(10-23-2022 04:41 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  Why in the hell do we have so many problems that other teams don’t in getting QBs? This has gone on for years.

Another issue is our QBs staying healthy. Dan Nicholson, Chandler Harnish (early on), Drew Hare, Ross Bowers, Ethan Hampton (he was already coming off an injury in offseason), and Rocky Lombardi (he missed time last year as well due to injury). I'm sure there are others but those are the most recent QBs I can think of. Since Jordan Lynch I don't think we've had a QB play the entire regular season.

(10-23-2022 03:19 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(10-23-2022 07:49 AM)bikechuck Wrote:  

(10-22-2022 10:34 PM)The Grinch Wrote:  Why would Ohio not make Lynch beat them? More importantly would you let Lynch win it or the run game that got 267 when they knew it was coming?

At this point why would you let Lynch start another game this season? I was very much looking forward to seeing him play for NIU but at this point I have seen enough. This year is no longer about wins and losses ... let's see what we have behind him and give some other guys meaningful reps.

For everyone advocating to see what Fletcher and Lomax can do, perhaps you should have attended every practice since fall ball started. Watched drills, practices, scrimmages, etc. and then, maybe then, you'd have the same perspective as the coaches. When Rocky struggled and was hurt, everyone wanted to see what Hampton could do, then it was let's see what Lynch can do or let Lynch pass more often -- everyone is an expert despite not seeing drills, practices, scrimmages, etc.
Hey, I'm no expert, but last year we won a lot of close games and it seemed like the breaks, gambles, etc. went our way. Now they don't and that complicates the next down and play-calling. Coming off that 0-6 season NO ONE saw a MAC title coming. Going into this year, NO ONE saw things unraveling the way they have. Hey it's tough being a Huskie fan, just remember Lee Corso's tenure, the Charlie Sadler years, the 23-game losing streak and Novak's 3-30 start, the ups and downs of Rod Carey.
Find a new team or else: Go Huskies! Beat CMU!

100% agree. I'm disappointed in the QB room. I was expecting more from the back ups. Felt Hampton and Lynch were ready and Lomax if called upon, that appears way WRONG. Big problem is we have no receivers that can bail out an average QB. Don't trust anyone on a 50/50 ball and our best WR is out.

(10-23-2022 05:47 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(10-23-2022 04:41 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  Why in the hell do we have so many problems that other teams don’t in getting QBs? This has gone on for years.

Another issue is our QBs staying healthy. Dan Nicholson, Chandler Harnish (early on), Drew Hare, Ross Bowers, Ethan Hampton (he was already coming off an injury in offseason), and Rocky Lombardi (he missed time last year as well due to injury). I'm sure there are others but those are the most recent QBs I can think of. Since Jordan Lynch I don't think we've had a QB play the entire regular season.

The Drew Hare injury really derailed the NIU dynasty train. It cost NIU a MACC in 2015. 2016 would have probably still gone to that WMU squad, but the Huskies would have pushed them. The 2016 team was loaded. But the 2016 MAC West might be the toughest season ever. Woodside, Rush, Terrell….and if you added a healthy Hare? Crazy.

(10-23-2022 06:14 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(10-23-2022 05:47 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(10-23-2022 04:41 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  Why in the hell do we have so many problems that other teams don’t in getting QBs? This has gone on for years.

Another issue is our QBs staying healthy. Dan Nicholson, Chandler Harnish (early on), Drew Hare, Ross Bowers, Ethan Hampton (he was already coming off an injury in offseason), and Rocky Lombardi (he missed time last year as well due to injury). I'm sure there are others but those are the most recent QBs I can think of. Since Jordan Lynch I don't think we've had a QB play the entire regular season.

The Drew Hare injury really derailed the NIU dynasty train. It cost NIU a MACC in 2015. 2016 would have probably still gone to that WMU squad, but the Huskies would have pushed them. The 2016 team was loaded. But the 2016 MAC West might be the toughest season ever. Woodside, Rush, Terrell….and if you added a healthy Hare? Crazy.

Hare could have been a special QB for us. Probably not on the level of Lynch or Harnish. But special.

