Having watched the game saturday, and given myself plenty of time to avoid the knee jerk reactionary post... i have some thoughts...

Three points by this team is pathetic... I have read some posts where its becoming obvious that we aren't seeing the Hiller of old. Now hear me through... I think maybe its time we move in a different QB direction. Its obvious we aren't getting the offense moving with Tim at the helm... albeit he's been phenomenal for us in the past... he's just not hitting on all cylinders this year. I have to assume its the knee... but even when he's getting time in the pocket, he's making poor throws to open recievers... just not very Hiller-like... As also, its been mentioned that its possible that this team needs a QB thats more mobile to extend drives... and Hiller just doesn't seem to have that aspect to his game. Sure he can run... if he's got wide open field in front of him, and he does have decent speed..... running downhill to the edge... but I think he's risking further injury behind this line... and we are risking further losses like this one with him standing in there...

My thought is that we start working on next year. We start grooming next years QB and let Hiller sit this one out... I mean at this point we are going to get absolutely destroyed by teams the rest of the year unless someone steps up, and I was hoping that was going to be Hiller after the UofM game... and again after the IU game... but he never put any charge in this team...

Just a thought... maybe it will also be a shot in the arm to the entire team, when you see your Senior QB, who's breaking WMU passing records get benched for the teams well being...

ok... let the excrement hit the rotary cooling device... i knew I would get some backlash for this post... but honestly watching Hiller this year makes me cringe...

How goes a player go from good to great to needing to be replaced?

Why did Orton suck for Bears last year but now leads the 4-0 Denver Broncos this season?

QBs need right surrounding cast to perform to expectations.

Chberdawg, you made a very valid point in your post. It is not just Hiller that is underperforming, but a lot of players. I'm not one to point fingers unless it is at myself when I play a sport. The team does need to get a sense of urgency when it plays and not let misfortune ruin the whole game. It is a tough thing to teach, and some people never get over it.

I do hope that my Broncos do get over it, after all we are only two league games into the season. There is a lot of pride to play for yet.

I was very leerly of playing NIU in DeKalb, as I knew they were a good team. Then to catch them on a damp windy day that also happened to be homecoming, the task was going to be hard.

I still have hope for some wins this season and it may just come down to winning the match against CMU, but I'll still be at all of the games.

Always proud to be a Bronco.

Right on the money Acer.

He's playing like Jeff Garcia did in Detroit when they rushed him back from the knee surgeries. Have him rest up for his combines or whatever.

It is not all the surrounding players. Granted, we did have a few players on offense leave last year, and the TE fall off has been huge. Something is DEFINATELY up with Tim. He is totally off. Like flush says, he misses open guys, throws the ball into the turf, drops the ball and makes some really bad decisions about throwing into coverage. I'd say 70% of these mistakes are when he is not even being pressured or under very little pressure/rolling out. Also, after these missed passes and INTs he claps his hands together and walks of the field, I think he must say, "ah, shucks". I notice his lack of emotion about this stuff in the stands and I think it is picked up by the players on the sidelines. Don't get me wrong, I think Tim is a good player and a great human being, but right now he is way off. He has been consistently off all year. He has some good drives/play here and there, but is coming up way short. He's not leading this team.

Our fundamentals on defense need LOTS of work too. I am so tired of seeing our guys get penetration, hit the guy 3 yards behind the line and just watch the RB bounce off the guy, then run up the middle, see 2 DL/DE get there hands on the guy, LB, whiff then a DB make a shoestring tackle after a 12 yd gain. It is VERY common, especially last Sat.

Fundamentals, Fundamentals, Fundamentals……

We need a few guys, preferably seniors, on both sides of the ball to step up and lead this team. This team has absolutely no swagger, something drastic needs to change!

I’m with you flush, cringing Bronco here too.

Not all Tim's fault but I agree the knee has caused issues; like not stepping into throws and a lack of mobility. Unfortunately this offense more than others needs a flow to be productive. The underthrows ect have totally disrupted the continuity.

One conference loss does not a season kill. It is my belief that Hiller still gives us our best chance to win. However, I would like to see us begin to prepare for next year without Tim while at the same time giving the D an alternative look. Give either Burdi or Carder a set number of series each game. Pick one and stick with him for three to six series.

We have to develop the running game to be more balanced. Easier said than done when we are down by 21 and the RB's can't hold onto the ball. More than anything we have slow down the pass rush to keep them from Tee'ing off on our QB.

Onto the Defense. Many problems but the offense last game put them in bad situations. It did not help that it appeared they cried uncle toward the end of the first half. I would like to see us be more aggressive.

Bottom line is that we can still take the MAC and have a winning season. The coaches and players just need to decide how they want to handle the adversity.

Quote:I think maybe its time we move in a different QB direction.

The complicating issue is this is Hiller's last season. He has contributed a great deal to WMU football and suffered two knee injuries playing for us. Cubit feels-and justifiably so-that we owe TH a shot at that next level and he won't get it sitting on the bench. His only chance is to pull it together and put up some respectable numbers this season.

Coach Cubit keeps on hopeing that Hiller will turn the corner one day and return to the performance of old. How much of that was due to Simmons/Julien/Ledbetter and how much was due to being pre-two surgeries is anyone's guess.

(10-05-2009 12:06 PM)MmphsBronco Wrote:  Bottom line is that we can still take the MAC and have a winning season. The coaches and players just need to decide how they want to handle the adversity.

I think that anyone that ever reads my comments knows that I am not the negative type. However, I have watched all but the NIU game this year and I have seen what we're up against in the West Division. The one thing going for us is that there is going to be a lot of MAC West cannibalism going on this year. Let all of the teams beat the crap out of each other week in and week out. Realistically, I think the MAC is a little beyond our reach. I would love to be wrong about this, trust me :) What I do see on this team is a ton of youth at almost every position. I think what MB mentioned about handling adversity will be more of a stepping stone toward the team growth as it moves forward. I do feel that TH is the best option for this team right now. I just don't know if there is enough of an opportunity to re-write the offense this year. I do like the look that Burdi gives us and I also think it could be beneficial to get him in on a set number of series (or situational series) but I would hate to see Cubit go to a 2-quarterback system. I remember Darnell doing that with Munson and Drach (I think) and it gained us 9 losses.

I will still use my season tickets, I will still go to Toledo and MSU, and I will still wear my yellow hat and dance my azz off... But, I do share the frustration in the things I have seen out of this team. Here's hoping that Cubit calling them out for being weak lights a fire!

I'm sure he will call them out, and will address the issues he has team wide. This might be a long season, not a MACC caliber type, but I expect them to be fighting the rest of the way and be prepared. All along I expected to win some that we weren't expected to win, and lose some that we expected to lose. That's how young teams roll.

MAC West is going to be a dogfight this season. It's possible that even with two losses some team could win it under some crazy scenario, but I'd hate like hell to go up against CMU with two losses already under our belt. Then we have to head down to Muncie later on.

We need to get back on point and start doing the things we were doing the second half of last year. Sure, we lost some high powered receivers but everyone else is pretty much back. It's time to start playing tough again.

We lost two guys in our secondary who are in the NFL, JS who got drafted and will play in the show, and we have a QB who hasn't been on his game since early last November.

BP - we have Ball St. here at Waldo this year.

I expect, as DB said, quite a bit of ups and downs this season. Just the way it is.