We got lucky on some calls too.
We had a lot of success running the ball to the outside in the second half. Still don’t know why we ran it up the gut twice on the critical drive where we could have salted the game away. We just made it way too easy on them.
A lot of people here (percentage wise, not actually many people because there are like 12 of us) have been unhappy with Lunney. I’m on the fence. I think we’ve ran a lot of really good plays this year when we were rolling. Where I’d just smile and say, “Wow what a play call.” There have also been times we’ve been very vanilla and predictable. Especially in the red zone.
The one major gripe I have with the “throw it deep” crew is that our WR corps is only above MAC level because Isaiah Williams is on it, and while he can make big plays with his speed and athleticism, he’s a midget and doesn’t have great hands. He’s not a deep threat against B1G level secondaries.
The next best playmaker, Pat Bryant, hasn’t been right in weeks. Hightower is big and strong enough to go up and get a contested ball but almost never has separation. Washington is just a guy. Our TE group is slow as molasses and super stud Luke Ford is a complete non-factor. Daniel Barker, for all his issues, would have had a hell of a year here if he’d have stayed, and we’d probably have a couple more wins to show for it.
The last piece of the “why don’t we throw it deep” puzzle is TDV. The guy is money rifling the ball on crossing routes and throws in the flat (eat your heart out, PAMan) but just doesn’t have any touch on deep routes, fades, or any time he has to drop a ball into a spot. TDV throwing fades this year has, to my recollection, been a waste of a down 100% of the time. And other than Hightower we don’t even have anyone to try and throw them to. I think the closest we came to that type of play all year against P5 competition was the double catch Hightower had against IU that was ruled incomplete.
While it’s enormously frustrating to have now lost 4 very winnable games, it’s also refreshing to see how much we’ve gotten out of a very thin roster with some really glaring talent deficiencies. And that’s a testament to the scheme and coaching and hiding vulnerabilities. Was talking to my buddy in Chicago tonight and he nailed it when he said, “I’m just glad to see Illinois laying the wood to receivers, the announcers kept talking about Michigan dropping passes, but those motherfuckers were hearing footsteps.”
Disappointing losses aside I like the smashmouth brand of football we’ve played this year and the second half of last year. I’ve seen sooo many soft Illinois teams over the years and once Bielema came in this team took on an identity that even if we lose, the other team is damn sure going to know they played a football game. We’ve lost four games and none by more than a score. That’s a lot of progress in two seasons compared to where we were.
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