What summer news about NU football would "excite" you?

[Sheffielder]

Apart from recruiting news, I sorta dread the summer because the only news that usually breaks concerns injuries.

As I think about the impending summer, I'd love to hear that Justin Jackson and Christian Jones will be 100% from day one, and that one of the QBs has decisively won the starting job. With all due respect for Oliver, I'd actually love to hear it's either Thorson or Alviti, because that would imply to me that seniority didn't play a part in the decision.

 

[Hungry Jack]

A few verbals from blue chip o-line recruits.

 

[willycat]

A few verbals from blue chip o-line recruits.

Other then recruiting news, I'd like to see that NU will be running a double TE set at least 75% of the time and a duel RB set the remainder.

 

[SmellyCat]

Given that both Duke and Stanford games are before the official start of fall, I'd be most excited this summer that we started the season 3-0.

Since that feels like cheating, I'd say the most excited I would be this summer would be someone saying that the season starts tomorrow.

Since THAT feels like cheating, I'd say what would excite me most is that our key players are healthy and the depth chart for Stanford doesn't have a lot of "OR" on it - in other words, that it's clear who is starting each position and not all that wishy-washy stuff we've seen in the past. Whoever wins the QB job, regardless of who it is, clearly and emphatically has won it, rather than someone backing into it out of seniority or because the others couldn't take the bull by the horns. I'd love for that guy to be Thorson, only because his ceiling seems to be the highest, but if Oliver or Alviti is that guy because he deserves it, I'm happy with either of them as well.

 

[Turk]

Other then recruiting news, I'd like to see that NU will be running a double TE set at least 75% of the time and a duel RB set the remainder.

IMO, the OL is our greatest weakness. Putting in two TE would prolly mean 11 defenders all within 5 yards of the ball and maybe our OL more exposed, certainly since there doesn't appear to be any support with the two outside receiver positions to threaten the deep ball. Of course my imagination is working off of what I saw last year, as our two outside receivers were no help to Trevor. Maybe players step up, dunno.

That said, our OL can look really good, and our outside weaknesses can also look good if we did the exact opposite of a tight set. I don't think we have a choice but to spread out the offense and go to a short passing game with quick hitter runs, and QB runs as well. A bad OL can look really really good with some zone blocking and pass protection for 'run and shoot' routes. We have the talent. I mean, we are loaded at RB. Long proved to be a stud. Jackson proved to be a super stud. Anderson has tons of potential. Vault is a stud. McCall needs to keep Vitale in a two point stance as well. Even shuler imo will excel in a short game. The knock on him was the over the shoulder catches he had a hard time with downfield. He seemed rather fine with the short stuff...screens, 5 yard patterns, and I wouldn't mind see us utilizing his speed on some quick slants when the safety cheats up.....sorta how McCall used Yarborough. I don't have an imagination of the outside since I'm thinking Christian Jones will be less than 100%, and otherwise no speed to stretch the field. But we have plenty of options if we have zero superbacks in tight. 6 guys in a two point stance.....we can fill those spots up with quick and/or solid players who are athletes. Thorson, Long, Jackson, Anderson, Vault, Vitale Nagel, Shuler, both Dickersons and I know I'm forgetting someone. Well, at least that's what I'm hoping to see against Stanford. I'd be shocked if we ran a tight offense.

 

[NJCat83588]

our

IMO, the OL is our greatest weakness. Putting in two TE would prolly mean 11 defenders all within 5 yards of the ball and maybe our OL more exposed, certainly since there doesn't appear to be any support with the two outside receiver positions to threaten the deep ball. Of course my imagination is working off of what I saw last year, as our two outside receivers were no help to Trevor. Maybe players step up, dunno.

That said, our OL can look really good, and our outside weaknesses can also look good if we did the exact opposite of a tight set. I don't think we have a choice but to spread out the offense and go to a short passing game with quick hitter runs, and QB runs as well. A bad OL can look really really good with some zone blocking and pass protection for 'run and shoot' routes. We have the talent. I mean, we are loaded at RB. Long proved to be a stud. Jackson proved to be a super stud. Anderson has tons of potential. Vault is a stud. McCall needs to keep Vitale in a two point stance as well. Even shuler imo will excel in a short game. The knock on him was the over the shoulder catches he had a hard time with downfield. He seemed rather fine with the short stuff...screens, 5 yard patterns, and I wouldn't mind see us utilizing his speed on some quick slants when the safety cheats up.....sorta how McCall used Yarborough. I don't have an imagination of the outside since I'm thinking Christian Jones will be less than 100%, and otherwise no speed to stretch the field. But we have plenty of options if we have zero superbacks in tight. 6 guys in a two point stance.....we can fill those spots up with quick and/or solid players who are athletes. Thorson, Long, Jackson, Anderson, Vault, Vitale Nagel, Shuler, both Dickersons and I know I'm forgetting someone. Well, at least that's what I'm hoping to see against Stanford. I'd be shocked if we ran a tight offense.

Turk, you nailed it. The only hope for NU on offense is to play the possession rope-a-dope game with short passes and quick mis-direction plays to the backs. This will be a grind it out, three yards and a cloud of dust attack featuring dink and dunk passes and the odd run. Unfortunately, it will feature an inexperienced QB whoever gets the start. Which brings me to................

Stanford will be a really difficult game. Some have them in the preseason top 10. Hopefully they will be looking past the Cats based on our consecutive 5 win seasons. If not, NU will be in for a long day.

