What did we learn? Illinois

[southernoregonhusker]

This game was the worst of the day, boring, unwatchable. Sad for fans that pack the stadium.

Mickey took a hit today. He didn’t really get anything out of the team. Looked like a Frost coached team. 
The hate on Whipple is too much IMO, not sure any OC can shine this turd with the worst OL in P5.

The in game thread wanted to run the ball but there was no where for Grant to run as our OL is awful.

This offense is most effective moving CT out of the pocket to try to make throws. Yes that sucks but that is all we have!

We have no backup QB. To see a backup at Kansas ball out vs what we have is disheartening.

The defense continues to suck. The DL is slow and stiff, no athleticism or agility maybe outside of Nelson, on either line.

The LBs are the slowest in the B1G. 
Newsome is a bright spot on a mediocre secondary but the front 7 gives the secondary no help, the front 7 to me is more of the problem than a worn out secondary having to cover and tackle in space because the front 7 rarely gets pressure or gets the ball carrier down at first contact.

This is a burn it down rebuild. It better be a serious P5 experienced coach or Deion. Deion will be a P5 coach and it could be Auburn here soon. The laughing can stop because currently we are the laughingstock. We need someone that can get top players here and then develop them into elite players. Deion checks the first box better than most, developing players and competing in the  B1G is the question. We need to get the best coach and staff to meet this requirement. Anything short of this is a complete failure.

Your third line is exactly what I came to post.  You can't blame Whipple because it's impossible to shine a turd.  These are Scott Frost's turds.  It doesn't matter what you call when the defense is in your backfield before the ball is handed off.  The O-linemen need to take snaps.  Start with Corcoran.  Maybe getting nailed a few times will turn their brains on.  

What I learned today is the O-line is even worse than I thought.  They constantly watch guys run by and around them.  I wonder how many times Thompson hears, "Look out" during a game?  That guy is a lot better than he's able to show because it's him against the other team's front 7.  The line offers no resistance.  

 

[Hooked on Huskers]

This game was the worst of the day, boring, unwatchable. Sad for fans that pack the stadium.

Mickey took a hit today. He didn’t really get anything out of the team. Looked like a Frost coached team. 
The hate on Whipple is too much IMO, not sure any OC can shine this turd with the worst OL in P5.

The in game thread wanted to run the ball but there was no where for Grant to run as our OL is awful.

This offense is most effective moving CT out of the pocket to try to make throws. Yes that sucks but that is all we have!

We have no backup QB. To see a backup at Kansas ball out vs what we have is disheartening.

The defense continues to suck. The DL is slow and stiff, no athleticism or agility maybe outside of Nelson, on either line.

The LBs are the slowest in the B1G. 
Newsome is a bright spot on a mediocre secondary but the front 7 gives the secondary no help, the front 7 to me is more of the problem than a worn out secondary having to cover and tackle in space because the front 7 rarely gets pressure or gets the ball carrier down at first contact.

This is a burn it down rebuild. It better be a serious P5 experienced coach or Deion. Deion will be a P5 coach and it could be Auburn here soon. The laughing can stop because currently we are the laughingstock. We need someone that can get top players here and then develop them into elite players. Deion checks the first box better than most, developing players and competing in the  B1G is the question. We need to get the best coach and staff to meet this requirement. Anything short of this is a complete failure.

Fairly good chance 3 wins and 9 losses. Best scenario, 5W and 7L. Once again, no bowl bound.

Bowl eligible as of October 29, Bucks, Wolves, Illini, Terps and Lions.  Threshold, Boilers and Gophers (one more victory).  Eliminate .... Northwestern.

Anyway you watched tOSU or Michigan vs most likely Illini in CCG telecast game?

 

[VectorVictor]

1.  The defense actually played decent given the offense turned the ball over 4 times

2.  Mark Whipple is not a great at situational play calling

3.  Joseph needs to find the right #2 QB.  Purdy was not the answer today and Smothers was not given much of a chance.

4. The team is still making the same mistakes now that they were when Frost was head coach.  

Number 4 is incorrect. The kids weren’t committing penalties and making sloppy plays, save for the late hit Personal foul. 
 

Plus, when Frost was Coach, that defense would have given up as soon as the QB1 went down. The defense did really well, considering…

 

[VectorVictor]

LOL…people are quick to blame Mickey and say we didn’t see any improvement when our defense would have given up as soon as QB1 went down under Frost. Defense didn’t quit and they were given some real s*** situations thanks to the offense. Plus this team has been playing more disciplined and hasn’t been racking up penalties like previous Frost-led teams. 
 

I do blame Whipple, because getting QB2 ready, whomever that may be, falls under his responsibility. Until we lost Thompson, we were in the game—after, it makes no sense to trot Logan Smothers out there if he’s not your QB2 (unless QB2 was outside on a smoke break and someone had to run and get him). And if your O-line is getting shredded in the middle, move the pocket/use misdirection to keep them at home. All Illinois had to do was line up, blitz one (or two), rinse, repeat. 
 

