Illinois 20, Maryland 17 Postgame

#202      
SCillini
skyIdub said:
Laughery is a great change of pace back. I don't see him as a run establisher.

Barnett is a prototype RB. It's time to get past whatever "ball security" issues we haven't seen and give him the ball 20 times per game.

Laughery 3rd down back. Jordan Anderson for some short yardage and rest spelling.

But hey...I'm no Barry Lunney Jr......
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Laughery has been outstanding and consistent. He’s been much more durable and dependable this year. There’s a reason he’s getting more carries than Barnett, but the board knows more than the coaches!
 
#203      
redwingillini11
I will never apologize for winning. We showed cojones sticking it out to the end after that miserable start.

All the credit to Houser for finding a way back onto the field so soon. I honestly thought his Illini career was over. I stand corrected from my hype at the beginning of the season: he is no Luke. But I hope he can have some success down the stretch and parlay that into a professional career.

We can and should have beaten Duke and Purdue…. We would still be a weaker team than we could hope for, but we would have been 7-1…

We have a chance to win a game at home against a perpetually pathetic Nebraska team to be bowl eligible for the third year in a row for the first time since the 80s. That’s all I can really have asked for to start the year, so let’s just go out and do it. We can see what happens after that.

Beat Nebraska. Go Illini.
 
#207      
Old.Edgy
AirTran said:
Interesting sentiment but not reality.
(1) There are 4 games to play and if we win 1 of them (I believe we will be the underdog in all 4) that changes the complexity of next year's coaching staff in its entirety. The 15 - 20 bowl game practices is where the vast majority of player development occurs.
(2) It's more likely Barry Lunney will not be here next year than Cooper not being the D - Coordinator should we win 1 of our final 4 games.
(3) Today's players do not commit based on the D-Coordinator. They commit based on:

(a) money.
(b) competition at their chosen position.
(c) who is their position coach would be.
(d) most importantly, which current players and recruiter help recruit them.

(4) We have one of the lowest off -field spends on defensive coaches in the B1G
(5) If the we get to a bowl game BB is more likely to stick with the 3-5-3 and Roger Cooper as long as it shows decent results. Changing coordinators won't get us better players, Players that enjoy the current staff and like the 3-5-3 system will be our best recruiting asset.
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Marginally disagree... If we only win 1 of these last 4, then BLjr won't be as hot a prospect as you think... Which is good for us IMHO... Also, your assumption that changing coordinators won't get us better players is not necessarily true IMHO... (btw: I think its a 3-3-5 and not a 3-5-3)...
 
#208      
Thaillini22
Of all things, questioning how BB uses his stable of RBs is kinda ridic.
 
#209      
therealmiket86
SCillini said:
Laughery has been outstanding and consistent. He’s been much more durable and dependable this year. There’s a reason he’s getting more carries than Barnett, but the board knows more than the coaches!
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Laughery has been great this year. He hits the hole hard and has the speed to break big runs. He’s been running very strong this year and is always falling forward to get more yards.

Barnett is very good and should have a spot in the rotation but he doesn’t need to be the feature back. Laughery, Barnett and Anderson is a good rotation. We have speed and power.
 
#210      
AirTran
Old.Edgy said:
Marginally disagree... If we only win 1 of these last 4, then BLjr won't be as hot a prospect as you think... Which is good for us IMHO... Also, your assumption that changing coordinators won't get us better players is not necessarily true IMHO... (btw: I think its a 3-3-5 and not a 3-5-3)...
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Yes its 3-3-5 and yes my "assumption" about defensive coordinators vs. position coaches, current players and recruiting coordinators is accurate. D - Coordinators and O - Coordinators only get involved if the recruit is someone they are promising playing time to (Katin Houser).

But you seem to be missing the point entirely.

First, 3-3-5 is dependent on communication, as cover changes pre - snap. A large part of the defensive underperformance in the first 4 games this year was simply players learning how to play and communicate a new defensive system.

Second, its during the bowl prep that BB formulates to following year plan and when the position coaches (and sometimes the coordinator) sit with the players that will remain on the roster after the bowl game to determine whether that player will be returning to Illinois.

Third, bowl season is also when the position coaches and recruiting coordinators worked the most hours. That is when the recruiting takes place. Why was our defensive recruiting weaker than normal last year? (1) we changed defensive coordinators and (2) We used the vast majority of the money allocated to defense on retaining our linebackers and defensive backs.

Finally, you ignore the economics. BB would like to stick with the defensive coaches and players we would have returning. Why? First, continuity - you don't want to use 3 defensive systems in 3 years. Second sticking with the current coaches and players, would be the easiest way to fill the recruiting gaps and the least expensive. You completely ignore the fact that BB admitted he didn't have the money to spend on D - Linemen last year. We change coordinators and then we have to change personnel and spend more money. Money which we don't have.
 
#211      
FloridaMan
Strawman. No one is saying Barnett should get more carries than AL or be the featured back. Literally no one has said that. And AL certainly has been more durable and dependable this year, and deserves plenty of carries. Again, this is no slight to AL in the least! He and Anderson have been great.

Barnett is getting 5 carries a game and doing unbelievable things for a FR every game with that scant number of touches. He is a bruising, physical runner who hits defenders hard! Giving him 5-7 more carries a game doesn't seem unreasonable given the flashes he has shown with two series worth of carries he's been getting so far. And he could potentially enhance AL's overall effectiveness, complimenting his speed and softening up the defense, giving AL even better opportunities to break long ones. Not guaranteed, no, but certainly potential there.

Nothing wrong with wanting our running game to be even better than it has been, which has been very good.

