Wow

[NJCat83588]

Nate Williams calls out NU after the Michigan performance. Amazingly candid assessment of both offense and defense.

http://www.insidenu.com/2015/10/13/9509453/northwestern-michigan-recap-nate-williams-pat-fitzgerald

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

Good thing Williams never had any bad games during his run at NU.

 

[nycat33]

Good thing Williams never had any bad games during his run at NU.

I hate this response. Doesn't mean he can't give an in-depth review of the linebackers.

 

[shakes3858]

I'm really starting to hate this guy.

 

[NJCat83588]

Good thing Williams never had any bad games during his run at NU.

And good thing Inside NU hadn't been invented yet during that time, too.........

 

[thewildcat2011]

His analysis is good...his writing style and tone might should have been altered in editing. You lose a lot of credibility when you come off like an ass.

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

I hate this response. Doesn't mean he can't give an in-depth review of the linebackers.

Some of his "in-depth" review was really ridiculous and painted everything with a very broad stroke. I particularly liked, "We need to stop justifying Northwestern on its losses just because we played what you now deem a "great team." Stop."

This guy reads like someone that desperately wants to be a sports writer and thus feels full-on negativity will get him there.

 

[villox]

His analysis is good...his writing style and tone might should have been altered in editing. You lose a lot of credibility when you come off like an ass.

Right. It does feel a bit like he's acting like the coaches don't know what they're doing. It's one thing to present this as a "here's what the coaches are likely working on" - it's another to call them out the way he does.

 

[thewildcat2011]

Right. It does feel a bit like he's acting like the coaches don't know what they're doing. It's one thing to present this as a "here's what the coaches are likely working on" - it's another to call them out the way he does.

Some statements were floating around in the fun times that were 2013/2014 that a bunch of players didn't actually like McCall and thought he was a poor coach. Perhaps Nate was one of those as there are differences between how he analyzes the offense and defense.

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

Some statements were floating around in the fun times that were 2013/2014 that a bunch of players didn't actually like McCall and thought he was a poor coach. Perhaps Nate was one of those as there are differences between how he analyzes the offense and defense.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least. He definitely comes across as someone that will jump at the chance to tear up the coaches, and especially McCall.

 

[NJCat83588]

Some statements were floating around in the fun times that were 2013/2014 that a bunch of players didn't actually like McCall and thought he was a poor coach. Perhaps Nate was one of those as there are differences between how he analyzes the offense and defense.

It will be interesting to hear what CJ and TJ have to say about the game on Huddlepass. Both picked NU to win, let's hear their reaction to the debacle.

 

[shakes3858]

Wouldn't surprise me in the least. He definitely comes across as someone that will jump at the chance to tear up the coaches, and especially McCall.

Nate has said publicly that he likes to act that a big asshole because he it motivates people to be better. I'm not sure if you need a guy like that in the locker room in some form of "holding people accountable." I think you can hold people accountable and be normal. Thing is when you act like that on an internet blog as a former player, it just makes you a dick.

 

[Wildcatfootball12]

Williams wasn't a player in 13/14, but he did share the sentiment a while back that there were whispers on the offensive side of the ball about people being unhappy with the play call. He is always effusive in his praise for Hank, and never blames defensive issues on coaching.

 

[EvanstonCat]

His analysis is good...his writing style and tone might should have been altered in editing. You lose a lot of credibility when you come off like an ass.

Wow, a lot of sensitivity on these boards. I didn't think he came off like an ass at all. He was objective and called it like it was. The speed option play was ripped apart by many a person on this board, and I don't see anyone defending it. How could anyone possibly do so with a straight face?

If anything, I felt like he was too measured and balanced. The offensive playcalling sucked. Period. I'll leave his analysis of the D to those more versed (cue: MRCat enter stage right), but it didn't seem unfair to me at all.

 

[thewildcat2011]

Wow, a lot of sensitivity on these boards. I didn't think he came off like an ass at all. He was objective and called it like it was. The speed option play was ripped apart by many a person on this board, and I don't see anyone defending it. How could anyone possibly do so with a straight face?

If anything, I felt like he was too measured and balanced. The offensive playcalling sucked. Period. I'll leave his analysis of the D to those more versed (cue: MRCat enter stage right), but it didn't seem unfair to me at all.

