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State’s all-around play at South Florida was as sharp as their all-white road uniforms. The balanced offense — 315 rushing, 274 passing — dictated t
[See the full post at: All-Around Positive a Win at USF]Another good game again in terms of discipline. There was the first holding call of the year in the 2nd half and the first pass interference of the year was called late in the 4th quarter.
This was as complete a win as I have seen on the road in a long time. The last time State won by 32 points on the road against anyone was 2002 when the Pack destroyed Clemson on Thursday night 38-6 to go 9-0.
Lots of good things to pull from this game. Now to keep it going. Go 4-0 and then the season really starts.
My experience has taught me:
1. look for improvement as the season progresses (big + here)
2. blowing out a much weaker opponent is never a big +. It doesn’t mean anything more than our team’s ability is between the team we beat and the best team in NCAA football. I hate it when people read more into it. Even Les Robinson’s teams blew out directional schools… then ended up in the Les Robinson invitational tournament at the end of the season!Agreed…look past the final score and into the way the team played.
Offensive execution was crisp, our receivers were catching the ball and linemen were getting good run blocks.
Defensively, we were making tackles with a lot fewer arm-tackles.
Overall, the effort is there. The team came out and played with poise from the kickoff until late in the game when wholesale substitutions and lost focus let USF score.
We may not be a 10-2 team, but we’re not playing like a 3-9 team either. Play like that in each conference game, plus stay healthy, and we’ve got a real chance of playing in a bowl and not one in Charlotte.
Good game from the standpoint that they played and executed well. I think this is a better team than last year, particularly offensively, but how much better is the question.
One the most telling things this season is that Underwood was by far our best offensive option last year; this season he is a 5th or 6th option, if that. Perhaps there’s something else going on such as an injury we don’t know about, but assuming he’s healthy it really does show how bare the cupboard was last year.
Although I’d seriously consider Underwood for returning punts after what Cherry showed this week.
We were 2.5 point favorites. This was a huge win against a relatively equal opponent. Canada continues to have the offense clicking on all cylinders (though we haven’t played a top 100 team yet). He is living up to expectations built at Wisconsin.
The largest difference in this game was the defense, who was embarrassed against 2 teams with inferior talent. Sure GA Tech was scared by GA Southern, but then ODU comes to town and scorches the D. The offense will have to win games for us and the D just needs to gradually improve.
Hopefully we can make a crappy bowl so the recruiters won’t have an empty sales pitch.
Two points above that I picked up on and shows that some of us are being realistic:
We may not be a 10-2 team, but we’re not playing like a 3-9 team either.
Hopefully we can make a crappy bowl so the recruiters won’t have an empty sales pitch.
Yep, just b/c we’re 3-0 doesn’t mean we’re any good yet. Let’s see an ACC road game first.
Agree. Cherry has lost his confidence returning punts. Put Underwood or Dayes back there and do it THIS week. Cherry has 5 TDS on the season IIRC, so he shouldn’t get his feelings hurt if we do it now. He knows hes an integral part of the O, he just wont be returning punts any longer
The first two words got it exactly right, “cautious optimism.”
We are seeing week to week improvement, meaning positive influence by the coaching staff. That is encouraging for the program overall.
I expect this week’s game to be more of the same, but still looking for quality of execution on a snap-by-snap basis.
Still have no idea where that 6th win would come from to get us in a bowl. My guess is that if we get it, it will be a big upset and the highlight of this season.
The first two words got it exactly right, “cautious optimism.”
We are seeing week to week improvement, meaning positive influence by the coaching staff. That is encouraging for the program overall.
I expect this week’s game to be more of the same, but still looking for quality of execution on a snap-by-snap basis.
Still have no idea where that 6th win would come from to get us in a bowl. My guess is that if we get it, it will be a big upset and the highlight of this season.
WF = Potential 5th Win
Potential 6th Win comes from the following three games BC, GT, Syracuse
If you play the common opponent game with GT you have to believe this is a toss-up. The BC game is in Raleigh so I can’t make the Eagles a prohibitive favorite in that one. Syracuse can be had as well.^^
Other nice thing about Syracuse as a road opponent is that I think, like USF, their fan support has really fallen off in the last 10 years with their disappointing results. Bet it’s not anywhere near as loud in their as it was when that MOC team won on the surprise 2-pt. conversion in the season opener back in the day (which I think was our last trip there…). Plus the debacle at home last year was one of the “worst of the worst”, and I hope the players remember.Plus the debacle at home last year was one of the “worst of the worst”, and I hope the players remember.
Classof89, Why on earth would you want the players to remember?
Just the other night I saw Nick Saban on 60 minutes. I just looked up as he was saying that he tells his players not watch the scoreboard, not to worry about anything but executing that particular play to the best of your ability. Of course WTF does he know?
Hopefully we can make a crappy bowl so the recruiters won’t have an empty sales pitch.
Considering the source that’s about what I’d expect. News flash, Doeren and his recruiters aren’t going into homes and making sales pitches, and most certainly they aren’t ‘selling’ bowl trips. Dig up the video of Doeren talking about the families of the recruits. We are loaded with fine young men who honor their parents and grandparents, not a bunch who want to get off and embarrass themselves, the team and the school. There’s a lot going on at Alabama besides going to great bowl games. That’s backwards. Great bowls and NC’s are the result of something, not the cause.
I don’t know what Doeren and his coaches have going on but “selling young men on coming to our school because we are going to the ________________ bowl this year ain’t it. I will say this, the players seem happier than any I have EVER seen. They are enthusiastic, excited, and they sure aren’t acting like a team that finished 3-9 and picked to finish nearly last in the conference this year.
About Cherry and his returning punts. Doeren will not throw him under the bus. Count on this: he will treat Cherry like family. If he does put in another punt returner, it will be after he has a conversation with Cherry. It’s not Cherry I worry about, it’s his teammates who consider him “family” and will quietly revolt over an high-handed treatment like is being suggested in this thread.
Doeren made a man out of Shad. I trust Doeren to be great with Cherry.
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