(10-23-2022 07:25 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(10-23-2022 06:14 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(10-23-2022 05:47 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(10-23-2022 04:41 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  Why in the hell do we have so many problems that other teams don’t in getting QBs? This has gone on for years.

Another issue is our QBs staying healthy. Dan Nicholson, Chandler Harnish (early on), Drew Hare, Ross Bowers, Ethan Hampton (he was already coming off an injury in offseason), and Rocky Lombardi (he missed time last year as well due to injury). I'm sure there are others but those are the most recent QBs I can think of. Since Jordan Lynch I don't think we've had a QB play the entire regular season.

The Drew Hare injury really derailed the NIU dynasty train. It cost NIU a MACC in 2015. 2016 would have probably still gone to that WMU squad, but the Huskies would have pushed them. The 2016 team was loaded. But the 2016 MAC West might be the toughest season ever. Woodside, Rush, Terrell….and if you added a healthy Hare? Crazy.

Hare could have been a special QB for us. Probably not on the level of Lynch or Harnish. But special.

If you extrapolate Hares numbers out to the same reps as Harnish and Lynch they are surprisingly close. Passing that is. Hare’s running took a hit with those injuries. It’s just obscene NIU went Harnish,Lynch,Hare in succession. That’s like going Johnson, Turner, Wolf in 6 straight seasons.

Drew Hare one of my favorite All Time Huskies. A WINNER, tough.

If Rocky wants to come back next season, is it a given that he would be approved for a medical redshirt? A healthy Rocky & Rudolph going into next season would have me all fired up!

(10-24-2022 06:56 AM)ChicagoHuskie Wrote:  If Rocky wants to come back next season, is it a given that he would be approved for a medical redshirt? A healthy Rocky & Rudolph going into next season would have me all fired up!

I don't think it is. I think it's a hope the NCAA would approve it. I believe Rocky was at MSU for four years and now at NIU for two years. If he's granted a medical redshirt that would put him at year 7 in college.

(10-24-2022 05:20 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(10-24-2022 06:56 AM)ChicagoHuskie Wrote:  If Rocky wants to come back next season, is it a given that he would be approved for a medical redshirt? A healthy Rocky & Rudolph going into next season would have me all fired up!

I don't think it is. I think it's a hope the NCAA would approve it. I believe Rocky was at MSU for four years and now at NIU for two years. If he's granted a medical redshirt that would put him at year 7 in college.

Why come back? He has his degree. I ffel he a chance to go pro, get ready for the draft or a FA contract and see what happens from there, but come back for a 6th year??? Doesn't make sense.

(10-24-2022 07:25 PM)NIU05 Wrote:  

(10-24-2022 05:20 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(10-24-2022 06:56 AM)ChicagoHuskie Wrote:  If Rocky wants to come back next season, is it a given that he would be approved for a medical redshirt? A healthy Rocky & Rudolph going into next season would have me all fired up!

I don't think it is. I think it's a hope the NCAA would approve it. I believe Rocky was at MSU for four years and now at NIU for two years. If he's granted a medical redshirt that would put him at year 7 in college.

Why come back? He has his degree. I ffel he a chance to go pro, get ready for the draft or a FA contract and see what happens from there, but come back for a 6th year??? Doesn't make sense.

I'm sorry but Rocky Lombardi is definitely not getting drafted and probably isn't going to be signed by any NFL team.

If he wants to go on, Lombardi needs a big season to launch with.

(10-24-2022 07:26 PM)Big Red Wrote:  

(10-24-2022 07:25 PM)NIU05 Wrote:  

(10-24-2022 05:20 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(10-24-2022 06:56 AM)ChicagoHuskie Wrote:  If Rocky wants to come back next season, is it a given that he would be approved for a medical redshirt? A healthy Rocky & Rudolph going into next season would have me all fired up!

I don't think it is. I think it's a hope the NCAA would approve it. I believe Rocky was at MSU for four years and now at NIU for two years. If he's granted a medical redshirt that would put him at year 7 in college.

