thing Weber did well was shut down McCutcheon in single coverage when most teams cannot. As such, Weber successfully cheated the safeties into the box and Ifanse only managed 85 yards on the day. Your dropdowns on the outside may have the same success. It will be critical for you that they do. If McKay starts hitting the #86 on routine hooks and fades, the #22 breaking loose isn’t far behind.

All smack talk aside, Thanks for taking the time to post this. Great read to just get an understanding where and how MSU has been kicking butt. Really enjoyed your insight.

 

[Grizzlies1982]

You'll probably get this from Brint next week, but I'll make his job easier (as long as I'm not on ignore).

Cat OL:
This might come as a surprise to the casual fans but not to anyone paying attention: the Cat OL is only a shell of the one in 2019. We lost our top two OTs - one to the SEC where he is now starting, and one to a season ending injury around the time Vigen arrived. We've been playing with our most experienced guy at Left OT (Kidd, a nature OG) and a freshman at right OT with mixed results. In the interior, we are now starting a 260-pound freshman from Bozeman at Center. He's doing an exceptional job making calls and getting the unit organized (that's why he's starting IMO), a pretty good job at run blocking, and he and several other guys show weakness to pass pro. The guard play has been pretty good. Cole Sane (sent from you guys actually) has done a pretty good job but has battled injuries, and as was shown at EWU with Tuiasosopo was held out for disciplinary reasons, we dropped off very fast on depth. In 2019 we knew there would be 8 in the box, and we simply didn't care. The Cats still ended up the top BSC team in rushing (I think, maybe 2nd). This is a very different year, and we can no longer simply bully people in the running game in the same way. We are much more vulnerable to the disguises, blitzes and various forms of pressure sent continuously from you guys.

Cat Offensive Skill Players:
So, after all that negativity on the OL, why do the Cats have one of the best performing RBs in the entire NCAA? Great question. Keep reading.
In 2019 with Rovig, all we needed him to do was protect the ball and occasionally hit a wide-open receiver when teams got too carried away with loading the box. We rode that all the way to the semis. This year we have an athletic QB that plays very efficiently, and a new head coach that knows how to get the most out of a QB. McKay is far from perfect, but he is a significant upgrade. With the emergence of Lance McCutcheon as an all-conference performer at WR, this team is truly balanced (I might have just lost a few of you with that, but it’s true). In other words, all year long we’ve been able to beat teams in the air and on the edges that overload the box, and once teams start playing us straight up, the holes start to look pretty good for Ifanse even with medium performing OL. Also note we are doing a much better job involving the TE's compared to 2019, and Patterson has done a good job on slants off of RPO giving McKay other options.

Outlook for the grizz defense:
Here’s the good news. Weber put the formula on tape on how to bring the Cat O to a grinding halt, and the grizz D just might have the personnel to do some of the same things. McKay has shown in Ogden (and a few other times this year) that he’s prone to getting rattled. In these instances, he tends to rush his reads and he’s far more likely to make poor decisions. He’s simply not the same player as when he’s settled and confident. The other thing Weber did well was shut down McCutcheon in single coverage when most teams cannot. As such, Weber successfully cheated the safeties into the box and Ifanse only managed 85 yards on the day. Your dropdowns on the outside may have the same success. It will be critical for you that they do. If McKay starts hitting the #86 on routine hooks and fades, the #22 breaking loose isn’t far behind.

Good assessment. Thanks for the post

 

[ABQCat]

You'll probably get this from Brint next week, but I'll make his job easier (as long as I'm not on ignore).

Cat OL:
This might come as a surprise to the casual fans but not to anyone paying attention: the Cat OL is only a shell of the one in 2019. We lost our top two OTs - one to the SEC where he is now starting, and one to a season ending injury around the time Vigen arrived. We've been playing with our most experienced guy at Left OT (Kidd, a nature OG) and a freshman at right OT with mixed results. In the interior, we are now starting a 260-pound freshman from Bozeman at Center. He's doing an exceptional job making calls and getting the unit organized (that's why he's starting IMO), a pretty good job at run blocking, and he and several other guys show weakness to pass pro. The guard play has been pretty good. Cole Sane (sent from you guys actually) has done a pretty good job but has battled injuries, and as was shown at EWU with Tuiasosopo was held out for disciplinary reasons, we dropped off very fast on depth. In 2019 we knew there would be 8 in the box, and we simply didn't care. The Cats still ended up the top BSC team in rushing (I think, maybe 2nd). This is a very different year, and we can no longer simply bully people in the running game in the same way. We are much more vulnerable to the disguises, blitzes and various forms of pressure sent continuously from you guys.