But the posters shouting down this opinion definitely know better!
 
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#213      
Mr. Tibbs
FloridaMan said:
Strawman. No one is saying Barnett should get more carries than AL or be the featured back. Literally no one has said that. And AL certainly has been more durable and dependable this year, and deserves plenty of carries. Again, this is no slight to AL in the least! He and Anderson have been great.

Barnett is getting 5 carries a game and doing unbelievable things for a FR every game with that scant number of touches. He is a bruising, physical runner who hits defenders hard! Giving him 5-7 more carries a game doesn't seem unreasonable given the flashes he has shown with two series worth of carries he's been getting so far. And he could potentially enhance AL's overall effectiveness, complimenting his speed and softening up the defense, giving AL even better opportunities to break long ones. Not guaranteed, no, but certainly potential there.

Nothing wrong with wanting our running game to be even better than it has been, which has been very good.

But the posters shouting down this opinion definitely know better!
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agree that Barnett deserves more carries per game . if history is any guide , he’s BB’s prototypical running back at Wiscy 12 years ago
 
#214      
mhuml32
Not pretty, but a win is a win!
 
#215      
blackdog
FloridaMan said:
Strawman. No one is saying Barnett should get more carries than AL or be the featured back. Literally no one has said that. And AL certainly has been more durable and dependable this year, and deserves plenty of carries. Again, this is no slight to AL in the least! He and Anderson have been great.

Barnett is getting 5 carries a game and doing unbelievable things for a FR every game with that scant number of touches. He is a bruising, physical runner who hits defenders hard! Giving him 5-7 more carries a game doesn't seem unreasonable given the flashes he has shown with two series worth of carries he's been getting so far. And he could potentially enhance AL's overall effectiveness, complimenting his speed and softening up the defense, giving AL even better opportunities to break long ones. Not guaranteed, no, but certainly potential there.

Nothing wrong with wanting our running game to be even better than it has been, which has been very good.

But the posters shouting down this opinion definitely know better!
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It's not a strawman when this quote exists in this very thread.

"Barnett is a prototype RB. It's time to get past whatever "ball security" issues we haven't seen and give him the ball 20 times per game."

YOU may not have made the argument but someone sure did.
 
#218      
Calvin
redwingillini11 said:
I will never apologize for winning. We showed cojones sticking it out to the end after that miserable start.

All the credit to Houser for finding a way back onto the field so soon. I honestly thought his Illini career was over. I stand corrected from my hype at the beginning of the season: he is no Luke. But I hope he can have some success down the stretch and parlay that into a professional career.
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100%
The thing that stood out to me most about the game was the final drive down the field. The way they played it seemed like a foregone conclusion that we were heading to a walkoff score for the win. Leaving it for the FG rather than taking the TD shows how committed they were to the gameplan for the last couple minutes. Really impressive execution.
 
#219      
therealmiket86
AirTran said:
Yes its 3-3-5 and yes my "assumption" about defensive coordinators vs. position coaches, current players and recruiting coordinators is accurate. D - Coordinators and O - Coordinators only get involved if the recruit is someone they are promising playing time to (Katin Houser).

But you seem to be missing the point entirely.

First, 3-3-5 is dependent on communication, as cover changes pre - snap. A large part of the defensive underperformance in the first 4 games this year was simply players learning how to play and communicate a new defensive system.

Second, its during the bowl prep that BB formulates to following year plan and when the position coaches (and sometimes the coordinator) sit with the players that will remain on the roster after the bowl game to determine whether that player will be returning to Illinois.

Third, bowl season is also when the position coaches and recruiting coordinators worked the most hours. That is when the recruiting takes place. Why was our defensive recruiting weaker than normal last year? (1) we changed defensive coordinators and (2) We used the vast majority of the money allocated to defense on retaining our linebackers and defensive backs.

Finally, you ignore the economics. BB would like to stick with the defensive coaches and players we would have returning. Why? First, continuity - you don't want to use 3 defensive systems in 3 years. Second sticking with the current coaches and players, would be the easiest way to fill the recruiting gaps and the least expensive. You completely ignore the fact that BB admitted he didn't have the money to spend on D - Linemen last year. We change coordinators and then we have to change personnel and spend more money. Money which we don't have.
Click to expand...

What linebackers did we spend money on?
 
#221      
skyIdub
SCillini said:
Laughery has been outstanding and consistent. He’s been much more durable and dependable this year. There’s a reason he’s getting more carries than Barnett, but the board knows more than the coaches!
Click to expand...

I wasn’t implying otherwise, just advocating for more carries for JB, and fantasizing about a feature back in a Bielema old school offense.
Plenty of carries for both.
 
#223      
blackdog
therealmiket86 said:
Anderson is also going to have a big role going forward
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The split yesterday seems pretty ideal when you take into account pass protection and receiving ability. Keep everybody fresh, different looks for the defense to account for, and Barnett has a pretty limited number of plays he is good for anyway.
 
#224      
Second place is 1st loser
BoiseBaller said:
I hope anything includes not tackling people above the shoulder pads lol.
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Yeah, if he can't wrap up in open field(or in tight quarters quite frankly), he wouldn't be doing everything. He is one of the guys that just not have enough talent to play at the High D1 level. You can't look at him and say that he does "X" well. I love his attitude, but we need to have more talent in the pipeline here.
 
#225      
illini0440
I think my favorite part of this debate is the JB should be getting more carries since he’s the prototypical Bret running back! As if Bret isn’t the head coach with final say in the depth chart lol

I’m not saying right or wrong on the more Carries either way, it’s just funny to me
 
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