Great. A win and that offensive "Performance" was not an endorsement of McCall (or Smith)

[wildcatcoaster]

A win. Hull looked good but might be a function of the opposition.

Offensive performance and playcalling still putrid. Great that Hull juked or outran a dreadful defense. And throwing every pass to Lees? He's great, but how about trying to develop anyone else.

Smith: A turnover machine. Just not acceptable nor consistent with Fitz's model to preach winning the turnover battle. The cupboard must truly be bare (absent whatever is or isn't happening with HJ) if he continues to get the reps despite these mistakes.

 

[techtim72]

Smith was bad. Very questionable that he will start next week.

 

[Fitz51]

This is a very, very bad team, especially on offense. If not the worst in my 25 years of NU fandom, it’s bottom 3.

 

[nugnrfan82]

Its painful. At the beginning of the season I actually believed NU would be better than lastyear. I truly thought we would take down OSU at home and meet them in the Title game.

What a fiasco this year has been.

Erik

 

[stpaulcat]

A 45-6 victory and I'm depressed. What gives?

 

[lunker35]

A 45-6 victory and I'm depressed. What gives?

Pull up UMass’s schedule and take a look at who they’ve played and the scores of those games. You’ll be depressed too.

 

[stpaulcat]

Pull up UMass’s schedule and take a look at who they’ve played and the scores of those games. You’ll be depressed too.

No, I'm already depressed.

 

[jensberg]

If Smith is our QB of the future we are in for a bad couple years

 

[corbi296]

A 45-6 victory and I'm depressed. What gives?

Stop reading this board.

 

[pnt16]

Pull up UMass’s schedule and take a look at who they’ve played and the scores of those games. You’ll be depressed too.

UMass lost to...

Rutgers 48-21

SIU 45-20

Charlotte 52-17

Costal Carolina 62-28

FIU 44-0

La Tech 69-21

UConn 56-35

Liberty 63-21

Army 63-7

Edit: Forgot the Alt Right Christian school.

 

[pnt16]

Stop reading this board.

Every team UMass played put up 45 points or more on them except Akron and FIU (FIU shutout UMass though). Nothing to be excited about with this game.

 

[DaCat]

What I thought was a little strange was we didn't give Marty or abby other QB any passing attempts. With a decent lead, why not work on the passing game? I hope it wasn't because we worried about hurting the opponents' feelings. It's a great chance to give your backup some live game experience, maybe it'll help in upcoming games. Just a disappointing approach to the game.

 

[phatcat]

UMass lost to...

Rutgers 48-21

SIU 45-20

Charlotte 52-17

Costal Carolina 62-28

FIU 44-0

La Tech 69-21

UConn 56-35

Army 63-7

You left out that Liberty crushed them

 

[corbi296]

Every team UMass played put up 45 points or more on them except Akron and FIU (FIU shutout UMass though). Nothing to be excited about with this game.

Who said we should be excited? I certainly don’t think anyone should be depressed either. The score was about what was expected and seems to about right for NU when compared to the margins of UMASS’s other games. We are 2-8, what did you expect to see today? We are just not a very good football team right now but there were some positive things that came out of today’s game. You can choose to focus on the positives or you can choose to rehash all the weaknesses we know are there from what we’ve already seen this year. I choose to focus on the positives.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

A win. Hull looked good but might be a function of the opposition.

Offensive performance and playcalling still putrid. Great that Hull juked or outran a dreadful defense. And throwing every pass to Lees? He's great, but how about trying to develop anyone else.

Smith: A turnover machine. Just not acceptable nor consistent with Fitz's model to preach winning the turnover battle. The cupboard must truly be bare (absent whatever is or isn't happening with HJ) if he continues to get the reps despite these mistakes.

We have zero passing game. Did we even attempt a pass to the SB? McCall won’t even risk a throw over the middle. Against the worst P5 D - 7 completions. All to the same guy. Our freshman WR’s could play and not get open too, it wouldn’t make us worse.

