- We can’t come out as flat as we did today and expect success. We are good but we aren’t so overwhelming we can just put guys out there and out talent decent teams. Disappointing start.
- Defense was absolutely getting gashed in the run game early. For how good the DL showed up last week, it was the opposite early today. Very disappointing.
- But then we figured it out. Brooks just stopped gaining yards on those Leveon Bell plays that were killing us to start. Credit the DL and LB group both, and to going to three down linemen with two standup DE a lot mid second quarter on. Good adjustment.
- Our stud corner got absolutely cooked by a guy whose name sounded like an American Idol contestant. Brutal. I hadn’t worried about Cobee much this season but he was straight up bad today.
- Mello gave up a really key big play too, obviously, but did so much more in run support than Cobee today. And credit to him for showing up to play at all after the head ding he took last week.
- Our guys were dropping like flies there for a minute. Not sure if we were exposing ourselves too much or they were just hitting us hard or dirty or what. But that was as tough a stretch as I’ve seen in a while (Bean, Grimm, Fairchild).
- Cabeldue was on one leg and just gutted it out. Dude didn’t even sit on the sideline because he needed to keep moving that leg. Warrior.
- For all the guys who complain about Bean not being tough and being willing to take a hit, satisfied? He put his head down and took a hit and that was the result.
- That said, Ballard showed some huge balls. Couldn’t believe he rallied us to three scores and being in position to score at least one more time. He didn’t look like a true frosh and definitely didn’t look like a walk on. That wasn’t Jay Alexander or Ben Rutz or Jonas Weatherbie out there. Interested to see him develop going forward. May have to put him on scholarship.
- I have now heard it on good authority from two sources who don’t know each other that JD is legit hurt, is really annoyed at the transfer rumors and has no interest in going anywhere. He’d love nothing more than to be healthy enough to play but they are likely looking at a redshirt for him now.
- OL grinded and grinded this game until they could get those lanes open in the late third and fourth quarter. Impressed by their effort after what felt like a pretty awful start.
- Medical staff needs to be questioned for how Bean got back on the field if he was hurt bad enough not to play three plays later. Can’t put kids with head injuries back out there unless you’re sure. They obviously weren’t sure. Bad look.
- We had no right to be in that game and we were late. Two ways of looking at that. One is that we are a gritty, tough squad that simply won’t go away. The other is that we were simply so much better than them that both teams regressed to the mean but we just got started too late. I think it’s the first, but man—once we scored to tie it that was a very disheartening way to lose.
- Some criticism for AK and BB warranted, and some praise too. BB held them to 16 and figure out how to stop them cold after they owned us early. That’s great, but then he just stopped doing what worked on the last drive. Take some risks there. Rush four. It’ll work. AK schemed things up really well for Ballard to help him succeed, but those and goal plays just weren’t great, and we never let the kid even attempt a pass to the end zone. That makes us too easy to defend. We needed seven and didn’t put us in position to get one.
- I have thought all year this is the year we get KSU because I don’t think they’re any better than us. Home game, could be big for a bowl, thought it might help decide the title game. I’m now worried about it for the first time. I don’t know if we can win against them with Ballard, and I don’t think Bean or Daniels will play. That doubt creeping in sucks.
- Defense was absolutely getting gashed in the run game early. For how good the DL showed up last week, it was the opposite early today. Very disappointing.
- But then we figured it out. Brooks just stopped gaining yards on those Leveon Bell plays that were killing us to start. Credit the DL and LB group both, and to going to three down linemen with two standup DE a lot mid second quarter on. Good adjustment.
- Our stud corner got absolutely cooked by a guy whose name sounded like an American Idol contestant. Brutal. I hadn’t worried about Cobee much this season but he was straight up bad today.
- Mello gave up a really key big play too, obviously, but did so much more in run support than Cobee today. And credit to him for showing up to play at all after the head ding he took last week.
- Our guys were dropping like flies there for a minute. Not sure if we were exposing ourselves too much or they were just hitting us hard or dirty or what. But that was as tough a stretch as I’ve seen in a while (Bean, Grimm, Fairchild).
- Cabeldue was on one leg and just gutted it out. Dude didn’t even sit on the sideline because he needed to keep moving that leg. Warrior.
- For all the guys who complain about Bean not being tough and being willing to take a hit, satisfied? He put his head down and took a hit and that was the result.
- That said, Ballard showed some huge balls. Couldn’t believe he rallied us to three scores and being in position to score at least one more time. He didn’t look like a true frosh and definitely didn’t look like a walk on. That wasn’t Jay Alexander or Ben Rutz or Jonas Weatherbie out there. Interested to see him develop going forward. May have to put him on scholarship.
- I have now heard it on good authority from two sources who don’t know each other that JD is legit hurt, is really annoyed at the transfer rumors and has no interest in going anywhere. He’d love nothing more than to be healthy enough to play but they are likely looking at a redshirt for him now.
- OL grinded and grinded this game until they could get those lanes open in the late third and fourth quarter. Impressed by their effort after what felt like a pretty awful start.
- Medical staff needs to be questioned for how Bean got back on the field if he was hurt bad enough not to play three plays later. Can’t put kids with head injuries back out there unless you’re sure. They obviously weren’t sure. Bad look.
- We had no right to be in that game and we were late. Two ways of looking at that. One is that we are a gritty, tough squad that simply won’t go away. The other is that we were simply so much better than them that both teams regressed to the mean but we just got started too late. I think it’s the first, but man—once we scored to tie it that was a very disheartening way to lose.
- Some criticism for AK and BB warranted, and some praise too. BB held them to 16 and figure out how to stop them cold after they owned us early. That’s great, but then he just stopped doing what worked on the last drive. Take some risks there. Rush four. It’ll work. AK schemed things up really well for Ballard to help him succeed, but those and goal plays just weren’t great, and we never let the kid even attempt a pass to the end zone. That makes us too easy to defend. We needed seven and didn’t put us in position to get one.
- I have thought all year this is the year we get KSU because I don’t think they’re any better than us. Home game, could be big for a bowl, thought it might help decide the title game. I’m now worried about it for the first time. I don’t know if we can win against them with Ballard, and I don’t think Bean or Daniels will play. That doubt creeping in sucks.
