Illinois prediction

[gopher2]

Hello All. Illinois fan here. I don't make it a habit to go on other boards and troll the users, but I thought I might give you some insight into the five-years dumpster fire that is Illinois football.

Following the 2011 season, Ron Zook was fired. His replacement, Tim Beckman, was in over his head almost from the beginning. Every time he went on TV he embarrassed the program. Some former players accused him of pressuring the medical staff of clearing them to play before they were ready. A week before the 2015 season he was fired and Bill Cubit (the OC) named the interim head coach.

Cubit coached 2015. After a 5-7 year, he was given a 2-YEAR contract extension. This killed recruiting, because no recruit was going to sign on with a coach who had no job security. At that time, we had a lame-duck head coach, an interim AD (since the AD was whacked in the Beckman scandal), and an interim chancellor.

March 2016. We hire Josh Whitman was hired as the new AD. He fired Cubit that day and hired Lovie Smith two days later. Lovie comes in with a 2016 recruiting class he had no hand in and the remnants of the Beckman/Cubit players. After a year playing those guys, Lovie decides to tear the program down to the foundation and completely rebuild. He spends 2017 and 2018 playing players he recruited, to the tune of a 6-18 record.

BUT

It has all been building towards this year and next. We have the recruits he likes. We have the experience he wants. If he can somehow make it succeed, then he will be a GOD in Champaign. If we have another 4-8 flameout, especially if we're giving up 40 pts/game like we were last year, he'll be out on his ass.

So here are 13 players to watch on Saturday (5 offense, 5 defense, 3 special teams)

OFFENSE:

1) Brandon Peters, QB. The QB position has been a horror show the last five years in Champaign. Cubit couldn't recruit one (despite his self-given title as an offensive guru) so we've been making do with transfers for the last few years. This year we have Peters, who comes to us as a grad-transfer from Michigan with 2 years of eligibility. Decent arm, good decision-maker, seems to have a tendency to overthrow his targets in the end zone. Can run a bit. Best pure pocket QB we've had since at least 2014.

2) Reggie Corbin, RB. Explosive. Can make you miss in a phone booth. Broke off several huge runs last year.

3) Josh Imatorbhebhe, WR. Transfer from USC, where he couldn't break the rotation. HUGE for a WR. Not fast, but freakishly strong. Watch for him to pick up hitch routes for first downs and then drag tacklers.

4) Kendrick Green, LG. Started on the d-line, moved to o-line last year. Quick feet, our OC loves to use him to pull.

5) Dre Brown, RB. Dre lost two full years with ACL injuries, but he's finally healthy as a senior. He may be our best pure RB. He can block and catch passes, and sometimes you'll see him lined up in the slot.

One aside. I saw a commenter above say our o-line is a weakness. It's not. Last year we were 2nd in the Big Ten (14?) in yards rushing, and we return 4 starters with 80 games of experience. I expect it to be a strngth again this year.

DEFENSE:

1) Oluwole Betiku, DE. Transfer from USC. Hurt by injuries while he was at USC, but he had a monster game against Akron.

2) Nate Hobbs, CB. He'll be playing on Sundays in a couple years. QBs rarely throw at him, preferring to go to the other side of the field.

3) Jamal Woods, DT. Our D-line was horrible last year. Woods was a bright spot until he got hurt against Penn State. This year we're hoping depth can make up for a lack of star quality, and the early returns against Akron were promising.

4) Milo Eifler, LB. If i met Milo in a dark alley, i would crap my pants. The man is just ridiculouly built. A transfer from Washington, he had to sit out last year. But he can lay the wood if you don't block him.

5) Jake Hansen, LB. One of Cubit's pick-ups from the island of misfit toys, he's a sure tackler but questionable in pass-coverage.

The defense was out and out horrible last year. If Lovie (serving as his own DC) can't fix it, he's going to be out of a job.

SPECIAL TEAMS

1) Blake Hayes, P. He's Australian! And he has a HUGE leg. 2nd all time in net punting at the U of I.

2) James McCourt. Most people thought Caleb Griffin had won the kicking job. But then Lovie ran McCourt out against Akron, where he promptly shanked his only field goal try.

3) Kyron Cumby, Returns. He is TINY, but god can he run!


