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Game Thread: Northwestern vs. No. 22 Illinois

While I don't disagree, this coaching staff decided to gamble on the transfer portal coming into this season. Why are you so certain that this coaching staff wouldn't do it again?
Because we have a much more established depth chart at QB going into next season. Whether you guys realize it or not, Lausch and Boe are talented and learned some very tough lessons this season. A lot of you guys have very short memories about what guys like Baz, Kafka and Persa looked like during their first season of extended playing time. Many of the same clowns writing off Lausch and even Boe based on today's performance were also ridiculing the play and potential of all those other guys when they first played. Go back and check the posts if you don't believe me.
 
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Because we have a much more established depth chart at QB going into next season. Whether you guys realize it or not, Lausch and Boe are talented and learned some very tough lessons this season. A lot of you guys have very short memories about what guys like Baz, Kafka and Persa looked like during their first season of extended playing time. Many of the same clowns writing off Lausch and even Boe based on today's performance were also ridiculing the play and potential of all those other guys when they first played. Go back and check the posts if you don't believe me.
Persa looked good from the start so don't lump him in there with the others.
 
Persa looked good from the start so don't lump him in there with the others.
No sir. Go watch his limited playing time during his RS Sophomore season. He made a quantum leap that next off season when he was the presumed starter.
 
From what I have read on the board here O'Boyle seems to favor a bit lighter more athletic OL. We shall see.
Don't mistake more athletic with less physical. I think he wants leaner and more mobile for purposes of pulling and getting to the second level but without a loss of functional strength.
 
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Because we have a much more established depth chart at QB going into next season. Whether you guys realize it or not, Lausch and Boe are talented and learned some very tough lessons this season. A lot of you guys have very short memories about what guys like Baz, Kafka and Persa looked like during their first season of extended playing time. Many of the same clowns writing off Lausch and even Boe based on today's performance were also ridiculing the play and potential of all those other guys when they first played. Go back and check the posts if you don't believe me.
I've praised Lausch when I think he has shown development. He needs to work on accuracy and consistency, but he has shown enough that I'm still on-board with developing him.

I haven't seen enough of Boe to comment on how many "tough lessons" he has learned and I'm not sure how you can either.
 
I've praised Lausch when I think he has shown development. He needs to work on accuracy and consistency, but he has shown enough that I'm still on-board with developing him.

I haven't seen enough of Boe to comment on how many "tough lessons" he has learned and I'm not sure how you can either.
Agreed. I made a snark earlier in the thread but who knows what Boe's potential might be. Lausch at times looked good but had some boneheaded plays even late in the year that cause concern. His poor RPO decisions were costly. I think he can overcome those as long as he hasn't developed PTSD. From everything I've read, he seems resilient and committed to improving so there's hope for him.
 
Because there is no one out there willing to come to NU that is a sure fire better option than continuing to develop Lausch and Boe. Count me in with those who say that the demise of Fitz's tenure at NU started when we were no longer able to recruit and develop our own QB talent. The only way for NU to once again become a consistently competitive and winning program in the Big Ten is to permanently get off the transfer QB roller coaster.
The top 2 teams in the Big Ten (well, until OSU lost) have transfer QBs. I see what you mean though - unless you’re a top team that can get the top transfers, you’re likely to get someone who’s been beat out for a good reason, and/ or has not lived up to expectations.
 
I've praised Lausch when I think he has shown development. He needs to work on accuracy and consistency, but he has shown enough that I'm still on-board with developing him.

I haven't seen enough of Boe to comment on how many "tough lessons" he has learned and I'm not sure how you can either.

I guarantee you he learned some very tough lessons getting his first live Big Ten action today. He was probably feeling really good about himself after impressing the coaches and climbing the depth chart during his freshman season and today he learned that he still has a long way to go. Good motivation for this offseason. He clearly is behind Lausch but Lausch has not done enough to cement the job so today's game reps will give him a good idea of what he has to work on this offseason to win the starting job. The opportunity is there for one of them to seize the job. May the best QB win.
 
The top 2 teams in the Big Ten (well, until OSU lost) have transfer QBs. I see what you mean though - unless you’re a top team that can get the top transfers, you’re likely to get someone who’s been beat out for a good reason, and/ or has not lived up to expectations.
Wright you are.
 
Both Lausch and Boe are very young. Lausch didn't really play much QB in HS ran a lot when he played. Inconsistency is part of the deal. So we will see how they develop and progress and have faith that Lujan can really help them.
 
Because we have a much more established depth chart at QB going into next season.
The question was put to Braun post-game.

In all, the Wildcats’ two QBs accounted for four turnovers, but Braun was non-committal about whether his team needs to add a signal caller through the transfer portal in the offseason.

“I don’t know,” he said, before going on an extensive explanation about how every position would be evaluated in an effort to improve the team.
 
The question was put to Braun post-game.

In all, the Wildcats’ two QBs accounted for four turnovers, but Braun was non-committal about whether his team needs to add a signal caller through the transfer portal in the offseason.

“I don’t know,” he said, before going on an extensive explanation about how every position would be evaluated in an effort to improve the team.
Great answer
 
The question was put to Braun post-game.

In all, the Wildcats’ two QBs accounted for four turnovers, but Braun was non-committal about whether his team needs to add a signal caller through the transfer portal in the offseason.

“I don’t know,” he said, before going on an extensive explanation about how every position would be evaluated in an effort to improve the team.

If he really means that, then I would find that very problematic and a further indictment of this staff. If you want a decent QB from the portal, you have to land one in the next 30 days and that back channel recruiting process has been ongoing for a while. We stand almost no chance of landing a QB if the staff still has not figured out if it needs one.
 
