Hello Followers. Hope you’re having a great week.
As for me, well, in spite of the news concerning Mr. Jeffrey Tuel, I find myself giddy as a school girl. After all, its been SIX LONG YEARS since any of us experienced what it is like to be 1-0. And I gots to admit: I LOVE THE FEELING.
Of course, in view of our current team wide bout of the both ends blues, the question is “Can we make it to 2-0 for the first time in six years?”
If you want to read my thoughts concerning that question, then click on the old jumperoo.
Followers, as I spent the last 72 hours watching nothing but highlights from our drubbing of Spud State, I found myself reaching the same conclusion over and over again: THIS IS THE BEST COUGAR OFFENSE WE’VE HAD SINCE 2005. (if you remember, the 2006 group, despite being talented, faced persistent difficulty scoring points–which is why the Rogers-Brink controversy persisted until Rogers’ injury mid-season against CAL).
Of course, the maddening thing about the Tuel injury is that, when healthy, this team looks to have the best Cougar offense since the days of Jason Gesser.
Simply put, its amazing how young and talented this group is!
Unfortunately, as we all know this group will NOT have the benefit of Mr. Tuel’s services for at least half of the season. And for that reason, this group will probably not eclipse the offensive numbers seen by some of the better teams of the past.
That said, let me make one point abundantly clear: THIS GROUP WILL STILL BE ABLE TO PUT POINTS ON THE BOARD–even without Tuel.
And the reason: (a) Marshall is better than he has ever been as a quarterback. (b) The offensive line is better than ever in the Wulff era (c) We have a running game like we haven’t seen in the Wulff era (d) We have a mean mix of speed/deep threats and big possession-type receivers on the roster which enables our QB to actually throw to open guys.
So, even against good competition, this group looks like a bunch that will be able to establish tempo, move the ball, and score points.
So, while much of the national media questioned how the team will respond without Tuel, my focus remains squarely on the capacity of the defense. And, as we saw last Saturday, our defense–though much improved–still looks like it has dangerous weaknesses, particularly at the corner spot.
(The loss of Mr. Aire Justin looks like it could turn out to be a major, major season changer for us right now, doesn’t it?)
At the same time, given the obvious limitations of Idaho State, we really don’t know what our front seven is going to look like against real competition. And, while the 3-3-5 look we showed Idaho State got some excited, count me in as a guy who actually hopes that we see A LOT of 4-3 over the coming weeks. Simply put, I have ZERO confidence that a three man front can generate enough pressure on the QB to help protect what appears to be a very vulnerable group of young corners. Moreover, I’m interested in seeing what a Rankin-Pole combo looks like.
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So, what does all of this have to do with making a BIG LEAP? Well, as Bill Doba and every ESPN radio host has said all week, the greatest improvement we tend to see in a Football team occurs between weeks 1 and 2. And while, our current illnesses certainly appear to threaten our ability to game prep this week, we all know what previous Wulff teams have done in Week 2:
(a) We got murdered by Cal 66-3.
(b) We fell behind Hawaii 35-0 early in the second quarter.
(c) We eeeked out a win over FCS Montana State.
In other words, if you’re looking for evidence about Mr. Wulff’s ability to grow the program, this is a really good week to show it. After all, with NO OTHER HOME GAME between now and Mid-October, can you think of anything more important than putting a licking on UNLV this weekend? Can you imagine what a big 42-17 type win would do for a young team, playing without their star quarterback as they head to a critical three game road stretch? Can you imagine the buzz around campus if we start 2-0, while averaging near 50+ points a game?
Cuz lets face it folks, when you look at the schedule over the next six weeks, there is NO TEAM on our schedule that has a back breaking defense–e.g. the type that demands a multi-dimensional play-maker (Tuel) in order to move the ball. Instead, three of our following four opponents: UNLV, San Diego St, Colorado, and UCLA all yielded over 31 points in their season openers. What’s more, none of those three teams have offenses that jump of the screen as you watch them.
On top of that, while San Diego State threatens to have an offensive juggernaut, one has to wonder whether opening tilts against Cal Poly and Army are going to adequately prepare them for us? My sense? They won’t.
In other words, the early season slate–now more than ever–looks there for the taking. And really, our ability to secure the 5-0 or 4-1 start that we all covet has very little do with the offense. Rather, it has almost EVERYTHING to do with the defense.
And with that, I give you my version of the truth:
If the defense can hold other teams to three touchdowns, we’ll start 5-0!
And given, our offensive weaponry, its really that simple.
So, I for one, am looking for the defense to really step up, contain their fast running quarterback, and keep them off the scoreboard. And I’m looking for Marshall, Galvin, and Wilson to have BIG days on offense.
The season is still there for the taking, folks. And it all starts with making that BIG Week 2 leap.
Lets put it on UNLV and let ourselves and the rest of the conference know we’re for real.
Go COUGS!
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