Great Job JM. This group will be very difficult...

Press release 2010.09.17

Norway vs. Australia pregame report

Today Norway will face Australia in our first home game. In this pregame report we'll give some insight into what to expect from our team, and what we expect to face from the Australian national team. Both teams lost their opening day matches last week, and will be eager to redeem themselves this week.


Norway starting lineups:
Offense
LT: Hans Heiberg
LG: Levi Martinsen
C: Roger Viken
RG: Mattias Alnæs
RT: Christer Hægeland
X (LWR): Isac Mandelid
Y (LTE): Ronny Fjellanger
Z (RWR): Sondre Herland
QB: Nils Wiken
2 (RTE): Joakim Mydland
3 (HB): Johan Vike

Defense
LDE: Arild Krane
LDT: Karsten Hvattum
RDT: Mons Flo
RDE: Kristian Langø
LOLB: Oskar Nordhagen
MLB: Gaute Nguyen
ROLB: Sven Høyvik
LCB: Leif Halvorsrud
SS: Aleksander Dammen
FS: Syver Rong
RCB: Oliver Bævre


When Norway has the ball:
Norway will play a balanced ace double tight formation today:
-----------------------------------LOS------------------------------------
----WR------------TE---LT---LG--C--RG---RT---TE------------WR----
------------------------------------QB-------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------HB-------------------------------------

We will again focus on the passing game, but mix in the running game just like last week. In our away game versus Team France, we learned that we can indeed run the ball, and we plan to do a bit of that today too.
We expect to see the same kind of defense from the Australians as we saw from the French, which is best described as an inverted umbrella defense. Australia will probably change from playing a DT-NT-DT front to a DE-NT-DE front. There is also the possibility that they change to an actual umbrella (SS-FS-SS), or even a 3-4. Whatever the opposing defense tries to do, our challenge will be to improve our passing percentage from the first game’s 43% to 50% or better, in addition to not ending drives on interceptions, which happened twice last week. Changes in personell from last week include at QB where Nils Wiken comes in for Truls Rødsjø, and Christer Hægeland stepping in at RT instead of Knut Fuglestad.


When Australia has the ball:
Norway will play a 4-3 defense today:
-----------------------------------LOS------------------------------------
-----------------------RDE---RDT----LDT---LDE------------------------
------RCB---------ROLB--------MLB--------LOLB-----------LCB------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------SF---------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------SF---------------------------------------

We want to create more pressure than we did against France a week ago. Although our DE Arild Krane did get a lot of QB pressures, we must have at least a couple of sacks and more pressure from other players too if we are to be successful.
Australia will probably attack us with a balanced ace formation, with 1 WR/1 TE on each side. It will be all about the passing game, especially if they’re looking at our 5-3 from last week and thinking of it as a real-life 5-3. This is G-I, so it works somewhat different from a passing perspective. An important factor is whether we can avoid allowing the 52%+ completion percentage Australia enjoyed against the UK last week.
With the change from a 5-3 to a 4-3, DT Zakaria Selvik leaves the field in favor of SF Syver Rong.


Special teams:
Our punting was a disappointment last week, as was our return game. Our return coverage was pretty good with a few exceptions on kickoff return – but that’s the G-I engine balancing the game more than anything else. Our kicker did what he was expected to do. The punt team will get a second chance, but Yoshikatsu Helgerud will replace Tod Monteiro as one of the two returners. In addition, Torje Østerhus comes in at STCB instead of Haris Girardey.


Coaches’ comments:
We’ve put last week’s disappointment behind us, and are totally focused on today’s game. It is truly a must-win game. We respect the Australian team, and recognize that their offense is potentially lethal. After all, they scored 24 points last week and their QB posted a rating of above 100. We need to address that, and in particular put pressure on the QB. Offensively, we need to get going. Last week gave us some answers as to what we can do, but at the same time there’s some important adjustments that need to be done if we are to win today. The QB situation is a dilemma for us. Wiken will get the opportunity today, but to be honest we are very comfortable with either QB leading our offense.


Good luck to all nations playing today!

Kind regards,

Team Norway

wow JM thats a great write up will follow norge more closely now!!!

philiom wrote: wow JM thats a great write up will follow norge more closely now!!!

There's more coming

Looks like you've got a shot to come out of this one! All you have to do is beat Stoo. umm Yeah good luck with that one.