IMO this is Mike Desormeaux's first real challenge as a head coach. I say judgement be withheld until this game's outcome.
There is much more to it.
It's psychological. Focusing real hard for an extended period of time leads to relaxation after a streak ends.
The number of times it has happened in sports is seemingly endless.
In the NFL there have been a half dozen times where a 6-game win streak was followed by a 6-game losing streak.
Mariners 14 game win streak followed by a 3-game losing streak. https://www.spokesman.com/stories/20...mp-content=amp
Connetecut women have 111 and 169 game win streaks but lose more than one after the streaks end.
The good teams get back on track but let downs after streaks are very common.
He's right, JMV. The truth doesn't ask for a membership card. Exec, JMV has a right to post his grumblings. JMV, DEZ needs more time and patience.
Here are the historical facts. We had a long, painful era of Ricky Bustle. Probably left a few 6-5/6-6 seasons on the table. Had low, but positive expectations when HUD was hired. (4) 9-4 seasons with a few games left for the taking (UNT & FLA in 2012; couple of ULM games). Poor performances and breakdown of locker room decorum closed the chapter. Hud was a HC before at North Alabama.
Then Billy comes in. Just hoping to right the ship and keep the bowl appearances going to establish the track record and cULture. He goes 40-16 over 4 years with (2) years in the national spotlight. 4 straight bowl appearances and 4 division titles. Completely ran up the standard. NO Prior HC experience. None. Not high school, nor little college.
DEZ worked under both previous coaches on successful teams. He did have HC experience (albeit H.S.). Yet, Dr. Maggart saw something in DEZ as it relates to the cULture continuing. This wasn't a "USL" hire as some have coined the phrase (by the way, I was proud to be a student at USL before it became UL). There were likely a ton of coordinators around the country with an appetite for this job given our 4 previous years of success and the fertile recruiting ground. Dr. Maggart saw that Mike was the best and given the right SUPPORT with the right coaching staff - Mike would definitely be a long-term option here. Every coach since 2002 (starting with Coach Bustle) has been an improvement. Let's let DEZ continue that please. I don't mind reading the criticism (hell I do it too). But the termination of employment talk or second guessing? Let's save that for a time down the road. If I'm wrong about DEZ, then ya'll can shoot me - I'm insured.
For the record, I’m well insured also.
There is no honeymoon when there is no marriage. Those chirping now have never bought in and were laying in premeditated wait . . .
This guy throws the only punch I want to see from a Ragin’Cajun.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Tillman
If anyone is really wondering what happened to the OL depth. Go look at the last few recruiting classes. Lots of misses.
No doubt it can happen. And it has happened many times, especially in other sports. One team in baseball is super hot, then they just cool off, or something happens to their starting rotation, Etc. Basketball is much more emotional/psychological, yet with the number of games so close together a let down can carry on for a couple of days.
Football is a different animal. You have a whole week, or more between games most of the time these days. In the NFL could be due to losing your best players, or QB, or the competition gets greater. College football it's either going to be a flurry of injuries, running into back to back opponents who are just better, or you allow yourselves to be let down & stay that way. The great teams never let the same team beat them twice. If UL loses this Saturday, they will have allowed the same team to beat them twice. I will say this, regimented workouts in a controlled environment are supposed to be designed to keep this very situation from occurring. It could occur coming out of a regimented training camp system, but the odds of it occurring are far less than a non regimented system. That's the exact reason Saban never ever let's the same team beat his team twice in a row.
Rewatching the game and on the opening incompletion it didn't look like Peter LeBlanc made any attempt to extend himself. There was a holding penalty so it wouldn't have mattered anyway.
Am I wrong, that type of play early looked totally catchable and might have reset the tone early for the Rice defense.
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