Opportunity

[Finwad32]

Opportunity for 2-0 today, day at the office. Get in there, take care of business and move on.

Start to prepare for a big early season tilt. Two tempo teams in the Carrier Dome week 3. It’s going to be hyper fast, and hyper entertaining.

First things first, handle business and put yourself in a place with an opportunity for 3-0 at home.

Exciting stuff.

 

[HtownOrange]

Agree. Take care of business. This should be a vanilla game in terms of new plays. ED should get an early lead, build it up and step aside getting all players on the field for experience.

There should be no let up from the 1s, the 2s should get extensive work and should not let up. The bench should be cleared with nearly everyone getting tie on the field, if not all.

I will be disappointed if the team lets up and Wagner is in this game at the half. The staff has no excuse not to keep the team focused after last week's let down.*

I would like to ED's stats padded a bit towards passing, less runs (no need to get risky, though a few runs to keep Wagner honest is acceptable). I want TD to get meaningful experience and show us what he can do. I expect receivers to step up for both ED and TD (as well as Rex and Chance - gotta love the name, just give Chance a chance). I expect the running game to produce 300 yards without ED running 200. I expect the D to look much better and more effective.


*For the record, I don't blame the let down on TD, the whole team seemed to take the stance that because ED stepped off the field, the game was over and they didn't need to play the game. This attitude flues in the face of everything HCDB has done since he arrived: Never let up, you are in every game until you check out (massive injuries and no bench excepted). We are I year three of HCDB, we have his players on the field as 1s and/or 2s. The bench is deeper than anything he has had to work with since he got here and we know what he can do with undersized, under speed, and no depth teams (VATech, Clemson, hanging with top 25 teams to the end).

 

[SoBristol]

…….
*For the record, I don't blame the let down on TD, the whole team seemed to take the stance that because ED stepped off the field, the game was over and they didn't need to play the game. This attitude flues in the face of everything HCDB has done since he arrived: Never let up....

I agree with most of your post, but this theory that the team as a whole "let up" once TD was subbed in does not hold up. WMU scored 3 TDs on 2 or 3 play drives by getting the ball to their fast skill players. On the passes, our safeties got beat -- plain and simple. Speed kills. We did not get outrun because our guys weren't trying. On offense, we saw some mistakes, a fumble, & missed blocks combined with a few shaky plays by TD (the trip on Servais's foot, as one example). Was that the result of lack of intensity? And then the offense did not have Dungey to pull out the big play that overcomes the usual bad stuff.

 

[NateW]

I would like to ED's stats padded a bit towards passing, less runs (no need to get risky, though a few runs to keep Wagner honest is acceptable).

Agree with this!

The least possible wear and tear on Dungey today is huge. Let him throw and hope the oline can keep him clean all day.

 

[tbonezone]

final score doesn't matter today. ( unless of course we crash)
what does matter most is that you play a full 4 quarters of smart, skilled and fundamentally solid football.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I agree with most of your post, but this theory that the team as a whole "let up" once TD was subbed in does not hold up. WMU scored 3 TDs on 2 or 3 play drives by getting the ball to their fast skill players. On the passes, our safeties got beat -- plain and simple. Speed kills. We did not get outrun because our guys weren't trying. On offense, we saw some mistakes, a fumble, & missed blocks combined with a few shaky plays by TD (the trip on Servais's foot, as one example). Was that the result of lack of intensity? And then the offense did not have Dungey to pull out the big play that overcomes the usual bad stuff.

Certainly the offensive line relaxed, because suddenly there were no more holes to run through. That wasn't just a tactical adjustment by WMU.

 

[Chip]

It's primarily because of scheduling, but crazy to think we've only started 2-0 three times this century. 2011, 2014, 2015.

Pretty sure we haven't been 4-0 since 1991.

 

[tbonezone]

Certainly the offensive line relaxed, because suddenly there were no more holes to run through. That wasn't just a tactical adjustment by WMU.

the o-line doesn't relax becuz of who's behind you. it's who's in front of you that gets your immediate attention.

 

[SoBristol]

Certainly the offensive line relaxed, because suddenly there were no more holes to run through. That wasn't just a tactical adjustment by WMU.

