Northwestern
- Thread starter jdubb66
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Northwestern will be going against two QB’s named Gavin in back to back games. Rutgers QB is named Gavin Wimsatt.
UTEP has a chance to beat Nortwestern if they establish the running game and play a smart and solid defense.
UTEP has a chance to beat Nortwestern if they establish the running game and play a smart and solid defense.
I see a problem for UTEP vs. NU: this game will be UTEP'S 1st game of the season against a legitimate legacy D-1 O & D line - it's going to be a challenge for the Miners given their problems against JxSt & IW. Miners are going to need a performance similar to their showing against Boise St. last year in all phases. I don't see Dismel's coaching to be any help to the Miners chances.
I will point out that Northwestern had a QB competition going in. The transfer from Cincy, Bryant, played most of the game and did not play well.
Then, in the final drive, Northwestern put in their other QB, Sullivan, who is more of a traditional mobile, spread QB, and they scored a touchdown.
Maybe it's a garbage time touchdown, although I think Rutgers was really trying to get their first ever Big Ten shutout, so I don't think these were the scrubs.
Anyway, if Sullivan is the starting QB vs. UTEP, the offense will look quite a bit different from what we saw for most of the game with Bryant.
Then, in the final drive, Northwestern put in their other QB, Sullivan, who is more of a traditional mobile, spread QB, and they scored a touchdown.
Maybe it's a garbage time touchdown, although I think Rutgers was really trying to get their first ever Big Ten shutout, so I don't think these were the scrubs.
Anyway, if Sullivan is the starting QB vs. UTEP, the offense will look quite a bit different from what we saw for most of the game with Bryant.
If ever there was a year to face them, this is it.
Consider whom we're up against. Northwestern still owns the record for longest losing streak, not UTEP.
I know a lot of people are saying Northwestern is a mess and they’re right for the picking so UTEP needs to be motivated and driven to win but we also need to acknowledge their thing too. Do you think Northwestern has circled this game on their calendar and they’re thinking they can win this game? I’m sure the players and fans will.be hyped for this game and highly motivated.
That's a refreshing change. Usually the only people associated with a P5 team that have UTEP circled are the 5th string walk-ons since they get to play the entire second half.
But you get what I’m saying. They are in a bad spot right now but we’re crazy think we are going to go into their house and roll them over. They know they have a great chance to beat us.
Yea
They're gonna definitely think it's their chance to get the monkey off their back. Dimel needs to be aggressive early get up and then run the air out of the ball and make the Wildcats lose hope early. That's all wishful thinking of course SMH 😏
NCAA Teams don't have 5th string players
It's Northwestern's home opener so the fans will show up. The question is how big of a rebuild are they in?
Well, Northwestern is on the quarter system, so the students won't be on campus yet, and that's the most vocal component of the crowd.
And with all the turmoil with this team, I really don't expect a big crowd. My best guess is about 20k.
I guess that sounds about right. They got around 23-24,000 for Duke, Southern Illinois and Miami (OH) last year and they were terrible then
That's every coaches job bro, nothing new or special about that really. Even when Itep plays Oklahoma the coach talks about Utep being a very physical team etc...
UTEP matches up and even out matches our opponents this year on paper, even Arizona and NU. I still maintain this is one of the most impressive teams I can remember in decades sporting a UTEP uniform.
Can they play or over achieve like it is the question? No. NU wants to reverse their ill fate and they know Dimel teams are not that hard to prepare against: Stack it and make them throw.
Can they play or over achieve like it is the question? No. NU wants to reverse their ill fate and they know Dimel teams are not that hard to prepare against: Stack it and make them throw.
Northwestern relishes underdog role vs. UTEP
Northwestern will try to bounce back from a disappointing loss in its season opener when it hosts UTEP on Saturday in Evanston, Ill.
The Wildcats believe they can turn things around quickly, even if not many other people do. Northwestern (0-1), of the Big Ten, entered the week as a slight underdog in its home game against UTEP (1-1), a Conference USA member.
"I've never paid attention to (betting) lines, never will," said Northwestern interim coach David Braun, who took over for Pat Fitzgerald after multiple hazing allegations surfaced this summer. "I think this group is at its best when it's an underdog, so that sits just fine with me."
Northwestern lost 24-7 to Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J., a week ago. Wildcats starting quarterback Ben Bryant completed 20 of 36 passes for 169 yards and threw two interceptions, and backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan led the team in rushing with only 11 yards on four carries.
