Agree. We fought to a 7-5 season last year and that was with Bryant for most of the season. Our run is harder this year with OSU and Mich, a stronger Illinois team, probably stronger Maryland team and an Indiana scoring machine that I don’t see us keeping up with. So if Indy, Mich and OSU are almost certain losses, we absolutely have to beat Maryland again, Purdue, then 2/3 of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois. Seems less likely than last year unless our OL gets healthier AND it just clicks for Lausch and/or Wright over the bye week.
Mostly on the other units, frankly. He held the ball too long on several occasions and this was his biggest sin. Damn near double digit drops, and exactly zero quality plays made by the WR/TEs. Hard to imagine Kirtz or Johnson grades out as anything other than an F when the game film is reviewed.
IU and Maryland look really good and unless we have a divine intervention with our quarterbacks, then both will be losses. Purdue is the only team that I think is beatable of the 4 you have listed. Wisconsin is a toss up and it all hinges on vast improvement on our part. Right now I think my alma mater of EMU can beat the Cats at this point.
If Cam Porter is badly injured then NU may finish 2-10.
There were a number of key drops, but he did look like Cole Freeman running around back there
Second INT definitely not on him. And without the drops everything looks a lot better. Not great but a lot better
He's not the answer. He came in briefly in the bowl game last season and did not look good. Wildly inaccurate throws, like bouncing passes five feet in front of receivers and launching them over their heads.
Correct.
I mean, it’s a Northwestern quarterback. After a long run of really-goodness we’re in a decade of putridity. Hopefully that can be shaken off.
Voila! Complementary football.
Agreed on the transfer comment but the Indiana powerhouse comment is comical. They’ve played no one of substance. Yeah, they’ve been the hell out of the teams they’ve played, and that’s a credit to them, but their QB is a 6th year guy. It’s not like he’s going to be there for 2 more years…
Just to put things in perspective regarding 2nd year starting quarterbacks, here are the stats for one of the few guys we’ve thrown into that position during the years I’ve been following the team.
Not great but a whole lot better. It would have kept drives going opening up other opportunities and keeping their O off the field and kept us in the game where anything could have happened
I hope you don't mean that this is acceptable. Those numbers would be Iowa bad. This was a dreadful performance at all levels by the offense. We will lose every single game in which the offense performs that poorly
I'm not a QB expert but I was at the game and Lausch seemed totally unable to complete passes that a decent QB could do.
Lausch obviously is not solely to blame for the poor performance by the offense, but his performance was absolutely not close to be being enough to win, and anyone who says otherwise has no feel for the game and lacks basic understanding of how important the play of the QB is. I haven’t given up on him yet, let’s see what the next few games look like.
It is his second start. For a seasoned pro it would not be but for a youngster in his second start in a hostile road environment with no running game, it would be reasonable. And if those passes had not been dropped, it would have kept our O on the field and probably given other opportunities that could have improved those numbers and put us in a position to win
It is his second start, his first road start, first conference start, had no running attack, OL losses. He has only been with the first team in practice for about 10-12 days. Definitely not used to the speed of the game at this level. Would we like to see the guy come in and be an immediate stud? Sure but that is not reality. Give him some time to get get the game to slow down for him.
If he doesn't improve and the season is lost, I would like to see Boe get some reps. This is on condition that Lausch's receivers actually start catching decently thrown balls on a consistent basis. Lausch wasn't the only one not performing out there.
First INT was because the receiver fell down (Henning, I think). Several guys slipped and fell on the field.
Cignetti coached three different QB’s to All-Conference honors his last three years at JMU. Now he has Roarke playing at a high level. He will have to decide if Tayven Jackson is ready to take over that team in 2025 or if he needs to go grab another QB in the portal. His offense is pretty dynamic and would attract a lot of guys. Dude can coach.
We've got a "get me the damn ball" type receivers in Henning and Kirtz, plus reliable TE's. Hopefully Lausch can flush the UW game and get the damn ball out on time and accurately.
I think the coaches are going to be patient with Lausch up to a certain point. And don’t take that as an indictment of our current QB room, especially Gray and Boe, both who obviously have even less experience than Lausch. We’re a developmental program, so the plan/hope is for a junior and senior year Lausch to be significantly improved over the 2-start sophomore Lausch who we saw yesterday.
Boe just got here. What about Gray? He has been here a year and don't think we have seen much of him. He was a guy that committed early and had better offers than Boe
Henning is fairly consistent but Kirtz has been pretty up and down this year
