we won a game we had to win – and we did it convicingly without it ever really being close. this is a nice win, and we have a lot to build on. our Defense played great, getting some good answers (earnest thomas, ashante williams) from guys that haven’t played a ton here.
.
offense was woeful. a lot of great field position squandered. i feel like we can only go up from here. i was glad to see the coaching staff kept it conservative only really attempting the one deep pass that went for 6 points.
.
i like where we are; we are exactly where we should be, and that’s ok. really happy right now.

A win is a win, but that was a close game without 2 huge plays. If you cant run the ball vs WMU, its going to be a really long season. Illinois defense was good, and it was also helped by WMU’s mistakes. The Illini offense is just lost.

My dad only ever said negative things during ball games when I was growing up. “I don’t reckon we’ll be able to hold ‘em THIS time”…or “well surely Mike Schmidy will end the game on this one”. He wasn’t mean, or hateful. He just always expected something to go wrong…whether it was the Illini or Cards or his Bears (I know, right? Cards and bears? Wtf is that?). But it occurs to me that if my dad had the Internet back in the 1980′s he might have sounded a lot like Joe John. He wasnt hateful. I think it was a defense mechanism…to keep homself from getting his hopes up roo high and getting dashed. Maybe Joe John has just been hurt too many times…and we’re just experiencing his defense mechanism.

But anyway…the irony here is that I don’t actually disagree with him on this one. The run game was abysmal. I think, while we can feel good about a win, none of our reservations about the offense have been allayed. And I think out defense could be very, very good. At the moment, I’d say we are who we thought we are,..but Joe John is right. 2 plays go just a little differently and that’s a VERY different game. But on the other hand, they DID go that way AND the same argument could hold that if 2 plays go BETTER for us and ifs a 30+ differential.

The point is, I guess, that I don’t disagree with Joe John on point necessarily but I wonder why he always has to seem so angry and dismissive…and why he only points out the empty half of the glass. The offense may get better…or not. The defense may get worse…or not. The Beckman era will not be fairly judged in ANY event for 3 or 4 years. So why be angry right now about anything other than game management? I thought this game was particularly well managed.

Zoom would not have taken that timeout.

Schmidt*, of course. Just dated myself….

Note to self: no more posting with phone keyboard after large glass of scotch.

Joe John’s not being negative today. I don’t buy the “Nate’s just fine” talk. We’re Illinois, and we have shitty doctors (can’t be trusted?). The offense gained 15 yards on 6 drives without Nate and we may be without him against a better team than WMU. I’m very worried about next game.

Anyone else see the irony in Pittsburgh’s comments that “We’re Illinois and we have sh!tty doctors” in light of the above rant by thegoah?
.
I will agree that the offense is leaving a lot to be desired right now! I’ll take a 24-7 win in the opener any day. My guess is WMU will be a lot better at the end of the season than they are now.