Best Bajakian Half of his NU career...

[The_Waterboy]

This 1st half is Mike Baja's finest of his OC tenure at NU by a W-I-D-E margin... Period... End of Story!!!

Not only is Mister Mike using Hilinski like the "2nd coming/resurrection" of Brett Basanez; his play calling mix on both the ground and in the air is inspired and has got the Bug Eater's defensive brain trust completely second guessing what play is going to come next. Of course, the bevy NU offensive playmakers are playing the best collective game in Mister Mike's tenure - by far - and they are just getting better as the game progresses.

I'm jacked!!! The Frog King is doing an Irish Jig in front of the Pearly Gates!!!

 

[mountaindrew]

This 1st half is Mike Baja's finest of his OC tenure at NU by a W-I-D-E margin... Period... End of Story!!!

Not only is Mister Mike using Hilinski like the "2nd coming/resurrection of" of Brett Basanez; his play calling on both the ground and in the air is inspired and has got the Bug Eater's defensive brain trust completely second guessing what play is going to come next. Of course, the bevy NU offensive playmakers are playing the best collective game in Mister Mike's tenure - by far - and they are just getting better as the game progresses.

I'm jacked!!! The Frog King is doing an Irish Jig in front of the Pearly Gates!!!

Yes Sir! I'm thrilled by the first half. We are absolutely a TOTALLY different team than last year. I got a give a quick shout out to the OL - the pass protection has been outstanding. Hilinski has grown up before our eyes. And what I absolutely didn't dream of.... we're ahead at half time!

Can't wait to watch the 2nd half. I was TOTALLY wrong. Last year was some kind of wierd anomaly - that team is gone. Its 2022, and the Cats are back! Lets go Cats! Finish the deal in the 2nd half! Get the dub in Dublin!

 

[EvanstonCat]

Yes it’s been a huge improvement. I think the OL indeed is the biggest difference. However 2 completely boneheaded 3rd and long calls have possibly cost us points.

 

[AstroCat]

Yes, indeed.

However, Baz could run a bit, not so sure about Hilinsky.

 

[Figrating]

Couldn't be happier with the win, BUT Coach Jake needs to mix pass/run better. At 3rd/short he nearly always runs and the team is not strong enough to get away with that. Somehow it worked today - luck of the Irish - but it could just as easily have failed. NU has to learn to put pressure on opponents.

 

[Titanium999]

This 1st half is Mike Baja's finest of his OC tenure at NU by a W-I-D-E margin... Period... End of Story!!!

Not only is Mister Mike using Hilinski like the "2nd coming/resurrection" of Brett Basanez; his play calling mix on both the ground and in the air is inspired and has got the Bug Eater's defensive brain trust completely second guessing what play is going to come next. Of course, the bevy NU offensive playmakers are playing the best collective game in Mister Mike's tenure - by far - and they are just getting better as the game progresses.

I'm jacked!!! The Frog King is doing an Irish Jig in front of the Pearly Gates!!!

Exactly!!!!!!!

 

[EvanstonCat]

Couldn't be happier with the win, BUT Coach Jake needs to mix pass/run better. At 3rd/short he nearly always runs and the team is not strong enough to get away with that. Somehow it worked today - luck of the Irish - but it could just as easily have failed. NU has to learn to put pressure on opponents.

I don’t mind running in 3rd and short. It’s running on 3rd and long that had me screaming at the TV.

 

[Alan Smithee]

Yes, indeed.

However, Baz could run a bit, not so sure about Hilinsky.

Not based on what I’ve seen. But very very pleased with what I did see!

 

[Alan Smithee]

Couldn't be happier with the win, BUT Coach Jake needs to mix pass/run better. At 3rd/short he nearly always runs and the team is not strong enough to get away with that. Somehow it worked today - luck of the Irish - but it could just as easily have failed. NU has to learn to put pressure on opponents.

Announcers were right, I think, that Fitz read the room late, and knew how tight Neb was. Some of the earlier calls were hard to understand. And against other opponents we probably will have to mix it up more late.

 

[eastbaycat99]

Announcers were right, I think, that Fitz read the room late, and knew how tight Neb was. Some of the earlier calls were hard to understand. And against other opponents we probably will have to mix it up more late.

Watching the Husker sideline in full meltdown will last a long time in my memory.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Yes, indeed.

However, Baz could run a bit, not so sure about Hilinsky.

