Announcers basically said that whichever way the original call went, was how the review would go. It was so very close, but TV seems to show what you caught on photo
Illinois 31, Kent State 24 POSTGAME
Announcers basically said that whichever way the original call went, was how the review would go. It was so very close, but TV seems to show what you caught on photo
Deleted member 633632
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Toss was money 7 points all day game changer
I must respectfully disagree! For someone who has played quarterback and having seen that play live... AJ missed him and he'd tell you that himself!
Ricky had to literally put his head all the way back and backtrack to get under the ball... That was the 1st indiction he missed him.
Secondly, Ricky having to find the ball and put on evassive maneuvers just to get back on & under the proper trajectory of the ball took too much concentration away from his hands and he couldn't recover in time. That's why it went right thru the bread basket
That ball was underthrown. Had AJ lead his reciever to the ball, even just 3 or 4 more yards, it would have been an easy touchdown all day!! Imo
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Do you really think the players are emotionally scarred by booing? I bet the coaches are tougher on them than the fans. I expect the parents of the players are more emotionally impacted. If you want the fans to be indifferent to the poor play, even fewer will come. Today's fans are front runners. Most are not rooting for a team because of their deep love for a university. They want wins to have bragging rights vs. their friends. If you want to be cheered, you should understand there is a risk of being booed. That is just the way it is in 2018. This is not jfl or high school where it is obviously inappropriate.
I predict Lovie Smith will be our head coach in five years, and that most of us will be very happy with the results.
Lovie's most experienced recruits just played their 13th game under him. Surprise, that's not enough time to turn a MAC roster into a B1G roster.
I doubt it but I liked his game plan. I liked how prepared his team was, and I liked the analytics he used going for it on 4th downs. I think he has a bright future. I do believe we may have witnessed the first step of the next major wunderkind of the MAC. A little bit like Matt Campbell
Posted on Illiniboard.com in response to Robert's pessimistic perspective on the game.
https://illiniboard.com/story/2018/9/1/welcome-to-last-year/
Longtime lurker, first time responder. Really enjoy this blog, and echo San Joaquin’s post above about how much info Robert provides to those of us fans who stick with the team through thick and thin but don’t have a lot of options in terms of solid analysis of this stumbling, bumbling program that we hope to be turning a corner. Add the fact that I live in Japan and can never watch these games until Sunday, and only on BTN2GO International on my laptop (a pretty decent product, actually), and I’m not in a position to have inside info on the program.
I’m very surprised at 1) Robert’s pessimism and 2) almost everyone else’s lack of pessimism. Let’s take those in order.
Robert’s pessimism is very concerning to me. Year after year, he has a considerably better sense of the state of the program than I do. I’m getting a broken link on last year’s season preview, but I believe he was thinking 2, MAYBE 3 wins. And I was like no, 4, MAYBE 5. And Robert was absolutely spot on and I was not. And I was sad. This year Robert is (was?) in the 4, MAYBE 5 camp, and I feel comfortable there. I trust him more than I trust myself now.
That said, I’m surprised that others are pushing back on Robert’s pessimism so much. Because that performance was pretty underwhelming on the whole. BUT, Barrett is at least a decent FBS quarterback. AND, that 32-year-old Kent State coach has some stones and made all the right decisions. AND all the suspensions/injuries of key players.
SO, I’m struggling to decide whether I’m more aligned with Robert or more aligned with the majority of the responses. I think I’m more aligned with the majority of the responses, and it has everything to do with the difference between the first 34 minutes and the last 26. (Remember, the Illini went 3-and-out to start the 2nd half and Kent State was marching before the interception.) Let’s extrapolate:
After 34 minutes, the Illini were down 17-3. Extrapolated over the course of an entire game, the Illini lose 30-5. Call it 30-6 to make it a football score. There are legitimate arguments which ensue regarding whether it is the worst loss in the history of the nearly 130-year-old program.
In the final 26 minutes, the Illini won 28-7. Let’s call it 31-10, because under not-end-of-the-game circumstances, both teams would likely have come away with at least field goals in their final possessions. Extrapolated over the course of an entire game, the Illini win 72-23. There are legitimate arguments which ensue regarding whether Lovie was the best hire in the history of the nearly 130-year-old program and most folks are wondering not whether we’ll go to a bowl but how prestigious it will be.
