(11-03-2015 12:34 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote: (11-03-2015 10:36 AM)GoodOwl Wrote: (11-01-2015 01:03 PM)mrbig Wrote: And for the complaints about Bailiff's clock management over the years, LaTech should have let the clock run down more on their last possession of the 1st half to make sure Rice didn't have a shot. Of course, Bailiff should have taken a defense timeout if LaTech had done this, but LaTech was snapping quickly so he didn't need to. But 50 demerits to Bailiff for not trying to score with 54 seconds left in the half, decent starting position, 3 timeouts, brief clock stoppages after 1st downs, and down big. Simply mind-blowing, especially with Driphus mostly looking very good throwing the ball. Way to be gutless coach.
Well, Big, we would only have ourselves to blame, because I recall the Board specifically had the very same observation and a resulting spirited discussion in a few threads 10 years ago when Bailiff was first hired vis-a-vis his unsatisfactory play-calling at the end of the FCS championship game while he was at Texas State in a similar game situation. Why would we expect him to do anything different? Especially when all signs seem to appear he has little to fear of any pressure or heat on his back to change.
Again, that's his philosophy and he's been pretty consistent with it. Moreover, the few times he wasn't have worked out poorly for us.
The problem is that he's trying to apply a defensively-oriented philosophy on a team that isn't very good defensively. Either he needs to adjust the strategy to reflect the defensive weakness, or fix the defensive weakness so the team can properly execute the strategy. As Hambone noted, the bigger problem is not the 3 (or 7) that we didn't get here, but the 42 that we let them get.
I'd rather see him get the team to be good defensively. Then we can make a defensively-oriented philosophy work.
There was a famous NFL championship game back around 1940 in which the Chicago Bears beat the Washington Redskins 73-0. Early in the game, while the score was 0-0, a Washington receiver dropped what would almost certainly have been a TD pass thrown by Washington QB (and former TCU player) Sammy Baugh. After the game, Baugh was asked, "What do you think the score might have been if (the receiver) had not dropped that pass?" Baugh replied, "73-7." That is (unfortunately) about how much difference our strategy at the end of the first half meant last Friday night.
Yes, you are correct again, Owl69. I'm making an effort to distance myself from it now, as it tends to drive me crazy. Watching from afar is easier oin my stomach and gives me more time form other stuff.
I'm not sure how our defense got to this state...I know some good players left after last year, but if the recruiting was still as good as reported, wouldn't several new players have stepped in more (wasn't that the case with Nordstrom himself?)
I agree with you when you post you aren't sure of what he's trying to do. If you aren't, with your football knowledge being greater than mine, than what hope does a fan like me have of figuring it out?
I also agree that not going for it didn't really affect the outcome, but it does speak of philosophy and willingness to fight back up from the bottom when you're down. I still beleieve we'll end up 8-4 or 7-5 because that is what Bailiff is good at, beating these kind of teams remaining, but I would have thought we'd have won at least one of La Tech or Texas if things were not as bad as it does appear we are.
Interesting that the latest Bailiff justification that seems to have creeped into consciousness at this point in the season is that "we're young." Kind of a "wait until next year" thing appears to be starting as rationale. Someone posted in another recent thread that next year's potential conference schedule doesn't line up as well as this year's, with some likely tougher games on the road, and some tougher conference opponents as well, with not quite so many cupcakes (although there will likely still be enough in CUSA). So if the plan now is that we'll be one year older next season, and THAT will make us better, what about most other teams also being a year older and more experienced? I know things tend to wax and wane a bit year to year for everyone, but if we're just talking about the margins, I don't see how just that "plan" (my quotes) will make such a big difference for Bailiff and Rice next season.
I'm honestly shifting more of my time and focus to Men's basketball at this point to see what happens there. Maybe it'll implode as well, but it's the beginning of the season and I personally see zero signs of getting worse in basketball, and many positive signs of getting better, just by how much is the question.