Going in to the last game of the year anyone care to predict which seniors are going to be allowed back to play their free extra year and which seniors are going (transfers/calling it a career?)

My guesses:

- All true 4th year seniors will be allowed back. There certainly aren’t a lot of them.

- Richie can come back if he wants. He might actually just go NFL. Never thought that before the season, but I really like his game.

- Pugh/devaux probably gone. They had a long time. Thanks for the memories.

- Any 5th year seniors we think are coming back? I can’t really claim that I know any for sure should be back...I am sure some could transfer and play, but it will be an insanely hard year to transfer. Teams are likely already going to scramble for scholarships.

- Bowers, probably gone. He seems done to me. Happy feet - he just had a kid - time to start life.

- nettles is probably gone. He is going to be like 5th next year on the depth chart. Waylee/Collins/brown/ducker/Gregory etc.

Anyone else got any ideas?

In the Southtown article this week, Richie said he is coming back in 2021.

The Sr OLine would not expect them back. Kramer DT...he probably returns if he does not want to transfer. Agree on Pugh & Dev.,.gone. Crawford? assume he returns.

(12-05-2020 10:18 PM)DiehardHuskie Wrote:  In the Southtown article this week, Richie said he is coming back in 2021.

That would be awesome! He is the one that we really NEED to come back. I'll get to Bowers in a minute... It would be nice to have Pugh & Deveaux, but we know they will just end up injured and not playing anyways. Crawford would be #2 on my wish to return list. We just haven't seen anything out of anyone behind him. Toss up between Kramer and Patton for who would be #3, with a lean towards Kramer because I think there is less depth with the interior d-line than with the o-line. Haidet, Oliver, De Luca, Baggett, Mallette are all non factors. Ference would be a low key big loss but we do have the Minnesota transfer Foley, plus a PWO from this years freshman class and hopefully punter won't be a big position of need lol.

That brings me to Bowers. I like Bowers and think he is a good QB and a good guy. I have no bad things to say about him. Through the first 5 games I've been saying I had no problem with Fletcher not playing because I don't think you throw a QB out there before they are ready. Today changed my mind. I know it was just a handful of plays, and he turned the ball over, but I loved what I saw out of Fletcher. Not just that he is big and strong and clearly physically ready for this level of football. He showed passion and fire and enthusiasm. For quite a while now it has seemed like all the team leaders, no matter how good of players they are, have been quiet and reserved kinds of guys. We NEED that vocal and emotional leader. That guy that the rest of the team wants to run through brick walls with. My favorite thing was after he fumbled he didn't drop his head or anything. The rest of the game he was still pumped up and was the first one high fiving guys as they came off the field. That tells me that you can throw him out there and let him learn through his mistakes, that he is mentally strong enough to not get down on himself.

It just seems like running Bowers out there any more is not doing anything to help the growth of the program moving forward. I would like to see Fletcher start the final game, but I also understand not shafting Bowers on what is likely his final ever football game. Maybe rotate them series by series or something.

(12-05-2020 11:01 PM)TXHuskieJA26 Wrote:  

(12-05-2020 10:18 PM)DiehardHuskie Wrote:  In the Southtown article this week, Richie said he is coming back in 2021.

That would be awesome! He is the one that we really NEED to come back. I'll get to Bowers in a minute... It would be nice to have Pugh & Deveaux, but we know they will just end up injured and not playing anyways. Crawford would be #2 on my wish to return list. We just haven't seen anything out of anyone behind him. Toss up between Kramer and Patton for who would be #3, with a lean towards Kramer because I think there is less depth with the interior d-line than with the o-line. Haidet, Oliver, De Luca, Baggett, Mallette are all non factors. Ference would be a low key big loss but we do have the Minnesota transfer Foley, plus a PWO from this years freshman class and hopefully punter won't be a big position of need lol.

