The DeVito catharsis thread

[TheCusian]

Honestly, why wouldn't you watch? It's the first day of the new season. Personally, I'm going to flip between watching the Illini offense, and scouting UConn, while Illinois' defense is on the field.

Scouting UCONN might not take very long lol

 

[sufandu]

Exactly, he simply wasn't game smart...no clue about down and distance. How many time did he intentionally throw the ball out of bounds on 4th down?

Or throw a deep incompletion on 3rd and 5 when a guy was open 6 yards down field.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Honestly, why wouldn't you watch? It's the first day of the new season. Personally, I'm going to flip between watching the Illini offense, and scouting UConn, while Illinois' defense is on the field.

I mean, uh, enjoy the football, but that sounds... awful.

 

[cali315phan]

I am pretty sure everyone on this board did something when younger that you would like a "redo" on.(talking about his departure comments). By all accounts he was a good kid, it just didn't work out but he got injured trying to help our team during his time here. Wish him well and move on.

I certainly did some not so great things when I was 21. And I paid for it, and dealt with the backlash. I was still wrong, and had consequences. Wrong is wrong and in my opinion, as the captain, walking out on your team is wrong. It doesn't mean you didn't do "nice" things. But there's certain things in my book, that make me root against players in sports. Quitting on your team is one of them. Hope he "performs" just as well at Illinois as he did at Syracuse.

 

[rocklloyd]

Next week I’ll be golfing with a bunch of Chicago folks who are Illinois grads, can’t wait to get their take

 

[OrangeFoo]

Late to this thread… Devito has some of the best arm talent I’ve seen. He really showed it off in the UNC. His issues seemed to be in his head in that he couldn’t make multiple reads. While I think certainly a lot of the blame for his struggles go to Devito… a lot falls on Dino:
- he’s married to an offensive system that doesn’t work
- he can’t recruit the offensive talent needed to make his offensive system work
- his offensive system apparently only works if you have a QB who is willing to use his body as a battering ram… why would any nfl caliber qb want to play in an offense where he is guaranteed to get hurt?

I think Devito shocks the world and is drafted next year. BIG offenses tend to have good olines, athletes at receiver and actual pro style offenses. None of which Dino can claim to have.

 

[ECE '76]

- he’s married to an offensive system that doesn’t work
- he can’t recruit the offensive talent needed to make his offensive system work
- his offensive system apparently only works if you have a QB who is willing to use his body as a battering ram…

To be fair, Dino's offensive system worked at FCS Eastern Illinois, when he had an NFL QB who was not a battering ram (agreed he did not recruit him). His system seemed to work at MAC Bowling Green, again using players inherited from Dave Clawson's recruiting.

Agreed, his system did not work in the ACC. The big upsets he has were due to Eric Dungey aborting the called play and running for first downs.

That said, I am very excited to see if Anae can bring that BYU offense here.

 

[SURules]

To be fair, Dino's offensive system worked at FCS Eastern Illinois, when he had an NFL QB who was not a battering ram (agreed he did not recruit him). His system seemed to work at MAC Bowling Green, again using players inherited from Dave Clawson's recruiting.

Agreed, his system did not work in the ACC. The big upsets he has were due to Eric Dungey aborting the called play and running for first downs.

That said, I am very excited to see if Anae can bring that BYU offense here.

I think we have all but abandoned Dino’s signature offense starting this year.

 

[cali315phan]

Late to this thread… Devito has some of the best arm talent I’ve seen. He really showed it off in the UNC. His issues seemed to be in his head in that he couldn’t make multiple reads. While I think certainly a lot of the blame for his struggles go to Devito… a lot falls on Dino:
- he’s married to an offensive system that doesn’t work
- he can’t recruit the offensive talent needed to make his offensive system work
- his offensive system apparently only works if you have a QB who is willing to use his body as a battering ram… why would any nfl caliber qb want to play in an offense where he is guaranteed to get hurt?

