Crazy Joe Davola
Sic Semper Tyrannis!
What was the question? I can't get audio right now.
Pregame: Illinois at Rutgers, Saturday, October 15th, 11:00am CT, ESPNews
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What was the question? I can't get audio right now.
Something along the lines of the number of penalties, if Lovie has been too relaxed or taken it too easy on this team at this point. Lovie responds with (this isn't straight word for word but fairly close) are you kidding me? Do you think I just go out there every day letting them do whatever they want? Absolutely not. I'm not even going to give that question an answer. Lax with the football team? Are you lax with your job? I'm not either. Thank you."
I love this response by Lovie. I am going to spend the next 2 college football seasons in a drunken stupor and hope we are legit contenders for the 2019 Big Ten West.
A couple of weeks ago Rutgers lost their most dynamic offensive weapon and return specialist, Janarian Grant, for the season. Then their 5th year senior starting LB went down, also for the season. I hope we can beat them. I know we're a below average football team right now, but Rutgers is bad. Although the Rutgers coaching staff and players are gonna be looking around thinking, "hey, we can get a win this week. Illinois just lost to Purdue!"
Ugh. Oh well, I have faith in our coaching staff to get this team to play a little better every week. And a little bit better than last week should be enough to beat this Rutgers team without two of their most valuable players. Should. But, as we all know, we are the Illini. This is how we do football. But, that is beginning to change a little bit every week...
Crouch is a better fit for this offense and Lunt has never proven to be a consistent winner. Taking these two facts into consideration with the fact that Lunt graduates after this season and the coaching staff has no loyalty to him, I have to think that if Lunt isn't cutting it against Rutgers (if he gets the start in the first place) then the coaches will turn to Crouch and I believe that this team with Crouch at QB is better than Rutgers.
But it will be close due to our under-performing defense and lack of discipline.
Thus, Illini 37 - Rutgers 31. Yes, Rutgers is that bad imho.
A statement win: "We are NOT the worst team in the conference!"
(lots of enthusiasm heading into Ann Arbor next week... sarcasm, folks - gonna be ugly next week, but we all know it, so let's just appreciate this win and move on)
I L L -
Ugh. Oh well, I have faith in our coaching staff to get this team to play a little better every week. And a little bit better than last week should be enough to beat this Rutgers team without two of their most valuable players. Should. But, as we all know, we are the Illini. This is how we do football. But, that is beginning to change a little bit every week...
Crouch is a better fit for this offense and Lunt has never proven to be a consistent winner. Taking these two facts into consideration with the fact that Lunt graduates after this season and the coaching staff has no loyalty to him, I have to think that if Lunt isn't cutting it against Rutgers (if he gets the start in the first place) then the coaches will turn to Crouch and I believe that this team with Crouch at QB is better than Rutgers.
But it will be close due to our under-performing defense and lack of discipline.
Thus, Illini 37 - Rutgers 31. Yes, Rutgers is that bad imho.
A statement win: "We are NOT the worst team in the conference!"
(lots of enthusiasm heading into Ann Arbor next week... sarcasm, folks - gonna be ugly next week, but we all know it, so let's just appreciate this win and move on)
I L L -
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Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Why is it a stupid question? Probably stupid to expect an honest answer. This team is equally if not more undisciplined than the ones we have been watching the last four years. The alternative is just as alarming-Lovie can't reach these guys.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Do you consider the effort and level of play against Purdue this past week as better than what we saw against Nebraska the week before?
Why would they be more disciplined? They have entirely new systems to process. Yikes. This stuff is simple.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Give me a break excessive celebrations, targeting, and roughness penalties have nothing to do with processing a new system. :doh:
Ah. So Lovie has them working on excessive celebrations and targeting in practice, so he can call those plays on game day. Got it.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Ehhhh, I'm not sure data would bear that out.
Just at a glance, the top 25 of teams with the fewest penalties per game has four first-year head coaches. (Including Rutgers FWIW)
And of all first year head coaches, we're dead last in that stat (except Baylor, who don't have "new systems")
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Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Have no idea what you are talking about. No one is saying that.
