Ironically, 6 years ago a HC went for a power run from deep inside his own territory on 4th down to beat Pitt. It might have saved the season and put us opn another trajectory. I recall the OL getting credit for saying, let's go for it and run it. Having faith in your team to deliver in a big game is commendable. Now, having said that, I amstill not sure I'll ever understand that ending. A shot at pulling off a W in a game we should have lost by 20+ was a huge setback. The lack of explanations, the confusing and meandering storyline (recall he originally thought it was 3rd down), and frankly the lack of hard questions being asked remind me again why we are not in the P5.
HCBD has been a revelation for a program that had hit rock bottom. He has the vibe back, the program on the uptick, and the promise of better days ahead. But how much better? Are we recruiting talent that can compete with good P5 teams, do we understand the evolution of the game (towards more explosive plays), and can we adjust on the fly (in a game or within schemes across a year)? I so want to believe that the trajectory upward will continue, but in Y3 I expected more. The OL remains a huge problem; the O seems to think games start after the 1/2, the D struggles to get off the field quickly, the specials are, well, not special, and the recruiting does not align w/a P5 program or even that of the top of the AAC. Have we truly solved any of our key issues, other than a feel good atmosphere for the players?
