illinichick
- Ann Arbor, MI
Wow, that's impressive. I wonder what those stats looked like for Cubit's staff.
Illinois Football Staff Thread
Wow, that's impressive. I wonder what those stats looked like for Cubit's staff.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Killer. Lovie's built a killer staff. We're going big game hunting.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Not funny. FWIW, I find big game hunting abhorrent. Very little sporting about it. Maybe I shouldn't have used that analogy. Thought everyone would be take it figuratively.
Expect our killer staff to bring in a major upgrade in talent. No more MAC-level kids. 2-3 stars for 3-4 stars. Giant upgrade.
I do expect our coaching staff to upgrade in recruits, which they will.
FYI, big game hunting is perfectly fine. Just don't overdue it like many do. Ok, that's enough of that talk for now. Not the place for it
EfremWinters84
- S. Carolina
Recruiting: I agree. Looking for a significant talent upgrade to pull us out of the basement of the Power 5.
On-the-field Results: Any chance we get a Harbaugh-like effect in year 1, where Lovie and staff are able to coach 'em up? I do think we have a small hint of returning talent. How about 8-5 with one huge regular season upset and a bowl victory........
Hoping that George is a late bloomer and becomes our GO-TO guy this spring.
On-the-field Results: Any chance we get a Harbaugh-like effect in year 1, where Lovie and staff are able to coach 'em up? I do think we have a small hint of returning talent. How about 8-5 with one huge regular season upset and a bowl victory........
Hoping that George is a late bloomer and becomes our GO-TO guy this spring.
I think we have more than a "small hint" of returning talent. Of course if that was "small" joke in regards to Dude K, then I get what you are saying.
Talent- Receiving corps- I thought Dez Cain showed sings of being a good sideline and possession receiver. Malik Turner showed me signs of stretching the field. Add in Hardee and of course Dude K and I think you have a real good 4 man receiving corps. If someone else steps up, all the better.
Running back- Vaughn showed he is going to be a good one. Now, we get to see what Corbin has. And Foster looked good at the end of the season as a change of pace scat back.
QB- Lunt's numbers were what I would call average and he had 50+ drops. Give him more time and better hands and the weapon that is Dude K and a OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR that is actually one and it is hard telling what his senior year is.
DL- With Bain, Smoot, Chunkie and Phillips it is a great start. Add in a healthy (please) Teko Powell and some youngsters, it is an area with talent.
DB- Veteran defensive backs, need someone to replace Fej.
Really, there are three areas we need to improve vastly at. Oline, Tight Ends, and Linebackers. Those are the areas we need to "coach up".
Play calling is a tricky business, but all signs point that McGee is ready to take this step forward. May also have factor into his decision to come to Illinois. (amongst other things)
I'm sure McGee is ready. If not, Lovie has been at it a while, I'm sure he would say something if he thinks McGee is making a questionable play call.
I believe he called more plays than people give him credit for. There is no way Louisville pay him over 800K and he has absolutely nothing to do with the play calling. Unfortunately anyone that work with Petrino will never get the full credit they may deserve. I would assume this is why his brother decided to stay put. No matter how much work you do, Petrino will get all the credit. I think McGee is much more prepared than you give him credit for.
"Playcalling" is a vastly, VASTLY overrated part of coaching offense, but regardless, I hope people aren't under the impression that McGee has never been a play caller before. He called the plays during his time as head coach at UAB and also at Northwestern.
The question with McGee isn't his experience with designing and running and gameplanning for an offense, it's his level of success. Other than his couple seasons with Arkansas, his offenses have been just kinda OK.
The pluses for McGee, and why he has been and will continue to get paid so much is obviously recruiting, but also that he fits the bill perfectly as a leader and head coach-type figure for the offensive side of the ball and a yin to Lovie's yang as a younger career college guy. They know and trust one another and yet have very divergent and complementary skill sets.
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PaytonHighstep
- Downers Grove, IL
I understand your point of view, but I also watched Cubit and others that came before him kill drives with poor play calls or simply just go away from what is working.
I tend to agree with you, but there are times throughout games I just scratch my head and ask why or what is he doing?
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Barring injury, no one is going to supplant Lunt. Hoping a solid backup emerges. Odds on who that might be?
Lovie's mishaps with the OC position was a main cause of discontent during his time in Chicago.
BZuppke
- Plainfield
I agree. There was a lot left to be desired in last year's play calling. Maybe it's overrated, but it is awfully important.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
True. The flipside is given the Bears' D and Grossman at QB, it would have been sheer folly to open things up.
The chess match of football strategy is taking place miles over the head of the fans. That's kind of depressing when you think about it, that we care so much about something we comprehend so little, but it's true. Play calling decisions are made based on observations and deep insider knowledge of tendencies that we are not privy to.
An average offense with Northwestern talent while he was there might actually be a job well done. :thumb:
Precisely why the Deep Threat is still the most important part IMO. If you don't have it, then that chess match is whittled down to smaller areas of field and each yard gained is tougher and tougher.
Agree this is true for many, but there are plenty of fans who have played/coached football and have an intimate understanding of the game and it's strategies.
PaytonHighstep
- Downers Grove, IL
True. They spend big money on software to help breakdown film and tendencies, then organize that data. I feel OC's go into games with plans to attack formations, personnel groupings, and tendencies. You're right, we don't know what they were trying to do, but when you fail consistently, it just adds fuel to the "they are bad at their job" fire. I just feel Illinois failed miserably with good offensive talent to expose what they attempted to expose against B1G defenses. At least Cubit was consistent, his offenses were pretty bad against B1G competition from my perspective.