This loss was unacceptable. We looked great in the 1st half and then we looked terrible in the 2nd. Problems/Observations....

1. Our Secondary looks Young, immature, and was constantly exposed.
2. Finally got some type of pass rush but total lack of Linebackers filling
their gaps to stop Huntley.
3. 34 carries for Huntley. How on earth do we not switch defensive fronts
to stop him. I get that he is good, but our lack of coaching adjustments
made that dude look phenomenal.
4. Why were we targeting Aaron Jackson more than Quian?
5. Samson Evans is going to be a good player. Runs hard. Reminiscent of
Ericksen.
6. Hutch is good, but the play calling of him running that much is not good.
Especially on 3rd and 4th down. CC had a great game plan in the 1st
half of going to TE's Cannon and Odukoya.....Where was ANY of that in
2nd half.

Agreed with everything above. Also not working Quian Williams into the game plan at all was frustrating. By far the most talented receiver on the team. I think he had, what, 2 targets?

Another close one. This team is just a few pieces away from being something really good. Injuries are hurting us. I would love to see some formations with Drummond, Beydoun, and Knue on the field together. Add Boone out of the backfield and Hutchinson as a double threat, and defenses wouldn't know who to cover.

(11-11-2020 11:53 PM)cidbearit Wrote:  Another close one. This team is just a few pieces away from being something really good. Injuries are hurting us. I would love to see some formations with Drummond, Beydoun, and Knue on the field together. Add Boone out of the backfield and Hutchinson as a double threat, and defenses wouldn't know who to cover.

I am more concerned about the injuries on defense Bogan and Baden IV we already have an inexperienced secondary.
While I like Samson Bess looked really good. Using both gives you a change of pace. Smith has been a disappointment so far but we will see. Two close losses. We need a win to boost confidence.

The CBS coverage was much better than ESPN+.

(11-11-2020 07:39 PM)mpleafan Wrote:  

(11-11-2020 07:37 PM)truEMU07 Wrote:  Listening to Shep and Rubes on WEMU and Shep mentioned Tom Helmer as the play-by-play voice for men's basketball.

Not sure if he misspoke or what, but just thought this crew might find that information interesting.

I know they mentioned Helmer is talking with Rob Murphy at halftime. We'll see if he mentions anything then

Helmer is a solid play by play guy. He makes fewer mistakes than Chad Bush. I think the move just comes down to talent, obviously not Covid.

Chris Creighton has a good team. The culture is solid. The program is stable. The kids are tough. I like where the program is at. Wins will come.

Regarding the lack of throws to Williams, was BSU puting extra coverage on him because the other starters were out? Is this why the TEs and Knue were open so often?

You play the cards that you brought to the table. Okay, maybe that analogy is already breaking down. Regardless, you can't roll out any players other than who traveled. I've been watching EMU only since Creighton arrived, so I can answer to no previous history. The level of talent is not high enough for wins to come easy, or in spite of poor coaching (looking at the SEC, and the B10 teams we've beat). There are some really good players at most positions, with high ceilings, but not enough. Couple Covid and injuries and we get pedestrian quickly (as we saw at DB last night, and DL last season).
Creighton's ability to recruit is going to be limited by the status of the program, a cycle that is really hard to break. Lots of stars are not going to walk through the doors. But what he does, with excellence, is identify, recruit and sign kids who really want to be a part of a football experience that develops the whole man. And sometimes one or two of those type of kids are studs. Then they build them into something special, a kid who maximizes his talent... And has invested in something bigger then themselves (Maxx).
That kind of roster is then built to play harder than their opponents, just about every time. And the Eagles do. But it's not always built to put teams of equal, or greater talent away. We have to take chances on defense to get a stop, we can't just run out the clock with a powerful run game, etc.
The staggering number of games won and lost in the fourth quarter (or the last play) are the proof that these kids are playing hard for each other, and for the coaches. It's so very hard to watch them lose it late, you just feel so bad for these guys. But they show up the next week and fight again. In my estimation, that fact is the most important quality a team, and a young man, can possess. Life will knock me down, but I get up... Every time.
I do not see this quality in many programs (Michigan, SEC, UCLA?). I'd be very proud to claim this team as mine. Even when you watch all four quarters, and see that run with 6 second left.

(11-12-2020 07:32 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  Chris Creighton has a good team. The culture is solid. The program is stable. The kids are tough. I like where the program is at. Wins will come.

This year was always going to be a rebuild year. Next year this offense is going to blow the doors off teams.

(11-12-2020 10:50 AM)dansplaining Wrote:  

(11-12-2020 07:32 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  Chris Creighton has a good team. The culture is solid. The program is stable. The kids are tough. I like where the program is at. Wins will come.

This year was always going to be a rebuild year. Next year this offense is going to blow the doors off teams.

I'm not sure what our defense will be in 2021 (or 2022 or 23 or 24 or...) but our offense will be dynamite.

We continue to add pieces on offense where even this year if we could play a near full complement of skill position players we'd be dynamite.

