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I am writing this from a total internet emarbargo over the last 48 hours, so I know only what I saw for 4 hours yesterday afternoon and have no idea how the board has reacted, how bad the injuries we suffered are or anything else. Let me explain. My senior at GW needed to be back at school to call a basketball game by noon yesterday (game was at 2). Rather than have him take Amtrak back on Friday afternoon, I said I would drive him Saturday morning. So I was up to date with everything as of Friday night, but then left the house at 6:30 a.m to drive to DC. We spoke more about the conference crap than the game on the way down, as we both that UConn would be lucky to keep the game competitive. My son prepared for the game he was working and I went to what he said was a UConn bar (something on G near 6th) but was a nothing bar -- when I walked in at 12:10 there was not a customer in the place. (It became a "Beaver den" later on as people came in in orange for the Civil War, but that's for another day.) I sat down across from a set and saw the game from there, but with no sound. I figured I would watch the first half, by then we'd be blown out (sorry, but that is what both my son and I were expecting) and I would catch the start of the GW game. Obviously, I wasn't leaving up 10-0 at the half, so I figured I would watch all or practically of the UConn game and then wander over to the gym for the 2d half. Obviously, I wasn't leaving the TV at 3, especially as GW was breezing by their halftime. So I simply watched the end of the game from the bar, and never made it to the game my son was at. I then hung out with him watching football until 11 last night, went to bed, got up and immediately started out to get home. So I've read and seen nothing except the video, without audio, of the game itself. I came home, logged on to the internet and am now typing.
That having been said, Wow. Just Wow. Our second victory ever over a ranked team. Our first ever on the road. And our first ever when, to be blunt, we weren't basically as good as the ranked team we were beating. We kept our bowl hopes alive, totally unexpectedly and a month after we all (well, to be fair, except Spackler) threw the towel in on the season. We kept Louisville from gaining a share of the lead in the conference and having a chance for an outright championship. And, while I don't think conference realignment would turn on a football game, it certainly wasn't going to help the PR battle if we got blown out by Louisville. That, plus FSU having its own problems (yeah -- it was your level of competition keeping you from the championship game -- NOT) can only help the Conferences make their decisions using whatever criteria (magin 8 ball presumably) they are using these days. Yes, there were negatives to be sure. We clinched Rutgers some Big East hardware (and yes, I did just throw up a little in my mouth). We didn't solve the 2d half offensive collapses and comebacks allowed. And, to top it off, our passing game reverted big time to the depths it had been prior to Whitmer's coming on. But, nonetheless, it was a big win. Everyone involved in the program is to be congratulated, both for not giving up on the season at 3-6 and for getting this win. But, if anyone is doing an epic poem of yesterday, Donald Brown, plus the 11 defensive starters, plus Willman and Campenni and McBride and Mack contributing off the bench, should be praised. What an unbelievable -- and I mean that word literally -- effort on the road against a team with an explosive offense playing for a BCS bowl on a day when the offense got one --1 -- first down in the second half and completed one -- 1 -- pass in the second half. Heroes each and every one of them.
Offense, defense and special teams. Let's start with special teams. Nothing much happened there, but that wasn't all bad. Coverages were very good throughout the game. No mistakes. Chad Christen continues to show that the Temple meltdown, while beyond unfortunate, was at least an aberration. Cole Wagner continues to show that, for whatever reason, he is a better cold weather punter than warm weather punter. And there were no mistakes on our return game (except one drop that was quickly recovered). Remember that LV missed one FG in the 2d half, and we won the battles and the war.
Analyzing the offense has just become bizarre. We started out very, very competently (which for us is all you can ask for). The running game was actually good for a half. The passing game, while not great (it looked like Whitmer was struggling with the weather) was competent until we got up by 10. Again, we looked like we not only had a plan offensively, but one we could execute. And then, WTF? I haven't looked up exact numbers, but I think we ended completing about 3 of 18 (all short) between Whitmer and Johnny Mc from the end of the 2d half through the end of the game. Balls weren't thrown well, but WRs weren't getting separation and weren't catching balls when they had chances to. Whitmer turned it over once and while JM didn't, it sure look like he tried once or twice. And yet, amid total and complete offensive incompetence, with Whitmer in the locker room, McCombs banged up and Cruz either banged up or out (again, hard to tell from how I was watching), the OL picked it up a bit in OT, George had one swing pass and one goal line pass that would work for McEntee in the 2d OT and we did enough to win. It was disheartening to see the passing game look like Pitt in '08 instead of what it had been, but it didn't keep us from losing (more on that later).
