HMMM.....OK, THAT WAS A WAC LOSS, WASN'T IT
Well, what the hell's left after that? And who says the oddsmakers are always right on? Fresno State went to Logan as something like a four-touchdown favorite and lost 13-12 to a bunch of guys that probably couldn't have lettered at Clovis East High School last year.
It's only one loss in the WAC, you say? Well, buckle up, Jughead, because Utah State hadn't won a game prior to Saturday night and sported a loss to the sad-sack Idaho Vandals by 20 points. The road ahead isn't just rough, it's a veritable suicide mission. Hawaii at home, or anywhere for that matter? LSU and Boise State on the road? Oh, yeah, there won't be too much bloodshed there.
To make a list of the things that went wrong in the loss at Utah State would be like listing all the Yankee managers that preceded Joe Torre under George Steinbrenner's watch. It just can't be done and serves no purpose. But, if you didn't see the game, you'll be shocked to hear that special teams is on the list. A missed 27-yard field goal, another kickoff out of bounds.The word "special" is being stretched to new limits.
Can Tommy Brandstater be the QB of the future? It looks less likely every week but that still may not be his fault. The secondary is abysmal. Utah State went down the field like they were escaping from a tsunami in the waning moments and even threw the winning touchdown pass twice. The first one was called back by a questionable penalty for pushing off.
I am absolutely fed up with hearing post-game quotes where players and coaches allude to the fact that they weren't prepared and the other team wanted it more. Not that we don't notice while the game is going on, but it's a lot of salt in the wounds to those of us who have seen our ticket prices go up, up and away with each passing year while the illusion of moving this program into the upper echelon of D-1 college football remains exactly that, an illusion.
I can take a win over a dogmeat team like Washington or Kansas State being trumped up as a landmark win over a BCS power. It's bullshit, but I see where Hill's going with that. What I can't take is crap like last Saturday night, the Saturday before that against Colorado State, and other pathetic efforts during the now-famous Bulldog Tailspins that follow tough losses to quality opponents. I know perfectly well that Fresno State probably should have beaten USC last year but they didn't and there's no way in hell you let that hangover last until you don't even win the conference title. But that's exactly what happened.
And you can't beat Nevada in the opener, fight tooth and nail against Oregon and Washington, only to turn around and nap your way through the most embarassing loss in Hill's tenure a few weeks later. And then the players say the other team was more "up" for the game? There's absolutely nothing elite about that. No seat at "the main table," no crashing the BCS party, none of that nonsense for this outfit. That's a million miles away right now. "Anybody, Anytime, Anywhere?" Nobody in red is ready for that anymore.
If there's going to be a second deck built anywhere it will go on Ratcliffe Stadium.
It's only one loss in the WAC, you say? Well, buckle up, Jughead, because Utah State hadn't won a game prior to Saturday night and sported a loss to the sad-sack Idaho Vandals by 20 points. The road ahead isn't just rough, it's a veritable suicide mission. Hawaii at home, or anywhere for that matter? LSU and Boise State on the road? Oh, yeah, there won't be too much bloodshed there.
To make a list of the things that went wrong in the loss at Utah State would be like listing all the Yankee managers that preceded Joe Torre under George Steinbrenner's watch. It just can't be done and serves no purpose. But, if you didn't see the game, you'll be shocked to hear that special teams is on the list. A missed 27-yard field goal, another kickoff out of bounds.The word "special" is being stretched to new limits.
Can Tommy Brandstater be the QB of the future? It looks less likely every week but that still may not be his fault. The secondary is abysmal. Utah State went down the field like they were escaping from a tsunami in the waning moments and even threw the winning touchdown pass twice. The first one was called back by a questionable penalty for pushing off.
I am absolutely fed up with hearing post-game quotes where players and coaches allude to the fact that they weren't prepared and the other team wanted it more. Not that we don't notice while the game is going on, but it's a lot of salt in the wounds to those of us who have seen our ticket prices go up, up and away with each passing year while the illusion of moving this program into the upper echelon of D-1 college football remains exactly that, an illusion.
I can take a win over a dogmeat team like Washington or Kansas State being trumped up as a landmark win over a BCS power. It's bullshit, but I see where Hill's going with that. What I can't take is crap like last Saturday night, the Saturday before that against Colorado State, and other pathetic efforts during the now-famous Bulldog Tailspins that follow tough losses to quality opponents. I know perfectly well that Fresno State probably should have beaten USC last year but they didn't and there's no way in hell you let that hangover last until you don't even win the conference title. But that's exactly what happened.
And you can't beat Nevada in the opener, fight tooth and nail against Oregon and Washington, only to turn around and nap your way through the most embarassing loss in Hill's tenure a few weeks later. And then the players say the other team was more "up" for the game? There's absolutely nothing elite about that. No seat at "the main table," no crashing the BCS party, none of that nonsense for this outfit. That's a million miles away right now. "Anybody, Anytime, Anywhere?" Nobody in red is ready for that anymore.
If there's going to be a second deck built anywhere it will go on Ratcliffe Stadium.
posted by Green V Watchdog | 10:47 PM
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