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OT- Illinois game

Dean Pope

Head Coach
Oct 11, 2001
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The Huskers opener is coming up quickly. Any thoughts our upcoming opponent Illinois?
 
The Huskers opener is coming up quickly. Any thoughts our upcoming opponent Illinois?
My Hope is that the offensive line can push them back and we can establish our running game. Let the passing game come to us as they focus on stopping us on the ground. I hope Frost doesn't get too cute. It's clear that AMs circuits get fried when the playbook is opened up too much. Defense needs to limit the big plays and special teams needs to do its job. I know, I am Captain obvious over here, but if we stop sabotaging yourself, we win this game going away. Seems Nebraska's problems the last two years have been largely mental
 
Run the damn ball!! Right?

IF I ever see first and goal inside the 5 yd line I want to see 4 running plays in a row if we need them and no none of them because of an offensive penalty
And hopefully we won't take our smallest running back and run him into the line three straight plays for no gain. I can't remember what game it was but our big back was running well. We got inside the five and then Frost has Wandale run three times up the gut for nothing. Made zero sense. None. Zippo. Nada.
 
Run the damn ball!! Right?

IF I ever see first and goal inside the 5 yd line I want to see 4 running plays in a row if we need them and no none of them because of an offensive penalty
Right? You can get creative in the running game. But is the commitment to impose our will there when it matter?. Frost is always like 'damm I'm clever.'
 
And hopefully we won't take our smallest running back and run him into the line three straight plays for no gain. I can't remember what game it was but our big back was running well. We got inside the five and then Frost has Wandale run three times up the gut for nothing. Made zero sense. None. Zippo. Nada.

Oh God that really happened didn’t it? I convinced myself that was dream.
 
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I wish we could get back on topic and stop filling up the board with this football crap. We have a pillow guy who is about to save the country from the commies! Focus please!

Please don’t derail this thread Chico. What’s your prediction for the IL game?
 
I wish we could get back on topic and stop filling up the board with this football crap. We have a pillow guy who is about to save the country from the commies! Focus please!

Open mic night is coming up. You must be excited!
 
Such a hard game to predict. Here are my reasons:
1. They kicked our asses last year in Lincoln in a year when Illinois wasn't even that good. In fact, the season got their coach fired.
2. Beliema. The fact that he is new hurts and helps. It helps because it is game one of a coaching transition year. It hurts because you have no idea what schemes he will enter the game with. You can only look at his past so far because he has to match his schemes with the reality of this roster. So who knows what Illinois will do?
3. We have the better talent. I am sick of hearing this. No we don't. If we had better talent we would be winning more games. Not all 4 stars are equal and many of ours have so far proven nothing.
4. We are supposedly turning a corner this year. Supposedly. But so far our coaches have flopped for three straight years. Why should we expect that to change?
5. First game in front of fans in a long time. Sure wish this one was in Lincoln. I have NEVER been a fan of teams starting their season against a conference team.

Add it all up and I think this is a toss up game. I never, ever listen to the crap in the media that comes out of camp. It is all hype and makes you drink koolaid.
 
Run the damn ball!! Right?

IF I ever see first and goal inside the 5 yd line I want to see 4 running plays in a row if we need them and no none of them because of an offensive penalty
i just dont want to see cute plays. you can run pa and split a back (fullback, or one of the splits) or a tight end into the flat.
 
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Their OC tried to run the ball about 63 percent of the time at App State, that is not going to work at Illinois. If they go with that approach we will win big as I feel like our strength will be our run D.
 
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Their OC tried to run the ball about 63 percent of the time at App State, that is not going to work at Illinois. If they go with that approach we will win big as I feel like our strength will be our run D.


Here's a bizarre stat about Brandon Peters. Admittedly, I stole it from the other site:

33% of all completed passes by Brandon Peters at Illinois have gone to Josh Intmorabhebe, who's now with Jacksonville Jaguars.

And Intmorebahebhe (impossible to spell) was responsible for 57% of all Brandon's TD passes.

This is basically like Adrian losing Stan Morgan and JD Spielman.
 
Here's a bizarre stat about Brandon Peters. Admittedly, I stole it from the other site:

33% of all completed passes by Brandon Peters at Illinois have gone to Josh Intmorabhebe, who's now with Jacksonville Jaguars.

And Intmorebahebhe (impossible to spell) was responsible for 57% of all Brandon's TD passes.

This is basically like Adrian losing Stan Morgan and JD Spielman.
that kid owned us last year

glad we will not have to deal with him on 3rd down/in the red zone this year
 
The good news is, they will be a little confused on defense as it’s their first game in this system. They will make mistakes that cost them. We should be able to score on them. I think we can get 30+. But if we turn it over, it’s a 50-50 game.

I mentioned this previously, but if it’s really hot, that should favor us as I think we have better depth. I think their first team offensive line is probably pretty good, but after that I bet they drop off as they’ve had a lot of guys leave.
 
As already mentioned, they were a weak team that has had as much drama as we. That turmoil combined with new coaches and system and players will make them ripe for the picking. Anytime you get a new AD they are looking to install their own coaches. Frosty knows that.
 
NU runs 8 swing passes. Defense sniffs these out and holds NU only two yards on the plays total.

Bret runs a couple jet sweeps on the first drive as a big FU to the NU fans in attendance.

I think IL covers and likely wins straight up.
 
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What sucks is that under normal circumstances, we wouldn’t even be batting an eye about a game with Illinois. The last 3 years have made me (us) gun shy on making any sort of prediction.

I think we win by 3 scores, but we could also lose by 2 scores. I can’t make a prediction until we see them play their first game. Since Illinois is our first game, I just don’t know what to expect. I think we win, but who really knows?
 
if we stop sabotaging yourself, we win this game going away. Seems Nebraska's problems the last two years have been largely mental
Bear Bryant: Before you can learn to win, you have to first learn how not to beat yourself.

But if the Huskers mastered that, they would be doing something that they have never done before under Scott Frost.
 
Their OC tried to run the ball about 63 percent of the time at App State, that is not going to work at Illinois. If they go with that approach we will win big as I feel like our strength will be our run D.
My Steelers drafted Kendrick Green and he's slotted to start immediately as a rookie on the offensive line. As I learned more about him, I came to find out that he was one of the best linemen in college football last year and I had never even heard of him. There's no way Illinois can replace a kid who was that tough in the trenches.
 
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