Defensively, it is hard to overstate how incredibly well they played as a unit. Despite Sio having a pick six taken off the board (the right call to overturn it). Despite Blidi dropping an easy pick that Will Stein gifted to him to start the second half. Despite Blidi not laying out inexplicably to make a pick that would have won us the game in the first OT. Despite a horrific break on the non OB call on the 3rd down conversion on LV's tying drive. Despite the injury to Trevardo and Yawin and Jory both being beat up. Just a great, great effort. I don't like singling out particular players when a unit is that great, but I'm going to do so anyway. LV answered the riddle what would happen if we actually threw to Wren-Wilson's man. The answer was nothing good for the offense. We haven't even seen how much he improved in coverage this year because no one ever tests him, but wow, did he handle his side of the field easily. Other than dropping the pick six, but made up for it with the game winning play, which was a big time, NFL play. We have been wondering whether Trevardo had been playing banged up, or whether it was just that he was constantly being double teamed. While he has been constantly double teamed, I think the answer was he had been banged up, because he was double teamed much of yesterday and yet was Superman in white with blue trim. What a performance. Our DE rotation was beyond a joke (we ended the game with a 3 man rotation of Tim Willman, who wasn't on the two deep to start the year, and BJ McBride and Angelo Pruitt, who are both DTs). But they held up. Tim Willman, especially, has done a competent job in a number of games when asked to contribute, and his getting to Bridgewater to knock him out of the game for the second time was a huge contribution. And notice that we don't notice our Safeties so much any more because people aren't running free behind them and they are not missing tackles in the open field. Jones and Brown are playing very well, and still have two more years to play together.
So a year that has been very disappointing (the last two games show how little offense we really needed to have a 9-3 or so year) adds a big scalp to its belt, and continues on with an important game to close senior day with. We will go to a bowl at 6-6 if we can find a way to win one more home game, and I don't think that it is impossible that the Pinstripe will take us if we get bowl eligible. And that would be fun. And the three game winning streak would be the only kind of #uptick that matters. Cincy is a more balanced team than we are, and has played far more consistently, but we have more to play for and are at home, and if Trevardo and Chandler are healthy, no reason we can't win. I still think we are way, way, way overdue for another team to turn it over a bunch of times, and there is one more chance for that to happen. 3:30 is not what I wanted (my wife has Long Wharf tickets with another couple for 8) but I know I will be there one way or another.
One last note on the Big East's weekend. Many here still devalue our two shared conference championships. WVU was better than us in '07 and we just weren't BCS good in '10. But you know what -- despite people here taking it for granted, winning the game or games that put you over the top, no matter how your year as a whole was, is not something you should take for granted. RU only had to beat a down and out UConn team at the Rent last November to wrap up a share of the Big East title and a trip to the BCS. And got blown out. Yesterday, RU only had to win at a down and out Pitt team to wrap up a share of the Big East title (and, as it turned out, an outright Big East title). And got blown out. RU had a chance to go to the BCS and share a Big East crown in '06 when they went to WVU to play a Pat White less WVU. And, while they came close, they lost. My point is, just because you weren't as good as you'd like to be over the course of the season one should never -- NEVER -- devalue a championship. Because no one is handing it to you. At the end of the day, you have to show up and take it. We did in Tampa 2 years ago. RU has twice in the last 12 months not.
Have an exciting week getting ready for senior day. And please, I beg you -- even at the risk of making Spackler a prophet, at this point the discussions about the coaching staff's future can wait a week. We have a game to win, and a bowl invitation to fget. And then, as other conferences and schools watch, we will have to buy tickets or STFU about realignment.
That having been said, Wow. Just Wow. Our second victory ever over a ranked team. Our first ever on the road. And our first ever when, to be blunt, we weren't basically as good as the ranked team we were beating. We kept our bowl hopes alive, totally unexpectedly and a month after we all (well, to be fair, except Spackler) threw the towel in on the season. We kept Louisville from gaining a share of the lead in the conference and having a chance for an outright championship. And, while I don't think conference realignment would turn on a football game, it certainly wasn't going to help the PR battle if we got blown out by Louisville. That, plus FSU having its own problems (yeah -- it was your level of competition keeping you from the championship game -- NOT) can only help the Conferences make their decisions using whatever criteria (magin 8 ball presumably) they are using these days. Yes, there were negatives to be sure. We clinched Rutgers some Big East hardware (and yes, I did just throw up a little in my mouth). We didn't solve the 2d half offensive collapses and comebacks allowed. And, to top it off, our passing game reverted big time to the depths it had been prior to Whitmer's coming on. But, nonetheless, it was a big win. Everyone involved in the program is to be congratulated, both for not giving up on the season at 3-6 and for getting this win. But, if anyone is doing an epic poem of yesterday, Donald Brown, plus the 11 defensive starters, plus Willman and Campenni and McBride and Mack contributing off the bench, should be praised. What an unbelievable -- and I mean that word literally -- effort on the road against a team with an explosive offense playing for a BCS bowl on a day when the offense got one --1 -- first down in the second half and completed one -- 1 -- pass in the second half. Heroes each and every one of them.
