With several banged up (and some MIA) members of the secondary day to day more shifting will occur this week. Ross Weaver will move from corner to safety, to fill in for Davis-Clark, who was a fill in for the dismissed Jenrette...you get the idea.
All the headlines following last week's 42-10 victory over Eastern Michigan used words like "Romp" and "Crush" and "Thrash," but from where I sat (quite close to the field, thanks Justin) the defense looked just ok. The offense was fine, considering the EMU (which the band chanted, "Go EMU," like the ostrich/Jimmy Clausen looking animal) defense gave up about 30lbs and 4 inches to the MSU offensive line. It was the corners, the defensive ends, and the interior linemen that looked just ok. EMU was about 1/2 a step away from scoring 14 more points. There was no pass rush. There were no big plays. That can't happen this week because given time the FAU QB will place the ball. In two games FAU's QB has thrown the ball 74 times and last season threw for 3700 yards. That's about...a lot of yards per game.
I expect Trevor Anderson to have a big game at DE. Two sacks, with another 2 for the linebackers would not be surprising. I also expect at least one tipped ball interception as the defensive line has a distinct height advantage.
Hoyer continues to be Trent Dilfer; the guy that just does what he has to do to not lose the game. Hand off 65% of the time. Complete a few throws. Don't gamble. Manage the game. Show your strong arm a few times per game by overthrowing a receiver by 10 yards.
The good news for Hoyer? FAU has a better chance of brokering peace in the middle east than stopping the MSU running game. FAU has given up over 400 rushing yards through two games. A team that can't stop the run can't stop anything. Look for Ringer, and Jimmerson, and Anderson, and...anyone else that lines up in the backfield to have success. Once the safeties creep up, look for deep balls to Cunningham and Dell off play action fakes.
I don't like playing the smaller athletic teams from Florida. There is so much talent in the state of Florida that even the leftovers, at least at skill positions, is top tier in terms of speed. Smaller quicker teams leave less room for error on defense, especially against screens and quick slants like Northwestern runs. I see FAU very much like Northwestern, minus the academics. Passes will likely go 5 yards in the air and 25 yards after the catch. Fortunately I really like our linebackers. With some pressure on the QB from the pass rush, good positioning on defense, and solid tackling the defense should be ok. Miss a few tackles or give the QB too much time and it could spell trouble.
The FAU coach, Howard Schnellenberger, is about 311 years old. He looks like Bela Karolyi, dresses like Captain Kangaroo and through carbon dating has been determined to be juuuust a tad younger than Joe Paterno. Smelly Schnelly (as his players endearingly call him) and Moses were tight until Moses, then a special teams assistant coach, told his players not to block on a kick return. It turns out he was practicing a new "parting" play that involved clearing space for "his people" by using an early rendition of the YMCA dance craze. When the play failed, costing Schnelly a promotion, the two had a falling out.
Naturally Schnelly chose to end his football career in Florida where he spends the offseason driving poorly, enjoying air conditioning and jello, and playing shuffle board by 10 am.
MSU - 41
FAU - 20
*Above: "Can't you see, it's time for my pills!"
1 comment:
once again the media goes after the little guy- catholic ostriches. remember, kind sir, these are mean critters that you perhaps don't want to disturb, or in the vernacular "wake up the echoes". domerboy
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