* Whatever happened to that dynamic Huskie offense we used to have? It was fast, it was exciting - it felt innovative. We would come out in the crazy uniforms and light up the field. We were the smaller, midwest version of Oregon.

* Our offense now is plodding and bland. The change in coordinators has seemingly done nothing. Perhaps the Coach Cole detractors were pointing the finger of dislike at the wrong individual.

* Furthermore, bearing in mind the change in style of the offense; the fast and exciting one would be FAR more intriguing to potential recruits. The erosion in talent with each incoming freshman class is very concerning.

* For those who questioned me when I stated Coach Bohl is the superior coach to Coach Carey; does that answer your question?

* For the Coach Carey apologists - are we still holding on to the tired dialect about how great his record is? With each passing loss, it's not so great anymore. It's kind of different when you are handed an Orange Bowl team with a Heisman trophy candidate quarterback than when you start playing with your own substandard recruits.

* Furthermore, directed at the apologists, when a team habitually is undisciplined - the head coach has to be accountable. The penalties, turnovers, and mistakes are not isolated anomalies, they have become synonymous with Huskie football. Not good.

* Coach Carey took a lot of heat online with the field goal attempt near the end of the first half. I thought that was unwarranted. I probably would have gone for it, personally, but at least we tried to put points on the board. A punt would have been way too conservative. What I didn't like was the terrible call on third and eight just before the missed kick.

* Why in the heck is Lurry returning punts? He is our most important player. How many other teams subject their best player to the possibility of getting crushed on a three yard punt return?

* It sounds as if Huskie nation has turned on Drew Hare very quickly. Wasn't he the answer to all the problems two weeks ago? As I've written previously, I like Hare. I like his grit and I think he's a winner, but he's limited with his abilities. He fumbles the ball. Often. The team is undisciplined. That is what undisciplined teams do.

* The Huskies should have put away Wyoming in the first half. The Cowboys could not cover KG and our passing game was moving the ball easily. It was inexplicable why we continued to pound JB up the middle. It wasn't working and it forced change of possessions. This wasn't a scrimmage game where you try to iron out kinks in your offense. You go with what is working and score as quickly and as often as possible.

* Go easy on the kid kicker. Finding a consistently accurate college kicker is terribly difficult. Shoot, finding a consistently accurate NFL kicker is terribly difficult. Hagan will be okay, hopefully.

* I agree with all who complained the game was scheduled too late in the evening, but it was what it was. The lightning delay was very unfortunate, but it affected BOTH teams. One might argue that the Cowboys had it worse because they had an obvious attrition in fans for the game because of the lengthy delay. Playing into the wee hours didn't hinder NIU's ability to win that game anymore than it did Wyoming.

* Hard to fathom NIU is going to finish above .500 this season after the last two games we've watched them play. But it's football - hopefully this was just a stumble and we will regain our balance and compete for another MAC title. Just doesn't seem a likely scenario at the moment.

Coach Carey is a great O line coach who is in over his head as a head coach. I hope NIU makes a change after this season

(09-04-2016 09:51 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  Coach Carey is a great O line coach who is in over his head as a head coach. I hope NIU makes a change after this season

At this point, I'm not so sure he's a good O line coach. The O line is our weakest link. Last year, we had a center who couldn't snap the ball. Our O line was bad last year, too. Not the sign of good O line coaching - and recruiting.

Nice analysis Vegas

I differ with you Vegas on the motivation for the analysis, as I know you have a personal vendetta against Carey being close with PJ, but the end conclusion I agree with. How often do you see a team that has quit on a coach suddenly start playing hard again? I cannot think of one example. Usually those situations end poorly and only get resolved through a coaching change unfortunately.

(09-04-2016 11:45 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  I differ with you Vegas on the motivation for the analysis, as I know you have a personal vendetta against Carey being close with PJ, but the end conclusion I agree with. How often do you see a team that has quit on a coach suddenly start playing hard again? I cannot think of one example. Usually those situations end poorly and only get resolved through a coaching change unfortunately.

The players did not quit on carey... you have no proof or facts to support that. That was game 1.

(09-04-2016 11:45 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  I differ with you Vegas on the motivation for the analysis, as I know you have a personal vendetta against Carey being close with PJ, but the end conclusion I agree with. How often do you see a team that has quit on a coach suddenly start playing hard again? I cannot think of one example. Usually those situations end poorly and only get resolved through a coaching change unfortunately.

What? A "personal vandetta"- is this Dynasty or Days of our Lives? Where do you get these things?

(09-04-2016 09:51 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  Coach Carey is a great O line coach who is in over his head as a head coach. I hope NIU makes a change after this season

Our O-line is struggling.

Can anyone say that they've truly seen this program progress under Carey?

i thought the fumbled snap was the centers fault. it didnt even get through his legs. and i believe he had a penalty the play before that.

(09-05-2016 03:18 AM)niu_1087 Wrote:  Can anyone say that they've truly seen this program progress under Carey?

Absolutely not.

(09-04-2016 09:51 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  Coach Carey is a great O line coach who is in over his head as a head coach. I hope NIU makes a change after this season

whoah! I just opened this thread and didn't see the game due to obvious reasons. But where is the evidence for this?