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Both Lausch and Boe are very young. Lausch didn't really play much QB in HS ran a lot when he played. Inconsistency is part of the deal. So we will see how they develop and progress and have faith that Lujan can really help them.
So we will be hoping that a developing and, thus far, wildly inconsistent QB grows under the tutelage of a wildly inconsistent OC still developing in that role at the FBS level.
 
The top 2 teams in the Big Ten (well, until OSU lost) have transfer QBs. I see what you mean though - unless you’re a top team that can get the top transfers, you’re likely to get someone who’s been beat out for a good reason, and/ or has not lived up to expectations.
That is a major reason to end this fixation with transfers, they couldn't cut the mustard at their former school. Why always try to pick up someone's leftovers and miss out on a possible fillet mignon. Besides, like I have said previously, once you get the reputation as being a transfer QB junkie, you will turn away any possible decent QB prospect, knowing he might not get a decent shot at starting ever. That in itself might even hurt our QB depth. Find a great QB whisperer and pay the man to develop our QBs. The constant relying on portal QBs is an indictment on our staff, which is another reason good QB recruits will bypass NU.
 
So we will be hoping that a developing and, thus far, wildly inconsistent QB grows under the tutelage of a wildly inconsistent OC still developing in that role at the FBS level.
Yep. If we don't get a QB that is much better than Lausch in the portal that's the net sum of it.
 
That is a major reason to end this fixation with transfers, they couldn't cut the mustard at their former school. Why always try to pick up someone's leftovers and miss out on a possible fillet mignon. Besides, like I have said previously, once you get the reputation as being a transfer QB junkie, you will turn away any possible decent QB prospect, knowing he might not get a decent shot at starting ever. That in itself might even hurt our QB depth. Find a great QB whisperer and pay the man to develop our QBs. The constant relying on portal QBs is an indictment on our staff, which is another reason good QB recruits will bypass NU.
Yeah, who would want somebody else's leftovers? Maybe the more than 60% of FBS schools going in to this season with a transfer starting, or the teams who started 4 of the last 5 QBs to win the Heisman, or half of the QBs in the Top 10 of the college football playoff rankings. It guess it's an indictment of all those staffs, too. :rolleyes:
 
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Yeah, who would want somebody else's leftovers? Maybe the more than 60% of FBS schools going in to this season with a transfer starting, or the teams who started 4 of the last 5 QBs to win the Heisman, or half of the QBs in the Top 10 of the college football playoff rankings. It guess it's an indictment of all those staffs, too. :rolleyes:
Exactly. My view is that the Cats need a good portal QB this year. My other view view is that our current staff is unable to make the wright decision in getting one.
 
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That is a major reason to end this fixation with transfers, they couldn't cut the mustard at their former school. Why always try to pick up someone's leftovers and miss out on a possible fillet mignon. Besides, like I have said previously, once you get the reputation as being a transfer QB junkie, you will turn away any possible decent QB prospect, knowing he might not get a decent shot at starting ever. That in itself might even hurt our QB depth. Find a great QB whisperer and pay the man to develop our QBs. The constant relying on portal QBs is an indictment on our staff, which is another reason good QB recruits will bypass NU.
Disagree strongly. The home-grown QB ids a myth in today’s college football landscape, especially the top teams.

We’ve had success with Ramsey and Bryant. Not so much with HJ, RH, and MW. It’s about getting the right guy, it’s never easy but the good talent evaluators (with the money) will have the edge. The jury is out with Lujan.
 
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A lot of you guys have very short memories about what guys like Baz, Kafka and Persa looked like during their first season of extended playing time.

No sir. Go watch his limited playing time during his RS Sophomore season. He made a quantum leap that next off season when he was the presumed starter.

So are we supposed to check out what Persa looked like during his "first season of extended playing time" or what he looked like during his "limited playing time" the year before? You can't have it both ways.

(Also both were better than Lausch)
 
So are we supposed to check out what Persa looked like during his "first season of extended playing time" or what he looked like during his "limited playing time" the year before? You can't have it both ways.

(Also both were better than Lausch)
Persa played the bulk of two games against Penn State and Iowa as a RS Sophomore and looked like he had a long way to go. Go watch those games if you want to compare. Or go watch Basanez's first year as a starter which was atrocious or go watch Kafka's first year when he got on the field. For fun, also go read some of the meathead comments that were made on the game threads by some of the same posters that are clueless to this day. Lausch's performance this year is comparable or better than anything we saw from those three with a much weaker supporting cast. All three of those guys were much improved the following season with a full offseason to prepare as the starter. That's the hope for Lausch.
 
Yeah, who would want somebody else's leftovers? Maybe the more than 60% of FBS schools going in to this season with a transfer starting, or the teams who started 4 of the last 5 QBs to win the Heisman, or half of the QBs in the Top 10 of the college football playoff rankings. It guess it's an indictment of all those staffs, too. :rolleyes:
If it is a regular occurrence, it is an indictment of the program. Why can't you actually get a good QB on your own merits is the point. Usually, it means the program is not regarded that highly by the more highly touted QB recruiting prospects. Also, we have used the portal extensively with mixed results. Ramsey was more of a game manager than QB, nothing flashy, but got the job done. The one time he had to be a QB, he threw 3 picks against the Buckeyes. Bryant was pretty good, but not really a gunslinger. Johnson and Hilinski were just castaways, and they proved why they didn't get a starting gig elsewhere. You want to bring in a gunslinger, get an innovative offense to draw them here. Fitzball wasn't going to do that, and neither is the stuff Lujan is dishing out. If I was a 4 star QB, I wouldn't want to commit to a ball control program. Not too sure what to characterize Lujan's offense as it is just plain terrible. Braun said himself he wanted to develop his players, and if his QB coach isn't up to snuff, he should be canned. Lujan needs to step it up as well, in a big way.
 
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