Its Déjà vu all over again!

[Crusty]

The board reminds me of 2011, Ryan's second year as a starter. Many of us thought that team could win a BE Championship and go to a good bowl. The team had talent on both sides of the ball, a good staff and a few good skill players.

• We started out with an exciting OT 36-29 win over Wake Forest (great TD pass/catch Nassib to Chewey). Very exciting.
• Then, with everyone excited, we pull out a clunker vs Rhode Island 21-14.
• We're 2-0 headed to MetLife to face the Trojans. Everyone though we had an outside chance of an upset. We lose 17-38 but know we really did have a chance if we had not made so many mistakes.
• We then return to the Dome and win a game we really lost. A PAT in regulation that was clearly missed was called good even after the replay. ESPN played it 1,000 time to show we lucked out. We won in overtime 33-30 in the OT. 7 penalties for 75 yards.
• At this point we are counting our lucky stars being 3-1 and looking forward to Rutgers at home. The football gods decided to even things up. San San Te kicked a 47 yard FG in the second OT and then, as we were driving, Antwan Bailey fumbled and Rutgers recovered ending the game. Bailey appeared to be down on the replay but the ruling on the field "stands". We had 5 To's and Rutgers had 4. So many blown plays - a hard loss to swallow.
• We travel to Tulane and despite being -2 in TO's we pull out a squeaker 37-34. We clearly played down to the opponent in this one.
• Then THE GAME - we absolutely kill WVA in the dome 49-23 and we look like a top 25 team. We're 5-2.

At this point we are all saying to ourselves OK, the team is ready, we can win out and have a 10 win season - yeah!

No so fast my crusty friend.

We lose our last 5 and look even worse doing it.

This team has started out in a similar fashion in that we have talent on both sides of the ball and have a lot of experience, in fact the most experience in the ACC. We have a good staff and a few good skill players.

But we also have the same problems. A QB that looks great at times and terrible at times. A lack of focus that makes us error prone. An offense that at times looks very promising and then falls back into an uncoordinated mess (Oh, the humanity!). Our attacking defense will always give us agita as we live by the sword and die by the sword. That's OK with me.

Promise, promise, promise - my kingdom for a hero here and now!

 

[IHeartSUFball]

The board reminds me of 2011, Ryan's second year as a starter. Many of us thought that team could win a BE Championship and go to a good bowl. The team had talent on both sides of the ball, a good staff and a few good skill players. [*]We started out with an exciting OT 36-29 win over Wake Forest (great TD pass/catch Nassib to Chewey). Very exciting. [*]Then, with everyone excited, we pull out a clunker vs Rhode Island 21-14. [*]We're 2-0 headed to MetLife to face the Trojans. Everyone though we had an outside chance of an upset. We lose 17-38 but know we really did have a chance if we had not made so many mistakes. [*]We then return to the Dome and win a game we really lost. A PAT in regulation that was clearly missed was called good even after the replay. ESPN played it 1,000 time to show we lucked out. We won in overtime 33-30 in the OT. 7 penalties for 75 yards. [*]At this point we are counting our lucky stars being 3-1 and looking forward to Rutgers at home. The football gods decided to even things up. San San Te kicked a 47 yard FG in the second OT and then, as we were driving, Antwan Bailey fumbled and Rutgers recovered ending the game. Bailey appeared to be down on the replay but the ruling on the field "stands". We had 5 To's and Rutgers had 4. So many blown plays - a hard loss to swallow. [*]We travel to Tulane and despite being -2 in TO's we pull out a squeaker 37-34. We clearly played down to the opponent in this one. [*]Then THE GAME - we absolutely kill WVA in the dome 49-23 and we look like a top 25 team. We're 5-2. At this point we are all saying to ourselves OK, the team is ready, we can win out and have a 10 win season - yeah! No so fast my crusty friend. We lose our last 5 and look even worse doing it. This team has started out in a similar fashion in that we have talent on both sides of the ball and have a lot of experience, in fact the most experience in the ACC. We have a good staff and a few good skill players. But we also have the same problems. A QB that looks great at times and terrible at times. A lack of focus that makes us error prone. An offense that at times looks very promising and then falls back into an uncoordinated mess (Oh, the humanity!). Our attacking defense will always give us agita as we live by the sword and die by the sword. That's OK with me. Promise, promise, promise - my kingdom for a hero here and now!

thought we lost to NW at home then lost to USC to start 0-2 that year

 

[Crusty]

thought we lost to NW at home then lost to USC to start 0-2 that year

 

[SoBristol]

A couple of key differences vs that season.

The 2014 schedule is a lot more difficult, starting next week.

In 2011, in the five game losing streak, we had many key players (especially in the secondary) out or playing hurt. Not much depth at the all -- the team just got worn down.

