Game Thread: Illinois at Maryland

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#151      

SuperMetroid

Evanston
Exit light. Enter night
This has to be the worst Illinois team I’ve ever seen. We have regressed in every game this year.
How could any coach think a QB who couldn’t play at Nebraska, couldn’t start on a JC team and couldn’t start at VT play in the Big10?
This is a joke!

Short answer: he got to practice every day against this defense.
 
#152      
He isn’t going to fix everything but this team has holes that will get some much needed support next year.

Not trying to argue your point, because I am sure you know more than me about this. What holes are you referring to being filled? As far as I can tell (just a novice outsider) our recruiting class, yet again, is one of the worst in the conference and country, despite beason and williams coming in.
 
#153      

JJE

Bethalto, IL
University of Field Goals
 
#155      
Would like to see Rod Smith commit to the run when they are in these redzone situations. He seems to get scared off by 2nd & 7, 2nd & 8, etc. Run it four times and try to pound your way into the endzone.
 
#156      
Not trying to argue your point, because I am sure you know more than me about this. What holes are you referring to being filled? As far as I can tell (just a novice outsider) our recruiting class, yet again, is one of the worst in the conference and country, despite beason and williams coming in.
I just think there will be an upgrade in talent in certain positions, especially the WR position. Hope Childress recommits. Cumby will be a great addition too.
 
#160      

LeinieGuy

Will work for bourbon
Lexington, KY
Correct me if I'm wrong, but a runner can't grab a defenseman's facemask; you can only put an open hand up in that area. Why was that not flagged -- the ref was standing right there?
 
#161      

Deleted member 746094

D
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I was trying to think of constructive football comments. We may be the worst P5 team in the country.
 
#164      
Just hard to believe how this program has just gotten progressively worse. That Dorsey tight end was a reason for some optimism for me coming out of last year and he quit. Sigh But this defense, my goodness
 
#165      
I like Rod Smith - but the average of 8.5 yards to go on 3rd down falls squarely on his shoulders. Illinois is averaging a decent yards per carry #, so the 3rd and longs are play calling more than anything. They are having to play catch up now so I get going a little more pass heavy, but they have been facing 3rd and long all game.
 
#166      

Deleted member 746094

D
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I just think there will be an upgrade in talent in certain positions, especially the WR position. Hope Childress recommits. Cumby will be a great addition too.


You think freshmen 2ish/3* skill guys are going to come in and make that big of a difference??? People on here were excited about Smalling and Green being difference makers?

We are about as bad as a D1 program can be. Going to replace my football schedule magnet with volleyball and golf. Some of the women’s volleyball players look like they could go up and catch a high ball better than most of our WR’s. NW, Minny and Iowa are going to roll us.
 
#168      
What has improved?

Our win total? We beat an absolutely abysmal Rutgers team this year, to give us 3 total. I guess thats better than 2.

Are we more technically sound? Do we tackle well? Do we cover well? Do we catch and throw better? Do we play more disciplined? We give up touchdowns like candy on Halloween, and we seldom score them. Maybe I am wrong, but I think we looked better against USF, Penn State than we did against Wisconsin, Purdue and now MD. Feels like we are moving backwards.

Hmm... well let’s see...

First off and obviously we have a coaching staff that isn’t and won’t be caught in any sort of player abuse scandal.
Recruiting has improved from dead last in the B1G (probably dead last in the P5 too) and we use our underclassmen more, but the physical presence and mental acuity puts them at a disadvantage against the competition who have upperclassmen.
The offense is improved, play-wise; but still lack a B1G ready QB.
Defense in awful, and Nickerson will lose his job because of it. The scheme is absolutely terrible, because we don’t have the type of players to make it work.

Some of you must have short term memory of how much worse the beckman teams were. The Smith team would wipe the floor with the Beckman team.
I’m not saying changes still need to be made with this staff and players, but we’re not regressing since the Beckman era. That’s just utterly false and overreacting towards watching this team suck.
 
#169      
I'm completely off the Lovie train. Recruiting is not better, our defense is the worst it's ever been, wins are fewer fewer.

This is not acceptable. This is year 3 of schemes. I don't buy the youth excuse because it appears to be a perpetual excuse.

I won't be renewing my season tickets next year.
 
#170      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
I am a firm advocate of another year for Lovie for a variety of reasons.

But when you're letting go of the rope like this, it's a question you've gotta ask.

This is more than youth and (decreasing) inexperience. There are real cultural problems here.
 
#171      
That one hurt to watch. Defense was playing the run with energy and excitement earlier, now they are slow to step up in their gap and just throw their arms out there to try to arm tackle. Entering post-game sadness now and we aren't even out of the third quarter.
 
#172      

3DegreeIllini

Chicago,IL
I’m done, folks. 2008 grad. Ended on a rose bowl. Illini football was appointment TV For me and many of my friends for 3 or 4 years. Most of them have moved on and enjoyed their fall seasons while I scheduled my Saturdays around Illini football.

Fire Lovie. Don’t. Doesn’t matter. Like Robert wrote last week, I don’t think there’s anything that anyone can do to build this program. Not “rebuild”— build.
 
#174      
You think freshmen 2ish/3* skill guys are going to come in and make that big of a difference??? People on here were excited about Smalling and Green being difference makers?

We are about as bad as a D1 program can be. Going to replace my football schedule magnet with volleyball and golf. Some of the women’s volleyball players look like they could go up and catch a high ball better than most of our WR’s. NW, Minny and Iowa are going to roll us.

This is my issue. Basically since the Ron Zook days we have had the #10-14 recruiting class in the B1G. And that seems to be about where we are at the end of the year. Better players equates to better teams. We have bad players now, and bad players coming in (if you look at the recruiting rankings). I understand these don't mean everything, but if you look at the good teams across the board, they have highly ranked players coming in.
 
#175      

Deleted member 654622

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This needs to play out another year for sure. But Lovie wont be getting any of my money and not much of my time until then. This is pathetic
 
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