The View From Section 241 (including bowl analysis)

[Nostical]

There is no way you can excuse or rationalize that call at Vandy. Under the circumstances it was one of the worst calls ever.

 

[uconNYC]

If MN is the real deal and beats out a red shirt senior who has started all the games the prior year, will be a double digit wins BCS team next year.

At this point I think SM is our best hope. He already has the legs, now just needs the arm.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

At this point I think SM is our best hope. He already has the legs, now just needs the arm.

also needs to stop putting the ball on the ground at such a high rate

 

[RS9999X]

Bottom line for UConn with a win: most likely Birmingham, with Pinstripe and St Petes being the next most likely scenarios.

Jerry Palm has it Cincy, Rutgers and Pitt/SU winner in those 3 bowls which means a winning UConn would be competing against Temple and Western Michigan for the last two slots -- New Mexico and New Orleans. Dicey with a win. I think UConn would edge W Michigan in New Orleans to play La.-Lafayette. A BCS bowl appearance last year has to count for something

 

[Excalibur]

There is no way you can excuse or rationalize that call at Vandy. Under the circumstances it was one of the worst calls ever.

Exactly. Circumstances matter. Against Vandy, Mac was hanging on for dear life and was clearly rattled. Here, he had been decent to that point, and we had some decent options for play calls. It's not as bad as the Palko slide (which left 40 seconds on the clock), but using the timeouts and trying to score was the better play.

 

[businesslawyer]

Jerry Palm has it Cincy, Rutgers and Pitt/SU winner in those 3 bowls which means a winning UConn would be competing against Temple and Western Michigan for the last two slots -- New Mexico and New Orleans. Dicey with a win. I think UConn would edge W Michigan in New Orleans to play La.-Lafayette. A BCS bowl appearance last year has to count for something

Palm apparently doesn't know about the Liberty bowl tie in. And he's not telling you St Petes would take Pitt or Syracuse over us -- he's assuming we're not bowl eligible.

 

[warbler1055]

Thank you BL for the great post. I found myself looking to your post after every game !!!

 

[Carl Spackler]

Palm apparently doesn't know about the Liberty bowl tie in. And he's not telling you St Petes would take Pitt or Syracuse over us -- he's assuming we're not bowl eligible.

We're not bowl eligible yet. Things could change quite a bit with these projections in a few days.

 

[businesslawyer]

Three follow up thoughts as we move closer to gameday.

1. Remember how at the beginning of the year we worried that we wouldn't have a competent TB? I'm not talking about before the season -- I'm talking a few games in, until DJ tried to play and couldn't. Not only did we see Lyle McCombs make plays as a receiver last week that there is no way he makes at the beginning of the year, but look at the numbers. He is approximately 60 yards ahead of Pead, with them each having one game left against the other for the Big East rushing title, and he only needs about 120 to surpass Giovanni Bernard of UNC as the leading freshman runner in the country. It shows how spoiled we've become as to what our TBs accomplish that we don't seem to view his year as anything spectacular.

2. There are two good reasons to root for WVU to beat USF tomorrow night. First, it prevents the Big East from having seven bowl eligible teams if we win, which requires one to go outside the league arrangements (not that I don't think we could place seven in bowls, and counting the Liberty as an additional Big East bowl which I still think will happen. Second, while I expect Cincy to give us their best effort no matter what on Saturday, maybe, maybe, they have a little less juice if they watched their hopes for an Orange Bowl go away on Thursday night, as will happen with a WVU win. As much as I'd love to root against the Scumineers, I don't think I'll be able to do it.

3. The more I think about the game, the more I think each team is seeing the other when they look in the mirror. Solid specials. Physical play in the trenches. Better running than passing. Better stopping the run then stopping the pass. Earlier, I said it would come down to turnovers and special teams. It may. But the more I look at it, it may be the team that can open up the run by hitting the big passing play that gets it done. Or, maybe it will be pure heart. I guess I don't know what to expect.

 

[Excalibur]

Three follow up thoughts as we move closer to gameday.

1. Remember how at the beginning of the year we worried that we wouldn't have a competent TB? I'm not talking about before the season -- I'm talking a few games in, until DJ tried to play and couldn't. Not only did we see Lyle McCombs make plays as a receiver last week that there is no way he makes at the beginning of the year, but look at the numbers. He is approximately 60 yards ahead of Pead, with them each having one game left against the other for the Big East rushing title, and he only needs about 120 to surpass Giovanni Bernard of UNC as the leading freshman runner in the country. It shows how spoiled we've become as to what our TBs accomplish that we don't seem to view his year as anything spectacular.

