5 Games In

[Dooley]

Raise your hand if you would have taken a 2-3 record in August. <Raising both hands>

Analyzing the schedule this summer, I didn't read too many (read: ANY) posts that we were going to win any of the last 3 games. This 3 game stretch was, by far, our most difficult stretch on our schedule. We were competitive in all 3 games with a chance to win all 3. Best of all, we made it through reasonably healthy.

Our schedule now turns back to winnable games. No double digit dog games; no "I hope we can keep it competitive" games. Games that we can win, starting with UCF next week.

We are still learning how to win games. In the last two weeks, we have seen that we have work to do to be able to win games against older, more experienced squads. In a year or two, maybe we pull these games out. But until then, I will take the effort and energy we are playing with.

We have won the games we were supposed to and lost the games we were supposed to. Now we enter the 50/50 portion of our schedule. If we play well (and smart), and can stay reasonably healthy, we can get to 6 wins.

We are EXACTLY where we all would have signed up for in August after 5 games: 2-3. Beat UCF and we stay on bowl eligibility schedule. Lose and a bowl game would still be attainable but it would be MUCH harder.

Patience guys. We are headed in the right direction and still very much on bowl schedule.

 

[Excalibur]

Raise your hand if you would have taken a 2-3 record in August. <Raising both hands> Analyzing the schedule this summer, I didn't read too many (read: ANY) posts that we were going to win any of the last 3 games. This 3 game stretch was, by far, our most difficult stretch on our schedule. We were competitive in all 3 games with a chance to win all 3. Best of all, we made it through reasonably healthy. Our schedule now turns back to winnable games. No double digit dog games; no "I hope we can keep it competitive" games. Games that we can win, starting with UCF next week. We are still learning how to win games. In the last two weeks, we have seen that we have work to do to be able to win games against older, more experienced squads. In a year or two, maybe we pull these games out. But until then, I will take the effort and energy we are playing with. We have won the games we were supposed to and lost the games we were supposed to. Now we enter the 50/50 portion of our schedule. If we play well (and smart), and can stay reasonably healthy, we can get to 6 wins. We are EXACTLY where we all would have signed up for in August after 5 games: 2-3. Beat UCF and we stay on bowl eligibility schedule. Lose and a bowl game would still be attainable but it would be MUCH harder. Patience guys. We are headed in the right direction and still very much on bowl schedule.

I assumed 2-3,and was worried about 1-4. However, last night was the first time we resembled last year's dumpster fire, and that's concerning.

 

[minidarren]

I can appreciate your optimism Dooley, but we are going to get destroyed by Cincinnati.

 

[FDNY99]

Agree Dooley...if you had told me that through 5 games we would be 2-3 with no blowouts (last night wasn't a blowout) where we didn't belong on the same field as the other team I would have been satisfied. There are a lot of things to clean up and even somethings that need further work (OL for one..) but there is progress here.

 

[Dooley]

I assumed 2-3,and was worried about 1-4. However, last night was the first time we resembled last year's dumpster fire, and that's concerning.

I get it. But let's look at what we were walking into: playing a good and very angry team, at their place (the furthest distance for any road game we have ever played), in a short week after a tough triple option game and kickoff at 10:15 our time. Is there any coincidence that our boneheaded plays began when we were playing football at 1am our time?

It's a disappointing game but not overly surprising. We were out gained by 1000 yards but somehow stayed in the game thanks to a few BYU miscues. If they play flawlessly, we lose by 40. We battled but BYU is a better team than we are right now.

 

[Dooley]

I can appreciate your optimism Dooley, but we are going to get destroyed by Cincinnati.

We always lose to Cinci. I'll remain optimistic that our O will improve by that game. Their D is very soft this year.

But I will worry about Cinci when we play Cinci. We have a very winnable game next week. Win that and everyone feels good again.

 

[Dooley]

Agree Dooley...if you had told me that through 5 games we would be 2-3 with no blowouts (last night wasn't a blowout) where we didn't belong on the same field as the other team I would have been satisfied. There are a lot of things to clean up and even somethings that need further work (OL for one..) but there is progress here.

Agree. Still work to do but definite progress. Best UCF and we are all feeling REALLY good for Honecoming against USF.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I assumed 2-3,and was worried about 1-4. However, last night was the first time we resembled last year's dumpster fire, and that's concerning.

Exactly my thought as well. That we had a chance in the 4th quarter is more of an indictment on BYU than anything else.

 

[BugsyCT]

Down the road:

at UCF
USF
at Cincy
EAST CAROLINA
at Tulane
- (bye week) -
HOUSTON
at Temple

Toughest games right now look like Cincy and Temple. So far we've learned that this team can hang in games against solid teams but still makes too many mistakes (both in coaching & player execution) that are too difficult to overcome.

With this being a down year for UCF, next week is very winnable. Almost a must-win now.

