I got home from Salt Lake City today planning to watch the recording of the game but there was no recording, so my thoughts will be brief and based on what I saw at the game.

-The game went about how I expected. Our guys fought hard and made some big plays but Utah was able to make us one dimensional by stopping the run and that was all she wrote. They also have the athletes to make plays on the perimeter which they needed since our defense did a pretty nice job up the middle. Kudos to them, they are a good team. I was impressed that we were able to force them to do so much play action and perimeter stuff. Our guys did really well considering the heat, altitude and time zone factors.

-The NIU fan section was FIRED UP when Bowers scored. The NIU-NIU chant reverbertated and was very cool. Great spirit out there.

-Every Utah fan we encountered was super nice and complimentary. Bizarrely so, almost. Today a guy approached me at the airport (I was wearing an NIU shirt) and his first words were hey, your team is awesome. He went on and on about how impressed he was. I was thinking Shirley, we are not in Iowa.

-I was glad they got Bowers out at the end and hope the other nicked-up guys (Pugh, Leroy, Foster, maybe others) are OK. I'm up for Boneyard wins as much as the next guy but any players that are really banged up should sit out the Nebraska game, it's not worth it. That would give them three weeks to heal up before Vandy.

-Tears bounced back as I expected. He had a minor brain cramp on failing to pick up the first down but overall played great and we need him to be great.

-I thought the targeting call was wrong but on seeing the replay it probably does meet the definition. It really needs to be taken into consideration though when the defensive player gets low first, as Mykelti did, and the offensive player lowers his head and initiates contact. That should be a no-call or heck, targeting on the offensive player. You can bet that if that exact scenario happened to an Alabama defensive player the rule would be amended the next day and the targeting penalty reversed.

-After the game my son and I hiked here and it was spectacular:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bells+ca...88&bih=916

In case that link doesn't work google Bell's Canyon Trail. What an awesome experience, took the sting out of the game.

-Nebraska and Vandy are both in disarray, let's get one or both of those. This team can do it if they execute. Also, we have the week off before Vandy while they're playing LSU so that should help.

(09-08-2019 06:20 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  I got home from Salt Lake City today planning to watch the recording of the game but there was no recording, so my thoughts will be brief and based on what I saw at the game.

-The game went about how I expected. Our guys fought hard and made some big plays but Utah was able to make us one dimensional by stopping the run and that was all she wrote. They also have the athletes to make plays on the perimeter which they needed since our defense did a pretty nice job up the middle. Kudos to them, they are a good team. I was impressed that we were able to force them to do so much play action and perimeter stuff. Our guys did really well considering the heat, altitude and time zone factors.

-The NIU fan section was FIRED UP when Bowers scored. The NIU-NIU chant reverbertated and was very cool. Great spirit out there.

-Every Utah fan we encountered was super nice and complimentary. Bizarrely so, almost. Today a guy approached me at the airport (I was wearing an NIU shirt) and his first words were hey, your team is awesome. He went on and on about how impressed he was. I was thinking Shirley, we are not in Iowa.

-I was glad they got Bowers out at the end and hope the other nicked-up guys (Pugh, Leroy, Foster, maybe others) are OK. I'm up for Boneyard wins as much as the next guy but any players that are really banged up should sit out the Nebraska game, it's not worth it. That would give them three weeks to heal up before Vandy.

-Tears bounced back as I expected. He had a minor brain cramp on failing to pick up the first down but overall played great and we need him to be great.

-I thought the targeting call was wrong but on seeing the replay it probably does meet the definition. It really needs to be taken into consideration though when the defensive player gets low first, as Mykelti did, and the offensive player lowers his head and initiates contact. That should be a no-call or heck, targeting on the offensive player. You can bet that if that exact scenario happened to an Alabama defensive player the rule would be amended the next day and the targeting penalty reversed.

-After the game my son and I hiked here and it was spectacular:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bells+ca...88&bih=916

In case that link doesn't work google Bell's Canyon Trail. What an awesome experience, took the sting out of the game.