I'm shocked that you of all people can't detect tone.

 

[phatcat]

Right. It does feel a bit like he's acting like the coaches don't know what they're doing. It's one thing to present this as a "here's what the coaches are likely working on" - it's another to call them out the way he does.

hmm...not sure. Hey, I died inside on Saturday watching that team and that coach school us, but I still think the team is pretty good. That said, we still do some things that are simply inexplicable - the option that never works, the short kicks that never work, the sideways passes that never work. so I don't think they ARE 'working on' these. How much can you 'work on' a sh1tty play? In practice, don't you think those horizontal plays must get squashed by Walker, Godwin, et al?

Some intractable issues have been resolved. we catch a punt now and then. We don't have our CB's 10 yards off the ball then back up (although that may return due to our two injuries). We don't rush 3...very often

 

[MRCat95]

Wow, a lot of sensitivity on these boards. I didn't think he came off like an ass at all. He was objective and called it like it was. The speed option play was ripped apart by many a person on this board, and I don't see anyone defending it. How could anyone possibly do so with a straight face?

If anything, I felt like he was too measured and balanced. The offensive playcalling sucked. Period. I'll leave his analysis of the D to those more versed (cue: MRCat enter stage right), but it didn't seem unfair to me at all.

I don't think anything Nate said was off the mark although his tone was a bit over the top.

I (and probably everyone else that watched the game) thought that offensive series with speed option right, speed option play action pass left, then speed option right was pretty baffling. I think the game plan called for that speed option to set up their deep ball, but UM defended it differently than McCall anticipated. (I don't know why anyone would think that would work when that speed option has been executed so poorly to date.)

I also knew NU would have to mix in more pass on first down (at least 25%) to have any chance to move the ball against this UM defense, yet there were 12 runs on 12 first downs in the first half. It was a bit baffling. At a certain point, even if Michigan is stopping your run with 6 (or 7) guys in the box, you have to throw the ball on first down if you cannot gain yards on the ground.

Yes, the LBs appeared lost in their reads at times (as they have at times prior to the UM game) and the front four DL did not control the L.O.S. like they have to date exposing the inconsistent LB play. No, the DL didn't dominate the game, but I didn't expect they would after watching how physical UM's OL has played to date. UM's big plays in those first two series (to go up 21) came off of assignment busts by the LBs on that (brilliant) FB dive play (off of motion) and what looked like LB coverage busts in zone pass defense. Unfortunately, by the time the defense settled in and started playing better defense, the score was 21-0.

Nate's anecdote about his bad omen was pretty funny. I had a similar bad omen when my one year old daughter danced to "Hail to the Victors" right before kickoff. It is a catchy tune.

 

[Eurocat]

I'm with EC. I thought his analysis was great and quite frankly makes me feel a lot better (yes I said better) about the team. Because until now my feeling was, sigh, oh great, Harbaugh is there at UM and we blew our chances for a few wins while Hoke was there, they are going to kick our butts.

Now it seems these problems are actually addressable.

Thanks Nate, keep it up!

 

[thewildcat2011]

I'm with EC. I thought his analysis was great and quite frankly makes me feel a lot better (yes I said better) about the team. Because until now my feeling was, sigh, oh great, Harbaugh is there at UM and we blew our chances for a few wins while Hoke was there, they are going to kick our butts.

Now it seems these problems are actually addressable.

Thanks Nate, keep it up!

Calling one of our coordinators a high school coach and then dickishly saying "Do what you want with that information" (aka we need to fire McCall because he sucks) is not addressable.

 

[Turk]

Calling one of our coordinators a high school coach and then dickishly saying "Do what you want with that information" (aka we need to fire McCall because he sucks) is not addressable.

Not addressable to you because you just don't get it.
Obviously, Fitz agrees with you because he hasn't addressed McCall and these intellectually insulting game plans. Even the few read options that were suppose to set up the deep ball was a joke when we ran All Big Ten Wide Receiver Kidd streaking up the field. Is he even on scholarship? The Michigan defender lifted a brow then quickly caught up to the outmanned Kidd. Game Over.
next....

