. They only converted one 3rd down the entire game.
Bad Omen
Third Down Conversions
Ohio State 45%
Iowa 43%
Indiana 43%
Wisconsin 41%
Minnesota 39%
Illinois 35%
Illinois 35%
. They only converted one 3rd down the entire game.
ThisYes, the defense allowed way too many yards, but the offense is why we lost. Why doesn’t Peters ever run the ball!? He kept it once and scored a td. You can’t run the read option and have no threat of the QB keeping it!!!
I'm sorry, but this makes absolutely no sense. So if QB fumbles, but bats the ball forward, it's incomplete? Huh?6. Let me also say, the fumble incomplete pass rule is stupid. If the ball goes pass the line of scrimmage, in my opinion it ain't a fumble
If the Qb fumbles and bats the ball forward fine. When it comes loose in his hand and is still able to throw it past the line of scrimmage, that is a pass. Haven't seen the replay.I'm sorry, but this makes absolutely no sense. So if QB fumbles, but bats the ball forward, it's incomplete? Huh?
After review, they got both of these calls correct. The refs were pretty rough tonight, but thank God for the replay official on these 2 plays.
This stings. So much energy built up to this game I worry our fans and team won’t recover this year.
Literally almost everything went our way. We significantly won the turnover battle, Nebraska had the big penalties, Neb’s outstanding RB left the game, we lead early & often. Couldn’t have asked for a better setup (I don’t put too much stock in the few bad calls since so much else went our way)
Our D was brutal beyond the turnovers. Only bright spots I saw were Hansen (most of the time). Early in game I thought C2 could be salvageable due to the safeties really hitting and making Neb pay, but that still didn’t dissuade them from dicing the cover 2. We can’t stop anyone. This is Lovie’s ultimate downfall with going all in on his D as DC and Miles hire. I wish he would pull a PJ Fleck and “fire” the DC mid season with this bye week for a spark... problem is I don’t think there is anyone on our staff ready to elevate that can bring change.
Our offense was just about as bad. Only saved by short fields of turnovers. We could not make a big play (see third down conversions and no possessions longer than 3 mins).
Some of this is on Rod (those IW packages were cringeworthy keeping Peters on field too). I really feel Peters needs to go though. He’s not the guy. I think we win this game with Bush. Peters feels so much like our version of Jay Cutler - no leadership, poor body language, consistently not making the big play, but flashes just enough to stay around. We just lacked dynamism today - lets give 1 a shot - besides his TD run I felt Peters lack of running on the read plays allows too much focus on Corbin likely preventing that extra yard or two window to break one.
Rk | Team | Games | Plays | plys/gm | Yds | yds/ply | yds/game | Rk | Team | Games | TOP | TOP/game | |
1 | Wisconsin | 3 | 162 | 54.00 | 514 | 3.17 | 171.33 | 1 | Wisconsin | 3 | 115 | 38.33 | |
2 | Ohio St. | 4 | 260 | 65.00 | 888 | 3.42 | 222.00 | 4 | Iowa | 3 | 108 | 36.00 | |
5 | Michigan St. | 4 | 253 | 63.25 | 913 | 3.61 | 228.25 | 10 | Minnesota | 3 | 103 | 34.33 | |
12 | Iowa | 3 | 155 | 51.67 | 788 | 5.08 | 262.67 | 31 | Indiana | 4 | 129 | 32.25 | |
26 | Indiana | 4 | 259 | 64.75 | 1187 | 4.58 | 296.75 | 37 | Maryland | 3 | 94 | 31.33 | |
27 | Maryland | 3 | 203 | 67.67 | 895 | 4.41 | 298.33 | 38 | Michigan St. | 4 | 126 | 31.50 | |
30 | Minnesota | 3 | 164 | 54.67 | 910 | 5.55 | 303.33 | 73 | Ohio St. | 4 | 118 | 29.50 | |
38 | Penn St. | 3 | 220 | 73.33 | 970 | 4.41 | 323.33 | 78 | Rutgers | 3 | 88 | 29.33 | |
47 | Michigan | 3 | 208 | 69.33 | 1031 | 4.96 | 343.67 | 86 | Northwestern | 3 | 86 | 28.67 | |
48 | Northwestern | 3 | 206 | 68.67 | 1032 | 5.01 | 344.00 | 92 | Nebraska | 4 | 114 | 28.50 | |
56 | Nebraska | 4 | 299 | 74.75 | 1427 | 4.77 | 356.75 | 109 | Illinois | 4 | 108 | 27.00 | |
75 | Rutgers | 3 | 231 | 77.00 | 1178 | 5.10 | 392.67 | 114 | Michigan | 3 | 80 | 26.67 | |
83 | Illinois | 4 | 300 | 75.00 | 1647 | 5.49 | 411.75 | 116 | Purdue | 3 | 79 | 26.33 | |
103 | Purdue | 3 | 234 | 78.00 | 1316 | 5.62 | 438.67 | 127 | Penn St. | 3 | 76 | 25.33 |
This chart right here shows you what you need to know about why Illinois gives up so many yards. The teams in the top half of the B1G in TOP/game are the same teams in the top half of the B1G in least amount of yards given up per game....