Baz could run more than a bit.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Announcers were right, I think, that Fitz read the room late, and knew how tight Neb was. Some of the earlier calls were hard to understand. And against other opponents we probably will have to mix it up more late.

Glad he is the HC, because I was passing on those 3rd downs and we probably lose.

 

[Alan Smithee]

Glad he is the HC, because I was passing on those 3rd downs and we probably lose.

Same here

 

[bjm989]

Same here

Ha! Me too!

 

[hoosboot]

Announcers were right, I think, that Fitz read the room late, and knew how tight Neb was. Some of the earlier calls were hard to understand. And against other opponents we probably will have to mix it up more late.

Yup...when you're doing this, you don't pass.

 

[Deeringfish]

Yup...when you're doing this, you don't pass.

View embedded media

That's a hysterical picture and caption.

 

[mountaindrew]

That's a hysterical picture and caption.

And a big credit to the OL and Kurt Anderson. They got it done!

 

[DaCat]

This 1st half is Mike Baja's finest of his OC tenure at NU by a W-I-D-E margin... Period... End of Story!!!

Not only is Mister Mike using Hilinski like the "2nd coming/resurrection" of Brett Basanez; his play calling mix on both the ground and in the air is inspired and has got the Bug Eater's defensive brain trust completely second guessing what play is going to come next. Of course, the bevy NU offensive playmakers are playing the best collective game in Mister Mike's tenure - by far - and they are just getting better as the game progresses.

I'm jacked!!! The Frog King is doing an Irish Jig in front of the Pearly Gates!!!

If that was Bajakian's finest half at NU, then it's underwhelming. I was as surprised and happy to see us up at the half 17-14, but putting up 17 points in one half against a clearly mediocre team is not very impressive. Hell, in the first game of 2020 his offense put up 30 points on Maryland enroute to a 43-3 win. This team is off to a good start but it's a long season. We can play better.

 

[Alan Smithee]

If that was Bajakian's finest half at NU, then it's underwhelming. I was as surprised and happy to see us up at the half 17-14, but putting up 17 points in one half against a clearly mediocre team is not very impressive. Hell, in the first game of 2020 his offense put up 30 points on Maryland enroute to a 43-3 win. This team is off to a good start but it's a long season. We can play better.

We gained 528 fairly well-balanced yards, which we didn’t do in any game since 2017. In other words, not in 2018 or 2020 either. I found the difference this year, especially in game 1, very encouraging. It took a while for our run game to get going, but it seems common to me for trench wars to take time to make clear the clear winners.

 

[Catreporter]

For all the complaining about Fitz being too conservative, he sure rolled the dice late in the first half, down 14-10, and facing 4th and a legit 1 at his own 40. Got the first down and it led to a halftime lead.

 

[Alan Smithee]

For all the complaining about Fitz being too conservative, he sure rolled the dice late in the first half, down 14-10, and facing 4th and a legit 1 at his own 40. Got the first down and it led to a halftime lead.

I thought the context of that decision was helpful. We had lots of time on the playclock, used some of it to try a hard count and get them to jump, but did not back out of it as they might have half-expected us to.

 

[zeek55]

For all the complaining about Fitz being too conservative, he sure rolled the dice late in the first half, down 14-10, and facing 4th and a legit 1 at his own 40. Got the first down and it led to a halftime lead.

Fitz's aggression the past couple of years has really been something else. I don't have the numbers, but the past couple of years, he's changed mindset and trusts the offense in these 4th down situations.

I don't think he called a 4th down on our side of the ball in his first 10 years, has done it several times in the last couple seasons.

Calling Fitz too conservative at this point doesn't really make sense; he's definitely willing to take chances these days to try to keep the offense on the field.

Even the times it hasn't worked out, at least he's going for it. And most of the time, he's had a feel for when it's necessary.

I can't recall any that I'd question as much as Frost's on-sides kick up 11 for example. All a part of why Fitz has really become a great gameday coach.

 

[DaCat]

Interesting to revisit this thread. Hilinski looked like an All American against Neb. By game 6 he was benched.

The real concern for me, and probably shared by many other observers of the program, is whether the trend under Bajakian of our QBs playing worse over the course of the season will continue. For the past two years, the first game of the season was the best game for the starting QBs, at least statistically. Even Ramsey in 2020 started red hot out of the gates, then tailed off, until he topped off his career with a stellar win vs. Auburn.

