11/8 WIU @ South Dakota

WIU0812 · Wed Nov 05, 2014 4:41 pm

I know most of us would like to forget this, but it is still football season and though our team has gotten off to a rocky start with a lot of heartbreaking losses and tough play. We have a chance to start now after injuries and suspensions to let young kids gain experience and with a lot of luck we go 6-6 though I think it is much more likely to see us go 4-8 or 5-7 since the latest string of arrests due to poor decisions. If they want any chance of doing something that has not happened in years, going .500 in a season, they will need to start this weekend and have a big win. Our offense better be on fire since our defense will be weak.

rocki · Wed Nov 05, 2014 4:48 pm

True, but these kids need game-time experience so it might as well come now.

I realize there are seniors on the team, but it seems that now is the time to start building toward next year. At least we can hope for the 2-deeps to get some foundation to start next year's campaign on.

Bring on the rookies!

WIU0812 · Wed Nov 05, 2014 4:54 pm

Speaking of rookies I have been a bit concerned about our 2015 recruiting class as I have not seen any extremely notable recruits and those who have a lot of hype about them being offered. Typically you will see a few offers even if they are a long shot to kids who are local area and have great talent, but I am just not seeing that. I do see continued recruiting each week as new offers appear all the time, but just not to players who are being even in the low rank of rivals which ranks tons of players, way more than ESPN. Still looking for someone good to appear out of this and be the next freshman all star.

wiu712 · Wed Nov 05, 2014 6:32 pm

Since this game is being televised by Midco Sports Network, there's a good chance that it will be available via First Row Sports.

WIU0812 · Thu Nov 06, 2014 8:28 am

Below is the article about Brett Taylor starting this week. Anyone know if JJ went to the local hospital for his elbow surgery or if he is going else where to have this performed?

http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/article/2 ... 6/?Start=2

wiu712 · Thu Nov 06, 2014 9:01 am

Declining football attendance seems to be a continuing problem for a lot of schools.

The attendance for the Northern Illinois at Ball State game last night was a very disappointing 6,642. This game was televised on ESPN2.

WIU0812 · Thu Nov 06, 2014 9:26 am

Ball State is in the same boat as us @ 3-6, hard to get fans excited on a cold night when you have most likely lost the chance to go to playoffs and have been playing bad football. It is a ongoing issue even for good teams though so not a great excuse, but I can say that I am way less excited about WIU football compared to say 1 month ago.

rocki · Thu Nov 06, 2014 9:53 am

WIU0812 wrote:Ball State is in the same boat as us @ 3-6, hard to get fans excited on a cold night when you have most likely lost the chance to go to playoffs and have been playing bad football. It is a ongoing issue even for good teams though so not a great excuse, but I can say that I am way less excited about WIU football compared to say 1 month ago.

Not to hijack this thread, but since the subject of declining attendance has come up again I figured I'd ask this.

Particularly with underclassmen, do they feel "invested" in the team? I realize you have kids coming from large high schools, but you also have kids coming from small/er schools who wouldn't have thought of missing a football game on Friday nights. One difference I can see? They knew the kids playing. They had classes with them, hung out with them, and were in other clubs/groups with them. I am well aware that college is a whole 'nother thing, just given the size of campus, the fact that not everyone has classes together, and the rigors of college ball. Still, if there was something that made them feel like it was THEIR team, and not just a bunch of names it might make attendance better. Winning always helps, but I personally know kids that rabidly followed their 0-9 high school teams because it was their "boys of fall". You have to build the loyalty when they first start, though, or they'll lose interest (see the upperclassmen the past few years).

Just my thoughts on it.

sealhall74 · Fri Nov 07, 2014 7:03 am

wiu712 wrote:Declining football attendance seems to be a continuing problem for a lot of schools.

The attendance for the Northern Illinois at Ball State game last night was a very disappointing 6,642. This game was televised on ESPN2.

ESPN does a horrendous job when it comes to finding good closeup shots of fans in the stands. Fear of showing too many empty seats has a lot to do with it no doubt but I am growing tired of the same old shots of a bunch of crazy costumed students who have been well-coached by the ESPN staff about what to do and when to do it. They need to shift gears every now and then and go with some closeup "Ward Cleaver" family shots (i.e. the good ol' Dad who pays his hard-earned dollars to park his car and get his family into the gate to enjoy a game while chowing down on some popcorn and hot dogs). Those are the guys who deserve 15 seconds of fame.

ESPN will not be in Vermillion, SD this week and it does not bother me one bit.

WIU 27
USD 20

Western_101 · Fri Nov 07, 2014 3:24 pm

SealHall is displeased that the "Ward Cleavers" of the World aren't getting on ESPN.

That is all.