FIGHTING ILLINI FOOTBALL vs Penn State

[Carpet]

Did you hear the sound saturday around 4pm that
sounded like a giant air sucking sound, well that was
Illini nation taking deep breaths and wondering
just what the hell is wrong.

I will tell you whats wrong from the carpets
floor view...........ITS THE COACHING STAFF

This Illinois team is very undisciplined racking
up the dumbest penalties at the worst times
they are the most penalized team in the Big 10

The Wide outs looked confused during the OSU
game on what play was being called. They also
didnt pick up on the snap count being a step slow
off the snap.

Juice Williams running the spread is useless
if he cant pick up the blitz on a hot read.

The coaching staff also did not mix up the
plays very well on offense, when Illini needed to
pass 4th qtr they would line up 4 or 5 wide with
no backfield and OSU BLITZED IT EVERYTIME
Why dont the coaches just send a note to the
other team and say here is what our play is?
Poor coaching.................

Where are the half time adjustments ?
Hell they play just as bad in the second half
as they did in the first. Poor Coaching.....

What in the world is Zook waiting for? He needs
to fix this mudslide that dates back to last years
5-7 record.

Wide receiver Arrellious Benn of Illinois said it best

" I have no clue......I just dont know how it could be
like this with the talent we have, I'm just clueless"

Next up for Illinois is Penn State at Illinois
so it sure isnt getting any easier to fix a hang over
of major concern.

I am looking squarley at the coaching staff on this
seasons lack of play. There are just to many problem
areas that really come down to coaching and play
calling limiting this teams ablility.

Zook under contract thru 2013 at a 1.5 a year
quite a bargain to be the most penalized team
in the Big 10

Last year at 5-7 Illinois scored alot more points
vs Missouri and OHIO State this year a total of
9 points with the same players.

Can they turn this around I really dont think
so, Indiana looked like a pro team vs Michigan
compared to Illinois.....

When I see a team that is loaded with talent
(any team) and they lay an egg time and time
again I must say it always comes back to
coaching.

I will be looking at the up coming game with
Penn State, which may be brutal with a pissed
off bunch from Happy Valley who is now awake.

The up coming game with Penn State could be
just what the doctor ordered for this juked Illini
team. At home in a Orange Out for the sold out game

CARPET

[Carpet]

Illinois opens a 6.5 Home Dog vs Penn State

Vegas is expecting a close game with that line

This game is very hard to judge looking at it
early.

On one hand they way Illinois has been playing
they could get throttled 38-3 by a pissed off
Penn State team.

On the other hand Illinois is in a situtation that
they must show up and play a game of solid football
as the pressure mounts. Playing at home under a sea
of Orange might just give this team some spark.

Penn States Offensive Line looks horrible so far
this year, maybe the worst PSU OL in the last
10 years. The Defense is stacked at Line backer U

This is the same defense that only gave up
3 points to Iowa, the rest came off of turnovers

The special teams of PENN State is nothing to write
home about also.

Can the coaching staff of Illinois bring this
team back from the dead, exploiting the glaring
weakness one can see afar with Penn State?????

I am looking for the line to rise before kick off
so if your a PSU fan get your bet in early, if you
like Illinois in this game give it a few days for the
money to come in to move this line higher.

More to follow

Carpet

[Carpet]

OK its time for my prediction for the game.

I just returned from champaign to get a up close
personal view of this team as they prepare for
PSU.

The line has climbed to 7.5 at BoDog.

Here is what I see from Penn State:

The Lions are ranked 9th in Big 10 games
on special teams. The kickers are just not that
good and special teams coverage are just awful.

Arrellious Benn should have a field day vs PSU
on kick offs and Carpet thinks this kids breaks
off a few very nice returns.

The FG% for PSU is at 50% that is horrible
and a few missed opportunities will give Illinois
some decent field position through out the game.

The Defense at Line Backer U is SOLID gold allowing
only 10.2 points per game this season.

A LOOK AT ILLINOIS

Scoring only 9 points vs Division I A teams
this year in the first two games is a major
concern. This team will open up the spread
offense keeping PSU on its toes in containment

Illinois is committed to opening the offense
up vs PSU at all cost this game.

The defense of Illinois should be able to match up
well with the front 4 of PSU. The Illini must and will
put pressure on the QB at all times forcing him
to air it out. Illinois is looking to model Iowas
game plan in containment.

PSU is 0-5 vs the spread last 5 games.

I look for both defenses to stall alot of drives
on each side of the ball, making the kicking game
a very important factor, and with PSU's poor
average in this area should keep the ball game close.

