(09-19-2021 10:35 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  I'm not happy giving up 63 points either. But I just try to look at things game by game and not get overly upset about one game. I see progress. We beat a team on the road and we almost beat a good MWC team (that just crushed our MAC champ). We are also the only MAC team yet to play a FCS (almost automatic wins for every FBS).

We beat Toledo and I’ll rescind all my comments.

I never thought I would say the Maine game is important…but here we are. This team needs some swagger back, they need to regroup and beat an OK FCS squad.

(09-19-2021 10:06 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(09-19-2021 09:38 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(09-19-2021 09:31 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(09-19-2021 09:21 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(09-19-2021 09:12 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  The worst team in the country can play the hardest schedule in history. They’d still be the worst team in the country. I think everyone would have been fine losing say 38-13 or whatever. No one expected to NIU hold up. But NIU wasn’t even playing the same sport as UM yesterday. The team keeps getting more experience but isn’t getting better. I’m hoping this staff is just learning on the job too. That’s better than realizing they might just not be good.

We are 2 mins away from being 2-1 with the 9th most difficult schedule.

How did WMU and Washington fare vs. Michigan? Did they also give up over 300 yards rushing and lose by a lot?

Washington was dead even with UM in yards and first downs. I watched WMU. They lost that game physically. Still managed 17 first downs and 330 yards of offense. NIU got obliterated. 11 first downs and 200 yards of O. I would have been fine with a similar result as WMU. But a$$ whoopings like that make you second guess what the team is doing.

It was a bad game for us. But again we are 2 mins from being 2-1 with an all freshmen defense. Keep things in context.

WMU scored 4 more points than us with a far more veteran team not like they did all that better.

There’s not a true freshman on the defense. Everyone of the starters played last year and several of them in 2019. We are also a reversed call on a very close 2 pt conversion away from being 0-3.

Things will get better in MAC play. That’s all that matters. But my fear is the real youth on this team is Hammock. It may take him 2 more years until he gets the experience and right coaches just to start to be really successful. Everyone is assuming this team will get better just because the D will get more experience. Like they’ll go from giving up 45pts a game down to 25pts a game because of 9 more games played. We have guys like Ester, Griffin, and Rattin we call a “freshman” and next year they will be seniors school wise.

Technically, no true freshman starters. However, Rodgers missed all of last season with an injury, never even practiced. So he is pretty darn close to a true freshman. Brown was in his 3rd start. 14 of the 22 defensive 2 deep had never played a snap against a non-MAC team prior to this year. GT had good skill players on offense, but the O-line was trash, and even the good skill guys didn't have the pure speed that a couple of UM's backs had. WY and UM will be the best O-lines we see all year, hands down.

UM devoured our d-line, and at the 2nd/3rd level all they had to do was block the play side OLB and it was a huge gain bc Rattin, Hansen, and Brown are too slow/unathletic to run down/tackle that caliber of RB in space. Unfortunately, none of them are going to get faster, so it is what it is until other guys develop/get recruited. On the positive side, we won't see speed like that til week 4 next year.

In the long run, yesterday was a good thing, IMO. All lot of guys got their first look at just how far they have to go to try and compete with a team like Michigan. Hopefully that was humbling and motivating. They will be much more ready their next big test like that (Kentucky next year).

Joe Novak had t a 3 and 30 record before he turned things sround at NIU

(09-19-2021 10:18 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  What team do you feel better about? The 2019 team that went to 12th ranked Utah and lost 35-17 or the 2021 team that played yesterday?

Hmmm….

I felt better about the 2019 at that time more than the 2021 at this time.

I feel better about where the 2021 team will be 1-2 years from now.

(09-19-2021 07:44 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(09-19-2021 10:18 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  What team do you feel better about? The 2019 team that went to 12th ranked Utah and lost 35-17 or the 2021 team that played yesterday?

Hmmm….

I felt better about the 2019 at that time more than the 2021 at this time.

I feel better about where the 2021 team will be 1-2 years from now.

I think that’s the part I’m struggling with. I’m getting tired of waiting and looking bad.

(09-19-2021 07:44 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(09-19-2021 10:18 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  What team do you feel better about? The 2019 team that went to 12th ranked Utah and lost 35-17 or the 2021 team that played yesterday?

Hmmm….

I felt better about the 2019 at that time more than the 2021 at this time.

I feel better about where the 2021 team will be 1-2 years from now.

They're probably pretty similar. The 2019 team had a way better defense but this team has a way better offense.

We just played Georgia Tech, Wyoming, and Michigan and averaged 5 YPC as a team. The offense should be really good the rest of the year.

