Post Game Press Conference
If you get a chance, watch the press conference. It's hard not to like Jerry Kill when you hear him talk. I don't know if you'll find a tougher coach in America then the one we have. There's another video on the HuskieWire iPhone app (for some reason it's not on the actual site) where they ask Kill about going for two, and he mentions that he's going to try to be aggresive to win games and they're going to try to make plays to win games rather then have it handed to them. I've said it before and I'll say it again, he does some really wierd stuff on the field, but I love his mentality as a coach. Anybody who questions his call going for two, better also question the HB pass we ran with Jaz. Don't question a call just because it didn't work.
Kill also makes a good point about our schedule. Three of our first four games are against BCS teams. I don't think you'll find another mid-major team in the country who starts out with three BCS teams. Boise State and TCU both play two, both of which were one home game and one neutral site game. Granted, our three BCS teams are all lower level BCS teams, but how often to you hear people talking about the Boise's of the world and asking if they could hold up playing a BCS schedule. The first four games of our schedule is pretty much a BCS schedule.
We took a big step forward this week, and IMO the Minnesota game is pretty big. If we can beat Minnesota, it'll legitimize our out of conference resume. A 2-2 record with a win over a BCS team is solid for any mid major outside of the likes of Boise State and TCU. It'll also give the team some momentum heading into conference play.
I think Kill does get a bad rap, and there are plenty of worse coaches that NIU could have chosen, but the 2pt try did have me shaking my head.
First, it was only the first qtr. Tie the game first, then take the lead later. There has to be someone on the team who can kick an xp.
Second, why the funny formation? If you are determined to go for two, why no run the kind of play that put you in the endzone to begin with.
As soon as that happened, I just had this premenition that the Huskies were going to lose the game by one point.
The fact that we don't have a kicker that we can trust to kick an xp in the first quarter of a game is pathetic.
Also I still don't understand why Jasmin got the carry on 4th and 2 or whatever that was in the second half.
Besides that, Kill should get credit for working through his health issues and being on the sideline in Champaign. I'm still not a fan of his actual game strategy and ingame coaching though.
(09-21-2010 08:52 AM)armour248 Wrote: [ -> ]The fact that we don't have a kicker that we can trust to kick an xp in the first quarter of a game is pathetic.
Also I still don't understand why Jasmin got the carry on 4th and 2 or whatever that was in the second half.
Besides that, Kill should get credit for working through his health issues and being on the sideline in Champaign. I'm still not a fan of his actual game strategy and ingame coaching though.
we have had 12 yrs of great kickers and may fall a little short. Recruiting kickers is a dicey business. If Jasmin breaks a tackle and goes 70 yds its a great call. Coaches do not have the luxury of hindsight. What I was looking for this season a little more sophisticated passing game which appeared in the UI game. Execution for the most part wins games
I'm fine with going for two, our kicker blows. I just think, you have Chad Spann. You have Hopkins. The trick play doesn't need to be used for two yards, run a legitimate play. I feel like it's a slap in the face of the offense that just got a touchdown. We're good enough to beat UofI legitimately for two yards. Or should be.
I think the trick play with Hopkins made more sense considering where they were on the field and what down it was. Different situation.
(09-21-2010 09:12 AM)gcd Wrote: [ -> ]Jasmin breaks a tackle and goes 70 yds its a great call.
Like 7 said, I'm basing my comments off of the playcall itself and not the result. You have Chandler Harnish, who was clearly our most productive player on Saturday, and Chad Spann who is 25 pounds heavier...if I'm calling plays, Harnish and Spann both get the ball before Jazz there.
(09-21-2010 09:31 AM)armour248 Wrote: [ -> ] (09-21-2010 09:12 AM)gcd Wrote: [ -> ]Jasmin breaks a tackle and goes 70 yds its a great call.
Like 7 said, I'm basing my comments off of the playcall itself and not the result. You have Chandler Harnish, who was clearly our most productive player on Saturday, and Chad Spann who is 25 pounds heavier...if I'm calling plays, Harnish and Spann both get the ball before Jazz there.
I agree with you armour, but you can’t help but think that Jazz did have some G Wolfe like maneuvering during the UND game last weekend! -lol Wolfe always tore up the BCS teams and we all know is size. In the end, it all comes down to execution! If everyone follows procedure, these plays should work regardless who is in the backfield.
