AirB&B
Pregame: Illinois vs Iowa, Saturday, October 8th, 6:30pm CT, BTN
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The smallest home crowd in Bielema's last year at Wisc was just a little short of 80,000, he was getting tons of support. It is possible that he wasn't getting the administration's support but as he was Alvarez's personal choice and had a 3 year apprenticeship, that seems a reach. Obviously, there is a reason he left but support was probably not one of them.
change of topic: the O/U on points and O/U on yards. I will the U's. I think we win as long as we don't have stupid mistakes - bad turnovers (pick 6 or start on our side) or punts for 10-15 yards, even the latter two we are likely to hold them to FG. From what I've watched of their first several games, I just don't see their offense generating many points esp TDs on their own. Maybe they were holding back. Very glad Bryant is playing. they stack we throw - TVD has quick release and accuracy on short routes and WRs/TEs have shown good hands, they don't stack, then Brown runs.
I bet another program could do it too, but WE do it best.
They'll stack. They'll stack and stack and stack. Iowa will gamble on us making SOME throws vs. C. Brown picking up chunks on EVERY run. This needs to be Devito's coming out party. We are in Walters and Lunney Jr.s capable hands. Give em hell Coach B. If we win the TO battle we win the game. It'd be a helluva lot easier to beat Iowa if we just held them to zero points.
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
I was vague in saying support. At Wisconsin he wasn’t getting the financial commitment for staff and other stuff. Different issues to be sure. But my point was that in the past he left when he was very frustrated with certain aspects of the program.
illiniswish09
- Northwest Suburbs
Just play Shack or Die
I was there from the ‘66 to ‘69 seasons. Still more attendance then. But I still remember in the first couple of years people who didn’t know anything about football going. Example: Because we had seats in different locations, another guy and I met two girls to go out after the game. All of us had season tickets.
She dumped me, btw, because I didn’t have a car to go make out in.
Sample paper ticket mailed to you by ticket office.
Attachments
We stay in Mattoon when we are able to make games.I will attest to that. My wife, kids and I plus in-laws are now looking in Peoria and Springfield for hotel rooms…. Both amazing and annoyed
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Our schedule hasn’t been particularly strong so far, but even in our close loss to Indiana, we’ve outplayed every team we’ve played so far this year.
From Robert’s latest article. Our post game win expectancy in each game this year:
Wyoming: 100%
Indiana: 72%
Virginia: 99.4%
Chattanooga: 99.9%
Wisconsin: 99.8%
Comparing that to 2021:
Nebraska: 59.2%
UTSA: 12.7%
Virginia: 0%
Maryland: 3.3%
Purdue: 17.4%
illiniboard.com
From Robert’s latest article. Our post game win expectancy in each game this year:
Wyoming: 100%
Indiana: 72%
Virginia: 99.4%
Chattanooga: 99.9%
Wisconsin: 99.8%
Comparing that to 2021:
Nebraska: 59.2%
UTSA: 12.7%
Virginia: 0%
Maryland: 3.3%
Purdue: 17.4%
More Numbers
It's been so long since I had to make this adjustment. You know the one (or maybe you don't). The whole
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
One small quibble I have with the stats when it comes to the offense is I feel like it’s slightly better than the stats show.
Because all but one of our games have been blow outs heading into the 3rd/4th quarter, we’ve taken our foot off the gas on offense in nearly all of our games.
Imagine we ran up the score in each of our 4 big wins. Our offense would be ranked a quite bit higher (unless I’m missing something).
JJE
- Bethalto, IL
It's hard to track the number of times I've seen these huge games in Illinois sports where the buzz has built all week, the radio shows/Podcasters have hyped the game up, the parking lots have been full of tailgaters, the crowd is pumped and ready to explode and then we get absolutely destroyed.
A couple years ago I bought into the hype train (no pun intended) when Purdue came into town during homecoming. I live in St. Louis and made the decision to drive up to champaign the the day of the game. I was so excited to think I was about to watch the turning point, only to watch us get embarrassed.
That said, I genuinely hope we are watching the turnaround.
I-L-L
A couple years ago I bought into the hype train (no pun intended) when Purdue came into town during homecoming. I live in St. Louis and made the decision to drive up to champaign the the day of the game. I was so excited to think I was about to watch the turning point, only to watch us get embarrassed.
That said, I genuinely hope we are watching the turnaround.
I-L-L
IlliniCardinal
- Minneapolis
It could be therapeutic (or traumatic) to write down the list. However, this time genuinely feels different... and the stats so far this season support this.
https://illiniboard.com/story/2022/10/4/more-numbers
Go Illini!
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Wasn’t How We Do At Wisconsin that was supposed to define how the rest of the season would go? I seem to remember that, but I could be and likely am wrong.
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The way Ferentz smiled when he said, "they're very aggressive" about us made me suspect we might see a trick play or two outta them.
Not Jan 1st yet.
I agree. And quite honestly, if I was a DC with a top 3 scoring defense like Iowa, I would make us win via the pass too. As solid as TDV has been, he’s not really lighting up the stat sheet from a yards perspective.
This seems like a game where the RPOs should be taking center stage. If they over commit on those run options, which in theory they will if they stack, Pat Bryant and Isaiah Williams should have a field day.
I would also not be opposed to another WR-pass, flea flicker, etc like we’ve seen the last couple weeks either. I think we’re really gonna have to open the bag a lot this week and next week. Us, Iowa and Minny are the top 3 scoring defenses in the country. Our offense is about to be TESTED.
Another decrepit old codger here but I posted this 2 years ago, I've gone thru Valek, Moeller, White, Mackovic, Tepper, Turner, Zook, Beckmann, and Cubit. Excuse me, I just read what I wrote and I need a stiff drink to steady my nerves.
Of all of those, only the the White and Bielema hires had a feel to them that this guy gets it. It is not lost on me that both of those guys had had multiple years as a head coach with success.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Our tight ends have been performing very well this season and I agree with varsity above about using that trick play to slow down their pass rush ......I haven't watched the squwaks much this year as that one game where it looked like a baseball score did me in ....And since I hate all things in satanville I want to avenge some of the past games with a monumental beat down of the idiots.....
Let's go with this .....................................
Illini 20
ioway 9
LET'S GO ILLINI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When you win, the next game against a quality opponent becomes “the most important game of the year.” Illini win Saturday, Minn becomes game of year. Lose and we start moving back to just counting down wins to get to bowl eligible. I’ll take more of the hyperbole please.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
This^. + BB strikes me as having more staying power as White had a sketchy past at Cal, which repeated itself in Champaign.
After the Wisc win, Minnesota felt to me like the most important game of the season for us so far. (1) because they have a stiff defense; (2) more importantly, because they have a talented QB whose throwing will truly test our secondary for the first time, and a star RB to make that passing game a real threat (if he gets healthy.) If we beat MN, or even are in a toss-up game with them late, I'll become a true believer in this year's team's ability to compete with strong teams.
Regardless of what happens v. MN, I feel very good about where BB is taking us.
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