MY PREDICTION:

Illinois is better than last year. But the defense could hardly be worse. But we haven't won a road non-conference game since 2007, if you can believe that. My heart says we win fairly easily. My brain is terrified.

ILLINOIS 34, UCONN 26

I estimate around 97% of the people on this board would be thrilled with an 8 point loss to a Big10 team, even if their money was on Illinois to cover the 20+ spread.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I see this as about 32-13. Could be closer. I'm hopping for more from our offense and continued improvement on D.

 

[TRest]

48-14 bad guys.

 

[noeynox]

But it was WAGNER. As in the 255th ranked, 4-7 best win in 2018 was versus Bryant, FCS Wagner. They have a bad QB by any FCS standard let alone versus a FBS team. Not a believer after 1 game against WAGNER that this is a vastly improved D.

That same Wagner team would have run roughshod over us last year.

Don't know what that means for a game against Illinois, but they will be better than last year. That QB apparently had a good bowl game for FAU last year. Wagner had more than a few FBS transfers sprinkled throughout. World beaters? Hell no, but we are coming from a very dark place on defense. We actually showed that we know how to tackle, gang tackle, and run to the ball. Unreal you could look at simple things like that and see improvement.

 

[SubInATub]

UCONN 20

ILLINOIS 16

 

[weyuo]

@weyuo What do you perceive is Thomas’ “situation”? Or, was your comment baseless with no substantive supporting facts?

Situation is he's suspended for 4 games according to Edsall because of an institutional snafu that will hopefully be rectified this week again according to Edsall.

 

[huskymedic]

Situation is he's suspended for 4 games according to Edsall because of an institutional snafu that will hopefully be rectified this week again according to Edsall.

Rectified...

 

[UConnDan97]

Hello All. Illinois fan here. I don't make it a habit to go on other boards and troll the users, but I thought I might give you some insight into the five-years dumpster fire that is Illinois football.

Following the 2011 season, Ron Zook was fired. His replacement, Tim Beckman, was in over his head almost from the beginning. Every time he went on TV he embarrassed the program. Some former players accused him of pressuring the medical staff of clearing them to play before they were ready. A week before the 2015 season he was fired and Bill Cubit (the OC) named the interim head coach.

Cubit coached 2015. After a 5-7 year, he was given a 2-YEAR contract extension. This killed recruiting, because no recruit was going to sign on with a coach who had no job security. At that time, we had a lame-duck head coach, an interim AD (since the AD was whacked in the Beckman scandal), and an interim chancellor.

March 2016. We hire Josh Whitman was hired as the new AD. He fired Cubit that day and hired Lovie Smith two days later. Lovie comes in with a 2016 recruiting class he had no hand in and the remnants of the Beckman/Cubit players. After a year playing those guys, Lovie decides to tear the program down to the foundation and completely rebuild. He spends 2017 and 2018 playing players he recruited, to the tune of a 6-18 record.

BUT

It has all been building towards this year and next. We have the recruits he likes. We have the experience he wants. If he can somehow make it succeed, then he will be a GOD in Champaign. If we have another 4-8 flameout, especially if we're giving up 40 pts/game like we were last year, he'll be out on his ass.

So here are 13 players to watch on Saturday (5 offense, 5 defense, 3 special teams)

OFFENSE:

1) Brandon Peters, QB. The QB position has been a horror show the last five years in Champaign. Cubit couldn't recruit one (despite his self-given title as an offensive guru) so we've been making do with transfers for the last few years. This year we have Peters, who comes to us as a grad-transfer from Michigan with 2 years of eligibility. Decent arm, good decision-maker, seems to have a tendency to overthrow his targets in the end zone. Can run a bit. Best pure pocket QB we've had since at least 2014.

2) Reggie Corbin, RB. Explosive. Can make you miss in a phone booth. Broke off several huge runs last year.

3) Josh Imatorbhebhe, WR. Transfer from USC, where he couldn't break the rotation. HUGE for a WR. Not fast, but freakishly strong. Watch for him to pick up hitch routes for first downs and then drag tacklers.

4) Kendrick Green, LG. Started on the d-line, moved to o-line last year. Quick feet, our OC loves to use him to pull.

5) Dre Brown, RB. Dre lost two full years with ACL injuries, but he's finally healthy as a senior. He may be our best pure RB. He can block and catch passes, and sometimes you'll see him lined up in the slot.