We also know Chad Spann's size.. and results. It's not like it's picking between Jazz Hopkins or some bum.
I don't disagree that Jazz has looked pretty good, it's just a pretty easy (in my opinion) situational personnel and play call there. You either put the ball in your best player's hands (Harnish) or give it to your featured back who has the size advantage (Spann). Jazz shouldn't be getting carries in short yardage situations when beating Illinois is on the line.
(09-21-2010 10:14 AM)armour248 Wrote: [ -> ]I don't disagree that Jazz has looked pretty good, it's just a pretty easy (in my opinion) situational personnel and play call there. You either put the ball in your best player's hands (Harnish) or give it to your featured back who has the size advantage (Spann). Jazz shouldn't be getting carries in short yardage situations when beating Illinois is on the line.
if Hopkins goes 70 yds on that play, no one questions it, thats my point. You select a play and hope it is executed better then the defense.
I don't think Kill always tells the truth, and you have to read between the lines.
As for starting Grady in game one, I think he was trying to cover up for a bad decision by saying Harnish wasnt ready.
As for the two point conversion try, I'd bet a million dollars if we had a kicker he trusted, we go for the PAT. But he can't say in a press conference, "I don't trust our kicker", because you don't throw your players under the bus. I respect the latter comments, not the former.
Yep.. if we have a good kicker, there's no way in hell we go for two.
Kill isn't perfect, but I'm happy with the work he does. Obviously there are questions with some of his calls, but you also have to respect that while this program hasn't had the big wins (yet!) that we all hope for, it seems Kill gets this team into the 4th quarter with a chance to win almost every game.
If you look at the non-seniors we have, Kill is gradually getting his players in. I'm confident in the way the program is heading and I think Kill's a pretty darn good leader for it, although I didn't like the hire when it was first announced.
(09-21-2010 09:13 AM)HuskieFan84 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm fine with going for two, our kicker blows. I just think, you have Chad Spann. You have Hopkins. The trick play doesn't need to be used for two yards, run a legitimate play. I feel like it's a slap in the face of the offense that just got a touchdown. We're good enough to beat UofI legitimately for two yards. Or should be.
I think the trick play with Hopkins made more sense considering where they were on the field and what down it was. Different situation.
Ive said it before, Kill constantly coached like he's at a D1AA or DII school going against an SEC powerhouse.
(09-21-2010 12:29 PM)calvin12 Wrote: [ -> ] (09-21-2010 09:13 AM)HuskieFan84 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm fine with going for two, our kicker blows. I just think, you have Chad Spann. You have Hopkins. The trick play doesn't need to be used for two yards, run a legitimate play. I feel like it's a slap in the face of the offense that just got a touchdown. We're good enough to beat UofI legitimately for two yards. Or should be.
I think the trick play with Hopkins made more sense considering where they were on the field and what down it was. Different situation.
Ive said it before, Kill constantly coached like he's at a D1AA or DII school going against an SEC powerhouse.
Explain.
(09-21-2010 12:42 PM)niubrad00 Wrote: [ -> ] (09-21-2010 12:29 PM)calvin12 Wrote: [ -> ] (09-21-2010 09:13 AM)HuskieFan84 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm fine with going for two, our kicker blows. I just think, you have Chad Spann. You have Hopkins. The trick play doesn't need to be used for two yards, run a legitimate play. I feel like it's a slap in the face of the offense that just got a touchdown. We're good enough to beat UofI legitimately for two yards. Or should be.
I think the trick play with Hopkins made more sense considering where they were on the field and what down it was. Different situation.
Ive said it before, Kill constantly coached like he's at a D1AA or DII school going against an SEC powerhouse.
Explain.
going for 2 for no reason, having a QB near the lead in conference rushing, "trick" plays. its always lets do "cheesy" things and hope to hang around long enough to get lucky at the end. A real game plan tends to use the Rb's to run the ball, not the QB. Goofy formations to hope to confuse the opposition rather than actually just beating the opposition. although Illness was no better with all the qb draws they were stuck with since their QB blows too.
"A real game plan tends to use the Rb's to run the ball, not the QB."
