Seriously, no joke. For a good period of time today we were kicking their a$$es and the reemergence of Huskie football for the first time in a looong time was great to see. Physical and emotional. I don't even mind some of the penalties because they came from emotion which has been sorely lacking.

Also, it was great that we were in the game late when you consider:

-We spotted them 28 points.

-Our largest D end got kicked out four minutes into the game. That was unfortunate but what can you do. It technically met the criteria for targeting even though it was anything but. They need to continue to refine that rule.

-They had several explosive plays while we got stuffed on 4th and short to end a good scoring opportunity. (It's good that Graham was under center but you might not want the tailback lined up 8 yards deep when you need a half yard, just saying.)

-Their punter pinned us inside our 10 yard line I don't know how many times while our punter was averaging about 15 yards a kick or so (I refuse to look it up, know it was bad).

-Our QB threw a couple of bad picks.

Basically, everything went right for them and a lot went wrong for us and we showed enough resilience to still have a chance at the end.

A lot depends on Graham's continued development of course because it's all about your QB. He will learn from his mistakes and get better. When he's good he's real good, he just needs to reduce his mistakes. If he does that and the team in general continues to get more consistent and bring the energy and emotion this team will be a handful. In fact there's not a game left on our schedule that they couldn't win.

Starting this week we go on a winning streak.

I looked it up. We averaged a little under 30 yards per punt. That is just not a Division 1 punter.

I think the O-line gave Graham some time to throw, more time than the QB has been getting anyway. The defense had some big plays, cancelled out by penalties numerous times. Do we have no discipline? On misdirection we'd have nobody on one side of the field on defense. That got a little better later in the game, but you can't take the entire first half to figure that out. And how did we let their RB get through the line that many times with no one in the secondary to even slow him down?

Agreed; I feel much better about our team tonight then I did before kickoff today.

Ambrose averaged 29.5 yda/punt - I did look and saw when I knew

We gave SDSU way too many short fields.

What is with the long TD runs up the gut?

(09-17-2016 10:17 PM)NILAW Wrote:  Agreed; I feel much better about our team tonight then I did before kickoff today.

Ambrose averaged 29.5 yda/punt - I did look and saw when I knew

We gave SDSU way too many short fields.

What is with the long TD runs up the gut?

Hey is your license plate NILAW? I think I passed you on 88 after the game.

(09-17-2016 10:05 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  Seriously, no joke. For a good period of time today we were kicking their a$$es and the reemergence of Huskie football for the first time in a looong time was great to see. Physical and emotional. I don't even mind some of the penalties because they came from emotion which has been sorely lacking.

Also, it was great that we were in the game late when you consider:

-We spotted them 28 points.

-Our largest D end got kicked out four minutes into the game. That was unfortunate but what can you do. It technically met the criteria for targeting even though it was anything but. They need to continue to refine that rule.

-They had several explosive plays while we got stuffed on 4th and short to end a good scoring opportunity. (It's good that Graham was under center but you might not want the tailback lined up 8 yards deep when you need a half yard, just saying.)

-Their punter pinned us inside our 10 yard line I don't know how many times while our punter was averaging about 15 yards a kick or so (I refuse to look it up, know it was bad).

-Our QB threw a couple of bad picks.

Basically, everything went right for them and a lot went wrong for us and we showed enough resilience to still have a chance at the end.

A lot depends on Graham's continued development of course because it's all about your QB. He will learn from his mistakes and get better. When he's good he's real good, he just needs to reduce his mistakes. If he does that and the team in general continues to get more consistent and bring the energy and emotion this team will be a handful. In fact there's not a game left on our schedule that they couldn't win.

Starting this week we go on a winning streak.

I'm not so sure I am confident a winning streak is coming, but I agree there were some positives from today's game. This is the most undisciplined team I can remember seeing for a long time. So many penalties - many of which I think have been bad calls, but it's not like all the bad calls are going against NIU - just some overall really lousy officiating.

The weather today was absolutely perfect, and while the crowd was not huge it was not too bad considering how poorly the team has been playing and how terrible the service by Sodexo is.

I never heard an announced attendance, and don't see it anywhere else. Anybody know what it was?

I felt there was more positives than negatives today and I am looking forward to next Saturdays game. I'm hoping for a couple more steps forward with this team. It was great to see the Defense play with some fire today. That was encouraging to see. Offensive line gave Graham plenty of time to throw the ball too. Let's hope for a good week of practice and our first W against the Leathernecks. GO HUSKIES....

(09-17-2016 10:45 PM)142niu Wrote:  I felt there was more positives than negatives today and I am looking forward to next Saturdays game. I'm hoping for a couple more steps forward with this team. It was great to see the Defense play with some fire today. That was encouraging to see. Offensive line gave Graham plenty of time to throw the ball too. Let's hope for a good week of practice and our first W against the Leathernecks. GO HUSKIES....

Makes you wonder the damage NIU could do if they ever threw a screen pass. That was a pretty aggressive SDSU, they could have burned pretty easy.

At least they showed some fight in the 2nd half. Was good to see.

(09-17-2016 10:05 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  Seriously, no joke. For a good period of time today we were kicking their a$$es and the reemergence of Huskie football for the first time in a looong time was great to see. Physical and emotional. I don't even mind some of the penalties because they came from emotion which has been sorely lacking.

Also, it was great that we were in the game late when you consider:

-We spotted them 28 points.

-Our largest D end got kicked out four minutes into the game. That was unfortunate but what can you do. It technically met the criteria for targeting even though it was anything but. They need to continue to refine that rule.

-They had several explosive plays while we got stuffed on 4th and short to end a good scoring opportunity. (It's good that Graham was under center but you might not want the tailback lined up 8 yards deep when you need a half yard, just saying.)

