Midseason Analysis

[TheFan]

A 2 back set-up with Nixon and McGuire plus Haack at QB is certainly worth trying.

Looking at the remainder of the season, there is no team on our remaining schedule we cannot beat, App State being our most difficult game. Certainly, we will have to play much better to beat them. What we need to happen is for App State to beat GA Southern tonight and for App State to beat Ark State next week, giving Ark State 1 loss. S. Alabama's toughest games remaining are vs. UL, GA Southern and App State and they already have 1 loss. If GA Southern loses to App State, their toughest remaining game is vs. S. Alabama. In this scenario, every team will have at least 1 loss except App State. So, our game vs. App State could determine the conference championship or at best for UL a shared conference championship with only 1 loss. This is a scenario that could definitely play out. Given the way we are playing, winning the rest of our games, which are all possible as none of these teams are very good with the exception of S. Alabama, hope of winning the conference and beating App State is all we have to hang on to. Doesn't look likely at this point, but could happen if this team and coaches can get their _____ together. It ain't over 'til its over, so let's remain optimistic that we can still pull this off. And, if it happens, we finish 8-4 with a bowl game to play and a shot at another 9-4 season. That would be a huge salvage of a thus far very disappointing season.

UL (2-4, 1-1) plays ULM, GA State, S. Alabama, NM State, App State and Troy.

S. Alabama (3-3, 1-1) plays TX State, Idaho, UL, GA State, GA Southern, App State

Ark. State (4-3, 3-0) plays GA State, App State, ULM, NM State, TX State

App State (5-1, 3-0) plays GA Southern, Troy, Ark State, Idaho, UL, S. Alabama

GA Southern (5-1. 3-0) plays App State, TX State, Troy, Georgia, S. Alabama, GA State

App St is looking good today.

[CrappDaddy]

If that was the case...so was Texas State. Both first halves of both games were eerily similar. Akron wasn't bigger, stronger, or faster than us. Their coach wasn't a stubborn jackass. When you out stubborn a Bowden...you need to make some changes.

Akron was big and physical upfront on D. Pushed us around. Tx state had an FCS defensive line. The were very small. Big talent gap between the 2 teams on the front lines.

[ManAboutTown]

Akron was big and physical upfront on D. Pushed us around. Tx state had an FCS defensive line. The were very small. Big talent gap between the 2 teams on the front lines.

I agree with this. The matchup was a bad one on the LOS, both side of the ball. Even with that, we can't get blown out at home by that team.

[zephyr]

I'm getting sick and tired of this zone read crap

I'm getting sick and tired our unwillingness to mix in other things with the zone read. Down big to ASU this week, we still continued trying to pound the ball in the middle with Eli. Thankfully, Nixon was able to break some big runs but it was obvious that ASU was not going to give that run up to Eli in the middle. We finally got him involved in the passing game when it was too late. We need to get him the ball in space a lot more than that zone read only.

[zephyr]

Hey, Hud is out there hunting his next job... Dont think for A SECOND thats not the truth// S Farmer is happy where we at.. and T-RAY, T-SLOW is just trying not to make ULM/LSU mad.. We good....

I don't think its really true since his resume will do very little at this point to attract a major player in the P5 world with our success, or lack thereof, this year.

[zephyr]

No way he makes it thru the year passing that bad

He's honestly not getting much help from the receivers. They are pedestrian at best. Every time he throws, he's throwing to a receiver with a DB or two draped all over him. There is very little separation and space to throw to. Couple that with the constant pressure he's under and he doesn't have a lot of time to make great throws. He has certainly missed his fair share as well but I can't put it all on him. He's thrown a nice deep ball at times this year and hadn't made a ton of bad reads until the pick 6 against ASU. He offers more than any other QB on our roster at this point.

[CajunEXPRESS]

Weather was outstanding!!

Z

If our 5th year coach had his team ready to be a 5th year success that great weather would morph into attendance records.

Hud's quest for a bigger gig is doomed. He can't afford to leave, we can't afford to send him packing. This could get real ugly for both.

[ZoomZoom]

If our 5th year coach had his team ready to be a 5th year success that great weather would morph into attendance records.

Hud's quest for a bigger gig is doomed. He can't afford to leave, we can't afford to send him packing. This could get real ugly for both.

Hud = Larry Blakney

Hope I'm wrong, but it sure starting to smell that way.

[CajunEXPRESS]

He's honestly not getting much help from the receivers. They are pedestrian at best. Every time he throws, he's throwing to a receiver with a DB or two draped all over him. There is very little separation and space to throw to. Couple that with the constant pressure he's under and he doesn't have a lot of time to make great throws. He has certainly missed his fair share as well but I can't put it all on him. He's thrown a nice deep ball at times this year and hadn't made a ton of bad reads until the pick 6 against ASU. He offers more than any other QB on our roster at this point.

No doubt Haack is a more accurate passer. The line can't block long enough for him to go through progression. Hud's playing the guy with the best wheels to avoid the rush.

No intermediate passing game. So 8 in the box is good against both pass and runs. Naturally we're not likely to separate on the long balls with no time for the quarterbacks.

[zephyr]

No doubt Haack is a more accurate passer. The line can't block long enough for him to go through progression. Hud's playing the guy with the best wheels to avoid the rush.

No intermediate passing game. So 8 in the box is good against both pass and runs. Naturally we're not likely to separate on the long balls with no time for the quarterbacks.

Forget the time in the pocket. We've gotten no separation regardless of the circumstances and Haack has not shown to be any better at making reads and progressions. He's been just as locked into certain receivers when he is throwing as Nixon. As long as this offense continues to center around the zone read and establishing it first to set up the rest of our offense, Haack will be a bad fit for it and I think that's why Hud made the decision he made.