Good win. Important win. Enough there to get to 6-6?

[freewillie07]

Reaching bowl eligibility has to be the goal. Would seem like a small miracle given what we saw before the bye week.

I thought the defense was much better, but was helped out by Rutgers being Rutgers. On offense, the pass pro was pretty solid, Robinson continued to impress, but still some boneheaded playcalling and some throws from Hilinski that might have been picked by better teams. Overall, controlled both lines of scrimmage much better, like NU teams of old.

Is that enough to get a win over Minnesota/Wisconsin + Purdue + Illinois? I’m not 100% convinced, but today was a step in the right direction. There’s still life in this squad. Will be fun to play spoiler, too.

Go Cats

 

[zeek55]

If we play like we played today, there's enough on this team to go bowling this year.

I think we can beat one of Wisconsin/Minnesota and then Purdue/Illinois if we play like we did today another 3-4 times.

Narrow path, but just getting a 4th win before Purdue/Illinois is the key.

Either way, this was a great bounceback effort, and I'm glad we got to see the team rise up and play at this level.

 

[NU Houston]

I think we'll win out and finish 9-3. Why not aim high?

 

[rmndcat]

We play Wisconsin @Camp Randal, so I think Minnesota is the easier path to that 4th win.

 

[Harris_Island]

Signs of life! We have some good athletes on defense. There is potential on this team but a bowl game is still a long shot.

We have been sitting with that Nebraska beat down for two weeks now. It feels great to think that we could be a spoiler or make a bowl game.

Go cats.

 

[freewillie07]

If this is the kind of defense we should expect going forward, I’m excited to see what the rest of the season brings.

I’m not convinced JON had anything to do with this win. Hard not to wonder if they spent the bye week “unlearning” what they were taught heading into the season. Seemed like they were flying out there — and also bending but not breaking. Totally different team out there.

 

[corbi2961]

We play Wisconsin @Camp Randal, so I think Minnesota is the easier path to that 4th win.

wisconsin is not very good. If we keep improving, we can beat them. 7-5 is doable and would be a great achievement for this team.

 

[corbi2961]

Signs of life! We have some good athletes on defense. There is potential on this team but a bowl game is still a long shot.

We have been sitting with that Nebraska beat down for two weeks now. It feels great to think that we could be a spoiler or make a bowl game.

Go cats.

funny, when our players are loose and just go out and play they don’t look so slow like everyone was saying earlier in the year.

 

[freewillie07]

funny, when our players are loose and just go out and play they don’t look so slow like everyone was saying earlier in the year.

While I agree with your point overall — that unlearning whatever they were “taught” by JON allowed our defensive guys to look like the athletes they are — it’s also true that Rutgers is simply not an explosive team by any measure.

But it was refreshing to see fundamentally sound tackling nonetheless. And Gallagher finally looks like his older bro.

 

[bringbacktherantboard]

We play Wisconsin @Camp Randal, so I think Minnesota is the easier path to that 4th win.

"Eye"-brahim is still out, right?

 

[corbi2961]

"Eye"-brahim is still out, right?

For the year.

 

[GeauxCatsGeaux]

If we can get back to a bend but don't break defense - I don't think there's a team on our schedule that we can't beat. But I'm going to need to see the defensive performance next week.

 

[Rebel_]

If this is the kind of defense we should expect going forward, I’m excited to see what the rest of the season brings.

I’m not convinced JON had anything to do with this win. Hard not to wonder if they spent the bye week “unlearning” what they were taught heading into the season. Seemed like they were flying out there — and also bending but not breaking. Totally different team out there.

It's a team and coaches combined effort. If you think JON didn't coach them the last two weeks you are sadly mistaken.

 

[Figrating]

Homecoming with some of the '95 stars AND GB attending - a must win and NU ROSE to the challenge.

The order to boil JON in molten lead has been postponed.

If NU can protect Hilinski, the NU O could get strong. Two deep throws were gonna be completions but for PI that wasn't called. If I were Coach Jake, Clair would start at RB.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

For the year.

2nd string guy Potts also out for year.

 

[stpaulcat]

"Eye"-brahim is still out, right?

Wisconsin is not looking unbeatable. Minnesota may be, but they are playing us at Ryan.

