Poor clock management again...Zook

[Pasadena]

After allowing another special teams blunder Zook topped it off with his usual lack of clock management. With 42 seconds left, Zook lets the clock run down to nearly 13 seconds. WE HAD ALL 3 TIMEOUTS! Why not stop the clock? Minn. couldn't get a first down. Why? How many times do we continually see this? Can't anyone be an advisor to help Zook? He obviously is not capable of doing this himself.

[illinijimbo]

Zook is obviously trying to get fired.
No other way to explain it.

leaving timeouts on the board in the second half of a game you lose by 4 is a fireable offense...

[blmillini]

Originally Posted by illinijimbo

Zook is obviously trying to get fired.
No other way to explain it.

leaving timeouts on the board in the second half of a game you lose by 4 is a fireable offense...

Unless you are the head coach at Illinois, where nobody cares enough to fire you.

[chamillionaire]

Originally Posted by blmillini

Unless you are the head coach at Illinois, where nobody cares enough to fire you.

+1

[KBLEE]

It all started at the end of the first quarter. We had a 3rd and long inside our own 10 with :11 and the clock stopped. With the wind blowing as hard as it was, I told my buddy that we better not let the clock run out so we have to switch ends. Scheelhaase drops back and is sacked. I scream "timeout", but to no avail. We switch ends and Santella kicks 26 yard punt into the wind and Minny starts at the Illini 32. Better execution or the use of a timeout would have saved the Illini 30+ yards easy.

[NicelyDone]

Originally Posted by chamillionaire

+1

Zook is the perfect head football coach for a basketball school.............

[IlliniHoot]

Originally Posted by KBLEE

It all started at the end of the first quarter. We had a 3rd and long inside our own 10 with :11 and the clock stopped. With the wind blowing as hard as it was, I told my buddy that we better not let the clock run out so we have to switch ends. Scheelhaase drops back and is sacked. I scream "timeout", but to no avail. We switch ends and Santella kicks 26 yard punt into the wind and Minny starts at the Illini 32. Better execution or the use of a timeout would have saved the Illini 30+ yards easy.

It seems like this crap happens every other weekend and I find myself screaming at the television; this is Football 101. I mean if Petrino is calling the plays, what is Zook doing?

[WOLFE]

Really. We are that desperate to blame TOs for the loss? Come on man! This was the worst team in the BT! Defense was the reason, why I don't know but that is two awful games in a row. AdAm Weber gets a 30 yard run on 3rd and 9 that was the bone head play of the game. Weber didn't have 100 rushing yards all year and got 30 on 1 play. Should have intercepted that pass and it would have seAled it. Should
Ads some kind of goalline stand like we did against better teams. Time outs were not the downfall of the game. Defense, or lack there of was! If we don't make a bowl with 4 chances Zook is gone, if we make a bowl he stays IMHO

[Groundhogday]

A good coach finds ways to win games that you don't deserve to win. Yes the defense let us down. But there are a lot of small decisions a coach can make that will make a marginal difference... just enough to change a loss to a win in a close game.

[SaltLife]

Another 4th down call before Minnie's last drive that Zook failed to make, thinking our defense would stop them. Ha Ha. Minnie scored, took the lead and Illinois had not enough time left. Of course they mismanaged whatever time they did have but it was too late.

[Oskeefan]

Originally Posted by SaltLife

Another 4th down call before Minnie's last drive that Zook failed to make, thinking our defense would stop them. Ha Ha. Minnie scored, took the lead and Illinois had not enough time left. Of course they mismanaged whatever time they did have but it was too late.

Agreed, if the offense makes a 1st down (late) vs. scUM or Minn and we have a win. need a little more guts at gut-check time. IMHO

[Pasadena]

Groundhog is exactly right. I thought about this game while I was running today down at the Rose Bowl and just thought to myself there were so many chances to still win this game. A good coach can and should find ways to beat teams that should be beaten. Little things here and there make huge differences in close games. The timeouts didn't single handedly lose us the game of course but it's one of the small battles in management that Zook lost that day.

[Groundhogday]

Wow, Loren Tate did all but call for Zook to be fired in today's chat. I've posted a few responses below, but there is more.

http://www.illinihq.com/chats/2010/1...hat__am_monday

Rob, a week ago, he indicated it might have been a mistake not to go for 4th-and-1 near midfield with 5-plus minutes to go. And he did the same thing. So this isn't a spur-of-moment decision on his part, it is his philosophy. His clock management at the end of the quarter and end of the game were mind-boggling. When a guy doesn't get it, he doesn't get it. And yet, Illinois could have won. It was very close both days. Loren

My only point is that there is more to being athletic director than picking a football coach, that Guenther has done wonders in other areas, that I thought for sure Guenther was going to make a football change at the end of last season, and he fooled me when he didn't. That doesn't mean I want to get rid of Guenther. But I still think something needs to be done relative to football. Loren

Bill, I think Guenther believed he could get past Zook's weaknesses by hiring good assistants, and he spent $800,000 on two coordinators. It worked up to a point. Loren

[Illini88]

...Guenther believed he could get past Zook's weaknesses by hiring good assistants, and he spent $800,000...