I think Devito shocks the world and is drafted next year. BIG offenses tend to have good olines, athletes at receiver and actual pro style offenses. None of which Dino can claim to have.

Stuff about Dino is true. But Dino didn't run out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage for a loss on 4th and 3. Dino didn't lock in on one WR and if he wasn't open bail on the play. Dino didn't leave the pocket and immediately look for the soonest opportunity to throw it 20 yards out of bounds. Tommy has excellent arm talent and above average wheels of a college QB. Players make plays. Like Dungey did. Like Shrader did. Devito is not a player. He's a practicer.

 

[sdhall01]

I met him once. He was really nice to my nephew; he signed an autograph and everything. I wish him the absolute best.

 

[OrangeFoo]

Stuff about Dino is true. But Dino didn't run out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage for a loss on 4th and 3. Dino didn't lock in on one WR and if he wasn't open bail on the play. Dino didn't leave the pocket and immediately look for the soonest opportunity to throw it 20 yards out of bounds. Tommy has excellent arm talent and above average wheels of a college QB. Players make plays. Like Dungey did. Like Shrader did. Devito is not a player. He's a practicer.

I bet Devito would have been pretty successful in a more vertical focused, play action based, pro style offense with 2 wrs, tight ends and extra protection. Yet Dino tried to jam him into a horizontal, spread offense which played to the olines weaknesses and didn’t involve the tight end, to the point our good recruits at the position transferred and one where the most success was when the qb acted like a rib. That does not seem like an offense where someone like devito would be successful.

dino talks a big game on offense but can’t back it up with recruits or results and if Anae can’t fix that then Dino is gone

 

[cali315phan]

I bet Devito would have been pretty successful in a more vertical focused, play action based, pro style offense with 2 wrs, tight ends and extra protection. Yet Dino tried to jam him into a horizontal, spread offense which played to the olines weaknesses and didn’t involve the tight end, to the point our good recruits at the position transferred and one where the most success was when the qb acted like a rib. That does not seem like an offense where someone like devito would be successful.

dino talks a big game on offense but can’t back it up with recruits or results and if Anae can’t fix that then Dino is gone

Again, agree on all things Dino. Disagree on all things Devito. MAYBE he would have done better in a different offense. If his first target was open more, than sure. But again, you still have to make reads, and his ability to not lock in on one target and his in game awareness was non existent. He was accurate in Dino's system, if nothing else, what makes you think we could have ran a pro style offense with the recruits Syracuse gets? And what makes you think Devito would instantly play better? Outside of more tight end usage.

 

[UpstateSM]

Rooting for TD to fail is weirdo behavior

 

[djorange1989]

Scouting UCONN might not take very long lol

Yeah I already have a UCONN scouting report for everyone:

 

[SuFTW]

Late to this thread… Devito has some of the best arm talent I’ve seen. He really showed it off in the UNC. His issues seemed to be in his head in that he couldn’t make multiple reads. While I think certainly a lot of the blame for his struggles go to Devito… a lot falls on Dino:
- he’s married to an offensive system that doesn’t work
- he can’t recruit the offensive talent needed to make his offensive system work
- his offensive system apparently only works if you have a QB who is willing to use his body as a battering ram… why would any nfl caliber qb want to play in an offense where he is guaranteed to get hurt?

I think Devito shocks the world and is drafted next year. BIG offenses tend to have good olines, athletes at receiver and actual pro style offenses. None of which Dino can claim to have.

About this arm talent thing. Yes, Devito threw a beautiful ball with great spiral, but his accuracy in games was average or maybe slightly above, he couldn’t throw when moving or on the run and he couldn’t or wouldn’t thread tight windows. Unfortunately his pinnacle may have been the UNC game, and he could never really replicate it consistently.

 

[JRHEETER]

About this arm talent thing. Yes, Devito threw a beautiful ball with great spiral, but his accuracy in games was average or maybe slightly above, he couldn’t throw when moving or on the run and he couldn’t or wouldn’t thread tight windows. Unfortunately his pinnacle may have been the UNC game, and he could never really replicate it consistently.