 

[CatManTrue]

Wisconsin is not looking unbeatable. Minnesota may be, but they are playing us at Ryan.

F that. Minnesota is always beatable. Hell, We almost nabbed a win versus them in 2019 when Marty finally grabbed the reins.

 

[stpaulcat]

F that. Minnesota is always beatable. Hell, We almost nabbed a win versus them in 2019 when Marty finally grabbed the reins.

With regard to Minnesota, so are we. Just when we think we've got Minnesota, we don't. This is not 2019, oh wait....

 

[Fanaticat98]

Just maddening that we could be at 4-2 now with a much better chance of a bowl had we not picked the absolute wrong defensive scheme and the wrong starting QB. The Duke game was lost in the first 15 minutes because of that.

 

[zeek55]

Just maddening that we could be at 4-2 now with a much better chance of a bowl had we not picked the absolute wrong defensive scheme and the wrong starting QB. The Duke game was lost in the first 15 minutes because of that.

It will hurt if we finish 5-7 so let's hope we don't.
I'm hopeful we get an upset or two the next couple weeks to set us up for the end of the season.

 

[stpaulcat]

Just maddening that we could be at 4-2 now with a much better chance of a bowl had we not picked the absolute wrong defensive scheme and the wrong starting QB. The Duke game was lost in the first 15 minutes because of that.

That's what everyone is wondering about. Why cannot we be on top of things until 4 or 5 games in. If then.

 

[zeek55]

That's what everyone is wondering about. Why cannot we be on top of things until 4 or 5 games in. If then.

This year I understand it. I don't like it, but I understand it.

Offense lost a lot of players (and injuries) and then the transition of Hunter -> Marty -> Hilinski. Hilinski getting QB1 reps finally seems like he's in pretty firm command.

Defense basically just wasn't on the right page until today; I don't know if Fitz got involved or what, but everything just looked a lot better. Hopefully that sticks.

First half of Duke pretty good example of just everything being discombobulated; Duke is pretty terrible. They will struggle to win another game and likely end up 3-9. Is what it is.

I just hope that the team we saw today is what we see the rest of the year. Hoping whatever happened on the defensive side sticks. Offense looks like it's coming along.

Hopefully next year we skip the growing pains. Would love to get a bowl out of this season at the least.

 

[freewillie07]

That's what everyone is wondering about. Why cannot we be on top of things until 4 or 5 games in. If then.

The fact that Fitz hasn’t been able to fix it yet makes me think it has something to do with the quarter system and the lack of structure early in the year relative to other schools. But who knows.

 

[EvanstonCat]

It's a team and coaches combined effort. If you think JON didn't coach them the last two weeks you are sadly mistaken.

Funny how scheme wise it was all cover 4 that we saw before JON got here, and coincidentally we saw a defensive performance we came to expect under Hank. It was night and day.

But, if you want to credit JON that's up to you. If he was responsible for recognizing that his scheme that hasn't worked at any level of the game and was responsible for the worst stretch of defense at NU since at least the Dark Ages, including the Colby years was trash and he went back to the defense that Hank had and wasn't broke and didn't need the "fixing" that JON brought, then yeah, I guess he deserves credit for that. I see a wasted 5 games and 3 losses that was unnecessary and needn't have happened thanks to JON.

 

[EvanstonCat]

It will hurt if we finish 5-7 so let's hope we don't.
I'm hopeful we get an upset or two the next couple weeks to set us up for the end of the season.

4-2? Or 6-0.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Funny how scheme wise it was all cover 4 that we saw before JON got here, and coincidentally we saw a defensive performance we came to expect under Hank. It was night and day.

But, if you want to credit JON that's up to you. If he was responsible for recognizing that his scheme that hasn't worked at any level of the game and was responsible for the worst stretch of defense at NU since at least the Dark Ages, including the Colby years was trash and he went back to the defense that Hank had and wasn't broke and didn't need the "fixing" that JON brought, then yeah, I guess he deserves credit for that. I see a wasted 5 games and 3 losses that was unnecessary and needn't have happened thanks to JON.

MSU is legit and would likely have beaten us if Hank was DC. Duke we may have beaten but 4 turnovers in 20 minutes didn't help (i.e. D sucked but not only D). Not realistic to say we would have turned around a 7 TD deficit v Nebraska. Anyway, yeah we might have one more win, but we wouldn't have been humiliated on D, and wouldn't be "starting over" against a top 5 team next week. JON, to me, is the culprit. Not the best arrangement for Fitz to be de facto DC but I'll take it

 

[zeek55]

4-2? Or 6-0.