Braun said Sullivan played well in backup QB duty (3 of 4 passing, 13 yards, one touchdown) but said he planned to stick with Bryant as the starter for a second straight week.
"Ben will be our starter for UTEP," Braun said. "Proud of the way ‘Sully' came in. You take stock in everything, everything's being evaluated. But Ben knows he needs to play better. We know we need to find ways to give him and the rest of the offense more opportunities to create rhythm."
https://www.albanyherald.com/content/tncms/live/
The one thing that may keep us in this game is that we may being playing against a unit that’s as anemic as some of Dimel’s offenses his first few seasons. NU tallied only 201 yards of total offense. Rutgers, while definitely a couple rungs up the ladder from UTEP, is no juggernaut.
The starting QB went 20-36 for 169 yards and a QB rating of 14.8! The backup QB, Brendan Sullivan, led the team in rushing with only 11 yards on four carries.
As bad as UTEP historically is against…well, damn near everybody, it appears they have a legit shot in this game. Of course I won’t believe it until I see it. Still expecting Dimel to shit the game away somehow.
The starting QB went 20-36 for 169 yards and a QB rating of 14.8! The backup QB, Brendan Sullivan, led the team in rushing with only 11 yards on four carries.
As bad as UTEP historically is against…well, damn near everybody, it appears they have a legit shot in this game. Of course I won’t believe it until I see it. Still expecting Dimel to shit the game away somehow.
I'm still afraid of the fact that we are favored in this game, even if it is only 1.5 points. The pressure is going to get to the Miners, as it traditionally has. They have a real shot to win if they don't run themselves into the ground. It won't be Northwestern beating UTEP. They are not that good. The Miners will beat themselves in this one. I hope I'm wrong. They really need a win to keep their season on the right track.
Jacksonville St. was a missed opportunity and an unnecessary loss. This one will make up for it as most of us had us losing to NW and Arizona. Going into the UNLV and La Tech home games with a chance to go 3-3 or 4-2 is about where I thought we'd be at the midpoint.
If utep misses a bowl game again by one game, we will all look back at the JSU game. Whether we beat Northwestern or not. I don't see a bowl game regardless because utep is just awful on the road. Utep would have to go undefeated at home.
The irony. Can’t beat a team that has been at the FCS level talent and financially the last decade but we’re gonna beat a team that has received all the benefits of being part of the P2 since forever.
The Jacksonville St was highly disappointed, but win 7+ and a Bowl game and that will be forgotten as a blip on the season and 1st game flub up by coaches and QB. Do I think that'll happen, History says no. Is there a decent chance of that happening if the coaching would match the talent on this team, yes. I'm rn at 30/70 Utep turning the season around and this Sat cold take that to 50/50.
Dimel’s record will always have blips on them. At some point they’re not blips but simply the cost of having him as coach.
Can't argue that. My high during the Dimel area is when he gave me hope that we were going to beat a much better Fresno St. team and get 1st bowl win in my lifetime. Then Dimel and Hardison took that dream away just like that. Ever since then I've tempered my hopes with this Coach and QB combo.
You have to take into account that most FBS athletes would not get through Northwestern's admissions. They are at a disadvantage compared to most P5 schools in their available pool of recruits.
I know it’s still early but I don’t know what to think of that Jacksonville St. team. They hung up 49 on an East Tenn St. team that won 3 games the year prior. But at the same time is this UIW team any good?
But looking at what happened at Incarnate Word. Their coach went to Texas St., he took a bunch of UIW players and brought in a lot of transfers and he beat Baylor in Waco in his first game. If and when Dimel is gone I think UTEP needs to seriously look at paying money to either bring in a very good D-2 school or a young assistant from a major program. Just let someone come in, bring in his players and try to rebuild that way.
Yeah some coaches do it, but Dimel is always setting the team up to for failure. Enough already.
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Dimel is far from the worst football coach in UTEP history
Dimel was saying on the News that the Jacksonville State road trip was extremely difficult and had a lot of challenges apart from the game. He said they’ve learned how to travel from the trip and will be more mature this time around.
My son and I looked at each other and said, ‘what the hell happened on that trip?’
My son and I looked at each other and said, ‘what the hell happened on that trip?’
Not just that but what did you learn on this trip that you didn’t know in your last 30+ years of coaching? That’s an odd statement.
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