 

[Turk]

Nate was very very nice because Walker quit on several plays. Look at the 3rd and 2. An OL came at him and instead of taking him on or shedding him to make a play, he just takes 2 or 3 steps back and let's the RB get tackled by someone else. All this prior to the whistle being blown. SHAMEFUL

 

[thewildcat2011]

Not addressable to you because you just don't get it.
Obviously, Fitz agrees with you because he hasn't addressed McCall and these intellectually insulting game plans. Even the few read options that were suppose to set up the deep ball was a joke when we ran All Big Ten Wide Receiver Kidd streaking up the field. Is he even on scholarship? The Michigan defender lifted a brow then quickly caught up to the outmanned Kidd. Game Over.
next....

Oh quit being a butt munch, Turk. I meant that Nate presents the problem as not addressable because he believes that McCall just simply doesn't know what he's doing and won't adapt.

I don't think we should fire people in-season. I don't mind talking about staff change ups right after it though.

Also, we're still 5-1 with plenty of season to go.

 

[hoosboot]

Not addressable to you because you just don't get it.
Obviously, Fitz agrees with you because he hasn't addressed McCall and these intellectually insulting game plans. Even the few read options that were suppose to set up the deep ball was a joke when we ran All Big Ten Wide Receiver Kidd streaking up the field. Is he even on scholarship? The Michigan defender lifted a brow then quickly caught up to the outmanned Kidd. Game Over.
next....

Don't you have to have some intellect to have it insulted?

 

[Wildcatfootball12]

When was the last time anyone remembers our offense running well?

I can only think back to Kafka

People forget that while the '12 team busted many big plays the play calling was a colossal pain in the ass, bringing in siemian on 3rd and long exclusively and rarely giving him a chance to succeed

 

[NJCat83588]

Even the few read options that were suppose to set up the deep ball was a joke when we ran All Big Ten Wide Receiver Kidd streaking up the field. Is he even on scholarship?

Don't be a putz. Yes, he is on scholarship.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsport...-garrett-kidd-gets-full-ride-at-northwestern/

 

[NURoseBowl]

Some of his "in-depth" review was really ridiculous and painted everything with a very broad stroke. I particularly liked, "We need to stop justifying Northwestern on its losses just because we played what you now deem a "great team." Stop."

This guy reads like someone that desperately wants to be a sports writer and thus feels full-on negativity will get him there.

Hey, it sorta worked for Mariotti . . . for a while.

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

Hey, it sorta worked for Mariotti . . . for a while.

Yep . . . lol . . . until it backfired on him like an explosion. It's a sad trend in sportswriting. What irritates me about this particular piece is that he's a former player. He should know better than to be a dick.

 

[Turk]

When was the last time anyone remembers our offense running well?

I can only think back to Kafka

People forget that while the '12 team busted many big plays the play calling was a colossal pain in the ass, bringing in siemian on 3rd and long exclusively and rarely giving him a chance to succeed

Fitz hasnt addressed the big elephant in the room for 6 years. In the meantime kevin johns couldnt take it anymore and was given a job by wilson who understands offense.
Thorson is better off drawing plays up in his palm and giving folks assignments. Btn2go has exposed mccall me never.

 

[Turk]

Don't be a putz. Yes, he is on scholarship.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsport...-garrett-kidd-gets-full-ride-at-northwestern/

Gotcha. These off season 5th year guys are hard to keep up with.

 

[chicagocatfan24]

Here's the thing Turk, and I'm pretty sure I've said this before. You don't know what you're talking about. Dissecting the innards of a football offense might as well be trying to translate the Mandarin or Navajo for you. There's a reason he's there, and you're here chirping him on an internet message board.

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

This Nate guy simply drops the mic and walks away. He nailed it and I think it's a higher dose of reality for northwestern fans. You're never going to win in big-time college football with that kind of offense. Mickey Mouse is spot on , Although I might've just said high school offense.

Must be a damn good high school offense to be 5-1.

 

[Katatonic]

^ Except the O has had far less to do with the 5 wins than the D and special teams.

Nate might have been a bit snarky, but he was spot on and has had issues with the play-calling on O for some time now.

McCall is simply not good at putting his players in the best position and realizing that something isn't working (will repeatedly try the same thing over and over again even tho it isn't working; the fact that he should have realized that it wouldn't work is another thing all together) and by the time he FINALLY changes things up - it's too late.

When was the last time anyone remembers our offense running well?

