I remember the Colorado game in Walsh II. We won by a touchdown in the final seconds. Because the team had been good the previous year, many people interpreted the high scoring win as a sign of a tough, high powered offense, but failed to notice the inability of the defense to stop the other team from scoring. That weakness plagued us the entire season. The
The inability of a run-first team to establish dominance over a smaller defensive line from a non-AQ conference similarly could portend a season of games in which the offense needs to score quickly to make up for its inability to move the chains on short yardage. It should not be taken lightly.
Do "we suck"? No.
Is the lack of a running game a flaw that should not be overlooked? Absolutely.
This team is probably a bowl team even if it has a mediocre run game. With a good to great run game, it's a BCS contender.
The inability of a run-first team to establish dominance over a smaller defensive line from a non-AQ conference similarly could portend a season of games in which the offense needs to score quickly to make up for its inability to move the chains on short yardage. It should not be taken lightly.
Do "we suck"? No.
Is the lack of a running game a flaw that should not be overlooked? Absolutely.
This team is probably a bowl team even if it has a mediocre run game. With a good to great run game, it's a BCS contender.