Closer look at NCst's weakness on defense

#1
Neyland2nd2none

Neyland2nd2none

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#1
There's not much doubt that NCst coaches and fans are very concerned about their group of LB's. For those that don't know, they lost two of the three starters from last year along with the best backup. The lone returning starter was ruled ineligible for this season earlier this year for illegal substances. They lost another one a couple weeks ago to an acl tear. Another arrived late in the summer from juco and has yet to be cleared to play. They are pretty much gutted at LB. Here's a closer look who they have for Friday vs UT.

WLB
1-Ricky Dowdy 6-2,240 RS JR(he's played one snap in 3 years)
2-Zach Gentry 6-0,227 SR(12tkl last year, 25tkl career total)

MLB
1-Sterling Lucas 6-2,231 RS SR(missed last year with knee injury, 15tkl in 2010)
2-Ryan Cheek 6-1,231 RS JR(5tkl career total)

SLB
1-Brandon Pittman 6-3,216 SO(2tkl last year)
2-Rodman Noel 6-3,210 SO(0tkl last year)

Obviously a very inexperienced group. The size of the SLB's seem more like a DB or WR to me.

I would think our gameplan on offense would be to attack the LB's with the running game. Then let Bray hit Rivera in the middle of the field and make those LB's cover our RB's on dump passes. Sooner or later the safety's will have to start moving up in the box to help. As soon as they do it'll be 6 over the top to JH11 or CP. I feel pretty confident we should be able to exploit those LB's all night. 4 days!!
 
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#4
#4
I like the way you think.
Sounds like a good game plan and I have been thinking the same thing too.
Look for our RB's to have a big game. All 3 shouyld get plenty of touches.
D. Young and Neal out of the back field and Rivera over the middle.
This shoyld be a fun game to watch..

Now.. can our defense creat some turnovers and stop NC State?
 
#11
#11
Because I am a decent and kind person, I will not bring up this thread when we win by less than a touchdown. Game is a toss up, and most analysts agree with me, not you guys ^^^^
 
#12
#12
My hope is that we're able to exploit this group both in the running game and by hitting check downs to Neal and Young. That will force the safeties into helping out closer to the line of scrimmage and open up that secondary.
 
#13
#13
Look for screens and check downs to running backs. The one thing that is probably the most difficult for inexperienced LB's is the pass game and open field tackling especially with guys like Neal and Young. I don't think they will be playing much Cover 2 putting their best player on the line of scrimmage so the flats should be open a lot. The run game should be really good. We really need to go out there the first play and him them in the mouth. Little game time experience means not knowing how to play when you are tired. Sure you get tired in the S&C workouts or at practice, but not like you would in a real game. It's hard to blitz out of zone and in man coverage, I'll take our WR/TE versus their secondary all day especially since their #2 CB is out for the game.

Short version. We still match up really well against them on offense. Hard to have a good defense without good Linebackers.
 
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#14
#14
SmokeyHound said:
what about the D-LIne? can their secondary tackle?
Click to expand...

Dline is ok. Couple pretty good starting DE's and a backup. The DT's are young but decent. A SO and a RS SO. Not great depth across the whole front.

Both returning safety's had around 100 tackles last year
 
#15
#15
Neyland2nd2none said:
There's not much doubt that NCst coaches and fans are very concerned about their group of LB's. For those that don't know, they lost two of the three starters from last year along with the best backup. The lone returning starter was ruled ineligible for this season earlier this year for illegal substances. They lost another one a couple weeks ago to an acl tear. Another arrived late in the summer from juco and has yet to be cleared to play. They are pretty much gutted at LB. Here's a closer look who they have for Friday vs UT.

WLB
1-Ricky Dowdy 6-2,240 RS JR(he's played one snap in 3 years)
2-Zach Gentry 6-0,227 SR(12tkl last year, 25tkl career total)

MLB
1-Sterling Lucas 6-2,231 RS SR(missed last year with knee injury, 15tkl in 2010)
2-Ryan Cheek 6-1,231 RS JR(5tkl career total)

SLB
1-Brandon Pittman 6-3,216 SO(2tkl last year)
2-Rodman Noel 6-3,210 SO(0tkl last year)

Obviously a very inexperienced group. The size of the SLB's seem more like a DB or WR to me.

I would think our gameplan on offense would be to attack the LB's with the running game. Then let Bray hit Rivera in the middle of the field and make those LB's cover our RB's on dump passes. Sooner or later the safety's will have to start moving up in the box to help. As soon as they do it'll be 6 over the top to JH11 or CP. I feel pretty confident we should be able to exploit those LB's all night. 4 days!!
Click to expand...

Great write up.
 
#16
#16
Just a little more info on the personnel listed

Noel was listed as a 5.8 4-star Safety by rivals in the 2011 class and according to rivals his only other offer was from Maryland.

Pittman was listed as a 5.5 3-star OLB and had offers from East Carolina, Elon, & Wake Forest.

Lucas signed with the 2008 class as a 5.7 3-star ILB with offers from Maryland, Mich St., North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Cheek signed in 2009 as a 5.5 3-star ILB over offers from Akron, Cincinnati, Kent St., and Maryland.

Dowdy signed in 2009 as a 5.7 3-star OLB over offers from Ga Tech and North Carolina.

Gentry was a walkon in 2009 and won a scholarship just this year. In HS he was a RB (1,300 rushing yds 14 TDs senior year) and CB (10 interceptions senior year). According to rivals he didn't have any offers out of HS.
 
#19
#19
fade route said:
Because I am a decent and kind person, I will not bring up this thread when we win by less than a touchdown. Game is a toss up, and most analysts agree with me, not you guys ^^^^
Click to expand...

I suggest you give yourself a cookie then, or better yet, give one to richrollin with orange and blue chips in them and see what happens.
 
#23
#23
NC ST saying CB CJ WIlson isn't eligible due to some NCAA clearing issue. Don't know if he will play. He is their #2 corner. Anyone have any updates as to if he will be cleared by Friday?
 
#25
#25
fade route said:
Because I am a decent and kind person, I will not bring up this thread when we win by less than a touchdown. Game is a toss up, and most analysts agree with me, not you guys ^^^^
Click to expand...

I try to keep a level head when predicting tn games, but I think you will be eating crow on Saturday. I think analyst are basing this on last season's records, and with the strength of schedules and injuries to Bray and Hunter I don't think you can go solely off last season. Plus, with who we have returning, I think we will be much improved.
 
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