Completely disagree....college football the last 5 - 10 years, this just simply isn't true. QB's are often used as an effective rushing, and often leading rusher on even top 25 teams.
(09-21-2010 03:56 PM)calvin12 Wrote: [ -> ] (09-21-2010 12:42 PM)niubrad00 Wrote: [ -> ] (09-21-2010 12:29 PM)calvin12 Wrote: [ -> ] (09-21-2010 09:13 AM)HuskieFan84 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm fine with going for two, our kicker blows. I just think, you have Chad Spann. You have Hopkins. The trick play doesn't need to be used for two yards, run a legitimate play. I feel like it's a slap in the face of the offense that just got a touchdown. We're good enough to beat UofI legitimately for two yards. Or should be.
I think the trick play with Hopkins made more sense considering where they were on the field and what down it was. Different situation.
Ive said it before, Kill constantly coached like he's at a D1AA or DII school going against an SEC powerhouse.
Explain.
going for 2 for no reason, having a QB near the lead in conference rushing, "trick" plays. its always lets do "cheesy" things and hope to hang around long enough to get lucky at the end. A real game plan tends to use the Rb's to run the ball, not the QB. Goofy formations to hope to confuse the opposition rather than actually just beating the opposition. although Illness was no better with all the qb draws they were stuck with since their QB blows too.
This is just a dumb post. Lefevour led CMU in rushing 3 of his 4 years at CMU. Does that mean Brian Kelly/Butch Jones are DIII coaches as well?
Guess who led Florida in rushing last three years? Tim Tebow. Tebow was second on the team in rushing his freshman year. They won 2 National Championships in those four years. Does Urban Meyer coach like he's at a DII school?
Boise State is known for it's trick plays, does Chris Peterson coach like a DII coach?
Going back even more, anybody remember what Steve Spurrier was known for when he was the coach of Florida? The trick play.
If you don't like Kill that's fine, but that post was just uninformed.
I thought that Illinois' biggest weakness was their secondary and I do not think that we attacked it enough. Overall, I like Jerry Kill and I think that given time he will bring our program some success.
(09-21-2010 04:29 PM)7 Wrote: [ -> ] (09-21-2010 03:56 PM)calvin12 Wrote: [ -> ] (09-21-2010 12:42 PM)niubrad00 Wrote: [ -> ] (09-21-2010 12:29 PM)calvin12 Wrote: [ -> ] (09-21-2010 09:13 AM)HuskieFan84 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm fine with going for two, our kicker blows. I just think, you have Chad Spann. You have Hopkins. The trick play doesn't need to be used for two yards, run a legitimate play. I feel like it's a slap in the face of the offense that just got a touchdown. We're good enough to beat UofI legitimately for two yards. Or should be.
I think the trick play with Hopkins made more sense considering where they were on the field and what down it was. Different situation.
Ive said it before, Kill constantly coached like he's at a D1AA or DII school going against an SEC powerhouse.
Explain.
going for 2 for no reason, having a QB near the lead in conference rushing, "trick" plays. its always lets do "cheesy" things and hope to hang around long enough to get lucky at the end. A real game plan tends to use the Rb's to run the ball, not the QB. Goofy formations to hope to confuse the opposition rather than actually just beating the opposition. although Illness was no better with all the qb draws they were stuck with since their QB blows too.
This is just a dumb post. Lefevour led CMU in rushing 3 of his 4 years at CMU. Does that mean Brian Kelly/Butch Jones are DIII coaches as well?
Guess who led Florida in rushing last three years? Tim Tebow. Tebow was second on the team in rushing his freshman year. They won 2 National Championships in those four years. Does Urban Meyer coach like he's at a DII school?
Boise State is known for it's trick plays, does Chris Peterson coach like a DII coach?
Going back even more, anybody remember what Steve Spurrier was known for when he was the coach of Florida? The trick play.
If you don't like Kill that's fine, but that post was just uninformed.
Boise, yes they were a small school doing tricks to win.
Tebow ran because frankly in spite of the hype hes not really a good QB, he had horrible mechanics and completely had to rework his throwing motion after the season.
Leftover see above (he couldn't even make the bears QB challenged roster).
There is a difference between running *A* trick play and running a trick play offense.