2 Games In. More Questions Than Answers

[Cajunfanatico]

Saban could have come in and probably do the same that Napier did based on our talent. By your logic, Saban wouldn’t be the guy.

Speaking of Saban, didn’t he have a pretty bad first season?

The 2007 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tide was led by its new head coach Nick Saban, a former head coach of rival LSU. Despite a strong 6–2 start, they finished out the season by losing four of their final five games. The team closed the regular season at 6–6 (4–4, SEC) and lost for a sixth-straight time to rival Auburn. The Tide defeated Colorado in the 2007 Independence Bowl 30–24 to finish the season at a 7–6.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_A..._football_team

November 17 1:30 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL L 14–21 92,138

[MetryCajun]

Nobody is calling for a coaching change. Again, overreaction is paramount on this site. However, for all those people predicting 6 win seasons, there were also a lot of people predicting 8+ wins as well and some claiming he will be a "legend" here. The point is that we should all give him and staff time before we react either way. The cold reality is that even with a hopefully upgraded staff, we are still woefully undermanned on defense and will likely see our fair amount of struggles this year.

Most of the people who predicted 8+ wins thought Hud was a bad coach and that a competent HC would give us an extra 3wins. What wasn’t calculated into this was most of UL’s best players on defense were seniors. We now have players getting reps on the defensive side of the ball who should not be playing this early in their career. If Roberts and co can devise a scheme where we can generate some kind of pressure I think we can still get to the 6 or 7 win mark. The best thing about Saturday night was the fight our outmanned defense was putting up late in the game.

[MetryCajun]

I've attempted to stay out of these types of conversations, because I think too many aren't really interested in dealing with reality. Some of the reaction to the game, I believe, is a reaction to the over the top coronation of Napier before he had coached a game. And even more so after we had beaten an inferior opponent in our first game. I have to admit, reading some on this forum, you would have thought Miss St was in trouble with the Cajuns coming to town. So when the results looked very similar to what we have experienced in the past, people matched hyperbole with hyperbole to prove a point. The reality is, in the game against Miss St, people saw what they wanted to see. If you saw "better effort" "more discipline" than Hud's teams, you had to be looking for that and saw what you wanted to see. The results does not support that theory. However, I don't think (at least I hope not) that anyone is suggesting that Napier is in trouble after two games. But I also don't think he has done anything to be announced as the savior or legend of this football program. Much of what I have read about Napier on here I remember reading about Hud a few years ago, we all know how that changed. Whatever the reasons, Hud is gone and Napier is here, we have to let him turn this program into his organization which will not happen over night, but it also doesn't protect him from any criticism. He is a first time head coach, there will be mistakes, but ultimately it's about how we fare in conference and recruiting. Until then, I would hope for less hyperbole and more good discussion. My 2 cents, which I am not sure is even worth that much.

Good post. Definitely worth more than 2 cents.

[ManAboutTown]

I've attempted to stay out of these types of conversations, because I think too many aren't really interested in dealing with reality. Some of the reaction to the game, I believe, is a reaction to the over the top coronation of Napier before he had coached a game. And even more so after we had beaten an inferior opponent in our first game. I have to admit, reading some on this forum, you would have thought Miss St was in trouble with the Cajuns coming to town. So when the results looked very similar to what we have experienced in the past, people matched hyperbole with hyperbole to prove a point. The reality is, in the game against Miss St, people saw what they wanted to see. If you saw "better effort" "more discipline" than Hud's teams, you had to be looking for that and saw what you wanted to see. The results does not support that theory. However, I don't think (at least I hope not) that anyone is suggesting that Napier is in trouble after two games. But I also don't think he has done anything to be announced as the savior or legend of this football program. Much of what I have read about Napier on here I remember reading about Hud a few years ago, we all know how that changed. Whatever the reasons, Hud is gone and Napier is here, we have to let him turn this program into his organization which will not happen over night, but it also doesn't protect him from any criticism. He is a first time head coach, there will be mistakes, but ultimately it's about how we fare in conference and recruiting. Until then, I would hope for less hyperbole and more good discussion. My 2 cents, which I am not sure is even worth that much.

Very good post.

[MetryCajun]

Very good post.

Take that J1M, we can agree sometimes!