I thought I would feel really good with a 39 point victory. However, I just can’t see how we score a TD on offense the rest of the year.

 

[pnt16]

Who said we should be excited? I certainly don’t think anyone should be depressed either. The score was about what was expected and seems to about right for NU when compared to the margins of UMASS’s other games. We are 2-8, what did you expect to see today? We are just not a very good football team right now but there were some positive things that came out of today’s game. You can choose to focus on the positives or you can choose to rehash all the weaknesses we know are there from what we’ve already seen this year. I choose to focus on the positives.

I'd argue there were no positives... Northwestern is a B1G team. UMass is arguably one of the worst FBS teams of the last decade.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Who said we should be excited? I certainly don’t think anyone should be depressed either. The score was about what was expected and seems to about right for NU when compared to the margins of UMASS’s other games. We are 2-8, what did you expect to see today? We are just not a very good football team right now but there were some positive things that came out of today’s game. You can choose to focus on the positives or you can choose to rehash all the weaknesses we know are there from what we’ve already seen this year. I choose to focus on the positives.

I expected to see a forward pass. A QB that uses the game to gain confidence. Over 100 yards in the air. Great game to get timing down and give a youngster of two some reps at WR. Something to give us hope for next year on offense.

 

[corbi296]

I'd argue there were no positives... Northwestern is a B1G team. UMass is arguably one of the worst FBS teams of the last decade.

That’s where you are wrong. Our true freshman RB got a lot of game reps and showed quite a bit today. Our starting OL played another solid, clean game. The offense is starting to develop an identity as a physical, run oriented football team which is the identity Fitz wants them to develop. Several backups and freshman gained valuable game experience. Those are all positives to take from this game. You have to crawl before you can walk and before you can run. Using this momentum to get a Big Ten win this year would be huge for this team’s attitude as it goes into a critical offseason.

 

[SmellyCat]

Smith: A turnover machine. Just not acceptable nor consistent with Fitz's model to preach winning the turnover battle. The cupboard must truly be bare (absent whatever is or isn't happening with HJ) if he continues to get the reps despite these mistakes.

Drake Anderson puts the ball on the ground once and we never hear from him again, even in garbage time (though Hull certainly deserved the majority of carries on the day), yet Smith is even more careless and is still the starter. Will someone else start against Minnesota?

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Drake Anderson puts the ball on the ground once and we never hear from him again, even in garbage time (though Hull certainly deserved the majority of carries on the day), yet Smith is even more careless and is still the starter. Will someone else start against Minnesota?

Yeah, players make mistakes and don’t hear from them again. I wish Fitz had the same lack of tolerance for bonehead coaching as well.

 

[DaCat]

That’s where you are wrong. Our true freshman RB got a lot of game reps and showed quite a bit today. Our starting OL played another solid, clean game. The offense is starting to develop an identity as a physical, run oriented football team which is the identity Fitz wants them to develop. Several backups and freshman gained valuable game experience. Those are all positives to take from this game. You have to crawl before you can walk and before you can run. Using this momentum to get a Big Ten win this year would be huge for this team’s attitude as it goes into a critical offseason.

So no concerns about how we started the game? We open the game with a 3-and-out against the worst defense in the country. Next series, we get picked. Down 3-0 at this point. The 3rd drive ends with another pick on a horribly underthrown ball. QB Smith had plenty of time to set his feet and deliver the ball. Horrible read, horrible fundamentals on the throw, receiver and QB not the same page. Players need to execute, but coaches are not doing a good job.

Losing 3-0 end of 1st quarter. Think about that, shut out by the worst defense in the country.

 

[corbi296]

So no concerns about how we started the game? We open the game with a 3-and-out against the worst defense in the country. Next series, we get picked. Down 3-0 at this point. The 3rd drive ends with another pick on a horribly underthrown ball. QB Smith had plenty of time to set his feet and deliver the ball. Horrible read, horrible fundamentals on the throw, receiver and QB not the same page. Players need to execute, but coaches are not doing a good job.

