This one hurts. A top 20 team on the road and we were the better team all night.

QB-C

Santa was great hitting the deep ball early. Also really liked some of the throws he made on manageable third downs.

Reality is, at this point in his career, Santa just wasn’t ready for this moment. He got rattled. The picks were atrocious. When he couldn’t rely on the deep ball into man coverage his weaknesses emerged.

He’ll be fine. We’ve got a chance to win with him. He can stretch the field and keep D’s honest and we should be able to run the ball very effectively in MAC play.

He’ll grow, he’s our QB. This one just hurts. I’m sure he’s crushed.

Also fine with the Childers package. Like that he threw a few times to keep D’s honest. He reminds me a little bit of that Lunch cat early in his career. Thought it was a little much though tonight.

RB-A

Huff is a dude. Jones is a nice compliment

OL-B

I’m going B because we did have some sacks tonight. Always Jed to tell if it was coverage, QB holding the ball, or the line but we have to go B here.

WR-B

Blake has emerged as just another in a long line of go-to NIU wideouts. The emergence of Tears was something this board has been drooling about, lol. After that though, where’s the depth? The Parchement jet seeep was baffling.

TE-C

Not sure why the hell we are not utilizing Wimann more. He should be a nice safety outlet. Also, you have to have the pop pass up the seam when you are starting to run downhill. Feels safer than the one they run with WR that ended in a pick 6.

DL-B+

Got some pressure. Set the line. Thought Sanders and Lee had great nights. Smith...still a dude.

LB-B+

Showed well flowing to the ball when PENNY had it. Another great effort.

DB-B-

They were just ok tonight. Some decent tackling in space at times, and a little tough at times. Got burned on PA a few too many times. Really needed a big play out of this group and just weren’t able to get it.

ST-D-

Kick coverage was disastrous, obviously. Ference did pint well again.

Coaching-D

End of first half was a disaster...again. U going away from the run on the second to last Series was egregious. I like how we attacked the weaker CB all night, and so when we do take that shot we throw at their better corner?! I thought Kane and the D staff was so good, it kept me from going F. They dialed up some great calls.

You only get a few chances to knock off a ranked team every decade. We were the better team and show ourselves in the foot. It stings, but man there is plenty of reason to be extremely optimistic heading into MAC ply.

I think all of these grades are spot on

I think the coaching grade is a bit short sighted.

At the end of the first half against BC, we run three times and don't get the first down, and people complain about that. This time, we mix a pass in, we don't get the first down, and people complain about that too. What would be better? Three incomplete passes that don't get a first down and give even more time to the opposition?

And as for the pick from the 20 yard line, we try a pass on 1st down after four straight runs. If Santa gets 1 on 1 coverage and makes a good throw, we get a TD and everyone talks about how the runs set up the pass. Instead, Santa under throws into double coverage. That is on Santa, not the coaches. He is young, and made a throw he shouldn't have. If we ran four jet sweeps or four bubble screens after four runs, that you could put on the coaching, but not trying one pass after four runs.

I thought this game was a potential blowout loss before the season, hard to believe we nearly had a Top 25 team on the road, even with 4 turnovers and a kick return TD. I like what we have on defense, they did great containing Penny. We are going to win a lot of games in the MAC and I wouldn't be surprised if we make it back to Detroit.

Unbelievable. You keep running the ball to kill clock and it was a drive that looked like Huff wasn't going to be denied. He was moving the pile all night for 3, 4, 5 extra yards and he was playing his heart out. The offensive line must be extremely frustrated that the coaches game plan was to go for the quick score with 2:30 left in the game instead of milking the clock and giving the ball to your dominant RB who had been a beast all night.

The coaches' job is to put your team in the best situation to win the game, going for the quick score with 2:30 left in the game does not do that. You milk the clock and utilize your best player.

Always hate to lose but it sure was a fun game to watch. After all of the mistakes I was shocked that NIU was in the game with a chance to win late in Q4.

I just hope they do not clamp down on Santa too much and get him to the point where he is playing where he is scared to make a mistake. Some appropriate amount of risk taking is part of having a good offense. If this year's team can find that balance they can be a wrecking ball in the MAC.

(10-01-2017 08:16 AM)bikechuck Wrote:  Always hate to lose but it sure was a fun game to watch. After all of the mistakes I was shocked that NIU was in the game with a chance to win late in Q4.

I just hope they do not clamp down on Santa too much and get him to the point where he is playing where he is scared to make a mistake. Some appropriate amount of risk taking is part of having a good offense. If this year's team can find that balance they can be a wrecking ball in the MAC.

+1

They won’t put the clamps down on Santa. Clearly the deep ball is an important piece of the puzzle. Also, not sure we will find ourselves down 17 at any other point this season. That changes things.

Good job on the position grades.

I am adding a position grade; heart: A+

The guys played with incredible heart! After out playing SDSU most of the first half, we went into halftime down 17 points. They could have quit; we saw just the opposite. The guys never quit and played their guts out!

Am I disappointed in the loss, the mistakes, and the bad decisions? Yes, yes and yes. However, we saw what this team is made of – they are tough and never quit. With a team that plays with that kind of heart and desire, we certainly should be very optimistic about the remainder of the year!

I am just as proud to be a Huskie fan today as after beating Nebraska!