Yes, there’s only so much Whipple can do to polish a turd (same with the OL), but his play calling looked like he gave up after Chuba went out and showed everyone he shouldn’t be a FBS QB. 
 

Special Teams, save for the one block, did okay. Still don’t get why we can’t block to return…but they at least didn’t cost us the game. 

If Thompson is okay, we could possibly beat Iowa, Minny, and Wisky if this defense keeps playing well. Without Thompson, the season is done. 

 

[thexyz]

Screw everything. There is no hope! 

 

[Hagg]

Number 4 is incorrect. The kids weren’t committing penalties and making sloppy plays, save for the late hit Personal foul. 
 

Plus, when Frost was Coach, that defense would have given up as soon as the QB1 went down. The defense did really well, considering…

Frost was also showing signs of being a bit clueless with regard to clock management.  Mickey et al seem to not have that issue, along with many other issues Frost suffers from.

But... the interim coach is not showing signs of improvement.  Neither are the players very much.  I'm of the opinion that those two things are for the same reason:  They are doing their best with what they have, Mickey has players who have their capabilities and are straining to do their very best the same as Mickey is straining to do his very best.  We are likely getting the best they can do, and we're seeing the result.  It's so simple, and it's being repeated in here and everywhere ad infinitum:  we need a great coach who can recruit great players. 

 

[Hayseed]

Yeah, it was pretty much inevitable CT would get hurt at some point with that protection.

Which of course makes it all the more frustrating that the backups don't look game ready.

"The backups"? I only saw one.

 

[Hayseed]

And i wondered why he portaled his way to Lincoln. When Thompson signed on, I thought no way Purdy comes too. Turns out Purdy had no other options. I can’t remember why we liked him in the first place. 

Whipple had been recruiting him at his last school and now it looks like another celebrity deal just like the failed McCaffrey one. I hope Whipple doesn't cause Smothers and Haarberg to leave. Personally, I would've been getting Haarberg ready a long time ago.

 

[TGHusker]

This team plays as if they are playing before a crowd of 15,000 in a 30,000 seat stadium. They are squandering the investment made in the program. We need a coach who can build a team worthy of the investment. The new coach needs to get the best possible OL players from the portal and juco ranks and throw the existing group to the curb. Same with the DL

 

[Ggodd002]

Season is over.  Has been for a long time.  Need to see what you have in the QB room with younger players and make some decisions.    Start evaluating the entire team starters and bench players. That means some young players need to be rotated in. No need to try to win games at this point. More important to look at what is on the team for the future 

 

[84HuskerLaw]

I do see more younger guys playing which is critical.   Wins are nice but future winning is the objective.  Experience.  Development and evaluation. There may need to be coaching changes / upgrades but imo the issue is talent (recruiting and development) in certain position groups.  
 

We have seen the genuine improvement to the STs ( far from great but better).  Just changing DC from Chin to Busch made a significant difference in the defensive play ( again far from great but better).    
 

I’d expect some additional improvement as the the last 4 games happen but the goals of the team are fading away so who knows. 
Even so, the most substantial need of the program is a in-depth look at the recruiting search and find people and systems.  We are missing on way too many.  The roster is huge (maybe too big in fact) so maybe with limits on time and facilities and staff, reducing by 10% would give more time and reps and coaching instruction.   
 

position by position, a three year plan needs to build a strata of depth to accumulate a three or 4 deep chart.  Positions of greatest need (O line, D line, TE, QB (obviously we are far short of what we thot).  

 

[Hagg]

position by position, a three year plan needs to build a strata of depth to accumulate a three or 4 deep chart. 

It's been twenty years.  Every cycle we've been saying what you just said. 

We need a great coach who can recruit and develop great players. 

 

[JJ Husker]

Not much of consequence has changed.  This game exemplified why we’re not relevant nationally, in our conference, or even in our division.  

We’re not even relevant in games we are playing in……probably not in practice either.

 

[Huskerfollower4life]

We still suck at playing fundamental sound football. 

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

LOL…people are quick to blame Mickey and say we didn’t see any improvement when our defense would have given up as soon as QB1 went down under Frost. Defense didn’t quit and they were given some real s*** situations thanks to the offense. Plus this team has been playing more disciplined and hasn’t been racking up penalties like previous Frost-led teams. 
 

Not sure what games you've been watching, but this game looked extremely familiar to Frost-coached games. It's getting a bit sad and weird to suggest how much more badly they would have been beaten under Frost than Joseph. 

Nebraska was penalized plenty in a really shoddy game against Rutgers, and while they had only modest penalties yesterday they made up for it in turnovers.

If not giving up against good teams is the yardstick, then Scott Frost's 2021 season was a triumph.