I can only think back to Kafka

People forget that while the '12 team busted many big plays the play calling was a colossal pain in the ass, bringing in siemian on 3rd and long exclusively and rarely giving him a chance to succeed

How bout the 1 and half game stretch last season spanning from the 4th Q of the Michigan game to the 1st Q of the Purdue game?

Imagine that? The O actually humming even with having the same issues at the O-line and at WR.

This past weekend - we saw the same thing we had seen the past couple of years (including for the 1st three quarters of the Michigan game last year) - trying to run up the middle when the O-line is losing the battle in the trenches.

Which is why Siemian was repeatedly put in 3rd and long situations.

And even when the 'Cats had 3rd and short - repeatedly opting for the power-set even tho just about everyone knew that the O-line was incapable of sustaining the push necessary.

Until the Michigan game, the O-line had won the battle in the trenches, so relying on the run game (and in particular, runs up the middle) wasn't as much of an issue.

But one would have hoped that McCall would have learned something from last year's UM game (but nope).

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

^ Except the O has had far less to do with the 5 wins than the D and special teams.

But they've been good enough.

 

[Turk]

Hey, it sorta worked for Mariotti . . . for a while.

Nate has given great reports. He has praised things in some weeks but rightly steps up and points out the unacceptable. Some cant handle the unacceptable. Next time maybe fitz should reel williams in and let him be a mentor or have an attachment to the team. Otherwise, get ready for free speech by a former player.
its called loose ends cuz someyhing sure is eating at williams for him to rightfully point out all the unacceptables.

Its called Loose Ends.

Go cats!

 

[NUCat320]

Fitz hasnt addressed the big elephant in the room for 6 years. In the meantime kevin johns couldnt take it anymore and was given a job by wilson who understands offense.
Thorson is better off drawing plays up in his palm and giving folks assignments. Btn2go has exposed mccall me never.

Did you just coin the Turk-approved nickname Mick McCall Me Never?!?! Turk, all is forgiven. Beautiful.

PS - the speed option is a joke. It hasn't worked this season. Ever. Just because the recruiting sites called Thorson a dual-threat doesn't mean he can run that play. He's lost on it. It's as good as taking a knee out of the shotgun.

 

[FeliSilvestris]

Must be a damn good high school offense to be 5-1.

Not necessarily, because a team may win because of solid D, or ST play, for example. Even in the MN rout, the O only scored 13 pts (one TD was just one O play to convert a long return, and another did not involve the O at all). Against a mediocre MAC team, the O only played well-enough to win during one quarter.
In fact NU's O is bottom-quarter or worse in he FBS in important areas.

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

Simply no for two reasons. Number one I've said all week leading up to the game Northwestern has played nobody.

Well that's just ridiculous. Stanford, Duke, and Minny are all far from "nobodies".

 

[Katatonic]

But they've been good enough.

Yeah, just barely (geeze, you make it seem as if the reason the 'Cats won those games was b/c of the O).

If that Stanford WR hadn't dropped that long pass - would have been a diff. game.

That Duke fumble as they were driving for the score and Vault's kick return for a TD made all the difference.

The D and to a lesser extent, special teams, have been carrying the O (and more specifically, the passing game - the run O has been decent, but need more than that if not winning the battle in the trenches or if the 'Cats get behind 2+ scores).

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

Yeah, just barely (geeze, you make it seem as if the reason the 'Cats won those games was b/c of the O).

The O had to score more than the other team. They've been successful five times. Were you expecting a high-octane Oregonesque offense before the season started? lol Our strength is our defense, and our offense plays accordingly. If we open it up, there's also the possibility that there'll be more mistakes/turnovers made which will make it more difficult on our defense.

 

[Katatonic]

^ Again, can't always expect the D to outplay the other D.

The 'Cats win the TO battle against both Stanford and Duke.

If Duke hadn't turned the ball over in NU territory (let's say that get 3 pts and not a TD) and w/o Vault's return, the 'Cats would have lost.

And I mean geeze, back when the 'Cats had an explosive O and a sieve for a D, even in winning seasons, people were complaining about the D.

What the 'Cats are playing is the Kirk Ferentz style of O and we all know how that has worked out for Iowa the past few years, and supposedly, Ferentz this year has changed things up on O.