Always interesting to see the difference in perspective following a game like this... You have the ledge jumpers coming to the absolutes of coaching inadequacies... others taking the wait and see approach... and still others that focus on a number of positive takeaways... Count me among that last group... you know, the "blind homers" group...
I came away from this game feeling even more amazed with the drastic culture shift that is now permeating from every angle of our program... Undoubtedly under a previous regime, we lose this game... No question in my mind. And as Larry's column pointed out, this just felt like one of those nights where everything seems to go against the better team and they ultimately find a way to lose... But tonight we showed mental toughness in a game where literally every pre-, and in-game intangible was in favor of the home team... So major props to the team and staff for gutting out the kind of road win that every really good team has to find a way to win every year...
Are there issues to be corrected? Absolutely... and that isn't unique to this team... Questions abound for every team. Is the jury still out on offensive playcalling? Sure, but you will have a hard time convincing me that we can formulate absolutes in a one game scenario that is completely atypical in how it sets up...Just as you couldn't make absolutes from a one game bowl sample with a month of prep time (see the Oklahoma game last year)....
I saw a lot to be excited about... a defense that is backing up their "no drop off" statements coming from preseason camp.. a Wayne Train running with the violence that was so often described in practice... a walk-on freshman kicker stepping into the pressure cooker and calmly splitting the uprights on two critical kicks...
And there are certainly some areas of concern, with kick coverage being the most concerning... But the great news is that we have 15 days to rest and prep for a very good Irish club...
But I will bask in the awesomeness of knowing that even on a night when DW looked human, when every intangible was in the home team's corner, when we give up a special team touchdown, and when so many critical penalties were not in our favor... WE FOUND A WAY TO WIN... It's great to be 3-0, and 1-0 in the conference (and division)... It's going to be a long 15 days in waiting to see our boys on the field again...
I will hang up and patiently await the "blind homer" responses.
I came away from this game feeling even more amazed with the drastic culture shift that is now permeating from every angle of our program... Undoubtedly under a previous regime, we lose this game... No question in my mind. And as Larry's column pointed out, this just felt like one of those nights where everything seems to go against the better team and they ultimately find a way to lose... But tonight we showed mental toughness in a game where literally every pre-, and in-game intangible was in favor of the home team... So major props to the team and staff for gutting out the kind of road win that every really good team has to find a way to win every year...
Are there issues to be corrected? Absolutely... and that isn't unique to this team... Questions abound for every team. Is the jury still out on offensive playcalling? Sure, but you will have a hard time convincing me that we can formulate absolutes in a one game scenario that is completely atypical in how it sets up...Just as you couldn't make absolutes from a one game bowl sample with a month of prep time (see the Oklahoma game last year)....
I saw a lot to be excited about... a defense that is backing up their "no drop off" statements coming from preseason camp.. a Wayne Train running with the violence that was so often described in practice... a walk-on freshman kicker stepping into the pressure cooker and calmly splitting the uprights on two critical kicks...
And there are certainly some areas of concern, with kick coverage being the most concerning... But the great news is that we have 15 days to rest and prep for a very good Irish club...
But I will bask in the awesomeness of knowing that even on a night when DW looked human, when every intangible was in the home team's corner, when we give up a special team touchdown, and when so many critical penalties were not in our favor... WE FOUND A WAY TO WIN... It's great to be 3-0, and 1-0 in the conference (and division)... It's going to be a long 15 days in waiting to see our boys on the field again...
I will hang up and patiently await the "blind homer" responses.
