247 is reporting Tony Adams is back and Doug Kramer out
Redbox Bowl Pregame: Illinois vs Cal, Monday, December 30th, 3:00pm CT, FOX
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Insane. If anyone else was our clear cut QB this year we’d have had a fun 3-9 season. Watch the northwestern game and understand that’s what our offense looks like without him. Robinson is not a power 5 QB and IW couldn’t beat him out.
from what I can gather, here’s what I’d expect
IN: Peters, Adams
OUT: Kramer, BheBhe, Hansen, Woods
IN: Peters, Adams
OUT: Kramer, BheBhe, Hansen, Woods
Sounds right. Which is bad but not earth shattering.
Cal apparently is holding a few kids out as well.
I think concern for me at least is longer term outlook on Kramer and Hansen. If Kramer did suffer major knee injury as it appeared he may not be ready for next season. Hansen sounds like a back which no telling how he comes from that
With Kramer, I guess we’ll have to see what the actual injury is but I don’t mind Kendrick at the pivot. I’ve never stated it here but I’ve quietly felt for some time that it may be his more natural position. In that regard, team wise, I’m less concerned about the injury and more concerned about the two guard spots going into 2020. The real hurt you feel is for Doug as a person. He deserves to play tomorrow and it’s a shame that he isn’t.
Hansen worries me greatly. Back injuries are impossible to predict long term and we really need him at the healthy and at the MIKE next season. It’s crucial he be ready to go in that spot.
Will we see a lot of Cooper in Hanson's place? He's only played 3 games I believe. Maybe the staff was saving him for this one.
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Any word on Stampley?
Dan
Admin
Might be a uni combo first
Some observations, questions and comments on the game:
1) Cal doesn't have overwhelmingly athletic talent on defense, but they are excellent and effective because they're so fundamentally sound and are rarely out of position. You don't make a lot of yards on them making mental or physical mistakes. Great focus. preparation and concentration. In short great coaching. I really doubt that Coach Rod will take them by surprise tomorrow with his game plan or adjustments. If we make costly blocking and route mistakes (and they'll test our smarts and skills with blitzes) they'll stuff our running game and smash Peters out of the game. If Peters is dinged or injured, game over....
2) I expect they'll stuff the box and make us beat them by big passing plays. There's a mismatch between our OL pass blocking and their rush, and the next time Corbin successfully picks up a blitz will be the first. We need a lot of hot reads for big plays to Barker and our wide outs to force them out of 8 or 9 in the box. A lot of 3 step drops to start. Can Rod design that kind of offense? We'll see...
3) Since I don't expect our OL can block to the second level against this smart Cal D, we need to do a heck of a lot better getting Corbin in open space to let him juke out LBs and DBs. Coach Rod hasn't been able to do that all season. We need it to happen making Corbin a receiver tomorrow. Opposing Ds have smelled out our slow developing screens to beat them all season. Defenses understand this and pretty effectively contain Reggie from getting outside. perhaps going in motion and flanking him out on fly patterns may loosen things up, but Rod hasn't done much of that this season. Without BheBhe, I don't see anyone else on the roster being able to break long ones except maybe Navarro....
4) On defense it's their passing strength against our worst defensive liabilities; lack of effective pass rush and "donut" coverage. If we can't pressure Gabers and force him into mistakes, I don't see us stopping them. We're perhaps the slowest reacting pass defense in P5. No turnovers for us, no win.
5) Without a deep threat in the passing game, I don't see us loosening up the D in the box and it'll be a repeat of the NW game. But who's that deep receiver that has the speed and moves to make them pay for overcommitting to the run?
I mentioned Corbin, but quick slants by TE Barker and Williams, and a broken tackle or two, might loosen things up. Navarro has to be ready for quick dump passes and make something of them. Cumby is the only guy I've seen at flanker that could scare the heck out of their depleted secondary with his speed. Can Cumby, Navarro, and Corbin make enough big deep passing plays to compensate for not having BheBhe on the field?
Just wondrin'....
1) Cal doesn't have overwhelmingly athletic talent on defense, but they are excellent and effective because they're so fundamentally sound and are rarely out of position. You don't make a lot of yards on them making mental or physical mistakes. Great focus. preparation and concentration. In short great coaching. I really doubt that Coach Rod will take them by surprise tomorrow with his game plan or adjustments. If we make costly blocking and route mistakes (and they'll test our smarts and skills with blitzes) they'll stuff our running game and smash Peters out of the game. If Peters is dinged or injured, game over....
2) I expect they'll stuff the box and make us beat them by big passing plays. There's a mismatch between our OL pass blocking and their rush, and the next time Corbin successfully picks up a blitz will be the first. We need a lot of hot reads for big plays to Barker and our wide outs to force them out of 8 or 9 in the box. A lot of 3 step drops to start. Can Rod design that kind of offense? We'll see...
3) Since I don't expect our OL can block to the second level against this smart Cal D, we need to do a heck of a lot better getting Corbin in open space to let him juke out LBs and DBs. Coach Rod hasn't been able to do that all season. We need it to happen making Corbin a receiver tomorrow. Opposing Ds have smelled out our slow developing screens to beat them all season. Defenses understand this and pretty effectively contain Reggie from getting outside. perhaps going in motion and flanking him out on fly patterns may loosen things up, but Rod hasn't done much of that this season. Without BheBhe, I don't see anyone else on the roster being able to break long ones except maybe Navarro....
4) On defense it's their passing strength against our worst defensive liabilities; lack of effective pass rush and "donut" coverage. If we can't pressure Gabers and force him into mistakes, I don't see us stopping them. We're perhaps the slowest reacting pass defense in P5. No turnovers for us, no win.
5) Without a deep threat in the passing game, I don't see us loosening up the D in the box and it'll be a repeat of the NW game. But who's that deep receiver that has the speed and moves to make them pay for overcommitting to the run?
I mentioned Corbin, but quick slants by TE Barker and Williams, and a broken tackle or two, might loosen things up. Navarro has to be ready for quick dump passes and make something of them. Cumby is the only guy I've seen at flanker that could scare the heck out of their depleted secondary with his speed. Can Cumby, Navarro, and Corbin make enough big deep passing plays to compensate for not having BheBhe on the field?
Just wondrin'....
Cal doesn’t do this.
As long as we win on the field i do not care what we wear
BZuppke
- Plainfield
Wow. All is lost. The world is ending. Should we even bother to show up?
Corbin has 3 catches on the year. Cumby has 2 and doesn’t even play. So, uh no?
I don’t know about you internet friends, but I’m excited the Illini are playing December football.
Gameday! Wasn't sure we would be saying that in December!
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