[NU Sports] Q1 in Champaign ...

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

Some thoughts (in chronological order) ...

- Not sure about all the health reports from this list, as Benn is starting and Juice looks healthier than Persa

- However, it IS nice to see Wootton at full health - he's already making some great stuffs!

- Count me among those who think we need a special teams coach WAAAAY more than a "superbacks" coach

- Count me among those who can live without ever seeing the rugby style punt today - ouch!

- To whoever had the bright idea to run Concannon to the outside - KEEP HIM IN BETWEEN THE TACKLES! ONLY! ALWAYS!

- McManis better wake up! The secondary has been saved a couple times from their weak coverage by errant throws

- Nice drive by Kafka to get field position back after the Illini missed that field goal

- Kafka still doesn't look very mobile :(

- The way the Illini O and Demos are going, I think I'd have preferred a punt to a 47-yard field goal attempt ... thankfully the D got the stop

- Channel surfing ... Purdue looks good, Indiana looks good, Michigan looks good ... in the words of that ESPN clip of Vince Lombardi, what the heck is going on here?!?!

- While we're at a channel break, big boos to ESPN for putting this on classic and making the DirecTV folk get the sports pack. Why not ESPNU?

- Kafka still looks sharp in passing at least

- Good to see Arby Fields back in using his quicks (to the outside!) - but HOLD ON TO THE BALL, ARBY!

- Mmmmm, Arbys.

- 3rd and long ... ugh ... what coulda been with a healthy Kafka later in the season. Again, why we have no sympathy for the bumblebees. WE could have started PSU's slide!

- ANOTHER 50-yard field goal attempt??? Another miss. SPECIAL TEAMS COACH NOW!!! Heck, a couple duck punts, er "rugby style kicks" could have had us pinning the punchless Illini deep twice and maybe getting a Wootton-caused turnover or McManic pick ... C'MON FITZ!!! That was not a smart call.

- In the battle of school commercials, NU wins. Was that Illini keyboard beat out of the early 80s?

- Channel surfing again - Go Dookies!!! Revenge of the Nerds, week 2? Also flipped to the Minnesota game and immediately turned away. U-G-L-Y.

- Of course, we can't talk the way things are going now ... crummy Illini chip shot and two ill-advised NU long shots. Gotta play it smarter, Fitz. Pin 'em deep! Instead the Illini have had great field position all friggin' day now. Including a gift-wrapped field goal attempt after the kick that gives "rugby style kicks" a bad name.

- End of the quarter mercifully ... 0-0, but the Illini just busted a run to get in scoring territory, ANOTHER REASON WHY NOT TO TRY A 50-YARD PIPE DREAM FIELD GOAL TO GIVE THEM EASY FIELD POSITION AGAIN!!!!

GRRRRR!!!
GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!