When you are an elite team, you use your non-conference season to develop depth, get guys game experience and do as much as you can to win the game WITHOUT giving away your entire playbook to your conference foes. You want to get there as healthy as possible.
In IU's case, they need to win 4 games heading into the home game with the Bucks. Obviously they want to play as many guys as they can and get any young guys who are going to have to play in the conference season. So IU is going to play a lot of guys and when Nate can come out, he's going to so that whomever is the backup, gets time early.
Yes I'm hoping Camion Patrick is eligible and that people emerge at receiver..... BUT..
I'm most interested in seeing how time, experience, and situations effect the coaching from both Coach Wilson and Coach Johns.
When Coach Wilson came to IU, you had 4th down gambles, onside kicks, play calls that were "unconventional" at best. Historically football is won with:
Defense
Running game
Special Teams
You played field position, controlled the clock and the ball with the dominant running game and you played defense. That was the winning formula.
Now teams play spread and run bubble screens (essentially a run) but for the most part, the plays are the same from different formations. But you have to run the ball and you have to be able to stop it. If you have lousy special teams, it burns you.
IU playing fast didn't always benefit the team. A quick 3 and out after throwing a fly or fade pattern to a backup receiver on third and 4 (thank you Seth) put the poor defense on the field too quickly.
So I'm curious to see how Coach Johns calls his games.
I'm interested to see if or how the team may run fewer plays at times to better control the clock, ball and rest the defense. Or not.
How about you?
In IU's case, they need to win 4 games heading into the home game with the Bucks. Obviously they want to play as many guys as they can and get any young guys who are going to have to play in the conference season. So IU is going to play a lot of guys and when Nate can come out, he's going to so that whomever is the backup, gets time early.
Yes I'm hoping Camion Patrick is eligible and that people emerge at receiver..... BUT..
I'm most interested in seeing how time, experience, and situations effect the coaching from both Coach Wilson and Coach Johns.
When Coach Wilson came to IU, you had 4th down gambles, onside kicks, play calls that were "unconventional" at best. Historically football is won with:
Defense
Running game
Special Teams
You played field position, controlled the clock and the ball with the dominant running game and you played defense. That was the winning formula.
Now teams play spread and run bubble screens (essentially a run) but for the most part, the plays are the same from different formations. But you have to run the ball and you have to be able to stop it. If you have lousy special teams, it burns you.
IU playing fast didn't always benefit the team. A quick 3 and out after throwing a fly or fade pattern to a backup receiver on third and 4 (thank you Seth) put the poor defense on the field too quickly.
So I'm curious to see how Coach Johns calls his games.
I'm interested to see if or how the team may run fewer plays at times to better control the clock, ball and rest the defense. Or not.
How about you?
