[NU Sports] Third quarter thoughts ...

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

Not too much to add - we're trying to get the running game going, but I still haven't seen enough to be convinced.

- Love giving Persa a break, especially after that hit to start the third. He's been amazing for the first two games and it's nice to be in the situation to give the backup a chance for once.

- The only other real highlight of the quarter was the extended interview with Phillips. Gotta say I love the enthusiasm of our AD. He's on the same wavelengths with all of us about Fitz becoming our JoePa. He's looking for new ways to get fans as enthusiastic as he is about the Cats. He even made the Wrigley idea sound good. :)

The one thing he couldn't sell was the new divisions - after praising the addition of UNL and Delaney's moves, he talked about the competitive balance, blah blah blah and how the divisions were meant to still keep geographic teams close to each other ... which is why Illinois, Wisconsin and Purdue (our three closest drives) are all in the other division???

A for effort, though. :)

Nice to have a fourth quarter where you can work on some things with the backups and rest the starters. A rarity for NU football, but something teams taking that next step up the ladder of programs have more and more often.

Now let's keep this momentum rolling by beating Rice!!!

Elsewhere in the league ...

- MINNESOTA is in trouble again. Sure hope it stays that way for another month at least up north.

- PURDUE looks sluggish again, but better ... we can't have them on the schedule early enough, as it appears Hope is already setting a Ferentz-like trend of having a team that blows games early but gets really good by the second half of the season.

- WISCONSIN appears to be taking the week off before the big "State of Arizona vs. Heartland Trophy teams" weekend next week. Iowa better not be as lax against Iowa State.

Big afternoon for the league and fans overall. Not expecting a miracle out of PSU, but hopefully they can keep it close ... OSU needs to win and should win ... so that leaves it up to Michigan. I'm no fan of RichRod, but he still ranks ahead of the Irish, and their new coach is unbelievable even more smug and annoying than Smug Charlie (and still a slimeball for leaving Cincy in a lurch - even St. Urban didn't leave Utah high and dry) -- and I don't want to hear Irish fans yapping about being back as they proceed throigh their soft schedule. GO BLUE!

GO CATS!!!
-SjT


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STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!
Super Bowl XLIV Champions!
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