This is AKA throwing good money after bad.

[Pasadena]

Wow! Sounds like the papers are listening to the boards here! Zook will have to win this weekend or he will be relieved after our game with Fresno State. Petrino and Vic were obviously brought in to compete with the soon to be vacancy at head coach. Zook was probably left for a year to bring in some good recruits. Hope I'm wrong. Both of the last games were ours had we just used some brains and gone after a couple first downs. Stupidity says run the ball against 8-9 man fronts. Never did we try boots in either situation. Losing to Minnesota will really have the team reeling in the confidence dept. The young kid "Blade" needs to find a way to win Sat. He as well as the team has seen two games slip through their fingers. Don't let it be three.

[blmillini]

I don't think the hiring of the two coordinators was a waste. You can't deny that we have been better than you would have expected after last year.

It has also been painfully obvious that Zook can't even handle the limited responsibilities he has remaining. So, the wasted money is in Zook's contract, not the coordinators. My preference would be to simply not see Zook at the games or the practice field. The waterboy could make better game day decisions.

[illinijimbo]

that chat with tate was fantastic....

[OrangeFever]

Originally Posted by illinijimbo

that chat with tate was fantastic....

Anybody want to call Tate a homer now? He called it like it is. If Loren's off the Zook wagon, the ice has to be getting mighty thin under his feet.

[BMD48]

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

A good coach finds ways to win games that you don't deserve to win. Yes the defense let us down. But there are a lot of small decisions a coach can make that will make a marginal difference... just enough to change a loss to a win in a close game.

Thus the importance of your head coach being a legitimate coach! You called me crazy earlier this year for worrying about Zook staying here. I think you are a good guy so I won't let ya have it. I understood your thinking, just didn't agree with it.

[4ever]

Originally Posted by OrangeFever

Anybody want to call Tate a homer now? He called it like it is. If Loren's off the Zook wagon, the ice has to be getting mighty thin under his feet.

Fev my friend. I have stayed silent in reference to Coach Zook. I was hopeful that he would actually succede. I was hopeful with the new addittions and complete transformation of the program that finally we would get back to winning and might even be a powerhose. I was so very hopeful. I threw my full support behind coach. I sure hoped Illini Football might someday become an tOSU, Alabama, USC etc etc. It looks like it's not going to happen under Coach Zook. I did give it my all and I held out hope but the end is here. It's time to go. Best of luck to ya Coach Zook. I still like you and I feel bad that it didn't work out but it's time to go.

He Gone. It's for the best and maybe, just maybe, this football program will get where it needs to be.

GO ILLINI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

note--I still like the guy and I won't bash him. It's just time.

[KJKobs]

Originally Posted by Pasadena

Zook will have to win this weekend or he will be relieved after our game with Fresno State.

I wouldn't hold your breath or recommend putting your money on that to happen should we lose this weekend.

[KJKobs]

Tate: Don't give Zook the hook just yet

You folks left me numb after two hours of it on "Monday Morning Quarterback" (WDWS) and two more hours of an IlliniHQ.com chat that ended with 25 more haranguing questions unanswered.

There must be thousands of clock managers (like me) who believe they can do it better, thousands of second-guessers who'd run on fourth and 1, and many more thousands for whom Saturday's 38-34 loss to Minnesota marked the end of their patience. Illini Nation hasn't been this vociferously up in arms since the Gary Moeller days.

To which, after a 1:30 lunch to calm frayed nerves, my approach: It's never good to make big decisions when the blood pressure is boiling. Let's wait until the season is over ... and then tear down the goal posts with complaints and storm the castle with demands, assuming that is still the attitude.

[Teppers Sunglasses]

No doubt in my mind that Tate got a call yesterday from RG.

[Dan]

Originally Posted by Teppers Sunglasses

No doubt in my mind that Tate got a call yesterday from RG.

[danielb927]

Can't say I disagree with Tate with only two games left. If we had done this and lost at Penn State and IU, or Purdue, or both, then you can give him the hook mid-season. With two games left, it doesn't make sense. If the masses of complaining people are right, there's no chance we'll do anything but finish 5-7 (or 6-6 at best) and the attitude and outrage from the fans will be the same.

It does still sound like someone gave him a little nudge to make an about-face, though. He sounded like he was ready to help Zook pack up his office in the chat.