Would be interesting since an NC State transfer helped Bielema at Wisconsin to a B1G championship
Illini Football 2022
- Status
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Devin Leary is going pro if he's going anywhere.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Ratings across the first half of the season
QB: B+ (DeVito played his best game against Minny and takes care of the ball)
RB: A+ (Chase Brown)
WR: B (Hightower and Bryant have been good surprises, still feel like we can use Isaiah better)
TE: B+ (terrific blocking, serviceable in the passing game, Lunney definitely gets creative with getting Marchese free)
OL: B+ (Probably could be a bit higher, unit seems to get stronger as the game goes on. Dominated Wisc, Minny, and last few drives against Iowa)
DL: A+ (NT and Edge development has been great, Newton and Randolph wreak havoc everywhere)
LB: A- (Confident group that's not flashy but doesn't make many mistakes)
CB: A (Witherspoon's confidence is infectious)
S: A+ (Give Walters all the money)
K: B (Griffin now has some competition)
P: B- (Hang time + coverage isn't great, but had some good moments esp. against Iowa)
QB: B+ (DeVito played his best game against Minny and takes care of the ball)
RB: A+ (Chase Brown)
WR: B (Hightower and Bryant have been good surprises, still feel like we can use Isaiah better)
TE: B+ (terrific blocking, serviceable in the passing game, Lunney definitely gets creative with getting Marchese free)
OL: B+ (Probably could be a bit higher, unit seems to get stronger as the game goes on. Dominated Wisc, Minny, and last few drives against Iowa)
DL: A+ (NT and Edge development has been great, Newton and Randolph wreak havoc everywhere)
LB: A- (Confident group that's not flashy but doesn't make many mistakes)
CB: A (Witherspoon's confidence is infectious)
S: A+ (Give Walters all the money)
K: B (Griffin now has some competition)
P: B- (Hang time + coverage isn't great, but had some good moments esp. against Iowa)
viking6888
Greeley, Colorado
Another topic-- I LOVE the way our defense takes something COMPLETELY away from the other team and dares them to beat us with the single dimension left to them. With Wisconsin, net TWO yards rushing, leaving them to try and have a pass only offense and putting their qb in the crosshairs. Minnesota-- they were in a "no passing zone" with 38 yards total, and while they ran the ball ok, couldn't retain possession (19+minutes?) Iowa we just hammered away and gave their qb no chance. It's hard to win without a balanced offense, which we have maintained except for the Iowa game where we lost our qb for much of the game.
What will we be scheming for Nebraska? I can hardly wait!!
What will we be scheming for Nebraska? I can hardly wait!!
Great call.
Would love to know when was the last time a power 5 team that was or had previously been ranked was held to 38 total passing yards
Agreed on your grades. The one area that has bitten us a bit is depth of kick-offs. We have given up some big returns because we cannot kick into the opponents end-zone. But that is getting super nit-picky.
I don’t think it is picky at all. Our not achieving touch-backs has caused us to pooch kick or kick away that leads to good field position (our 6 yard line?) for the opponents. We are not a huge offensive steam roller that ca score from anywhere. We thrive on field position .
It boggles my mind that a power 5 school hasn’t recruited some one w who can kick it into and out of the end zone. Have a student try out or recruit a soccer player (man or woman!)
Haha, just saw the misspelling. Autocorrect is a helluva drug.
It does make me cringe when we give the other side a chance for a return, but we have stopped those returns shy of the 25 an awful lot of times. In those cases, it does kinda work.
blackdog
- Champaign
We do have someone he's just hurt. Griffin regularly hits his kickoffs for touch backs with no problems. As great as Pinton has been he does not have good leg strength which leads to the short kickoffs and also the staff going for fourth downs in situations where they might have tried a long field goal. His long is only 37 and he hasn't even attempted past that whereas Griffin's long is 48.
After the IU game I was expecting to just skip football (again) and go straight to basketball. Now, 7 weeks later, my Saturday feels empty without Illinois football. Far out.
Is Griffin out for the year?
They teased on College Gameday earlier this morning that if Illini win their next two games against Nebraska and Michigan State that the show may come to Chambana for the Purdue game.
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
Pitter patter, let's get at 'er.
Just hope we don't have rust or become overconfident.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Takeaways from the opponent adjusted efficiency metrics:
1: Ohio St & Michigan are really good.
2: So are we.
3: Minnesota is Clemson.
4: Nebraska, Michigan St, and Northwestern are equally bad (each game still scares me cuz Illinois)
5: Purdue is Wisconsin.
1: Ohio St & Michigan are really good.
2: So are we.
3: Minnesota is Clemson.
4: Nebraska, Michigan St, and Northwestern are equally bad (each game still scares me cuz Illinois)
5: Purdue is Wisconsin.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
the shine is wearing off and it's killing me
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
It's one thing to cherry pick stats. It's quite another when those cherry-picked stats don't support the thesis of "amazing rebuild."
Edit--ahh, that tweet is sarcasm. The author is an MSU fan.
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viking6888
Greeley, Colorado
Word is out about Brown, Illinois wants volume turned up
It has been an eventful stretch for Chase Brown. The Illinois star became the season's first 1,000-yard rusher in the Football Bowl Subdivision on Oct. 15 and only the third player in program history to reach the milestone in back-to-back years. The fifth-year running back is the undisputed...
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