I doubt any of our OL (or the OL coach) would agree that they relaxed. You can't just take the result (no hole for the RB) and infer the OL relaxed.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I doubt any of our OL (or the OL coach) would agree that they relaxed. You can't just take the result (no hole for the RB) and infer the OL relaxed.

I played football. When you're ahead 34-7 and they bring in the back-up QB, you relax.

 

[IthacaMatt]

It's primarily because of scheduling, but crazy to think we've only started 2-0 three times this century. 2011, 2014, 2015.

Pretty sure we haven't been 4-0 since 1991.

Yeah, as great as those McNabb teams were, there was always an unexpected loss early in the season.

 

[CA Monk]

Wet Blanket Alert:
Gotta say I'm steeling myself for defensive deficiencies agianst ACC competition. I know it's early, but Michigan is shutting out WMU. Speed didn't bother them. We didn't come close. We've lost Bennett and Franklin and don't seem to have a vocal leader to promote cohesion. Maybe a guy who'll hold a players only meeting. This isn't about finger pointing (I love theses guys and the program), it's more observational. Whitner and Guthrie arent likely to get it done with regularity and dynamism. Robinson has talent, but it seems limited to certain plays and less against the running game.
I say (just based on my visceral feelings) push the panic button now. Which means playing the Freshmen and RFr. See who's a gamer and get some kind of a coalescing theme to this defense.
I know they're doing all they can, but sometimes you just have to really shake things up. Hope I'm proven wrong and these guys can mature and become a stout D. They could, but I just don't see them staying W/FSU's speed. If they do then well, well, well. What have we here. If they don't, then (insert swear word here).
They've got to recruit studs on D. I know. It's hard stuff when you've been down so long. I'm really counting on Trill and maybe Wallace and Caleb to shine - and soon.
Again I'm no expert beyond watching football for decades, I just think they've got to screw the system and get after people otherwise they'll be giving up 50 pts a game. Don't be so system oriented and just cover guys. And blitz more, or at least some.
It's early. I'm excited and I'm so rooting for these guys. They can do it and I hope they do. I just don't think they should play it safe with average upperclassmen and unmotivated starters.
Babers is the man to do it and I'm all in on him, but the D needs to find themselves like 4 Wheel Drive did.

 

[MGDCuse]

Wet Blanket Alert:
Gotta say I'm steeling myself for defensive deficiencies agianst ACC competition. I know it's early, but Michigan is shutting out WMU. Speed didn't bother them. We didn't come close. We've lost Bennett and Franklin and don't seem to have a vocal leader to promote cohesion. Maybe a guy who'll hold a players only meeting. This isn't about finger pointing (I love theses guys and the program), it's more observational. Whitner and Guthrie arent likely to get it done with regularity and dynamism. Robinson has talent, but it seems limited to certain plays and less against the running game.
I say (just based on my visceral feelings) push the panic button now. Which means playing the Freshmen and RFr. See who's a gamer and get some kind of a coalescing theme to this defense.
I know they're doing all they can, but sometimes you just have to really shake things up. Hope I'm proven wrong and these guys can mature and become a stout D. They could, but I just don't see them staying W/FSU's speed. If they do then well, well, well. What have we here. If they don't, then (insert swear word here).
They've got to recruit studs on D. I know. It's hard stuff when you've been down so long. I'm really counting on Trill and maybe Wallace and Caleb to shine - and soon.
Again I'm no expert beyond watching football for decades, I just think they've got to screw the system and get after people otherwise they'll be giving up 50 pts a game. Don't be so system oriented and just cover guys. And blitz more, or at least some.
It's early. I'm excited and I'm so rooting for these guys. They can do it and I hope they do. I just don't think they should play it safe with average upperclassmen and unmotivated starters.
Babers is the man to do it and I'm all in on him, but the D needs to find themselves like 4 Wheel Drive did.

I think if we had left our starters in through the the first drive of the 3rd quarter like we did today, there probably wouldn't have been as big a lull in our performance. Michigan is also loaded with top notch talent, coming off a loss in a rivalry game, and they had film from our game to help them prepare. They are much better than they showed against ND. Especially on D.