Illinois 45, Duke 19 Postgame

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#476      
I skimmed this thread down sorry if this was discussed, but I feel like the commentators were coached on talking about Illinois substitution timing. It was even an ad hoc discussion with their rules guy who said "yep, Illinois is well within their right to do what they are doing".

It just felt like a point of emphasis they wanted to make after the Citrus Bowl. It was mentioned 3-4 times.
Sure bears uninformed criticism of what amounts to prudent clock management.
 
#477      
Yep. Spot on IMO. Announced attendance was 24k in a 35k stadium. Lol. No way. There may have been around 15-17k top and we composed a large part of that. On the visitors side of the stadium it felt like an Illini home game.

BTW, the Duke partisans we encountered were gracious. Nice group of guys behind us who congratulated us on the win. Then, as we were leaving the horseshoe end of the stadium afterward near Cameron Indoor, several guys who looked like basketball players intersected our path in the end zone plaza and, seeing our orange attire, offered a sincere "Nice win, guys" and props.

On the flip side there was an obnoxious group of 8-10 Duke supporters in the next section over (maybe a dozen rows up from the sideline) who heckled our bench continuously. I felt badly for anyone in O&B around them. Early in the 4th I looked over at one of the most vociferous of this group, who had been using a small cheerleader megaphone to amplify his catcalling all afternoon, and he's berating our players loudly while holding an infant in one arm. In the blazing 90+ degree sun. Combination lol/SMH.

Really glad we went. Although we looked largely meh in the first half, the salient difference in the BB era is that we're very well-coached, force mistakes, and capitalize on them. I kept marveling at how good our special teams are, then thought back to the ST nightmare of the Zook era, and gave thanks anew for where we are. And when we finally started wearing them down our O&D were like hot knives through butter. That fourth quarter was fun.

It's pretty great to see how well our fans travel. Can't wait for our Bloomington road trip in 12 days.
Thanks for sharing all that, especially the megaphone/infant combo. That's fandom right there!

And yes, it's great to NOT see the Zooker scribbling in that little notebook on the sidelines. We'll never know what he was scribbling, but I always imagined it was something like "All work and no play makes Zook a dull boy." Over and over...
 
#478      
I always thought it was
eggs.......
milk........
cheese....
beer.......
toilet paper
 
#483      
I skimmed this thread down sorry if this was discussed, but I feel like the commentators were coached on talking about Illinois substitution timing. It was even an ad hoc discussion with their rules guy who said "yep, Illinois is well within their right to do what they are doing".

It just felt like a point of emphasis they wanted to make after the Citrus Bowl. It was mentioned 3-4 times.
So I actually liked how espn handled this. It was a big national talking point this offseason and the fact is the layperson probably knows nothing about it other than what they were told by that very same network. So basically to have a rules guy come on and basically say, the defense is allowed 3 seconds to make a substitution after an offensive substitution and Bret consistently does it in 2 seconds, and that the defensive is completely allowed to make substitutions in this manner probably helped people actually understand this is a non-issue.

So Beamer or Diaz in this case can go ballistic, but the fans basically know it's their fault for going no huddle then making a late sub. The defense is under no obligation whatsoever to help the offense get their preferred matchups.
 
#484      
So I actually liked how espn handled this. It was a big national talking point this offseason and the fact is the layperson probably knows nothing about it other than what they were told by that very same network. So basically to have a rules guy come on and basically say, the defense is allowed 3 seconds to make a substitution after an offensive substitution and Bret consistently does it in 2 seconds, and that the defensive is completely allowed to make substitutions in this manner probably helped people actually understand this is a non-issue.

So Beamer or Diaz in this case can go ballistic, but the fans basically know it's their fault for going no huddle then making a late sub. The defense is under no obligation whatsoever to help the offense get their preferred matchups.
Bret uses/does EVERYTHING he has a legal right to.
“Bielema ball” is responsible for probably at least 2-3 wins per year .
 