[CajunT]

Is it possible to change the name of this thread? It's pretty embarrassing to be questioning the coaching hire after 2 games. I mean yes, I was a little upset with Saturdays game, but no one in their right mind should be questioning if Napier is the guy.....not this damn early!

Stop! No one is questioning the hire. Are you someone's mother? I like this staff, but they have a ton of work ahead of them this week and they need to coach these kids up. We are in the first quarter of the season's schedule, so there is plenty of time to see improvement. I didn't see any this past week, grant it was against a very good SEC team. But I'm not buying into Roberts as a DC yet, he couldn't get one damn stop and force them to punt until 2:12 of the 3rd quarter. That is pathetic. I want to see more discipline and execution this week period.

[CajunT]

I've attempted to stay out of these types of conversations, because I think too many aren't really interested in dealing with reality. Some of the reaction to the game, I believe, is a reaction to the over the top coronation of Napier before he had coached a game. And even more so after we had beaten an inferior opponent in our first game. I have to admit, reading some on this forum, you would have thought Miss St was in trouble with the Cajuns coming to town. So when the results looked very similar to what we have experienced in the past, people matched hyperbole with hyperbole to prove a point. The reality is, in the game against Miss St, people saw what they wanted to see. If you saw "better effort" "more discipline" than Hud's teams, you had to be looking for that and saw what you wanted to see. The results does not support that theory. However, I don't think (at least I hope not) that anyone is suggesting that Napier is in trouble after two games. But I also don't think he has done anything to be announced as the savior or legend of this football program. Much of what I have read about Napier on here I remember reading about Hud a few years ago, we all know how that changed. Whatever the reasons, Hud is gone and Napier is here, we have to let him turn this program into his organization which will not happen over night, but it also doesn't protect him from any criticism. He is a first time head coach, there will be mistakes, but ultimately it's about how we fare in conference and recruiting. Until then, I would hope for less hyperbole and more good discussion. My 2 cents, which I am not sure is even worth that much.

This! Debate is fine, hyperbole is not. But you nailed it here when you said the following, "If you saw "better effort" "more discipline" than Hud's teams, you had to be looking for that and saw what you wanted to see. The results does not support that theory." And not all of it was because of the team on the other side of the football field.

The bottom line is the margin of error is not large for UL this week. We need to play well, with discipline and execute in all phases. We are not close to a finished product, or competing at the top of the SBC yet.

[MetryCajun]

This! Debate is fine, hyperbole is not. But you nailed it here when you said the following, "If you saw "better effort" "more discipline" than Hud's teams, you had to be looking for that and saw what you wanted to see. The results does not support that theory." And not all of it was because of the team on the other side of the football field.

The bottom line is the margin of error is not large for UL this week. We need to play well, with discipline and execute in all phases. We are not close to a finished product, or competing at the top of the SBC yet.

Imagine if Hud called a timeout, called another timeout to avoid a delay of game, had a false start penalty and then failed to convert. People here would have rightly lost their minds. Napier is enjoying the honeymoon effect all new coaches get. Like you I want to see what Roberts has planned this week. He has to generate more pressure on the QB without leaving the middle of the field wide open.

[Clutch0364]

I think a problem most fans will always have is that they see G5 teams upsetting P5 teams and think why not us? The problem is that in 99% of those upsets the P5 team is awful. Troy beat lsu and Nebraska but lets not act like either of those 2 teams were good at the time of being beat. Still great wins for Troy.

In year 4 of the Napier era we may still get skull drug by top 15 type teams, like Mississippi State, but that's what happens when you play teams at that level. G5 upsets happen when you are scheduling the mid to bottom of the P5 conferences, not when facing the upper tier of the entire FBS. It all comes down to scheduling...next year Mississippi State will not be as talented as this season and we play on a neutral field, which will help.

I see great things happening with recruiting and hopefully we can start closing that talent gap but it will take time.

[CajunT]

Imagine if Hud called a timeout, called another timeout to avoid a delay of game, had a false start penalty and then failed to convert. People here would have rightly lost their minds. Napier is enjoying the honeymoon effect all new coaches get. Like you I want to see what Roberts has planned this week. He has to generate more pressure on the QB without leaving the middle of the field wide open.

I think that is fair. Improvement is necessary in order to sell your process to season ticket holders and fans. Understanding the competition that past Saturday, I was expecting marginal improvement on both sides of the football. Small increments of improvement would have been considered reasonable, I just didn't see it.