This time it didn’t happen. For all the fears that Arizona State Part Deux was about to happen, it was not to be. Not because of the defense. Nope, this time the offense was the hero.
Indiana had (re)found an old bugaboo with the Spartan defense. One that Northwestern had tortured us for years with – the short passing game. Bubble screen after wheel route after bubble screen, the Hoosiers kept marching down the field.
Late in the 3rd quarter, as the Hoosiers were driving for a TD to take the lead, Mike texted “Here we go again” The gang was quite worried. And when Indiana scored to take the lead 24-21, eyes rolled, shoulders drooped and a here we go again could be heard across the Spartan Nation.
Then something strange happened. Normally, the defense rises up in these occasions with either a turnover or pinning the other team deep in its territory. But the defense was too busy chasing receivers for that to happen.
Indiana had (re)found an old bugaboo with the Spartan defense. One that Northwestern had tortured us for years with – the short passing game. Bubble screen after wheel route after bubble screen, the Hoosiers kept marching down the field.
Late in the 3rd quarter, as the Hoosiers were driving for a TD to take the lead, Mike texted “Here we go again” The gang was quite worried. And when Indiana scored to take the lead 24-21, eyes rolled, shoulders drooped and a here we go again could be heard across the Spartan Nation.
Then something strange happened. Normally, the defense rises up in these occasions with either a turnover or pinning the other team deep in its territory. But the defense was too busy chasing receivers for that to happen.
No, it was the oft maligned offense and equally disparaged special teams that saved the day. The punt return team got it to the Hoosier 26 and two Lewerke completions later we retook the lead 28-24. The defense continued to misfire and the game was soon knotted 31-31.
The offense took charge one last time marching 72 yards with some nifty Lewerke runs, including getting tackled at the one, (he claims he meant to, if so superb situational awareness) and the FG team got the win.
So what does it mean? Are opposing offenses going to adopt the same game? Ohio State won’t feel the need. The figure they can just line up and beat us. It’s not in Wisconsin’s DNA to run it. scUM doesn’t have the talent, Patterson is not that accurate. Illinois, Rutgers and Maryland? Who cares? The only one that could try it that might have success is Penn State. Hopefully by then we have tightened up the screws and are able to mix in a little more tight man to man to counter it.
Don’t lose sight that the offense and special team came through in the end when the defense was out of sorts. That’s what winning team do.
The offense took charge one last time marching 72 yards with some nifty Lewerke runs, including getting tackled at the one, (he claims he meant to, if so superb situational awareness) and the FG team got the win.
So what does it mean? Are opposing offenses going to adopt the same game? Ohio State won’t feel the need. The figure they can just line up and beat us. It’s not in Wisconsin’s DNA to run it. scUM doesn’t have the talent, Patterson is not that accurate. Illinois, Rutgers and Maryland? Who cares? The only one that could try it that might have success is Penn State. Hopefully by then we have tightened up the screws and are able to mix in a little more tight man to man to counter it.
Don’t lose sight that the offense and special team came through in the end when the defense was out of sorts. That’s what winning team do.
The Doofus continued his winning ways too going 2-0 on the Megsa Bets and 3-1 on the Mini Megas
Central Michigan +17.5 @ Western Michigan - Central must have the dumbest DL in modern football history. Western continually was able to get them to jump offsides. Any time the Broncos need five yards they would go on the second clap and Central would jump. By the third time I was yelling at the TV. By the fifth time I had dropped my head. The seventh time I just started laughing.
Western was able to get a 24-0 lead by the end of the 3rd quarter and things were looking bleak. But in the 4th quarter, the worst of teh knucklehead DL was benched and the offense finally started to take off Final WMU 31 Knuckleheads 15 WIN
Ohio State -17.0 @ Nebraska - Can't remember an easier win. OSU thoroughly dominated the Huskers. The BuckNuts jumped to a 48-0 lead and started resting their starters in the 4th quarter as predicted.
Give credit to the Husker faithful. The stands were still packed and they were cheering their team on until the bitter end. Final OSU 48 Cornsuckers 7 WIN
The winning ways were not limited to the Doofus. The Sheriff went 2-1 and the Big Flippy went a borderline outside the standard deviation 6-3
Central Michigan +17.5 @ Western Michigan - Central must have the dumbest DL in modern football history. Western continually was able to get them to jump offsides. Any time the Broncos need five yards they would go on the second clap and Central would jump. By the third time I was yelling at the TV. By the fifth time I had dropped my head. The seventh time I just started laughing.