#486      
I skimmed this thread down sorry if this was discussed, but I feel like the commentators were coached on talking about Illinois substitution timing. It was even an ad hoc discussion with their rules guy who said "yep, Illinois is well within their right to do what they are doing".

It just felt like a point of emphasis they wanted to make after the Citrus Bowl. It was mentioned 3-4 times.
I’m not sure if anyone watched the Ole Miss-UK game after ours, but the defensive substitution pattern strategy was also discussed during that game due to ole Miss employing it. They didn’t reference Bret or Illinois, but they did the same thing in educating the audience on what was going on.
 
#488      
Eli Coenen transferred from NAIA type school and making major impact, great scouting and good for him.
conan the barbarian GIF
 
#491      
Eli Coenen transferred from NAIA type school and making major impact, great scouting and good for him.
Bemidji is Div.2 and he started all of one game for them last year. Was 17th on the team in total tackles.

Last winter he was walking the steam and utility tunnels to class on BSU campus. This year he'll be walking the quad.

Last winter he was parking on Lake Bemidji to get to class. This year he's getting parking tickets on CU campus. :)

As someone who has attended classes at BSU, it's mind-boggling a non-starter at BSU is contributing at Illinois.

If only I had eligibility left, maybe this staff could turn me into a special teams backup.

Just looked this up. Maps, apps, elevators? Fresh paint with signage in the tunnels? Not the way it used to be. Kids today are so soft. :D

 
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#492      
Bemidji is Div.2 and he started all of one game for them last year. Was 17th on the team in total tackles.

Last winter he was walking the steam and utility tunnels to class on BSU campus. This year he'll be walking the quad.

Last winter he was parking on Lake Bemidji to get to class. This year he's getting parking tickets on CU campus. :)

As someone who has attended classes at BSU, it's mind-boggling a non-starter at BSU is contributing at Illinois.

If only I had eligibility left, maybe this staff could turn me into a special teams backup.

Just looked this up. Maps, apps, elevators? Fresh paint with signage in the tunnels? Not the way it used to be. Kids today are so soft. :D

When I was a senior in high school I got a letter from Bemidji St. baseball. Unfortunately it was the only letter I got!! 😂
 
#493      
He did use a nasty stiff arm to flatten a Duke tackler on one run for about 8 yards IIRC, the announcers said, "and he's not getting up" LOL (no he didn't get seriously hurt)

This drive was awesome for him. Offensive line was opening up lanes that made choices much easier for Feagin.
 
#494      
Does anyone happen to have a link to the Sunday No Huddle with ALionEye? When I click Dan's screen grab on the front page it just takes me to the WCIA site but I don't see anything to click to play the interview.
 
#496      
Sounds like my wife. Her family farmed in East Central Illinois for generations. She absolutely loves Illinois in the fall. While its beauty can not be denied, I'll offer fall in the Appalachian Mountains (my family roots are in Tennessee). God's masterpiece.
 
#497      
Thanks for sharing all that, especially the megaphone/infant combo. That's fandom right there!

And yes, it's great to NOT see the Zooker scribbling in that little notebook on the sidelines. We'll never know what he was scribbling, but I always imagined it was something like "All work and no play makes Zook a dull boy." Over and over...
He was filling out his fantasy football lineup for the next day.
 
#498      
Bret uses/does EVERYTHING he has a legal right to.
“Bielema ball” is responsible for probably at least 2-3 wins per year .
This^^^^^

Sitting close to the field last Saturday watching not only the game but our coaches and seeing how, despite sputtering in the 1H, we absolutely destroyed them down the stretch I was struck once again by the reasons why a team like ours wins many 50-50 games. It comes down to executive management and attention to detail. BB is a skilled executive. He surrounds himself with skilled managers, they inculcate in the players attention to detail, and there's a regular positive feedback loop of adjustment (see, for example, the substitution matter discussed above and the double-8s/lol/game-changer) that one-ups the opposing staff.

