- Joined
- Aug 27, 2011
- Messages
- 475
- Reaction Score
- 104
If our offense and special teams were even average this season, we'd be 3-0 right now. And we'd be winning this game too. Our defense has been playing very well throughout the year, although has had a tough time with the offense and special teams giving them great field position. Buffalo has 28 points in the first half, but one touchdown was on an interception return and two were set up by turnovers or blocked kicks giving them great field position.
Our special teams has been pitiful too, other than forcing Michigan into that one fumble which set up a touchdown. And that was mainly the Michigan returner's fault, not a credit to us.
We gave up a safety and an interception return for a touchdown against Maryland. That's 9 points right there. We lost by 11. A decent offense would have found a way to at least get another field goal in that game.
In the Towson game, Whitmer had that early pick in his own territory that led to the Towson go-ahead touchdown. And there was the fumble on the punt return at our own 30 that led to a Towson touchdown. That's 13 points (Towson missed one of the PATs) we gave up because of turnovers. That takes it to 20-18. A decent offense would get more than 18 points against an FCS team.
The Michigan game was the best example. We held them to 289 all-purpose yards on offense. That's a very strong defensive performance against a good offense. But Whitmer threw two huge picks, including that critical one right after we stopped Michigan on fourth down. We were winning by a touchdown, we had the momentum going our way after a huge defensive stop, and instead we give the ball right back to them in great field position. They tie the game on the next play. That wasn't our defense's fault, Michigan got the ball on our 12, in a four-down situation, so they were almost certainly getting a touchdown that drive. That was undoubtedly the turning point of the game.
We did have the special teams recovery, but I think that was more the returner making a mistake than us doing a good job. And we fumbled a punt deep in our own territory near the end of the first half and were lucky to recover it. If we didn't, Michigan would have managed at least a field goal and probably a touchdown.
I'm pleased with the way our defense has played so far. If the other units were even decent, we'd be 3-0, and we would be 4-0 by the end of today if our defense keeps this up. Instead, we're going to be 0-4. We'll probably finish 1-11 at best - we should be able to beat Memphis at home but might still lose. We have an outside shot of beating Temple too.
But if our offense and special teams were decent, and our defense could keep this level of play up for the whole season, we'd go at least 11-1, and might even beat Louisville to go 12-0 and to a BCS game. We would even have an outside shot at the National Championship Game if the SEC and Big Ten teams beat eachother up, leaving us and whoever wins Oregon-Stanford as the only undefeated teams. We'd get blown out, of course, but if it's plausible for that to happen to Louisville in reality (which it is, IMO, albeit unlikely) it's plausible for it to happen to us in this imaginary fantasy scenario, especially with us hypothetically beating both Louisville (who would probably go 11-1 and be highly ranked) and Michigan (who would also be highly ranked.)
Our special teams has been pitiful too, other than forcing Michigan into that one fumble which set up a touchdown. And that was mainly the Michigan returner's fault, not a credit to us.
We gave up a safety and an interception return for a touchdown against Maryland. That's 9 points right there. We lost by 11. A decent offense would have found a way to at least get another field goal in that game.
In the Towson game, Whitmer had that early pick in his own territory that led to the Towson go-ahead touchdown. And there was the fumble on the punt return at our own 30 that led to a Towson touchdown. That's 13 points (Towson missed one of the PATs) we gave up because of turnovers. That takes it to 20-18. A decent offense would get more than 18 points against an FCS team.
The Michigan game was the best example. We held them to 289 all-purpose yards on offense. That's a very strong defensive performance against a good offense. But Whitmer threw two huge picks, including that critical one right after we stopped Michigan on fourth down. We were winning by a touchdown, we had the momentum going our way after a huge defensive stop, and instead we give the ball right back to them in great field position. They tie the game on the next play. That wasn't our defense's fault, Michigan got the ball on our 12, in a four-down situation, so they were almost certainly getting a touchdown that drive. That was undoubtedly the turning point of the game.
We did have the special teams recovery, but I think that was more the returner making a mistake than us doing a good job. And we fumbled a punt deep in our own territory near the end of the first half and were lucky to recover it. If we didn't, Michigan would have managed at least a field goal and probably a touchdown.
I'm pleased with the way our defense has played so far. If the other units were even decent, we'd be 3-0, and we would be 4-0 by the end of today if our defense keeps this up. Instead, we're going to be 0-4. We'll probably finish 1-11 at best - we should be able to beat Memphis at home but might still lose. We have an outside shot of beating Temple too.
But if our offense and special teams were decent, and our defense could keep this level of play up for the whole season, we'd go at least 11-1, and might even beat Louisville to go 12-0 and to a BCS game. We would even have an outside shot at the National Championship Game if the SEC and Big Ten teams beat eachother up, leaving us and whoever wins Oregon-Stanford as the only undefeated teams. We'd get blown out, of course, but if it's plausible for that to happen to Louisville in reality (which it is, IMO, albeit unlikely) it's plausible for it to happen to us in this imaginary fantasy scenario, especially with us hypothetically beating both Louisville (who would probably go 11-1 and be highly ranked) and Michigan (who would also be highly ranked.)