our coaching staff is unbelievable.

first offensive play of the game, we run an option and juice runs for 45+ yards (should have scored, but he tripped himself up)

and how do we react to it?

we send mcgee out there the next drive. he promptly throws a pick.

it's just unreal.


edit: supposedly juice hurt his thigh. not sure if he'll return. great.

martez wilson hurt also.

Thanks for keeping those of us stuck at home without BTN updated. Don't be a stranger.

Big Ten Network in Saint Louis is showing AFA vs Minnesota...What gives?

14-0 UI.

jason ford ran in the first TD for 3 yards after the aforementioned juice option keeper for 45 yards.

mcgee ran an option keeper in from about 2 yards out for TD #2.

do you not get the overflow channels?

Judging by GameTracker they ran the option quite a bit on that last drive with some success. Just the result of playing a team like ISU, or did they look decent?

I truly do not believe Hardeman could cover me, and I am 55 years old!!!!!

it's very hard to differentiate between these two.. they look decent, but they're playing ISU.

our CBs still look somewhat lost, but ian thomas has looked very good.

I don't care if Juice plays the rest of this game, they'll be fine without him, and McGee could use the experience. Hopefully he'll be fine by the next game though.

It's good to see that Hardeman hasn't changed his Cover-2 strategy from last game - get to the receiver late and then try to take his head off after he makes the catch.

Some pretty big gaps on the option plays we are running, so far. Illini ball on own 38.

Dufrene has looked good so far.

a roughing the kicker penalty leads to a 27 yard TD pass from mcgee to duvalt

21-0

Inexplicable decision by Zook to punt in the first place.

Good thing we've got these guys outtalented by a country mile.

INT and big return on a tipped pass by doug pilcher

3rd and 2, why not run the ball?? McGee took a sack and we kicked a FG. 24-0

24 to 0 now

Sack by Clay Nurse. He is looking pretty good on the DL. Illini have the ball back on own 35.

I hope the coaching staff is using this as an opportunity to try some things out, and that they have no intention of making a call like that in a game that actually is in question. I have my doubts, however.

EDIT: An option on 2nd and 10 with a little over 20 seconds left and one timeout. And to top it off, they don't call time out and end up resorting to a hail mary pass when they should have EASILY gotten a FG attempt. Are they having a special "coaching outreach" program where they let kids from area grade school classes call the plays? No, wait - any kid who has played more than one game of Madden would have called plays better than that. Does the coaching staff realize if you get tackled in bounds, the clock doesn't stop?

A couple of weak drives by the Illini at the end of the half. Zook said Juice might try to play in the 3rd qtr., pulled quad.

to be honest with you, i always have mixed feelings on games like this. on one hand, any win is good for the team's confidence, especially after last week. however, on the other hand, it makes our coaching staff think that their scheme will work, when in reality it's mostly the talent differential.

Mostly?

Yeah, I feel the same way.

BTW, they need to get Hardeman out of there. He's doing nothing constructive, and he's going to hurt somebody.

EDIT: Hardeman misses yet ANOTHER open field tackle. Seriously, I'm convinced his skill set consists of getting to the play late and going in with his head down.

Weakness of the secondary showing again. TD ISU.

Hardeman is terrible. Nothing but a head hunter.

in general, our secondary is AWFUL.

very, very undisciplined.

speaking of which, fumble from mcgee.

even though we're up by 24, i'd be lying if i said that this game encouraged me.

Ian Thomas looks like a real player at OLB.

no kidding

How does Benn have zero catches????

haven't thrown it to him once that i remember.. probably have a couple times, but we certainly haven't been looking for him much

I believe this game is more disheartening than the Mizzou game. Illini have more talent, but still can not execute.

One pass to Benn on last Illini possrssion, ISU called for int. on that one.

Geez, our secondary really stinks!

Eddie getting kinda beat up. Maybe some PT for Charest in the 4th?

isu's freshman backup QB has a reasonably good shot at throwing for 300 yards on us.

More than the same #26, but Justin Green kinda reminds me of a faster version of EB Halsey.

Ding, ding the ISU QB now has over 300 yds. 45-17.

Imagine that, another Illinois player getting a personal foul.

Show some class, take a knee!!!!!! What goes around, comes around.

Agree, give Charest a couple of reps at QB and take a knee.

Did anyone else notice Terry Hawthorne in at DB on ISU's last drive?

Kneel at the end of the game please, it was clearly out of reach. For crying out sakes, ISU had there backup (or backup's backup) in the game at the end and we're trying to score with 10 seconds left. Seemed a little low class to me.

All of the alternate channels were blacked out...Unless you wanted to watch the DirecTV logo...