SWC75
Bored Historian
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- Aug 26, 2011
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- Despite the second half heroics, I felt throughout the game that we were going to lose this. Even after we scored to make it 37-36, I started imagining one of those two point conversion reversals on the last play of the game, (I think we were the victim of the first ever such play vs. Pittsburgh back in 1990). Someday I’d like to spend a game thinking we are going to win rather than wondering how we will lose.
- We came into this game proud of our defense, which was ranked 26th in the country and 24th against the run. Our last three opponents, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Connecticut, had gained a total of 106 yards on the ground. But the Bulls stampeded over and around us for 369 yards rushing and 552 yards overall. One of the problems was our approach against BJ Daniels: it was the same approach we had vs. Tino Sunseri: Meet at the Quarterback!. Daniels simply sidestepped the rushers and was off to the races. I thought the plan was to surround him, covering all the gaps and then close in- keep him in the pocket and let him try to beat us there. We didn’t do that and paid for it. If Munchie Legoux, Teddy Bridgewater, James Franklin and Chris Coyer, (the remaining quarterbacks we will face- all mobile, multi-threat types), didn’t see that, their coaches sure did.
- We won but the old problems haven’t gone away. We didn’t turn it over for the second game in a row but our red zone offense is still a problem and Ross Krautman missed a chip-shot field goal. We’re still getting nothing from kick returns, etc.
- One more: When Lindsay Lamar broke that 80 yarder, I said to myself: Why can’t we get a guy who can do that? Our offense, while productive, is still, (sorry to bring back bad memories), a “Little Engine That Could” machine, puffing and puffing it’s way down the field, hoping that we can run 10-12 plays in a row without making a big mistake and hoping that when we get down in front of the goal line we can find a way to push it in. Maybe next year we’ll have guys who can do what Lamar did.
- Speaking of which, why, when we throw deep is it never to Marcus Sales, Chris Clark or Jeremiah Kobena? Nassib twice overthrew Jarrod West on long shots down the field. But were they overthrows or under-runs?
- We are 3-1 in the conference. But we’ve beaten the 6th, 7th and 8th place teams. All we know is that we’re at least the 5th best team. Now we get a road game against Cincinnati and a home game against undefeated Louisville. Both would have beaten us yesterday, probably easily.
- We came into this game proud of our defense, which was ranked 26th in the country and 24th against the run. Our last three opponents, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Connecticut, had gained a total of 106 yards on the ground. But the Bulls stampeded over and around us for 369 yards rushing and 552 yards overall. One of the problems was our approach against BJ Daniels: it was the same approach we had vs. Tino Sunseri: Meet at the Quarterback!. Daniels simply sidestepped the rushers and was off to the races. I thought the plan was to surround him, covering all the gaps and then close in- keep him in the pocket and let him try to beat us there. We didn’t do that and paid for it. If Munchie Legoux, Teddy Bridgewater, James Franklin and Chris Coyer, (the remaining quarterbacks we will face- all mobile, multi-threat types), didn’t see that, their coaches sure did.
- We won but the old problems haven’t gone away. We didn’t turn it over for the second game in a row but our red zone offense is still a problem and Ross Krautman missed a chip-shot field goal. We’re still getting nothing from kick returns, etc.
- One more: When Lindsay Lamar broke that 80 yarder, I said to myself: Why can’t we get a guy who can do that? Our offense, while productive, is still, (sorry to bring back bad memories), a “Little Engine That Could” machine, puffing and puffing it’s way down the field, hoping that we can run 10-12 plays in a row without making a big mistake and hoping that when we get down in front of the goal line we can find a way to push it in. Maybe next year we’ll have guys who can do what Lamar did.
- Speaking of which, why, when we throw deep is it never to Marcus Sales, Chris Clark or Jeremiah Kobena? Nassib twice overthrew Jarrod West on long shots down the field. But were they overthrows or under-runs?
- We are 3-1 in the conference. But we’ve beaten the 6th, 7th and 8th place teams. All we know is that we’re at least the 5th best team. Now we get a road game against Cincinnati and a home game against undefeated Louisville. Both would have beaten us yesterday, probably easily.
