This was an all around good bounce back game. We just need to carry this momentum over to whoop up on the Turdles. I hate to say it, but you know they'll win at least 1 of the basketball games, if not both...
Illinois 35, Rutgers 13 Postgame
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I just LOVE it when we go BOWL-ing!!! Was anyone else cheering for the DL to hold off Rutgers that final minute in the red zone so we could leave the field with a 20+ point "quality win"? Gonna miss Luke...gonna miss Luke A LOT.
Yeah, the NBC control room couldn't resist running that clip again, could they?
Agree. We live in this strange nether-world just below the big three.
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
Probably the same folks who used to affix the helmet stickers.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Luke Altmyer: 323 yards / 5 touchdowns
Rutgers: 312 yards / 1 touchdown
Rutgers: 312 yards / 1 touchdown
Regarding attendance, I think there was some logistical issue. Lines to get on were huge and moving super slow. Eventually, they just started waving us all through, even if the metal detector beeped, and didn't even check our tickets. South entrance was backed up in both directions along Kirby out to first and fourth, and we waited at least 15 mins. It filled in pretty good once they actually .. let people in
Protect this family at all cost!!ILL
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Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
For some reason they were showing a close up of Kaliakmanisā face for like ten seconds after the game. But I get the camera time for corn man.
I would still like to know wtf was going on when we snapped the ball and our entire offensive line ended up lying on the ground during a pass play. Luke ended up getting sacked for about a 9 yard loss. Was Lunney getting cute with some sort of trick play or did our whole o-line just happen to fall flat on their face at the same time?
Ryllini
- Lombard
There was a lot of Strain, Heckel, and Cox today and it was still trash. They looked like boys and if RU had a QB that could throw when moved off a stationary spot, their Wr's would've demolished our boys out there.
I've liked the small spots out of Rooks this season.
It just isn't a good room imo. Hopefully Nasir is ready day 1.
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This is such a likable Illini team. Some teams would have folded under the weight of not meeting big expectations. But Luke and other team leaders were not going to let that happen. I think todayās win ā and they way they went about it ā was really important to keeping the arrow pointing up for this program.
Illinois could achieve back-to-back 10 win seasons, yet there will be fans raging bc we didn't get in the CFP.
We call them Nincompoops.
Great game (a Dub) that we long-sufferers have seen end in demoralizing failure sooo manyyy times before.
Way to go coach!
We call them Nincompoops.
Great game (a Dub) that we long-sufferers have seen end in demoralizing failure sooo manyyy times before.
Way to go coach!
Heckle isnāt ready to play but is forced into action at the nickel. I feel like Strain has regressed over the year. Cox will battle and will struggle against big wr due to his size.
The last several years we exclusively ran man coverage and recruited personnel for it. Now we are running a ton of zone and donāt have the personnel. We have the same issue with the oline. Bart was the like coach for Tony Peterson and recruits big maulers like we still run that offense. The oline struggles with the offense unless we are getting down hill and pounding the ball.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
9 pass break ups by our DBs today against the #1 pass offense (in yards per game) in the B1G. Just 10 pass break ups in the first 5 B1G games combined. Not perfect, but certainly better.
Ryllini
- Lombard
Another position group, but why did JoJo look so slow out there today? I don't know how many snaps he had, but he didn't look like he had any fight today.
Cox played pretty good so I donāt what game you were watching
blackdog
- Champaign
And a lot of other tough contested catches by two good WRs. If they did make catches there wasn't any YAC either.
Ryllini
- Lombard
He had a couple of pass breakups, 1 where he made a play. Other than that, it was more of what they didn't do than what he did.
The corner blitz early in the game got me very excited at the time lol
blackdog
- Champaign
Breakups on 20% of their passes. 55% completion percentage. A lot of yards coming in garbage time when the game was decided. The defense played well against a really good pass offense.
That's Kaliakmanis' game, every game vs. a solid opponent. He's never ever been consistent. Ever. Yet, that was Rutgers second lowest output of the season. The Illinois D today was very good. The Illinois DB's played very good. You're still stuck in Washington.
I think the biggest improvement from the D was tackling. There was no YAC. When you tackle, you make them go the whole way (and allow yourself to pick up on potential mistakes like the dropped pass).
Ryllini
- Lombard
I'll concede it was better, but I still think it was more due to pressure we were able to apply and move him off his spot. How many times did you hear today, "he had him, just missed him"? THe DL and LB's were much better today. Especially Gabe and I thought Kreutz did a great job. That helps the secondary. The last two plays the secondary did lock them up. Short field or not, locked them up.
Anyways, we won and I couldn't be happier. One thing is for sure, every rep good or bad is a great learning experience. They won't be worse for anything.
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