That brings me to Bowers. I like Bowers and think he is a good QB and a good guy. I have no bad things to say about him. Through the first 5 games I've been saying I had no problem with Fletcher not playing because I don't think you throw a QB out there before they are ready. Today changed my mind. I know it was just a handful of plays, and he turned the ball over, but I loved what I saw out of Fletcher. Not just that he is big and strong and clearly physically ready for this level of football. He showed passion and fire and enthusiasm. For quite a while now it has seemed like all the team leaders, no matter how good of players they are, have been quiet and reserved kinds of guys. We NEED that vocal and emotional leader. That guy that the rest of the team wants to run through brick walls with. My favorite thing was after he fumbled he didn't drop his head or anything. The rest of the game he was still pumped up and was the first one high fiving guys as they came off the field. That tells me that you can throw him out there and let him learn through his mistakes, that he is mentally strong enough to not get down on himself.

It just seems like running Bowers out there any more is not doing anything to help the growth of the program moving forward. I would like to see Fletcher start the final game, but I also understand not shafting Bowers on what is likely his final ever football game. Maybe rotate them series by series or something.

We are fully sunk into this “rebuild”. You go Fletcher next year regardless if Bowers returns. Probably win 3 to 5 games in ‘21. Hope to be .500 or better in ‘22. This is a 4 - 5 year process.

Love to have Richie back. But no idea if Fletcher can get him the ball as he deserves. I think the other seniors will just be disappointed in being on the field next season.

If they don't figure out how to run the ball and protect the QB they're winning zero games. Good news: Waylee had a nice day today. Bad news: The team's 109 net rushing yards today result in NIU being dead last in the MAC in rushing yards per game and yards per carry on the season.

Something has to give. You can't have both a subpar offensive line and a QB who doesn't run.

(12-05-2020 11:30 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(12-05-2020 11:01 PM)TXHuskieJA26 Wrote:  

(12-05-2020 10:18 PM)DiehardHuskie Wrote:  In the Southtown article this week, Richie said he is coming back in 2021.

That would be awesome! He is the one that we really NEED to come back. I'll get to Bowers in a minute... It would be nice to have Pugh & Deveaux, but we know they will just end up injured and not playing anyways. Crawford would be #2 on my wish to return list. We just haven't seen anything out of anyone behind him. Toss up between Kramer and Patton for who would be #3, with a lean towards Kramer because I think there is less depth with the interior d-line than with the o-line. Haidet, Oliver, De Luca, Baggett, Mallette are all non factors. Ference would be a low key big loss but we do have the Minnesota transfer Foley, plus a PWO from this years freshman class and hopefully punter won't be a big position of need lol.

That brings me to Bowers. I like Bowers and think he is a good QB and a good guy. I have no bad things to say about him. Through the first 5 games I've been saying I had no problem with Fletcher not playing because I don't think you throw a QB out there before they are ready. Today changed my mind. I know it was just a handful of plays, and he turned the ball over, but I loved what I saw out of Fletcher. Not just that he is big and strong and clearly physically ready for this level of football. He showed passion and fire and enthusiasm. For quite a while now it has seemed like all the team leaders, no matter how good of players they are, have been quiet and reserved kinds of guys. We NEED that vocal and emotional leader. That guy that the rest of the team wants to run through brick walls with. My favorite thing was after he fumbled he didn't drop his head or anything. The rest of the game he was still pumped up and was the first one high fiving guys as they came off the field. That tells me that you can throw him out there and let him learn through his mistakes, that he is mentally strong enough to not get down on himself.

It just seems like running Bowers out there any more is not doing anything to help the growth of the program moving forward. I would like to see Fletcher start the final game, but I also understand not shafting Bowers on what is likely his final ever football game. Maybe rotate them series by series or something.

We are fully sunk into this “rebuild”. You go Fletcher next year regardless if Bowers returns. Probably win 3 to 5 games in ‘21. Hope to be .500 or better in ‘22. This is a 4 - 5 year process.

Love to have Richie back. But no idea if Fletcher can get him the ball as he deserves. I think the other seniors will just be disappointed in being on the field next season.

I disagree about Fletcher. Hammock seems concerned he can’t throw. He won’t ask him to do it in a game.

