Tough game, but....

I'm still going to say I'm happy Bill Stewart is our coach.  Now I know there's probably a lynch mob of you out there that are ready to hunt me down for saying that, but last night's game, although painful, really wasn't that bad.  As I sit here right now watching the Michigan game (and cheering like hell for Illinois), that pathetic commercial for the Big Ten aired.  And there he was--"Come to Michigan" he says.  Two minutes worth of watching the game and one commercial is all it took to remind me why I like Bill Stewart.

I've seen a lot of you questioning his call to punt from the USF 40 last night.  Didn't we score a safety (almost a touchdown) when we did that last time?  It may have seemed gutless, but the way our o-line was playing and our lack of consistency on offense last night, I can't see as how this wasn't the right call.  Leavitt (from here on out, he will be called Beaker) didn't hesistate to go for it.  Twice.  But why wouldn't he?  Our defense last night just didn't have it.  There was no doubt in Beaker's mind he could get the short yardage needed every time.  Aside from the first drive of the game, we couldn't move the ball consistently.

JB, on the other hand, just can't seem to get things going.  The first drive of the game was the best I had seen him play all year long.  He looked like a superstar.  But as the game progressed, JB started to throw the ball down the middle of the field.  Let's make this very clear--JB is not good enough to throw the ball down the middle.  His accuracy is subpar.  His decision making skills in those situations are subpar.  And if he continues to telegraph these passes, he will continue to throw interceptions.  If we're going to ground out the football and run options and bubble screens, JB is our man.  No doubt about that.  But if we're going to throw the ball down the field, maybe we should strongly consider putting in Geno.

Now on to our secondary.  I'm not one to throw anyone under the bus.  But enough is enough.  For the first half of the season, I watched Brandon Hogan get burned multiple times by receivers.  He spun like a top and I don't think he ever saw the quarterback throw the ball until recently.  He's made vast improvements, and although it was tough for a while, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.  But Tandy?????  That was the worst display of pass coverage I've ever seen in my life.  Ever.  At any level.  Not at any point did he even try to find the football.  He just lolly-gagged down the sideline waving his arms like a character on the game The Sims when they got pissed off.  And it wasn't just once.  I've always said we win as a team, and we lose as a team.  But Keith Tandy lost this game for us last night on two plays.  The first touchdown killed all the momentum we had built from the first drive, and the second touchdown sealed the deal for USF.  We used to have top notch DB's.  Pacman (although I couldn't have been happier to see him leave), Logan, Lorello, the list goes on.  Where are these kind of guys now?  Are we even looking for them?  Or had we thought these guys were just that good as well?  Whatever the reason, let's make whatever changes we need to in order to get this right.  We've seen first and second hand what happens when you refuse to make adjustments to your system just because you think your way is the only way (3-8, lose to Temple, 3-9, worst season in the history of scUM--how's that working out for you by the way dickrod?).

Old Billy Ball Coach represents what I believe a Moutaineer head coach should be.  Is he going to make some mistakes?  Sure he is.  There's no coach that's not going to make mistakes.  For the most part this season, he's made the adjustments necessary.  Did we against USF?  I guess not--but take away 2 big plays and we win that ballgame.