What did we learn Illinois edition

I don’t think I’m going to ever watch it again. I think the whole game was disaster on and off the field and everyone was ready to be done with it.  Should have never been in OT to begin with.  
 

this is so on the coaches. This is the effin BIG-you don’t show up without a plan to adjust. I feel horrible for the players-their coaches really left them high and dry. 
I think specifically on defense the coaches really failed the players in this one.

Offensively the coaches could have been better at times but I think they did some good things too and put the guys in some good positions to make plays. Some of those plays didn't go our way, the players didn't execute everything to perfection either. On O I thought it was generally good though mistakes were made and it could have been better.

If we get a great performance from the defense on Friday instead of what we ended up with the offense did plenty to win the game.

 
I believe it’s been 8 years since we’ve scored a td in ot? 
Here is a great, although painful article, on our absolute pooping the bed in OT.  I knew we were bad, but damn.  This is horrific at best.  A must read to believe as I would have thought these statistics were lies. No team could be that bad.  Well, we are.

https://www.si.com/college/nebraska/football/overtime-continues-to-be-futility-time-for-huskers-football-illinois-matt-rhule-dylan-raiola-big-ten#:~:text=All this was documented last,) as completions (6).

 
Here is a great, although painful article, on our absolute pooping the bed in OT.  I knew we were bad, but damn.  This is horrific at best.  A must read to believe as I would have thought these statistics were lies. No team could be that bad.  Well, we are.

https://www.si.com/college/nebraska/football/overtime-continues-to-be-futility-time-for-huskers-football-illinois-matt-rhule-dylan-raiola-big-ten#:~:text=All this was documented last,) as completions (6).
Woof, what a dismal stretch lol. We’ve been an undisciplined team, with horrendous kicking and turnover prone QBs.  Perfect recipe for consistently being an embarrassment in late game scenarios 

 
Never heard about the d coaches barking at each other but it makes perfect sense.  Ty gave an interview and the defense was baffled in the 2nd half with the different tempo stuff and were trying to figure it out among themselves on the field. And my thought was where the eff are the coaches. 
 

rather than sell out the kids, I think this one is squarely on the coaches. And I haven’t even started to process that embarrassing OT series. 
I said players, not coaches.  Def issues to me were coaching issues, basicly lack of communication on the back end.  Offense will be fine. Depth behind the o-line starters are young. Gunner is a bit slow, but he is only a so.  Hopefully, he will improve.  

 
I said players, not coaches.  Def issues to me were coaching issues, basicly lack of communication on the back end.  Offense will be fine. Depth behind the o-line starters are young. Gunner is a bit slow, but he is only a so.  Hopefully, he will improve.  
I corrected myself in a subsequent post that I misread coaches/players.
 

But this definitely is a back end issue. Well paid coaches, and there’s a lot of them, need to publicly own this to get the heat of the players. Our talent is fine. Not win the world fine, but kick Illinois's a$$ fine.  

 
How about we reach out to our women’s soccer team and ask them to kick for us. They will most definitely be more consistent and reliable. A field goal wins that game for us. The difference between us being an OK team and a very good team are penalties and non-special teams. Fix these two things and we can win 9-10 games regularly.

 
I'm just perplexed how we continue losing in overtime, how we continue losing one score games.  I thought, actually believed, that would shift this year.  Instead the Defense I was told that was holding back REALLY held back.  Even though we win turnovers we trip over our own dicks....again, and let Bret Bielma continue to haunt us.  Why??

Maybe Raiola needed that wakeup call, idk.  Maybe the staff needed that smack across the face.  I still don't understand why we throw to the endzone on 3rd and 3 instead of running to the right.  Pickup the first and bleed more clock, possibly score, game over.  Don't get the 3, at least the questionable kicker has a straight shot at the 39 yarder.  So many things that just seemed to not make sense or click.  The refs sucked, again.  But at one point they have to overcome that and do something they can control.