I am not even sure what else to say. Just, where is the evidence for this?
(By this I mean that he "is a great O line coach."
I see the evidence for the other.)

By the accounts I read, the O line did not do the job. And hasn't been doing the job. Again, I didn't see the last two games, I am just going from reports. But not too long ago we had O lines that dominated. Now it seems we have lines that struggle. So, . . . I am not sure where that statement comes from.

(09-05-2016 06:48 AM)huskiealum03 Wrote:  i thought the fumbled snap was the centers fault. it didnt even get through his legs. and i believe he had a penalty the play before that.

You're right. Center did have a bad game. Had a costly chop block penalty early too. Between the line play and the kick coverage, I have lots of concerns. I also don't know what to make of all the holding penalties by the secondary. Granted, the calls were cheap. The Lurry penalty that brought back the pick was 20 yards off the play. The official threw the flag after the pick knowing it had no bearing on the play. Calls were weak and those can be called on every play. I think our players were gassed though and were grabbing at times. Makes me wonder if they were ready for the altitude. Friends that live out there tell me you have to sleep at that altitude a few days to get used to the change. Carey said the players would be fine since they are young. I didn't think they were fine. We will see how they play this week.

Carey seems to know very little. And we've had bad center play for the second year now, and Carey was a center. What the heck does he do in the practices?

(09-05-2016 08:20 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(09-05-2016 03:18 AM)niu_1087 Wrote:  Can anyone say that they've truly seen this program progress under Carey?

Absolutely not.

Nope. The 2013 team was a gift that had two of the best players in NIU history that were recruited by others. When is the last time we've had a 4 game losing streak? 2007?

(09-05-2016 12:15 AM)NIUSox10 Wrote:  

(09-04-2016 11:45 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  I differ with you Vegas on the motivation for the analysis, as I know you have a personal vendetta against Carey being close with PJ, but the end conclusion I agree with. How often do you see a team that has quit on a coach suddenly start playing hard again? I cannot think of one example. Usually those situations end poorly and only get resolved through a coaching change unfortunately.

The players did not quit on carey... you have no proof or facts to support that. That was game 1.

That Boise St bowl game sure looked like a team that quit on the coach. This first game was not good either, although I wouldn't say this loss was lack of effort. Lack of concentration and execution seemed to be the issues.

(09-05-2016 09:56 AM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  

(09-05-2016 08:20 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(09-05-2016 03:18 AM)niu_1087 Wrote:  Can anyone say that they've truly seen this program progress under Carey?

Absolutely not.

Nope. The 2013 team was a gift that had two of the best players in NIU history that were recruited by others. When is the last time we've had a 4 game losing streak? 2007?

Awfully tough to get better than the team he was handed. How do you make an improvement over going to the Orange Bowl? It's not a great start, but let's see a few more games before passing verdict on this season.

What's Carey's post season record now? 1-5? When you're coming off multiple 10 win seasons, top 25 rankings, and an orange bowl appearance, you'd expect this resume would translate into consistent talent being recruited to fill the ranks. Certainly not getting blown out in Championships and bowl games. Why are we fighting with FCS schools for recruits, and why are our classes being filled up with kids no one else wants? I get the whole diamond in the rough mentality, but I think it's clear at this point Carey doesn't possess that skill.

(09-05-2016 10:25 AM)Cowboy95 Wrote:  

(09-05-2016 12:15 AM)NIUSox10 Wrote:  

(09-04-2016 11:45 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  I differ with you Vegas on the motivation for the analysis, as I know you have a personal vendetta against Carey being close with PJ, but the end conclusion I agree with. How often do you see a team that has quit on a coach suddenly start playing hard again? I cannot think of one example. Usually those situations end poorly and only get resolved through a coaching change unfortunately.

The players did not quit on carey... you have no proof or facts to support that. That was game 1.

That Boise St bowl game sure looked like a team that quit on the coach. This first game was not good either, although I wouldn't say this loss was lack of effort. Lack of concentration and execution seemed to be the issues.

100% agree on the Boise game

(09-05-2016 11:11 AM)NIUSox10 Wrote:  

(09-05-2016 10:25 AM)Cowboy95 Wrote:  

(09-05-2016 12:15 AM)NIUSox10 Wrote:  

(09-04-2016 11:45 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  I differ with you Vegas on the motivation for the analysis, as I know you have a personal vendetta against Carey being close with PJ, but the end conclusion I agree with. How often do you see a team that has quit on a coach suddenly start playing hard again? I cannot think of one example. Usually those situations end poorly and only get resolved through a coaching change unfortunately.

The players did not quit on carey... you have no proof or facts to support that. That was game 1.

That Boise St bowl game sure looked like a team that quit on the coach. This first game was not good either, although I wouldn't say this loss was lack of effort. Lack of concentration and execution seemed to be the issues.

100% agree on the Boise game

Even the CBSSN announcers were calling it a "low energy" effort for NIU. I don't know if it is quitting, I think its a combination of quit and just not being confident in what you are doing. I have never seen a coach convey such a sense of defeat like Carey does.