Losing 3-0 end of 1st quarter. Think about that, shut out by the worst defense in the country.

Maybe I am not expressing myself very well. Where did I say I didn’t have any concerns or that I was excited about what i saw today? I responded to a post which said there was nothing positive to take from today’s game. I disagreed and listed the positives I saw. Like I said, I choose to focus on the positives rather than rehash the negatives over and over again like some of you guys do. Let’s get real, We are 2-8 and not a very good football team this year. Did you guys honestly think all of our problems would magically disappear today?

 

[gocatsgo2003]

That’s where you are wrong. Our true freshman RB got a lot of game reps and showed quite a bit today. Our starting OL played another solid, clean game. The offense is starting to develop an identity as a physical, run oriented football team which is the identity Fitz wants them to develop. Several backups and freshman gained valuable game experience. Those are all positives to take from this game. You have to crawl before you can walk and before you can run. Using this momentum to get a Big Ten win this year would be huge for this team’s attitude as it goes into a critical offseason.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Per the BTN, UMass traveled something like 43 scholarship players. They simply couldn’t physically hang for four quarters, especially after we essentially abandoned the pass game about halfway through the second quarter.

 

[corbi296]

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Per the BTN, UMass traveled something like 43 scholarship players. They simply couldn’t physically hang for four quarters, especially after we essentially abandoned the pass game about halfway through the second quarter.

Who is getting ahead of themselves? I am perfectly aware of the competition we were facing today. We did some good things against bad competition today. You have to prove that to yourself before you can do some good things against good competition.

 

[PlayStrongPlayProud]

Who is getting ahead of themselves? I am perfectly aware of the competition we were facing today. We did some good things against bad competition today. You have to prove that to yourself before you can do some good things against good competition.

Lol. Just stop dude. You are starting to (if not already) embarrass yourself.

 

[stpaulcat]

What I thought was a little strange was we didn't give Marty or abby other QB any passing attempts. With a decent lead, why not work on the passing game? I hope it wasn't because we worried about hurting the opponents' feelings. It's a great chance to give your backup some live game experience, maybe it'll help in upcoming games. Just a disappointing approach to the game.

We don't do passing with backups. It's like running into the butts of your linemen on the first play of every series. Set in stone.

 

[jensberg]

I don't think the o line played well at all. there were many many plays were they couldn't push the defense who was probably 40 to 50 lb lighter than they were.

 

[IGNORE]

That’s where you are wrong. Our true freshman RB got a lot of game reps and showed quite a bit today. Our starting OL played another solid, clean game. The offense is starting to develop an identity as a physical, run oriented football team which is the identity Fitz wants them to develop. Several backups and freshman gained valuable game experience. Those are all positives to take from this game. You have to crawl before you can walk and before you can run. Using this momentum to get a Big Ten win this year would be huge for this team’s attitude as it goes into a critical offseason.

I will agree w a corbi that going to the off-season has become critical.

 

[AtlantaCat]

Screw you.

While I said this derisively last week, I suggest you just go away for awhile. The Cats suck, few posters have anything good to say about the season or the Program, and your combativeness has worn thin.

 

[corbi296]

While I said this derisively last week, I suggest you just go away for awhile. The Cats suck, few posters have anything good to say about the season or the Program, and your combativeness has worn thin.

And I suggest you worry about yourself. Perhaps you and some of your buddies should take your own advice if all you can do is bitch and complain. I agree we suck and have said so repeatedly. Seasons like this happen to most programs to varying degrees and this season is our turn. We are all entitled to disagree on why we suck. What I will not do is engage in the ad nauseam weekly thrashing of the program and the coaching staff. If my unwillingness to join in on the weekly board hysteria pisses you and others off, that’s too damn bad. I prefer to look at the performance of the team this season for what I believe it is, an isolated anomaly in what to date has been an historic and steady rise of the football program under Pat Fitzgerald. The facts support this view regardless of what the haters on the board want to say.