-Nebraska and Vandy are both in disarray, let's get one or both of those. This team can do it if they execute. Also, we have the week off before Vandy while they're playing LSU so that should help.

Good assessment!

I agree - good assessment.

Thanks for doing these game thought threads.

I think you could almost immediately see they were intentionally vanilla against you Illinois State. Way more creative on offense.

Could Nebraska be the Valentine unleashing?

(09-09-2019 08:02 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Could Nebraska be the Valentine unleashing?

No? lol

Hopefully they clean up the Wildcat formations if they plan on using those weekly. Didn't really care for those unless Harbs can actually throw the ball to keep them honest.

(09-09-2019 01:45 PM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  Hopefully they clean up the Wildcat formations if they plan on using those weekly. Didn't really care for those unless Harbs can actually throw the ball to keep them honest.

Childers on wildcat/pass.

The offensive line is a liability. They're gonna get Bowers killed. Even when they try to chip with a RB, the Utah DE ran through the LT and over the RB, and had a strip sack. He basically disrupted the entire offense the entire second half all by himself. We can not let one player dictate the game by himself. I mean, he's no Sutton Smith and single-handily destroyed our offense. We have to do a much better job.

Agreed. Starr isn't really a prototypical left tackle and Cox isn't quite ready so Coach Eidsness is going to have to scheme some help on that side.

I'm surprised the coaching staff didn't try to move Steckler from RT to LT in the offseason. He is their most experienced lineman and would probably fare better than Starr and Cox.

(09-09-2019 03:03 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  Agreed. Starr isn't really a prototypical left tackle and Cox isn't quite ready so Coach Eidsness is going to have to scheme some help on that side.

I’ll have to watch it a second time, but I was surprised the TEs did not help starr out more.

(09-09-2019 03:26 PM)timxlydon Wrote:  I'm surprised the coaching staff didn't try to move Steckler from RT to LT in the offseason. He is their most experienced lineman and would probably fare better than Starr and Cox.

That would be a good move now if Steckler has been working on techniques from both sides otherwise he needs to start working on it now. We need to open up competition on the line and start working other guys in to see if they can compete instead of getting decimated...

The Oline is the worst line we have had in decades. on the one blind side sack, Harbinson ran by the DE as Starr was struggling with containing. The RB should block first, catch second. If he would have shouldered the DE, the sack might have been prevented. The last 10 years we have had 8-9 quality Olineman, this year we are struggling to put 5 guys on field that can play. Now I know it was Utah but we have Nebraska and Vandy next and Bowers could be dead by then. Once in the MAC, they will be adequate.

Considering how good Utah is, I thought NIU presented themselves quite well.
Regarding the hospitality shown by our hosts, that is how Utah people are. Well, at least other than when they play BYU.
Did you know they had 75-100 volunteer ambassadors on hand at or near the stadium to welcome Huskie players, staff and fans.
It is modeled after an ambassador program Notre Dame uses and makes the visiting team feel right at home.
I also got out on the trails Saturday night after the game for a run and the weather could not have been better. Perfect way to cap off a game-day experience.
Love Salt Lake City.

(09-09-2019 04:30 PM)klake87 Wrote:  The Oline is the worst line we have had in decades. on the one blind side sack, Harbinson ran by the DE as Starr was struggling with containing. The RB should block first, catch second. If he would have shouldered the DE, the sack might have been prevented. The last 10 years we have had 8-9 quality Olineman, this year we are struggling to put 5 guys on field that can play. Now I know it was Utah but we have Nebraska and Vandy next and Bowers could be dead by then. Once in the MAC, they will be adequate.

Totally disagree. A good MAC defensive line will manhandle us like ISU D-line did in week 1...

Unless something changes...

I thought the line was fine considering the opponent on Saturday.

They also got smoked against ISU...

The o-line looked better against Utah, all things considered. If they keep improving every week then they will be fine during MAC play.