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College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - washingtonismoney - 09-06-2014

Turning into a national championship run. I did not expect the team to outplay SC through so much of the game. The potential is there. It's on the team to eliminate the bad parts.

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - Ronnietrader - 09-06-2014

We still control our own destiny. We have some time to iron out wrinkles before the meat of the schedule comes.  Losing this way stinks, but I remain optimistic. I love this team.

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - martyup - 09-06-2014

I refuse to stay on the NC bus after this sloppy loss.  However, I will get back on that bus if earn a chance to play in the Pac-12 CG. 

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - PrinceLightfoot - 09-06-2014

We DOMINATED on both sides of the ball today! We moved the ball very well with a very balanced offense (30 passes, 38 rushes). Hogan's passing and receiver's catching was excellent. Their high powered offense couldn't do much especially in the pass game, but they did enough to win a self-inflicted loss.

Martyup - Remember, this is the CFB playoff era and not the BCS. If U$C proves to be the team of the southern division and we win out, I can almost guarantee you we will be in the final four teams.

Fixing the mental errors that pushed us out of field goal range, making field goals, and getting over the ineptness of our redzone touchdown scoring is an absolute must! All the potential is there.

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - martyup - 09-06-2014

Yes, if you've got to get a loss, it's better to take it early.  It's also best to dominate the other team in the loss.  We only had 1 turnover.  This was the twilight zone.  I still don't know how we could have lost this game. 

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - Ronnietrader - 09-06-2014

There obviously are some really inexperienced players in some key areas (i.e. OL).  Their learning curve is very steep and will improve rapidly.  When they do, watch out.  By the end of the year, we will be one of the best teams in the country.  As brutal as our schedule is, it sets up well in that it is backloaded.

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - needle - 09-06-2014

This was a gutty effort by the defense, and the interior of the offensive line--the biggest question mark going into the game--held up pretty damn well, I thought.

I don't see easy answers to all the problems that bit Stanford today. Kicker problems tend to be season-long problems. Hogan makes great plays but he's a guy that also gives the other team a chance sometimes (I'm thinking of the failed red zone pass to Montgomery that easily could have been picked off). Shaw will insist on doing things like giving a freshman fullback the ball for the first time in a critical situation. The front seven has some (relative) weaknesses.

But look at the play of Hooper and Kalambayi, just to name two guys who are only going to get better. This loss is disappointing, but nothing happened today that made me think this team can't beat anyone on its schedule if there's a sharp reduction in awful, negative plays. That's what I'm taking away from this game more than anything else.

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - CowboyIndian - 09-06-2014

(09-06-2014, 04:25 PM)martyup link Wrote:  We only had 1 turnover.

Two, actually. Both killers.

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - washingtonismoney - 09-06-2014

On offense, what were we worried about going into the season?

1) How good are the freshman tight ends?

ANSWER: Damn good.

2) How good will our running backs be?

ANSWER: We've got some separation! Young (5.5 YPC) and Wright (5.6) look like the pick of the litter. Seale looks, uh, bad so far this year. Sanders is on probation. But there are quality running backs here.

And they were generally really good in pass protection -- I didn't spot any problems; maybe someone else did.

3) Can Hogan throw midrange and short successfully?

ANSWER: Yes! He was really good today! And his deep throws were basically entirely taken away -- impressive to move the team well even with your strength being taken away.

4) How good will the offensive line be and how quickly will it be?

ANSWER: Work in progress -- but with highs and some (deep, deep) lows.


So I see 3 open questions being answered emphatically "yes" and one still muddled. That looks really good to me and why I'm optimistic.

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - martyup - 09-06-2014

(09-06-2014, 04:32 PM)CowboyIndian link Wrote:[quote author=martyup link=topic=10557.msg97034#msg97034 date=1410045945]
  We only had 1 turnover.