One aside. I saw a commenter above say our o-line is a weakness. It's not. Last year we were 2nd in the Big Ten (14?) in yards rushing, and we return 4 starters with 80 games of experience. I expect it to be a strngth again this year.

DEFENSE:

1) Oluwole Betiku, DE. Transfer from USC. Hurt by injuries while he was at USC, but he had a monster game against Akron.

2) Nate Hobbs, CB. He'll be playing on Sundays in a couple years. QBs rarely throw at him, preferring to go to the other side of the field.

3) Jamal Woods, DT. Our D-line was horrible last year. Woods was a bright spot until he got hurt against Penn State. This year we're hoping depth can make up for a lack of star quality, and the early returns against Akron were promising.

4) Milo Eifler, LB. If i met Milo in a dark alley, i would crap my pants. The man is just ridiculouly built. A transfer from Washington, he had to sit out last year. But he can lay the wood if you don't block him.

5) Jake Hansen, LB. One of Cubit's pick-ups from the island of misfit toys, he's a sure tackler but questionable in pass-coverage.

The defense was out and out horrible last year. If Lovie (serving as his own DC) can't fix it, he's going to be out of a job.

SPECIAL TEAMS

1) Blake Hayes, P. He's Australian! And he has a HUGE leg. 2nd all time in net punting at the U of I.

2) James McCourt. Most people thought Caleb Griffin had won the kicking job. But then Lovie ran McCourt out against Akron, where he promptly shanked his only field goal try.

3) Kyron Cumby, Returns. He is TINY, but god can he run!


MY PREDICTION:

Illinois is better than last year. But the defense could hardly be worse. But we haven't won a road non-conference game since 2007, if you can believe that. My heart says we win fairly easily. My brain is terrified.

ILLINOIS 34, UCONN 26

Thanks for the insight and for a classy start to your Boneyard experience. Two comments on your post to give you a quick look into the UConn football experience:

1) If our dumpster fire was only 5 years long, we'd celebrate.

2) If our coach goes 4-8, he doesn't get fired... he gets a statue...

Welcome aboard, and good luck on Saturday. Not too much luck, though...

 

[06029]

That same Wagner team would have run roughshod over us last year.

Don't know what that means for a game against Illinois, but they will be better than last year. That QB apparently had a good bowl game for FAU last year. Wagner had more than a few FBS transfers sprinkled throughout. World beaters? Hell no, but we are coming from a very dark place on defense. We actually showed that we know how to tackle, gang tackle, and run to the ball. Unreal you could look at simple things like that and see improvement.

Wagner was 4-7 last year. They had 156 yards running versus CCSU last year. They had 143 versus Sacred Heart. Roughshod over Uconn last year?

You can think the D is better based on what you saw if you want but the hyperbole doesn’t make me think you actually believe it.

 

[BugsyCT]

Hello All. Illinois fan here. I don't make it a habit to go on other boards and troll the users, but I thought I might give you some insight into the five-years dumpster fire that is Illinois football.

If Illinois is a dumpster fire, then we're Chernobyl.

MY PREDICTION:

Illinois is better than last year. But the defense could hardly be worse. But we haven't won a road non-conference game since 2007, if you can believe that. My heart says we win fairly easily. My brain is terrified.

ILLINOIS 34, UCONN 26

I wish I could be that optimistic. (Of course I'm holding out a flicker of hope that UConn can win but would be satisfied if they keep it that close. We're starving for improvement.)

 

[QuickDraw]

The optimistic fan in me wants to say Randy was holding back to not show Illinois what they really have and deprive them of useful game film to study.
Now that I'm done laughing at how stupid that sounds I will still be in the stands hoping the former is true, which should get me past the first series.
I hope we battle until the end. I hate moral victories but this could be an opportunity for one, maybe more.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Situation is he's suspended for 4 games according to Edsall because of an institutional snafu that will hopefully be rectified this week again according to Edsall.

With inadequate supporting facts, the purported “NCAA situation” you referenced appears just as likely to be an in-house issue caused by a UConn lackey, but great to hear Thomas will now play Saturday.

 

[J187Money]

I predict more nuance.

 

[BlueandOG]

Last week we worked out the kinks. This week, we ball.

UCONN 30, Illinois 27

Attendance will be up too. Nice weather and future conference foe: 21,000