Illinois 37, Michigan State 34 POSTGAME

#226      

the national

the Front Range
I’m finally posting after some post game celebration, phone calls, etc. I watched the whole second half holding my newborn son. He was born just before the Wisconsin game and seems to be our good luck charm - he’s only seen the Illini win! In my eyes, this 4-0 stretch has been something of a dream come true for this program and us fans. We have battled and fought some tough opponents, fought our own demons, our program history. As an extenely loyal fan (often to a fault), this winning stretch makes it all worth it. It’s been hard to stick it out but I really believed in Josh’s vision for this program. It has been earned step by step. The facilities, the quality of recruits, the wins - are starting to reflect that. We have all been so patient and loyal. Our team and fans just make me so damn proud.
 
#227      

Illiniaaron

Geneseo, IL
I was in the tractor working this afternoon so I taped the game. Watched a part of the first quarter when I came in for lunch when they were down 14-3. Heard on the radio they were down 28-3 in the second. Figured they would get destroyed and we would start questioning the progress that we've seen the last several weeks. Came in this evening and saw on the bottom scroll that they had won. Watched the second half on tape. They were a complete mess for three quarters. I'm still not sure how they won. On a quarter by quarter, drive by drive, play by play basis this team can alternate from looking like a complete train wreck to looking like world beaters. I've never seen a defense that is equally capable of giving up 600 yards or forcing multiple turnovers, scoring tds, and making huge stops at the right times in the same game every week. I'm still kind of stunned. As critical as I have been about Smith it's clear his players love him and will run through a brick wall for him. This team could be 8-2 if they would have made a couple more plays against E. Michigan and Nebraska. At this point it wouldn't be a shock if they beat Iowa on the road in a couple weeks. Unbelievable.
 
#233      
Can I please have some bbq sauce with my heepin' helpin' of crow?! I was wrong and it feels rather good to say it! When Peters completed that last pass of the game to Daniel Barker I must admit I got goose bumps and I nearly teared up. THAT hasn't happened for a very long time!!

Is it just me or is the MSU head coach a bit of a jerk. He not once congratulated the Illini and barely acknowledged them during the course of his press conference.
 
#234      
This team has something it hasn't had for years: Heart, Grit & Fight. Btw, it is nice to make the ESPN online headline story in a positive way for once: David M. Hale - ESPN Staff Writer: "And then there's Illinois. If there's anything approaching rock-solid proof that this, indeed, is some sort of strange alternate reality, it's the Illini. A month ago, Smith's team was 2-4, left for dead in mid-October -- or, as it's usually described in Illinois, a typical season. Then a stunner against Wisconsin, with a last-second field goal to win it, followed by victories over Purdue and Rutgers, and another shocking comeback, against Michigan State on Saturday. Illinois scored 27 fourth-quarter points to erase a 31-10 deficit, taking a 37-34 lead with 5 seconds left and becoming bowl-eligible for the first time since 2014. There's a little Ron Zook-era magic in the air in Champaign, and we can't get enough of it."
https://www.espn.com/college-footba...-lsu-offense-real-minnesota-playoff-contender
 
#235      

Deleted member 656517

D
Guest
Can I please have some bbq sauce with my heepin' helpin' of crow?! I was wrong and it feels rather good to say it! When Peters completed that last pass of the game to Daniel Barker I must admit I got goose bumps and I nearly teared up. THAT hasn't happened for a very long time!!

Is it just me or is the MSU head coach a bit of a jerk. He not once congratulated the Illini and barely acknowledged them during the course of his press conference.
Dantonio’s a dead man walking, and he was salty. I cried when the Illini hit that 4-16 lol
 
#236      
2:30pm CT = 4:30am in Hong Kong, I stayed up all night, watched the Nicholls St vs Pitt game in the meantime. Finally, it's 4:30am, but all I got was Baylor battling TCU in 3OT. After a long while, they finally switched to the Illini game and it was 14-3 already. Then soon after it was 28-3. I was so disappointed that I decided to go to sleep. Six hours later, I woke up and turn on my computer waiting to see a 63-10 score. But then I saw that the Illini are going bowling. WOW! The rest is history....
 
#237      

Deleted member 29907

D
Guest
Wow. Just wow. My first born child is arriving in about a month. Wife and I were in all day birthing and baby class thing all day today. Periodically glanced at the score and thought, "Well, I figured it might be ugly." Made it home in time to watch the 4th quarter. Unreal comeback. So happy for Lovie and the team. As an earlier post alluded to, yes... that end zone pass interference call is one that rarely seems to go the Illini's way. As soon as it happened... I said, "That's the exact same way Illinois beat Nebraska four years ago on four straight plays to the end zone." My wife and in laws (I live in Nebraska) did not find that bit of information quite so enjoyable.

At any rate... I jokingly told my wife the other day that if Illinois can pull off a victory at Michigan State maybe we can name our child Lovie. That idea never made it out of the hangar. Oh well!

GO ILLINI! BOWLING!!

:chief:
Lovie may be a stretch, but certainly you can you can name your BheBhe something appropriately Illini.
 
#239      
#66 rubbed his sack on Milo that is why he punched him in his bung hole. MSU has players in the transfer portal, I would think long and hard about taking. MSU fb and bb culture is bad, wins above everything else.

So glad we have MEN running our programs. I was supporting Lovie during the 2-6 record for the main reason that he holds his players accountable and what he expects from the players.
 
#240      
DeGroot seemed to play solid assignment football from what I can see so far watching the replay - I missed the game live - and have only watched the 2nd half - but it seems we should have seen a bit more of his before now.

