Bottom line - Litmus test

[Carl Spackler]

I'm fully expecting a 2009 URI fashion 50-3 blowout tonight.

This is a litmus test.

 

[Stainmaster]

I really hope you're right, Carl. We should be able to completely overpower them and then some.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

That's all you have to say?

 

[John]

This should be a shield-the-children's-eyes scenario tonight.

 

[TRest]

Fail so far.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Well, that was a show of a game. It was a win, and it counts but unless there is some kind of rabbit to be pulled out of the hat I see the potential for a lot of kickings to be received this season. A ton of negative energy in the stadium and rightly so. This is year three. I expected to see progress. This game felt no different than struggling to beat Stony Brook in that insane heat, or the nail biter against Villanova. It was Maine, and its not 1989. Its year 3 of Diaco. He's stocked with his RKGs.

I'm sure I'm not alone in those that sat in there tonight and wondered how the hell we got 6 wins and beat Houston last year, and how we plan to get any wins this season.

We just looked and played and coached and did everything so slow. If that was as fast as we can play with team speed, between whistles and live balls, it doesn't, well - whatever. We were very slow.

Its a win. File it away. 1-0.

Color me disappointed though. That didn't feel like progress. But every season is a road to travel, and the good news is there is plenty of room for improvement.

 

[JMick]

Well, that was a show of a game. It was a win, and it counts but unless there is some kind of rabbit to be pulled out of the hat I see the potential for a lot of kickings to be received this season. A ton of negative energy in the stadium and rightly so. This is year three. I expected to see progress. This game felt no different than struggling to beat Stony Brook in that insane heat, or the nail biter against Villanova. It was Maine, and its not 1989. Its year 3 of Diaco. He's stocked with his RKGs.

I'm sure I'm not alone in those that sat in there tonight and wondered how the hell we got 6 wins and beat Houston last year, and how we plan to get any wins this season.

We just looked and played and coached and did everything so slow. If that was as fast as we can play with team speed, between whistles and live balls, it doesn't, well - whatever. We were very slow.

Its a win. File it away. 1-0.

Color me disappointed though. That didn't feel like progress. But every season is a road to travel, and the good news is there is plenty of room for improvement.

truly felt like we took a step back from last year. looked more like 2014 than 2015. very concerning considering we have so many returning players and Diaco guys.

 

[whaler11]

It's almost like you need to recruit better to win games. When you are competing with CAA teams for players - it shouldn't be too shocking that CAA teams play with you.

 

[JMick]

It's almost like you need to recruit better to win games. When you are competing with CAA teams for players - it shouldn't be too shocking that CAA teams play with you.

We have multiple guys on the roster with FBS and P5 offers. I don't think that's a fair assessment of our problems.

 

[Excalibur]

This game felt no different than struggling to beat Stony Brook in that insane heat, or the nail biter against Villanova. It was Maine, and its not 1989. Its year 3 of Diaco. He's stocked with his RKGs.

I'm sure I'm not alone in those that sat in there tonight and wondered how the hell we got 6 wins and beat Houston last year, and how we plan to get any wins this season.

The Villanova game was no comparison to this one. Last year's (pre-Robertson injury) Nova team wins this game by two touchdowns.

How did we get to six wins? With our two big weapons -- smoke and mirrors . . .

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Don't think talent is our issue. Coaching is the problem. Our coaches got no balls. Their multiple punts in the first half on Maine half of the field just showed how gutless our coaches are. We ran out of clock on 4th and short before half-time. It was just bad coaching.

We played not to lose against a FCS team that we should have dominated. We should have never hired this OC. He is like George clone from the PP era.

 

[Carl Spackler]

It's almost like you need to recruit better to win games. When you are competing with CAA teams for players - it shouldn't be too shocking that CAA teams play with you.

No, they can play faster and are bigger. We did actually win 6 games last year. I know, hard to believe after tonight, but we did. This was a team thing. They looked like they were sleepwalking, a team who's best offense was broken plays, and who's D almost missed the entire game before playing with some urgency and speed. It was like watching a lazy practice.

They can play and coach faster, and they better get it in gear quick.

 

[Carl Spackler]

M

Don't think talent is our issue. Coaching is the problem. Our coaches got no balls. Their multiple punts in the first half on Maine half of the field just showed how gutless our coaches are. We ran out of clock on 4th and short before half-time. It was just bad coaching.

We played not to lose against a FCS team that we should have dominated. We should have never hired this OC. He is like George clone from the PP era.

Ya, there is no defending this stuff. They finished the game and won, and thats good, but it should have been over up by 42 points on the 3rd, rather than a FG at 0:00. Very disappointed in the offensive production.

Look. It was ugly, the best part of it is that its over with a W.

Everything got to get faster and more urgent. Coaching and playing.

 

[whaler11]

We have multiple guys on the roster with FBS and P5 offers. I don't think that's a fair assessment of our problems.

I can promise you beyond a shadow of a doubt that when you almost lose at home to Maine - your biggest issue is that your roster isn't good enough.

 

[Milo65]

Difference between first and second half...play calling. Played pure vanilla in the first, scored 3 out of 4 drives in the second. Two huge concerns, O-Line and I didn't think our defense played well.

 

[coachcap]

For all of its accolades the defense disappointed. Lack of pass rush, leaving opposing wide receivers open for much of the game. But, it did put the brakes on Maine's offense at crunch time.

 

[noeynox]

This team continues to have issues like coming out of the huddle to deep into the play clock. That is not talent, that is coaching. More burned time outs yesterday cause of this. They were just super conservative last night. They coached tight, until Maine took the lead in the 4th. Run, run pass into stacked box. Late in the game when they threw on early downs Maine had no answers there is a reason, Maine looked to be run blitzing heavy for most of the game. Need to adjust earlier in the game.

 

[Carl Spackler]

For all of its accolades the defense disappointed. Lack of pass rush, leaving opposing wide receivers open for much of the game. But, it did put the brakes on Maine's offense at crunch time.

They were slow to the ball 95% of the game. Pass D they played was like a wet sponge. Soft. When the entire team played full speed we did well, but it was literally only a handfull of plays they looked full speed both on O and D. I felt like I was watching a lazy practice where coach just shuts it down reams everybody, then they run some 2 minute stuff, kick the field goal and go shower. I didn't like the energy.

Its a few hours later now, and I'll chalk this one up as a wake up game, and keep my fingers crossed that they were actually running a practice and dudn't use the playbook for a game plan.

Its not like it hasn't been done before.

 

[Carl Spackler]

This team continues to have issues like coming out of the huddle to deep into the play clock. That is not talent, that is coaching. More burned time outs yesterday cause of this. They were just super conservative last night. They coached tight, until Maine took the lead in the 4th. Run, run pass into stacked box. Late in the game when they threw on early downs Maine had no answers there is a reason, Maine looked to be run blitzing heavy for most of the game. Need to adjust earlier in the game.

Yes, this is part of what I meant about being slow. Coaches and players. Everything was slow. Between whistles, live balls. Decision making. The players on the field. All of it.

I hope this Batmobile Diaco is driving has more gears than what they showed last night.

 

[coachcap]

Yes, this is part of what I meant about being slow. Coaches and players. Everything was slow. Between whistles, live balls. Decision making. The players on the field. All of it.

I hope this Batmobile Diaco is driving has more gears than what they showed last night.

My son drives a car with a 6-gear manual transmission. The Batmobile looked like it was stuck in 2nd gear all night.