Michigan is a good team, maybe a very good team, but there's no excuse for what we saw on Saturday. I thought our guys quit, quite honestly. That was one of the most troubling games I've seen in years. With all due respect to what coach said post-game, I just didn't see much fight in our team. It's true that Michigan is physical and their strengths match our weaknesses, but WMU somehow managed to look like an FBS football team against them. Over-matched but at least present and competing.

Also, I'm not convinced this is a great Michigan team. They can run the ball against over-matched opponents, but lack elite talent at QB and receiver in my opinion, especially with their top receiver out. I think they have good to very good talent there but not elite. They may prove me wrong but I'll be surprised if they win their division, much less the Big Ten championship. We'll see if they can pass well enough to win tough games when someone stops their run game, I'm not convinced they can. So, again my opinion, this was a good-not-great team making ours look like a low level FCS squad. That is disturbing to say the least.

I was a student during the mid-80's and I watched the Joe Novak years. It takes time to rebuild, do it right and maintain the ship at the same time. Joe did it when there was no portal to deal with. But, there are signs of improvement.
Sure we looked bad against one of the best teams in the country. We are not the same team that won double digit wins in consecutive years. But, I believe that progress is being made.

Last year was a difficult year and it was very hard to make progress. I was reminded of that to some extent last week when a band director basically told me that 60% of her students have not performed in front of people and the sophomore's missed an entire year of performances.

It comes to be that even though they played games last year. They never stepped up to the big boy plate. So, playing a team like Michigan, was a new experience for a lot of the players on the team last weekend.

Also, I saw the Georgia Tech. played a solid game last week and held the score to a touchdown against a good team. I think Wyoming is an above average team as well. They also won last weekend. So, as bad as we played last Saturday. There should be hope for the future. Next weeks game should be the telling story of how this year is going to play out. I think a .500 season is a good one and if they can regroup, maybe they win 7. I would not expect much more than that. The key is to stay healthy, continue to believe in the system they have and for peats sake, get some more speed on the defensive backs. I never liked the bend, but don't break mentality.

Novak had such a different situation when he took over. NIU was coming off of 5 straight losing seasons and had changed conferences/Ind 4xs in the last 6 seasons. That’s truly a full rebuild that requires multiple years.

I still think this team has the talent to win the division now. You’re gonna lose Richie, Tucker and Ratcovich next year so don’t just assume NIU will be better in 2022. If Lombardi is capable of winning he can do it now. If he is not then you have to wait until Hampton developes. so probably 2024.

When MAC play comes I want to see big stuff out of Eidsness’ offense. 30+ a game. And I hope Jackson figures out WTH he is doing and can get the defense to hold opponents under 30.

The secondary is really weak and that’s on Hammock. He’s had 3 years to find kids from HS, Juco, the portal or FCS who can play. There’s no excuse for that problem at this stage.

I mean, we never really have a good secondary, except on rare occasions. Sometimes we've had a good enough pass rush to overcome it somewhat. Right now we don't.

(09-20-2021 09:31 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  I mean, we never really have a good secondary, except on rare occasions. Sometimes we've had a good enough pass rush to overcome it somewhat. Right now we don't.

CB is the hardest position outside of QB IMO. You hope you get one really good one and that do your best with the rest.

(09-20-2021 09:18 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  Novak had such a different situation when he took over. NIU was coming off of 5 straight losing seasons and had changed conferences/Ind 4xs in the last 6 seasons. That’s truly a full rebuild that requires multiple years.

I still think this team has the talent to win the division now. You’re gonna lose Richie, Tucker and Ratcovich next year so don’t just assume NIU will be better in 2022. If Lombardi is capable of winning he can do it now. If he is not then you have to wait until Hampton developes. so probably 2024.

When MAC play comes I want to see big stuff out of Eidsness’ offense. 30+ a game. And I hope Jackson figures out WTH he is doing and can get the defense to hold opponents under 30.

The secondary is really weak and that’s on Hammock. He’s had 3 years to find kids from HS, Juco, the portal or FCS who can play. There’s no excuse for that problem at this stage.

This is very sensible and about where I am at. Any holes in the current roster are on the coach three years in. I would like to see NIU at least be a .500 MAC team this year to feel like there has been progress. Obviously been debated on here a million ways but should not take four plus years to remake NIU into a winner. The MAC is not a strong league with a really low bottom so no way it should take that long given where this program was just a couple years back. This is nothing like the early Novak days where the program barely had a pulse.

I don’t think the Maine game will reveal much unless they lose but EMU the following week will be the barometer for me. Losing three straight to EMU, especially at home, will have doubt really creeping in and probably craters any chance of a .500 or better season.

