4 backs weren't enough this season. Tough sport!
Looking ahead to 2024
- Status
He played special teams
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
To be fair, we got the 7th win in the second year AFTER Zook was fired, and he had just become the first coach in NCAA history to lose his last six games after starting 6-0.
Again, if I was a betting man. Safe to say I am a terrible gambler.
Our toughest games are PSU and Ore. None of the rest scare me... which will depend on how much experience they return. (Mich loses a sh!t-ton). With Luke getting a year's experience, a RB stable that went from worrisome to 'excited for their future', young stud WRs ready to fill in, and an interior OL that should be really good (OT a big question), the offense should take another step up. We lose the Law Firm, but the back seven were all young and inexperienced, so hoping their trial by fire pays off next year and the D takes a step up too. And finally, and I think this is overlooked: Bielema's guys, the players he recruited to fit his system, are starting to come of age after several years of what he's always been good at: development.
If there's ever a time to be optimistic it's the off-season: 6-8 wins.
If there's ever a time to be optimistic it's the off-season: 6-8 wins.
I agree with this 100% but I'm going to be bitching, moaning, screaming and cussing all along the way.
Schultz was awful. Either didn’t know how or was too stubborn to play an offense that utilized Juice Williams properly. Tried to make him into a field general shot accuracy type passer. It was awful and such a waste.
There’s about a zero percent chance it would come into play between pros, portal, injuries, etc. Just a passing thought
You know, being in the BIG 10 in this landscape is going to raise our level of recruiting. SEC and Big 10 is where people want to go. Then you have the FSU, the Clemson, etc but for the most part the BiG 10 and SEC will elevate recruiting n this current college FB landscape.
Case in point: look at MIZZOU. Not a juggernaut program historically. But since joining the SEC they have recruited consistently better.
I could be wrong.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Seems like this is the case every year no matter who is in charge.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Can they figure out why they are so bad at home while they’re at it?
No concern that BB last coached at Wisky 10+ years ago? Even the B1G has changed in that time. Curious as to what schools currently you feel are effective using that offensive approach — especially those in same group as Illini as far talent acquisition.
I tend to like the offense of which you speak, just not sure if it is a winnable approach now. Certainly a nice balance is needed though. It would be nice to have a third and 2 or 3 yards and have a fairly strong confidence you can run for a first rather than passing.
Just having some fun, my friend
… The picture does make it appear like Elzy is leaving the stadium so I kind of get where you were coming from …But as our coach would say when looking ahead to 2024 and more specifically Malik Elzy in 2024 … “The best is yet to come” …
The keys to next year are....
1. I think we will seen an improved Altmeyer next year and our WR and RB rooms are strong, especially if Love and IW come back. But none of this matters unless we can shore up the O-Line.
2. We have to stop playing so conservatively on Defense and the the coaches have to have more faith in their talent. I'm not ready to throw in the towel on AH - in 2021/2022 he was an outstanding position coach and when we played with even normal aggression on defense we weren't bad. But for the love of God, when you are playing against an inexperienced or bad QB there are 3 things you can't do....
- you can't play a zone - you have to make the QB throw not just to a spot, but away from a defender
- if you do play a zone, don't play a soft zone
- you especially can't play a zone unless you can put pressure on the QB
And another thing - there is nothing wrong with a properly executed prevent defense. The intent is to make the offense take 15 plays to get up the field by forcing 5-7 yard receptions, the occasional incompletion and occasionally keeping the receiver inbounds to chew clock. What we played was not that - we routinely gave up 15 yard receptions that allowed the opponent to get down the field in 5 plays. We execute this better and we win 2 more games
I think these are correctible issues, but we do have to fix them. AH should get another year to develop
3. We have to be more disciplined - this goes for the coaches as well as the players. I can't remember if Taz is back next year, but the first time he gets tagged for 15 yards he needs to sit on the pine. And our clock management has to get better - the number of timeouts we burned last year was unacceptable
1. I think we will seen an improved Altmeyer next year and our WR and RB rooms are strong, especially if Love and IW come back. But none of this matters unless we can shore up the O-Line.
2. We have to stop playing so conservatively on Defense and the the coaches have to have more faith in their talent. I'm not ready to throw in the towel on AH - in 2021/2022 he was an outstanding position coach and when we played with even normal aggression on defense we weren't bad. But for the love of God, when you are playing against an inexperienced or bad QB there are 3 things you can't do....
- you can't play a zone - you have to make the QB throw not just to a spot, but away from a defender
- if you do play a zone, don't play a soft zone
- you especially can't play a zone unless you can put pressure on the QB
And another thing - there is nothing wrong with a properly executed prevent defense. The intent is to make the offense take 15 plays to get up the field by forcing 5-7 yard receptions, the occasional incompletion and occasionally keeping the receiver inbounds to chew clock. What we played was not that - we routinely gave up 15 yard receptions that allowed the opponent to get down the field in 5 plays. We execute this better and we win 2 more games
I think these are correctible issues, but we do have to fix them. AH should get another year to develop
3. We have to be more disciplined - this goes for the coaches as well as the players. I can't remember if Taz is back next year, but the first time he gets tagged for 15 yards he needs to sit on the pine. And our clock management has to get better - the number of timeouts we burned last year was unacceptable
Agreed. Right now, to me, we have no business scheduling anybody but cupcakes in the non conference. With the conferences additions, getting three conference wins is a huge challenge. If we want to get to bowls, need to start every season 3-0. JMO
You know we play man about 95% of the time right?
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
It's just my thoughts honestly. I think would play very well in the West. As has been discussed here before, the goal of this program should be competing for the West title and a chance at a B1G Championship every year. Controlling the line of scrimmage and time of possession is always going to be effective.
Start a consistent winning tradition.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
I thought next year there will be no divisional play in the B$G.................Maybe I heard wrong , but that's what I am basing my idea's on what next year will bring for the Illini...........
yup. our chance at the West is gone. Now it's hoping to get one of the last playoff spots every so many years if we can improve. Hopefully they make it 16 teams soon.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
The BIG will be moving to a 10 game conference schedule relatively soon. No one is gonna be scheduling tough non-conference opponents.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
so the series with Mizzou gets cancelled before it starts ?
Dan
Admin
The new Big Ten in 2024 for Illinois Football-
* Remains a 9-game league schedule
* Play Purdue & Northwestern every year
* No divisions
* Avoid 8 Big Ten teams every regular season
* at Oregon is only 2024 regular season game vs Pac-12 newcomers (USC, UCLA, OR, Wash)
* Tiebreaking procedures has yet to be announced
* Remains a 9-game league schedule
* Play Purdue & Northwestern every year
* No divisions
* Avoid 8 Big Ten teams every regular season
* at Oregon is only 2024 regular season game vs Pac-12 newcomers (USC, UCLA, OR, Wash)
* Tiebreaking procedures has yet to be announced
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
no clue. but that kind of matchup is going the way of the dodo, sooner rather than later.
our masters (the networks) want to feed, it's gonna happen
- Status