Thompson/Neville/Fletcher/Hampton are going to battle it out. If Fletcher needs more seasoning on that passing arm Thompson/Neville will likely be your starter next season.

(12-05-2020 11:52 PM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(12-05-2020 11:30 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(12-05-2020 11:01 PM)TXHuskieJA26 Wrote:  

(12-05-2020 10:18 PM)DiehardHuskie Wrote:  In the Southtown article this week, Richie said he is coming back in 2021.

That would be awesome! He is the one that we really NEED to come back. I'll get to Bowers in a minute... It would be nice to have Pugh & Deveaux, but we know they will just end up injured and not playing anyways. Crawford would be #2 on my wish to return list. We just haven't seen anything out of anyone behind him. Toss up between Kramer and Patton for who would be #3, with a lean towards Kramer because I think there is less depth with the interior d-line than with the o-line. Haidet, Oliver, De Luca, Baggett, Mallette are all non factors. Ference would be a low key big loss but we do have the Minnesota transfer Foley, plus a PWO from this years freshman class and hopefully punter won't be a big position of need lol.

That brings me to Bowers. I like Bowers and think he is a good QB and a good guy. I have no bad things to say about him. Through the first 5 games I've been saying I had no problem with Fletcher not playing because I don't think you throw a QB out there before they are ready. Today changed my mind. I know it was just a handful of plays, and he turned the ball over, but I loved what I saw out of Fletcher. Not just that he is big and strong and clearly physically ready for this level of football. He showed passion and fire and enthusiasm. For quite a while now it has seemed like all the team leaders, no matter how good of players they are, have been quiet and reserved kinds of guys. We NEED that vocal and emotional leader. That guy that the rest of the team wants to run through brick walls with. My favorite thing was after he fumbled he didn't drop his head or anything. The rest of the game he was still pumped up and was the first one high fiving guys as they came off the field. That tells me that you can throw him out there and let him learn through his mistakes, that he is mentally strong enough to not get down on himself.

It just seems like running Bowers out there any more is not doing anything to help the growth of the program moving forward. I would like to see Fletcher start the final game, but I also understand not shafting Bowers on what is likely his final ever football game. Maybe rotate them series by series or something.

We are fully sunk into this “rebuild”. You go Fletcher next year regardless if Bowers returns. Probably win 3 to 5 games in ‘21. Hope to be .500 or better in ‘22. This is a 4 - 5 year process.

Love to have Richie back. But no idea if Fletcher can get him the ball as he deserves. I think the other seniors will just be disappointed in being on the field next season.

I disagree about Fletcher. Hammock seems concerned he can’t throw. He won’t ask him to do it in a game.

Thompson/Neville/Fletcher/Hampton are going to battle it out. If Fletcher needs more seasoning on that passing arm Thompson/Neville will likely be your starter next season.

Sooner or later you have to develope a qb. None of the above are going to be better passers than Bowers. At this point it’s full developmental league. You are aiming for 2023. The team has no identity or strengths. Put all the eggs in the Fletcher basket and hope it pays off in a couple years. The next two years are probably losing ball.

(12-06-2020 12:07 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(12-05-2020 11:52 PM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(12-05-2020 11:30 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(12-05-2020 11:01 PM)TXHuskieJA26 Wrote:  

(12-05-2020 10:18 PM)DiehardHuskie Wrote:  In the Southtown article this week, Richie said he is coming back in 2021.

That would be awesome! He is the one that we really NEED to come back. I'll get to Bowers in a minute... It would be nice to have Pugh & Deveaux, but we know they will just end up injured and not playing anyways. Crawford would be #2 on my wish to return list. We just haven't seen anything out of anyone behind him. Toss up between Kramer and Patton for who would be #3, with a lean towards Kramer because I think there is less depth with the interior d-line than with the o-line. Haidet, Oliver, De Luca, Baggett, Mallette are all non factors. Ference would be a low key big loss but we do have the Minnesota transfer Foley, plus a PWO from this years freshman class and hopefully punter won't be a big position of need lol.

