Colorado (game 4)

As I have preached - like a Baptist revivalist with a $20 in his sight - it is better to win than lose. One of my loyal readers texted me right after the Colorado game and said “Better than last week, but not particularly encouraging”. I felt that way too for a bit, but after reviewing the game, the optimist in me has taken over.

First the QB. Christian looked like a 7th grade boy that stumbled into the Playboy mansion in the first half. He was real happy to be there, he just had no earthly idea how to score. Fortunately, the game plan of handing off to Antone roughly 90% of the plays was enough to sustain us for 30 minutes. It did not hurt that the Buffs missed a chippy field goal and apparently their QB was near sighted because even wide-open guys 10 yards past the line of scrimmage were left hanging like a vegan at the All-U-Can-Eat Burger Barn. The addition of Caz was absolutely huge. Not only did he lead the team in receptions (with a paltry 3), but his blocking on the edge was the difference between us looking like we had two freshman offensive tackles and what you saw on Saturday. Caz spent a season in Camp Trickett, and it shows. He has Lurch-like height and an attitude.

The second half was much more encouraging. Christians’ feet calmed down, and although he is still staring at his receivers like a Gatorade pond in the Sahara, at least he did check down to the backs on three different occasions. Preston Parker is flat out pressing. He is trying too hard and hurting us right now. Get him out of the backfield and pass him a valium.

Now a short Jimbo rant. I know if Jeff Bowden is an effective play caller, then Bin Laden is a Monopoly savant. However, one thing that Jeffbo did well was throw the rock high and let Greg Carr and his freakish height go up and get it. Probably because of this, Jimbo absolutely refuses to call this play in his 16 games as captain of our offensive ship.
I am sorry, but the QB draw twice this week on key third and long situations is gawdawful bad execution. With Surrency and Carr, you have two ginormous men who can leap over most teams’ liliputian DB’s. They were in the game together on multiple occasions in key downs, and we ignored them. Miami has the 107th rated pass defense in Division I, throw the ball up for grabs in the corner to one of our two stilts rather than run another dadgum draw on 3rd and long…ok, enough of that.

I know that at least three times this week, our defense wisely challenged the opposition to see if they could hit a stupidly open TE streaking down the sideline. Mickey is so smart. He knows that by failing to connect on two of these passes, the Buffs completely lost confidence in their execution. Mentally, we had them right where we wanted them. By allowing this to happen a third time for a TD, he has lured the Hurricanes into his web of deception and will force them to try this play at least 10 times this week. Either this is all true or Darius McClure and Jamie Robinson completely blew their assignments multiple times, and that seems highly unlikely.

The D-line is getting vicious, and they get another stud back this week in DT Paul Griffin. Neefy Moffit burying the Buff QB in an avalanche of dreads and sweat on the first play from scrimmage, followed two plays later by an Everette Brown sack, strip and fumble was a nice way to start the day. Our D-line rotation should make us fresher in the South Florida sweatbox. Watson and Nicholson are playing at a very high level as well.
It was nice to see freshman phenom Nigel Bradham get so much time, and I hope he learns from all the bad angles he took this week. He is as fast as Ernie Sims and Derrick Brooks, but that speed kills us when he overruns a play…

Our biggest concern this week is that our two starting corners in Carter and Robinson were filling out medical forms in the second half. They must have Blue Cross Blue Shield like me because they still had a clipboard in their hand 30 minutes after the game (you need the date of my sister’s chicken pox vaccine?). If they can not go, trouble for us…Miami can flat out run the ball. Their backs – especially Graig Cooper – are terrific…but new QB Robert Marve is very poised and buys enough time with his mobility to demand our corners stay with their guys a little longer than we are used to.
God forbid we are up by 6 with a minute left.

Anyhoo…glad to win. I think the offense gained some real confidence in the second half as we ran over them. Let’s steal one in Miami and hit the buy week with some momentum.

Go Noles!