DeGroot is a forgotten player. He played as a true freshmen than has fallen further in the depth chart. Glad to hear he is playing solid we need the depth.
 
#241      
Can I please have some bbq sauce with my heepin' helpin' of crow?! I was wrong and it feels rather good to say it! When Peters completed that last pass of the game to Daniel Barker I must admit I got goose bumps and I nearly teared up. THAT hasn't happened for a very long time!!

Is it just me or is the MSU head coach a bit of a jerk. He not once congratulated the Illini and barely acknowledged them during the course of his press conference.

Eat crow, now Lovie can start getting transfers from recently fired coached teams. FSU, Arkansas, more to follow. The success of the team and transfers at Illinois I believe will yield some studs next season.
 
#242      
Can I please have some bbq sauce with my heepin' helpin' of crow?! I was wrong and it feels rather good to say it! When Peters completed that last pass of the game to Daniel Barker I must admit I got goose bumps and I nearly teared up. THAT hasn't happened for a very long time!!

Is it just me or is the MSU head coach a bit of a jerk. He not once congratulated the Illini and barely acknowledged them during the course of his press conference.
I didn't read his comments as being a jerk. I think he knew his team had it and they didn't execute. He actually did throw a single sentence of "credit" to the Illini, but he passed on what I thought was a very stupid question asked about what he would say to fans asking for him to be fired which is maybe what you're reacting too? Anyways, lovie is different...he would answer the questions with his normal level...not too high..not too low..which is what his old NFL players on the 670 score interview last week kept thanking him for during the interview. It's a good listen if you get the chance. But it appeals to certain players and others like PJ Flecks approach.

Can anyone answer this, why can't the team execute in the 1st half. These are set plays and are scripted early. What adjustments are they making at halftime that creates such a difference? Is it seeing the actual plays and getting comfortable? Shouldn't film study help get our players there more quickly?
 
#243      

Deleted member 29907

D
Guest
I didn't read his comments as being a jerk. I think he knew his team had it and they didn't execute. He actually did throw a single sentence of "credit" to the Illini, but he passed on what I thought was a very stupid question asked about what he would say to fans asking for him to be fired which is maybe what you're reacting too? Anyways, lovie is different...he would answer the questions with his normal level...not too high..not too low..which is what his old NFL players on the 670 score interview last week kept thanking him for during the interview. It's a good listen if you get the chance. But it appeals to certain players and others like PJ Flecks approach.

Can anyone answer this, why can't the team execute in the 1st half. These are set plays and are scripted early. What adjustments are they making at halftime that creates such a difference? Is it seeing the actual plays and getting comfortable? Shouldn't film study help get our players there more quickly?
I missed much of the first half, but I've got to believe having Jake and Eifler out took some time for the replacements to adjust. I haven't seem much if any of Tolson and DeGroot in earlier games - so they were pretty rusty, but came on nicely.

Also, not sure if this was mentioned, but the announcers made a point of how fast White on MSU was... It would have been sweet for them to also talk about how quickly Sydney Brown pulled away from him on his INT.
 
#244      

kiwanegarris22

South Carolina
I really appreciate all of you posters for being so kind and gracious re: Dantonio and the Spartans. Keep showing that class! Victory is sweet, but so is good sprortsmanship.

All of a sudden, Illinois ain't a butt of jokes. I like it plenty.

I was gonna say pre-game that Peters was fine as QB. Can I say it now?

I tend to agree. When I look at recent Illini QB's (post Nate), I'm not sure we'd be at 6-4 this year without Brandon Peters transferring-in. He's incredibly solid, cool-headed and he has Big 10 arm. His decision making has been a key!
 
#245      

kiwanegarris22

South Carolina
cannot understand how a team can look so bad and the other team so good and then a complete reversal of fortune. You have now entered the twilight zone. Congrats to the Illini. Who would have thunk it?

Yeah, how about two entirely different games -- 1st half vs. 2nd half. It's almost unfathomable how things turned around.
 
#246      

Illinir1

Camdenton, MO
I missed much of the first half, but I've got to believe having Jake and Eifler out took some time for the replacements to adjust. I haven't seem much if any of Tolson and DeGroot in earlier games - so they were pretty rusty, but came on nicely.

Also, not sure if this was mentioned, but the announcers made a point of how fast White on MSU was... It would have been sweet for them to also talk about how quickly Sydney Brown pulled away from him on his INT.
Sydney Brown's INT return was one of a couple of times this year where Illini ball carriers caused me to observe "Dang...we've got B1G speed on our team!" So happy to see it.
 
#247      
I tend to agree. When I look at recent Illini QB's (post Nate), I'm not sure we'd be at 6-4 this year without Brandon Peters transferring-in. He's incredibly solid, cool-headed and he has Big 10 arm. His decision making has been a key!
And he's obviously got room for improvement. Hopefully he hasn't peaked yet
 
#248      

Deleted member 3329

D
Guest
11/10: I usually tape the Illini football game....only watch it if they win. I thought "don't bother...no way they win." Anymore replays on tv?
 
#249      
I have to admit I thought they were done when it was 31-10. I turned it off and did some chores. Got a text about the final score and forced my kids to watch the 4th quarter with me. They were screaming and shouting not knowing that I already knew the final score. I will never forget the sheer joy my kids had watching the end of this game. Thank you Illini for making football fun again!

I never turned it off but my kids were right there with me too. My oldest said uh oh dad when it was 28-10. My youngest said daddy oh no illinois has 10 and the packers have 28 (because any green football team is the packers). They were jumping and screaming with me as we came back, and as a bonus my youngest now thinks the Illini beat the packers!