That brings me to Bowers. I like Bowers and think he is a good QB and a good guy. I have no bad things to say about him. Through the first 5 games I've been saying I had no problem with Fletcher not playing because I don't think you throw a QB out there before they are ready. Today changed my mind. I know it was just a handful of plays, and he turned the ball over, but I loved what I saw out of Fletcher. Not just that he is big and strong and clearly physically ready for this level of football. He showed passion and fire and enthusiasm. For quite a while now it has seemed like all the team leaders, no matter how good of players they are, have been quiet and reserved kinds of guys. We NEED that vocal and emotional leader. That guy that the rest of the team wants to run through brick walls with. My favorite thing was after he fumbled he didn't drop his head or anything. The rest of the game he was still pumped up and was the first one high fiving guys as they came off the field. That tells me that you can throw him out there and let him learn through his mistakes, that he is mentally strong enough to not get down on himself.

It just seems like running Bowers out there any more is not doing anything to help the growth of the program moving forward. I would like to see Fletcher start the final game, but I also understand not shafting Bowers on what is likely his final ever football game. Maybe rotate them series by series or something.

We are fully sunk into this “rebuild”. You go Fletcher next year regardless if Bowers returns. Probably win 3 to 5 games in ‘21. Hope to be .500 or better in ‘22. This is a 4 - 5 year process.

Love to have Richie back. But no idea if Fletcher can get him the ball as he deserves. I think the other seniors will just be disappointed in being on the field next season.

I disagree about Fletcher. Hammock seems concerned he can’t throw. He won’t ask him to do it in a game.

Thompson/Neville/Fletcher/Hampton are going to battle it out. If Fletcher needs more seasoning on that passing arm Thompson/Neville will likely be your starter next season.

Sooner or later you have to develope a qb. None of the above are going to be better passers than Bowers. At this point it’s full developmental league. You are aiming for 2023. The team has no identity or strengths. Put all the eggs in the Fletcher basket and hope it pays off in a couple years. The next two years are probably losing ball.

True, but this team is probably a few bowers turnovers/mistakes from at least a win.

I think the talent is there to win games. I am not as down on these guys as a lot of posters. We can likely come in and compete next season. These kids are all going to grow.

(12-06-2020 01:08 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(12-05-2020 11:52 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  If they don't figure out how to run the ball and protect the QB they're winning zero games. Good news: Waylee had a nice day today. Bad news: The team's 109 net rushing yards today result in NIU being dead last in the MAC in rushing yards per game and yards per carry on the season.

Something has to give. You can't have both a subpar offensive line and a QB who doesn't run.

Right and this is against a full slate of only MAC teams. Watching this team in OOC games this season would have been rough. When the OOC schedule opens back up next season the first couple games could really be bad. The opener next year is at Georgia Tech. I also think there are number of FCS teams that would beat NIU right now.

Totally disagree. The team NEEDS more games vs less games. They needed on the field play. After the 4 OOC games we would have played better in the MAC. Our games are all close. We are one bad quarter away from a few wins. An OOC slate would have helped us big time.

Time for the 5th year seniors to move on. Need to give our young guys all the reps to grow as a program. As much as a would like to see Bowers back, he hasn’t been the same player since his last concussion. Great passer but is a gun shy runner and I understand why..... Problem is when your O-line is subpar you need a mobile QB to keep defenses honest.

Bowers is an accurate, and cerebral QB who can carry you when he gets hot. However, he is prone to many turnovers, as he is forced to hold thll too long, as he is imoible. Not being able to run and extend plays is a determent to our offense. Tough, good kid, who could have been the right qb, however this is the wrong time. Other then my boy Haldi, it is fair to say he is the best pure passing qb we have had. His skill set, and his production have reached it's zenith. Hope he comes back in any event, whether he starts or not next year.