Two, actually. Both killers.
[/quote]

Oh yeah, forgot about that last play.  Thanks for reminding me.  :(

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - fullmetal - 09-06-2014

Fumble, turnover on downs, and end-of-game capper.  Almost Kevin Riley-esque.

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - Rally - 09-06-2014

(09-06-2014, 04:25 PM)martyup link Wrote:Yes, if you've got to get a loss, it's better to take it early.  It's also best to dominate the other team in the loss.  We only had 1 turnover.  This was the twilight zone.  I still don't know how we could have lost this game.

See Stanford at USC 1969.  The talk about NC is a pipedream at this point.  Sure, fix all the problems, get lucky, might happen, but it does no one any good at this poont to talk about that.  Next game is Army.  Win and escape with no injuries.  Then next game.  Be realistic fans, not fanatics.  We have a very good team with flaws.  We will be better next year regardless of how this season ends.  And hopefully the year after.  We need a few people to delay NFL entry and come back.  That and experience may produce a NC team. 

I don't see Shaw's comment that the redzone problem is him as a positive.  We do not need our head coach losing confidence.  Getting better?  Ues.  But not losing confidence.

And where was Mccafferty?

Go Cards!

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - dabigv13 - 09-06-2014

I appreciate the optimism but talking about a NCG run is absurd. There was a lot more to dislike about this game than like. We put up 10 points. We moved the ball well, true, but it was against a depleted SC defense with pretty much zero depth, and despite losing one of their team captain LBs in the 3rd quarter, we actually got worse as the game went on. Hogan did not show me much in the way of growth in this game- he made some good throws downfield but missed a lot as well, and was inaccurate and slow on a lot of short and medium throws, which resulted in either incompletions, or decreasing the receivers ability to get YAC. The playcalling was all over the place, and at the end of the game just atrocious. And the number of mental errors was truly exceptional. 9 players on the field for a punt? Illegal formations out of timeouts? Maybe Les Miles can get away with that sort of stuff with the corruption of SEC refs and the fact that his players are pretty much all genetic freaks, but we can't.

Our defensive performance was heartening overall, but we were pretty soft against the run.

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - CowboyIndian - 09-06-2014

(09-06-2014, 04:42 PM)dabigv link Wrote:Our defensive performance was heartening overall, but we were pretty soft against the run overall.

Man, you are spoiled.

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - washingtonismoney - 09-06-2014

Defense wasn't great against the run but, as Herbstreit pointed out, we often left six in the box and took away the pass. Pretty successful strategy though I'm surprised SC didn't try to use Kessler on some designed runs and further press their numbers advantage.

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - dabigv13 - 09-06-2014

Spoiled, really? Allen rushed for 154 on 23 carries, a 6.7 yard average.

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - needle - 09-06-2014

The defense had some missed tackles in the secondary and some guys in the front seven lost one-on-one battles but we should all be impressed by how well they played as a unit.

There was one pass to Agholar on third down in the second-half where the secondary appeared confused. Other than that, it seemed the coaches on that side of the ball had guys really well prepared.



Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - JohnR34231 - 09-06-2014

It was certainly disappointing that U$C was able to run on us as effectively as they did, given the youth and experience of their offensive line.
At the same time you have to say the defense played well enough to win the game.

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - washingtonismoney - 09-06-2014

One big problem with our offense today: last year we were pretty mediocre in the redzone but offset that a bit with big plays -- we could strike from outside the redzone. And yet while we had plenty of big passing plays on offense, we didn't have the kind where you free up the runner and he streaks to the endzone. Was that attributable to SC, Hogan or the receivers, or just one of those days?

Whatever the answer, I don't think it'll continue -- we won't play SC again (or...will we?), and the other factors are temporary.

Re: College football history is full of examples of team with a tough early loss - Rally - 09-06-2014

I was shocked at Mamma's play.  A 370 lb freshman?  Seemed to hold his own, and pull pretty well.  I hope he opts for the NFL sooner rather than later.