You didn't find the right data. You compared other programs to Illinois, not each program to itself from the previous year's staff.
Deleted member 4960
D
Guest
It's a legitimate question. We were ranked 52 last year in penalties now we are ranked 128th. I have concerns with Lovie being able to get the job done with this type of discipline.
brokensaphire
- Arizona
Long Time Bears' Postgame Listener
10.10.16
Re: Lax in your job
Dear Lovie,
This is so you. Instead of answering a poorly worded question about a very legitimate topic you took it personally. This isn't personal. This is business. See, that writer had a job to do and that was to find out why in holy hell our team is so undisciplined. He has to appeal to a fan base that is asking the very same question.
So after turning off this past Saturday's game because it was like being forced to watch one Youtube "fail" video after another, I pose the question that should have been asked:
"Coach, the team has gone from 52nd to 128th in fewest penalties under your watch. The fans would like to know what the coaching staff is doing to address this serious problem."
Dear Lovie, the pertinent question we are all wondering remains, ever so typically, unanswered
P.S. I love you.:thumb:
and I love my Illini
10.10.16
Re: Lax in your job
Dear Lovie,
This is so you. Instead of answering a poorly worded question about a very legitimate topic you took it personally. This isn't personal. This is business. See, that writer had a job to do and that was to find out why in holy hell our team is so undisciplined. He has to appeal to a fan base that is asking the very same question.
So after turning off this past Saturday's game because it was like being forced to watch one Youtube "fail" video after another, I pose the question that should have been asked:
"Coach, the team has gone from 52nd to 128th in fewest penalties under your watch. The fans would like to know what the coaching staff is doing to address this serious problem."
Dear Lovie, the pertinent question we are all wondering remains, ever so typically, unanswered
P.S. I love you.:thumb:
and I love my Illini
In the sense that the coaching staff is playing more first and second year players over veterans the last two weeks and play has not dropped off is a positive in my book. Admittedly, I might be the only one reading this book
In addition to a few other young guys, Crouch and Nelson played pretty well. The defensive line play and linebacker play has got to improve. Is it talent? Is it players not knowing the system yet? Is it the defensive play-calling? I don't know, but there is plenty of time left in the season to find out.
The penalties are a head scratcher though. Not sure why Lovie is letting the team get away with so many penalties. Maybe he just want to instill maximum effort and swagger out of the guys before he stresses on field discipline. It is BIG football, you have play with an edge to have a chance. But, you have to play with discipline to win. With his track record in coaching, I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt and let him do it his way. I have faith he'll get this thing turned around eventually. Hope I'm right because this is not fun.
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I have a feeling that is going to be changing real soon. Lovie has been used to dealing with professional football players. I am under no delusion that many pros have a lot of maturing to do, but they are still pros. Now Lovie is dealing with 18-23 year olds; it's different in terms of how you discipline.
I am not saying Lovie needs to go all Beckman beans and weenies on the guys; I love how he treats our guys like actual adults (at least I don't think he is making Lunt wear purple for being injured??). But some more hardcore discipline is coming for them...you can tell by Lovie's demeanor in the last couple press conferences.
/thread imo
Dan
Admin
Telling response to a good question.
You don't touch a nerve like that if there's not a kernel of truth to it.
Lovie's gonna figure it out, but there's some stuff not working right now.
Excessive celebrations, jumping offside, lining up in neutral zone, roughing the passer, targeting penalties have nothing to do with learning a new system. Things you learn from day one of playing football. That is what is simple.
Let's be fair, this idea has been thrown around these message boards. Many have said player X, after a stupid penalty, should be benched, only to be back on the field.
IMho, the sentiment, if not the exact question, is prevalent with fans, so it is not such a stupid question.
He hit a nerve, because his work ethic as a coach was called into question. It doesn't have jack to do with truth, but yes, they will get it done.
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