Eleven Adjustments #1: Resiliency October 16, 2012
Because I love lists, I’ve decided to put together a series: Eleven Adjustments The Coaches Can Implement To Begin The Turnaround Immediately. I feel uniquely qualified to compile this list given my obsession with this team and my hours logged the last four years at spring practices, at Camp Rantoul, and inside Memorial Stadium. Given that our next three home opponents are winless in the Big Ten, I’m hoping for, nay, expecting, a turnaround. Here’s how we get there.
This one is easy, right? Resiliency. Just be more resilient and we won’t fade at the first sign of trouble. Do that and we’ll be good again. Awesome. The end.
If only it were easy. I decided to start with resiliency because it’s both the most obvious problem and the most difficult fix. If some coach developed a fool-proof system for building a resilient football team, every high school and college coach in the country would flock to his seminars. Most every coach knows that if you can keep your team focused when things go wrong – and it’s college football, so things will always go wrong – you can win a lot of football games.
This is, in my view, the least resilient Illini team I’ve ever watched. At the first sign of trouble, we fold. To wit:
+ Against Louisiana Tech, we came out fired up and ready to play. We received the opening kickoff and started to march. Our first four plays: Nine-yard pass to Josh Ferguson. 13-yard run by Donovonn Young. 13-yard pass to Donovonn Young. 24-yard pass to Josh Ferguson… and then he fumbles. We never looked the same on offense the rest of the night. We scored first, and then Louisiana Tech scored those three quick touchdowns, and then it felt like we just packed it in.
+ Against Penn State, we start the game forcing a three-and-out, and they have to punt… and then Tommy Davis fumbles. They take over at our 26, but we stop them at the seven and force a field goal… and then we run into the kicker. Given a third chance, they score, and our defense didn’t look the same the rest of the day. 21-0 before we know it, and 35-7 for the final score.
+ Against Wisconsin we played three solid quarters. It looked like we were finally starting to put it together. Trailed 10-7 at the end of the third quarter, and then Justin DuVernois shanks a 10 yard punt to give Wisconsin the ball at midfield. It’s like someone let the air out of our tires. Wisconsin goes on a five play drive for the touchdown, then stops us three-and-out, then a two play drive for another touchdown. Ballgame.
+ Against Michigan, the first drive actually looked solid. No, seriously, it did. We started at our 15 and drove to midfield. Donovonn Young had rushes of 7, 5, 8, and 4 yards. We moved the ball well on the ground, but stalled at midfield. We punt, they get a 71 yard touchdown on their fifth play, and we never moved the ball that well again. In fact, in the second half, we didn’t move the ball at all. Even when Michigan had put in their backups. -2 yards for the half. We quit.
Our best performances in the last four games all came in the first quarter. The only sign of resilience in any of those four games was the 13 play touchdown drive in the 4th quarter at Wisconsin. Most every other loss this season followed the same script: something goes wrong, and we don’t look the same for the rest of the game.
Now, starting next week, the schedule loosens up a bit. As I mentioned above, our next three opponents at home – Indiana, Minnesota, and Purdue – are all winless in the Big Ten. These are games where we can make some progress. These are games where we can move the ball here, or force three-and-outs there, and build some momentum.
But if we quit at the first sign of adversity, it won’t matter. Because adversity will come. It’s inevitable. We’ll turn the ball over, or we’ll give up a long touchdown, or we’ll shank a punt. What matters is what happens after we do these things. Our response up until now has been “you’ve been great, folks, that’s it for me…” and walking off stage.
Is it possible to stop that? I think so. But every coach I’ve ever heard talk about this stuff has said one thing: resilience has to come from your leaders. The coaches can scream all they want – assistants can get with their position groups and try to rally the troops – but if it’s not coming from the players, it’s probably not going to happen.
So if I was Tim Beckman, I would make it a point these next two weeks to identify and promote player leadership. One-on-one meetings with captains and seniors where the goals are laid out: adversity will come, and when it does, I will step forward. I will lead by example and with my words.
Easier said than done, I know. Like I said above, if there was a formula to this, every coach would be implementing it. But if there’s one thing that sticks out about the 2012 Illini, it’s that we fade at the first sign of trouble. Once we start to tumble, it’s over. We don’t have a single counterpunch. The Wisconsin game showed us that if we keep a game close, we can stay strong and play together. But it also showed us that when adversity finally hits, even if it’s not until the fourth quarter, we fold quicker than Missouri in an SEC game.
That’s the first thing I would attempt to fix. Identify leaders who can rally the troops, and promote them to even higher positions of leadership. Arrange counterpunch scenarios in practice – tell your defensive leaders that the offense is about to get the ball at your own 16, and it’s up to you to force a field goal. Spend the next two weeks telling the players that adversity will come, and when it does, you must overcome.
If this team is going to turn things around, they have to stop folding at the first sign of trouble. The offense on the first four snaps against Louisiana Tech should be the offense on the last four snaps. The defense in the second quarter against Penn State should be the defense that forced a three-and-out in the first quarter. There’s no reason to see adversity and then just go through the motions. We must maintain our intensity for 60 minutes. Which means we must develop resilience.
Love your stuff, Robert – and admire your passion – but, don’t you ever work??
Maybe i’ll come back and read these in 5 months or so…
Love the article.
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Also love the jabs at Missouri about being in the SEC.
Ugh. I hate this path that you’re going down. We’re getting whipped–and I mean absolutely whipped–and you’re talking about resiliency?
