11/12 News & Notes

[Dan]

First Word with Tim Beckman

http://www.wdws.com/audio/2012-11-12...-11-12-12.html

[Dan]

Illini LB Mason Monheim picks up his 2nd B1G Freshman Player of the Week award.

(Minnesota did not win a B1G Player of the Week award.)

Freshman of the Week - Mason Monheim, Illinois

LB, Orrville, Ohio/Orrville

• Totaled a career- and game-high 15 tackles against Minnesota on Saturday
• Finished with 1.5 tackles for loss and one-half sack, and ranks in the top 10 in the conference in tackles per game during Big Ten play
• Wins his second Big Ten Freshman of the Week award
• Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Mason Monheim (Oct. 1, 2012)

http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-footb...111212aaa.html

[quhawks12]

Congrats to Mason...we got 3 more years of this kid. And that's pretty awesome. Love to see JB back next year to see what these 2 can do healthy.

[Dan]

LB Jonathan Brown not on the depth chart this week. Will ask Beckman for an update

Beckman: you've got to make plays. Minnesota made more plays than we did. Players gave good effort but didn't make plays

Beckman: doing more advising with offense. Emphasized short yardage plays in today's meetings

Beckman: Scheelhaase has been "fully heathy" for about 2 weeks. He's done a "good job" for first year in system. Commends leadership

Beckman: game plan set on Tues. Gonzales in charge of third and long and third and medium. Studies it during week "That's his baby."

Beckman: Every game plan is split up among coahces, including defense. Staff comes together to determine best game plan.

Beckman: Jonathan Brown not cleared to play yet. No longer in a sling though. Beckman said he looks better.

Beckman: Purdue "very athletic." Win last week at Iowa was "very big." QB Marve did "outstanding" job directing team.

Beckman: could make personnel changes at RB or OL to help short-yardage situations.

http://twitter.com/WernerESPNCU

#illini Beckman: "I don't know any other teams in College Football that start 2 Freshman at linebacker. And I don't care."

Beckman on Purdue: "Robert Marve directing that team was outstanding." Saw him 2 years ago with Toledo.

http://twitter.com/AirMaxTane

[Sure Shot]

This divvying up of the offense by down-and-distance is bizarre.

[quhawks12]

Originally Posted by Sure Shot

This divvying up of the offense by down-and-distance is bizarre.

Extremely. I've been around a lot of D1 coaching staffs and Iv'e heard of having "run game coordinator" and a "passing game coordinator" but never this down and distance stuff.

[quhawks12]

And the weekly mention of Toledo! We need to see how long this streak goes!

[Dan]

Negative Plays

I'm a big believer in the Tackles For Loss statistic. Want to find the BCS-conference programs that are flailing? Look at the bottom of the Tackles For Loss Against statistic.

117: Auburn (7.8)
118: Colorado (8.0)
119: Illinois (8.4)
120: Maryland (9.1)

Worst team in the SEC, worst team in the Pac12, worst team in the Big Ten, second-worst team in the ACC. All with the same characteristic: giving up negative plays.

Football is about sustaining drives. Which is why turnover margin is such a huge statistic. When you directly hand the ball to your opponent without a punt, you severely limit your chance to win because you're giving them a short field in which to sustain their drive instead of a long field. And you're not getting many short fields yourself.

http://alioneye.com/2012/11/12/negative-plays/

[I Hate Lemonier]

Originally Posted by Sure Shot

This divvying up of the offense by down-and-distance is bizarre.

I was stunned in post game presser when this was discussed and i cant make any sense of it. I guess because Billy G was passing game coordinator at LSU? I just think this is an awful idea. Just begs for confusion, and for better or worse you need one guy calling the shots

[Sure Shot]

And avoiding penalties, sacks, and TFL's are more important for us than most due to our inability to throw in obvious passing situations.

[Sure Shot]

Originally Posted by I Hate Lemonier

I was stunned in post game presser when this was discussed and i cant make any sense of it. I guess because Billy G was passing game coordinator at LSU? I just think this is an awful idea. Just begs for confusion, and for better or worse you need one guy calling the shots

I mean, there's no wrong way to win a football game, and maybe 10 years from now everyone will be doing it this way. But given what an apparent shambles our staff is, that seems awfully unlikely.

[I Hate Lemonier]

Originally Posted by Sure Shot

I mean, there's no wrong way to win a football game, and maybe 10 years from now everyone will be doing it this way. But given what an apparent shambles our staff is, that seems awfully unlikely.

Correct. These guys are way smarter than I am, but this just runs against common sense. Not to mention we are basically the worst offense in the nation. Maybe we should scrap the down and distance play calling option

[Judgesmails]

Pretty sure TB had to promise these guys this as a way to get both of them to come.
Not saying its wise. Just pretty clear. TB wanted their recruiting contacts and to be able to point to their name brand former employers.

They wanted to pad resume with coord title to get either a hc gig or big time OC spot.

From TB view, it was only way to get both to move; neither would make a lateral to join TB.

[twincityillini]

Originally Posted by I Hate Lemonier

Correct. These guys are way smarter than I am, but this just runs against common sense. Not to mention we are basically the worst offense in the nation. Maybe we should scrap the down and distance play calling option

Yeah, that does seem odd. Maybe he'll change it up and break it down into who gets to call the plays when the ball is placed on the left hash mark vs. the right hash mark. We could have the Left Hash Mark Coordinator and the Right Hash Mark Coordinator. And if it's between the hashes Beckman gets to pick a play from a hat. And allow Golesh to decide which of the six tempos we use.

[illynifan34]

It is the game plan, not necessarily which play is called at a given time. Gonzo probably gives Beatty a list of plays and says, "we practiced these and they should work well on 3rd and medium or long" Beatty replies, "I will call from this stack in this situation."

It takes trust in your fellow coaches for sure.

[AngryOrange]

Originally Posted by illynifan34

It is the game plan, not necessarily which play is called at a given time. Gonzo probably gives Beatty a list of plays and says, "we practiced these and they should work well on 3rd and medium or long" Beatty replies, "I will call from this stack in this situation."

It takes trust in your fellow coaches for sure.

I was part of a group that did this, and the dissension starts when the OC calls a play not on the stack and the OL coach loses his crap on the sideline (our case). That was the end of that in our camp, and I have been remembering this as I hear about some disagreements with the staff this year.

[TooHot4Tots]

Originally Posted by quhawks12

Extremely. I've been around a lot of D1 coaching staffs and Iv'e heard of having "run game coordinator" and a "passing game coordinator" but never this down and distance stuff.

Yeah this helps explain no sustained success on offense.

[Oskee Mayer]

Whoever is in charge of 2nd and long is getting alot of action.

[quhawks12]

Originally Posted by AngryOrange

I was part of a group that did this, and the dissension starts when the OC calls a play not on the stack and the OL coach loses his crap on the sideline (our case). That was the end of that in our camp, and I have been remembering this as I hear about some disagreements with the staff this year.

This is a good explanation on how the issues can start.