That the final 26 minutes came after the first 34 is important in terms of morale/momentum/moxie. But the Illini will lose every one of their last ten games if they play 34 consecutive minutes as poorly as the played the first 34 minutes against Kent State, regardless of their morale/momentum/moxie. On the other hand, if they play as well for 26-minute stretches against B1G opponents as they did in the last 26 minutes against Kent State (AND the suspensions get resolved) they could go bowling. And I’m leaning towards trusting those final 26 minutes moreso than the first 34…and that is largely informed by Robert’s reporting. We shall see.
Question for those who historically have followed these things more than I have: Are the indefinite suspensions really indefinite, or can we translate that as “suspended until our first real test against USF”?
https://illiniboard.com/story/2018/9/1/welcome-to-last-year/
Longtime lurker, first time responder. Really enjoy this blog, and echo San Joaquin’s post above about how much info Robert provides to those of us fans who stick with the team through thick and thin but don’t have a lot of options in terms of solid analysis of this stumbling, bumbling program that we hope to be turning a corner. Add the fact that I live in Japan and can never watch these games until Sunday, and only on BTN2GO International on my laptop (a pretty decent product, actually), and I’m not in a position to have inside info on the program.
I’m very surprised at 1) Robert’s pessimism and 2) almost everyone else’s lack of pessimism. Let’s take those in order.
Robert’s pessimism is very concerning to me. Year after year, he has a considerably better sense of the state of the program than I do. I’m getting a broken link on last year’s season preview, but I believe he was thinking 2, MAYBE 3 wins. And I was like no, 4, MAYBE 5. And Robert was absolutely spot on and I was not. And I was sad. This year Robert is (was?) in the 4, MAYBE 5 camp, and I feel comfortable there. I trust him more than I trust myself now.
That said, I’m surprised that others are pushing back on Robert’s pessimism so much. Because that performance was pretty underwhelming on the whole. BUT, Barrett is at least a decent FBS quarterback. AND, that 32-year-old Kent State coach has some stones and made all the right decisions. AND all the suspensions/injuries of key players.
SO, I’m struggling to decide whether I’m more aligned with Robert or more aligned with the majority of the responses. I think I’m more aligned with the majority of the responses, and it has everything to do with the difference between the first 34 minutes and the last 26. (Remember, the Illini went 3-and-out to start the 2nd half and Kent State was marching before the interception.) Let’s extrapolate:
After 34 minutes, the Illini were down 17-3. Extrapolated over the course of an entire game, the Illini lose 30-5. Call it 30-6 to make it a football score. There are legitimate arguments which ensue regarding whether it is the worst loss in the history of the nearly 130-year-old program.
In the final 26 minutes, the Illini won 28-7. Let’s call it 31-10, because under not-end-of-the-game circumstances, both teams would likely have come away with at least field goals in their final possessions. Extrapolated over the course of an entire game, the Illini win 72-23. There are legitimate arguments which ensue regarding whether Lovie was the best hire in the history of the nearly 130-year-old program and most folks are wondering not whether we’ll go to a bowl but how prestigious it will be.
That the final 26 minutes came after the first 34 is important in terms of morale/momentum/moxie. But the Illini will lose every one of their last ten games if they play 34 consecutive minutes as poorly as the played the first 34 minutes against Kent State, regardless of their morale/momentum/moxie. On the other hand, if they play as well for 26-minute stretches against B1G opponents as they did in the last 26 minutes against Kent State (AND the suspensions get resolved) they could go bowling. And I’m leaning towards trusting those final 26 minutes moreso than the first 34…and that is largely informed by Robert’s reporting. We shall see.
Question for those who historically have followed these things more than I have: Are the indefinite suspensions really indefinite, or can we translate that as “suspended until our first real test against USF”?
Players are good at shaking off boos from other fans, in fact I’m sure they are used to it and expect it.
But booing your own players seems wrong. Even if you’re booing the coaches, the players will have some sort of an emotional/mental response to it.
For those that don’t think so, what happens when a crowd goes nuts on a great play and gets super loud on a 3rd down? Does it not amp up the players? A person would have to be a robot to not get a few shots of adrenaline when 10s of thousands of people are screaming your support from all around.
So why is it not the case when thousands of people boo? Being booed by your own fans, the ones who are there to see you win, has to be a little disheartening. At least on a subconscious level.
I feel like a good boo is better aimed at the other team or a ref.
If you feel strongly enough to put down these players or the coaches who have put in thousands of hours of work, I feel like speaking with your pay check is more effective and strategic than the tactical insult of booing.
Josh Whitman will listen to empty seats.
But booing your own players seems wrong. Even if you’re booing the coaches, the players will have some sort of an emotional/mental response to it.
