(11-20-2019 08:23 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(11-20-2019 05:39 PM)huskiealum03 Wrote:  Have we forgotten that when a new coach is brought on board, that new systems get put in place and it typically takes around 3 years for HIS recruits to come in and get established?

I really think Hammock just will not or maybe can not adapt his philosophy to the players he has. If he was a basketball coach who liked an up tempo, 3 point shooting offense but inherited a team of 7 footers who liked to dump it into the post he would still spread them all out behind the arc and tell them to launch up 3s. they’d shoot about 18% and only win a few games.

I don’t think it’s stubbornness. Just lack of experience to adapt. So it will take a couple years for him to get the right players and for current players to learn his system.

Given the large number of walk-ons that have committed over the last few weeks seems like this is what is happening. Really seems like there will be roster revamp going down this offseason.

My biggest concern for next year is the lack of DBs, especially Safety. Losing Kelti and Foster will be significant since there are no clear replacements right now. I suspect we'll need to bring in transfers to fill the void.

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(11-21-2019 06:38 AM)Trekker41 Wrote:  My biggest concern for next year is the lack of DBs, especially Safety. Losing Kelti and Foster will be significant since there are no clear replacements right now. I suspect we'll need to bring in transfers to fill the void.

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Wait, I thought the cupboard was properly stocked?

Anyway, we are OK at CB; looking at the 2-deep both starters and their back-ups are SOs. You are right about the safety positions. Mykelti Williams and his back-up are SRs, as is Trayshon Foster. His back-up (iJoshua Earl) s a RS FR. We have 5 commits listed as safeties in the 2020 class. While some true FR can play immediately, there is such a big difference between HS and FBS (especially the speed of the game) that playing true FR is often a mistake, and they are prone to making mistakes, just due to inexperience. We only have 2 other safeties on the roster, a RS FR and a true FR. Absent a JUCO or a transfer to fill the void, we may be forced to use one or more true FR at safety or we may see some position changes, such as Dillon Thomas, who is listed as a safety on the roster, but is now a starting CB. The poster who said these 2020 commits better get ready to play immediately may very well be right.

I think with the return of a healthy Aiken and Walker along with returning Mckie we are set at CB. Move Dillon Thomas to safety and maybe pick up a transfer safety to throw in the mix with the new guys. Obviously depth is huge and we need to add as much depth as possible so I wouldn't be opposed to picking up a few transfers ...

Agree. It's either that or watch this for another 1-2 years.

(11-21-2019 10:57 AM)NILAW Wrote:  Wait, I thought the cupboard was properly stocked?

Points for the single most accurate one-sentence statement I've read.
For all the a) Rod Carey-lovers combined with the b) Marcus Childers-sucks experts, plus the c) Hammock isn't a good coach analysts, please give a realistic explanation of how this season would have gone considering 1) no Bowers, 2) Carey's always debated play-calling and 3) the more than usual rash of injuries?

(11-21-2019 12:30 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(11-21-2019 10:57 AM)NILAW Wrote:  Wait, I thought the cupboard was properly stocked?

Points for the single most accurate one-sentence statement I've read.
For all the a) Rod Carey-lovers combined with the b) Marcus Childers-sucks experts, plus the c) Hammock isn't a good coach analysts, please give a realistic explanation of how this season would have gone considering 1) no Bowers, 2) Carey's always debated play-calling and 3) the more than usual rash of injuries?

The Utah game would have been a disaster. That’s a blow out with Carey. NIU May have won at Vandy. NIU ran the ball easily vs Vandy but didn’t do it nearly enough. NIU would have won the Ball state game. The rest is probably the same. You can’t take how the team looks under Hammock and say they’d look the same under Carey. They would execute better in the old system but the offense would still be garbage. Probably 6-6 under Carey if he was here. + or - 1 game.

(11-21-2019 01:00 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(11-21-2019 12:30 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(11-21-2019 10:57 AM)NILAW Wrote:  Wait, I thought the cupboard was properly stocked?

Points for the single most accurate one-sentence statement I've read.
For all the a) Rod Carey-lovers combined with the b) Marcus Childers-sucks experts, plus the c) Hammock isn't a good coach analysts, please give a realistic explanation of how this season would have gone considering 1) no Bowers, 2) Carey's always debated play-calling and 3) the more than usual rash of injuries?

