Cal Poly week

[Yote 53]

Agree.tgat Cal Poly is getting better but we're still talking about a team that needed to rally late last week to beat a non-scholarship team.

As for the Bison and believing. Watching that Arizona game last night I actually have some hope. Arizona is not good and they were cutting through that Bison defense with ease.

[bobo]

I concur with the previous posts. We absolutely need to believe it can happen before it will actually happen. Mental preparation is critical when asking yourself to knock off the #1 team in the country, who is also going to be angry now.

BUT, belief is only a mindset and it will take execution on both sides of the ball to give us an opportunity. Players will need to be laser focused on proper assignment and technique as well as producing when the opportunity arise. Belief doesn’t win the game, but it helps you stay in the game. “Hard work and playing hard” doesn’t get us anywhere if the end result isn’t execution. The coaches job is to put the players in the best possible situations/calls to take advantage of what NDSU is doing and get our players in positions to make plays.

Defensively, we have to admit that we do not match up vs NDSUs offensive line and TE. Need to create opportunities with line stunts, run blitzes, extra hats in the run game situations. If we expect to go toe to toe with them with what we’ve been doing in the first two games, we will be in for a real long day in the run game like last year. We will have to tackle extremely well in space because extra hats forces 1 on 1 situations. Bring your hard hat to this one because there will be some collisions.

Offensively, we will not match up extremely well with their defensive line all day long, so timely and variety in run schemes/personnel, quick game and screen game will be critical. Dial up RPOs, but more importantly true play-action to drive the ball down the field.we haven’t thrown a true play-action play in the first three games. DO NOT force Camp and the OL have to control the game with multiple 3rd and long situations, they’ve proven they can’t do it and it’s a recipe for disaster!! Make sure the best players touch the ball by design, simple but absolutely necessary in huge games. We seem to have a hard time understanding that concept so maybe we can figure it out.

Should be a great week! Can’t wait.

[sdyotefan]

Cal Poly had a bye yesterday.