Cat Offensive Skill Players:
So, after all that negativity on the OL, why do the Cats have one of the best performing RBs in the entire NCAA? Great question. Keep reading.
In 2019 with Rovig, all we needed him to do was protect the ball and occasionally hit a wide-open receiver when teams got too carried away with loading the box. We rode that all the way to the semis. This year we have an athletic QB that plays very efficiently, and a new head coach that knows how to get the most out of a QB. McKay is far from perfect, but he is a significant upgrade. With the emergence of Lance McCutcheon as an all-conference performer at WR, this team is truly balanced (I might have just lost a few of you with that, but it’s true). In other words, all year long we’ve been able to beat teams in the air and on the edges that overload the box, and once teams start playing us straight up, the holes start to look pretty good for Ifanse even with medium performing OL. Also note we are doing a much better job involving the TE's compared to 2019, and Patterson has done a good job on slants off of RPO giving McKay other options.

Outlook for the grizz defense:
Here’s the good news. Weber put the formula on tape on how to bring the Cat O to a grinding halt, and the grizz D just might have the personnel to do some of the same things. McKay has shown in Ogden (and a few other times this year) that he’s prone to getting rattled. In these instances, he tends to rush his reads and he’s far more likely to make poor decisions. He’s simply not the same player as when he’s settled and confident. The other thing Weber did well was shut down McCutcheon in single coverage when most teams cannot. As such, Weber successfully cheated the safeties into the box and Ifanse only managed 85 yards on the day. Your dropdowns on the outside may have the same success. It will be critical for you that they do. If McKay starts hitting the #86 on routine hooks and fades, the #22 breaking loose isn’t far behind.

All smack talk aside, Thanks for taking the time to post this. Great read to just get an understanding where and how MSU has been kicking butt. Really enjoyed your insight.

I started a similar post for the other side of the ball but bagged it. It will sound like I'm trash talking even though I'm genuinely not trying. I just think our guys are playing at an extremely high level even without tinted glasses on. You guys should check our health coming in and recognize we drop off pretty fast at LB and Safety. If Andersen, O'Reilly, Webb, Manning, and Okada are all healthy, we will be able to take away your scheme even if Cam is playing. We rotate a bunch of guys already at CB and DL, so and injury there won't hurt that much. The exceptions are Benson and Hardy. Those guys are both first team players, but note the guys behind them have played a ton of quality reps this season.

With that said, if you are electric (again) on special teams and get McKay to hand the ball back to you (happened twice in Cheney), then this should be a good game.

 

[Plainsman]

Agreed on all points. Which leads me to think these things (trigger warning, this may upset some):
-I believe we will see a new defensive scheme (not the 355) next year
-Maybe a new DC *ahem* Andy Thompson *ahem*
-Need more Oline and Dline recruits, not just FCS transfers (unless they have 2+ years of eligibility).

Our current team is better defensively than 2019. But I think we will still run into the same issues with the cats as we did in 2019. Both the offensive and defensive lines have flaws that are exposed against a team built with lines like msu.

I firmly believe in Hauck's ability to lead the program, but I am concerned about our current defensive scheme and offensive line. Many current players are adamant that Germer is the right guy. I think he gets one more year to prove he can get and develop his guys to play the style of DOLA we remember. Don't overlook the fact that we are still feeling the S(h)itt era repercussions on the Oline. But we need to see marked improvement next year.

This is the best UM defense in BH's tenure at UM. There are things that need to be improved, but the defense is down the list. The defense keeps us in all games, it's been carrying the offense all year. Maybe you expect them to spin a shutout every week.

Why would Andy Thompson look for a lateral? I would think his next move is a FBS DC, if not a FCS HC job.

This likely is one of the best defenses Hauck has had although he had some pretty good ones in those trips to the Natty years. The best defense I have seen at UM though is the 1995 defense. Watched them all that year of course and attended the Championship in Huntington. Dave played well under constant pass pressure that day as Marshall had an excellent D line but the defense won that title for us, no question in my mind. They were a hard-nosed salty bunch.