(11-27-2021 06:50 PM)THUNDERStruck73 Wrote: (11-27-2021 06:46 PM)WKUApollo Wrote: WKU has struggled in the 1st quarter in 6 of our 12 games this year..scoring 7 or 0 in 1st quarters 6 of 12 games. We have been a second half team all season. Teams look like world beaters against our passing game and then run out of steam. They get gassed trying to cover our receivers. With that said, Marshall losing their QB definitely changed the dynamic but Zappe and our receivers were bound to start clicking. The game's not over so I'm not counting this one yet though. I really felt it would be a war after Marshall jumped up 14-0 but we have been down in the 2nd quarter in several games this year but ended up making a game of it
That's easy to say when the other teams starting QB is out. It's a shame that we will never know what would have happened if Wells didnt get hurt.
That being said, congratulations.
Come on man you were dogging Wells this whole season for his bad play and now you are going to act like he a difference maker?
He was playing ****** before the hit put him out and if your memory hasnt failed you you will know that Wells was finished even if he was able to play. After a bad play Wells falls apart and after a big hit he starts worrying about the next one. How many times have you said close to that during this season?
Wells was FINISHED at that point and once Western stopped trying to throw deep outs and started working the3 middle that was wide open...Zappe and this Western offense started clicking.
The reason Marshall's defense was looking good early on...
1. Western came out totally different than usual. Throwing deep and 15 yard outs to the boundary. Zappe is a rhythm QB and the middle of the field is his sweet spot and confidence builder. Western failed to go there early.
2. Marshall's game plan was to press the Western's WR on the outs and double on deep balls. Like I said once Western started using the middle of the field that was open from the start. Western was going to score points.
3. at that point Marshall had zero choice but to stop playing press coverage on the 10 to 15 outs to the boundary. Marshall also had no choice but to stop the double team on deep balls and move the safety up to help cover the middle of the field.
Other words Western started playing "Western offense" and Marshall had no chance. If Western came out playing their normal style....what you saw in the 2nd half happens early on.
Like I said Wells had started being a non factor before he got hit. At that point he was finished if he stayed in the game. The only difference is the finial score might have been 14 point. But if Western came out playing the middle of the field earlier...
this ends up 21 to 24 loss for Marshall.
Western has made worse QBs than Wels look great early on in a game but after a few drives that all changed. The same thing had started to happen before Wells went out. I'm not trying to talk crap...I never posted in this thread till now. and I'm not the type to talk crap if I didnt before the game.
Just stating a few things over looked by some Marshall fans that blaming Wells not playing as the reason Western won. I dont believe that's what you actually said. But others have.
Over the last 7 games this Western defense has been the best in CUSA on run defense and 1st or 2nd on scoring defense and in each of those games the other team looked like world beaters early on. Unlike some fans I'm not going to lay all the start of Western on "Western"...Marshall came out pumped with a goo game plan and Western played right into it. Early on but this game was always coming down to Marshall needing to score 35 point or more to win even with that bad start for Western. Something this Marshall offense had not done all season when playing a team with good defense...
Western's defense was playing as good or better than any team in CUSA and since Oct 9th no school has scored more than 21 points against Western. The 3 that managed 21 scored a TD late in the game when they were being blown out
I have to admit I left Huntington a little disappointed I was hoping Western would drop another 60 points on Marshall