Illinois Fighting Illini Football Fanatics

Could we run the table, finish 6-6 and get a bowl bid?   Stranger things have happened!

Dear Lord,

We thank You for another beautiful, autumn afternoon wherein our Fighting Illini football team will face yet another Big Ten foe. We ask that You please watch over and protect these young men, on both teams, who will do 'battle' today and that you inspire them with the skills, sportsmanship and joy of this competition. But most of all Lord, in the midst a 1 and 3 season, we simply ask that You insure through Your Divine Powers and Grace that the Illini team we know and love, at least shows up and is competitive. Thank You Lord, and in this we pray, Amen.

 

To say that this Illini season is maddening and that this fan is upset is an understatement. 

The Illini football team is a joke. 

From the coaching staff to the players this current edition has no clue what it takes to play football and win.  On paper this Illini team is supposed to have many talented players who are capable of making plays and giving the fans something to cheer about as well as to brag about.  Yet what we have seen so far is a dismal attempt to look like a Division I college team that is either coached well or playing well. 

The coaching staff seems incapable of calling the correct play, whether on offense or defense, at the correct time to utilize the so called talent that this team has.  They stick with the same player on offense believing he will figure things out.  Where are all the points that this team was supposed to score?  Where is the execution?  Thought that the new OC was supposed to be an offensive genius to help the maligned QB out.

The key player on offense seems lost in a fog playing like a deer frozen in someones headlights.  A senior he is and he is getting outplayed by anyone and everyone that the Illini play.  Bad throws, hesitation, and a disbelief in his ability to play QB are making him look terrible.  Sure he gained yardage passing and running to set a new Illini record, but when it counts most for him to lead and score he fails.  And yet the coaches still play him believing he will 'grow' out of it.  Ain't gonna happen Coach Zook!

The defense can look decent for maybe a series or even 2 series a game.  But they do not show up for the entire game.  Granted with the offense on the sidelines due to their inability to do much more than 3 and out, the D is on the field a lot.  But still 338 rushing yards and 513 total yards is disgusting.  The poor tackling by the Illini and the running lanes created by the opponents O-line were more than enough for 10 year olds to score touchdowns.

In over 40 years of being a die-hard Illini fan, these eyes have not witnessed such a complete lack of motivation and disbelief in coachs and players ability to play football.  Many things need to change!

Headline in the last few minutes says that Juice will not start against MSU.  A place to start to make a change. 

Here is hoping the Illini play better against Illinois State.  Hopefully Arrelious Benn is able to play longer than what he did against Mizzou.  Prediction Illinois 45 Illinois State 10.