SWC75
Bored Historian
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- Aug 26, 2011
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- Still another game in which we hung in there against a nationally ranked team until a couple of plays put them out in front and the game was over. At no time did I think we were playing an obviously better team than we were, certainly not than we could put on the field with only a normal amount of injuries. We haven’t had a game we were never in all year. The program doesn’t need a makeover. It needs another good recruiting class, (on the way), and another year to get everybody healthy.
- And there will be no shortage of experienced players next year: we’ve had to use just about everybody this year. All four quarterbacks we’ve used can play at this level, (and a fifth guy who can play is due in January). Wilson can stretch the field if his receivers ever bother catching the ball. Kimble brought the quarterback run back into the offense. I liked the formation with four backs: it’s similar to what Auburn was using last year. It makes such a difference when the defense doesn’t know which guy has the ball. And Mitch made an incredible pass to West on the sideline for 19 yards while he was being decked. The competition for that spot in the spring and fall should really be something. The same could be true at other spots.
- The defense continues to perform valiantly. They held a team that was averaging 36 points and 422 yards per game to 27 points, (seven on a punt return and others due to a short field), and 259 yards. And they were still hitting as hard when it was 10-27 as they did when it was 10-10.
- I’m a veteran fan. I survived 1973, when we started 0-8 and finished 2-9, 1974, when we went 2-9 for the second straight year, 1976 when we went 3-8, 1978 when we went 3-8 again after Bobby Bowden ordered the “take-out” on Billy Hurley, 1982 when we went 2-9 in Coach Mac’s second season, as well as the G-Rob era, when we were tortured with a 10-37 record. Even if we go 3-9, I can survive it. The key is to narrow your focus to what’s in front of you: just try to win the next game. If we are 3-7, let’s see if we can improve that to 4-7 and then 5-7. Even that would be a good record with all these injuries against this schedule. That and look for signs of improvement, or at least of hope. They will be there if you look.
- As to bowl games, I’m very old-fashioned on this anyway. Bowl games used to be rewards for outstanding season. There used to be only 6-8 of them and it was privi8ledge to be in them. The fact that we didn’t qualify for one in this ridiculously bloated system doesn’t strike me as a tragedy. To me it’s all about getting better and I think we will get better.
- The game gave me plenty of opportunities to read “Bleeding Orange”, which I just got this week and took to the game. I haven’t gotten to the part where Jim talks about this guy “Steve from North Syracuse” who calls into his show and asks such wonderful questions. I’ll just have to keep reading.
3-7 with 2 to go (I’ll miss that + );
LET’S GO ORANGE!!!!
- And there will be no shortage of experienced players next year: we’ve had to use just about everybody this year. All four quarterbacks we’ve used can play at this level, (and a fifth guy who can play is due in January). Wilson can stretch the field if his receivers ever bother catching the ball. Kimble brought the quarterback run back into the offense. I liked the formation with four backs: it’s similar to what Auburn was using last year. It makes such a difference when the defense doesn’t know which guy has the ball. And Mitch made an incredible pass to West on the sideline for 19 yards while he was being decked. The competition for that spot in the spring and fall should really be something. The same could be true at other spots.
- The defense continues to perform valiantly. They held a team that was averaging 36 points and 422 yards per game to 27 points, (seven on a punt return and others due to a short field), and 259 yards. And they were still hitting as hard when it was 10-27 as they did when it was 10-10.
- I’m a veteran fan. I survived 1973, when we started 0-8 and finished 2-9, 1974, when we went 2-9 for the second straight year, 1976 when we went 3-8, 1978 when we went 3-8 again after Bobby Bowden ordered the “take-out” on Billy Hurley, 1982 when we went 2-9 in Coach Mac’s second season, as well as the G-Rob era, when we were tortured with a 10-37 record. Even if we go 3-9, I can survive it. The key is to narrow your focus to what’s in front of you: just try to win the next game. If we are 3-7, let’s see if we can improve that to 4-7 and then 5-7. Even that would be a good record with all these injuries against this schedule. That and look for signs of improvement, or at least of hope. They will be there if you look.
- As to bowl games, I’m very old-fashioned on this anyway. Bowl games used to be rewards for outstanding season. There used to be only 6-8 of them and it was privi8ledge to be in them. The fact that we didn’t qualify for one in this ridiculously bloated system doesn’t strike me as a tragedy. To me it’s all about getting better and I think we will get better.
- The game gave me plenty of opportunities to read “Bleeding Orange”, which I just got this week and took to the game. I haven’t gotten to the part where Jim talks about this guy “Steve from North Syracuse” who calls into his show and asks such wonderful questions. I’ll just have to keep reading.
3-7 with 2 to go (I’ll miss that + );
LET’S GO ORANGE!!!!
