Claeys started off by saying that it was a tough loss, it came down to 4-5 plays that we didn’t make that ultimately decided the outcome of the game. He said the Iowa game he thought they didn’t compete very hard, but this game he thought they competed hard. The two things that stuck with him were missed tackles in the 2nd half and having trouble on the offensive line getting up to their linebackers.
They got banged up upfront and had to start substituting people, which hurt the running game. It was hard to get any rhythm up front. He said they practiced well and it showed at the beginning of the game. He was pleased with the first half, but there was a streak in the 2nd half where the defense couldn’t get off the field due to missed tackles, and the offense had trouble getting a consistent run game. He said that Nebraska controlled the line of scrimmage in the 2nd half.
Claeys mentioned twice that he thought the kids played hard, which he was pleased with. Hard to get a consistent push when two offensive lineman go down, although they do try to simulate that in practice if someone does get banged up. He said injuries are a part of the game, and that we still had a chance to win at the end of the game. He said that is one reason he didn’t care for the bye week being as early as it was this year. After all that happened, it came down to one possession. We had a chance to win, just didn’t get it finished.
On the Leidner-Wolitarsky combination, Claeys said that Drew works hard and runs good routes, and also works hard for them in their run blocking. On the last drive, he said that the defender made a good play on the ball tipping it up, but that there was a throw somewhere else he should have made. That is the one issue when you have one go-to receiver, that that is their first look all the time. He said Mitch needs to continue to go through his progressions every time.
On now not controlling our own destiny anymore and keeping the intensity high, Claeys said that it is the senior’s last home game at TCF, so they deserve to have a great last game here. The seniors still have a chance to win nine games this year. He also said the Axe game is still out there, and that will be a big motivating factor for them. At that point, you’ll be sitting there with three losses and anything can happen.
The QB progressions are different for each route: sometimes you are watching the flat defender to see if he sits if it is a high-low concept, sometimes it is if the middle of the field is open or closed, or if there is two high safeties or one high safeties. Then where is your safety check, whether it is in the flat or in front. He said the quarterbacks can think that each team will defend a route combination the same each time, but that the QB has to continue to do his progression each time. Look at your first two progressions, and then decide where you want to go.
Claeys also did say that seven guys caught passes yesterday, and that a lot of plays did come from Mitch not liking his first read and going to his second. He commented again that the interception on the last drive wasn’t a bad read, but that the defender made a nice play.
Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith have been used together on the field this year on outside sweeps and inside zones, but that on Saturday they couldn’t get anything going in the 2nd half.
The last drive felt rushed, but Claeys said that when you’re on the 17 yard line with one timeout, every play that gets tackled in bounds takes up quite a bit of time. You don’t want to get down to the end and have it be a rush, so Claeys was fine with the tempo of the offense on the last drive. He said he didn’t want it to come down to one fourth down throw, so he wanted to get it in the end zone as quick as possible.
Claeys said he that he was fine getting a field goal before the 1st half ended after the bad punt by Nebraska. They tried to see if they could bust a run, but were happy with the field goal to be up by seven going into halftime.
Northwestern has been consistent over the past few years, and rarely do they beat themselves. They had a couple of early non-conference losses, but Claeys said their defense is getting better each week. Offensively as the season has gone on they beat themselves early in the year, but haven’t been doing that lately. It will be a tough game, but being the senior’s last home game at TCF, they will be ready to play and to keep going forward. Coach told the team that they have a good football team, and that they are potentially three possession away from being 10-0. Each game if they had made one more stop or one more score, they would be undefeated. In each of those losses, they have had a throw into the end zone to win it and have been competitively in it each game.
The game against Northwestern next week will be a 2:30 PM game.
They got banged up upfront and had to start substituting people, which hurt the running game. It was hard to get any rhythm up front. He said they practiced well and it showed at the beginning of the game. He was pleased with the first half, but there was a streak in the 2nd half where the defense couldn’t get off the field due to missed tackles, and the offense had trouble getting a consistent run game. He said that Nebraska controlled the line of scrimmage in the 2nd half.
Claeys mentioned twice that he thought the kids played hard, which he was pleased with. Hard to get a consistent push when two offensive lineman go down, although they do try to simulate that in practice if someone does get banged up. He said injuries are a part of the game, and that we still had a chance to win at the end of the game. He said that is one reason he didn’t care for the bye week being as early as it was this year. After all that happened, it came down to one possession. We had a chance to win, just didn’t get it finished.
On the Leidner-Wolitarsky combination, Claeys said that Drew works hard and runs good routes, and also works hard for them in their run blocking. On the last drive, he said that the defender made a good play on the ball tipping it up, but that there was a throw somewhere else he should have made. That is the one issue when you have one go-to receiver, that that is their first look all the time. He said Mitch needs to continue to go through his progressions every time.
On now not controlling our own destiny anymore and keeping the intensity high, Claeys said that it is the senior’s last home game at TCF, so they deserve to have a great last game here. The seniors still have a chance to win nine games this year. He also said the Axe game is still out there, and that will be a big motivating factor for them. At that point, you’ll be sitting there with three losses and anything can happen.
The QB progressions are different for each route: sometimes you are watching the flat defender to see if he sits if it is a high-low concept, sometimes it is if the middle of the field is open or closed, or if there is two high safeties or one high safeties. Then where is your safety check, whether it is in the flat or in front. He said the quarterbacks can think that each team will defend a route combination the same each time, but that the QB has to continue to do his progression each time. Look at your first two progressions, and then decide where you want to go.
Claeys also did say that seven guys caught passes yesterday, and that a lot of plays did come from Mitch not liking his first read and going to his second. He commented again that the interception on the last drive wasn’t a bad read, but that the defender made a nice play.
Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith have been used together on the field this year on outside sweeps and inside zones, but that on Saturday they couldn’t get anything going in the 2nd half.
The last drive felt rushed, but Claeys said that when you’re on the 17 yard line with one timeout, every play that gets tackled in bounds takes up quite a bit of time. You don’t want to get down to the end and have it be a rush, so Claeys was fine with the tempo of the offense on the last drive. He said he didn’t want it to come down to one fourth down throw, so he wanted to get it in the end zone as quick as possible.
Claeys said he that he was fine getting a field goal before the 1st half ended after the bad punt by Nebraska. They tried to see if they could bust a run, but were happy with the field goal to be up by seven going into halftime.
Northwestern has been consistent over the past few years, and rarely do they beat themselves. They had a couple of early non-conference losses, but Claeys said their defense is getting better each week. Offensively as the season has gone on they beat themselves early in the year, but haven’t been doing that lately. It will be a tough game, but being the senior’s last home game at TCF, they will be ready to play and to keep going forward. Coach told the team that they have a good football team, and that they are potentially three possession away from being 10-0. Each game if they had made one more stop or one more score, they would be undefeated. In each of those losses, they have had a throw into the end zone to win it and have been competitively in it each game.
The game against Northwestern next week will be a 2:30 PM game.