Offense, defense and special teams. Let's start with special teams. Nothing much happened there, but that wasn't all bad. Coverages were very good throughout the game. No mistakes. Chad Christen continues to show that the Temple meltdown, while beyond unfortunate, was at least an aberration. Cole Wagner continues to show that, for whatever reason, he is a better cold weather punter than warm weather punter. And there were no mistakes on our return game (except one drop that was quickly recovered). Remember that LV missed one FG in the 2d half, and we won the battles and the war.
Analyzing the offense has just become bizarre. We started out very, very competently (which for us is all you can ask for). The running game was actually good for a half. The passing game, while not great (it looked like Whitmer was struggling with the weather) was competent until we got up by 10. Again, we looked like we not only had a plan offensively, but one we could execute. And then, WTF? I haven't looked up exact numbers, but I think we ended completing about 3 of 18 (all short) between Whitmer and Johnny Mc from the end of the 2d half through the end of the game. Balls weren't thrown well, but WRs weren't getting separation and weren't catching balls when they had chances to. Whitmer turned it over once and while JM didn't, it sure look like he tried once or twice. And yet, amid total and complete offensive incompetence, with Whitmer in the locker room, McCombs banged up and Cruz either banged up or out (again, hard to tell from how I was watching), the OL picked it up a bit in OT, George had one swing pass and one goal line pass that would work for McEntee in the 2d OT and we did enough to win. It was disheartening to see the passing game look like Pitt in '08 instead of what it had been, but it didn't keep us from losing (more on that later).
Defensively, it is hard to overstate how incredibly well they played as a unit. Despite Sio having a pick six taken off the board (the right call to overturn it). Despite Blidi dropping an easy pick that Will Stein gifted to him to start the second half. Despite Blidi not laying out inexplicably to make a pick that would have won us the game in the first OT. Despite a horrific break on the non OB call on the 3rd down conversion on LV's tying drive. Despite the injury to Trevardo and Yawin and Jory both being beat up. Just a great, great effort. I don't like singling out particular players when a unit is that great, but I'm going to do so anyway. LV answered the riddle what would happen if we actually threw to Wren-Wilson's man. The answer was nothing good for the offense. We haven't even seen how much he improved in coverage this year because no one ever tests him, but wow, did he handle his side of the field easily. Other than dropping the pick six, but made up for it with the game winning play, which was a big time, NFL play. We have been wondering whether Trevardo had been playing banged up, or whether it was just that he was constantly being double teamed. While he has been constantly double teamed, I think the answer was he had been banged up, because he was double teamed much of yesterday and yet was Superman in white with blue trim. What a performance. Our DE rotation was beyond a joke (we ended the game with a 3 man rotation of Tim Willman, who wasn't on the two deep to start the year, and BJ McBride and Angelo Pruitt, who are both DTs). But they held up. Tim Willman, especially, has done a competent job in a number of games when asked to contribute, and his getting to Bridgewater to knock him out of the game for the second time was a huge contribution. And notice that we don't notice our Safeties so much any more because people aren't running free behind them and they are not missing tackles in the open field. Jones and Brown are playing very well, and still have two more years to play together.
So a year that has been very disappointing (the last two games show how little offense we really needed to have a 9-3 or so year) adds a big scalp to its belt, and continues on with an important game to close senior day with. We will go to a bowl at 6-6 if we can find a way to win one more home game, and I don't think that it is impossible that the Pinstripe will take us if we get bowl eligible. And that would be fun. And the three game winning streak would be the only kind of #uptick that matters. Cincy is a more balanced team than we are, and has played far more consistently, but we have more to play for and are at home, and if Trevardo and Chandler are healthy, no reason we can't win. I still think we are way, way, way overdue for another team to turn it over a bunch of times, and there is one more chance for that to happen. 3:30 is not what I wanted (my wife has Long Wharf tickets with another couple for 8) but I know I will be there one way or another.
One last note on the Big East's weekend. Many here still devalue our two shared conference championships. WVU was better than us in '07 and we just weren't BCS good in '10. But you know what -- despite people here taking it for granted, winning the game or games that put you over the top, no matter how your year as a whole was, is not something you should take for granted. RU only had to beat a down and out UConn team at the Rent last November to wrap up a share of the Big East title and a trip to the BCS. And got blown out. Yesterday, RU only had to win at a down and out Pitt team to wrap up a share of the Big East title (and, as it turned out, an outright Big East title). And got blown out. RU had a chance to go to the BCS and share a Big East crown in '06 when they went to WVU to play a Pat White less WVU. And, while they came close, they lost. My point is, just because you weren't as good as you'd like to be over the course of the season one should never -- NEVER -- devalue a championship. Because no one is handing it to you. At the end of the day, you have to show up and take it. We did in Tampa 2 years ago. RU has twice in the last 12 months not.
Have an exciting week getting ready for senior day. And please, I beg you -- even at the risk of making Spackler a prophet, at this point the discussions about the coaching staff's future can wait a week. We have a game to win, and a bowl invitation to fget. And then, as other conferences and schools watch, we will have to buy tickets or STFU about realignment.
of course, u do this for fun and they get paid, but who is counting?