Western was able to get a 24-0 lead by the end of the 3rd quarter and things were looking bleak. But in the 4th quarter, the worst of teh knucklehead DL was benched and the offense finally started to take off Final WMU 31 Knuckleheads 15 WIN
Ohio State -17.0 @ Nebraska - Can't remember an easier win. OSU thoroughly dominated the Huskers. The BuckNuts jumped to a 48-0 lead and started resting their starters in the 4th quarter as predicted.
Give credit to the Husker faithful. The stands were still packed and they were cheering their team on until the bitter end. Final OSU 48 Cornsuckers 7 WIN
The winning ways were not limited to the Doofus. The Sheriff went 2-1 and the Big Flippy went a borderline outside the standard deviation 6-3
Other take aways from Week 5
You knew it was coming. scUM tramples Rutgers 52-0 and all of a sudden their good again? Let's see if they can handle Iowa before stating the ship is righted. The opening line had scUM favored by 7.0 It's be eaten down to 5.0. Surprised they are favored at all.
Rutgers was so embarassed by the loss the fired their HC Chris Ash. The first casualty of the year.
Clemson had their annual clunker. Last year it was Syracuse. This year, North Carolina went for 2 at the end of the game, missed and lost 21-20. The toughest remaining team on the schedule? Hmmmm....Wake Forest? Or maybe a rivalry game against South Carolina.
Minnesota is 4-0? They've played a Charmin soft schedule and they beat a Purdue team that lost its QB Elijah Sindelar and best player Rondale Moore on the same play. They'll likely get to 8-0 with Illinois, Nebraska, Rutgers and Maryland up next. Total fraud though.
The Charmin softiest team though is Akron. In a battle for #130 Akron lost the game to UMass and won the Tissue Trophy. Who scheduled this game anyway?
You knew it was coming. scUM tramples Rutgers 52-0 and all of a sudden their good again? Let's see if they can handle Iowa before stating the ship is righted. The opening line had scUM favored by 7.0 It's be eaten down to 5.0. Surprised they are favored at all.
Rutgers was so embarassed by the loss the fired their HC Chris Ash. The first casualty of the year.
Clemson had their annual clunker. Last year it was Syracuse. This year, North Carolina went for 2 at the end of the game, missed and lost 21-20. The toughest remaining team on the schedule? Hmmmm....Wake Forest? Or maybe a rivalry game against South Carolina.
Minnesota is 4-0? They've played a Charmin soft schedule and they beat a Purdue team that lost its QB Elijah Sindelar and best player Rondale Moore on the same play. They'll likely get to 8-0 with Illinois, Nebraska, Rutgers and Maryland up next. Total fraud though.
The Charmin softiest team though is Akron. In a battle for #130 Akron lost the game to UMass and won the Tissue Trophy. Who scheduled this game anyway?
Keep an eye on SMU. They are 5-0, including a win over TCU, and ranked for the first time since the death penalty.
That didn't last long. UCLA has a comeback for the ages over Washington State last week. This week they played an Arizona team without QB Khalil Tate and RB JJ Taylor and still lose.
Two of my favorite coaches squared off, Baylor's Matt Rhule and Iowa State's Matt Campbell. Rhule ruled 23-21 and is now 4-0. ISU has lost two tough ones including a heart breaker to Iowa and stand 2-2.
What happened to Maryland? The talk of the town after destroying Syracuse, they turn around and lose to Temple. Maybe they were looking ahead to Penn State. If they were, they needed to look better. PSU absolutely smoked the Terps 59-0. Franklin is a jerk - he'll do that. I guess Locksley is who we thought he was. A bad HC.
That didn't last long. UCLA has a comeback for the ages over Washington State last week. This week they played an Arizona team without QB Khalil Tate and RB JJ Taylor and still lose.
Two of my favorite coaches squared off, Baylor's Matt Rhule and Iowa State's Matt Campbell. Rhule ruled 23-21 and is now 4-0. ISU has lost two tough ones including a heart breaker to Iowa and stand 2-2.
What happened to Maryland? The talk of the town after destroying Syracuse, they turn around and lose to Temple. Maybe they were looking ahead to Penn State. If they were, they needed to look better. PSU absolutely smoked the Terps 59-0. Franklin is a jerk - he'll do that. I guess Locksley is who we thought he was. A bad HC.