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Illinois things...

BigOHawk

HR Heisman
Oct 27, 2001
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Omaha, NE
Time to move on from Mich and put Illinois in the crosshairs. Some tidbits as we prepare for Saturday:
  • Week 6 already this weekend of college football, how can that be!!??
  • Illinois obviously has a lot of momentum, an emotional road win at Wisky, curious if they might be a bit flat at least to start Saturday?
  • Line is Bert by 3.5, home team usually gets 3 points so the sharps are thinking Illinois by 1/2 point on a neutral field? O/U is 35 another Rutgers type line
  • This game is really HUGE for Iowa in many ways, we are going into a bye after a game, a road win would create a fair amount of momentum headed to the bye week
  • We saw small glimpses of hope Saturday against a loaded Mich team -- we won't need to be as close to perfect as we did last week to win, although Illinois has another bellcow RB and will be physical on the LOS, running the ball will be tough so it's probably shotgun running, etc
  • During bye week, team gets some much needed rest, refocus, recharge, etc and we still can be tied for Big 10 West lead, whatever that means..:)
 
Time to move on from Mich and put Illinois in the crosshairs. Some tidbits as we prepare for Saturday:
  • Week 6 already this weekend of college football, how can that be!!??
  • Illinois obviously has a lot of momentum, an emotional road win at Wisky, curious if they might be a bit flat at least to start Saturday?
  • Line is Bert by 3.5, home team usually gets 3 points so the sharps are thinking Illinois by 1/2 point on a neutral field? O/U is 35 another Rutgers type line
  • This game is really HUGE for Iowa in many ways, we are going into a bye after a game, a road win would create a fair amount of momentum headed to the bye week
  • We saw small glimpses of hope Saturday against a loaded Mich team -- we won't need to be as close to perfect as we did last week to win, although Illinois has another bellcow RB and will be physical on the LOS, running the ball will be tough so it's probably shotgun running, etc
  • During bye week, team gets some much needed rest, refocus, recharge, etc and we still can be tied for Big 10 West lead, whatever that means..:)
The hawks have handled the Illini run game and Chase two years in a row. They do it again and playing as the underdog gives them the grit to win.

I aint saying it for sure, but Brian F comes up with a couple of new wrinkles that work
 
This is the most interesting game so far to me given that it will mark the halfway point of the season and teams have enough games under their belt to allow a more meaningful assessment.
I think the pressure is more on illini to prove that they are legit. What does the Iowa D do against the illini run? Does the O flounder as badly as they have or is there enough they can do to keep the TOP from being so lopsided?
I don't see Iowa winning as I think the O is just too broken. But, I'm not sold on the illini yet.
 
But you can't go three and out every dang possession and expect our defense to not get tired.
With how the Illini stuffed WI's running games the coaches better be working on some quick short pass plays. If BF tries running on 1st and 2nd down it could get uglier than the s*** show we've been subjected to so far.
 
I think we're walking into a buzz saw....
  • First season that IL has had a pulse in a long time
  • Very likely sellout, and the crowd will be into it
  • IL will be confident coming of off their thumping of WI on the road
  • Bert's first legit chance to knock off his alma mater
  • Our offense is putrid, as we all know
  • Our defense got exposed against MI and isn't as good as some may have thought
  • Tons of momentum for IL
  • Really no momentum at all for us
I think they kick our ass. Will be pleasantly very surprised if we win this.
 
I enjoyed listening to BB on BTN today. He talked about Iowa and his tat. He talked about letting go of people that were not helping his program.
 
I think we're walking into a buzz saw....
  • First season that IL has had a pulse in a long time
  • Very likely sellout, and the crowd will be into it
  • IL will be confident coming of off their thumping of WI on the road
  • Bert's first legit chance to knock off his alma mater
  • Our offense is putrid, as we all know
  • Our defense got exposed against MI and isn't as good as some may have thought
  • Tons of momentum for IL
  • Really no momentum at all for us
I think they kick our ass. Will be pleasantly very surprised if we win this.
I disagree however it could come to fruition. Emotion and turnovers will be key here, Iowa has had Illinois' number yet the past few games have been close and have gotten chippy late...I think last year Jones had a few cheapshots at him late in game and lots of jawing between players.