 
I'm just perplexed how we continue losing in overtime, how we continue losing one score games.  I thought, actually believed, that would shift this year.  Instead the Defense I was told that was holding back REALLY held back.  Even though we win turnovers we trip over our own dicks....again, and let Bret Bielma continue to haunt us.  Why??

Maybe Raiola needed that wakeup call, idk.  Maybe the staff needed that smack across the face.  I still don't understand why we throw to the endzone on 3rd and 3 instead of running to the right.  Pickup the first and bleed more clock, possibly score, game over.  Don't get the 3, at least the questionable kicker has a straight shot at the 39 yarder.  So many things that just seemed to not make sense or click.  The refs sucked, again.  But at one point they have to overcome that and do something they can control.
I don’t question the play call to throw, that should’ve been a td and we weren’t running it well all night

 
I don’t question the play call to throw, that should’ve been a td and we weren’t running it well all night
I don’t understand this narrative. On the drive that led to the 3rd & 3, Dowdell had runs of 4, 2, 5, 7 and -2 yards. The clock needed to be bled. It’s 4 down territory. Bleed the clock. I believe game/clock management is Rhule’s biggest weakness. I hope he figures it out. 

 
I don’t understand this narrative. On the drive that led to the 3rd & 3, Dowdell had runs of 4, 2, 5, 7 and -2 yards. The clock needed to be bled. It’s 4 down territory. Bleed the clock. I believe game/clock management is Rhule’s biggest weakness. I hope he figures it out. 
Right.  But that is called "second guessing" when a play does not work.  And no one second guesses a play that does work.

The TE/#44 was wide open by the time he was running inside the 10 yard line.  Wide open.  Easy 1st down.  Easy TD.  Take your pick.

Let's keep it real.  The QB threw a bad pass.  

If I were to guess, 17 out of 18 Big Ten quarterbacks throw a catch-able pass in that same situation and connect with #44.  

It just so happens that a good call seems like a bad call because one player blew a golden opportunity (QB15) and threw a terrible ball.  If you don't believe me, just ask him.  The play would have worked if the QB was on-point in that situation.  It was a basic, simple pass to complete.  

 
I don’t question the play call to throw, that should’ve been a td and we weren’t running it well all night


Sure, it should've been.  Receiver was slow, pass was long, God hates us, whatever.  Most the time Dylan and company score in that situation.

But with the game dwindling, tied score, defense tired, clock needing to disappear, I'm just not sold that was the right call.  We fail to pickup the first and at worst it becomes a 38 yard field goal straight on.  Make it, take the lead, they get the ball with what a minute and a half left at best?  But knowing our kicker needs help and we absolutely don't want to give them time to score, the fun makes way more sense.  The incompletion stopped the clock and forced an awkward kick.

 
I don’t understand this narrative. On the drive that led to the 3rd & 3, Dowdell had runs of 4, 2, 5, 7 and -2 yards. The clock needed to be bled. It’s 4 down territory. Bleed the clock. I believe game/clock management is Rhule’s biggest weakness. I hope he figures it out. 


This, exactly this.  He is 1-6 in tight games, and this is exactly why.  Dylan is a stud, but he's also a Freshman and had a hard game.  Play for the win not the glory.  It was a doomed to fail play, 9yrs of losing this exact game should have taught everyone that.

 
Right.  But that is called "second guessing" when a play does not work.  And no one second guesses a play that does work.

The TE/#44 was wide open by the time he was running inside the 10 yard line.  Wide open.  Easy 1st down.  Easy TD.  Take your pick.

Let's keep it real.  The QB threw a bad pass.  

If I were to guess, 17 out of 18 Big Ten quarterbacks throw a catch-able pass in that same situation and connect with #44.  

It just so happens that a good call seems like a bad call because one player blew a golden opportunity (QB15) and threw a terrible ball.  If you don't believe me, just ask him.  The play would have worked if the QB was on-point in that situation.  It was a basic, simple pass to complete.  
DR should have thrown a rope and just put it on him instead of trying to lead him to the endzone. If #44 catches it at the 5 and hits the turf, it's game over. Still get to run the clock and have a much easier fg.

 
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