State #1 in total offense at 762. Minnesota #6 in total defense at 110. I think this will be one of the better defenses we see all year and certainly one of the most disciplined and well coached. We may need KT scrambling and running ability a little more than I'd like in this one.
Something's got to give Saturday.
- Thread starter patdog
- Start date
On paper, they appear to be much better/deeper at OL/DL than MSU….. this will be a big test for MSU. We have better athletes at the other positions.
I agree. I think we have the advantage in skill position players, they have the advantage in the trenches. I think we'll struggle to run the ball with our RBs. I don't think their DBs will blow any coverages so we won't have wide open receivers all over the place this Saturday. But I do think our receivers can beat them and get open. Will be much smaller windows to throw into though. And of course KT will always be a threat to do something special running the ball.
I think we will all know significantly more about our immediate future come Saturday afternoon.
Especially the Lebby family.
Especially the Lebby family.
As long as KT doesn't throw it to the other team, I think State wins in a close one. But... turnovers, we can not have them.
I think we can throw on them and I feel pretty good about our DBs. So to me this game will come down to answering two questions:
1. Can we run the ball effectively? I actually think we will. Not because we'll be dominating on the OL, but because we'll be serviceable enough to give Lebby/K1 time to scheme. I can see us coming out with a combination of throwing effectively and KT breaking a few outside runs. This will open up the game enough for our RBs to make some plays. Our offense will do enough to win.
2. Can we stop the run? It will come down to whether we can hold up on the DL enough to stop/slow down their run game.
1. Can we run the ball effectively? I actually think we will. Not because we'll be dominating on the OL, but because we'll be serviceable enough to give Lebby/K1 time to scheme. I can see us coming out with a combination of throwing effectively and KT breaking a few outside runs. This will open up the game enough for our RBs to make some plays. Our offense will do enough to win.
2. Can we stop the run? It will come down to whether we can hold up on the DL enough to stop/slow down their run game.
If State can stop Minnesota's run game, I think State wins this game and covers the spread easily. If not, **** could get real.
I do think State will score but will they stop them enough to win?
I do think State will score but will they stop them enough to win?
Hell the spread is only 1.5 - they damn well SHOULD cover it easily.
I didn't watch the game, but the stats show 38 rushes for 148 yards against EIU. Hopefully, we can do that Saturday.
If Minnesota can grind us down with their run game, that will likely mean our DL just isn't good enough for us to compete in most of our SEC games. Really hoping that's not the case.
Their D is really good, but a few long runs by K1 after losing containment, or him connecting on a few long passes will get Minn out of their game plan.
Their defense isn't that good and neither is our offense. But we'll score and we'll win by 14+ and if we find a way to lose just leave Lebby there. MN just isn't very good
This might be one of those 100 yd games for KT out of necessity.
But then I think about their DBs & Idk, but do they have more than 1 or 2 that can hang with our WRs?
Then I think they can play smart, play zone, mix it up, try to confuse & rattle a young qb.
We have elite speed at the WR position & a QB with an elite arm. This game comes down to between the ears. We just have more athletes than they do but can we play sound, mistake free football, or limited mistakes, with good execution & Lebby pushing the right buttons?
If the answer to that is yes, State wins.
But then I think about their DBs & Idk, but do they have more than 1 or 2 that can hang with our WRs?
Then I think they can play smart, play zone, mix it up, try to confuse & rattle a young qb.
We have elite speed at the WR position & a QB with an elite arm. This game comes down to between the ears. We just have more athletes than they do but can we play sound, mistake free football, or limited mistakes, with good execution & Lebby pushing the right buttons?
If the answer to that is yes, State wins.
Food for thought…
Minnesota played three teams with a pulse last season. Specifically they played three teams that would rank inside the Top 30 of most polls.
All the games were on the road and the teams were Oregon, Ohio State and Iowa.
They were all losses and the scores of those games were…
41-13
41-3
42-3
We need to win this game.
Minnesota played three teams with a pulse last season. Specifically they played three teams that would rank inside the Top 30 of most polls.
All the games were on the road and the teams were Oregon, Ohio State and Iowa.
They were all losses and the scores of those games were…
41-13
41-3
42-3
We need to win this game.
Minn home games last year. That 8 game home winning streak is a little inflated
Aug 28: W 23–10 vs. Buffalo
Sep 6: W 66–0 vs. Northwestern State
Sep 27: W 31–28 vs. Rutgers
Oct 11: W 27–20 vs. Purdue
Oct 17: W 24–6 vs. No. 25 Nebraska
Nov 1: W 23–20 (OT) vs. Michigan State
Nov 29: W 17–7 vs. Wisconsin
Aug 28: W 23–10 vs. Buffalo
Sep 6: W 66–0 vs. Northwestern State
Sep 27: W 31–28 vs. Rutgers
Oct 11: W 27–20 vs. Purdue
Oct 17: W 24–6 vs. No. 25 Nebraska
Nov 1: W 23–20 (OT) vs. Michigan State
Nov 29: W 17–7 vs. Wisconsin
Eastern Illinois only threw the ball 9 times. They were there to get a check. The only thing I can tell about Minnesota is that they are pretty good and have at least 3 players that can play anywhere. QB, DT, WR. They looked slow to me and I heard a fan/analyst say "Minnesota doesn't ONLY rely on talent to win games". That's a loser mentality and excuse for lack of recruiting compared to the competition. Sounds like MSU with Mullen playing Georgia. Lebby is always going to have receivers open. We will score enough to win, but I have no clue what our defense will look like. Minnesota may just run the ball all night. They better score because we sure will.
