<div>Don't know where to begin and don't know where to direct my frustrations. It's probably too simple to blame Coach Zook, but the head coach has to be the guy setting the tone and coming out flat appears to our Illini's m.o. during the Zook era.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Unfortunately, Guenther's Folly, this idiotic notion that a "neutral" site rivalry game vs. Mizzou in a St. Louis domed stadium is the best way to begin every season, may prevent us from ever realizing how good a Coach Zook recruited program could have become. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>While almost every team in the conference works out the kinks with a home gimmie to start the year, RG decided a program that had yet to achieve its illusive consistency would be best served by playing the equivalent of a bowl game in the opponent's back yard. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>When you're loaded, you tend to blow folks out. When you blow folks out you -- 1) go to bowl games (extra practice time in Dec.) and 2) get the young guys into the game during the regular season for low stress opportunities to mature.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I don't think the annual Mizzou game is a bad thing. Let me repeat, we probably should play Mizzou every year. However, having it as the first game on the schedule and in a domes is extremely ill-advised and defies common sense IMO.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Maybe there's a bright side. Maybe the economic benefit of the St. Louis game is helping "Coach" Guenther raise enough extra cash to finally fulfill his dream of decreasing the total capacity of Assembly Hall.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The season isn't a lost cause, but there's that old 8-ball again. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>OWW!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Geoff </div>
<div> </div>
<div> <br>
<br>
-----Original Message----.<br>
From: kaufee13@yahoo.com<br>
To: Fighting Illini Sports Enthusiasts List <oskee@heins.net><br>
Sent: Sun, Sep 6, 2009 10:53 am<br>
Subject: Re: [Oskee] Same old, same old<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff; MARGIN: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; COLOR: #000; FONT-SIZE: 12px" id=AOLMsgPart_0_1994d007-a5ff-4b05-8993-8921087c33b5><PRE style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt"><TT>Incredibly frustrating. I listened to the 3rd and 4th quarters on the radio,
then watched the first three qtrs on the dvr.
The whole first half while watching the offense (even while knowing what was
going to happen) I felt like "ok, moving down the field nicely. on this next
play, something will break - long pass, or short pass and a receiver will make a
move in space, or something..."
And nothing ever happened. It was like all the playmakers were waiting for benn
to make a game-changing play. Which, although not optimal, is ok, I guess,
unless benn is in the locker room hurt. Just really weird.
As for blitzing - the defense can't cover the receivers when there isn't a
blitz!
Never mind that Hardeman doesn't even try to wrap and actually tackle...
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
-----Original Message-----
From: "Todd Sweet" <<A href="mailto:trsweet@ilstu.edu">trsweet@ilstu.edu</A>>
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 09:40:28
To: Fighting Illini Sports Enthusiasts List<<A href="mailto:oskee@heins.net">oskee@heins.net</A>>
Subject: Re: [Oskee] Same old, same old
I just can't begin to express my complete frustration with our refusal to:
a) throw the ball downfield (I bet we had no passes longer than 15 yards)
when we supposedly have this amazing group of recievers
b) our refusal to throw to a tight end
c) why we don't blitz more
I'll save d - z for later. :-|
I'm like you...I didn't see this coming at all. Plenty of blame to go
around. Players missed assignments, missed tackles, executed poorly...and
it didn't appear to me that the coaches had them very ready for the game or
called a particularly good game.
Juice, in spite of his 67% completion percentage, didn't look very sharp
either.
They have 2 weeks to figure it out...or we're off to a 1-4 start. That will
put immense pressure on the players down the stretch if we're going to make
a bowl game.
Todd S.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: <A href="mailto:oskee-bounces@heins.net">oskee-bounces@heins.net</A> [<A href="mailto:oskee-bounces@heins.net]On?">mailto:oskee-bounces@heins.net]On</A> Behalf
> Of Arbuckle, Jeanne
> Sent: Saturday, September 05, 2009 7:41 PM
> To: Fighting Illini Sports Enthusiasts List
> Subject: Re: [Oskee] Same old, same old
>
>
>
> I saw the scrimmage and totally didn't expect this. There was an
> intensity in the scrimmage that was completely missing today. I
> hope this was a fluke, but I'm afraid it was not.
>
> I hope the injuries are minor - we need Dufrene, Benn, and Ford.
>
> Jeanne
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: <A href="mailto:oskee-bounces@heins.net">oskee-bounces@heins.net</A> on behalf of Todd Sweet
> Sent: Sat 9/5/2009 7:09 PM
> To: <A href="mailto:cmkahl@gmail.com">cmkahl@gmail.com</A>; Fighting Illini Sports Enthusiasts List
> Subject: Re: [Oskee] Same old, same old
>
> What can you say about that game.
>
> I feel like I just kissed my sister. I considered this game a
> must win in a
> sense that our team needed some confidence and that it would be a
> measurement of parts of our team that we just weren't sure about. And
> brother did we get the answers.
>
> Our defense is going to have a long year. Our team is going to
> have a long
> year I fear.
>
> I'm still a die hard Illini fan, but I fear this will be a hard season to
> watch.
>
>
> Todd
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: <A href="mailto:oskee-bounces@heins.net">oskee-bounces@heins.net</A> [<A href="mailto:oskee-bounces@heins.net]On?">mailto:oskee-bounces@heins.net]On</A> Behalf
> > Of <A href="mailto:cmkahl@gmail.com">cmkahl@gmail.com</A>
> > Sent: Saturday, September 05, 2009 4:57 PM
> > To: Oskee
> > Subject: [Oskee] Same old, same old
> >
> >
> > At least were consistent...same mistakes year after year under Zook
> > Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
> > _______________________________________________
> > Oskee mailing list
> > <A href="mailto:Oskee@heins.net">Oskee@heins.net</A>
> > <A href="http://mail.perusion.com/mailman/listinfo/oskee" target=_blank>http://mail.perusion.com/mailman/listinfo/oskee</A>
>
> _______________________________________________
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</TT></PRE></div>
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