Game Thread: Northwestern vs. Wisconsin

[DaCat]

Lausch needs to sit the rest of the game. Unpardonable mistakes.

 

[jensberg]

Safety...blow out time

 

[stpaulcat]

How soon before ECat calls for a firing?

 

[MCC_Cat]

Cannot fault the defense at all today. The offense is a massive **** show, it begins at the top and goes down to the players.

Injuries have hurt but self inflicted wounds everywhere.

 

[jensberg]

Injuries have hurt but self inflicted wounds everywhere.

Why not try Wright? Of course too late now, game over.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Why not try Wright? Of course too late now, game over.

Coaches change QBs as reluctantly as I change my socks.

Lausch might improve but he's inconsistent as hell in execution and decisions.

Wright may as well redshirt

 

[corbi2961]

Lausch needs to sit the rest of the game. Unpardonable mistakes.

Lausch is the least of our problems on offense right now.

 

[jensberg]

Lausch is the least of our problems on offense right now.

Agree. But he is one of our problems.

 

[mesacat]

Gotta try Wright, Helinski,lGray
Or anybody else with a pulse to maintain interest in a team that will go 4-8

 

[Fanaticat98]

Why not try Wright? Of course too late now, game over.

I am all about Lausch as QB of the future but he needed to come out after that safety. If the ball is the program then a safety is even worse than a turnover, it’s a turnover plus 2 points. He’s not going to get better playing like this and it’s only fair to let Wright play it out.

 

[stpaulcat]

Lausch is the least of our problems on offense right now.

I don't believe the issues are coaching, as much as lack of depth and personnel at too many positions. Some bonehead calls at critical points in the game, however. Recruiting will need to be stellar this off season. NU can still make a bowl. Need to beat Iowa, they are no Wisconsin.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

I am all about Lausch as QB of the future but he needed to come out after that safety. If the ball is the program then a safety is even worse than a turnover, it’s a turnover plus 2 points. He’s not going to get better playing like this and it’s only fair to let Wright play it out.

Fumble at the 5 yd line leads to a TD. Also a safety. Dreadful decisions and passes. When does 'respecting the football' fall on his broad shoulders.

My guess is that Wright is redshirting so he can actually play somewhere, and it's sink (not swim) with Lausch

 

[bringbacktherantboard]

All the breaks we got against Maryland are going against us now. Pretty brutal to still have zero.

We got plenty of breaks: turnovers with great field position, blocking our own FG. We shot ourselves in the foot with horrible decisions and squandered our breaks.

 

[stpaulcat]

Agree. But he is one of our problems.

I don't see him as a problem, just not the solution...yet.

 

[peatymeanis]

I am all about Lausch as QB of the future

Why would anyone think Lausch is the QB of the future

 

[corbi2961]

Why would anyone think Lausch is the QB of the future

Because we have eyes and a clue. Lausch will be very good next year. Not sure that will result in many wins for NU unless we are able to recruit 5-7 good offensive starters in the portal.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

I don't see him as a problem, just not the solution...yet.

He's too erratic or just can't perform against a defense with a pulse. Based on his work to date, he is probably the 20th best QB in the B1G. My guess is half the MAC teams have better QBs

He's not the only problem and it's not his fault that we have poopoo recruiting and we have to start a baseball player. But - QB play is so important in CFB that you simply must have competent QB play to have even a remote chance of success (see 2020 and 2023)

 

[peatymeanis]

Because we have eyes and a clue. Lausch will be very good next year. Not sure that will result in many wins for NU unless we are able to recruit 5-7 good offensive starters in the portal.

Then your eyes must be in the back of your head and the clue is hidden up your anus

 

[corbi2961]

Then your eyes must be in the back of your head and the clue is hidden up your anus

LOL, completely clueless.

 

[corbi2961]

He's too erratic or just can't perform against a defense with a pulse. Based on his work to date, he is probably the 20th best QB in the B1G. My guess is half the MAC teams have better QBs

He's not the only problem and it's not his fault that we have poopoo recruiting and we have to start a baseball player. But - QB play is so important in CFB that you simply must have competent QB play to have even a remote chance of success (see 2020 and 2023)

if you watched today’s game and concluded that we lost because of Lausch then you should just not bother watching games anymore and find something better to do with your time. He made a lot of mistakes today as young QBs tend to do but he had very little help from his teammates on offense and his coaches.

 

[AtlantaCat]

He's too erratic or just can't perform against a defense with a pulse. Based on his work to date, he is probably the 20th best QB in the B1G. My guess is half the MAC teams have better QBs

He's not the only problem and it's not his fault that we have poopoo recruiting and we have to start a baseball player. But - QB play is so important in CFB that you simply must have competent QB play to have even a remote chance of success (see 2020 and 2023)

Lausch had several gutsy, athletic runs. Otherwise, he really, really sucked, both as to judgment and execution, AND our OL was severely outmanned., AND our OC did him and the team no favors.

 

[NUCat320]

At some point, we’ll just expect these plays out of Lausch. But for now, they’re just exciting. He a goodie.