Seems like they had a bunch of transfers in, so who knows how good they are this year, but PJ Fleck has been there 10 years, so I would assume they are what they are with an outlier at defensive tackle.
E Illinois is an FCS team and ULM is a crappy G5 team. Who really know how good either team will be Saturday. This past Saturday both of us played at home. State made no mistakes while the first team was in. That is unusual for our team. No first game mistakes by the first team. One bad throw from our QB but it didn't hurt. They only had two penalties the entire game. They are at home but it's not Tiger Stadium. Be hard to bet on this game.
Ohio State at TX
OU at Michigan
Miss State at Minnesota.
Kind of a Big10 vs SEC showdown. I think OU might have the easiest game.
Personally, I think the second Saturday every Season it should be all Big10 vs SEC. I think both commissioners and all ADs would be scared to do that.
OU at Michigan
Miss State at Minnesota.
Kind of a Big10 vs SEC showdown. I think OU might have the easiest game.
Personally, I think the second Saturday every Season it should be all Big10 vs SEC. I think both commissioners and all ADs would be scared to do that.
KT being a multiple threat QB, will give us some opportunities, and hopefully keep their D honest and soft.....especially if our coaching calls the right offense
I am guessing, safe to assume that there is a legit possibility that this weekend will give us a true gauge, or better, of what our season could shape up to be
HAILSTATE
It would take too much scheduling control out of the hands of the individual schools, but I'd love if they did multiple showdowns throughout the year. It'd be awesome to have one week that is all SEC v. Big10 and a week that is SEC v. ACC or Big 12 (I'm sure neither the ACC nor Big12 would want that), or it'd be cool to have one SEC/Big10 matchup each week except for the first week, and the last two weeks. Just something to keep it interesting every week except the first week and the week before rivalry week, which I get most schools are just going to want cupcakes.
I think we will struggle to run it in the first half. And I think Arnett is gonna have Lindsey seeing ghosts in the first half. Then second half opens up a bit.
He's bound to throw at least one interception. Hopefully we counter with a takaway ourselves.
3 keys to game. Stop the run. Control Smith. Shut down their WR/KR. If they cant control the clock, pressure KT much or get big plays from that returner we will win
Keep in mind when comparing statistics that ULM would beat E. Illinois by 3 touchdowns.
ULM is a low end Sun Belt team, but EIU is a BAD FCS team.
ULM is a low end Sun Belt team, but EIU is a BAD FCS team.
You’re right, but it doesn’t really matter. Either team could have named the score in those games just by leaving starters in.
Those games reveal almost nothing about what will happen Saturday.
Their asses ran for less than 4 per carry against an awful team
Sure, but we did pull our starters one drive into the second half while they were only up 7-0 at the end of one quarter and needed two freak punt return TDs to turn it into a rout.
I'm not saying they won't be a tough out - I believe we will have to grind it out - but the wins were different levels of domination despite the scores being similar.
Should have probably clarified that I want that as a fan watching other teams. I don’t want our schedule to be any more ridiculous than it is.
Still you know they will try to control clock and keep K1 on the sidelines. Im confident in our DBs handling business. Less in the front 7.
Maybe. But let’s take away those two punt returns. Then they scores with 3:36 left in the game. That score could have just as easily been 38-7. They had 495 yds against a low level FCS team, averaged 3.9 a carry and gave up 7 tckls for a loss.
I hope that means we’re way better than they are. I really do, because I definitely want that to be the case.
This feels like a game where Isaac Smith getting 15 or 20 tackles could be a good sign. I think they’ll be running a lot and he’ll be spying that backfield from all over the place.
KT made one very bad mistake that should have been a pick-6. We're lucky the ULM DB dropped a ball that hit him in the hands.
Thank goodness he has a cannon for an arm. The ULM guys were not expecting to be that fast or hard. Our WR are used to it.
It was a bad read. It happens to young QBs. He made a few bad throws as well that I’m sure he’d acknowledge. We still completely dominated the game and broke the school yardage record against a team that was far from the worst we’ve ever played.
Other than I-AA teams they were one of the worst I’ve seen us play.
Yes, they suck.
All I said was they were far from the worst we’ve played. That’s true considering the number of FCS teams we’ve played thru the years. They beat two FBS teams last year.
MN had 9 TFLs & most of those came from their LBs & DBs. IF their DL can't affect KT they are in for a long day.
3.9 ypc, and their top 2 RBs got the bulk of the carries. If their run game is no better than that, I don't see them beating us. Hopefully they don't figure out how to get 5 or 6 ypc against us.
3.9 ypc, and their top 2 RBs got the bulk of the carries. If their run game is no better than that, I don't see them beating us. Hopefully they don't figure out how to get 5 or 6 ypc against us.
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