I know things are bleak right now. How can there be anything to feel good about after that happened? The losses are bad enough, but when you are losing in the fashion we just witnessed, well, you start to second-guess everything. Times like this make you wonder why you are even a fan. But as our own Hooty so aptly pointed out yesterday, yes, amazingly enough, the sun DID rise. Life will go on, with or without you. So nothing left to do but to rub some dirt on those wounds, get back up and get after it.
What an ugly weekend in the state of Washington football. First UW gets hosed on a celebration penalty that wasn’t. Ok, well, I know none of you shed tears for UW, and for obvious reasons. But did anyone see that call?
Locker shouldn’t have thrown that ball up in the air like he did, period. It is a rule, right out of the rule book, that if a player does that, he gets penalized. End of story. There is a whole new effort by the NCAA this year to tone down the unsportsmanlike stuff. In fact, there was even word that players were shown a video this summer that shows exactly what they cannot do this year, and throwing the ball up in the air as part of celebration was right there. As the refs said, it wasn’t a judgment call because a player clearly violated the rule. And even Paint Dry said as much, in that no, there won’t be any protest or anything like that, because it’s in the rule book. It is what it is. But what a bitter pill to swallow.
Then of course, our worst-ever game. We don’t need to relive it. I know Wulff has watched tape from that game already yesterday, but they should hold a ceremony where they burn the damn thing in front of the entire team. But the basic message should be to learn from their mistakes, work harder than ever, and live for today. Yesterday is gone, and it distracts from the present. I mean what can they do, hit the reset button and play that thing all over again? Doesn’t work that way. Just like you might say to your five-year old, hey, it’s ok to make a mistake. Just don’t repeat it. That’s how we learn.
Then you have the Seahawks. YEESH. Talk about flat and unprepared. Special teams breakdowns, unable to run the ball or even complete 50% of their passes with a young, beat-up WR crew. The defense held their ground for a while, but ultimately the flood gates opened…..sound familiar??
What an ugly weekend.
Some quick links:
We have a QB competition. I have to admit from where I sit, I’m a little surprised this is coming down now. I was more or less expecting Rogers to get the full month to get comfortable. And the offensive breakdowns can’t be laid entirely at the QB’s feet, can they? It’s hard to imagine many QB’s being able to execute with the new offense, new skill guys, overwhelmed offensive line, etc. But then again, we need a spark of some kind right now, and maybe the coaches have been contemplating this situation for a while. As Hooty pointed out yesterday, maybe Rogers is just not a fit for the type of offense we are running right now? I know it’s hard to say that after what, six quarters of football out of Rogers thus far? But maybe they want a more mobile option back there, and there’s no doubt Lopina moves better than Rogers. With the offensive line still in a state of flux, and the propensity to throw “LOOK OUT!” blocks, Lopina’s ability to run away from pressure might be just what we need. But we’ll see. Maybe Rogers responds from this adversity and takes a stronger hold on the job. Or maybe this is the chance to make the change.
If you are wondering about our next opponent? Baylor blew out their I-AA opponent on Saturday, trouncing Northwestern State 51-6. They rolled up 530 yards of total offense, scored on their first five possessions and didn’t even allow a first down until they were up 30-0 in the second quarter. I know Baylor looked bad from what I saw of their opener vs. Wake Forest, but even though they played a bad team in NW State, they at least have a winning feeling now. They have gone out and schooled someone, so they probably have some new confidence we can only dream about.
The worrisome thing about Baylor right now is their already-improved QB play. Freshman Robert Griffin (pictured) came off the bench in the Wake Forest blowout and looked impressive in garbage time, and did so well he got the start vs. NW State. He was, in a word, dominating. 15-for-19 for 294 yards and three TD’s through the air, while running for 42 yards and another TD on the ground.
Griffin is a really talented kid, a top-30 QB recruit for the class of ’08 who enrolled early and participated in spring football. It sounds like they have their QB to build around under new coach Art Briles. Briles, if you remember, was hired from Houston, and he has a good track record with young QB’s. Kevin Kolb was a true frosh in Briles‘ first year at Houston, and they ended up going to a bowl game.
That’s about it. We’ll recap the radio show tomorrow evening. Otherwise enjoy your Monday, and we’re still saying it…GO COUGS!
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