(09-20-2021 10:36 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(09-20-2021 09:18 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  Novak had such a different situation when he took over. NIU was coming off of 5 straight losing seasons and had changed conferences/Ind 4xs in the last 6 seasons. That’s truly a full rebuild that requires multiple years.

I still think this team has the talent to win the division now. You’re gonna lose Richie, Tucker and Ratcovich next year so don’t just assume NIU will be better in 2022. If Lombardi is capable of winning he can do it now. If he is not then you have to wait until Hampton developes. so probably 2024.

When MAC play comes I want to see big stuff out of Eidsness’ offense. 30+ a game. And I hope Jackson figures out WTH he is doing and can get the defense to hold opponents under 30.

The secondary is really weak and that’s on Hammock. He’s had 3 years to find kids from HS, Juco, the portal or FCS who can play. There’s no excuse for that problem at this stage.

This is very sensible and about where I am at. Any holes in the current roster are on the coach three years in. I would like to see NIU at least be a .500 MAC team this year to feel like there has been progress. Obviously been debated on here a million ways but should not take four plus years to remake NIU into a winner. The MAC is not a strong league with a really low bottom so no way it should take that long given where this program was just a couple years back. This is nothing like the early Novak days where the program barely had a pulse.

I don’t think the Maine game will reveal much unless they lose but EMU the following week will be the barometer for me. Losing three straight to EMU, especially at home, will have doubt really creeping in and probably craters any chance of a .500 or better season.

They went 0-6 part yesterday in conference and you need 4-4 this year to think they’ve made progress?

The goal should absolutely be to get to 6-6 and make a bowl, but to act like going from 0-6 in the MAC to 5-7 with a win of Georgia Tech isn’t progress is silly to me.

Assuming Maine is a win, the EMU game is going to be absolutely massive.

Last year was only 6 games and had Covid going on, plus that was happening with a young team so it probably affected us more, so I'd probably consider next year the year that we have to be good, with a bit of improvement this year. The MAC looks weak so we should be able to get 3 wins at least.

(09-20-2021 10:41 AM)7 Wrote:  

(09-20-2021 10:36 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(09-20-2021 09:18 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  Novak had such a different situation when he took over. NIU was coming off of 5 straight losing seasons and had changed conferences/Ind 4xs in the last 6 seasons. That’s truly a full rebuild that requires multiple years.

I still think this team has the talent to win the division now. You’re gonna lose Richie, Tucker and Ratcovich next year so don’t just assume NIU will be better in 2022. If Lombardi is capable of winning he can do it now. If he is not then you have to wait until Hampton developes. so probably 2024.

When MAC play comes I want to see big stuff out of Eidsness’ offense. 30+ a game. And I hope Jackson figures out WTH he is doing and can get the defense to hold opponents under 30.

The secondary is really weak and that’s on Hammock. He’s had 3 years to find kids from HS, Juco, the portal or FCS who can play. There’s no excuse for that problem at this stage.

This is very sensible and about where I am at. Any holes in the current roster are on the coach three years in. I would like to see NIU at least be a .500 MAC team this year to feel like there has been progress. Obviously been debated on here a million ways but should not take four plus years to remake NIU into a winner. The MAC is not a strong league with a really low bottom so no way it should take that long given where this program was just a couple years back. This is nothing like the early Novak days where the program barely had a pulse.

I don’t think the Maine game will reveal much unless they lose but EMU the following week will be the barometer for me. Losing three straight to EMU, especially at home, will have doubt really creeping in and probably craters any chance of a .500 or better season.

They went 0-6 part yesterday in conference and you need 4-4 this year to think they’ve made progress?

The goal should absolutely be to get to 6-6 and make a bowl, but to act like going from 0-6 in the MAC to 5-7 with a win of Georgia Tech isn’t progress is silly to me.

Assuming Maine is a win, the EMU game is going to be absolutely massive.

The progress bar should be based on where the team should be three years into a regime. Not just relative to last year. Going 0-6 in the MAC is absolutely rock bottom bad and inexcusable. If you should be three steps forward in year 3 you don’t get to say 1 step forward in year three is good because you went 2 steps back in year 2. Progress is where the team is now relative to when you started. As I said before: is the 2019 squad worse-equal-better. That’s your progress.

Everyone is considering progress to be this squads potential next year or in 2023. And that’s all hypothetical today.

(09-20-2021 10:53 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(09-20-2021 10:41 AM)7 Wrote:  

(09-20-2021 10:36 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(09-20-2021 09:18 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  Novak had such a different situation when he took over. NIU was coming off of 5 straight losing seasons and had changed conferences/Ind 4xs in the last 6 seasons. That’s truly a full rebuild that requires multiple years.