Other random from this weekend...OSU punter runs a fake up 49-10 midway through 4th Q, gets lit up on OSU sideline late, Rutgers kid (former Wisky WR?) gets ejected, unbelievable! Schiano on field jawing with Day, crazy stuff.
 
I’m interested in the crowd turnout. Champagne is a fun town but that stadium never seems to be close to full. This is the most momentum they’ve had since 2007
Our fans have been tortured for years, and frankly it’ll take sustained success to get ALL of the fans back … I’d guess a good-not-great crowd. 52-56k, which will look/feel full but significantly short of a 60k-sellout.

Either way, I’ve gone to several Iowa/Illinois games in recent history, and they’ve all been awful: freezing cold games during Thanksgiving Break (students gone) and Illinois has been terrible. Illinois actually has a great SETUP for tailgating, and this one will be a fun atmosphere.
 
With how the Illini stuffed WI's running games the coaches better be working on some quick short pass plays. If BF tries running on 1st and 2nd down it could get uglier than the s*** show we've been subjected to so far.
Illinois will force the game into SPs hands, I see Ill loading the box to stop the run and the screens. SP will have little time to set and throw.
 
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I think we're walking into a buzz saw....
  • First season that IL has had a pulse in a long time
  • Very likely sellout, and the crowd will be into it
  • IL will be confident coming of off their thumping of WI on the road
  • Bert's first legit chance to knock off his alma mater
  • Our offense is putrid, as we all know
  • Our defense got exposed against MI and isn't as good as some may have thought
  • Tons of momentum for IL
  • Really no momentum at all for us
I think they kick our ass. Will be pleasantly very surprised if we win this.
Didn't Indiana beat Illinois earlier this season?
 
Didn't Indiana beat Illinois earlier this season?
Illinois lost by three on the road after IU was gifted 7 points - a VERY clear TD taken from Illinois (a mistake the league has acknowledged) and an IU field goal that was very clearly wide right.

Even if people want to take the “loss is a loss” angle, teams can improve each week, and I’d argue Illinois has. Either way, I don’t think a Week 1 loss at IU is overly relevant.
 
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Illinois lost by three on the road after IU was gifted 7 points - a VERY clear TD taken from Illinois (a mistake the league has acknowledged) and an IU field goal that was very clearly wide right.

Even if people want to take the “loss is a loss” angle, teams can improve each week, and I’d argue Illinois has. Either way, I don’t think a Week 1 loss at IU is overly relevant.
The Illini are playing the best of ANYONE in the west. It will take a GREAT effort for the Hawks to win this game. BB knows how to coach in the BIG.
 
The hawks have handled the Illini run game and Chase two years in a row. They do it again and playing as the underdog gives them the grit to win.

I aint saying it for sure, but Brian F comes up with a couple of new wrinkles that work
Why would Brian come up with new wrinkles against Illinois but not Michigan?
 
The hawks have handled the Illini run game and Chase two years in a row. They do it again and playing as the underdog gives them the grit to win.

I aint saying it for sure, but Brian F comes up with a couple of new wrinkles that work
I’ve got the same feeling, 82!

I think the defense is going to be pizzed after giving up as much as they did on the ground last week - and if we stall their rush attack, I really like our odds of adding to the Int total.

I also think the offense can eke out just enough to keep an upward trajectory. 🤞🤞
 
I think we're walking into a buzz saw....
  • First season that IL has had a pulse in a long time
  • Very likely sellout, and the crowd will be into it
  • IL will be confident coming of off their thumping of WI on the road
  • Bert's first legit chance to knock off his alma mater
  • Our offense is putrid, as we all know
  • Our defense got exposed against MI and isn't as good as some may have thought
  • Tons of momentum for IL
  • Really no momentum at all for us
I think they kick our ass. Will be pleasantly very surprised if we win this.
Did I dream those losses to Wisconsin in 06/07 and 2010?
 
We saw nothing new from the offense for Michigan yet fans believe Brian will cook something up for Illinois?

I hope I’m wrong, but they held Wisconsin to 2 rushing yards….our running game may be lucky to end positive on the day….and Bert has always been a thorn in Kirk’s side.

I don’t see this going well for us…ending another winning streak this week. MAYBE we can keep the Nebraska one going if the team hasn’t quit by then.
 