For those that don’t think so, what happens when a crowd goes nuts on a great play and gets super loud on a 3rd down? Does it not amp up the players? A person would have to be a robot to not get a few shots of adrenaline when 10s of thousands of people are screaming your support from all around.
So why is it not the case when thousands of people boo? Being booed by your own fans, the ones who are there to see you win, has to be a little disheartening. At least on a subconscious level.
I feel like a good boo is better aimed at the other team or a ref.
If you feel strongly enough to put down these players or the coaches who have put in thousands of hours of work, I feel like speaking with your pay check is more effective and strategic than the tactical insult of booing.
Josh Whitman will listen to empty seats.
Long post so I didn't quote but here are my thoughts. Kent St brought back most of their starters 16th overall according to Football Outsiders https://www.sbnation.com/college-fo...8-ncaa-football-returning-starters-experience. In addition they added Barrett who I can say with great certainty is an above average D1 QB.
I think that goes a long way in explaining the fast start against us, particularly with the suspensions. That however does not explain the bad special teams in first half and questionable time management in both halves. Kent St isn't a great football team but I do think they have an innovative coach and experienced roster. They hit us hard in the mouth, but we responded. I disagree with Roberts assessment that this years first game is the same as last years. This Kent St team was way better.
All in all it was a mixed bag. Some good some bad, but I don't think we can write season off yet
Yeah I seen Kent st DB got his hand across Ricky's split second early but on tv didn't notice the others you pointed out thanks for the infoI must respectfully disagree! For someone who has played quarterback and having seen that play live... AJ missed him and he'd tell you that himself!
Ricky had to literally put his head all the way back and backtrack to get under the ball... That was the 1st indiction he missed him.
Secondly, Ricky having to find the ball and put on evassive maneuvers just to get back on & under the proper trajectory of the ball took too much concentration away from his hands and he couldn't recover in time. That's why it went right thru the bread basket
That ball was underthrown. Had AJ lead his reciever to the ball, even just 3 or 4 more yards, it would have been an easy touchdown all day!! Imo
Lovie didn't seem to be suprised by the booing. I have no doubt that he will use that and spin it to where the kids will respond in a properly motivated way.
Is there any insight into the suspensions of the Illini starters and/or how long they will be out? The only thing I've heard is that it is an indefinite suspension.
FeelYourPaign
- So Cal
Having watched his post game interview, it is very clear that this is all you will hear from Lovie and staff. His answer to " What do they need to do to return?" was "Keep doing what they are doing".
Which likely includes not talking about it to those outside the tent
Speaking as a season ticket holder, there is plenty of that at the game. They should consider limiting the band to change of possession/TD type of things and let the people in charge of the soundboard do more. If you can think about all the comments regarding the gray hairs at the basketball games always sitting down and not being loud, it's a similar thing that happens at the football games. Having been at more than my fair share of Bears games, I am dumbfounded by how many Illinois fans just want to sit at the ball games and observe. Finally late in the 4th quarter with a defensive stand needed, out of nowhere, the shot a video of Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation actor/UI grad) pumping up the crowd to stand up and make a bunch of noise. It was pretty awesome. Well, maybe 1/3 of the crowd was compelled to stand up. It was sad. The game was on the line and people didn't even want to stand. I don't blame anyone at DIA/MS game day for that. I just can't understand why a crowd would not want to stand and yell to create a home field advantage for the home team they paid to watch and hopefully see a win.Is there anyone in the athletic department in charge of game time hype? Seriously. Watching this on TV (too far a commute to go to the games) I get NO sense of crowd involvement. I've said this before, and of course their team has been much better over the last 10 years, but I'll use VaTech as an example. Enter Sandman, the music during the games, scoreboard stories/games, Treadmill Horse (google it if you're not familiar), all create a sense of wanting to be at the game. We need a creative smart-guy (doesn't have to be a genius) to create a good game time experience. Maybe its happening to some extent, but via tv its not evident.
I’m guessing he will. There are a few ways to make it work to your advantage.
It just feels odd and a little wrong to boo my own team.
Outside of trivial analysis, the two opening games are not alike. At no time last year did Illinois dominate Ball State. Illinois dominated the entire 2nd half against KSU. Just take a look at the numbers-
Illinois got lucky beating Ball State last year. BSU 21 1st downs to UI 14. BSU 12-21 on 3rd down compared to 2-10 for Illinois. BSU 375 total yards, IL 216. BSU had 204 yds passing and 171 rushing. IL 145 passing and 71 rushing. That’s 2.4 ypc rushing.
