I was impressed with the offensive designs even as Houston was being pummeled by Army. If you stepped back and assigned the same plays to a full roster and a team that wasn't disinterested and being pummeled physically by a tenacious motivated team, you might actually have something. I remember thinking that several times during the game.
Houston was playing with a reserve pocket quarterback, not the starter who was a dual threat but injured late in the season. So that throws everything off, from a backfitting results perspective.
Applewhite has had arguments with players. He's made poor hires and questionable hires. As I mentioned in another thread tonight, he punted from the Army 29 yard line during the second quarter. Obviously you don't want him making every meaningful decision. But from purely a schematic standpoint I like his stuff. He risks across the middle instead of the scared V style we have used beginning with Nix.
The one thing I hope the next Canes offensive coordinator gets rid of is the tendency to throw deep down the sideline on third and manageable. As soon as I see that route develop I want to scream. You are basically volunteering into low percentage expectancy in a situation that should be 50/50 or thereabouts.
