Now, that's not to say we can't play with these guys, because we can. After all, we were up at the half despite numerous blown assignments on defense and questionable offensive play-calling. We have the talent to compete with any ACC school that's not FSU.
But as us UVa fans know, being a good team is more than just a talent evaluation. Mental miscues hurt us.
Two personal fouls in one BYU drive. BYU's kick return TD (two guys were out of position in their lanes). The blown coverage in the first half. WE CANNOT MAKE THOSE MISTAKES. EVER!!!
That being said, we showed progress. The defense contained Taysom Hill for much of the game Honestly, against a QB of his caliber, that's all you can really ask for.
Our offense played better than I expected, but we're not where we need to be. At least not yet.
Lambert played well early, but before his injury, the unit had stalled. Johns came in and moved the ball efficiently, for the most part. While I'd be shocked if Lambert doesn't start next week, we still can't ignore the fact that he has yet to "seize the job".
Also, the run game is still very much an issue. We need more production here or our defense will wear, like it did today. I love the passion from guys like Harold, Coley, and Valles, but they're human; they tire.
But there's no need in me recapping the game; a box score can do that. So here are some of the good and the bad from today's game.
Good
- Ian Frye -- Words cannot describe his value to the team. He comes through time and time again. 4/4 today.
- Miles Gooch -- Where has this production been the last three years? He just uses his size to make those tough catches. Finished with 6 catches for 65 yards
- Defensive Front Seven -- these guys played far from a perfect game, but they hustled. They shut down BYU in the first half, and it wasn't until late in the 3rd that they started to cave. With some help from the offense, the score could have been lower.
Bad
- Special Teams -- With the exception of Ian Frye and a good opening return from Darius Jennings, this unit struggled. Khalek Shepherd nearly gave the Cougars the ball in our five-yard line. And the TD return is simply unacceptable. Too much bad offsets the good.
- Offensive Line -- Early on, they looked good. But then they couldn't run block (shocker!). And then they couldn't keep Lambert upright. No surprise, but not a great performance.
- Defensive Secondary -- They had a couple blown assignments. At least one resulted in a touchdown. Can't give teams free chunks of 40+ yards.
- Running Backs -- They just haven't produced like I thought coming into the season. Parks has been solid, but there's just no room between the tackles. Smoke is really the biggest disappointment. He'll make a nice catch here and there, but for a 5-star talent, you want more. (NOTE: Shepherd's TD run was nice; he ran hard today)
- Play Calling -- With 15 seconds left in the half, 3rd and goal from the five, and we run a draw? Does Fairchild ever learn? Why not take a shot to the endzone? I hated that call; need to show some guts (or reasonableness?).
Final (Football) Thoughts
We're better than last year. With an easier schedule, I'd say we're going bowling.
But the schedule isn't easy. I've spent too many years buying into preseason hype with this program. I don't care if we're better if we're not winning games. To me, there isn't much of a difference between 2-10 and 5-7.
With the resources and talent we have, anything less than six wins is unacceptable.
Am I overreacting? Maybe. But I'm tired of hearing people say, "Oh, well that loss wasn't too bad. We played a ranked team pretty close." That's the attitude of a failing program. We deserve more than that. We played UCLA and BYU close, but we could have won both games, and we didn't win either. That stings.
This team could still reach six wins. Through four games, I had them at 2-2 (preseason predictions here). But reaching six wins won't be easy.
Until we actually start winning games, I won't be satisfied.
SOCCER!!!!
My roommates got on me today because my twitter profile says this blog is you're home for "all things UVa sports". Well, I've kind of only focused on football of late. So here are a couple of shout outs to our other programs.Women's Soccer
We're 8-0, No. 3 in the country (although VT is ranked second...). Obviously a pretty good team. I've only been to a half of a game, so not too many thoughts here. But definitely read the Daily Progress and the Cavalier Daily women's soccer page for some good recaps.
Men's Soccer
We dropped a tough game to Tulsa, but other than that, we're pretty good. We're still lacking some attacking power, but players will come back from injuries. Big game tomorrow against defending national champs Notre Dame. Check it out on ESPNU. And as always, check out the Daily Progress and the Cavalier Daily men's soccer page for more coverage.
No comments:
Post a Comment