November 26, 2004
Get a Leg Up
The only thing the Cats took away from their
unimpressive and very improbable victory over an overmatched Ill-Annoy
team: post-season bowl eligibility. Although this “W” represents the
2nd leg of four in Our Master & Commander's final coaching hurdle
of his tenure as HC of the Wildcats, a bowl game victory, there was
little to celebrate. In truth, the 'Cats played their worst game of the
season since the debacle against the Minnie Mighty Marmots.
The Ill-Whine-I faced the 'Cats with nothing to lose.
Their season lied shredded and in tatters for the entire football-rabid
state to see, their prospects for improvement in a similar state and it
was all but a foregone conclusion that Ill-Whine-I HC Ron Turner would
be handed his walking papers after the expected drubbing at the hands
of arch-rival Northwestern.
But a funny thing happened to the Pumpkin-helmeted
team from Shampoo-Banana as they prepared to face the Big Bad 'Cats in
Dyche's Ditch … they didn't give a rat's behind about any of that. This
Ill-Whine-I team was p.o.'ed in a big way and were gonna take full
advantage of this opportunity to unleash their many frustrations
straight into the face of their over-confident and unsuspecting foes.
And they nearly pulled-off their biggest win of their
2004 campaign, let alone one of the biggest upsets in the Big 10/11
conference this season. Were it not for the fickle, swirling winds
curling around the South Tower of Ryan Field, Ill-Annoy should have
snatched a well-deserved victory from the bumbling, stumbling,
penalty-prone 'Cats and salvaged their pride and a small portion of
their season by keeping the 'Cats from a bowl game invitation.
But in the end, the 'Cats pulled the “W” out of their
moon simply because the Ill-Whine-I failed to seal the deal on several
occasions to stick it up the 'Cats' Sea of Tranquility.
There were so many negatives in this game, it boggles
the mind to realize that the 'Cats, indeed, had won.
By far, this was the worse 60 minutes of the season
for the 'Cat receiving corps. There were at least 10 dropped passes
over the course of the game - many in situations that could have had
substantial positive impact on game momentum and control. I was
impressed that NU QB Basanez kept his composure throughout the
proceedings while dealing with the dreaded dropsie disease ravaging his
wideouts. One thing is for certain: if this group doesn't gets its
collective hands right, the Wildcat Nation can forget about this bowl
game eligibility silliness. As witnessed last Saturday, the team that
took the field in Dyche's Ditch didn't deserve any such consideration.
The penalties. Lord Have Mercy, the penalties. I must
admit that many of the yellow flags thrown in the direction of the
'Cats were dubious at best. How in the world could a referee standing
on the fifty yard line throw a flag at an indiscretion he spied
occurring clear across the field at the 15? Not once, but 3 times -
while the official standing directly in front of the action doesn't
make a move whatsoever for his handkerchief. What about the pass
interference penalty on Dominique Price where the field judge 3 yards
away sees no infraction while another zebra 25 yards removed from the
play chucks his yellow laundry towards the group - outrageous. However,
before anyone thinks that the 'Cats were being unfairly mistreated and
abused at the hands of the Big 10/11 officiating crew, there were so
many others that were not called. Virtually every kickoff or punt
return made by the 'Cats saw numerous holds and blocks-in-the-back.
What was going on … was something slipped into the team Gatorade
buckets before the opening whistle? Whatever it was, the 'Cats proved
themselves to be their own worst enemy, exhibiting an extreme lack of
disciplined field play that was absent against their more serious
adversaries throughout the 2004 Big 10/11 schedule. This is a BIG
problem, but is not NU's biggest nemesis.
That distinction goes to NU's utterly woeful kick
coverage teams. The collective performances of the players who comprise
these special teams are nothing less than dog-doo. Coverage techniques
resemble what might be expected from a collection of Jerry's Kids, the
South Park foursome and Special Ed clones from Crank-Yankers. To call
them “bumbling, stumbling” would be kind. Simply put, NU's coverage is
purely putrid - even by Pop Warner league standards. And it's been
getting worse over the last 3 games. Arm tackles, lack of focus and
failure to stay in return lanes, slow, tentative convergence on the
return man, failure to break-down into football-hitting position,
throwing the body instead of attacking the midsection of the ball
carrier … where do I start? I'll do so by stating that this is totally
unacceptable. The kicking game is 30% of any football game and NU is
failing miserably to execute at a Big 10/11 level in any of its
critical areas. This deficiency is a major concern - especially since
NU's AD, Mark Murphy, is seriously entertaining ideas of facing an
upscale Division 1A opponent in a nationally televised bowl game. To do
so with the current field play profile of NU's special teams would be
an embarrassment.
Last but not least - offensive and defensive play
calling. Periods of inspired offensive play calling have been
interrupted by others where the game plan plays-out like a comedy of
errors. And should I even mention the 3 man DL pass rush used during
long-distance passing situations? It's all so frustrating and obviously
debilitating to those purple-clad players trying to execute these
misdirected strategies. If NU's OC and DC don't get their general
game-time play calling strategies together, NU will be going nowhere
against the Oahu Wahinies this next Saturday, let alone a quality team
like the Crimson Hides of Abalama in Nashville.
How NU beat the Ill-Whine-I
Positives From Negatives
This game was a case where NU garnered positives from
their opponent's negatives. Essentially, Ill-Annoy snatched defeat from
the jaws of victory twice in the game's last 2 minutes, and NU took the
gifts in-hand and made the Ill-Whine-I Pumpkin-heads pay dearly for
their miscues.
