Leatherneck Nation

So what do we get out of early bye?

is it PRO or CON?

I know I usually like it later in the season, but to look at the bright side, this might help us out in being more ready to take on NIU.

I'm not really familiar with them, but have read on message boards that they apparently are having a rough time of it. This early bye might help us have a chance at a 3-0 start. That's not a bad thing, obviously.

But, we all know how tough the MVFC is.....a bye could be more beneficial when we get into those tough games.

So, it could be 6 of one, half dozen of the other. Since we don't have a choice, I'm going to look at it as a positive.

rocki wrote:I know I usually like it later in the season, but to look at the bright side, this might help us out in being more ready to take on NIU.

I'm not really familiar with them, but have read on message boards that they apparently are having a rough time of it. This early bye might help us have a chance at a 3-0 start. That's not a bad thing, obviously.

But, we all know how tough the MVFC is.....a bye could be more beneficial when we get into those tough games.

So, it could be 6 of one, half dozen of the other. Since we don't have a choice, I'm going to look at it as a positive.

Regarding NIU, I'll get into much more detail (as I usually do) after their game this weekend against San Diego State, but essentially, they were pretty bad for quite a while (back in the '90s and early '00s, when we won 3 straight against them (in '96, '99, and '02). They brought in Jerry Kill (from SIU) who built up a "mid-major powerhouse" over the course of three years. Kill was hired away to Minnesota and Dave Doeren took over. He continued Kill's success for a couple of years and was hired away to NC State, at which point Rod Carey took over. After doing well for a few years with Kill and Doeren's players, things have started dropping off. They went from winning 11-12 games a season for 5 years in a row, to going 8-6 last year and now this year, they've lost a close game to a pretty bad Wyoming team and got demolished by a decent South Florida Team. They play a San Diego State team this weekend that is just outside the top 25 and will likely get blown out in their home opener. We will be the last chance for a non-conference win for them, but some NIU fans are actually rooting for us to win, thinking that if we do beat them, that will be the "last straw" that forces the AD to get rid of HC Carey. Massey Ratings currently lists them as about a 3 point favorite, but that could drop even more if they get destroyed by (the FBS) SDSU.

As for bye weeks, this season, I think the early bye does help us get our feet under us, stay healthy, and get in a bit of extra practice time. My one worry is that the guys start getting tired/sick/injured later in the season when it's "go time" every Saturday without a break until the season is over. Usually I think you want a bye week somewhere around the middle of the season, but the MVFC scheduling for last year, this year, and next year puts all of the conference games together without a break. That's pretty much how it is for everyone though:
MSU has a bye this week, like we do
NDSU, UNI, USD, SDSU, SIU and YSU all have theirs next weekend
the ISU's get theirs as the last weekend of the season, which means that likely, Indiana State's season just ends a week early with no "bye" during the season, although ISU gets a nice bit of a break before the playoffs, assuming they're in (they're playing like they will be at this point).
Next weekend, the only games going on in the conference are the ISUs playing each other, Missouri State at K-State, and us at Northern Illinois.

I like getting Jamie Gilmore more rest, ( I like that he got reps) I wonder if its a wake up call to FBS Transfers to see how FAST Valley football moves.

Credit, NDSU, WIU is 10 fold better now than 10 year ago and is better than 20 to 30 FBS programs, but that may or may not translate into a conference championship.

I wish we could go Sunbelt Football. so that we would have an easier go of it. No offence to Sunbelt, yeah probably offence to Sunbelt.

So sad for UNI though always the brides maid never the bride. Of course Im being a jerk but, crips, lets bring in two State Flagship schools/programs and then compete with that everybody in the MVFC got better to survive.

Welp I used the off week to do... absolutely nothing. Woke up at 10 AM and settled in to watch football all day. Now enjoying a whisky sour and some wings.

Iowa v NDSU- I saw it in person vs K-State in 2013, and I watched it today vs Iowa. These guys are like the Terminator when playing FBS teams. You can't kill them, and they just keep coming until you're dead. Physical, don't beat themselves, winners. Base Salary stat of the day:
NDSU Chris Klieman $366,000
Iowa Kirk Ferentz $4,500,000

NIU v SDSU- confirmed what the our team is seeing on film. Get to the second level, make a guy miss, run the ball all day. SDSU averaged over 6 ypc today while beating NIU 42-28. NIU is 0-3 and feeling some pressure next week to win against an FCS opponent?

USD vs UND in the Potato Bowl- Coach Nielson's troops cough up a 20 point lead and lose in 2OT. USD gave up two pick six, and the tackling was not impressive as the game wore on.

Eastern Illinois upsets #5 Illinois State (did not see this one). Makes our win look better, but hurts conference perception?

Bizarre ending of the day: UNI jumps to 24-7 lead at E Washington only to give it up and trail 28-27 in the 4th. UNI hits a wind aided 50 yard FG to take the lead with about 4-5 minutes left. EWU drives and sets up for game winning FG with 40 seconds left. They fake it and score a TD?!?!? Did not appear to be a bad snap, but intentional play call kicking against the wind. UNI then has about 30 seconds to work but on next snap UNI QB under duress shovels the ball to an OT who promptly fumbles it to EWU to end the game.

Picture in Picture has to be greatest invention ever.


Tom