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Maryland 20, Illinois 17 Postgame
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<blockquote data-quote="Deleted member 747867" data-source="post: 1661234"><p>I think the biggest issue on offense is consistency throughout the course of the game. The offense has demonstrated the ability to move the football the length of the field to score a touchdown in every game this year. But the Illini offense has been slow to get going and at key moments they've come up short. </p><p></p><p>Part of the blame can be laid at injuries -- and the lack of depth to back up front line talent. E.gs., Peters goes down in game one, and MD was his first game back. They lose their top O-lineman in the VA game, who remains sidelined against MD. Then right when Illinois is moving the ball on MD, the Illini's top two RBs go down in near-successive plays. That is disruptive to the flow and very difficult to overcome.</p><p></p><p>When one reviews the stats, the offensive production is not bad, and it is pretty balanced. (I know, I know, stats tell a limited story; but still, they provide a useful tool for evaluation. And to be sure, the offense needs to be more productive.) Moreover, Illinois was far better than Maryland on third down conversions, and Illinois did produce a few big plays. But the biggest statistical difference (aside from the score) was in passing yardage. Illinois had 185yds passing, but MD had 350yds. The latter figure is not on the offense. The former needs to improve -- or be more effective at scoring points. </p><p></p><p>Bottom line: Illinois has some talent, but not a lot of speed. And speed kills (so the saying goes). Illinois lacks depth of talent and experience across the board. And their thin ranks have been beleaguered by the injury bug-a-boo on both sides of the ball. Add in a heavy dose of "lack of confidence" created long before the current staff arrived, and tough breaks can become demoralizing. But I think these players and the staff are nowhere near giving up on their season. So, don't you give up on them either. They're working hard, and they are improving -- even if it's two steps forward, one step backward.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Deleted member 747867, post: 1661234"] I think the biggest issue on offense is consistency throughout the course of the game. The offense has demonstrated the ability to move the football the length of the field to score a touchdown in every game this year. But the Illini offense has been slow to get going and at key moments they've come up short. Part of the blame can be laid at injuries -- and the lack of depth to back up front line talent. E.gs., Peters goes down in game one, and MD was his first game back. They lose their top O-lineman in the VA game, who remains sidelined against MD. Then right when Illinois is moving the ball on MD, the Illini's top two RBs go down in near-successive plays. That is disruptive to the flow and very difficult to overcome. When one reviews the stats, the offensive production is not bad, and it is pretty balanced. (I know, I know, stats tell a limited story; but still, they provide a useful tool for evaluation. And to be sure, the offense needs to be more productive.) Moreover, Illinois was far better than Maryland on third down conversions, and Illinois did produce a few big plays. But the biggest statistical difference (aside from the score) was in passing yardage. Illinois had 185yds passing, but MD had 350yds. The latter figure is not on the offense. The former needs to improve -- or be more effective at scoring points. Bottom line: Illinois has some talent, but not a lot of speed. And speed kills (so the saying goes). Illinois lacks depth of talent and experience across the board. And their thin ranks have been beleaguered by the injury bug-a-boo on both sides of the ball. Add in a heavy dose of "lack of confidence" created long before the current staff arrived, and tough breaks can become demoralizing. But I think these players and the staff are nowhere near giving up on their season. So, don't you give up on them either. They're working hard, and they are improving -- even if it's two steps forward, one step backward. [/QUOTE]
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Maryland 20, Illinois 17 Postgame
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