Fast forward to game 1 2018. Illinois 469 total yards vs 453 for the Golden Flashes. KSU had 279 passing yards while IL had 190, but IL beat them handily in rushing yards 279 to 183. Illinois had 5.7 YPC. The IL offense took the game over beginning the 2nd series in the 2nd half. Coaches made adjustments. When did that happen last year on offense? It didn't.
Although I did not enjoy playing that close to Kent State, I will reserve judgment until I see how close kent State plays Penn State in 2 weeks.
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Deleted member 29907
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This may sound strange, but I think there are different 'types' of boo's. 1 ) You suck, I'm disgusted, 2) Come on guys get your crap together and get it going (more like a kick in the butt from a coach)
Since its hard to verbalize #2 above, 'boo' it is. Just a thought.....
Other than Hansen, I had a hard time finding someone who seemed to be playing downhill during the first half - so my yelling would have been 'come on guys, quit playing scared out there'
Thanks, I was just checking to see if any rumors were circulating in Champaign regarding the suspensions. I wouldn't think it was missing a meeting, or getting mouthy with a coach. If it was criminal in nature, I'm confident it would be out by now. My guess it is somewhere in between and Lovie wants to send a strong message that nonsense and/or bad behavior will not be tolerated. I'm confident he is doing what is best for the team. Young men sometimes use poor judgement and evidently he's making sure they get a life lesson.
Deleted member 29907
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Just a thought - but once we have the football performance center - we could build hype via something like this - just throwing this out to the universe.
Unfortunately, the players can’t differentiate between boo option 1 and boo option 2. It all just sounds like a boo.
Especially when it’s in unison with the other hundreds if not thousands of boos.
Tremendous idea. Hopefully, the program can get back to when there was this much excitement. Back in the day of Mike White, John Mackovic, with players like Jeff George, Mark Butkus, Jason Verduzco. Dana Howard, Howard Griffith and others it was rocking. Make it happen Lovie.....
Is there anyone in the athletic department in charge of game time hype? Seriously. Watching this on TV (too far a commute to go to the games
I have felt similar for years. Pre-game festivities are improving with grange grove for football, but in-game energy and excitement for the crowd is minimal for both football and basketball. Yes, part of the problem has been we have poor records in both football and basketball. Part of the problem rest in the lack of enthusiasm from fans, myself included. They have some positives like some excellent camera work in finding dancing fans and kids, but I wish someone with some influence could talk to the athletic department about improving the atmosphere. The band needs some new songs, especially since the war chant is gone. The crowd needs some new cheers and traditions, especially since the war chant is gone (the clapping chant was one of the few things the crowd participated in). Heck, the crowd hardly responds to the ILL-INI call and respond cheer anymore. It has to be fixed. If the television audience can hear boos from the crowd, but not cheers there is a major problem and it is just not winning games.
Also, booing your own college team is just not ok.
KrushCow31
Former Krush Cow
- Chicago, IL
We are...not good. I originally had us at 5 wins this season I'd like to readjust that to 2-3 wins. I don't think we win a B1G game this season. Maybe Purdue on HC or Rutgers but not close to for sure.
Kent State is bad. New QB and new coach or not. They are a terrible team. Our line got smoked by a bottom of the barrel MAC team. I was watching the first half with two MAC guys and they were dying of laughter all game watching us play. The 2nd half was more reassuring but...hot dang. Maybe all the suspensions had a bigger impact than I am giving credit for, idk.
It didn't help that I went to the ND vs Michigan game after watching Illinois and was able to compare the two. Holy cow night and day difference. If we played Michigan this year, their D line would destroy us.
Kent State is bad. New QB and new coach or not. They are a terrible team. Our line got smoked by a bottom of the barrel MAC team. I was watching the first half with two MAC guys and they were dying of laughter all game watching us play. The 2nd half was more reassuring but...hot dang. Maybe all the suspensions had a bigger impact than I am giving credit for, idk.
It didn't help that I went to the ND vs Michigan game after watching Illinois and was able to compare the two. Holy cow night and day difference. If we played Michigan this year, their D line would destroy us.
I grew up in CU and went to Illinois games from 1970 to 1992; since then I've lived in Seattle. Crowds out here commit to games, even for bad teams, to a degree very seldom seen in CU. It's unfortunate. I used to think I was the odd one expecting a crowd to be into a game to try to pump a team up. Turns out that's what they do out here regularly, even when the team's 0-12 like the Huskies were not too long ago, even when the Seahawks were 2-14. Crowds were still loud and committed. Fans expect to be part of the event here. To a degree I never saw in CU. No idea why, but it's not new.