Last night we didn't have the WRs to stretch the field. I want to see Hutch throwing to his star WRs.

And as we know, Hutch is still technically a 'green' QB. How many games has he started???

His future is all ahead of him.

(11-12-2020 10:48 AM)HuffyLegend Wrote:  You play the cards that you brought to the table. Okay, maybe that analogy is already breaking down. Regardless, you can't roll out any players other than who traveled. I've been watching EMU only since Creighton arrived, so I can answer to no previous history. The level of talent is not high enough for wins to come easy, or in spite of poor coaching (looking at the SEC, and the B10 teams we've beat). There are some really good players at most positions, with high ceilings, but not enough. Couple Covid and injuries and we get pedestrian quickly (as we saw at DB last night, and DL last season).
Creighton's ability to recruit is going to be limited by the status of the program, a cycle that is really hard to break. Lots of stars are not going to walk through the doors. But what he does, with excellence, is identify, recruit and sign kids who really want to be a part of a football experience that develops the whole man. And sometimes one or two of those type of kids are studs. Then they build them into something special, a kid who maximizes his talent... And has invested in something bigger then themselves (Maxx).
That kind of roster is then built to play harder than their opponents, just about every time. And the Eagles do. But it's not always built to put teams of equal, or greater talent away. We have to take chances on defense to get a stop, we can't just run out the clock with a powerful run game, etc.
The staggering number of games won and lost in the fourth quarter (or the last play) are the proof that these kids are playing hard for each other, and for the coaches. It's so very hard to watch them lose it late, you just feel so bad for these guys. But they show up the next week and fight again. In my estimation, that fact is the most important quality a team, and a young man, can possess. Life will knock me down, but I get up... Every time.
I do not see this quality in many programs (Michigan, SEC, UCLA?). I'd be very proud to claim this team as mine. Even when you watch all four quarters, and see that run with 6 second left.

Hell yes.

(11-12-2020 11:37 AM)RussH Wrote:  

(11-12-2020 10:48 AM)HuffyLegend Wrote:  You play the cards that you brought to the table. Okay, maybe that analogy is already breaking down. Regardless, you can't roll out any players other than who traveled. I've been watching EMU only since Creighton arrived, so I can answer to no previous history. The level of talent is not high enough for wins to come easy, or in spite of poor coaching (looking at the SEC, and the B10 teams we've beat). There are some really good players at most positions, with high ceilings, but not enough. Couple Covid and injuries and we get pedestrian quickly (as we saw at DB last night, and DL last season).
Creighton's ability to recruit is going to be limited by the status of the program, a cycle that is really hard to break. Lots of stars are not going to walk through the doors. But what he does, with excellence, is identify, recruit and sign kids who really want to be a part of a football experience that develops the whole man. And sometimes one or two of those type of kids are studs. Then they build them into something special, a kid who maximizes his talent... And has invested in something bigger then themselves (Maxx).
That kind of roster is then built to play harder than their opponents, just about every time. And the Eagles do. But it's not always built to put teams of equal, or greater talent away. We have to take chances on defense to get a stop, we can't just run out the clock with a powerful run game, etc.
The staggering number of games won and lost in the fourth quarter (or the last play) are the proof that these kids are playing hard for each other, and for the coaches. It's so very hard to watch them lose it late, you just feel so bad for these guys. But they show up the next week and fight again. In my estimation, that fact is the most important quality a team, and a young man, can possess. Life will knock me down, but I get up... Every time.
I do not see this quality in many programs (Michigan, SEC, UCLA?). I'd be very proud to claim this team as mine. Even when you watch all four quarters, and see that run with 6 second left.

Hell yes.

i showed up on campus in 07 and let me tell you - this is the best the program has been in since then. these guys play hard (sometimes too hard and get penalties) and they play a pretty entertaining style of football. do i wish we won more? yeah duh - but im pretty happy with the quality of the product i see on the field week in and week out.

also - great teams cover

I agree with a lot of what has been said.

-Through two games it looks like we have a nice stable of backs (Boone, Evans, Bess) Smith hasn't looked too impressive but still SUPER early in his career.

-We are deep at WR! I still don't understand the reluctance to use Grissom and to not target Williams more. Maybe he and Hutchinson just don't have that chemistry yet?

-Lots of struggles on defense. I did not notice Haney, but thought I saw him on the sideline. I thought overall the d-line looked better in terms of the rush.

-3rd and 19...come on! If I remember correctly we rushed six?..okay.

All that being said, I think we are basically two STUPID penalties away from being at least 1-1 and probably 2-0 (the coach interference vs. Kent State and the personal foul on Shine vs Ball State).

(11-11-2020 11:53 PM)cidbearit Wrote:  Another close one. This team is just a few pieces away from being something really good. Injuries are hurting us. I would love to see some formations with Drummond, Beydoun, and Knue on the field together. Add Boone out of the backfield and Hutchinson as a double threat, and defenses wouldn't know who to cover.