(10-01-2017 09:47 AM)NILAW Wrote:  Good job on the position grades.

I am adding a position grade; heart: A+

The guys played with incredible heart! After out playing SDSU most of the first half, we went into halftime down 17 points. They could have quit; we saw just the opposite. The guys never quit and played their guts out!

Am I disappointed in the loss, the mistakes, and the bad decisions? Yes, yes and yes. However, we saw what this team is made of – they are tough and never quit. With a team that plays with that kind of heart and desire, we certainly should be very optimistic about the remainder of the year!

I am just as proud to be a Huskie fan today as after beating Nebraska!

Well said. And while I was critical of the coaching staff and their in-game management, they do deserve a lot of credit for the team we are putting on the field. After last year, it would have been easy to lose the squad. It’s great to see them all banded together.

There was a moment where it looked like SDSU was going to go for that 4th and short and Carey was smiling and firing his guys up...”this is fun. This is what it’s all about.” Cool moment, not something he would have ever done in the past. He’s taken his medicine.

By the way, the refs were about a yard off on the spot, I could see that easily enough in real-time, was hoping that wasn't going to hurt us if they went for it on 4th down.

(10-01-2017 10:17 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  By the way, the refs were about a yard off on the spot, I could see that easily enough in real-time, was hoping that wasn't going to hurt us if they went for it on 4th down.

Ya, I’m not sure what the rule is but I thought it was spots could be reviewed by the booth especially under two minutes. It was a really bad spot

MAC refs. Is anyone really surprised? Haha


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Coaching staff is doing a fine job.

Santa? Surprised how his passing as improved so much compared to last year. Still not his strength. IMO, he tries to throw TOO HARD on shorter routes, he's forcing and not playing QB. Maybe someone knows more about throwing,effort and motion.

Notice they played Childers so Santa would not take hits. Not sure just cause of ability, but glad he is getting his feet wet

(10-01-2017 11:53 AM)NIU05 Wrote:  Coaching staff is doing a fine job.

Santa? Surprised how his passing as improved so much compared to last year. Still not his strength. IMO, he tries to throw TOO HARD on shorter routes, he's forcing and not playing QB. Maybe someone knows more about throwing,effort and motion.

Notice they played Childers so Santa would not take hits. Not sure just cause of ability, but glad he is getting his feet wet

Were you watching the same game? Passing is not his strength? His only issue last night was decision making on 2 plays.

(10-01-2017 12:09 PM)Djud Wrote:  

(10-01-2017 11:53 AM)NIU05 Wrote:  Coaching staff is doing a fine job.

Santa? Surprised how his passing as improved so much compared to last year. Still not his strength. IMO, he tries to throw TOO HARD on shorter routes, he's forcing and not playing QB. Maybe someone knows more about throwing,effort and motion.

Notice they played Childers so Santa would not take hits. Not sure just cause of ability, but glad he is getting his feet wet

Were you watching the same game? Passing is not his strength? His only issue last night was decision making on 2 plays.

Ok. 3 ints with a pic 6 - , yeah he's GREAT. Heisman trophy canidate. Need that every game. WTF ...

Take this for what it's worth, but Santa got creamed pretty good midway through the 4th. He was much more inaccurate after that. Sounds like an excuse, but it's just an observation.

(10-01-2017 12:26 PM)NIU05 Wrote:  

(10-01-2017 12:09 PM)Djud Wrote:  

(10-01-2017 11:53 AM)NIU05 Wrote:  Coaching staff is doing a fine job.

Santa? Surprised how his passing as improved so much compared to last year. Still not his strength. IMO, he tries to throw TOO HARD on shorter routes, he's forcing and not playing QB. Maybe someone knows more about throwing,effort and motion.

Notice they played Childers so Santa would not take hits. Not sure just cause of ability, but glad he is getting his feet wet

Were you watching the same game? Passing is not his strength? His only issue last night was decision making on 2 plays.

Ok. 3 ints with a pic 6 - , yeah he's GREAT. Heisman trophy canidate. Need that every game. WTF ...

I said he made 2 bad decisions. The 3rd pick never happens if we score; your statement was "passing is not his strength"&&&. For most of the game last night he was incredibly accurate, particularly on his deep passes; and that has been the case all year.

(10-01-2017 12:34 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  Take this for what it's worth, but Santa got creamed pretty good midway through the 4th. He was much more inaccurate after that. Sounds like an excuse, but it's just an observation.

Hmm, didn't catch that. Hopefully someone will post a replay somewhere though I'm not sure I want to see the ending again.

Yeah, I think I agree with most of the grades. I would put the coaching higher, that was a dang good strategy against a good team, yes- I'm furious with the throw into the end-zone, but I'm pretty sure that was supposed to be a look quick for man coverage, and if it's not there, start running...and it was just a poor decision from a young QB, a young QB that has shown he has plenty of talent in that arm, just has to get better at the reads, I'm confident he'll get there after watching last night, but not sure we'll see the finished product this year.

How about one additional grade on recruiting and development from the last few years? We made mistakes that cost us the game, but we man-handled them up front all night, and we showed off outside at the skilled positions as well. Think about this, with 3 min to go (I won't get the exact time right?), a top 20 team had a 4th and inches to go against NIU, a lowly MAC team, from about midfield? And they tried to draw offside and then punted...that doesn't happen much.