I was at a party so I DVR'ed the game. I can assure you I shut it off at 38-0. Here are some thoughts:
- There are no versions of yesterday's game that we win. But a few really bad plays of execution and decision make doomed this game.
- It starts with the punt return. Any time you give up punt TDs it's honestly a commentary on how little depth you have because the backups are normally out there on special teams. But you just can't continue to give up these types of plays. It broke this game and the UNC game open.
- Having CV throwing the ball with under a minute left and so deep in your own territory is ridiculous. ND only had 2 time outs so we could have run the clock out instead of giving up more points.
- I thought both the game plan and lack of adjustments hung CV out to dry. This ND pass defense is great and their pass rush is even better. There was no time to throw all day yet we kept calling tons of pass plays. And this is early, before the game gets out of hand. But you can't have 32/19 pass to run ration when your QB has 2 seconds to pass.
- I didn't think the WRs played that bad. Means, Mump, Karter, and DeJeon I thought did well to get open if the routes we are having them run make no sense.
- Another game where Hammond looks good and gets...6 carries.
- I realize Devonshire's fumble didn't lose us the game but you can't even try to catch that ball there.
- I realize saying I thought defense played well early on sounds weird in a game where we gave up 535 yards but I thought there were some good individual plays here and the game just got out of hand with all of the turnovers. I thought McCmillon, Kamara, Okunlola, O'Brien, and George all had some great plays.
- Ben Sauls, again, not a game changer, but he's regressed as well.
- This needs it's own section. I have never been one of the people to advocate his firing this year. It's a year from hell but one of the things I have always been able to rely on is the culture that he's created. The We not Me attitude. Never losing players to the portal (non Addison category). But this is egregious and I don't know if there is coming back from it. What was really weird, and I know I'm not the first to point this out, is how quickly everyone of the players jumped all over it. This went from a bad season to potentially catastrophic, especially with how good the recruiting class looks. I want to remind everyone that we aren't going to fire him. He has 7 more years on his deal.
