As the Sioux head into their first of two straight FBS games this week against Idaho, we thought we would list some things that we would like to see improved upon after Week 1’s win over Drake.
But, we also want your opinions on what you guys want to see in this Idaho game and in the near future. What would you like to see from the offense? Or the defense? Special Teams? Anything is on the table. Let’s make this as interactive as possible:
- We want to see better blocking from the OL, particularily in pass protection. Way too many mental errors along the line last week, combined with the RB errors in the protection and Bradley’s happy feet in the pocket made an average performance obvious to everyone.
- 3-step passing game to take pressure off the o-line. The Sioux have plenty of short, quick receivers to run shorter routes such as slants, hitches, etc. They also have some size with Townsend to run 3 step fades. These are much easier to protect.
- Let Joey Bradley utilize his talents. He showed he is very adept at surveying the field when he has time. The kid is going to be a very good QB if given time to look downfield. We expect the offense to be more aggressive this week after last week’s breaking-in period for Bradley.
- More Jer Garman and more Jake Miller at RB. These guys bring a different dimension to the game. A rotation of Sutton, Miller and Garman will only help the offensive become more diverse. Both Miller and Garman need to work on ball security however. Tough for an offensive coordinator to get those guys out there if they are prone to fumbling. More Tyrhe Ivery and Blair Townsend.
- Screen game – we noticed they implemented a RB slip screen last week that hasn’t really been in the arsenal of UND’s offense for a while. Both times, the play had a chance to be big if the o-lineman down field holds and sustains their blocks. The RB also has to do a better job reading the block. It’s a new wrinkle and will take time to develop to the proper timing. Combined with the other multiple screens they run, this will hopefully slow down what will no doubt be a blitzing defense this week.
- We want to see the young defensive lineman show they have the ability to play consistently when the Big 4 need a rest.
- Cornerbacks to get up in the face of receivers and challenge them as a changeup to playing off the ball. They have to keep the receiver and QB guessing/thinking. Being aggressive and changing it up will at least make the offense have to think about the coverages.
Your thoughts?
