TheFlyingIllini1317
- Chicago, IL
I'm 27 and I haven't seen a sweet 16 since I was in 2nd grade and I have never had back to back regular season winning football seasons in my lifetime.
Northwestern 45, Illinois 43 Postgame
the national
- the Front Range
I’m so mad. This will take a while to work through.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
Illini beat themselves today, and many times this year. This was an ugly football game across the board, from sloppy play to inept officiating.
The game was lost with two sloppy special teams turnovers at key moments. A story of the year. 5-7 is a complete failure of a season given the managable B1G schedule. It will only get harder moving forward. No silver lining to this season at all, except that it is over. Sadly this will also likely hurt next year's season ticket renewals.
I am also amazed the officials can't review such a clear penalty that ultimately allowed NW to win. The inept clowns could get together to figure out the pass was tipped but not figure out that Washington was held well before the pass was thrown? Obviously no guarantee Illini score on retry, but it is infuriating that officials consistently change the outcome to games.
The game was lost with two sloppy special teams turnovers at key moments. A story of the year. 5-7 is a complete failure of a season given the managable B1G schedule. It will only get harder moving forward. No silver lining to this season at all, except that it is over. Sadly this will also likely hurt next year's season ticket renewals.
I am also amazed the officials can't review such a clear penalty that ultimately allowed NW to win. The inept clowns could get together to figure out the pass was tipped but not figure out that Washington was held well before the pass was thrown? Obviously no guarantee Illini score on retry, but it is infuriating that officials consistently change the outcome to games.
As disappointing as it is now the reality is our secondary was very inexperienced our running back room was decimated and our offensive line was extremely inconsistent. With such a narrow margin of error our mistakes were extremely costly. I’m not sure different coaches would have made that much difference. Some games we looked very competitive and others not quite. A bunch of quality kids that played their hearts out. I feel worse for them!
My father died last year at 99 and never saw a national championship in basketball or football. I hope my fate isn't the same.
Poor kid. I feel for you. Get used to it. You may be waiting a while longer. On a good note, I never thought I would see the Cubs win the world series in my lifetime and they did it sooo-I guess anything is possible. Just BELIEVE.
All in all, such a disappointing and underachieving season.
Hopefully the coaches learn and adjust for next season.
Hopefully the coaches learn and adjust for next season.
Buckle up. Football is decent once every 8-10 years. Basketball offers much more hope on average.
I'd say special teams. We lost a lot of DBs to the NFL and 2 more today. Losing the punting and kicking game often one with turnovers and just looking lost so often on short kicks that would be where I'd expect a change.
I don’t like that coming from you.
I mean if we couldn’t get six wins this year, when will we?
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Driving home from the game. If ever there was a game that optimizes being a life long Illini football fan…….this was it. Great game for C Washington, that dude deserves it. Class act!
I sit next to a players dad and he was saying how people don’t realize how important a bowl game appearance is for the future of recruiting…..sigh.
I sit next to a players dad and he was saying how people don’t realize how important a bowl game appearance is for the future of recruiting…..sigh.
We got to got to go out and get some players with experience from the portal.
Hear me out, and I hope this makes sense: should I be more concerned that Jimmy’s not as impactful as I’d hoped he’d be OR was our defense so dang bad that his influence kept us from being the wisest defense in FBS? I mean what the heck?
the national
- the Front Range
At least I wasn’t there in person. Coaching was sub-par. We are paying Coach B to not lose these games. We lost. Zook lost these games. Lovie lost games. Beckman was too busy chewing to know whether we lost or not. Or maybe he was just gorged on his wife’s lasagna.
Brett knows better: this is unacceptable.
Figure it out Brett. Use the portal. Use JC. Retain talent. Figure it out. Now!!
Brett knows better: this is unacceptable.
Figure it out Brett. Use the portal. Use JC. Retain talent. Figure it out. Now!!
Thank you, John Paddock, for some entertaining ball these past 3.1 games.
Biggest mistake Bret made was Aaron Henry. Hate to say it, because A Hen is likeable. But he isn’t ready for this.
Take it as you will, and stats aren’t updated for today’s game yet. But coming into this game, we were 39th in defensive yards per play allowed. Granted, that’s only good for 10th out of 14 in the Big Ten. Turnover margin at 112, with this level of defense, is what really made the difference IMO. Penalties as well. Just crazy to think as bad as the defense has looked that we were top 40 in defensive yards per play allowed. Smfh
Ok tuff guy.
illinidarrin
- from parts unknown
He just said in his post game interview that he is going to evaluate everything from top to bottom. He did mention coaches as well.
I have a LOT of respect and confidence in Coach.
BUT, IMVVVVVVVVVHO, Coach needs to stop/decline experimentation.
To be a top X team cannot involve experimentation.
Sorry. Apologies if it rubs anyone the wrong way.
Reality is binary: win or no-win.
IMO Coach needs to assemble a robust, trusted coaching staff. Then recruit.
BUT, IMVVVVVVVVVHO, Coach needs to stop/decline experimentation.
To be a top X team cannot involve experimentation.
Sorry. Apologies if it rubs anyone the wrong way.
Reality is binary: win or no-win.
IMO Coach needs to assemble a robust, trusted coaching staff. Then recruit.
I don’t post much, but at the end of the season did some stats digging (see recent post). A lot of this was due to turnovers and penalties, but an extra nugget that we were 109th in time of possession. Defense was NOT good at all this year outside of Newton… but they were also on the field way more than necessary, and often with short playing fields for opposing offenses
Three critical Illini fumbles... two of them surrendered.
Holding on to the ball. Kind of basic. Something you can try to teach in technique... but you cannot will it from the outside or destine from a distance. And what is the primary responsibility of player who has possession of the ball? To HOLD ON TO IT.
You have to hold on to the ball in order to do anything else with it. You know that defenders are going to head-hunt the ball and try to knock it out of you. You know that your fellow players on Offense are counting on you to hold on to the ball and do something useful with it. And you know that your teammates on Defense are trying (if they are doing their job) to hold the other guys down and give you a chance to help your team win.
And where does this all begin? By holding... on... to the... ball. Sounds simple in theory. But not so simple in practice. As we saw again today.
There are certain players over the years from whom you could not get the ball away from with a stack of crowbars. They held that ball like they were holding precious gems or a load of TNT. Some of them learned how to cradle the ball in front of them with their arms folded like an industrial vice. And some of these guys are long retired and they are STILL holding on to the ball on the couch or in the shower – just out of habit. The wives just got used to this.
The Illini had a lot riding on this game. A bowl bid. Momentum for next season. Positive vibes in the Illini fan base. And more. Instead, we now have to listen to all the bleating about how great the Michigan game was. Again. And how awesome a team Michigan is. Endlessly. And watch Northwestern and Iowa and Wisconsin go to bowl games. And we have yet another football season that ends in disappointment and head-shaking.
The path to a great season begins with one first step. That might be one small step for a man. But one giant leap for Illini Nation. Please hold on to the...
Yes, we’re a Basketball School. But pray the roundballers handle the ball well all season. We just can’t take any more... turnovers.
I think Lunney earned another look. Once OL started playing better he looked competent. Not great, but competent.