Penn State 63, Illinois 24 POSTGAME
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It's easy to be gloomy right now, but we just played 3 impressive quarters against #10 in the nation. We are close to clicking.
When I turn on these games, I feel like I'm watching the team we all hope to see in 2019 about 60% of the time. And then I'm watching the 2017 team that I wish I could forget the remaining 40%. Of course in 2017 I was watching the 2017 team 100% of the time so by definition this is major progress.
But that 42-0 run to end the game aside, there's no longer a reason for fans to keep staying home. We hung with no. 10 for three disciplined, well-coached quarters. Every game remaining in Memorial Stadium is entirely watchable if not highly winnable. Thank Rod Smith for that.
But that 42-0 run to end the game aside, there's no longer a reason for fans to keep staying home. We hung with no. 10 for three disciplined, well-coached quarters. Every game remaining in Memorial Stadium is entirely watchable if not highly winnable. Thank Rod Smith for that.
BananaShampoo
Captain 'Paign
- Phoenix, AZ
I hope that two seasons from now our guys remember this game and we run up the score on them.
Despite score I walk away feeling good. This is the improvement we asked Lovie to show. We can compete through the rest of our schedule if we improve each week.
- best offensive performance IMO. If we played like this last week we have enough pts to beat USF
- MJ still gives me heart attacks. Admirable for a freshman but looking forward to Bush. The 4Q deep ball dropped was first downfield shot taken this year for him
- Defense needs to find a way to stop the run. 2 weeks in a row we’ve been thrashed with the feeling we have no shot of stopping the back within 6-7 yds.
- Appreciated Roundtree’s hustle just wished more tackles were for loss vs 7 yards downfield
- We seemed to make the costly / dumb penalties today which burned us
- I wished we would have filled Memorial today. We had the lead in the third and the stadium was dead.
- [Erases Q4 from everyone’s memory]
the national
- the Front Range
I don’t like McSorley and Franklin. Especially Franklin. You won, good for you. I hope when we get good, we can run up the score on them.
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Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
1) Proud of our team/staff, excited at our direction and haters be damned!
2) I was too young to browse message boards back then, but is this how we felt in 2005 for basketball, LOL? Reminds me of some of our road games (e.g., Purdue and Michigan) where we just had to weather the storm and the pull away ... must be fun.
You guys can all thank me for our bad sports luck lately, because I was one COCKY little Illini fan growing up in Iowa City from 1998-2006. Hubris always gets ya...
Back on topic, if we play like that every game this year, we’re bowling. All I REALLY care about, though, is that we beat Iowa. And we can.
2) I was too young to browse message boards back then, but is this how we felt in 2005 for basketball, LOL? Reminds me of some of our road games (e.g., Purdue and Michigan) where we just had to weather the storm and the pull away ... must be fun.
You guys can all thank me for our bad sports luck lately, because I was one COCKY little Illini fan growing up in Iowa City from 1998-2006. Hubris always gets ya...Back on topic, if we play like that every game this year, we’re bowling. All I REALLY care about, though, is that we beat Iowa. And we can.
Not sure there’s an answer at linebacker. The OL played good for three quarters and none of them got hurt, fingers crossed. This team can win or lose most games left on the schedule, should be a fun couple of months.
I'm trying so hard to be optimistic tonight. I was loving this game. The offense played well, especially with a freshman qb vs a quality opponent, but I just can't. Something is really wrong with the defense. There was basically no pass rush and absolutely no rush defense at all. Penn State did not punt once all game. They had nearly 400 rushing yards. Giving up 400 rushing yards is NOT going in the right direction. The D line did nothing but get tackles 7 yards downfield. That won't beat anyone.
ivwilsoniv
- Aurora, IL
Who scheduled the game for Friday night? Most of the Chicago people (like myself) can't be down there for that gametime...
One of the worst telecasts I have seen in recent memory. Terrible commentators, but for Murray, missed replays, failed to show almost every penalty in the second half, including the biggest call of the entire game...
Lots of good in this game. It turned on the pick. I do think our LB'ers shoot the gap to early and that is why we get gutted up the middle. The line slows them down, but nobody there to clean it up. Degroot penalty really cost us. This team is a year away. Another class like this and another year in the weight room and this team will be pretty good. They could go bowling this year. Not sure I play Bush now and let Rivers take the reins. Defense is just to young, but, everyone is back except Phillips and we have his replacement. I There are some key recruits on defense coming in and others such as Cooper we could really use to turn it around waiting to see what we can do. This game has to help that cause.