Rk Team Games Plays plys/gm Yds yds/ply yds/game Rk Team Games TOP TOP/game 1 Wisconsin 3 162 54.00 514 3.17 171.33 1 Wisconsin 3 115 38.33 2 Ohio St. 4 260 65.00 888 3.42 222.00 4 Iowa 3 108 36.00 5 Michigan St. 4 253 63.25 913 3.61 228.25 10 Minnesota 3 103 34.33 12 Iowa 3 155 51.67 788 5.08 262.67 31 Indiana 4 129 32.25 26 Indiana 4 259 64.75 1187 4.58 296.75 37 Maryland 3 94 31.33 27 Maryland 3 203 67.67 895 4.41 298.33 38 Michigan St. 4 126 31.50 30 Minnesota 3 164 54.67 910 5.55 303.33 73 Ohio St. 4 118 29.50 38 Penn St. 3 220 73.33 970 4.41 323.33 78 Rutgers 3 88 29.33 47 Michigan 3 208 69.33 1031 4.96 343.67 86 Northwestern 3 86 28.67 48 Northwestern 3 206 68.67 1032 5.01 344.00 92 Nebraska 4 114 28.50 56 Nebraska 4 299 74.75 1427 4.77 356.75 109 Illinois 4 108 27.00 75 Rutgers 3 231 77.00 1178 5.10 392.67 114 Michigan 3 80 26.67 83 Illinois 4 300 75.00 1647 5.49 411.75 116 Purdue 3 79 26.33 103 Purdue 3 234 78.00 1316 5.62 438.67 127 Penn St. 3 76 25.33
Look at Iowa's and Minnesota's yds/play given up on defense (5.08 and 5.55 respectively). That's nothing special. Yet they have only given up 262 and 303 yards/game respectively. How? Because they control the ball on their possessions. Imagine if Illinois has possession of the ball for 35ish minutes yesterday (like Iowa and Minnesota do on average). How would this game look different? We had the ball for 22 minutes.... TWENTY-TWO!
Blame the defense all you want, but the numbers are starting to show more and more that the offense is the bigger issue here. And, it's not just the players not having ability. Yes, we have weaknesses, but we have some absolute studs. It's the plays that are being called.
We can't fix a defense when the defense is expected to control 65% of the game... That's just setting kids up for failure.
Good points both. Martinez was not an accurate passer last night but combined with his legs is a very good QB...would like Isaiah to be that good.Fair and great use of the metrics to back up your analysis. HOWEVER, you can’t stare at a yards per play that aggregiously high and suggest that the offense is our primary concern. It’s clearly a 50-50 blame share and Lovie and the kids on that side of the ball need to take their part of ownership in that.
After watching it back, I can confirm 3 plays that were potential 25+ yard gains if not outright touchdowns that Adrian Martinez missed yesterday where the receiver is essentially running wide open down the field. And to clarify, so there is no confusion, I do mean WIDE OPEN. If those plays were made, yesterday would have been significantly worse and 693 yards is already pretty ugly.
We may well have the worst secondary in the country and this includes the atrocity that UTEP is running out there. Our back half defensively in terms of play and our apparent lack of understanding of basic combination coverages is an embarrassment. Quan Martin and our safeties are clearly not Big Ten players.
He feels wealth. Really wealthy.Lovie looks and sounds deflated. As bad as we feel, I can't even imagine how he feels.
No, I really don’t think you’re understanding... you actually proved my point. YPP is something Iowa and Minnesota struggle with mightily. But they are in the top half of the B1G when it comes to fewest yards/game.
The math is very simple to follow: if you give up a lot of yards per play, limit the number of plays you are on defense.
The best way to do this? Stop going 1-12 on third downs. Possess the ball longer than 26 minutes a game. Quit being boom or bust on offense (both of which result in sub two minute drives).
On a side note, I would like to see how our yards per play look as the game goes on. Someone posted a very interesting stat about Illinois’ first 50 defensive plays vs the plays after that. Isn’t like to see that stat across the first 4 games.