Smaug's $0.02
Sweet Georgia Brown. Can you remember a more gratifying win than that?
Between the Children's Harbor jerseys and sore spot that is Tech, it was as if the football gods decided, "Tech, you ain't winning today." If you're a believer of such things, with the cosmic forces swirling around the Old Grey Broad yesterday, Tech had no chance.
A couple of things I'd never seen before happened yesterday.
First, obviously, is we beat Tech. I haven't liked them since Tim Rattay lit us up like a pinball machine.
Second, and this was the amazing thing, and something I can honestly say I didn't think was possible at Legion Field; crowd noise affected the game.
That is not a typo.
We were the 12th man. Us. At Legion Field.
Was Tech affected? Probably not much. Were the Blazers feeding off it? If you don't think so, then we weren't at the same game. My throat is raw, but I can do a serviceable Barry White impression, baby. I have no skin left along my inner wrist from my watch band.
The team was feeding off it, and I was going to make some. I friggin' hate vuvuzelas and cow bells, but Lord.
And that UAB chant at the end was a balm to the soul.
Anywho, on to the observations:
The Good
1. Spencer. Effin'. Brown. If he stays healthy, that man-child is going to be something special. He reminds me of Jordan Howard, except smoother and more patient. Yet, still a bruiser.
2. AJ Erdely. 21/32 for 188 yards. Not Rattay, but clean. He took care of the ball and made a lot of important throws. That draw that got called back was a thing of beauty. Even one turnover might have sunk us yesterday.
3. Andre Wilson. He's rapidly becoming Erdely's go-to. 8 catches for 105 yards, some of them damn tough catches. We were wondering who would step up at wideout. Now maybe we know.
4. Stacy Keely. Man, when that tall drink of water is on the field, good things happen.
The Bad
1. Kicking left 7 points on the field. That said, I believed that if it'd come down to a kick for us, Nick Vogel would have made it. Because Tech wasn't gonna win.
2. I was going to say special teams, generally, but other than that, were pretty good. We covered kicks. Had a couple of nice returns, and well, #theblock.
3. That second down call on our last possession. We picked up 7 on first down, and were poised to step on their throat. I said at the time that if we'd lost, that call would be the point on which the game turned. I'd have told big 28, "Son, you're getting it until we line up in the victory formation or punt."
The Ugly
1. Lucius Stanley going down. Damn. I hope he's back on his feet soon.
2. That unsportsmanlike call against Tech for wagging his finger at us that cost them a point. It's the little things.
So, what does this mean, Barbara?
I'll tell you what this means. It means we ain't sneakin' up on anybody from here on out. Notice has been served. Those who pencilled us in as a gimme in August are reshuffling.
Going into yesterday, I figured we'd be favored against Rice, Charlotte, and UTEP, meaning to be bowl eligible, we'd have to steal one from Tech, MTSU, USM, UTSA, or Florida.
Well, we stole one.
Who knows what will happen next week against Middle? That ball is pointed at the ends and takes some funny bounces, and if there was a team on earth that deserved to have it bounce their way a few times, it's us.
What I do know is, I will be there, and I will be loud.
That's all I got. For now. I think.
(This post was last modified: 10-08-2017 07:58 AM by Smaug.)
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Smaug's $0.02
