Arkpony wrote:I still cannot forget our last game in 2018. Terrible loss at Tulsa.
I'm sure that will be a constant rallying cry for the team this week.
You guys are acting like we choked against horrible teams. We have lost by a combined 13 points to teams with a combined 3 losses, both games away.
Our OL isn't dominant in the run game. We don't have *that* dominant DE yet. Our Star position player isn't a stud against run and pass yet. Our safeties aren't great in coverage.
We didn't choke, and we didn't blow anything. It takes GREAT teams to run the table, even in a lesser conference like the Sun Belt or CUSA, much less the AAC. We have some holes to fill to get to that level.
Great points. Thank you.
As disappointing the loss was, this season has been such a breath of fresh air itΓÇÖs hard to believe we have so many bad mouthing the season.
An atheist is a guy who watches a Notre Dame-SMU football game and doesn't care who wins. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
As we bid adieu to Nick Dennis on the offensive line, we add Danielson Ike (6-6, 338), Tai Brooks (6-4, 334) and Demetri Jordan (6-4, 300) to the rotation. It seems clear we need a transfer RB to go along with T.J. McDaniel, Ulysses Bentley and TaMerik Williams, but with a bigger and hopefully nastier offensive line, there is reason to remain hopeful for continued improvement.
That bowl loss really took the wind out of my sails. However, I have now gotten over it and look forward to a good year next year. The key will be building this offensive line: having a running game threat and protection for Buechele. If that happens, we should be a very good offensive team. Defense needs help so we will see if they can better this season and win the West. With some Transfer help I would expect to be ranked in the Top 40 preseason. Signed: Eternal Optimist.
Defense should be priority one (we all painfully saw this very real need at the FAU game), followed by a nasty fullback, then O-line depth, ohhhhh and donΓÇÖt forget some highly athletic special teams players.
While the Bowl game was a hard pill to swallow, IΓÇÖm excited about next year. And, the best part is this wonΓÇÖt take that many new players. We already have a full stable of growing athletes.
skyscraper wrote:No divisions next season. Top two teams play in the title game.
That's basically what happened this year with Memphis havng to beat Cincy twice to claim the AAC Championship. Memphis was fortunate to have both those games at home.
So here's what happened. We fell for the Cotton Bowl hype and when we lost to Memphis (some on that roster were just nowhere near ready for that kind of game -- on defense and of course ST), I think we kind of tanked subconsciously after that. Now, having said that, no one apparently beats Navy on senior day so I can sort of be "ok" with that loss and we weren't going to lose on our senior day (although Tulane helped hand that win to us). Losing Reggie of course was a killer. But the bowl game? Downright inexcusable. This team needs a little more of a just win attitude, doesn't matter who/when you're playing. Play the same way all the time: to completely obliterate the other team. We need that mindset. Have never had it in my 30 years following this program. Memphis has it. Houston used to have it and will probably have it again next year. Have to find a way to get that in the DNA of the program. Be nice all other days, be an outright DOG on game days. Every position, every player. Nonstop.
ojaipony wrote:So here's what happened. We fell for the Cotton Bowl hype and when we lost to Memphis (some on that roster were just nowhere near ready for that kind of game -- on defense and of course ST), I think we kind of tanked subconsciously after that. Now, having said that, no one apparently beats Navy on senior day so I can sort of be "ok" with that loss and we weren't going to lose on our senior day (although Tulane helped hand that win to us). Losing Reggie of course was a killer. But the bowl game? Downright inexcusable. This team needs a little more of a just win attitude, doesn't matter who/when you're playing. Play the same way all the time: to completely obliterate the other team. We need that mindset. Have never had it in my 30 years following this program. Memphis has it. Houston used to have it and will probably have it again next year. Have to find a way to get that in the DNA of the program. Be nice all other days, be an outright DOG on game days. Every position, every player. Nonstop.
Ponies obviously didn't finish the way we wanted. That bowl game was tough. But no matter who is on the schedule, 10 wins can't be called a "downward trend." The schedule wasn't a killer, but we have had bad schedules before and won less than half, sometimes a lot less. This season was a lot of fun to watch. Here's hoping for an even better season next year.
