As many of the optimistic fans have pointed out, most of us would have been thrilled to be 5-2 at this point in the season if you asked us our realistic hopes before week one. I would have been. UW was ranked #6 and $C #15 and we certainly have little success under HCMM on the road. I chalked those up to 2 for sure losses before the season started for sure.
Many of us believed weak links were going to be the OL and DBs, and they have proved to be the weak links. HOWEVER, other areas of the team seemed to cover up some of those weaknesses (much better DL and LB play . . . SM and Viska playing very well . . . play calling on defense was aggressive and the on offense we were more dynamic than we have seen in a while). Many of us, me included, had our expectations raised and believed that we have finally taken steps forward.
If most of us expected to lose to $C and UW before the season, then why are we so frustrated with those losses and still being 5-2?
-$C has proven for the entire season that they are not #15 and not even a top #25 team.
-UW is not a top 10 team and is frankly a good but not great P5 team this year.
-HCMM continues to show lack of control as a game day coach the last two games.
-The Offensive staff and Chev have shown a lack of ability to scheme away from other teams' strengths and insist on going back to conservative and uninspired play calls, seemingly lost.
-Despite our weaknesses at DB and some poor tackling in both games, our defense played more than well enough to give the offense a shot a winning the games. With the lack of depth and experience, the offense has to help out.
-We did not give $C or UW anything to worry about on offense and made zero adjustments to try to get something going.
-We did not get beat by teams that played really well and we are just not talented enough to compete. With our lack of comparative talent, we could have won both games, or at least put up a fight that left us feeling better about the losses. I don't believe in moral victories, but there is no shame in losing to a team that has better talent and coaches when you do everything you can to compete and feel like you left it all on the field. We did not because the coaching staff did not have this offense ready to do that and did not put them in a position to do it (it has been discussed ad nassuem the incredibly uninspired wild cat and up the middle runs into the teeth of UW's strength when we know our OL are small, weak and poorly coached. . . . SM's response on the field to some of those calls spoke volumes."
-Neither $C or UW's defense seemed to have to work too hard. I've been in plenty of fights in my younger days, but even the ones that I may have lost, the other guy for sure knew he was in a fight and would be feeling it for days. No fight on the offense the last two weeks and that's disheartening.
-After year 6 this should not be the case. I know the optimistic fans point out that we are finally moving in the same direction and HMCC took over a dumpster fire, etc., but he has had more support from the AD than any other and it took him 4 years to realize that the P5 is no joke. To me, he doesn't deserve praise for finally starting to get it after 6 years.
The fact of the matter is that the program IS moving forward. The sky is not falling. While we have a lot of work ahead of us to win 2-4 games, we can . . . but I am not sure this staff knows how to and Chev learning on the job cannot continue to be an excuse. If he wasn't ready, HCMM should have hired someone else.
Many of us believed weak links were going to be the OL and DBs, and they have proved to be the weak links. HOWEVER, other areas of the team seemed to cover up some of those weaknesses (much better DL and LB play . . . SM and Viska playing very well . . . play calling on defense was aggressive and the on offense we were more dynamic than we have seen in a while). Many of us, me included, had our expectations raised and believed that we have finally taken steps forward.
If most of us expected to lose to $C and UW before the season, then why are we so frustrated with those losses and still being 5-2?
-$C has proven for the entire season that they are not #15 and not even a top #25 team.
-UW is not a top 10 team and is frankly a good but not great P5 team this year.
-HCMM continues to show lack of control as a game day coach the last two games.
-The Offensive staff and Chev have shown a lack of ability to scheme away from other teams' strengths and insist on going back to conservative and uninspired play calls, seemingly lost.
-Despite our weaknesses at DB and some poor tackling in both games, our defense played more than well enough to give the offense a shot a winning the games. With the lack of depth and experience, the offense has to help out.
-We did not give $C or UW anything to worry about on offense and made zero adjustments to try to get something going.
-We did not get beat by teams that played really well and we are just not talented enough to compete. With our lack of comparative talent, we could have won both games, or at least put up a fight that left us feeling better about the losses. I don't believe in moral victories, but there is no shame in losing to a team that has better talent and coaches when you do everything you can to compete and feel like you left it all on the field. We did not because the coaching staff did not have this offense ready to do that and did not put them in a position to do it (it has been discussed ad nassuem the incredibly uninspired wild cat and up the middle runs into the teeth of UW's strength when we know our OL are small, weak and poorly coached. . . . SM's response on the field to some of those calls spoke volumes."
-Neither $C or UW's defense seemed to have to work too hard. I've been in plenty of fights in my younger days, but even the ones that I may have lost, the other guy for sure knew he was in a fight and would be feeling it for days. No fight on the offense the last two weeks and that's disheartening.
-After year 6 this should not be the case. I know the optimistic fans point out that we are finally moving in the same direction and HMCC took over a dumpster fire, etc., but he has had more support from the AD than any other and it took him 4 years to realize that the P5 is no joke. To me, he doesn't deserve praise for finally starting to get it after 6 years.
The fact of the matter is that the program IS moving forward. The sky is not falling. While we have a lot of work ahead of us to win 2-4 games, we can . . . but I am not sure this staff knows how to and Chev learning on the job cannot continue to be an excuse. If he wasn't ready, HCMM should have hired someone else.