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When you gain 131 yards against Michigan–who, by the way, gave up twice that amount to freaking UMass–it isn’t about resiliency. This team is not a Knute Rockne speech from respectability. I don’t care if we have the wind at our backs and the song in our hearts, we’re still going to get our rear ends handed to us in every remaining game this season.
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I know you’re sort of a “reporter/fan” hybrid, so I’m not asking you to take a sterile look at the product and start running buyout calculations. That’s not fun, either. But like it or not, this is the Swift, Fiery, Horrific Destruction of Illinois Football. Yakety Sax is on its third measure now. The circus is in town, and it’s a multi-year run.
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The solutions to what ails the team are not quick fixes. We need a QB that knows how to run through a progression. We need an OL that isn’t put on its heels on every snap. We need coaches that understand clock, situation, schemes, and that tries to win games, rather than just trying to get off the field as fast as possible.
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And frankly, the only way we get that is with accountability. The reason Illinois football has mostly been a punchline ever since Red Grange is because we’re OK with it. So if there’s a real problem at Memorial Stadium, let’s address it. But let’s not pretend that if the players just try really really hard, or believe in themselves because anything is possible, there’s no “I” in team, or any other such hollow platitudes that suddenly this team is capable of being something less than an embarrassment. Because that’s the same small time thinking that has plagued this program for decades.
Um, gusher, it’s an 11 part series. Part 1 couldn’t have been new OL, new QB, new coaches, and, and, and. This was part 1. There will be 10 more parts and I imagine improved players and coaching will certainly be part of it.
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Have the best players in the world who are undisciplined or mentally weak, and you have a team that loses games it shouldn’t. We may not have lost to anyone we shouldn’t have, yet, but we have lost like we shouldn’t have. And that speaks to the mental state of the team.
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Now if the next 10 points are all touchy feely, then I’ll agree with you. But I’m sure that won’t be the case.
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Long live the Chief.
Gusher – good post I agree. I’m not buying these intangibles like “resiliency”…Illinois didnt get blown out by the prior opponents because of 1 or 2 plays and the team quitting…they lost because the other teams simply played way better on gameday THRU OUT THE GAME…and the better talented/coached/effort team won. What lack of effort have you really seen this year? I see a defensive line that usually quits or is way worse by the time the 2nd half gets going…and that could either be a fatigue, talent, or effort issue. Other parts of the team…i dont see effort or ‘resiliency’ problems…i see just a bad team…sometimes bad teams can keep games close for awhile but the better teams will exert their will over the course of the game and thats what has happened this year.
I agree their has to be accountability for this team for both coaches and players. I hope Beckman is asking coaches after every game how are they going to fix issues from that game and then get a progress report near the end of each and every practice. The coaches have said that young players can only get better by playing in games. That’s from Coaching 101.
Why are they not following their own advice. Could it be they don’t want even more embarrasing losses. When a game is out of hand thats when backups should be developing and coaches should be looking to discover the “hidden gems”. God knows we could use a couple of those.
As to players accountability, find some room on the bench for any player not doing their job or seen as not giving full effort. That should be a given regardless of who that player is or what his pedigree is.
101 knows; when a game is out of hand provide time for all hard working backups get some valuable playing time
I agree with Gusher.
On another note, is Minnesota getting rid of football as they are dumping all of ther future opponents apparently.
Robert,
Two questions for you; I know it was raining in Michigan Saturday but how is it possible for a major Big 10 school to get a total of 29 yards passing in a game?
And speaking of our passing game, in the past, wide receiver coach Billy Gonzales was attacked by his own player Percy Harvin. How is possible that Percy was not disciplined for such outlandished behavior?
I understand that you can only write about the real problems (injuries, lack of depth, colossally stupid coaching decisions, etc.) so many times. And so we’re left with abstract, inane posts about things like resiliency. I’m sorry man.
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I know it’s not much, but we can beat Purdue. They just gave up a mountain of yards against Wisconsin (over 600 I believe). And maybe Minnesota or Indiana if we don’t play the worst games of our lives. We’ve really not caught one break yet (think odd calls and non-penalties in Wisc game). Our luck is bound to change.
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Resiliency – gotta start somewhere. Tough times don’t last, but tough people do. Something to that effect for these young kids – many who are just out of high school and still very impressionable. What’s the alternative? Feel sorry for our current situation and just keep supporting a mid-season mutiny that started after what, game 3? We need some upward momentum. Something to feel good about. A win. We can get one. We’re not the first team to get blown out in college, it happens. And 29 passing yards is just a stat – didn’t OSU win a game with 29 passing yards against us?
Gusher, good points and I’m largely in agreement with you. But, that path you’re taking so quickly leads to nihilism. Illinois went out and hired an AD that we all would have given high marks to back in August. And, it seems they’ve given him enough budget to enter reasonable conversations of pursuit against the most attractive candidates available both years. Game day stuff, that seems so empty now, is all responding to suggestions fans like us have said needs to happen for years.
So, yes, I’m sure “resiliency” sounds feeble given the gravity of the problem, but things like “culture” and “institutional accountability” are equally empty.
Beckman was hired into that environment, but he’s got a job to do. His team has no fight. It’s hard to build fight in a team – but it happens. I can think of untalented NIU teams that fought like cornered dogs. Rutgers teams of recent years. And, hate to say it, but a few Iowa teams over the last decade sucked when the year started but got stouter and stouter each week by coming out and smacking people.
That’s what this team can make out of this season. And, resiliency, not drooping when the first thing goes wrong, is a characteristic I’d agree they need.