Thank God Northern Illinois got pounded.

[gohawkz]

I know since we played them some would want them to do well, but the fact is they are not a great team and a loss to them is bad no matter what. Can't sugar coat it, that was bad.

Last year they played and beat a bunch of crappy teams and got the opportunity to get pounded in a BCS bowl.

I don't know what the perfect answer is for college football, BCS, playoffs, etc. Last year in basketball Iowa was a better team than some who made the NCAA but we lost out because we played a weak schedule. I can't argue with that. If we don't prove it against real competition we don't deserve anything.

Anyone with half a brain knows that if they played in any major conference they would have several losses.

They can be a good team, they can not be a BCS team.

 

[hawkfan1319]

I loved it since the whole time they were saying NIU was playing for a BCS game and Heisman trophy. Plus now MSU is almost guaranteed a BCS spot if they lose.

 

[HawkeyeShane]

"I guess Ball State ISN'T the best team Northern Illinois has played all year..." D. Howard-ESPN

 

[FromFry2Ferentz]

"I guess Ball State ISN'T the best team Northern Illinois has played all year..." D. Howard-ESPN

What a toolbag

 

[doclee]

I have been keeping track of NIU throughout the season, mainly because they beat my Hawks and because Lynch fascinates me as a dual threat QB. I was hoping they would get into the BCS. But, after watching their defense not only last night but also in a couple of other games, they would simply be embarrassed. I think if they played Iowa today, Iowa would win by a couple of touchdowns.

 

[ssckelley]

I have been keeping track of NIU throughout the season, mainly because they beat my Hawks and because Lynch fascinates me as a dual threat QB. I was hoping they would get into the BCS. But, after watching their defense not only last night but also in a couple of other games, they would simply be embarrassed. I think if they played Iowa today, Iowa would win by a couple of touchdowns.

Like they should have the first time they played them.

 

[kuhntz]

I have been keeping track of NIU throughout the season, mainly because they beat my Hawks and because Lynch fascinates me as a dual threat QB. I was hoping they would get into the BCS. But, after watching their defense not only last night but also in a couple of other games, they would simply be embarrassed. I think if they played Iowa today, Iowa would win by a couple of touchdowns.

I'll probably get blasted for saying this since we went 8-4, but coaching cost us that game. I left Kinnick on opening day thinking that we had a pretty good team (much better than expected), but unfortunately we had all the same bad in-game coaching decisions of previous seasons.

I know, its against board policy to be critical of coaching decisions now that we have managed to get to 8-4, but once you are done ridiculing me for being honest go back and watch the NIU game and let me know if the better team won.

 

[smbhawk1]

I'll probably get blasted for saying this since we went 8-4, but coaching cost us that game. I left Kinnick on opening day thinking that we had a pretty good team (much better than expected), but unfortunately we had all the same bad in-game coaching decisions of previous seasons.

I know, its against board policy to be critical of coaching decisions now that we have managed to get to 8-4, but once you are done ridiculing me for being honest go back and watch the NIU game and let me know if the better team won.

I actually thought the same thing leaving the stadium that day.

 

[deanvogs]

I'll probably get blasted for saying this since we went 8-4, but coaching cost us that game. I left Kinnick on opening day thinking that we had a pretty good team (much better than expected), but unfortunately we had all the same bad in-game coaching decisions of previous seasons.

I know, its against board policy to be critical of coaching decisions now that we have managed to get to 8-4, but once you are done ridiculing me for being honest go back and watch the NIU game and let me know if the better team won.

I won't ridicule you, everyone has their opinion. I'm of the opinion that players win games on the field, more than coaches making play calls, etc. Just for example in that game, GD made the PERFECT play call on that screen pass to Bullock, but he dropped the pass. Flash back one year before that, I thought GD made a bad play call with the running play for Bullock, but he scored the GW TD on that play.

If a player makes a play, or blows a play, it will always trump the play that is called. At least this is the case, in my opinion.

 

[HawkeyeShane]

I won't ridicule you, everyone has their opinion. I'm of the opinion that players win games on the field, more than coaches making play calls, etc. Just for example in that game, GD made the PERFECT play call on that screen pass to Bullock, but he dropped the pass. Flash back one year before that, I thought GD made a bad play call with the running play for Bullock, but he scored the GW TD on that play.