His accuracy was average in games

During practice his accuracy was almost perfect. I believe that is what most people are referring too

 

[SuFTW]

His accuracy was average in games

During practice his accuracy was almost perfect. I believe that is what most people are referring too

Yes, I was trying to be being generous as far as his accuracy, but otherwise as far as “arm talent” I am not sure why people over use that term. I think it was also in part it was due to all Bailey’s hype articles and all the bragging by his Pop.

 

[Cusefan69]

I certainly did some not so great things when I was 21. And I paid for it, and dealt with the backlash. I was still wrong, and had consequences. Wrong is wrong and in my opinion, as the captain, walking out on your team is wrong. It doesn't mean you didn't do "nice" things. But there's certain things in my book, that make me root against players in sports. Quitting on your team is one of them. Hope he "performs" just as well at Illinois as he did at Syracuse.

Ehh. You are a fan and acting like he did something personal to you. His teammates likely harbor no bad will. When someone drops back, another steps in. To be clear I am former military and it's not like he was a coward in a war and left his platoon in a firefight. He was supplanted as the starter and Dino was not going to play him again. One might argue his departure allowed for ALL parties to move forward and be satisfied while minimizing disruption to the team. Hating on Devito seems like wasted energy...no need to be that kind of fan.

 

[cali315phan]

Ehh. You are a fan and acting like he did something personal to you. His teammates likely harbor no bad will. When someone drops back, another steps in. To be clear I am former military and it's not like he was a coward in a war and left his platoon in a firefight. He was supplanted as the starter and Dino was not going to play him again. One might argue his departure allowed for ALL parties to move forward and be satisfied while minimizing disruption to the team. Hating on Devito seems like wasted energy...no need to be that kind of fan.

All posting on a fan message board is technically wasted energy. It takes no more energy for me to say, "I hope he fails," than your response took. For me personally I don't care if you walk out on your platoon, walk out on your kids or walk out on your teammates. I think it's lame. I know people who ignore their older kids from a former relationship, but have new kids they're "Instagram perfect" with. I think that s*** is lame too, and they're not my daddy.

 

[rrlbees]

Rooting for TD to fail is weirdo behavior

Especially when half the things people are claiming are bogus. More people need to subscribe to PFF.

 

[capeorange]

I'm curious to see how he plays in a different system with different coaches.

Was it our system, coaching and players or Tommy's faults that have been more than adequately pointed out.

Time will tell but I'll be watching at least part of a game today that I normally would ignore.

 

[OburgOrange]

Especially when half the things people are claiming are bogus. More people need to subscribe to PFF.

PFF?

 

[Cusefan69]

All posting on a fan message board is technically wasted energy. It takes no more energy for me to say, "I hope he fails," than your response took. For me personally I don't care if you walk out on your platoon, walk out on your kids or walk out on your teammates. I think it's lame. I know people who ignore their older kids from a former relationship, but have new kids they're "Instagram perfect" with. I think that s*** is lame too, and they're not my daddy.

If his teammates don't feel like he walked out on them, why do you?

 

[pacusewife]

The most cathartic thing? Tommy throws an amazing touchdown pass and the camera pans to a drunk fan in the crowd, shirtless and wielding a sign that says "Told Ya So" or some Jersey equivalent but the "S"s are orange block S's. While showboating with the sign, said fan tumbles down a few rows but his fall is broken by some extra cheesy nachos and a pizza. The man is unharmed but the scene is embarrassing. So much so the Illi message board mods create a username for this man reflecting the event and the fan base grabs on. When he tries to own it, he is constantly reminded that there is no pride in the televised incident that occurred. Fans now constantly try to give him their food orders when they see him at games and everyone whispers and snickers when he walks by. ... hmm turns out its not Tommy I disliked.

 

[Orangejet]

What a start for TD.