We will have issues if we lose starters at LB or DB, but in many positions we have more depth than in 2011. We have more younger guys on the upswing (Custis, Franklin, Ishmael, Parris, Estime). We have a couple of others who are improving (Lewis and AAM, Hodge). It all depends on staying healthy and getting better.

 

[Cusejuicy]

This team and the play calling is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. Potentially they are all good but some are just not so good. You still have to love em. Over 500 yards of offense ain't half bad and without the drops, bad calls, mistakes, etc., it should be enough to win on most days. Keep the faith and pick another chocolate!

 

[CousCuse]

This is a good season to reexamine. A lot of fans don't realize how little upperclass depth this team had. Mostly freshman and sophs who got beat down by 5th year seniors , but that experience really helped in 2012 and 2013.

 

[retro44]

I was in Manley right after the WVU win and one of the staff members told me and my buddy(some here might know) that Marrone told him by the way the match ups were looking in the next few games we only match up decently with is UConn. I was stunned at the end of the year when the prediction was right on and that told me Marrone was a real study film whore who knew and understood all the match ups..

 

[ssbriefcase]

I'm sure I'll be corrected if needed, but I think that's the game where Marrone took the exact game plan from Tampa Bay? Straight from Gruden, from the horses mouth.

 

[OrangeTarheel]

The players focus in that WVU game was laser like ... we coul beat anyone with the performance they had that night.

 

[Crusty]

I'm sure I'll be corrected if needed, but I think that's the game where Marrone took the exact game plan from Tampa Bay? Straight from Gruden, from the horses mouth.

Had not heard that.

 

[ssbriefcase]

Yeah I was trying to think of the exact game. I believe it was WV. The next day Marrone says to my friend, "you like what we did, we took that from Grudens offense at Tampa bay ".

 

[rrlbees]

The board reminds me of 2011, Ryan's second year as a starter. Many of us thought that team could win a BE Championship and go to a good bowl. The team had talent on both sides of the ball, a good staff and a few good skill players. [*]We started out with an exciting OT 36-29 win over Wake Forest (great TD pass/catch Nassib to Chewey). Very exciting. [*]Then, with everyone excited, we pull out a clunker vs Rhode Island 21-14. [*]We're 2-0 headed to MetLife to face the Trojans. Everyone though we had an outside chance of an upset. We lose 17-38 but know we really did have a chance if we had not made so many mistakes. [*]We then return to the Dome and win a game we really lost. A PAT in regulation that was clearly missed was called good even after the replay. ESPN played it 1,000 time to show we lucked out. We won in overtime 33-30 in the OT. 7 penalties for 75 yards. [*]At this point we are counting our lucky stars being 3-1 and looking forward to Rutgers at home. The football gods decided to even things up. San San Te kicked a 47 yard FG in the second OT and then, as we were driving, Antwan Bailey fumbled and Rutgers recovered ending the game. Bailey appeared to be down on the replay but the ruling on the field "stands". We had 5 To's and Rutgers had 4. So many blown plays - a hard loss to swallow. [*]We travel to Tulane and despite being -2 in TO's we pull out a squeaker 37-34. We clearly played down to the opponent in this one. [*]Then THE GAME - we absolutely kill WVA in the dome 49-23 and we look like a top 25 team. We're 5-2. At this point we are all saying to ourselves OK, the team is ready, we can win out and have a 10 win season - yeah! No so fast my crusty friend. We lose our last 5 and look even worse doing it. This team has started out in a similar fashion in that we have talent on both sides of the ball and have a lot of experience, in fact the most experience in the ACC. We have a good staff and a few good skill players. But we also have the same problems. A QB that looks great at times and terrible at times. A lack of focus that makes us error prone. An offense that at times looks very promising and then falls back into an uncoordinated mess (Oh, the humanity!). Our attacking defense will always give us agita as we live by the sword and die by the sword. That's OK with me. Promise, promise, promise - my kingdom for a hero here and now!

Is that the year that TGD cost us a chance of beating USC by selling the win to MetLife and Marrone cost us the rutgirls game when he told his OL they couldn't get us 12 inches on 4th down and took the FG?

 

[retro44]

Yeah I was trying to think of the exact game. I believe it was WV. The next day Marrone says to my friend, "you like what we did, we took that from Grudens offense at Tampa bay ".

that was the game also where it cost Conley and Brumbough their jobs and almost Shafer's too. The defense was so screwed up that even WVU players were asking what the hell kind of defense they were running as they were coming off the field...Marrone was extremely pissed that defensive coaches couldn't work out the signals and coordinate them together. But Marrone was smart to realize that was working so he had them carry on for that game. From what I had heard is that he was screaming at them after words.