(12-05-2020 11:52 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  If they don't figure out how to run the ball and protect the QB they're winning zero games. Good news: Waylee had a nice day today. Bad news: The team's 109 net rushing yards today result in NIU being dead last in the MAC in rushing yards per game and yards per carry on the season.

Something has to give. You can't have both a subpar offensive line and a QB who doesn't run.

81 - I like what I see from our Guards, Z may be special and that tr Fr Champee is doing well. We need better play out of a Center.,I'm not sure what I am seeing from the OTs... #69 shows promise, Cox may not have that huge upside I thought he had. If we can fix the OLine, the co-ordinator becomes a miracle worker, the backs look great and QB makes throws & runs and we win games. Starts right here on the OLINE.

(12-06-2020 11:45 AM)NIU05 Wrote:  

(12-05-2020 11:52 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  If they don't figure out how to run the ball and protect the QB they're winning zero games. Good news: Waylee had a nice day today. Bad news: The team's 109 net rushing yards today result in NIU being dead last in the MAC in rushing yards per game and yards per carry on the season.

Something has to give. You can't have both a subpar offensive line and a QB who doesn't run.

81 - I like what I see from our Guards, Z may be special and that tr Fr Champee is doing well. We need better play out of a Center.,I'm not sure what I am seeing from the OTs... #69 shows promise, Cox may not have that huge upside I thought he had. If we can fix the OLine, the co-ordinator becomes a miracle worker, the backs look great and QB makes throws & runs and we win games. Starts right here on the OLINE.

Crazy o-line idea: move Logan Z to center (no idea if he can) kick cox inside and throw a new tackle out there.

No clue if that could even work. But it would seem to me that perhaps Cox is better suited inside. That said he is just a sophomore

If you look at body types Cox is built Longer like bb player and a Left tackle and not inside. Look at Z and Champee how round they are across the chest like wrestlers. Z at center? That might work, guessing it depends who else we have on roster.

Haha, great minds think alike. I actually threw this idea up on the board a week or two ago. I'm too lazy to find the post but I thought it would be interesting to move Z to center and Cox to guard. In my uninformed opinion Cox seems a little stiff for tackle but could be great at guard. That would provide some serious beef across the interior, and they could start looking at guys like Engstrand and Buss along with Potter at tackle.

No matter what the program moves forward on the OLine. We need to have a great OLine to compete and win. The fix begins here.

(12-06-2020 02:41 PM)NIU05 Wrote:  No matter what the program moves forward on the OLine. We need to have a great OLine to compete and win. The fix begins here.

And, hopefully, a former RB would for sure be the one to understand this.

Hammock needs to hit his Wisconsin pipeline to fill the Oline with hogs.

(12-06-2020 09:44 AM)JB 1994 Wrote:  Bowers is an accurate, and cerebral QB who can carry you when he gets hot. However, he is prone to many turnovers, as he is forced to hold thll too long, as he is imoible. Not being able to run and extend plays is a determent to our offense. Tough, good kid, who could have been the right qb, however this is the wrong time. Other then my boy Haldi, it is fair to say he is the best pure passing qb we have had. His skill set, and his production have reached it's zenith. Hope he comes back in any event, whether he starts or not next year.

Haldi is the most underrated QB we’ve ever had. I lit it up as a Huskie.

(12-06-2020 03:25 PM)BDB5yp Wrote:  

(12-06-2020 09:44 AM)JB 1994 Wrote:  Bowers is an accurate, and cerebral QB who can carry you when he gets hot. However, he is prone to many turnovers, as he is forced to hold thll too long, as he is imoible. Not being able to run and extend plays is a determent to our offense. Tough, good kid, who could have been the right qb, however this is the wrong time. Other then my boy Haldi, it is fair to say he is the best pure passing qb we have had. His skill set, and his production have reached it's zenith. Hope he comes back in any event, whether he starts or not next year.

Haldi is the most underrated QB we’ve ever had. I lit it up as a Huskie.

Haldi is one of the reasons NIU was able to grow in to a MAC powerhouse for a bit.

I still think Hare was the better passer. If hare could have stayed healthy he could have really done something.