2021 Playoffs, Round 2: SIU Preview

[GreenfieldBison]

We can't.

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You’re fired.


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[CAS4127]

Reading some quotes from SIU they sure are a confident bunch. They know they can beat us because they did last year and it's all the same players.

Personally I think this won't be close by the start of the 4th quarter. SIU is going to get the treatment SDSU has received all those times in the second season. NDSU is a whole other beast come playoff time and I can feel that again this year after the sham of a spring season.

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Not sure on this take. SIU has solid weak side run game, and we are vulnerable to that type of scheme. Couple that with play-action and we have a game.

We need our O to click, which would allow us to make them one-dimensional (think, passing), and their QB has an odd release that we may be able to exploit and jump on sideline passes.

They also have some physical RBs, and we struggle with those at times given small OLBs.

[Professor Chaos]

Not sure on this take. SIU has solid weak side run game, and we are vulnerable to that type of scheme. Couple that with play-action and we have a game.

We need our O to click, which would allow us to make them one-dimensional (think, passing), and their QB has an odd release that we may be able to exploit and jump on sideline passes.

They also have some physical RBs, and we struggle with those at times given small OLBs.

I've been confused all season by their usage, or lack thereof, of RB Javon Williams Jr. He's a 6'2" 245 lb wrecking ball that in 2019 had 1300+ yards combined rushing and receiving and over 20 TDs when you add in his passing (he also had Derrick Henry-like high school numbers but threw the ball as well). This season he's only got 522 yards on 92 carries in 12 games played and hasn't carried the ball more than 12 times in any single game. His TDs have been cut in half from 2019 as well. We complain about our RBs usage but this seems like an egregious underutilization of a supreme talent unless he's been injured.

In any case I think their offensive skill players are the best in the MVFC all-up. They have a great duo of receivers in Cox and Lenoir that the Bison CBs will struggle to match up with 1-on-1. Their QB Nic Baker has been erratic this year (11 INTs) but if he has a good game (like the great game he had against NDSU in the spring) he can do some major damage with them.

Some of their fans on AGS have said their O-line has been very shaky this year... that gives me confidence that the Bison D-line can make life miserable for Baker and hem up their run game but this is a team capable of giving the Bison all they can handle if they put it all together.

[TAILG8R]

Not sure on this take. SIU has solid weak side run game, and we are vulnerable to that type of scheme. Couple that with play-action and we have a game.

We need our O to click, which would allow us to make them one-dimensional (think, passing), and their QB has an odd release that we may be able to exploit and jump on sideline passes.

They also have some physical RBs, and we struggle with those at times given small OLBs.

They've been prone to giving up rushing yardage and we've been hitting our stride with an affective rushing attack and utilizing less RBs(which has helped a ton imo). I think that and the fact that beyond the score from last game the TOP was even more embarrassing will lead this offense to kicking the crap out of their defense and getting their offense in catchup mode. Their QB while good has 11 INTs so playing catchup with a D that has been getting takeaways isn't a place I think they want to be.

Just my hopeful opinion.

[Professor Chaos]

They've been prone to giving up rushing yardage and we've been hitting our stride with an affective rushing attack and utilizing less RBs(which has helped a ton imo). I think that and the fact that beyond the score from last game the TOP was even more embarrassing will lead this offense to kicking the crap out of their defense and getting their offense in catchup mode. Their QB while good has 11 INTs so playing catchup with a D that has been getting takeaways isn't a place I think they want to be.

Just my hopeful opinion.

This is a good point. SIU time of possession in the NDSU game last spring: 41:26. SIU's average time of possession in the fall season so far: 27:07 (which is 112th out of 128 teams in the FCS).

[CAS4127]

This is a good point. SIU time of possession in the NDSU game last spring: 41:26. SIU's average time of possession in the fall season so far: 27:07 (which is 112th out of 128 teams in the FCS).

TOP in their wins is a more important stat for most part, but not necessarily. We’ve lost TOP this fall and won by +2 or more scores.

[Hammerhead]

TOP in their wins is a more important stat for most part, but not necessarily. We’ve lost TOP this fall and won by +2 or more scores.

We have an offense that doesn’t drive 8 yards and punt like we did in the spring.

[CAS4127]

We have an offense that doesn’t drive 8 yards and punt like we did in the spring.

That’s the most recent anyway. I’m still a bit leery.

[sage]

I don't have any preview of SIU, except what I've seen in stats and what I've read about them. I will say, Bison need to be ready to execute and play, with no turnovers and costly penalties.

Having a week off can be good and can be bad, I'm just hoping for a very strong running for a championship this year. I actual think we are the best team left, but will need to play perfect games throughout to win it all.

[17>1]

I know it was in the spring, but similar to maybe an SDSU regular season loss and then a rematch in the playoffs, it usually goes well for the Herd in that second matchup. Also, our defense right now is not the same D we saw in the spring, that was unlike any Bison defense we've seen in a long long time and that's why I put an * next to anything spring related. And like someone else mentioned, Cam Miller, enough said.

Win the turnover margin, win TOP, stop the run, run the ball. Bison win this one 35-14.

Go Bison!