All of these games are winnable.

The only 2 teams I don't think we can beat right now are Ohio State and if Clifford is healthy, Penn State.

But the teams on our schedule should all be beatable. Michigan has had a bunch of slow 2nd halfs where their offense largely shuts down on itself. Hard to explain why, but it just happens. They let Rutgers and Nebraska almost steal those games away from them.

Maybe we can finish the job.

As we've seen with Iowa, if their defense isn't scoring, their offense can't really do all that much. I think our offense right now might be better than theirs. Question is whether we can just play clean and have no turnovers.

Purdue's entire offense is David Bell; if we can stop him, we can beat them.

Minnesota/Wisconsin will be tough games as well but neither is invincible even if we're underdogs to both; if we play like we did today we have a solid chance.

We will smoke Illinois if we play them like we did today.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Pretty sure we will lose handily to Michigan. Ioa is better than us but we "play up" against them. The rest of the West - "Good Northwestern " would beat any of them. Just not sure if "bad Northwestern" will arrive instead.

We've only won one B1G game vs a mediocre opponent. But surely encouraging to."return to formula"

 

[Rebel_]

Funny how scheme wise it was all cover 4 that we saw before JON got here, and coincidentally we saw a defensive performance we came to expect under Hank. It was night and day.

But, if you want to credit JON that's up to you. If he was responsible for recognizing that his scheme that hasn't worked at any level of the game and was responsible for the worst stretch of defense at NU since at least the Dark Ages, including the Colby years was trash and he went back to the defense that Hank had and wasn't broke and didn't need the "fixing" that JON brought, then yeah, I guess he deserves credit for that. I see a wasted 5 games and 3 losses that was unnecessary and needn't have happened thanks to JON.

I credit the joint effort of the PLAYERS & COACHES. From Fitz thru all the coaches and the entire squad of Wildcat players. We blitzed, played man to man, and were varied on defense although you are correct our cover four base was very effective. We just need to continue to get better on both sides of the ball.

 

[Turk_rivals223269]

Reaching bowl eligibility has to be the goal. Would seem like a small miracle given what we saw before the bye week.

I thought the defense was much better, but was helped out by Rutgers being Rutgers. On offense, the pass pro was pretty solid, Robinson continued to impress, but still some boneheaded playcalling and some throws from Hilinski that might have been picked by better teams. Overall, controlled both lines of scrimmage much better, like NU teams of old.

Is that enough to get a win over Minnesota/Wisconsin + Purdue + Illinois? I’m not 100% convinced, but today was a step in the right direction. There’s still life in this squad. Will be fun to play spoiler, too.

Go Cats

Rutgers really isnt a pushover but imo we made them look like one.
Im not concerned with any remaining team on our schedule. Nobody is wow.
I think we can focus on a bowl game now or even win the division. Our QB and OL looked pretty damn good. I cant believe it

 

[EvanstonCat]

MSU is legit and would likely have beaten us if Hank was DC. Duke we may have beaten but 4 turnovers in 20 minutes didn't help (i.e. D sucked but not only D). Not realistic to say we would have turned around a 7 TD deficit v Nebraska. Anyway, yeah we might have one more win, but we wouldn't have been humiliated on D, and wouldn't be "starting over" against a top 5 team next week. JON, to me, is the culprit. Not the best arrangement for Fitz to be de facto DC but I'll take it

I don't think so. If Hank is our DC, it's likely we hold them to less than 3 TDs (as that is what Hank does). And we scored enough to win.

Nebraska would never have scored TDs. They wouldn't have been good for a couple with Hank.

Good chance I think we are 6-0. Not certainly, but there is a chance.

 

[Rebel_]

I don't think so. If Hank is our DC, it's likely we hold them to less than 3 TDs (as that is what Hank does). And we scored enough to win.

Nebraska would never have scored TDs. They wouldn't have been good for a couple with Hank.

Good chance I think we are 6-0. Not certainly, but there is a chance.

"If a buzzard had a bugle up its *** there would be music in the sky!" Alot of what ifs.