Illini4Chief
- TENNESSEE
I think our DC forgot the terms Blitz and Pressure
Northwestern 45, Illinois 43 Postgame
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
I bet he is " prevent-ed " from thinking that way............
The way that our OL was playing early in the year Paddock would have been the one injured rather than Altmyer.
I get the joke, but did you see his numbers the last 3 games? I will stick with saying Paddock was a game changer.John Paddock is ten feet tall. If he had played all season with a competent O-line he would have consumed our opponents with lightning from his eyes and thunderbolts from his arse.
Awh, no I was TeamPaddock. Just making a joke. It’s good medicine to be able to laugh at ourselves once in a while IMO.
John Paddock doesn’t get injured he inflicts injury. John Paddock’s chief exports are pain and humiliation for the enemy.
Got itAwh, no I was TeamPaddock. Just making a joke. It’s good medicine to be able to laugh at ourselves once in a while IMO.
This season was encapsulated perfectly by the Northwestern game. We were able to do enough offensively to keep it interesting. The defense could not get enough stops, or if they got a stop, we'd cost ourselves yardage with penalties or the defense would be instantly rewarded by the offense (or special teams) turning it over.
A win would have done wonders for the program, but now we have eight plus months to gnash our teeth about 5 games that came down to 6 or 7 plays combined. Newton targeting against Wisconsin. Paddock magic in back to back weeks. Altmyer to Washington against Toledo. The picked up pass interference/defensive holding flags against Iowa and Northwestern. The muffed punts (THE MUFFED PUNTS?!). The kickoff return that was recovered by Nebraska (was it Nebraska?), just the whole Nebraska game was embarrassing.
I brought someone to their first Illini weekend, and they felt very welcomed. However, they gave the fan experience a "C, C-," ouch (they're a Sooner). With that said, the adding "I-L-L, I-N-I's" after first downs was a nice touch. We don't have many football traditions, so hopefully an Illini chant for first downs can become a new norm.
All in all, another beautiful afternoon of football left the beloved frustrated and wondering, "what if?"
A win would have done wonders for the program, but now we have eight plus months to gnash our teeth about 5 games that came down to 6 or 7 plays combined. Newton targeting against Wisconsin. Paddock magic in back to back weeks. Altmyer to Washington against Toledo. The picked up pass interference/defensive holding flags against Iowa and Northwestern. The muffed punts (THE MUFFED PUNTS?!). The kickoff return that was recovered by Nebraska (was it Nebraska?), just the whole Nebraska game was embarrassing.
I brought someone to their first Illini weekend, and they felt very welcomed. However, they gave the fan experience a "C, C-," ouch (they're a Sooner). With that said, the adding "I-L-L, I-N-I's" after first downs was a nice touch. We don't have many football traditions, so hopefully an Illini chant for first downs can become a new norm.
All in all, another beautiful afternoon of football left the beloved frustrated and wondering, "what if?"
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
IMO he was able to place balls in tight windows that Altmayer either couldn’t or wasn’t willing to throw into.
Yes, 3 sides though
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Umm, coach said it best, starts with him…
If we gave a team the ball in a two minute drill, it was almost a given they were getting points.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
With bowl eligibility on the line in one of our last two games, we Illini fans have witnessed the following in the last 25 years...
2023: L 45-43 vs. Northwestern (failed 2-point conversion with blatant PI...)
2021: L 33-23 at Iowa (1 TD game with 1:55 to go before an Iowa FG); following victory vs. Northwestern is meaningless
2015: L 24-14 vs. Northwestern at Soldier Field
2008: L 23-17 vs. Western Michigan in Detroit ... eventually L 27-10 at Northwestern
2002: L 23-16 vs. Ohio State in overtime
2000: L 24-21 vs. Ohio State ... proceeded to lose 61-23 at Northwestern in our last game
When you also take into account the following, it has been really rough...
2000: Following an 8-4 campaign where we finished ranked #24 and won our bowl convincingly
2002: Following an 11-1 regular season, Big Ten championship and appearance in the Sugar Bowl
2008: Following a 9-3 regular season, appearance in the Rose Bowl and some of our best recruiting in modern history
2023: Following our first 8-win season in 15+ years and first time ranked in the top 25 in 12 years, as well as seriously linear momentum by Bret and Co. since he took over in 2021
I would genuinely like to know what football fan base has suffered more than us in modern times ... I mean sure, some programs have been worse, but I doubt they have as passionate of a fan base to be this invested. Additionally, some very passionate fan bases have probably felt insanely frustrated with a ceiling they feel is too low (i.e., Penn State or Texas A&M), but at least they have routinely been good. At least Nebraska has a genuine hope every couple years based on their history and their recruiting is still really good. Meanwhile, we are ecstatic with merely being competitive, and we get it in these tiny, tiny doses only to have it ripped away from us in such cruel ways right after, haha.
