We have a boneyard victory and we played a great second half against Wyoming. Let’s hope the coaching staff can get these guys to ball out and play with confidence and DESTROY Maine…. We really need it.
Go HUSKIES!!!!!!!!

We've completed the first part of the schedule. We shouldn't have any major structural deficiencies against the rest of the schedule like we do against P5 schools and, apparently MWC schools.

It's good that we played a hungry Michigan team. We got a reality check on our weaknesses that they exploited.

At least Michigan teams (UofM, CMU, WMU) respect our program enough to take us seriously, have a good game-plan and come-out with energy to win. I rather have them to play up to their capability to see where we really stand at the moment, than for them to play down because they were looking at the next game.

I am VERY CONCERNED about our defense, they seem to be regressing rather than getting better. Truth is that we would have been crushed by Ga Tech had their starting QB not missed many wide open receivers.

Is Derrick Jackson in way over his head or do we have young guys that will grow and become a solid defense if they buy into his system? I have no idea but for now I am leaning toward the belief that he needs to be replaced as soon as NIU can afford to do so.

(09-20-2021 02:16 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  I am VERY CONCERNED about our defense, they seem to be regressing rather than getting better. Truth is that we would have been crushed by Ga Tech had their starting QB not missed many wide open receivers.

Is Derrick Jackson in way over his head or do we have young guys that will grow and become a solid defense if they buy into his system? I have no idea but for now I am leaning toward the belief that he needs to be replaced as soon as NIU can afford to do so.

Jackson's defensive scheme is flawed. Not sure what his fix is going to be here, he's going to have to rip up his base defense and start over. If it's me I'm switching to an attack 4-3, understanding we have smaller backers, but also understanding that we are going to blitz the hell out of everyone. Will provide better angle for a rush, putting Rayner on the line at 200lbs is stupid. How about we don't have the rover get wiped out every play? Having brown as your deep man in a single high...is stupid. Playing 10 yards off for the corner on the field side is stupid. It's just so stupid...all of it. It's laughable. I don't blame the kids, I blame the lack of fundamental knowledge on this defensive staff.

This is not 1998. Almost every team has a QB who can throw. Playing off on the field side does not create the advantage it used to - where a CB could read and have a direct line to the ball - rather the advantage is created for the QBs. Pitch & Catch.

Look, we can't produce a pass rush. Bring the backers. Pull the rover back. Shock the world that you aren't running a junior high defense. Give it a shot. Promise it won't hurt.

https://twitter.com/TDISportsClips/statu...3520321547

[quote='NorthCoast' pid='17659017' dateline='1632184999']
https://twitter.com/TDISportsClips/statu...3520321547

I had no idea there was video of the game. It seemed like yesterday, I was sitting in the garage listening to the game on the car radio. One of those special moments in NIU sports in which you remember time and place listening to the game.
Thanks for posting.

Sweet Home Alabama is the perfect background song on the video. Crank it up and smile NIU fans.

On the bright side....the UM game eventually ended...mercifully.

But, if we can go 6-6 this year, that's a pretty big step forward, win the Maine game and half the MAC games. Seems do-able to me, with a little luck. I just don't expect better than this though.

(09-20-2021 08:19 PM)NIU75 Wrote:  [quote='NorthCoast' pid='17659017' dateline='1632184999']
https://twitter.com/TDISportsClips/statu...3520321547

I had no idea there was video of the game. It seemed like yesterday, I was sitting in the garage listening to the game on the car radio. One of those special moments in NIU sports in which you remember time and place listening to the game.
Thanks for posting.

Been on the boneyard win video list thread for a couple years.

(09-20-2021 11:08 PM)NIU84 Wrote:  On the bright side....the UM game eventually ended...mercifully.

But, if we can go 6-6 this year, that's a pretty big step forward, win the Maine game and half the MAC games. Seems do-able to me, with a little luck. I just don't expect better than this though.

The MAC sucks this year. We can go on a run. Hammock was playing this game not to get anyone hurt once the defense proved it had no idea what it was doing.

I still think this team gets to 7 maybe 8 wins. Right there in the MAC hunt. NIU isn't a bad MAC team.

The Wyoming first half we were a horrible 0-6 MAC team. In the second half we were a MAC contender. It can go either way with this team.

Columbus Nebraska TE Garrett Oakley flips from NIU to K-State. Not gonna be the last one

(09-21-2021 04:33 PM)62423dp Wrote:  Columbus Nebraska TE Garrett Oakley flips from NIU to K-State. Not gonna be the last one

eh...might be the last one. This class isn't full of guys we stole from anyone.

It's a nice class, but I don't see anyone one guy who makes or breaks this class.

(09-22-2021 06:39 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 04:33 PM)62423dp Wrote:  Columbus Nebraska TE Garrett Oakley flips from NIU to K-State. Not gonna be the last one

eh...might be the last one. This class isn't full of guys we stole from anyone.

It's a nice class, but I don't see anyone one guy who makes or breaks this class.

It's probably irrelevant. Maybe he turns out good, maybe he doesn't. Either way, he didn't choose us. From what we've seen in Hammock's last two classes, he doesn't stop recruiting.