Pleasant surprises
- Corners
- Pitre showing out
- WR unit overall
- OL pass blocking

Disappointments
- Green
- Kicking game

Neutral
- Outside of keeping Green in there too long, I was OK with the playcalling. On the conservative side, but it didn't lose us the game

(09-04-2021 05:34 PM)Intellectual_Brutality Wrote:  Pleasant surprises
- Corners
- Pitre showing out
- WR unit overall
- OL pass blocking

Disappointments
- Green
- Kicking game

Neutral
- Outside of keeping Green in there too long, I was OK with the playcalling. On the conservative side, but it didn't lose us the game

Is your last name Bloomgren? LOL

(09-04-2021 05:42 PM)Owlman49 Wrote:  

(09-04-2021 05:34 PM)Intellectual_Brutality Wrote:  Pleasant surprises
- Corners
- Pitre showing out
- WR unit overall
- OL pass blocking

Disappointments
- Green
- Kicking game

Neutral
- Outside of keeping Green in there too long, I was OK with the playcalling. On the conservative side, but it didn't lose us the game

Is your last name Bloomgren? LOL

I think you take those playcalls, subtract Green's TOs, and you have a very competitive game in 4th quarter

LA Tech 31
MS State 14

All you need to know.

(09-04-2021 05:45 PM)Intellectual_Brutality Wrote:  

(09-04-2021 05:42 PM)Owlman49 Wrote:  

(09-04-2021 05:34 PM)Intellectual_Brutality Wrote:  Pleasant surprises
- Corners
- Pitre showing out
- WR unit overall
- OL pass blocking

Disappointments
- Green
- Kicking game

Neutral
- Outside of keeping Green in there too long, I was OK with the playcalling. On the conservative side, but it didn't lose us the game

Is your last name Bloomgren? LOL

I think you take those playcalls, subtract Green's TOs, and you have a very competitive game in 4th quarter

So the answer to my question was... YES!

31 unanswered points. And it wasn’t Brian Smith’s fault.

For those who are satisfied with being competitive, they got 85% of a game.

For me, it was another L.

How many key injuries did we suffer? That is the biggest concern for me (well that and naming a QB and sticking with him).

(09-04-2021 05:49 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  LA Tech 31
MS State 14

All you need to know.

La Tech folded and lost 35-34 missing a FG at the end.

(09-04-2021 07:18 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  

(09-04-2021 05:49 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  LA Tech 31
MS State 14

All you need to know.

La Tech folded and lost 35-34 missing a FG at the end.

Skip Holtz' play calling in the 4Q was horrific. Even on the final, potential game-winning drive-- he had a 39 yd FG before doing back-to-back outside runs, each losing 2 - 3 yards. The final FG was a 47 yd attempt and fell way short.

(09-04-2021 05:45 PM)Intellectual_Brutality Wrote:  

(09-04-2021 05:42 PM)Owlman49 Wrote:  

(09-04-2021 05:34 PM)Intellectual_Brutality Wrote:  Pleasant surprises
- Corners
- Pitre showing out
- WR unit overall
- OL pass blocking

Disappointments
- Green
- Kicking game

Neutral
- Outside of keeping Green in there too long, I was OK with the playcalling. On the conservative side, but it didn't lose us the game

Is your last name Bloomgren? LOL

I think you take those playcalls, subtract Green's TOs, and you have a very competitive game in 4th quarter

Need to subtract Green himself AND his TO's. WTH was he doing in there?

McCaf clearly has the arm strength and legs. What worries me is that his accuracy or decision-making or *something* is so poor that the coaches are correct in thinking Green is our best shot to win. And if that's the case then it means we have regressed from last year and the ceiling on this season is quite low

(09-04-2021 07:42 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(09-04-2021 07:18 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  

(09-04-2021 05:49 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  LA Tech 31
MS State 14

All you need to know.

La Tech folded and lost 35-34 missing a FG at the end.

Skip Holtz' play calling in the 4Q was horrific. Even on the final, potential game-winning drive-- he had a 39 yd FG before doing back-to-back outside runs, each losing 2 - 3 yards. The final FG was a 47 yd attempt and fell way short.

The way the ball wobbled, I’m still not convinced it wasn’t blocked.

Bottom line is the team did not even cover the spread and had plenty of opportunities/gifts from a sloppy team that clearly was thinking about Texas next week to compete and potentially win and thus negate the obvious difference in athleticism.

