UI grade vs. La. Tech: F

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Sat, 09/22/2012 - 11:22pm | The News-Gazette

Our report card from this doozy at Memorial Stadium: Bulldogs 52, Illinois 24

PLAYER OF THE GAME: La. Tech's Sonny Dykes

Louisiana Tech's play-calling was brilliant and diverse. Illinois had no idea what was coming. The WAC visitor was more prepared.

Offense

Illinois: C

Louisiana Tech: A

Think there's some talent in Louisiana? Between Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana Tech and LSU, the Bayou State is the best in the college football biz.

Defense

Illinois: F

Louisiana Tech: B

For the record, Vic Koenning's defense at North Carolina held East Carolina without a touchdown Saturday. Just sayin'.

Special Teams

Illinois: D

Louisiana Tech: C

Tough break for Justin Green on the punt that skimmed his leg. Louisiana Tech recovered for a touchdown, although the game was already out of reach.

OVERALL

Illinois: F

Louisiana Tech: A

Hey, the postgame fireworks display was great. Too bad many fans left in the third quarter. The attendance woes will only get worse from here.

Sections (3):Illini Sports, Football, Sports

Categories (3):Illini Sports, Football, Sports

Comments

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PeterE wrote on September 23, 2012 at 12:09 am

Afraid a "F" for that performance is letting the team and especially the coaches get off easy.

That was a much far worse performance than the abomination played against Arizona State.

Just like against ASU, Beckman and his equally horrid coaches did not have this team ready to play against what, a WAC school? Have to think Illinois is worse this year than last most likely because coaching is worse this year than last year. Basement finish in B1G probably.

butkus50 wrote on September 23, 2012 at 8:09 am

Prediction: 2012 Beckman record 3-9.

koakley wrote on September 23, 2012 at 9:09 am

Tim Brewster, Cam Cameron, Gary DiNardo, Bill Lynch, Rich Rodriguez: Big Ten coaching bust. Tim Beckman waiting in wings?

AZ intererst wrote on September 23, 2012 at 9:09 am

These Illinois coaches are really amatuers. Just watch them on the sidelines, it is really a joke, they are runnning along the sidelines acting out of control and confused. Same thing the last two weeks, it is really disgusting. I believe this job is just too big for Tim Beckman, the only thing that is major college about him is his constant boring cliche's. It's like he has learned his coaching from a comic book. The coaching staff is just not first rate--I don't think even one of them ever played in a big time program, they all went to FBS schools, they just do not know what it is like and what it takes to coach at this level. Shame on Mike Thomas too, for hiring these guys. They may be nice folks, I am sure they are, and they can win at a lesser level, but this is the Big Ten for god's sake, let's get Big Ten quality coaches. It really scares me for the basketball program too, just more of the same.

Salt Life wrote on September 23, 2012 at 9:09 am

Like the 3 stooges or Keystone Cops. They have made Illinois into a joke, a national laughing stock. The Big Ten teams on the Illini schedule are licking their chops. They no longer fear the Illini defense which has become positively atrocious under Beckman plus more turnovers than I can even recall under the Zooker. Practices must be playing more of Beckman's silly games and sitting around eating lasagna during practice as they are so unprepared and ill-coached to face any semblance of decent competition. They look more like a high school team than a high major D-1 team. PATHETIC job so far Beckman!

Bwp 5P wrote on September 23, 2012 at 11:09 am

Can only be 2 or 3 things wrong:

Lack of talent ????

Poor Schemes ????

Both ????
That was another major embarrassment! Receivers running wide open again? I thought they had that fixed?

Salt Life wrote on September 23, 2012 at 11:09 am

You had 2 of 3 things being wrong listed correct but you failed to mention Poor Coaching.

Illinois has more talent on this team than getting positively blown out by ASU and LA Tech might indicate. ASU and LA Tech, while good decent teams aren't even top 25 ranked teams today. To put things in perspective, Illini were humiliated by two unranked teams, neither in the class of an Alabama or Oregon. Big Ten may be down this year but Illini figure as bottom dwellers. OSU has brand new coach too and they are 4-0 and AP ranked #14.

This is the most discombobulated clueless Illini coaching I have seen in quite awhile.

hopefulmike wrote on September 23, 2012 at 1:09 pm

Why did we offer the best defensive coordinator in the country and the guy who coached Illinois to a bowl victory last season a job has assistant coordinator? He had to refuse, as Beckman well knew. We had a broken offense last year, and now we have a broken defense, too. This was an incredibly stupid decision by our new head coach. We would have been much better off promoting Koenning to the head coach job, or at least insisting he be retained as coordinator. Then Beckman could have concentrated on improving the offensive coaching and results. In a year or two, Koenning would have taken a head coaching job, and Beckman could have built his own defense.

Moonpie wrote on September 23, 2012 at 3:09 pm

Folks, Illinois is slow and Koenning couldn't make them any faster. This notion of talent on the Illini is erroneous. A myth--starting with Little Nathan at QB.

#10

mdejde1955 wrote on September 24, 2012 at 12:09 pm

Speed kills. Common factors. ASU uptempo offense with speed. LT, uptempo office with speed. Our secondary continues to be a problem. Not enough speed.

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