Lou Dorsey no longer with the Illini

#28      
As dalton in road house said it will get worse before it gets better.
Dorsey is talented but that is not enough and frankly give me guys that want to be here
 
#29      
Between Donnie Abraham quitting abruptly to the early season suspensions to Dorsey and Bennett Williams exiting to the on-the-field performances I can’t believe we haven’t had a catastrophic decommitment yet. Just in the past few weeks I’ve really lost my sense of what we’re trying to build. As an outsider looking in it seems like a chaotic freefall. In year three.
 
#30      
This stuff happens all the time in college football to great, mediocre and bad teams. Players leave for a variety of reasons from playing time, coach/player relationship, new coach on board, discipline, etc. Dorsey, put himself in this situation by breaking team rules. No one forced him to do that, he is responsible. He has decided to go elsewhere. Maybe, what has happened here will benefit him down the line. He ran into somebody who meant what he said.
 
#31      
The program really does seem beyond repair. IDK why. It seems like a string of terrible missteps along the way by admin, coaches, players, etc. We just keep pumping money into a black hole. Why illinois can’t be competitive while so many other schools with less resources do it I will never know.
 
#35      
Where exactly do you see a reason to be optimistic about the program?
Just last week lots of people were raving about the revival on offense, now there's no reason to be optimistic. Sheesh. Is it social media that makes people so reactive? Yes - losing Williams and Dorsey sucks, but slow down on "the sky is falling" after a bad game with what remains statistically one of the youngest teams in D1 football.
 
#37      
Sheesh. Is it social media that makes people so reactive?
I know, right? Every time two of four BTN all-freshmen leave the program as sophomores, and we have 0-42 and 0-46 runs against us in two of the last three games, and rank 125 out of 130 in team defense, here come all the drama queens on social media. Just last week these same people were raving about our 91st out of 130 offense. Next thing you know they’re complaining about our 14th out of 14 Big Ten recruiting ranking. How about some optimism folks.
 
#38      
I know, right? Every time two of four BTN all-freshmen leave the program as sophomores, and we have 0-42 and 0-46 runs against us in two of the last three games, and rank 125 out of 130 in team defense, here come all the drama queens on social media. Just last week these same people were raving about our 91st out of 130 offense. Next thing you know they’re complaining about our 14th out of 14 Big Ten recruiting ranking. How about some optimism folks.
Lol - dude asked if there was any reason to be optimistic. I answered. Do you think Rod Smith and the offense are a reason to be optimistic? I never claimed that there are not reasons to be concerned. I agree that the things you mentioned are concerning. I'm not sure what your suggestion is on how to handle players who can't or won't follow rules and then, by all appearances, don't step up and compete even if they did well last year. It's this year that matters now.
 
#39      

Deleted member 746094

D
Guest
Good luck and good bye!

Was he talented, yes. Was he program changing, absolutely not. You can’t fault Lovie for teaching these young men accountability off the field. This is going to become the new norm with every unhappy player across the country due to new redshirt rule.

Not sold on Lovie as a head coach in major college football, but I do believe his resume proves he is a man of great integrity and a passion for showing young men how to be successful in life.
 
#40      
I know, right? Every time two of four BTN all-freshmen leave the program as sophomores, and we have 0-42 and 0-46 runs against us in two of the last three games, and rank 125 out of 130 in team defense, here come all the drama queens on social media. Just last week these same people were raving about our 91st out of 130 offense. Next thing you know they’re complaining about our 14th out of 14 Big Ten recruiting ranking. How about some optimism folks.
89th ranked scoring offense buddy! ; )
 
#44      

UofI08

Chicago
It’s not about Lou Dorsey in particular. It’s everything. The huge amount of transfers in the offseasons, the significant amount of suspensions, arguably your best defensive player being kicked off the team mid year, now a player everyone was excited about transferring mid year, the worst P5 defense. The only semi positive is that the first-year OC doesn’t suck and our running backs are good when they get the ball.
 
#45      
What has Lou Dorsey done this year that warrants such over the top reactions? You'd think the fulcrum of the offense just left.
Agreed...but looking back at last year and what he did, I was hopeful that he could have had a very real impact as an offensive weapon this year.
 
#46      
I dont think this will be true anymore with the redshirt rules

You may be correct on this, time will tell. I'm guessing their won't be too many checking out of Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan. I'm just saying that either the player not willing to put in the work to earn a starting position and feels entitled or there is something wrong with the way the staff is running the program. I tend to side with not letting the players run the program and whining their way into a starting position because they were highly ranked out of High school but that's a double edged sword when they start bailing on the program.
 
#47      

Deleted member 746094

D
Guest
You may be correct on this, time will tell. I'm guessing their won't be too many checking out of Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan. I'm just saying that either the player not willing to put in the work to earn a starting position and feels entitled or there is something wrong with the way the staff is running the program. I tend to side with not letting the players run the program and whining their way into a starting position because they were highly ranked out of High school but that's a double edged sword when they start bailing on the program.


I am not sure how this will effect the top ranked teams. Look at Clemson. They already lost Bryant and he started the first 3 games and was a proven winner the past two seasons.

There is so much Top 300 talent going to the same 15 to 20 schools year after year. These kids may not be willing to sit behind the 4*/5* recruited a year ahead or a year behind them when they can sit the rest of the year, transfer to what they perceive as a fast lane to starting and getting drafted. They are all superstars coming out of high school.

I agree with you in that only time will tell, but I think these kids are more about playing and being a star and getting paid.
 
#49      
For me anymore, fall represents volleyball season. Women's soccer isn't half bad this season either, perhaps the start of a pretty decent run in the coming years with the new facilities for soccer!

But football, man, I'm always excited for the start of college football season. Then I writhe in pain by week 6 or 7 at what our team looks like. At least my other rooting interest, the Cyclones, manage to keep me somewhat entertained in seasons like this.

Also, to keep the post relevant, it's too bad its come to this point with Dorsey. Him and Williams were 2 of the bright spots from last season, and I hate losing them. But, if they aren't willing to follow the rules or correct their actions to be a part of the team, then ultimately we're better off without them. Hopefully each of the succeeds wherever they go...
 
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#50      
Definitely on the “this isn’t the end of the world” part of the spectrum. I mean really the loss of Phair has had the most impact as far as loss of coaches and players go an it’s not really close. Also, it’s not like we lost the potential first overall pick like OSU just did. Nick Bosa just dropped out of OSU altogether to focus on rehab and draft prep. (Though admittedly they have better backups than we have starters)