I agree. I think Creighton is treating this season as a notch above a spring football type session. Incredible amounts of substitution, Jackson playing a bunch at receiver, not fair catching kick-offs as in the past, few targets for Williams, he is experimenting and I think that it is a wise move. Creighton does not have a offensive philosophy that emphasizes the rushing attack, it is not who he is, and the next four games if played will depend on that for success. He also drew Kent St. in the crossover game, probably the second best team in the MAC. I'm not alarmed, in fact I think coach is approaching this realistically and in the best possible path for the future.

(11-12-2020 05:54 AM)emu79 Wrote:  The CBS coverage was much better than ESPN+.

Agreed!

(11-12-2020 07:25 PM)Jerry Weaver Wrote:  

(11-11-2020 11:53 PM)cidbearit Wrote:  Another close one. This team is just a few pieces away from being something really good. Injuries are hurting us. I would love to see some formations with Drummond, Beydoun, and Knue on the field together. Add Boone out of the backfield and Hutchinson as a double threat, and defenses wouldn't know who to cover.

I agree. I think Creighton is treating this season as a notch above a spring football type session. Incredible amounts of substitution, Jackson playing a bunch at receiver, not fair catching kick-offs as in the past, few targets for Williams, he is experimenting and I think that it is a wise move. Creighton does not have a offensive philosophy that emphasizes the rushing attack, it is not who he is, and the next four games if played will depend on that for success. He also drew Kent St. in the crossover game, probably the second best team in the MAC. I'm not alarmed, in fact I think coach is approaching this realistically and in the best possible path for the future.

Very realistically, this team is close to being 2-0 instead of 0-2. Both games were entertaining, competitive, and got you close to the end thinking, "Hell...they could win this thing!" Both games had key penalties at critical times: one a fluke penalty on the sidelines that I don't believe I have ever seen called before; the other a freshman player who was overwhelmed by the emotion of finding himself in the game on a moment's notice. Take those away and both games may have turned out quite different.

I hate the losses, but I am feeling pretty damn optimistic about what I've seen so far.

(11-12-2020 08:33 PM)cidbearit Wrote:  

(11-12-2020 07:25 PM)Jerry Weaver Wrote:  

(11-11-2020 11:53 PM)cidbearit Wrote:  Another close one. This team is just a few pieces away from being something really good. Injuries are hurting us. I would love to see some formations with Drummond, Beydoun, and Knue on the field together. Add Boone out of the backfield and Hutchinson as a double threat, and defenses wouldn't know who to cover.

I agree. I think Creighton is treating this season as a notch above a spring football type session. Incredible amounts of substitution, Jackson playing a bunch at receiver, not fair catching kick-offs as in the past, few targets for Williams, he is experimenting and I think that it is a wise move. Creighton does not have a offensive philosophy that emphasizes the rushing attack, it is not who he is, and the next four games if played will depend on that for success. He also drew Kent St. in the crossover game, probably the second best team in the MAC. I'm not alarmed, in fact I think coach is approaching this realistically and in the best possible path for the future.

Very realistically, this team is close to being 2-0 instead of 0-2. Both games were entertaining, competitive, and got you close to the end thinking, "Hell...they could win this thing!" Both games had key penalties at critical times: one a fluke penalty on the sidelines that I don't believe I have ever seen called before; the other a freshman player who was overwhelmed by the emotion of finding himself in the game on a moment's notice. Take those away and both games may have turned out quite different.

I hate the losses, but I am feeling pretty damn optimistic about what I've seen so far.

Do you know why Drummond and Parks haven't played? I agree with the optimism, but we've seen this rodeo for the past 5 seasons, close, but no cigar! Winning is a culture, and so is losing, and we continue year after year we see the exact same thing! While CMU went from 1-11 to being really good, WMU is always good, Toledo's as well, we've lost to a few years ago similar teams as us twice Kent St and Ball St.........I agree with Bob W as well, but we need to win!!!!!!! RECRUITING is what CC needs to focus on!

(11-12-2020 09:30 PM)EMUGLORYDAYSthe90s Wrote:  Do you know why Drummond and Parks haven't played? I agree with the optimism, but we've seen this rodeo for the past 5 seasons, close, but no cigar! Winning is a culture, and so is losing, and we continue year after year we see the exact same thing! While CMU went from 1-11 to being really good, WMU is always good, Toledo's as well, we've lost to a few years ago similar teams as us twice Kent St and Ball St.........I agree with Bob W as well, but we need to win!!!!!!! RECRUITING is what CC needs to focus on!

I don't know why they haven't been in. With COVID protocol and such, I don't hear much from Alex about that stuff (and I don't push him about it). I asked him last night how Freddie McGee was doing (Alex and Fredie went to the same high school), and Alex wasn't even aware Freddie had been hurt in the game. They all stick together with their position squads during the game, so other than what the coaches are saying and key plays that everyone stops to watch, they aren't aware of much going on outisde their group. Alex knew someone had been injured, but didn't know it was Freddie.