 

[IGNORE]

While I said this derisively last week, I suggest you just go away for awhile. The Cats suck, few posters have anything good to say about the season or the Program, and your combativeness has worn thin.

Eventually he will have all the rational posters on IGNORE.

 

[Fitz51]

What I thought was a little strange was we didn't give Marty or abby other QB any passing attempts. With a decent lead, why not work on the passing game? I hope it wasn't because we worried about hurting the opponents' feelings. It's a great chance to give your backup some live game experience, maybe it'll help in upcoming games. Just a disappointing approach to the game.

Because Fitz. You see big programs put in their backups all the time to show what they’ve got for the future. Not Fitz. Just hand off every time and be “respectful” or whatever.

 

[Fitz51]

Screw you.

I can’t see the original post to which you responded, but this doesn’t seem called for.

 

[DaCat]

This game was disconcerting because we scored 0 points in the first quarter and 3 points in the 3rd quarter, unable to put any drives together. Aidan Smith looked awful most of the game. The offense is non-existent, except for some explosion runs by Hull. Just a sad display of offense.

 

[docrugby1]

Who said we should be excited? I certainly don’t think anyone should be depressed either. The score was about what was expected and seems to about right for NU when compared to the margins of UMASS’s other games. We are 2-8, what did you expect to see today? We are just not a very good football team right now but there were some positive things that came out of today’s game. You can choose to focus on the positives or you can choose to rehash all the weaknesses we know are there from what we’ve already seen this year. I choose to focus on the positives.

Enlighten us -the positives were ?

 

[FanatiCat]

Evan Hull was the positive, and the INTs. Had he not played, this would have been a nail biter. Our OL did well but as pointed out they had >50 lb weight advantage. Our D did their job after the 1st quarter but this is against like the second worst offense in FBS. I can't fault them too much because they have to practice against thee actual worst offense in FBS every day.

 

[freewillie07]

And I suggest you worry about yourself. Perhaps you and some of your buddies should take your own advice if all you can do is bitch and complain. I agree we suck and have said so repeatedly. Seasons like this happen to most programs to varying degrees and this season is our turn. We are all entitled to disagree on why we suck. What I will not do is engage in the ad nauseam weekly thrashing of the program and the coaching staff. If my unwillingness to join in on the weekly board hysteria pisses you and others off, that’s too damn bad. I prefer to look at the performance of the team this season for what I believe it is, an isolated anomaly in what to date has been an historic and steady rise of the football program under Pat Fitzgerald. The facts support this view regardless of what the haters on the board want to say.

Why do you think the team is bad this year? I assume injuries and one-man breakdowns? Not, perhaps, the inability and/or unwillingness of the coaching staff to adapt the offense to the best QB recruit in school history, and/or have a guy who has been here for 4 years develop into a capable backup?

 

[Hungry Jack]

I think that even really bad teams will put together one unicorn game during the season and play well enough to pull off an upset. I don’t see that happening with this team.

 

[Deeringfish]

Evan Hull was the positive, and the INTs. Had he not played, this would have been a nail biter. Our OL did well but as pointed out they had >50 lb weight advantage. Our D did their job after the 1st quarter but this is against like the second worst offense in FBS. I can't fault them too much because they have to practice against thee actual worst offense in FBS every day.

The OL finally after a few quarters dominated basically a really good High School line. That is all.

 

[corbi296]

I can’t see the original post to which you responded, but this doesn’t seem called for.

I assume you can't read it because you have that person on Ignore? That should say something. I did read the post and I do think it's called for. I have no problem with vehement disagreement of opinion but what I do have a problem with is people trying to mute other posters just because they don't like their opinions. That's not going to fly with me.