chihuskie Wrote:

TheNEWguy Wrote:

NIU1981 Wrote:I feel this team is getting ready to break out. This weekend will be a character builder, but after that they win the last four games and roll into next year ready to do some damage with a deep veteran team. Book it!

I agree 100%

And...this team already has a very good D. Imgaine if McCarthy was healthy?? Or any 2 of 5 injured DTs were healthy?

Or if we had Rothlesberger as our Qb, or if . . .

Yeah you are right on the money...I mean it's not like these guys are going to be on our roster next year...

oh wait...



Good one bud!!!!

If we can play respectable at Wis and come out w/o any more injuries, we then have 4 games left. I have to blieve we can come together yet this year. If we can win the last 4 a 5-7 record for this tough yr would not be too bad and a positive going into next season

If we win the last 4 games, I'll eat my own shorts.

i will donate my shorts to your food bank as well.

In other words we are both keeping our shorts where they belong.

NIUJDK Wrote:Next year could be a good year if they can get a couple DTs from the JC route.

Our DT's are good! With Rusch back next year and the young guys (Pinkle) showing well our DT's could be one of the top units in the MAC. Our 'D" will only be better next year.

The OL will be better, more mature & physiclly more talented, veteran OL are a premium/. We are only losing -1- (Acevedo) and we should fill that spot w/o a drop off.

We need to score points and develop an attack. We need skilled people NOW

We need WR"S that can RUN and make plays. A return man w/ some wiggle.

WE ARE A SLOW OFFENSIVE UNIT> This has to change.



.

I'm not gonna have any high expectations for next year. This team needs more athletes that can make a difference in the game.

HuskiesRule73 Wrote:

NIUJDK Wrote:Next year could be a good year if they can get a couple DTs from the JC route.

Our DT's are good! With Rusch back next year and the young guys (Pinkle) showing well our DT's could be one of the top units in the MAC. Our 'D" will only be better next year.

The OL will be better, more mature & physiclly more talented, veteran OL are a premium/. We are only losing -1- (Acevedo) and we should fill that spot w/o a drop off.

We need to score points and develop an attack. We need skilled people NOW

We need WR"S that can RUN and make plays. A return man w/ some wiggle.

WE ARE A SLOW OFFENSIVE UNIT> This has to change.



.

Next year we will have more speed. Perez, and Davis both can run. Simon can catch. So those 3 make a nice WR core. Let's pretend Blalock is QB, he has speed. Our TE battle could be a fun one to watch.

Now, we will also have Freshman Nathan Palmer who is very fast available to the O. I think perhaps the O will be faster out of health rather than bringing new guys in...

As for the Oline, it will be pretty darn good. Let's see how they do kind of banged up vs. Wisconsin (who doesn't stop the run well). Acevedo leaving may be addition by subtraction...

TheNEWguy Wrote:[As for the Oline, it will be pretty darn good. Let's see how they do kind of banged up vs. Wisconsin (who doesn't stop the run well). Acevedo leaving may be addition by subtraction...

This board's comments regarding Acevedo are interesting considering...the annoucers of the Homecoming game (my son was sick and I couldn't attend) mentioned at least twice that Acevedo was a legitimate NFL prospect. I found the comments interesting as this was the first I had ever heard of his pro potential. Anyone else watch the Homecoming telecast and catch those comments???

I've been surprised by the negative comments about Acevedo because I think he's pretty good, but I guess that just shows we all see something different when we watch the games. He gave up a sack in the EMU game that almost got Dan killed but otherwise he looks solid to me.

73 -- I agree about the DTs. I thought Pirkle had a heck of a game vs Western.

Its clear the program needs a change at the head coaching position. Recall Mike White at Illinois. He took a program under Moeller that was lousy and in his very first year though not having a winning record put excitement into it with Dave Wilson and slinging the football all over the field. Then they got better and to bowls and the Rose Bowl when that meant more. But White had a kind of bell shaped curve finish where the victories were few at first great and then few again just like Novak is doing this year. We are coming full circe and have taken it as far as it will go which means probably never winning a Mac championship or like the Army being all we can be. I've seen a lot of football in my life starting with my brothers alma mater Illinois and ending with mine NIU in 1974. For what my two cents is worth and I guess its worth at least two cents we need another coach and I think then we will be ok. Otherwise we will just have more of the same and is that what we really want ?

We need more speed and execution on offense. Still not sold on Wittke. Our defense is pretty good even with Doorknob still at the helm.

With Novak possibly leaving there could be a lot of turnover with coaching staff and the team can't get any worse.

Am I watching a different NIU team than the one recently described as running the spread offense?

In the Madison media Joe N was quoted at length this week about how spread O has become part of the explanation re: parity . He cited ourlast game with USF as evidence.

I find that an odd statement on one hand for JoeN to recognize the merits of spread O & on other hand consider the O NIU operates.

Too many people drinking the Kool Aid here. You all want the DTs to be good. At best they will be adequate and there will be injuries (smaller players against bigger players usually get hurt) for people to point to next year while saying "if only ...."

If they were good this year, where it the evidence by either line? Oh wait, "in only there were no injuries ..."

huskiealum03 Wrote:My other passion: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14557449@N00/

Man you take amazing pictures! I still have a bunch that you posted of chicago saved. Any chance you have some great snapshots from Huskie stadium?

My primary reasons for holding out hope for next year are general and not specific to the talent returning, the redshirted, the injured nor incoming transfers or frosh.

My reasons for hope are:

The difference between better teams & winning and losing in MAC is often not very much in the course of a game or season.

It's possible to go from the bottom to top of a division from one season to the next.

Neither of those is generally true in many other power conferences.