The Utah game would have been a disaster. That’s a blow out with Carey. NIU May have won at Vandy. NIU ran the ball easily vs Vandy but didn’t do it nearly enough. NIU would have won the Ball state game. The rest is probably the same. You can’t take how the team looks under Hammock and say they’d look the same under Carey. They would execute better in the old system but the offense would still be garbage. Probably 6-6 under Carey if he was here. + or - 1 game.

What ifs are always tough and how would you know if it is the right answer! So, no Bowers, the same 2018 philosophy and the injuries - I would add losing our 2 DEs. Carey's philosophy was a conservative, low-risk O and rely on the D. That would be a very tough philosophy to be successful with, with losing 5 of the front 7 on D - both DEs and all 3 LBs. Realistically, the Vandy, Ball St., Ohio, Miami (OH), and Toledo games could have gone either way. Correct; the O would have executed more effectively under Carey. So, that leaves us with 2 sure wins and 4 sure losses, and therefore, anywhere from 2-10 to 8-4. Unless we pull the upset and beat WMU, we will end up 4-8. I would say under the what if we would have been anywhere from 4-8 to 6-6; no worse and perhaps a .500 team.

It was correctly pointed out that our only losing MAC seasons have been this year and 2007. What does those 2 season have in common? An unusual amount of season-ending injuries. 4-8 is not a successful season. However, with losing 5 of the front 7 on D, the other injuries, and a new HC and whole new coaching staff, it could have been worse. Thai is why I am not down on this team/our program. Better days are ahead!

Believe that Rabid Squirrel and NI Law proved a couple points that represent my thinking. Yes, NIU was the defending MAC West champion and had more "returning starters" BUT the depth wasn't there and we were somewhat fortunate the year before.
I'm convinced the quality of recruiting decreased under Carey and what he was doing offensively and defensively was something the rest of the MAC either caught up to or passed.
Also convinced the changes in philosophy, systems, etc., under Hammock simply didn't have the right personnel, so it's too early to judge the current staff on their abilities.
Finally, in both respects, the lack of depth and number of injuries doomed this season no matter what. So I'm simply hoping this is a dip that comes from a transition and injuries. Bottom line: everyone was going to have to look forward to 2020 and beyond for more Huskie football success.
Go Huskies!

We keep talking about transfers and JUCOs. FBS programs are allowed 85 scholarships on its roster, and generally can sign up to 25 players per year. Right now we have 22 commits in the 2020 class. I was wondering if that means we could only bring in 3 transfers or JUCOs or is there some kind of exceptions, such as if we get players entering the transfer portal or like with Valentine and Hawn having to give up football due to concussions? I did look a bit and saw exceptions/ways to get around the 25/year cap.

https://247sports.com/Article/College-fo...112220845/

Since we only had 19 in the 2019 class, it sounds like we could sign 5 extra this year and assign them to 2019, that is of course, if we could find the right ones. I'm not sure if there are exceptions for the other circumstances I mentioned and others.

(11-21-2019 09:48 PM)NILAW Wrote:  We keep talking about transfers and JUCOs. FBS programs are allowed 85 scholarships on its roster, and generally can sign up to 25 players per year. Right now we have 22 commits in the 2020 class. I was wondering if that means we could only bring in 3 transfers or JUCOs or is there some kind of exceptions, such as if we get players entering the transfer portal or like with Valentine and Hawn having to give up football due to concussions? I did look a bit and saw exceptions/ways to get around the 25/year cap.

https://247sports.com/Article/College-fo...112220845/

Since we only had 19 in the 2019 class, it sounds like we could sign 5 extra this year and assign them to 2019, that is of course, if we could find the right ones. I'm not sure if there are exceptions for the other circumstances I mentioned and others.

This is helpful, thanks.

I know for my part I really underestimated how much of a transition it would be - especially offensively. But the lack of depth was a surprise. I think in general as the bigger teams have gotten smarter through their ability to pour resources into extra staff (analysts and the like), there's fewer guys falling through the cracks to become the stars NIU has built on. It's just harder now.