If a player makes a play, or blows a play, it will always trump the play that is called. At least this is the case, in my opinion.

Bingo...it doesn't matter how good a play call is, if it's not executed it's the "dumbest play ever". The difference between "gutsy and stupid" is all in the execution.

 

[homes]

I won't ridicule you, everyone has their opinion. I'm of the opinion that players win games on the field, more than coaches making play calls, etc. Just for example in that game, GD made the PERFECT play call on that screen pass to Bullock, but he dropped the pass. Flash back one year before that, I thought GD made a bad play call with the running play for Bullock, but he scored the GW TD on that play.

If a player makes a play, or blows a play, it will always trump the play that is called. At least this is the case, in my opinion.

When you go back and watch a game, you'll notice many times where a missed block or a missed tackle or a missed cut or a dropped pass changes the game, possibly even the outcome. While the plays called may be conceptually good, the outcome isn't always that way, because sometimes the personnel package on the field doesn't carry it out well enough. The coaching element includes an understanding of what the players capacities and limitations are to carry out a play. Weisman, great at getting his shoulders square and bowling over people, not so great at making a quick cut back. Canzeri, just the opposite. Knowing what play may require what talent, or what the opponent is most susceptible to and then adapting to it, is coaching. I think by the end of the year, the staff was in a good rhythm that way.

 

[JHHawk]

I agree that it was good to see NIU get beat....enough with the cute stories in the BCS Bowls...UCF is enough..at least they have a true NFL prospect at QB....ynch is a good college QB but not quite NFL level.
I want to see the Baylors play Bama ...those kinds of major schools from BCS leagues matchups in the BCS bowls.

As for Iowa's game vs NIU....they looked very weak on pass defense...if we had a more experienced Jake at the helm in that game, and our coaches were more aggressive, we could have exploited that defense much more than we did. But players need to execute also...and when we got aggressive, their only decent secondary guy, Ward, made a play that beat us.

 

[HawksRule98]

That game will go down as one of the classic KF September-August turd/brain fart games. Just a bad loss anyway that you slice. NIU is an average team with one slighty-above-average offensive player and a bad defense. They are not a good football team and I don't care how many mid-major cupcakes they eke out victories against.

 

[uihawk82]

That game will go down as one of the classic KF September-August turd/brain fart games. Just a bad loss anyway that you slice. NIU is an average team with one slighty-above-average offensive player and a bad defense. They are not a good football team and I don't care how many mid-major cupcakes they eke out victories against.

All of you are correct but watching the NIU game in the stands and afterwards the hawk offense pizz pounded them for 300 yards in the first half and 24 points but they just didnt know how to finish it in the second half.

The hawk offense helped NIU to 10 points in the first half but I think the main reason for the loss was GD not pizz pounding them in the second half on about 5-6 3rd and very short yardage situations.

You have a first year soph starting QB with no game experience and we kept throwing the ball on 3rd and 1 or 2. We should have pounded them for at least two more TDs in the second half of that game.

 

[HawksRule98]

All of you are correct but watching the NIU game in the stands and afterwards the hawk offense pizz pounded them for 300 yards in the first half and 24 points but they just didnt know how to finish it in the second half.The hawk offense helped NIU to 10 points in the first half but I think the main reason for the loss was GD not pizz pounding them in the second half on about 5-6 3rd and very short yardage situations.You have a first year soph starting QB with no game experience and we kept throwing the ball on 3rd and 1 or 2. We should have pounded them for at least two more TDs in the second half of that game.

An accurate assessment. That 3rd-and-1 bomb that was overthrown to Powell was one of the worst playcalls that I have ever seen, along with the long out-route that was picked off at the end. This is one of the few games of the KF era that you can definitively point towards play selection as being a clear determining factor as to why Iowa lost.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

I think Bullock is still running if he catches that screen pass....

The game that got away.

 

[Billso]

I won't ridicule you, everyone has their opinion. I'm of the opinion that players win games on the field, more than coaches making play calls, etc. Just for example in that game, GD made the PERFECT play call on that screen pass to Bullock, but he dropped the pass. Flash back one year before that, I thought GD made a bad play call with the running play for Bullock, but he scored the GW TD on that play.

If a player makes a play, or blows a play, it will always trump the play that is called. At least this is the case, in my opinion.

Stupid GD, he should only call plays that work!