(10-03-2021 02:43 AM)toddjnsn Wrote:  Dude, you guys need a new QB. After you play us, WMU btw. Honestly, Rocky sucks bad. NIU would be SO way better without him.

Who else would we play?

We have a true freshman (Ethan Hampton) who didn't play a senior high school season due to Illinois canceling the high school season and another freshman (Dustin Fletcher) who has never thrown a pass in a game or started.

Rocky threw two passes on NIU's last drive against GT to win us the game, including that two-point conversion.

He certainly wasn't great in this game but our run game dominated and we didn't need him to be. He has already won two MAC West offensive player of the week awards this season.

It's early but Linguist looks like an absolutely awful hire for UB.

Boring offensive scheme. Run up the middle, run up the middle, short pass.

No aggression on defense. Play way off the receivers. Put the safeties way back. What's the point in being scared of giving up a big play if you're going to make it easy for a team to go up and down the field with ease? Even on a 4th and 3 the DBs would give an easy curl route for a 1st down.

(10-03-2021 12:04 PM)SUisBigEast4ever Wrote:  It's early but Linguist looks like an absolutely awful hire for UB.

Boring offensive scheme. Run up the middle, run up the middle, short pass.

No aggression on defense. Play way off the receivers. Put the safeties way back. What's the point in being scared of giving up a big play if you're going to make it easy for a team to go up and down the field with ease? Even on a 4th and 3 the DBs would give an easy curl route for a 1st down.

Yall got off the field in the redzone quite a bit... And you did go downfield but Vantrease overthrew every receiver. The Run game between the tackles did work.

Lester's been the same way (run up the middle, run up the middle, short pass) much of his tenure. He seems to be doing a bit better this season & some of last season. In some part I think it's because he's got his quarterback who fits his system, but first few years, I & many others think that's what was holding us back. I'd give the UB coach some time.

Plus as UOfToledo fans says, seems like there were a lot of incompletions (I had to follow the game on ESPN Gamecast for most of the game) & that's not necessarily on coaching.

Also, I remember the NIU/WMU game how much everyone loved the NIU QB & how he was only going to get better & NIU has a great future. Was that not Rocky who was playing in that game last year? & if not, what happened to that QB? Either way, seems like last year was just a throwaway year for NIU & they're back.

(10-03-2021 12:42 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  Also, I remember the NIU/WMU game how much everyone loved the NIU QB & how he was only going to get better & NIU has a great future. Was that not Rocky who was playing in that game last year? & if not, what happened to that QB? Either way, seems like last year was just a throwaway year for NIU & they're back.

This is Rocky Lombardi's first year with us. You're thinking of Ross Bowers who transferred in from Cal. He played in 2019 and 2020 for us but then he and his girlfriend had a baby and he chose not to use his COVID year and come back for 2021. I don't blame him, he had a family and his life priorities changed. He had issues with concussions too.