 

[Sheffielder]

I'm honestly not looking forward to the Stanford game and I'm penciling it in as a loss, but this is exactly when we want a game against a high-potential team like the Cardinal - first of the season, before either team has a chance to get to know itself too well. Going in as the 'dog lets us come out of the gate fast, take risks, and play to actually win. Of course, whether we actually do those things remains to be seen.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

I'm honestly not looking forward to the Stanford game and I'm penciling it in as a loss, but this is exactly when we want a game against a high-potential team like the Cardinal - first of the season, before either team has a chance to get to know itself too well. Going in as the 'dog lets us come out of the gate fast, take risks, and play to actually win. Of course, whether we actually do those things remains to be seen.

Well since the Stanford Band has been banned, I would like the summer news that NUMB is going to be there in full force to inspire the Wildcats to victory.

 

[Deeringfish]

A few verbals from blue chip o-line recruits.

+1, I'm tired of all the excitement around "skill players". It all starts with the blocking and we are not going anywhere with out a solid line.

 

[Turk]

our

Turk, you nailed it. The only hope for NU on offense is to play the possession rope-a-dope game with short passes and quick mis-direction plays to the backs. This will be a grind it out, three yards and a cloud of dust attack featuring dink and dunk passes and the odd run. Unfortunately, it will feature an inexperienced QB whoever gets the start. Which brings me to................

Stanford will be a really difficult game. Some have them in the preseason top 10. Hopefully they will be looking past the Cats based on our consecutive 5 win seasons. If not, NU will be in for a long day.

I don't know much about Stanford other than I saw them ranked pre-season #8. Isn't that fairly high? I don't even remember them being in the top 25 last year but, like I said, I didn't really follow much football last year. At any rate, I'm really not worried about an opposition, I'm focused on our own team. We have the talent in the skill spots, and if we minimize the leaning on the OL, then we have a chance. It was frustrating last year when McCall insisted on calling middle/deep patterns where our OL just couldn't sustain blocks. As far as misdirection plays, McCall isn't a Kevin Wilson. Wilson lived off misdirection with DA. I remember the "Dart" play where DA2 would start with a fake step the one direction, then move the other direction with a pulling guard and on the strong side. McCall's offenses also have little movement. Players line up like statues 5 seconds before the ball snaps.....so the defense just sorta zero's in.

 

[Mr. Stupor]

Well, if this I a true wish list, I'd like to hear reports that Thorson has been so impressive up there, NFL scouts are starting to peek through the bushes with binoculars just to see him.

 

[Turk]

Well, if this I a true wish list, I'd like to hear reports that Thorson has been so impressive up there, NFL scouts are starting to peek through the bushes with binoculars just to see him.

Other teams have had great success with redshirt freshmen QB's. I'm hoping NU coaches can have similar success with proper communication skill sets. I'm not convinced that our coaches at QB/OL/WR are capable of fully communicating properly or understanding football enough, compared to successful coaches, to rightfully teach the proper techniques needed to win Divisions/Championships. It was very discouraging to me that we approached this season with Fitz saying his coaching staff is solid and the most cohesive in all of the NCAA, when cohesive doesn't mean anything if coaches aren't competitive with their peers. Of course, the board bullies will say I'm a Debbie downer, and claim that conspiracies have blocked NU players from Big Ten honors and NFL drafts.

The sad reality is that we simply can't develop talent. Most of our OL were better as underclassmen, including Vitabile. And a lot of our OL came in as big framed guys who left without any further development or skillset. Patrick Ward could have went to the NFL if he worked under a different strength philosophy and coach.

At any rate, if we had Kevin Wilson here or some other "Top" Offensive coordinator, I'm sure our OL and WR would look a lot better because Brother Wilson would play to the strengths with a lot of short passing, quick hitter and misdirection runs, loads of zone blocking, and plenty of spreading out the D, and plenty of motion. Our Offense had minimum protection called with middle to deep patterns that required more time than our OL could possibly imagine having. That said, as a cat fan, I have to hope that someone has sat down McCall or that he went to a football coaching camp, and now properly understands that we simply don't have a power offense.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Other teams have had great success with redshirt freshmen QB's. I'm hoping NU coaches can have similar success with proper communication skill sets. I'm not convinced that our coaches at QB/OL/WR are capable of fully communicating properly or understanding football enough, compared to successful coaches, to rightfully teach the proper techniques needed to win Divisions/Championships. It was very discouraging to me that we approached this season with Fitz saying his coaching staff is solid and the most cohesive in all of the NCAA, when cohesive doesn't mean anything if coaches aren't competitive with their peers. Of course, the board bullies will say I'm a Debbie downer, and claim that conspiracies have blocked NU players from Big Ten honors and NFL drafts.

The sad reality is that we simply can't develop talent. Most of our OL were better as underclassmen, including Vitabile. And a lot of our OL came in as big framed guys who left without any further development or skillset. Patrick Ward could have went to the NFL if he worked under a different strength philosophy and coach.

At any rate, if we had Kevin Wilson here or some other "Top" Offensive coordinator, I'm sure our OL and WR would look a lot better because Brother Wilson would play to the strengths with a lot of short passing, quick hitter and misdirection runs, loads of zone blocking, and plenty of spreading out the D, and plenty of motion. Our Offense had minimum protection called with middle to deep patterns that required more time than our OL could possibly imagine having. That said, as a cat fan, I have to hope that someone has sat down McCall or that he went to a football coaching camp, and now properly understands that we simply don't have a power offense.

Welcome back Turk!

 

[NTCAT]

Brian Mulroe is a great example of a linemen who did greatly improve over the course of his career and had some NFL shouts before he decided against pro football.