Tennessee-Chattanooga

Twenty one straight. Three years of not losing at home. The longest streak in current college football (so sorry Urban, maybe you can get Zeke to buy another copy of your new Discipline book...) Can I tell you how spectacular it is to tailgate under the trees on the lovely grass in the shadow of Doak S. Campbell Stadium when you know the next four hours will mean a victory (and more tailgating). The last time we lost at home, my house was full of children, I had only 6 gray hairs and my vision was impeccable. As our best friends say "We have never lost a tailgate...", but not losing inside the bricks does not suck either...

Sean Maguire did his best weeble impression on Saturday getting absolutely rocked time and again and just popping back up. The fact that an FCS division team was able to lay that many solid shots should tell you all you need to know about the progress of our offensive line. The coaches may be praising Chad Mavety, but his strategy going forward needs to be to violently grab, clutch and hold on every single passing play. The refs can not throw a flag on every down, and that gives us a fighting chance that Sean won't end up at Shands. I am sure other defensive coordinators may have noticed that almost every run of any significance happens when we go left. So, if Rod Johnson can continue to block three guys, we should be fine. This line, with an offseason to grow, reflect and play against our defense for 180 days will be fine in 2016; and may even be a strength. But, if they were defending the OK Corral this weekend, the West would have been Lost.

Dalvin had yet another game where he plays for two downs, comes up limping - goes behind the magic curtain & pops some kryptonite - and then finishes the job. I read where when Dalvin actually crosses the line of scrimmage (see above notes), he is averaging 9.7 yards a carry. Yes, if we can find a way to get him any yards at all, he gets a first down. That seems ridiculous, and since he was not caught on camera whining about his coach, the playcalling and how the earth's axis should tilt around him after either of our recent defeats, maybe he will end up in NYC after all. A classy kid that has carried this offense like no one since Greg Allen and is apparently tough as 20 year old leather will be a joy to see in a Bowl game with two new wheels.

Our short yardage woes continued this week, and I think the solution may be to throw the entire Jimbo traditional short yardage playbook out the window.  I go three wide with Izzo as one of the 3, and have Cook and Patrick split in the backfield. That keeps the safeties on the field, the extra LB's on the sideline, and only 6 to 7 in the box. It is not a shocking Oprah reveal that we can not blow people off the line. So, let's spread out and give Dalvin and Patrick a chance with a single gap pop. If we choose to go outside with a pitch, Izzo can be in motion and seal his end of line. We tried this approach once against Clemson and if Rod Johnson did not completely whiff, Dalvin converts as easily as a Jew marrying Kate Upton.

We got a rare blowout which gave us a chance to see some of the kids in action. JJ Cosentino has a cannon for a right arm, and since he was only asked to rifle throws over the middle at cutting buddies, it worked out fine. This is his second year on campus, so the amount of times he was lost out of the huddle and in getting the team set may be illustrative, but if we need a hail mary from our own 25, I bring in the boy from PA. We tried endzone tosses to both Auden Tate and Pig Harrison, but alas, their first scores will have to come in 2016. Well, it is Florida State; and we are #3 on the annual Playboy Party School list, so maybe they scored in 2015, but Sports Information does not keep those records.

In college football, you can not motivate kids when it is utterly obvious that the game will not be competitive. Our Head Coach is the absolute best at praising every opponent in public - almost to the point of hilarity. But the kids know, and the first quarter was a shining example of a bunch of Varsity boys on the field with the JV and trying really hard to compete just enough without getting hurt.  Defense is about desire, intelligence and effort, and we went one for three on Saturday. You choose which one. Having said that, I am not sure that Derwin got the half speed memo, because he may have singlehandedly wrecked UTC's playoff chances. At least 2 RB's and a WR went to the sideline after a James gang collision, and they don't have the Dalvin magic tent. It was also nice to see a relatively healthy Nate Andrews back on the field. He splashed a few times with a sack and a key breakup.

Well it is a short week for most of us, and we have a bunch to be thankful for. I appreciate the wife for the effort she made this week getting me some special on-field moments, and we should all be grateful for our Head Coach that is apparently the choice for every big time job opening in America. Let's hope he has come to realize what Coach Bowden and all of us already do; there is no better place on Fall Saturdays than Tallahassee, Florida. Happy Thanksgiving, and Go Noles!