First was NU return-man Jeff Backes' timely punt
return for the game-tying TD with 2:00 minutes left on the clock. Talk
about a Maalox moment. Up to that critical juncture, NU's offensive
play-calling, coupled with the continued dropsie disease displayed by
NU's WRs, decimated the 'Cats' all ability to mount anything resembling
a sustained offensive attack. The reputed strength of NU's offense,
first and foremost, lies in its ground game. With NU's primary weapon,
Noah “The Herring” Herron getting a mere 12 touches in H-2, the 'Cat O
was stymied series after series as much by it's debilitating game plan
as by the inspired field play of the Ill-Whine-I defenders. With a mere
120 ticks left on the game clock, NU's offensive scoring capacity
appeared DOA and the Purple Populace attending the game were resigned
to an ignominious defeat to overmatched Ill-Annoy. Then BANG. Backes
makes the grab, blasts through a middle return wall deftly set-up for
the first time in the contest by NU's punt return team, side-steps a
would be tackler, then flies-by Ill-Annoy punter Weatherford to
paydirt. The Dyche's Ditch patrons explode. Now on to overtime and a
victory.
Then ka-boom, NU's kick-off coverage breaks-down once
again, allowing Ill-Whine-I wunder-kin return-man, Pierre Thomas, to
wind through NU's traffic cone coverage to the NU 30. 4 rushes later,
Ill-Annoy lines-up for the game-winning FG. The football goes up and,
thank Gawd, sails wide left. Another bullet dodged by the Cardiac
'Cats.
New life and the 4th overtime of 2004, an NCAA record
begs the question: Did NU win this game or did Ill-Annoy lose it.
Personally, I truly feel it was the latter.
Overtime Opportunity
It was very apparent that NU fielded the superior
football team. Our Master & Commander knew it, the players on both
sides of the LOS knew it, the fans in either stands knew tit. But to
their credit, Ill-Annoy didn't concede anything to the somnolent 'Cats
and their lack-luster field play displayed throughout regulation.
Now NU inexplicably had another chance at vindication
- an unlikely overtime opportunity born of a truly remarkable punt
return TD by NU and a missed “gimme” FG from the Ill-Whine-I.- to keep
their bowl hopes alive.
Here, was the whole game in microcosm - one possession
apiece for all the marbles.
5 plays later, Baz finds an open Jonathan Fields,
running a disciplined possession route and curling into a seam in the
Ill-Annoy secondary, who turns and makes a fine grab of an underthrown
ball off the turf. 7 points up, the 'Cats stand poised to steal the
victory. Now the game comes-down to NU's inconsistent D.
Then Ill-Annoy's HC Ron Turner, doing his best
imitation of the Who-Zits Gerry DiNardo, puts the game into the hands
of his newby freshman QB, Chris Pazan. Instead of continuing his
effective ground game, Turner turns to the pass; and Pazan shows his
inexperience by missing 5 of 7 passes. The gutsy, gritty Ill-Whine-I
return to Shampoo-Banana knowing that they had this game in-hand in
regulation and did not seal the deal.
Sorry Mr. Turner, not this year.
And now … The Oahu Wahines …
With the memory of this poor effort against a very
beatable Ill-Annoy still very fresh, NUs' excursion to the idyllic
islands of Hawai'i holds great trepidation for the Wildcat Nation. Who
will show - that hungry, “gonna-prove-to-the-world-that
-the-'Cats-belong” team who opened a big can of whoop-azz against the
BuckNuts, or that “write-it-in”, over-confident bunch that nearly
folded to the Ill-Whine-I?
I hope that Cap'n Vlasic gets the collective heads of
his troops set straight. There will be plenty of time for beaches and
bikinis after the game. This picture-postcard travel scenario has been
a great advantage to the Oahu Wahines. The sun and fun that these
island tropics hold are very real diversions for a weather-weary team
from America's heartland.
To that I say Bull-Ship!!!
OC Mike Dunbar better keep his play-calling challenged
counterpart, Mr. Hyde, shackled and thrown deep in the hold of the
Purple Pokelboot. The Wahines are very vulnerable to a team that
exercises a ball-control ground game accented by opportunistic,
possession passing attack. Our Master & Commander aspires NU's
offense to the true balanced attack; and I believe that NU has shown
both at times during the 2004 campaign, but never together. Time for
that complete offensive game to come together and let the Wahines feel
its full weight.
As for NU's defense, the return of LoHo and the
emergence of the Killer C's, Messrs. Castillo, Clark & Cofield, as
an effective front four must be complimented with a blitz package that
puts premium pressure on the Wahines' reputed QB, Tim-aaahh Chang.
Wahine HC June Jones knows a thing or two about a sophisticated passing
attack, and he has a very good pupil in Mr. Chang. However, one notable
negative to this coach-QB tandem: Chang also owns the NCAA record for
career INTs. If LoHo, the Killer C's and LBs Pickens, Roach and
McGarigle can get into the face of Tim-aaahh, his effectiveness as a
passing phenom could be neutralized. It has in several games this
season. NU's DC Greg Colby must can the 3-man DL formations and
concentrate on keeping the pressure of an unrelenting pass rush focused
in Mr. Chang's direction.
This game is impossible to predict owning to NU's
infuriating tendency to play to the level of their competition. Last
week, I thought that the 'Cats not only would cover the 12.5 spread
against Ill-Annoy, they would double it. Well, I'm through predicting
what the 'Cats will do because the only thing that is consistent with
this team is their inconsistency.
It is an absolute necessity for NU to put all the
positive pieces of the complete football game to bear against our last
regular season foe. Do this and the table is set to jump that last
hurdle.
The Waterboy
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