Jumped into this thread right after Lausch scrambled for 15 or so yards yards on a third and long, then Himon showed some spark and almost got another first, then Lausch broke the pocket and found Gordon downfield on the next play. Cats we’re down 7-0 at the time, looked like they were headed for a tie.

Didn’t see any other plays the rest of the game. Haven’t even seen the final, but I’m just really excited where this program is headed.

 

[DaCat]

I am all about Lausch as QB of the future but he needed to come out after that safety. If the ball is the program then a safety is even worse than a turnover, it’s a turnover plus 2 points. He’s not going to get better playing like this and it’s only fair to let Wright play it out.

Agree with you here. The reason given for Wright being benched in favor of Lausch was ball security. I don’t think we had a chance with Lausch in this game after his fumble and safety, he needed to be benched for the rest of this game.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Lausch had several gutsy, athletic runs.

Yes. But twice he had open ground for the first down after escaping pressure but elected to pass (both incomplete). I'm glad he wants to be a passer, not just a runner, but just get the first down.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

if you watched today’s game and concluded that we lost because of Lausch then you should just not bother watching games anymore and find something better to do with your time. He made a lot of mistakes today as young QBs tend to do but he had very little help from his teammates on offense and his coaches.

Let's agree there was a ton of (offensive and ST) blame to go around. Where we probably disagree is that you might think Lausch is (currently) a B1G QB. Might he be someday?Perhaps, but he's just a raw, inexperienced athlete now. Couple of drops today (not like Wash) but a lot missed passes.

He made several poor decisions and had poor execution that, let's say, Ramsey or Bryant would not have. And he's not a kid. This is his 3rd year of CFB.

In this day and age (and at my age) the future is now for QBs. Sullivan left, who's to say Lausch wouldn't if he gets better?

This isn't a condemnation of Lausch. It's about a program that's QB recruiting And development are so bad that a ND walk-on won the job and there appears no other option.

 

[DaCat]

For any QB, 9-24 and 82 yards passing is a bad day at the office, let alone fumbling at your own 1 yard line and also taking a sack for a safety.

 

[peatymeanis]

For any QB, 9-24 and 82 yards passing is a bad day at the office, let alone fumbling at your own 1 yard line and also taking a sack for a safety.

corbi looks at a line like that and gets excited

 

[Jaguar 88]

Well, definitely no bowling this year. All that is left is to guess how many wins the Cat's will end up with. 4? At this rate, we will be lucky to take out Purdue. We simply do not have the talent or the coaching to compete this season. I fear that these facts might be foreboding for the program's future.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Lausch is the least of our problems on offense right now.

I watched this game on like a 90 minute delay and didn’t jump in this chat, but Lausch was a Colteresque positive with his legs but a real miss through the air today. He receivers share some blame, as well as the line, but he missed too many throws including some that were a rare opportunity to score when the game was close. He needs to be better, as does everybody on offense who isn’t Can Porter and maybe Bryce Kirtz (Thomas Gordon finally brought his good game today too, worth saying).

 

[corbi2961]

I watched this game on like a 90 minute delay and didn’t jump in this chat, but Lausch was a Colteresque positive with his legs but a real miss through the air today. He receivers share some blame, as well as the line, but he missed too many throws including some that were a rare opportunity to score when the game was close. He needs to be better, as does everybody on offense who isn’t Can Porter and maybe Bryce Kirtz (Thomas Gordon finally brought his good game today too, worth saying).

Launch was not very good today. He missed on some plays that he could have made. The one glaring miss for me was the missed TD pass to a wide open Kirtz on a crosser in the Wisconsin red zone. I believe we got 3 on that drive but should have been 7. Conversely he made some plays with his legs without any help whatsoever and had some pretty good throws that could have been caught. He had a really nice deep throw to Kurtz off his fingertips that would have been a tough catch but one he probably should have made. Also Gordon dropped an easy one that probably killed another drive not to mention the OL play being the worst it has been all season. Definitely a step back from what we saw at Maryland but that’s what happens when you play a much better opponent, have your 2nd best WR out for most of the game and play essentially three first time starters on the interior for most of the game.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Launch was not very good today. He missed on some plays that he could have made. The one glaring miss for me was the missed TD pass to a wide open Kirtz on a crosser in the Wisconsin red zone. I believe we got 3 on that drive but should have been 7. Conversely he made some plays with his legs without any help whatsoever and had some pretty good throws that could have been caught. He had a really nice deep throw to Kurtz off his fingertips that would have been a tough catch but one he probably should have made. Also Gordon dropped an easy one that probably killed another drive not to mention the OL play being the worst it has been all season. Definitely a step back from what we saw at Maryland but that’s what happens when you play a much better opponent, have your 2nd best WR out for most of the game and play essentially three first time starters on the interior for most of the game.

I agree with all this basically. The Kirtz miss in the end zone resulted in the blocked FG. That was right after the bad FG attempt decision that was followed by Wisconsin going down and scoring. Huge swing of points in that series from a few decisions and executions here and there. Could easily have been 10-7 or 10-0 at halftime in our favor, but that’s what happened when you have a young QB with no offensive margin for error.