I still think this team has the talent to win the division now. You’re gonna lose Richie, Tucker and Ratcovich next year so don’t just assume NIU will be better in 2022. If Lombardi is capable of winning he can do it now. If he is not then you have to wait until Hampton developes. so probably 2024.

When MAC play comes I want to see big stuff out of Eidsness’ offense. 30+ a game. And I hope Jackson figures out WTH he is doing and can get the defense to hold opponents under 30.

The secondary is really weak and that’s on Hammock. He’s had 3 years to find kids from HS, Juco, the portal or FCS who can play. There’s no excuse for that problem at this stage.

This is very sensible and about where I am at. Any holes in the current roster are on the coach three years in. I would like to see NIU at least be a .500 MAC team this year to feel like there has been progress. Obviously been debated on here a million ways but should not take four plus years to remake NIU into a winner. The MAC is not a strong league with a really low bottom so no way it should take that long given where this program was just a couple years back. This is nothing like the early Novak days where the program barely had a pulse.

I don’t think the Maine game will reveal much unless they lose but EMU the following week will be the barometer for me. Losing three straight to EMU, especially at home, will have doubt really creeping in and probably craters any chance of a .500 or better season.

They went 0-6 part yesterday in conference and you need 4-4 this year to think they’ve made progress?

The goal should absolutely be to get to 6-6 and make a bowl, but to act like going from 0-6 in the MAC to 5-7 with a win of Georgia Tech isn’t progress is silly to me.

Assuming Maine is a win, the EMU game is going to be absolutely massive.

The progress bar should be based on where the team should be three years into a regime. Not just relative to last year. Going 0-6 in the MAC is absolutely rock bottom bad and inexcusable. If you should be three steps forward in year 3 you don’t get to say 1 step forward in year three is good because you went 2 steps back in year 2. Progress is where the team is now relative to when you started. As I said before: is the 2019 squad worse-equal-better. That’s your progress.

Everyone is considering progress to be this squads potential next year or in 2023. And that’s all hypothetical today.

It’s really not. They’re probably going to end up with at least the same amount of wins as Year 1 with a team made up primarily of freshmen and sophomores.

80% of NIU fans wanted Rod fired for winning 7-8 games every year and competing for the MAC Championship. Now Hammock comes in and hits reset and we’re going to hit the panic button in year 3 when they’ve clearly taken a step up from year 2? I don’t understand it. Is it 10-2 every year or bust for all 10,000 diehard NIU fans?

Be patient. The Michigan game was bad but there’s not a single person on here who wouldn’t have taken 2-2 out of conference. That’s likely where they will be come Saturday. That’s literally all we have to go off of in the present.

(09-20-2021 10:53 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  The progress bar should be based on where the team should be three years into a regime. Not just relative to last year.. Going 0-6 in the MAC is absolutely rock bottom bad and inexcusable. If you should be three steps forward in year 3 you don’t get to say 1 step forward in year three is good because you went 2 steps back in year 2. Progress is where the team is now relative to when you started. As I said before: is the 2019 squad worse-equal-better. That’s your progress.

Everyone is considering progress to be this squads potential next year or in 2023. And that’s all hypothetical today.

**DING** **DING** **DING**

This is absolutely correct, and especially because ‘last year’ was an unprecedented COVID year; regardless of what Captain Strawman tries to convince everyone of otherwise.

Progress isn’t linear so I’m still on board and expect good things down the road. But if you’re honest you gave Hammock at best a C- so far. Last year and last week were all-time lows for the program. Coaching has been questionable at times to say the least. And I’ll buy some of the youth excuse on defense(though Kramer and Heflin were both major contributors in their second seasons. You saw they were good immediately while Hammocks Tackles haven’t shown much in their 2nd or 3rd year so far). But on offense…there’s veterans all over and they better light it up starting next week.

(09-20-2021 11:46 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  Progress isn’t linear so I’m still on board and expect good things down the road. But if you’re honest you gave Hammock at best a C- so far. Last year and last week were all-time lows for the program. Coaching has been questionable at times to say the least. And I’ll buy some of the youth excuse on defense(though Kramer and Heflin were both major contributors in their second seasons. You saw they were good immediately while Hammocks Tackles haven’t shown much in their 2nd or 3rd year so far). But on offense…there’s veterans all over and they better light it up starting next week.

Again, I see a coaching issue here. We all know about the debacle on defense. But, for the life of me, I do not understand why the offensive coaches don’t open up the pass at least to give the defense something to worry about. Will we see loaded boxes from here on out because of our unwillingness to vary the offense?