Early in the game last night Byron Jones was in a position to take out a receiver who was exposed going up for a ball. He made a poor wrap tackle and never sent a message. I'm not talking dirty football, I'm talking physical football. Butler or Gratz or Branch would have bruised a bunch of ribs.....just say'in.
Biz, thanks for doing this, painful as it must have been.
There may be two wins somewhere this season, but there won't be more than that. Not a singe RB other than LM took a hand-off. We're going to ride a 165LB fly weight back with a big heart but some significant limitations. The OL is just a passive group and to my eye I can't even understand what they hope to accomplish. Hemmingway was not even remotely ready to be on the field. Not even close. So that tells me this staff is incapable of evaluating and developing young talent and that is just frightening. And for those who want to throw the ball all over the field, you got some of that last night. But, when you can't run the ball and you have no play action and your TEs don't have a single reception you get DLs teeing off.
It never made sense to me that the defense would be what it was last season given the talent lost. That it would regress to this I find almost unbelievable. If Stegg, Ashiru and Vahn couldn't beat out Graham and Donahue I shudder to think what's in store for us next season when Yawin takes his game to the NFL. And I could really give a duckk how many stars a kid has on the recruiting sites or who recruited them, give me Lutrus or Wilson or Lansanah or any number of other UCONN great LBs who made plays.
Obi is the real deal. That was a hell of first showing and for someone that long to move the way he does is simply remarkable.
P will blame this on talent, but he's not being truthful (probably with himself). There was excellent talent last season on both sides of the ball and certainly enough to win many more game than we did. Now, with a younger less experienced group that flaws become glaring. I do think there is a scenario where P doesn't make it through the season. That scenario being a team that throws in the towel early and starts getting into off field issues. I certainly hope that does not happen, but I certainly do not see it as out of the realm of possibility.
Huge setback for a new program that was very well positioned to two season's ago.
In regards to your first paragraph about Jones and his shy-away missed tackle when he should of knocked the crap out of the receiver, maybe even dislodging the ball. I was thinking the same exact thing, and I even said he used to be a safety; blow that guy up, set the tempo... Then I remember earlier in the day watching one of these cfb shows and they were saying if you hit a defenseless player high( the wr was in the air facing the sidelines if I remember correctly) you get expelled from the game.
I think Jones being the smart player in my mind, had that in the back of his head and seemed to be "afraid" to make the big hit. I think these kids are getting the wrong advice, true you don't want to hurt these kids, but he could of made a solid hit when the wr toes hit the ground. Now I saw the kid from Ole miss lay out the kid from Vandy with a huge hit over the middle, which made the kid puke on the field. A good clean hit, maybe the mack hit on Mcquillan was on Jones's mind as well, I don't know but this team is too passive.
Then I also saw Whitmer rolling out and instead of gun-slinging and trying to make a play (either with his feet or in the air) I saw absolutely nothing, I think he's told to do nothing, so therefore not putting the players in a position to win. The thing I liked most about Whitmer was his ability to try to make a play, yes trying to throw it away, and not actually doing it bothers me, but you can't win a game by putting restrictions on a qb and expect to win. Especially in a pro-style offense, this kid is a gun-slinger, let him play to his ability. If you have a concern he's too turnover prone or not tall enough to see over the o-line, and can't step up into the pocket, then put someone else in who can do what you want. Clueless...