God bless you all, we put up with a lot!
2023: L 45-43 vs. Northwestern (failed 2-point conversion with blatant PI...)
2021: L 33-23 at Iowa (1 TD game with 1:55 to go before an Iowa FG); following victory vs. Northwestern is meaningless
2015: L 24-14 vs. Northwestern at Soldier Field
2008: L 23-17 vs. Western Michigan in Detroit ... eventually L 27-10 at Northwestern
2002: L 23-16 vs. Ohio State in overtime
2000: L 24-21 vs. Ohio State ... proceeded to lose 61-23 at Northwestern in our last game
When you also take into account the following, it has been really rough...
2000: Following an 8-4 campaign where we finished ranked #24 and won our bowl convincingly
2002: Following an 11-1 regular season, Big Ten championship and appearance in the Sugar Bowl
2008: Following a 9-3 regular season, appearance in the Rose Bowl and some of our best recruiting in modern history
2023: Following our first 8-win season in 15+ years and first time ranked in the top 25 in 12 years, as well as seriously linear momentum by Bret and Co. since he took over in 2021
I would genuinely like to know what football fan base has suffered more than us in modern times ... I mean sure, some programs have been worse, but I doubt they have as passionate of a fan base to be this invested. Additionally, some very passionate fan bases have probably felt insanely frustrated with a ceiling they feel is too low (i.e., Penn State or Texas A&M), but at least they have routinely been good. At least Nebraska has a genuine hope every couple years based on their history and their recruiting is still really good. Meanwhile, we are ecstatic with merely being competitive, and we get it in these tiny, tiny doses only to have it ripped away from us in such cruel ways right after, haha.
God bless you all, we put up with a lot!
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
I spent late Saturday afternoon and early evening in Virginia's Scott Stadium watching the Va Tech - Virginia rivalry game. A complete Tech blowout from the first snap. Had no internet coverage in the stadium so didn't learn until the game was over that we lost to NW. When I learned how we lost I felt sick to my stomach.
One thing I did think about regularly during the game, however, was Malik Washington, Virginia's record-setting WR. He transferred from NW last winter. He had nine 100-yard games this fall, breaking a school record on a team that finished 3-9, and set the all-time ACC reception mark with 109. Virginia had next to no offense on Saturday but Washington supplied nearly 1/3 of its total.
We're lucky that he wasn't on the Memorial Stadium field on Saturday.
One thing I did think about regularly during the game, however, was Malik Washington, Virginia's record-setting WR. He transferred from NW last winter. He had nine 100-yard games this fall, breaking a school record on a team that finished 3-9, and set the all-time ACC reception mark with 109. Virginia had next to no offense on Saturday but Washington supplied nearly 1/3 of its total.
We're lucky that he wasn't on the Memorial Stadium field on Saturday.
BZuppke
- Plainfield
Did you see Altmyer’s TD passes v Minnesota? I think it was the right decision to have Paddock start the rest of the season. Altmyer’s shortcomings this year were the interceptions and sacks. Part of that was on the line which improved by the time Paddock played. Luke essentially played his freshman year. With experience comes savvy. Looking forward to 2024 and beyond.
BZuppke
- Plainfield
This time is different. Bielema is building a solid program. The rest in the modern era merely had one or two big years. It took time for Wisky to be a consistent winner. We can get there. And yes we’ve been unfairly tortured.
In your 29 years as coach we won seven B10 and four national championships (all in your first 16 years). It was pretty much downhill in those last 13 years (only four winning years).
OnlyOrange
- Belleville, IL
This post confused the heck out of me for a good 45 seconds before I figured it out.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
To be fair, Coach Zuppke, reclining in his temperature-controlled man cave across Fourth Avenue from the stadium lo these 66 years takes nothing if not the very long view on the matter.
That may be, but obviously the man was a legend despite those 9 crummy years. (131-81-12 )
-the huddle
- the flea flicker…(if he did nothing else that would have cemented his place in history.)
…an innovator in the truest sense of the word…and an artist…like a literal artist….a writer…and the closest thing to a Renaissance-man we’ll likely ever see.
How can I ever trust this coaching staff to important decisions after telling everyone how altmeyer was hands down the best quarterback in the room? Don’t tell me Paddock wasn’t throwing those same darts in the spring. They promised altmeyer he would start. They fam well knew who the better passer was yet they took that chance.
Watch what happens when the transfer window opens. You’re not going to be happy..
Watch what happens when the transfer window opens. You’re not going to be happy..