If I turned the game off in the 3rd quarter I could see this team finishing 8-4. Where is the defense that Hardy Freaking Nickerson is running? He has to know how to stop these schemes. They have to have more fight! How many times as an Illini fan have we seen 2nd half adjustments by the opposition and we don't change a thing? I will settle for 6-6. LET"S GO BOWLING
Deleted member 4333
D
Guest
I'm not able to put that aside yet. Maybe when we win a game in the Big Ten.
I think after watching the last two weeks and seeing some real competitiveness, the expectations have changed.
I expect them to beat Rutgers and Purdue and be 4-2 heading into Wisconsin. I expect one more win between Maryland, Minnesota and Nebraska and playing for bowl eligibility against Northwestern.
We need to keep MJ at QB for the remainder of the season. He has shown some real improvement over the last two and a half games and the added reps will do him good in the coming years. The offense has looked lost with AJ behind center and since he is gone after this year, no reason to take away experience from our future.
The stupid penalties need to stop. Those are momentum killers and good teams will capitalize on them as we saw tonight. You absolutely cannot give extra downs!
I think I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. 2017 was a real stinker; 2018 is just below mediocre; 2019 will be the time for an upset or two; 2020 - watch out, we may have the most experienced team in the conference loaded with juniors and seniors.
I expect them to beat Rutgers and Purdue and be 4-2 heading into Wisconsin. I expect one more win between Maryland, Minnesota and Nebraska and playing for bowl eligibility against Northwestern.
We need to keep MJ at QB for the remainder of the season. He has shown some real improvement over the last two and a half games and the added reps will do him good in the coming years. The offense has looked lost with AJ behind center and since he is gone after this year, no reason to take away experience from our future.
The stupid penalties need to stop. Those are momentum killers and good teams will capitalize on them as we saw tonight. You absolutely cannot give extra downs!
I think I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. 2017 was a real stinker; 2018 is just below mediocre; 2019 will be the time for an upset or two; 2020 - watch out, we may have the most experienced team in the conference loaded with juniors and seniors.
I really hate moral victories and especially hate the Illinois tradition of giving up in the second half or at least 4th quarter.
Our D gave up 5 touchdowns in 1 quarter! We didn't score that the entire game.
I'm hoping a more explosive QB and experienced team will help. But we really need help on D!
Our D gave up 5 touchdowns in 1 quarter! We didn't score that the entire game.
I'm hoping a more explosive QB and experienced team will help. But we really need help on D!
Dan
Admin
The B1G & media partners. Original release-
Friday night football is coming to the Big Ten, starting in 2017
"And the league is committed to six Friday games for the next six seasons [2017-2022] as it begins a new television contract"
http://btn.com/2016/11/02/friday-night-football-is-coming-to-the-big-ten-starting-in-2017/
Illinois is already 2-for-2 in hosting Friday night games, tonight & Nebraska last season. Maybe get a year or two off now? Although Illinois hosts Nebraska next season on Sept 21st (prime Friday night territory).
Not sure why anyone would complain about this game, they fought and lost to a superior team. What a fun game to watch, it’s only going to get better. This team will be a tough team next year but Mj Rivers has to start the rest of this year. A completely different team with MJ at QB. Lots of talent coming in next year too, lots to look forward to.
This team got run all over last year and they are getting killed on the run this year. I like the ends they play hard but good luck trying to contain the run with 225 pund ends! Those players should be linebackers. Not impressed at all with what Smith and Nickerson are doing defensively. Really bad. Illinois has really improved the run game. Wow!. Backs and o-line doing a great job. And to think Corbin could hardly get on the field last year after decent freshman year. Green, catches that ball it's 42-31.
I actually think I agree with everything you wrote except the first 9 words. I think Rivers is the kind of qb that will show growth and development and continue to gain confidence. I think the team should show growth throughout the year as well.
But back to those first 9 words. Our defense in an embarrassment. Even against a top 10 team. Even with young players. It's awful. The D line did nothing. Sure they made some tackles, but that was because they were getting pushed downfield all game. If the defense played half as well as the offense, I'm on-board with the optimism, but they've just shown absolutely nothing to make me think it's gonna change.
I don't know why this is eating at me so much. This defense is just killing me. Our biggest weakness/disappointment so far is our D line and run defense. Last years D-line and run game coordinator now works in the NFL, and the guy who replaced him is a 27 year old in his first full-time assistant role. Coincidence?
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