The game time weather for this ORANGE OUT
in Illinois is 55 degrees with a slight chance of rain
PERFECT football weather in October

The way the line is positioned tells me a few
things, one that Vegas just doesnt know what to expect
from Illinois this week, and two the defeat at Iowa
last week has brought the lions back down to earth.

There are alot of Illinois fans that say bet the farm
on Penn State but they are thinking with the heart
and not the head.

There is no doubt from what I have seen this week
that Illinois is going to come out and play
this game with everything they have. This should be a
really good football game.

Should Illinois come out and get blown out 38-3
watch the entire state of Illinois melt down, smart
bettors are looking for a improved effort this week

MY PREDICTION

PSU by 5 and total points scored 46 by both teams
combined


TAKE ILLINOIS and all the points you can find
and take the UNDER

Carpet

[Carpet]

Kick off is set for 2:30 pm central and
the game will be on ABC

The Lions will be met by a sea of orange
for Illini's annual ORANGE OUT.

Weather is not a factor 53 degrees
20% chance of a shower and winds
WSW at 10 to 20mph (Now those winds
could be a factor on long field goals)

The game shapes us nicely for 2 struggling
Quarterbacks.

PSU Clark threw 3 picks last week vs Iowa
going 12 for 32 in passing.

ILL Williams had his usual 2 INT's last week.

Putting pressure on CLARK is gonna be the
key, Illinois must bring the pressure giving
clark happy feet.

You can be Penn St is making some adjustments
this week and you can also bet it will be tested
by Illinois Defense who will look to mirror Iowas
Defense scheme last week.

I Look for Arrelious Benn of Illinois to have a
huge day vs Penn, dont ask me why but he has
played his best games vs Penn St. Including the 2007
game where he ran a kick off 90 yards on PSU

Special Teams will decide this game and field position

Still laying with Illinois to keep this game close
and it would not shock me if Illinois won this SU

Good Luck all

Carpet

[Carpet]

Penn State smashed the ball right down
Illinois throat at will rushing for 338 yards
They averaged 8.4 yards a carry on 40 carries
thats a first down every touch. (almost)

Coach Paterno said after watching the Ohio
State game tapes he saw a major weakness in
Illinois defense and wanted to exploit it. I would
say he did.

AT Half is was 7-3 and both teams went to the
locker room. They both made adjustments and returned
to the field. PSU was determined to get the run
game in play and Illinois could not stop it.

On the other side Illinois did nothing on defense
to adjust and got flat ass steam rolled

On Offense the coaching staff of Illinois also
made some ass nine adjustments instead of
throwing the ball down field they went back to
the side line passes and short drops it killed them

Did you see the last play of the 1st half when Illinois
threw a hail mary with no time left and Penn
intercepted it at the goal and he took off running
he was finally caught at the Illinois 20 by a saving
tackle. It was right then that I knew the momentum
was changing.

QB JUICE WILLIAMS passed for 263 yards and
ran for 58 in becoming Illinois all time career leader
in total yards at 9,126 passing up previous holder
Kurt Kitner at 8800

NOW FOR THE QUOTE OF THE DAY

Illinois coach Ron Zook today after another
beat down.........

"2 years ago we lost two Big Ten games and
went to the Rose Bowl-we have a monumental
task in front of us and it starts next week"

Carpet is wondering out loud just what the
hell is he talking about.....

Next up Michigan State at Illinois the last time
the spartans came to Illinois in 2006 they pasted
the Illini 61-14. You can bet MSU is looking forward
to bringing that running game to champaign.

State rushed for over 200 yards today on Michigan...

This Illini team needs to heal and heal quickly
or they will die as individuals and not as a team....

It is important to also remind myself that Illinois
is 1-3 and 3 teams they got kicked to the curb by
were all ranked. PSU at 5 and I still think they are
a top 10 team as well as Ohio State. These teams
have exploited any and all weakness they can find
and the coaching staff needs to snap to attention
to fix it.

Lost on this Illinois bet, thank goodness I also
played South Florida

More to follow

Carpet

[Carpet]

Coach Paterno said to QB Juice Williams
of Illinois after the game

"Keep you chin up you guys are going to be
good"

Carpet has a great deal of respect for the
coach and respects his wisdom, but was
wondering if he really saw something or just
says that to every team...................?

I Think the coach sees something that needs
molded.....

Carpet

[woodee12]

I heard the 'Juice' has been watered down to #2...

Rumor is thst the back-up McGhee will start saturday vs. MSU?

Any truth to that?

[Carpet]

Yes it is official Zook has benched Juice for the
start of next game with Megee

The red shirt Junior is more accurate than Juice but
is really turn over prone

This is nothing more than Lip stick on a pig
another ZOOK blunder at coaching

I would think we will see Juice back in the
game by the second quarter