2. There are two good reasons to root for WVU to beat USF tomorrow night. First, it prevents the Big East from having seven bowl eligible teams if we win, which requires one to go outside the league arrangements (not that I don't think we could place seven in bowls, and counting the Liberty as an additional Big East bowl which I still think will happen. Second, while I expect Cincy to give us their best effort no matter what on Saturday, maybe, maybe, they have a little less juice if they watched their hopes for an Orange Bowl go away on Thursday night, as will happen with a WVU win. As much as I'd love to root against the Scumineers, I don't think I'll be able to do it.

3. The more I think about the game, the more I think each team is seeing the other when they look in the mirror. Solid specials. Physical play in the trenches. Better running than passing. Better stopping the run then stopping the pass. Earlier, I said it would come down to turnovers and special teams. It may. But the more I look at it, it may be the team that can open up the run by hitting the big passing play that gets it done. Or, maybe it will be pure heart. I guess I don't know what to expect.

McCombs has improved greatly, but he still has deficiencies compared to his predecessors -- mainly balance and top end speed. I'm not sure those are correctable.

This team has been so maddeningly inconsistent in terms of its effort, preparation and execution that it's impossible to know what to expect. If the "good" Huskies show up, we've got a very good chance. I do think that Jones will try to throw early to try to surprise us.

 

[businesslawyer]

McCombs has improved greatly, but he still has deficiencies compared to his predecessors -- mainly balance and top end speed. I'm not sure those are correctable.

This team has been so maddeningly inconsistent in terms of its effort, preparation and execution that it's impossible to know what to expect. If the "good" Huskies show up, we've got a very good chance. I do think that Jones will try to throw early to try to surprise us.

Exactly my point. He may not get much better. And then we're "stuck" with a lead TB who can only max out at, say, 1400 yards per year. Most teams would kill for that.

 

[Nostical]

If you believe (as I do) that the offensive playbook has been simplified-- and there's ample evidence of that from what the players have been saying---what we've witnessed over the last few weeks has been a much more consistent pattern of our playmakers getting open with opportunities for big gains and lots of points. Against Louisville we had ample chances but were out of sync, dropping passes, missing open receivers, running into kickers. I've decided to chalk that up to the lethargy and out of sorts that has plagued us after several of our bye weeks. Even the crowd was lethargic and uninspired. But, against Rutgers, we were sharp. We caught those passes, broke those tackles---and obviously excelled on Defense.
So, here''s what it means to me. The team now gets it. We are finally ready to rumble and repeat the Rutgers effort and execution. I see a big win vs Cincy--blowing them out at their place-- sending us to Bowl jubilation.

 

[Carl Spackler]

McCombs is the MVP of this team this year hands down. Just simply ask yourself where they hell we are without him. I fell in football love with this kid a months ago when he was out there trying to figure out how to stop rushing defensive lineman and linebackers that have 50-100lbs on him, and he was doing it on top of becoming the one man show carrying the pig.

as for mirror image, since collaros went down, they're using a two - QB system as well, on top of the rest.

This one comes down to simple energy and basics my friend. They've got the advantage in that, being at home, but we've got the advantage in that intangible.

Confidence.

I have always felt like you really don't have a genuine confidence unless you demonstrate the ability to do something. You can talk about it, but you have to demonstrate it. = Bill Parcells.

THey demonstrated it last week. All three phases. We just need to take that energy on the road.

What concerns me most about this game, is who gets up by more than one score first on the board. We get a lead, and look out.

THey get a lead, and we're going to be scratching and clawing for everythign we can get.

 

[jdb50]

We have to get Pead on the ground Saturday. The defensive backfield can't let him loose if he gets to their level. Tackling by us on Defense will be the key to the game for us. Pead runs hard all game and we can't give in. They also put him in the slot on some passing situations. I think if we score 28 points we can win with our D playing well. Staying within one score if we are down will also be big. If we don't tackle well with a Bowl trip on the line we don't deserve to go. Do not want the season to end Saturday. Go Huskies!

 

[spsct]

Regarding the timeouts at the end of the half... During the game I was really aggravated that we didn't use them and go for six, but I see the logic of it after reading the posts. Up by 11, get the ball back to start the half, and the defense playing lights out; I'm much better with the call.

 

[Waquoit]

Regarding the timeouts at the end of the half... During the game I was really aggravated that we didn't use them and go for six, but I see the logic of it after reading the posts. Up by 11, get the ball back to start the half, and the defense playing lights out; I'm much better with the call.

My 2nd guess was that we had time to run one play to get the ball closer to the middle of the field. That right hash has troubled Teggart in the past. But alls well..