Why come back? He has his degree. I ffel he a chance to go pro, get ready for the draft or a FA contract and see what happens from there, but come back for a 6th year??? Doesn't make sense.

I'm sorry but Rocky Lombardi is definitely not getting drafted and probably isn't going to be signed by any NFL team.

He definitely has next level talent. If Harnish got in the league I think he will for sure get an opportunity. Also those Michigan State credentials will count for something.

(10-25-2022 12:29 PM)BDB5yp Wrote:  

(10-24-2022 07:26 PM)Big Red Wrote:  

(10-24-2022 07:25 PM)NIU05 Wrote:  

(10-24-2022 05:20 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(10-24-2022 06:56 AM)ChicagoHuskie Wrote:  If Rocky wants to come back next season, is it a given that he would be approved for a medical redshirt? A healthy Rocky & Rudolph going into next season would have me all fired up!

I don't think it is. I think it's a hope the NCAA would approve it. I believe Rocky was at MSU for four years and now at NIU for two years. If he's granted a medical redshirt that would put him at year 7 in college.

Why come back? He has his degree. I ffel he a chance to go pro, get ready for the draft or a FA contract and see what happens from there, but come back for a 6th year??? Doesn't make sense.

I'm sorry but Rocky Lombardi is definitely not getting drafted and probably isn't going to be signed by any NFL team.

He definitely has next level talent. If Harnish got in the league I think he will for sure get an opportunity. Also those Michigan State credentials will count for something.

If Rocky continued his improved play through this season or continues it next season he will at worse get a UDFA look. Cooper Rush is in the league still and he only threw 23 tds to 16 ints with a 59% comp his last season at CMU. But he’s a 6’3” 230lb qb with a lively arm, just like Lombardi.

Lombardi was connecting on nearly 67% of his attempts (an increase over his 58% last season). He looked improved. He was on fire vs. Vandy before his injury and even did well vs. EMU despite being very hobbled. If I recall correctly his only INT was not his fault but receiver for not catching it in the Tulsa game.

NFL size, live arm, athletic leader....he gets NFL contract.

Rocky should come back, kill it at QB for NIU next year, and take his pro football shot. Fingers crossed.

(10-25-2022 02:54 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  Rocky should come back, kill it at QB for NIU next year, and take his pro football shot. Fingers crossed.

This my hope as well.... be great to have a healthy Rocky next year & lead the team to a successful season.

If Rocky doesn't come back next year, his chances of getting any interest from the NFL after sitting out most of 2022 will pretty much be shot. His MSU "credentials" will hurt more than help him, because he wasn't very good there. In fact, he was pretty mediocre there and got benched. He's been good in the MAC because it's obviously a huge step down from the Big 10. Last year there were only 9 QBs drafted, 10 in 2021, and 13 in 2020. Rocky, much as I love him at QB for NIU, probably isn't even a top-20 college QB right now (and the very little bit of digging I did on that via Google confirms my suspicions). As for whether he can come back, I'm no expert on redshirts, but he played as a redshirt frosh in 2018, RS soph in 2019, RS junior in 2020, got the extra Covid year in 2021, and started this year as an RS senior. He's played in only 4 games this season, less if they count by quarters. All told, he's played 4 1/3 seasons out of the 5 seasons he's allowed (including the Covid season). I don't see any reason why he wouldn't qualify for a medical RS. As Filmmaker said, he needs to come back and kill it for NIU next year if he wants any shot. Again, I'm no RS expert. The NCAA definitely has been known to make boneheaded decisions that deny kids an extra season. Then again, Kyle Pugh's on season #8...

I think the reality of Rocky being the end all savior of the future needs to be put to sleep. The program needs to move on just as he likely does.

And if you think he's NFL material, he will be 24 next opening day. Not quite Chris Weinke zone, but even 24 is pushing it for a rookie qb in the NFL.

Love Rocky, but he is nowhere close to NFL material. When he has played, he showed he is a good MAC quarterback. He does not have enough of a track record to even think about the NFL. He would not get drafted or an UDFA. I hope he comes back to NIU next year. We need a lot of help.