We have now seen three years of Green. So many datapoints are now a body-of-work. He is a good kid that clearly is fighting hard which you have to respect but now has three-years of proving he can make a nice play and then throw picks, fumble the ball, trip on his feet, etc. on the next play. You can't do that over-and over at the most important position on the field and expect to win football games.

IMO, the worst play/turning point of game was not the maddening alternating QB's and sticking w/ Green but Bloom's call on 4th and one to 'out-manhood' Arkansas in the box in the Arkansas red zone. Shocker that it was stuffed and Myers forced to bounce outside and turn over on downs in the red zone. Arkansas proceeds to march down field and took over-the-game after that stop. Perfect time for misdirection, play-action, etc. as Ray Charles saw what was coming. That was the mojo changer. Get the first down and score and it is completely different game.

Bigger picture, this is where the 'pound-the-rock' philosophy is broken and why Bloom won't get a signature win in this job. Jury is out on whether it will work against C-USA opponents but everyone knows it will never work against a SEC opponent. P5 athletes >G5 athletes.

But another game of other teams making in-game adjustments > Rice in-game adjustments. In the Bloom era, team seems to come out w/ decent gameplan, ready to play, and looks competitive. Works for a bit, other team adjusts and Owls do not.

Like the last few years, will closely track Rice scoring performance early in game vs. late in game. Datapoints like today are piling-up to be a body of work here too.

Did anyone watch this game and think that, upon reflection, Rice really did not have a realistic chance of winning this game?

It seems like most of us think this game was winnable, so I am just curious whether there are contrary opinions that are being drowned out.

My perspective is that this Arkansas team looked slightly better then the Kansas team that Bailiff’s Rice team and similar to the Purdue team that Bailiff’s Rice team to beat. Arkansas shot themselves in the foot like the Kansas team, but had more physical talents. That Purdue win always looked better in retrospect after Purdue won some conference games.

Arkansas was super sloppy with drops and penalties. Other than their QB’s running ability, I was thoroughly unimpressed with their offense. Most of their points were off turnovers and short fields. It is a little hard to comment on their defense with Rice running so many between the tackles into the gut of their d-line.

This program can’t succeed when every single year you have a new starting QB.

(09-05-2021 06:39 AM)mrbig Wrote:  Did anyone watch this game and think that, upon reflection, Rice really did not have a realistic chance of winning this game?

It seems like most of us think this game was winnable, so I am just curious whether there are contrary opinions that are being drowned out.

My perspective is that this Arkansas team looked slightly better then the Kansas team that Bailiff’s Rice team and similar to the Purdue team that Bailiff’s Rice team to beat. Arkansas shot themselves in the foot like the Kansas team, but had more physical talents. That Purdue win always looked better in retrospect after Purdue won some conference games.

Arkansas was super sloppy with drops and penalties. Other than their QB’s running ability, I was thoroughly unimpressed with their offense. Most of their points were off turnovers and short fields. It is a little hard to comment on their defense with Rice running so many between the tackles into the gut of their d-line.

Depends on your definition of “realistic”. I always felt we could win. I feel we can win next week, too. And the week after. But the odds are not good.

The wheels came off when we got behind late and tried to catch up. Forced a couple of throws.

This is pure speculation, based on no inside knowledge.

The announcers said Bloom has know McCaffery since he was 9. Green is a captain and apparently well liked and respected by the other players. Is it possible Bloomgren is being super cautious easing McCaffery into the starting role for reasons that have to do with team morale and locker room chemistry?

(09-05-2021 11:11 AM)JustAnotherAustinOwl Wrote:  This is pure speculation, based on no inside knowledge.

The announcers said Bloom has know McCaffery since he was 9. Green is a captain and apparently well liked and respected by the other players. Is it possible Bloomgren is being super cautious easing McCaffery into the starting role for reasons that have to do with team morale and locker room chemistry?

Somewhere between possible and likely, IMO.

(09-05-2021 11:16 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(09-05-2021 11:11 AM)JustAnotherAustinOwl Wrote:  This is pure speculation, based on no inside knowledge.

The announcers said Bloom has know McCaffery since he was 9. Green is a captain and apparently well liked and respected by the other players. Is it possible Bloomgren is being super cautious easing McCaffery into the starting role for reasons that have to do with team morale and locker room chemistry?

Somewhere between possible and likely, IMO.

Losing the way we did is hardly a locker room morale builder…and I can’t imagine the D happy with the way the the O played.