For a program like ours that doesn't swim in the sea of cash that richer programs do, this management and coaching skill is the difference between competing with the top tier in the conference and sinking to the middle or bottom. We haven't enjoyed it, frankly, since Mackovic. And BB, IMO, is better than he was.

We're truly blessed right now. Anyone who analyzes businesses (and many who simply work in them) understands the maxim that "the most important business decision is the hiring decision." At all levels. Able, talented managers are secure in hiring able, talented subordinates and delegating to them. Mediocre, insecure ones aren't and don't. I won't name names, Ron Lasagna.

Executive talent is scarce. CEO talent more so. Our football program is blessed with both currently (including, most importantly, our AD), and, given BB's stage in life and his outlook, it seems like we're entering a stable equilibrium period of consistent competitiveness.

It's good to be us right now. We're looking forward excitedly to every game. It's fun. It's really freaking fun. I'll be 60 in December and I get up every morning these days thinking about Saturday like a little boy awaiting Xmas. I'm having trouble concentrating at work because I'm (1) basking in the afterglow (and sunburn) of the Duke road trip; and (2) so jacked up about going to Bloomington next week. I haven't felt this way (apart from 2001 and 2007, both of which were flashes in the pan) since '90. And, frankly, I didn't even feel it to this extent then. Maybe because life stretched out in front of me back then like a long, lush red carpet to the horizon and I took a sitch like this (and lots of other things) for granted.
 
#499      
Sitting close to the field last Saturday watching not only the game but our coaches and seeing how, despite sputtering in the 1H, we absolutely destroyed them down the stretch I was struck once again by the reasons why a team like ours wins many 50-50 games. It comes down to executive management and attention to detail. BB is a skilled executive. He surrounds himself with skilled managers, they inculcate in the players attention to detail, and there's a regular positive feedback loop of adjustment (see, for example, the substitution matter discussed above and the double-8s/lol/game-changer) that one-ups the opposing staff.
All of which is ignored by FPI, explaining its lack of predictive value.
 
#500      
This^^^^^

Sitting close to the field last Saturday watching not only the game but our coaches and seeing how, despite sputtering in the 1H, we absolutely destroyed them down the stretch I was struck once again by the reasons why a team like ours wins many 50-50 games. It comes down to executive management and attention to detail. BB is a skilled executive. He surrounds himself with skilled managers, they inculcate in the players attention to detail, and there's a regular positive feedback loop of adjustment (see, for example, the substitution matter discussed above and the double-8s/lol/game-changer) that one-ups the opposing staff.

For a program like ours that doesn't swim in the sea of cash that richer programs do, this management and coaching skill is the difference between competing with the top tier in the conference and sinking to the middle or bottom. We haven't enjoyed it, frankly, since Mackovic. And BB, IMO, is better than he was.

We're truly blessed right now. Anyone who analyzes businesses (and many who simply work in them) understands the maxim that "the most important business decision is the hiring decision." At all levels. Able, talented managers are secure in hiring able, talented subordinates and delegating to them. Mediocre, insecure ones aren't and don't. I won't name names, Ron Lasagna.

Executive talent is scarce. CEO talent more so. Our football program is blessed with both currently (including, most importantly, our AD), and, given BB's stage in life and his outlook, it seems like we're entering a stable equilibrium period of consistent competitiveness.

It's good to be us right now. We're looking forward excitedly to every game. It's fun. It's really freaking fun. I'll be 60 in December and I get up every morning these days thinking about Saturday like a little boy awaiting Xmas. I'm having trouble concentrating at work because I'm (1) basking in the afterglow (and sunburn) of the Duke road trip; and (2) so jacked up about going to Bloomington next week. I haven't felt this way (apart from 2001 and 2007, both of which were flashes in the pan) since '90. And, frankly, I didn't even feel it to this extent then. Maybe because life stretched out in front of me back then like a long, lush red carpet to the horizon and I took a sitch like this (and lots of other things) for granted.

ah, to be young again...

great post. yeah, it's hella fun. I'd add strong credit to the player ID staff too. by and large, they've been punching above their weight
 
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