2020 W 43-3, Ramsey 23-30 (76.7%) 212 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
2021 L 38-21, Johnson 30-43 (69.8%) 283 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT
2022 W 31-28, Hilinski 27-38 (71.1%) 314 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT

The question that the coaches need to answer is why the QB play deteriorates over the course of the season. Is it the scheme and defenses adjusting? Coaching? Shell shock? Bajakian has a lot questions to answer this year. He's got a good one coming through the portal in Ben Bryant, let's see how this plays out.

 

[Darren72]

In what way did Ramsey tail off in 2020? I'm hard pressed to identify a trend.

 

[hdhntr1]

Interesting to revisit this thread. Hilinski looked like an All American against Neb. By game 6 he was benched.

The real concern for me, and probably shared by many other observers of the program, is whether the trend under Bajakian of our QBs playing worse over the course of the season will continue. For the past two years, the first game of the season was the best game for the starting QBs, at least statistically. Even Ramsey in 2020 started red hot out of the gates, then tailed off, until he topped off his career with a stellar win vs. Auburn.

2020 W 43-3, Ramsey 23-30 (76.7%) 212 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
2021 L 38-21, Johnson 30-43 (69.8%) 283 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT
2022 W 31-28, Hilinski 27-38 (71.1%) 314 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT

The question that the coaches need to answer is why the QB play deteriorates over the course of the season. Is it the scheme and defenses adjusting? Coaching? Shell shock? Bajakian has a lot questions to answer this year. He's got a good one coming through the portal in Ben Bryant, let's see how this plays out.

Could it possibly have to do with who they were playing? That and they have had all preseason preparing for the first opponent and there is little tape on NU

 

[DaCat]

In what way did Ramsey tail off in 2020? I'm hard pressed to identify a trend.

Check out his game logs from 2020 here. He led us to a stellar 7-2 record, and I thought he was the difference in a lot of games. However, he definitely had some pedestrian games and hit a mid season slump of sorts, at least statistically. Bottomed out against MSU in our only regular season loss, 48.8% passing with 0 TD and 2 INT. Luckily he saved his best game for the bowl win vs. Auburn.

 

[zeek55]

Interesting to revisit this thread. Hilinski looked like an All American against Neb. By game 6 he was benched.

The real concern for me, and probably shared by many other observers of the program, is whether the trend under Bajakian of our QBs playing worse over the course of the season will continue. For the past two years, the first game of the season was the best game for the starting QBs, at least statistically. Even Ramsey in 2020 started red hot out of the gates, then tailed off, until he topped off his career with a stellar win vs. Auburn.

2020 W 43-3, Ramsey 23-30 (76.7%) 212 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
2021 L 38-21, Johnson 30-43 (69.8%) 283 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT
2022 W 31-28, Hilinski 27-38 (71.1%) 314 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT

The question that the coaches need to answer is why the QB play deteriorates over the course of the season. Is it the scheme and defenses adjusting? Coaching? Shell shock? Bajakian has a lot questions to answer this year. He's got a good one coming through the portal in Ben Bryant, let's see how this plays out.

Bajakian's the one with everything to prove this season (as far as staff goes). I expect defensive improvements given the coaches we brought on, but we need some kind of functional offense to win games.

And as you state, it starts at QB where we haven't had any sort of long-term (using that term loosely to mean a decent stretch of games) solution since Ramsey's 2020 campaign.

 

[Dadof2Cats]

Bajakian's the one with everything to prove this season (as far as staff goes). I expect defensive improvements given the coaches we brought on, but we need some kind of functional offense to win games.

And as you state, it starts at QB where we haven't had any sort of long-term (using that term loosely to mean a decent stretch of games) solution since Ramsey's 2020 campaign.

Bajakian should be on the hottest seat possible this coming season. Our offense has been atrocious since he got here and that was after some bad McCall years. He has not been an upgrade and needs to prove he belongs at NU.

 

[Katatonic]

Check out his game logs from 2020 here. He led us to a stellar 7-2 record, and I thought he was the difference in a lot of games. However, he definitely had some pedestrian games and hit a mid season slump of sorts, at least statistically. Bottomed out against MSU in our only regular season loss, 48.8% passing with 0 TD and 2 INT. Luckily he saved his best game for the bowl win vs. Auburn.

This is where the Cats missed Skowronek.

MSU kept bringing pressure from the left side (which the coaches didn't pick up on for way too long, but that has long been a pattern), so Ramsey would escape and try to buy time rolling to his right, but to little avail as there usually wasn't an open target on that side of the field.