-Their punter pinned us inside our 10 yard line I don't know how many times while our punter was averaging about 15 yards a kick or so (I refuse to look it up, know it was bad).

-Our QB threw a couple of bad picks.

Basically, everything went right for them and a lot went wrong for us and we showed enough resilience to still have a chance at the end.

A lot depends on Graham's continued development of course because it's all about your QB. He will learn from his mistakes and get better. When he's good he's real good, he just needs to reduce his mistakes. If he does that and the team in general continues to get more consistent and bring the energy and emotion this team will be a handful. In fact there's not a game left on our schedule that they couldn't win.

Starting this week we go on a winning streak.

I agree. I saw a football team near the end of 2Q and beyond. It's been a while. We may be able to save the season and be competitive in the MAC.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

Agreed, nice to actually see some excitement, it's been so long.

I'm still baffled by the secondaries play in the 1st half. They were SO much better in the 2nd half. D-line was actually getting OK penetration most of the game. Jordan Huff looked good again (he's just the better overall back right now, and I wasn't saying that last year) and the Oline had their best day so far (still wasn't great, but better).

I'm not as confident in Graham, the throws were just so far off, but maybe our only option.

Anyone else see that Tears got in the game for a few plays in the 2nd half?

(09-17-2016 11:18 PM)17Huskies Wrote:  Agreed, nice to actually see some excitement, it's been so long.

I'm still baffled by the secondaries play in the 1st half. They were SO much better in the 2nd half. D-line was actually getting OK penetration most of the game. Jordan Huff looked good again (he's just the better overall back right now, and I wasn't saying that last year) and the Oline had their best day so far (still wasn't great, but better).

I'm not as confident in Graham, the throws were just so far off, but maybe our only option.

Anyone else see that Tears got in the game for a few plays in the 2nd half?

I honestly think the wind screwed with both QBs. If you looked at the flags it was going each direction. I've never seen that there before. Not an excuse, like someone else said that its sad these are the guys that have been recruited since JL. I would have hope/thought they had someone waiting like lynch after harnish. The positive is I'm glad that the coaches see huff is the back that can gain yards on his own and ACRB is a back that runs good when the lines good. About it. The oline seemed to be much better today than last game.

Them fighting to get back in this game was proof that they haven't given up on the season. It's been a tough stretch so far this season. They should be 1-2 right now. SDSU will probably rated #25 after tomorrow. Disappointed in the loss but I feel they're trending in the right direction barring any other major injuries to key players.

(09-17-2016 11:36 PM)BDB5yp Wrote:  Them fighting to get back in this game was proof that they haven't given up on the season. It's been a tough stretch so far this season. They should be 1-2 right now. SDSU will probably rated #25 after tomorrow. Disappointed in the loss but I feel they're trending in the right direction barring any other major injuries to key players.

Just think if they could have pulled off that crazy Wyoming game? I probably would have a more positive outlook on the season. Also, if they would have just been beaten by Boise in that bowl game instead of suffering one of the most statistically lopsided beatings in the history of D1 football, even and 0-3 start wouldn't seem like the end of the world. Hopefully they turn things around and do well the rest of the season.

(09-17-2016 10:28 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  I never heard an announced attendance, and don't see it anywhere else. Anybody know what it was?

14,513

(09-18-2016 07:52 AM)HuskieDave Wrote:  

(09-17-2016 10:28 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  I never heard an announced attendance, and don't see it anywhere else. Anybody know what it was?

14,513

Did anyone have any issues with the ticket reader devices? We didn't have any issues, but it took a long time for those things to register our tickets.

(09-18-2016 07:56 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(09-18-2016 07:52 AM)HuskieDave Wrote:  

(09-17-2016 10:28 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  I never heard an announced attendance, and don't see it anywhere else. Anybody know what it was?

14,513

Did anyone have any issues with the ticket reader devices? We didn't have any issues, but it took a long time for those things to register our tickets.

No issue but the scanner guy insisted on holding each of the tickets himself which made the process longer for my 7 tickets.

Usually I fan out the tickets and they scan them quickly. This time it was like the sloth skit in zootopia.



And back on OT yes the 2nd half gave me hope for the remainder of the season.

Really USF and SD St have a good chance to go 12-0.

And the good news is: Was out of TV and radio range so missed everything but the final score. This morning at my local DD was in line behind two San Diego fans on their way to Midway, back from the game yesterday. They said a good, tough game from their perspective, commenting it would have been hard to stop their running game. Their coach is "old style" and the best they've had in a long time. They also said we looked a little lost out there at times. . . Finally, it was their first time at NIU. They were very impressed with the campus, thought it looked like a great school. . . to which I did agree and wished them luck the remainder of the year.

(09-17-2016 11:48 PM)Cowboy95 Wrote:  

(09-17-2016 11:36 PM)BDB5yp Wrote:  Them fighting to get back in this game was proof that they haven't given up on the season. It's been a tough stretch so far this season. They should be 1-2 right now. SDSU will probably rated #25 after tomorrow. Disappointed in the loss but I feel they're trending in the right direction barring any other major injuries to key players.

Just think if they could have pulled off that crazy Wyoming game? I probably would have a more positive outlook on the season. Also, if they would have just been beaten by Boise in that bowl game instead of suffering one of the most statistically lopsided beatings in the history of D1 football, even and 0-3 start wouldn't seem like the end of the world. Hopefully they turn things around and do well the rest of the season.

I know right. FYI AP poll just bumped them up to #22 in the Nation. Lots of positives came from playing them. We just need a W under our belt. Build some confidence.

Encouraged... I saw evidence of a huge talent drain, sloppy unorganized play. Oh and a QB who has no business playing DI football