 

[freescooter]

Cindy Temple and Houston are every bit as good as Mizzu Navy and BY U. Likely better. And I don't think you can go by August predictions. If you told me we'd probably be favored in the Conflct id have said no way. If you said Missouri would be the mess it is or BY U would have a 4th string running back well...as for us I really don't know what to make of this team other than we are somewhat better than last year. We'd be competitive in 1aa and we are better than the worst team in 1a. Beyond that the jury is still out I think.

 

[weyuo]

The thing I can't get past is this team should be 5-0 or at least 4-1 but mental errors, not talent, not physicality have lost these games for them. Offensive linemen letting unblocked pass rushers get to the QB, senseless personal fouls, extra point snafus, risky play calling....ugghhh.

 

[businesslawyer]

If you think we have more talent than the last 3 teams we played I'm utterly speechless.

 

[whaler11]

If you think we have more talent than the last 3 teams we played I'm utterly speechless.

The number of people saying this is mindboggling.

 

[JMick]

The thing I can't get past is this team should be 5-0 or at least 4-1 but mental errors, not talent, not physicality have lost these games for them. Offensive linemen letting unblocked pass rushers get to the QB, senseless personal fouls, extra point snafus, risky play calling....ugghhh.

I agree. Rationally I know that we're still rebuilding and should be happy with 2-3 at this point, but it's the way we lost the games that bothers me. We keep snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Hopefully we get a win this week and move to 3-3. I'll be much happier with that.

 

[Sprague03]

The problem is that the AAC has become such a pass heavy-high scoring league. after watching the BYU game, it scares me that we won't be able to stop these teams- Temple, Tulsa, Cinci, Memphis, Houston, ECU (luckily we miss a few of the opponents this year). I don't even think the UCF game is winnable anymore -remember we lost to SMU last year. This UCF game is going to be huge

 

[weyuo]

If you think we have more talent than the last 3 teams we played I'm utterly speechless.

I think the Huskies have proven they can compete with the opposing talent so I don't think talent is the problem. I think it's UConn making mental errors that keeps them from winning these last three games.

 

[businesslawyer]

Yes. We have enough talent so that if we're perfect and the other team makes tons of mistakes we can compete with them. That would mean they are more talented than us, unless you think that if BYU hadn't made mistakes we still would have been competitive for 50 minutes.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I don't think we're snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. I think we've done a great job, largely through through smart schemes, of creating opportunities late in games but we haven't demonstrated the ability to make game winning plays in crunch time. That's the next evolution I guess. Youth may be a large part of that, but I think o-line play (sometimes it's o-line break downs and sometimes it's lack of confidence in the o-line taking away options) is the bigger issue. BTW Dooley, my hand is raised, I was down w/2-3 and competitive in the losses.

 

[Tdaley]

I will take the 2-3 record but I am concern about the next 5 games. We could go 1-4. South Florida and Tulane are not going to be cakewalks. I love our defense but unless we can pass block and run block better in those next 5 games we may be heading toward another disappointing year. We did see improvement in special teams Friday night. Lets hope some hard work on our offense this week pays dividends against Central Florida. I have guarded optimism at this point in time.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I don't even like Diaco and I think this team is light years ahead of last year. We were within a boneheaded coaching decision from having a chance to beat BYU and Missouri in the 4th. I expected both games to be epic blowouts before the season started.

Diaco is clearly doing something right in practice, but he could use a gray hair on staff to stop his emotional impulses to try something crazy at key moments.

 

[huskymedic]

Diaco is clearly doing something right in practice, but he could use a gray hair on staff to stop his emotional impulses to try something crazy at key moments.

... or possibly the conviction to override/overrule a "gray hair" play call.

He owns all calls in the end but...

 

[RedStickHusky]

maybe wishful thinking on my part but I can't help thinking that HCBD has some purpose in mind with the late game crazy that I'm not smart enough to figure out.... I think it's partly due to a lack of confidence in our ability to run conventional offense but it could also be making sure the post-game heat falls on him, or still working on a team psyche that, to him, is important....

 

[BlueDogs]

Getting better but got a long way to go in intensive care. PP destroyed the program.

 

[Redding Husky]

I'm surprised we were in all three losses until the fourth quarter, and Missouri was down to the final seconds. That's improvement from last year.

Looking forward, I see 4-8 or 5-7. If we get some breaks, 6-6.

Next year we go bowling for sure. No doubt about it.

 

[Nostical]

I think the Huskies have proven they can compete with the opposing talent so I don't think talent is the problem. I think it's UConn making mental errors that keeps them from winning these last three games.

This is exactly right. Talent, shmalent, we absolutely should have won at Mizzou and BYU. The only team that was better than us was Navy. And we even had a shot at them with fewer mistakes on O. Coaching/schemes and mental errors have put us in some very tough spots. Fix that and we have a real chance at beating anyone remaining on our schedule.