[ColoradoTree]

It just occurred to me that if Cam Smith's 1H absence led to WMU sustaining TD drives with the ground game, then WMU could have easily lost the TOP game as well as missed out on a TD or two given less rest for the defense and a better U$C defensive performance.  Doesn't bode well at all for Stanford.  Should be a closer game than I predicted, I suppose.

I'm a worrywart, so this explanation right here is what has me biting my nails off on a Wednesday.  I tend to think that SC's second level will be better than it was against WMU, but our OL will be able to take advantage of the defensive line often enough that we'll be able to get a healthy dose of 4, 5-, and 6-yard runs, but fewer long runs due to Smith's presence. 

On the flip side, I worry about our own defensive line responding to SC's desire to run power and give us as much Ronald Jones II as we can handle.  That said, that line battle is interesting in that their strengths (C, RG) line up against ours (Harrison Phillips), and their relative weaknesses (new starting OTs) line up against our somewhat undersized DEs.  I figure the A gaps will be relatively clogged, but I have no idea how the OT-DE battles will go, and thus how effective running off-tackle will be for SC. 

[ColoradoTree]

It just occurred to me that if Cam Smith's 1H absence led to WMU sustaining TD drives with the ground game, then WMU could have easily lost the TOP game as well as missed out on a TD or two given less rest for the defense and a better U$C defensive performance.  Doesn't bode well at all for Stanford.  Should be a closer game than I predicted, I suppose.

I'm a worrywart, so this explanation right here is what has me biting my nails off on a Wednesday.  I tend to think that SC's second level will be better than it was against WMU, but our OL will be able to take advantage of the defensive line often enough that we'll be able to get a healthy dose of 4, 5-, and 6-yard runs, but fewer long runs due to Smith's presence. 

On the flip side, I worry about our own defensive line responding to SC's desire to run power and give us as much Ronald Jones II as we can handle.  That said, that line battle is interesting in that their strengths (C, RG) line up against ours (Harrison Phillips), and their relative weaknesses (new starting OTs) line up against our somewhat undersized DEs.  I figure the A gaps will be relatively clogged, but I have no idea how the OT-DE battles will go, and thus how effective running off-tackle will be for SC.