And we had slightly higher expectations against Rutgers 2002. Can't think of anything worse, other than an outright loss, heading into a bye week.
- What gets me is that in all three FBS games, our coaches have looked worse than the other side. UF did a better job of hiding their limitations. UNC came out on fire and in rhythm. And CMU had their team in a position to win if not for a bunch of drops and fumbles. We're 129th in penalties per game. Putting the talent aside, there is no tangible area where you can see we look prepared.
- Enos has been a good QB coach and a terrible OC so far. I don't think it's fair to blame one unit because the entire offense looks lost. Mishandling jet sweeps. Zion still missing the snap count. Running backs missing holes. QB holding the ball too long. TEs missing blocks. Too many long-developing PA plays. Nothing downfield from talented WRs. 85th in yards per play. It all comes back to the OC and the staff he hired.
- The running game was the most promising aspect of the first three games, and it came crashing back down to earth against a bad defense. There is plenty of blame to go around, but Donaldson is one of my biggest disappointments of the season. He looks heavy and slow. His weight gain is perplexing, because he's always been a conscientious guy and he is already an upperclassmen. He is nowhere near the NFL right now and might not even be starter-quality at his current level.
- Lou Hedley is legit. Unfortunately, we ruined the play of the day with our disorganized special teams.
- Something is missing from the defense. I don't know if it's a Baker issue, a personnel issue, or a combination of both. We've improved our rush defense without Gerald Willis's boom-or-bust approach (37th to 6th in YPC, 46th to 4th in YPG) but we are a lot less disruptive and the overall defense is worse. One change I would make over the bye week is cementing Gurvan Hall as the everydown starter at safety. He is at a different level than our other guys.
- Based on my text messages, I would say Manny has already lost a good portion of the fanbase. Can't blame them. If he loses one of the three ACC home games, I think he would lose most of the fans. These are the three most important games of his entire coaching career. My concern is that he becomes a neurotic mess over the bye, like Al Golden in the bunker, and the players sense it. He needs to maintain his composure and live up to his reputation as a guy who makes adjustments.
- As a fan, my goal before the season was ten wins and the Coastal. That was a modest goal when you look at how the Coastal performs against garbage teams like Old Dominion and Appalachian St. It looks very far away at the moment. Manny's recruiting success will be dependent on his on-field success. He sold a quick turnaround and that's what we need to see over the next month. Otherwise, it will be impossible to sell anything as the New Miami.
