[NU Sports] genius or luck?

[Jeff Beamsley]

OK I give up.  For seven years I've been trying to figure out whether Walker
is lucky or good. 
 
If good, you can just picture him drawing up the game plan.  We can't seem
to get the run going enough anymore to play a whole game of shootout and our
defense can't shut the other guys down, so what do we do?  We have to play
rope-a-dope.  Just enough to stay in the game, but not enough to force the
other guys to really take us seriously.  Then turn it on at the end when we
can steal the momentum and win with a knockout.  
 
Here's the plan.  We play terrible football the whole game.  We run on
obvious run downs.  We pass on obvious passing downs.  We make sure we
commit a penalty whenever we have a big gain.  Our defensive line doesn't
stop the run.  Our secondary lays off receivers standing at the first down
marker on third and long.  Our special teams let most of Iowa's drives start
at midfield.  We let Iowa feel good about themselves, but not run away with
the game.   
 
The clock continues to tick away through the game.  The players are getting
anxious, when will the coach turn us loose?  When will he let us start
playing? Just to make sure that Iowa hasn't sniffed out our plan, RW even
has our steady Eddie QB turn the ball over with under four minutes to play
and down two touchdowns by throwing it between the numbers of the defender.
It has to be so bad, so convincing, that the stadium starts to empty as even
the faithful give up hope.  That rain was also a nice touch.   
 
Can't you picture him on the sidelines quietly smiling as he sees Ferentz
and company celebrating after the interception?  Our kids are almost jumping
out of their skins.  I has to be now.  We can't wait any longer.  The coach
looks around and nods.  Yes.  Now.  Now we've got them where we want them.
Suddenly our defense is tackling.  We are putting pressure on the QB.  Iowa
has to punt, but no worries.  Iowa is up by 13 and still feels secure.  NU
has no time outs, only 3:20 to play, and we have converted only one 3rd down
the whole fourth quarter.  Iowa is thinking game over, but they don't
realize that we have a plan and it is just starting to unfold.  NU converts
three straight third down plays and has the ball on the Iowa 16 with only a
minute off the clock.  Iowa has to take a time out to convince themselves
that they haven't just walked into a trap, but it just keeps getting worse.
Two plays later Sutton is in the end-zone and NU has lined up for the
onsides kick that everyone knows is coming.  This is no big deal.  This is
all part of the plan.  NU executes it just like it was drawn up.  They could
do this on every kick off if they wanted to.  Now Iowa knows that they have
been had by RW's rope-a-dope game plan.  NU finally shows the full package.
We don't even need to pretend we need a third down.  Seven plays later,
we're in the end-zone and up by a point with a whole 30 seconds left on the
clock.  Perfection!  The defense does the obligatory mop up with all sorts
of pressure on Tate and it's just another day at the office - 28-27.  
 
Or else he's just lucky.
 
In either case, it was an unbelievable win and as I said early this season,
whether lucky or good, getting six wins this season should earn Walker a
contract at NU for as long as he wants to coach.  
 
Jeff