SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
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- We’ve competed with everybody all season. Why should that change?
- Playing on the road at Miami just isn’t as intimidating as it should be. Their team is impressive but their fans aren’t a factor.
- We have an offense that can deal with pressure. We get rid of the ball fast. And we keep coming back for the next play so fast that the emotional impact of a loss is minimized.
- Miami is missing two injured linebackers and two injured defensive backs. Toledo threw for 344 yards against the Canes.
- Steve Ismael will be looking to have a big day against the Canes in front of his family. He’s made they didn’t recruit him. Look at him, now! Steve still leads the country with 62 receptions.
- Erv Phillips is second with 56. Last year he was sort of a dump-off guy who hopefully could make some moves and get some YAC. But now he’s a full-fledged threat to go all the way, as he did against the Tigers.
- Meanwhile Ravian Pierce has become a weapon form his tight end positon. Devin Butler is a threat to throw passes as well as catch them and Dontae Strickland has become a receiving threat as well. That’s quite a package.
- Strickland is becoming more of a running threat with 158 yards in his last two games. It’s partially his own improvement, running with his head up and willing to bounce away from a non-existent hole. It’s partially that our young line is growing up. And it’s partially because we have opened up the passing game beyond Ismael and Phillips so the other team has to over everyone.
- But the reason we are better team this year is our tremendous improvement on defense. We are giving up 129 rushing yards per game instead of 225 and 223 yards passing instead of 276. That’s what is allowing us to stay in games. And we’re making big plays with 4 sacks and 5 tfls vs. Clemson.
- What we haven’t been able to do is force turnovers: only 8 all season and none in the last three games. I think that means we are due.
- We’re also due to stop doing favors for the other team. We may never have a perfect game but we’re going to come close at some point.
- This is hardly a parallel situation but this flashed into my mind. IN 1987 we had that great breakthrough win against Penn State in the Dome. Less well remembered is that we went to Penn State and beat them 24-10 in their own place the next year. That might actually have been the more impressive achievement. Following up the great Clemson win by beating Miami on the road would also be an impressive (and unprecedented) achievement. My gut feeling is that that is what’s going to happen.
- You can decide whether or not to believe in this team . It won’t matter because they believe in themselves. We’ve seen it all year.
4-3 with 5+ to go!
LET’S GO ORANGE!!!
- Playing on the road at Miami just isn’t as intimidating as it should be. Their team is impressive but their fans aren’t a factor.
- We have an offense that can deal with pressure. We get rid of the ball fast. And we keep coming back for the next play so fast that the emotional impact of a loss is minimized.
- Miami is missing two injured linebackers and two injured defensive backs. Toledo threw for 344 yards against the Canes.
- Steve Ismael will be looking to have a big day against the Canes in front of his family. He’s made they didn’t recruit him. Look at him, now! Steve still leads the country with 62 receptions.
- Erv Phillips is second with 56. Last year he was sort of a dump-off guy who hopefully could make some moves and get some YAC. But now he’s a full-fledged threat to go all the way, as he did against the Tigers.
- Meanwhile Ravian Pierce has become a weapon form his tight end positon. Devin Butler is a threat to throw passes as well as catch them and Dontae Strickland has become a receiving threat as well. That’s quite a package.
- Strickland is becoming more of a running threat with 158 yards in his last two games. It’s partially his own improvement, running with his head up and willing to bounce away from a non-existent hole. It’s partially that our young line is growing up. And it’s partially because we have opened up the passing game beyond Ismael and Phillips so the other team has to over everyone.
- But the reason we are better team this year is our tremendous improvement on defense. We are giving up 129 rushing yards per game instead of 225 and 223 yards passing instead of 276. That’s what is allowing us to stay in games. And we’re making big plays with 4 sacks and 5 tfls vs. Clemson.
- What we haven’t been able to do is force turnovers: only 8 all season and none in the last three games. I think that means we are due.
- We’re also due to stop doing favors for the other team. We may never have a perfect game but we’re going to come close at some point.
- This is hardly a parallel situation but this flashed into my mind. IN 1987 we had that great breakthrough win against Penn State in the Dome. Less well remembered is that we went to Penn State and beat them 24-10 in their own place the next year. That might actually have been the more impressive achievement. Following up the great Clemson win by beating Miami on the road would also be an impressive (and unprecedented) achievement. My gut feeling is that that is what’s going to happen.
- You can decide whether or not to believe in this team . It won’t matter because they believe in themselves. We’ve seen it all year.
4-3 with 5+ to go!
LET’S GO ORANGE!!!
