Can Big Cats win out?
- Thread starter 12375CAT
- Start date
We are going to be favored to win out. I expect us to play well against Utah State. I'm worried about the Oregon State game just because we've generally played poorly on the road this year. Still, I think we do win out.
The Oregon State game is going to be tough. They're a lot like us in the sense that they're capable of rising up and beating better teams at home. They nearly beat UNLV a couple of weeks ago.
Do you have any idea how many guys are out for OSU on injury?
I think they're three deep in many positions. Just decimated.
Their best CB is returning this week. They'll need him vs. San Jose State's WR Nash.
12375, you asked, "Can" we win out. The answer is clearly yes.
Less clear would have been if you had asked, "Will" we win out. That is more in doubt.
When protecting a lead late in the game, we've been prone to go to some version of the "prevent" defense. The "prevent" is most effective at preventing a win. We also tend to go through patches where our tackling looks like a 7th grade tackling drill, except the 7th graders are more consistent. Our pass rush was anemic until recently, and now we are getting pressure from the DT's because the DE's have not been able to get to the QB. I don't know if that is a trend, or just an indictment of the last couple of opponent's interior lines. We'll see over the next several games. We still have pass coverage breakdowns, though thankfully that is less common now than 4-5 games ago. I could say the same for O line assignment breakdowns. Our punter broke his hand in the last game; supposedly he can punt with a splint on. I hope so, since he has been one of the high points this season. And our coaching staff still makes a bare minimum of 3 bad decisions per game, in addition to occasionally downright baffling offensive play calling.
There is also a lot of good to report. Pretty much everything else is better, including false starts, stupid penalties, dropped passes, Mateer's judgment, Mateer's touch passes (still nothing to write home about, but definitely improved), CB play, surprisingly good RB-by- committee play, and outstanding place kicking. Game planning in the week prior to kickoff also looks much better, at least to me. We've even made good use of trickery and gadget plays, often successfully. And that is only a partial list. There's a lot to like.
I'm going to say that if the coaching staff could turn in a perfect game....A or A+ grade for all their decisions, in all forms, including halftime adjustments....then we will win out. The players and the system are good enough to deliver if the coaches do their jobs.
And you know, it has been years since I could say that. Probably since Minshew's season. And, just as it was with Leach, it is never boring...
Less clear would have been if you had asked, "Will" we win out. That is more in doubt.
When protecting a lead late in the game, we've been prone to go to some version of the "prevent" defense. The "prevent" is most effective at preventing a win. We also tend to go through patches where our tackling looks like a 7th grade tackling drill, except the 7th graders are more consistent. Our pass rush was anemic until recently, and now we are getting pressure from the DT's because the DE's have not been able to get to the QB. I don't know if that is a trend, or just an indictment of the last couple of opponent's interior lines. We'll see over the next several games. We still have pass coverage breakdowns, though thankfully that is less common now than 4-5 games ago. I could say the same for O line assignment breakdowns. Our punter broke his hand in the last game; supposedly he can punt with a splint on. I hope so, since he has been one of the high points this season. And our coaching staff still makes a bare minimum of 3 bad decisions per game, in addition to occasionally downright baffling offensive play calling.
There is also a lot of good to report. Pretty much everything else is better, including false starts, stupid penalties, dropped passes, Mateer's judgment, Mateer's touch passes (still nothing to write home about, but definitely improved), CB play, surprisingly good RB-by- committee play, and outstanding place kicking. Game planning in the week prior to kickoff also looks much better, at least to me. We've even made good use of trickery and gadget plays, often successfully. And that is only a partial list. There's a lot to like.
I'm going to say that if the coaching staff could turn in a perfect game....A or A+ grade for all their decisions, in all forms, including halftime adjustments....then we will win out. The players and the system are good enough to deliver if the coaches do their jobs.
And you know, it has been years since I could say that. Probably since Minshew's season. And, just as it was with Leach, it is never boring...
