SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
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- The Western Michigan Broncos are well-named. Playing them is like trying to stay on a bucking bronco, expect you have to do it, not for 8 seconds but for 60 minutes. Last year we blew out to a 34-7 lead, gave up three unanswered touchdowns and had to win a 55-42 shoot-out. Today it was a 21-0 lead, which shrank to 38-33 before we made the plays to nail it down. I like exciting games but I prefer that most of the excitement come when we have the ball.
- Where would we have been if D’Wayne Eskeridge hadn’t gone down early? Dino Babers said after the game that he wished we had the players in the skill positions that western Michigan has. I don’t disagree. I just have ask: is that the way it should be? We’re back at their place next year and they come back here in 2023. It’s a game where they’ll get a lot more credit for beating us than we will for beating them. Why are we doing this to ourselves?
- In our last three games we have given up an average of 606 yards and 46 points. We were facing pretty potent offensive teams and the defense also made some big plays but we simply can’t keep up giving such numbers and have the kind of season we want to have.
- We also can’t have two turnovers, (and almost a couple more), 11 penalties for 103 yards, a sack that took us out of field goal range after recovering a fumble deep in enemy territory, a three and our when two penalties give us the ball on the 50 yard line on a kickoff, etc. etc.
- Look at our second possession: Nykeim Johnson takes a shovel pass and runs wide. Moe Neal whiffs on his block and Nykeim is shoved out of bounds for a one yard loss. Taj Harris gets a bubble screen to the other side but his lone blocker also whiffs. He manages to fight forward for five yards. Harris runs a curl pattern to the center of the field, stops short of the marker, turns and catches the ball but is immediately tackled a yard short of the first down. Three and out and we have to punt from our 24. Little things are big things.
- Taj Harris made and Odel Beckham-like one handed catch. Too bad he was a couple of steps out of bounds when he made it. What I want to see if for him to make the routine catches in bounds, including the big one he dropped last week.
- Tommy had a great game but he still needs to develop a better pocket sense. On a key sack he ran away from the pressure rather than stepping up and letting it go by him. Jon Wassink put on a clinic on how to avoid a rush and make a play. But then he’s a senior. Tommy’s still a sophomore.
- I wish we could figure out how to block for kick-off returns. The holes don’t open up and the first guy always gets our returner.
- Antwan Cordy got hurt again. It was touching when Dino ran across the field and put his hand on Antwan gently to reassure him. I hope Antwan is OK. I also hope that when he comes back he takes better angles when closing on a play. He whiffed on Wassink in the red zone and let Bellamy get by him on that 47 yarder that got them on the board. But for now, just heal up, Antwan.
- We know we’ve got a good kicking game. Do we have a good offense? Maybe. Do we have a good defense? Hard to tell. Do we have a good team? Stay tuned.
- Where would we have been if D’Wayne Eskeridge hadn’t gone down early? Dino Babers said after the game that he wished we had the players in the skill positions that western Michigan has. I don’t disagree. I just have ask: is that the way it should be? We’re back at their place next year and they come back here in 2023. It’s a game where they’ll get a lot more credit for beating us than we will for beating them. Why are we doing this to ourselves?
- In our last three games we have given up an average of 606 yards and 46 points. We were facing pretty potent offensive teams and the defense also made some big plays but we simply can’t keep up giving such numbers and have the kind of season we want to have.
- We also can’t have two turnovers, (and almost a couple more), 11 penalties for 103 yards, a sack that took us out of field goal range after recovering a fumble deep in enemy territory, a three and our when two penalties give us the ball on the 50 yard line on a kickoff, etc. etc.
- Look at our second possession: Nykeim Johnson takes a shovel pass and runs wide. Moe Neal whiffs on his block and Nykeim is shoved out of bounds for a one yard loss. Taj Harris gets a bubble screen to the other side but his lone blocker also whiffs. He manages to fight forward for five yards. Harris runs a curl pattern to the center of the field, stops short of the marker, turns and catches the ball but is immediately tackled a yard short of the first down. Three and out and we have to punt from our 24. Little things are big things.
- Taj Harris made and Odel Beckham-like one handed catch. Too bad he was a couple of steps out of bounds when he made it. What I want to see if for him to make the routine catches in bounds, including the big one he dropped last week.
- Tommy had a great game but he still needs to develop a better pocket sense. On a key sack he ran away from the pressure rather than stepping up and letting it go by him. Jon Wassink put on a clinic on how to avoid a rush and make a play. But then he’s a senior. Tommy’s still a sophomore.
- I wish we could figure out how to block for kick-off returns. The holes don’t open up and the first guy always gets our returner.
- Antwan Cordy got hurt again. It was touching when Dino ran across the field and put his hand on Antwan gently to reassure him. I hope Antwan is OK. I also hope that when he comes back he takes better angles when closing on a play. He whiffed on Wassink in the red zone and let Bellamy get by him on that 47 yarder that got them on the board. But for now, just heal up, Antwan.
- We know we’ve got a good kicking game. Do we have a good offense? Maybe. Do we have a good defense? Hard to tell. Do we have a good team? Stay tuned.
