Mark Hudspeth seeks more fire from team

[Bandwagon King]

Much has been said how we have not looked right after the stAte win. Simple. We for years were the hunter. Hud coached them that way. After the stAte game, we all knew we were in the driver's seat. We became the hunted. Closer games. A few we had to try, others, just turn it on. ULM and USA didn't allow us to do that, they were better than the others. They got us, pure and simple, no excuses.

It's time to own our successes and live up to being the hunted. Anything less, well, look at Saturday. Players, coaches, admin, fans...everyone! Step up!

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Give this post a cookie. Someone understands the nature of winning, and true price of success.

[Fais do-do]

I'll give you a hint:....He didn't find it!

[Just1More]

I think our last two games came down to Terrance Broadway. At ULM, he had a bad game. At USA, he couldn't play. Other than that, I saw nothing different. I saw nothing unexpected. ULM would have been a close win for us with Terrance being on. USA would have a been a battle royal, but allowing a very good defensive team to focus almost entirely on stopping the run... gave us little chance of doing what we do... move the ball the length of the field for scores, eat up clock, kick off to give the opponent the full length of the field hoping they sputter out against our "you can have the short to middle but cannot go all the way" defense. When you couple those absolutely easily defined attributes to our team in the last two games... against two teams we need to stop being so disrespectful toward... you get the losses.

That was it. Plain and simple to me. No conspiracy. No difference in attitude. No coaching taking the day off. No players taking the day off. If our offense doesn't operate... we are in deep trouble.

Now... what about the bowl? I'm skeptical not whether TB will dress out. I'm skeptical he'll be capable of being TB with this injury still healing. That said... do I think we can still beat Tulane with one or two of our backup QBs? Yes... without a doubt. I even think if McQuire is unavailable, our run game can do it.

I'm also not concerned about which backup QB gets the nod first. If the coaches are willing to see this as a "let's see which guy looks comfortable and gets into a rythmn"... we'll find the guy to take most snaps. Alonzo Harris... IMO... is going to need to take this game over. He is going to have to be the best he's ever been. And the other backs are going to get their work as well. I see the WRs having to step up like never before. Robinson, Surgent and Butler... in particular... are going to have to do what I think all three can... out athlete their defender and do whatever it takes to make the catch. I also believe we have to use the RBs and TEs to provide short route underneath dink passes to give our QBs some quick option relief and also to frustrate pass rushing and double teaming upfield.

Defensively... I don't know what to say. We trained our defense under this "everybody scatter downfield" approach, concerned over the "big play". With our offense without all of the high octane components, I doubt our coaches are going to switch into an aggressive assignment style for the bowl. I wanted them to slide into more and more assignment football over the season, but without having done it up to this point, I don't look to see it change in the bowl.

Regardless... I think Coach Hudspeth can figure out how to put our team in a position to win the game. It just isn't going to be as easy as I think many expected (even with TB and Elijah). We are in for a war in the dome. I kind of think it makes the bowl more interesting. In no way do any comments I've ever given on here dimenish the accomplishments of this team. I'm in this through thick and thin. I cuss out the bumps in life's road... and I'm not apologizing for it... but I get over it... and get right back in the struggle to go forward.

[Hammer58]

Agreed about the need for Coach to be willing to go with the "hot hand" at QB. Prepare all of them to see action.

On radio today, Hud said McGuire would be fine and ready for bowl (not his exact words).

One thing to keep in mind if it is a close fame is University College's advantage in the kicking game. Santos is every bit as good as Brett Bear was. He has kicked a number of game winning FGs for UC. And he has a good range in addition to accuracy. And, unfortunately, other than the first season when we still had Rickey's kids we really have not been the kick blocking team we used to be. That was one legacy from Bustle I would have liked to see carry over.