This is random too however saw a GREAT playcall in the Kentucky/Ole Miss game, I'll dig up the clip. Shotgun, fake zone read and post snap jet sweep motion pass for the TD.

As I've rambled for years, we CAN make some semblance of our offense work, heck look at the 2019 Holiday bowl, we just need to get out of the 'phonebooth' offense, get in the shotgun to give cement shoes more time, maybe a give a pistol look and we can run most of the same offense! 11 personnel, lose the FB and get with the modern times.

Here's two playcalls that need to be added to BF's callsheet:

And the aforementioned play from above:
 
Illinois lost by three on the road after IU was gifted 7 points - a VERY clear TD taken from Illinois (a mistake the league has acknowledged) and an IU field goal that was very clearly wide right.

Even if people want to take the “loss is a loss” angle, teams can improve each week, and I’d argue Illinois has. Either way, I don’t think a Week 1 loss at IU is overly relevant.
Illini also shot themselves in the foot a few times with turnovers and bad penalties. Of course that could happen again but I'm pretty confident otherwise. Seems like we'll have a defensive struggle but if DeVito plays like he has recently then I like our chance. Also hoping we get McCray back to give Brown a blow and run over a few Hawkeye defenders. :)
 
We saw nothing new from the offense for Michigan yet fans believe Brian will cook something up for Illinois?

I hope I’m wrong, but they held Wisconsin to 2 rushing yards….our running game may be lucky to end positive on the day….and Bert has always been a thorn in Kirk’s side.

I don’t see this going well for us…ending another winning streak this week. MAYBE we can keep the Nebraska one going if the team hasn’t quit by then.
Wisc's RB is far better than any we have, no disrespect, but he is a man child and was held to near zero...
 
This is random too however saw a GREAT playcall in the Kentucky/Ole Miss game, I'll dig up the clip. Shotgun, fake zone read and post snap jet sweep motion pass for the TD.

As I've rambled for years, we CAN make some semblance of our offense work, heck look at the 2019 Holiday bowl, we just need to get out of the 'phonebooth' offense, get in the shotgun to give cement shoes more time, maybe a give a pistol look and we can run most of the same offense! 11 personnel, lose the FB and get with the modern times.

Here's two playcalls that need to be added to BF's callsheet:

And the aforementioned play from above:
That takes an open mind and thought...neither in the wheelhouse of iowa's Off staff.
 
Michigan beat Iowa (rather easily) because they had success running the ball and MOST IMPORTANTLY, they didn’t let McCarthy risk turning it over. I’m not sure what kind of QB DeVito is, but if he’s at all reckless with the ball, that’s how Iowa could win. There is no sense getting frisky with downfield passing unless you’ve schemed something wide open. Our offense can’t sustain drives, so eventually you’ll win the TOP battle.

If Iowa had a below average offense, it’s a TOUGH formula to follow because eventually you have to take shots downfield which is very dangerous against us. But between Illinois’ defense being VERY good, their running game likely being strong enough to get some first downs, and our offense being what it is…we’re basically left with hoping for turnover luck.
 
If Illinois is selling out on run blitz much like they did at Wisky (and why wouldn't you make SP beat you), then we had better be spread out in the proper personnel, including at least 3 WR so we can see where the blitz is coming from.

If we phonebooth the offense with a FB again we are going to get crushed in the backfield. Spencer needs to be in the gun, WRs 2x2 or 3x1 and go w/ quick passes with jet sweet/fake jet sweep motion and quick throws. Anything intermediate and SP may well get knocked into next week.

I think or hope we will see the tunnel screen this week and/or that quick slip pass we used to run to Matt Vandeberg which seemed to go for 4-7 yards each time and was as good as a running play.
 
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BigO. Totally agree, that to me would be the new wrinkle! KF and BF ain't got it.
My money is FB and 2 TE's sets. Out come pain, and a L.
 
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BigO. Totally agree, that to me would be the new wrinkle! KF and BF ain't got it.
My money is FB and 2 TE's sets. Out come pain, and a L.
That personnel group is a losing formula, UNLESS we can properly ID blitzers and get the TEs in 1 vs 1 match ups with some good pass pro. Given their D, there will be opportunities down the field with the TEs and Bruce IMO.

Lachey is really coming into his own, maybe the draw game is back this weekend too.
 
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