OK, my friends. Breaking News:
We lost.
Who would’ve known that a team who barely went 7-5 last yr, w/ a QB who really had only one real target that’s no longer here, would lose a game on the road in a hostile environment to a SEC team? I get the anger; there’s plenty of blame to go around this game:
-From The Coaching Staff: clock mgmt was atrocious, and play calls in the green zone (commonly referred to as red zone) was head scratching
-From The Players: The Special Teams unit was god awful, & it literally cost us the game. Poor tackling on a couple of drives led to A&M close to putting a final nail in the coffin. Those pesky drops that was reported in camp? Yeah, they came out at night, like The Freaks; and while the OL did well throughout the game, costly penalties took steam out the boat on several occasions.
Those are the facts; but, there appears to be another fact some refuse to accept. It’s a fact I stated on
@LeedsCane podcast, it’s a fact that I created a thread on. The fact is, this team is good, but it’s not great. This team, this culture that has been riddled with bad evals, fit pieces, and an overall lack of winning is still here. Yet, some convinced themselves that just b/c a new staff w/ some hot names came on board, that would change this culture in one year; how?
I tried to tell u guys numerous of times stop comparing us to SC, why? B/c SC is the only game in town; they are So Cal’s team. SC have won a Nat’l title in the past 18 yrs, we haven’t. SC have won their conference several times in the past 18 yrs, we haven’t. SC have won multiple NY6 bowls in the past 18 yrs, we haven’t. Friends, let me be clear, & I need u all to truly understand this: The chit that’s talked about other schools, they’ve all faired better than us in the last 18 yrs.
Here’s the silver lining; a change have been seen:
-The OL is playing way better than we’ve seen in some time.
-Our RB room, while not 2001 worthy, has 3 guys who can get theirs w/ 2 of those RBs who are small in stature, but big in heart & effort
-Our defense, while filled w/ some holes, have been holding us down while the offense have been trying to find its sea legs.
We were in this game until the clock struck zero. There are no moral victories; the fact is, we did lose to a bad 8&4 team, and we can blame ourselves on several things, but that’s the point. As long as I can remember, this Miami Hurricanes team have shot themselves in the foot, & it’s from little things that snowball in to bigger issues. That’s culture, folks. That’s what u can’t account for on paper. Mario has been transparent this entire time, yet the reason you feel this vitriol is b/c despite what u saw from The Spring Game, despite what Mario continue to say, u saw us beat up on BCU & come out & smoke So. Miss in the 2nd Half. That stubborn 15-0 mentality crept in & now u’re disappointed faced w/ reality. That’s shame on u, not on them.
Listen, I’m not always right, but my post history shows I’m more right than wrong. I don’t get emotionally caught as most fanatics, I try to base things on facts (hence, y I provide current & historical stats/records, etc.) The fact is, TVD is missing his #1 target, Rambo. Our WR room is filled w/ 3rd down, chain movers, not play/difference makers that can stretch the field or game plan around. The defense has “some guys”, but that too is lacking play makers throughout.
We’ll win next week, against another poor G5 team, and I promise, we’ll see the 14-1 crowd rear it’s head, but when I said I see this team as an 8 win regular season team, I didn’t look at names on the roster, I looked at a change in culture. I looked at an offense that want to be ran v. personnel to run it.
If u’re calling for Gattis’ or Mario’s head after one defeat, that’s b/c u drank the Kool Aid as opposed to being reasonable in realizing that 80% of a roster that scraped by to go 7-5 is still here, while a big part of that production on O is gone. R-E-L-A-X; this is not a 1yr turn around; it’s a 2-3 yr joint. Our portal hits were not difference makers; it was depth guys. Also, remember this roster is still fairly young, where our best players are Sophomores, which means they too are still learning.
There’s a lot to look forward to, but at the same time, realize that calling every team on our schedule weak hasn’t meant chit in 18 yrs. Sit back, enjoy the process, criticize certain things, but don’t blow it up after one game. Lol. Stop sipping Kool-Aid; it’s bad for ur teeth & mental health.
