The team is bad in nearly every single area right now.

Offense:  Line is getting pushed around.  We cannot run the ball when we need to.  There is virtually no downfield passing.  All of our plays are designed to get 5 yards.  Why is Dunlop not used more in clutch situations?  He never drops the ball.  Thompson is also largely ignored.  He made some great blocks today, but I cannot understand why he is not used as a target more often.  Tettleton has regressed.  He is falling down in the middle of the field, making bad decisions and the passes are way off target.  I don't know if he is injured, but something is really wrong there.  We have a ton of good receivers and nobody can get anything other than a bubble screen thrown to their hands.  The running game is anemic.  I did not even need to look at the box score.  My eyes tell me this team cannot get the yards they need when they really have to get a first down. 

Defense:  I know the defense has too many injuries to list.  I still don't understand why so many guys try to arm tackle instead of wrapping the opponent up.  The stops are not being made on third down.  This started at Rutgers and had continued to get worse.  I think our LB's are playing well, but the line and secondary are just not getting it done.  I wonder if it's the players or the schemes.  We are getting beat by bad teams.  I would like to think that all of the talk we have heard about how talented our team is and how good our recruiting has been would lead to a deeper bench.  Shouldn't our 2nd team players still be able to stop Buffalo and Ball St?

Special Teams:  Weller and Hershey are really solid.  I'm not going to harp on a missed kick to get the game to OT today.  He usually makes that kick and I am in agreement with Solich to kick it there.  The wind was not bad.  The flags on top of the goal posts were barely moving.  He just missed it.  It happens.  There are two big problems, however.  First, why are so many kicks getting blocked?  I assume it is the line getting pushed around.  That is just disappointing.  The other glaring problem is with fielding punts.  LaVon seems to have the worst instincts possible.  He is catching balls on the 5 yard line and letting the ones go that are getting downed at the 1 yd line.  He looks scared to make a mistake and that is causing huge gaffes in his judgement.  He is a very talented returner once he has the ball.  The coaches need to give him some rules to go by until he gets his mojo back.  Today we got killed in the battle of field position because of special teams.

Misc:  Our fans still suck.  24,000 people should not be that quiet.  I know they were capable of making noise because when we had the ball late in the game, everyone stood up and yelled their collective asses off.  Where was that on all the third down defensive plays during the first 36 minutes of the game?  Congrats to LaVon for setting the all time record, but his helmet removal and self-congratulatory celebration was clownish.  It was in the middle of an important drive and we were not winning the game.  It reminded me of the time in high school when they stopped the game to honor our point guard's 1000th career point.  We were losing by 20, yet he couldn't be happier for himself.  I am sure nobody is more disappointed than the team and the coaches, but it is impossible to meet any of the teams goals for the year now.  There will be no MAC Championship, no bowl game and no marquee win.  I'll still show up, cheer hard and support the team like I have every game for 21 years.  I'd be lying, though, if I said the wind was out of my sails right now. 
 

Last Edited: 10/16/2011 5:32:29 PM by JSF

Last Edited: 10/16/2011 9:14:31 PM by Monroe Slavin

Last Edited: 10/16/2011 9:34:44 PM by OhioCatFan

Last Edited: 10/17/2011 10:20:33 AM by Cats-22

Last Edited: 10/17/2011 1:39:40 PM by bobcat695