This is my take before reading a single post on here or on social media.
I have not seen a more disgusting display of football as I saw in the first half, since the Toledo game in 2000. The game plan was off. Normally i watch a game and can say, "well, coach put them in position to make plays, and it didnt happen." That wasnt the case last night. Starting right from jump with a timeout less than a minute into the game. Then after the muffed punt, we get the ball and pick away and then kick a FG. There was no way we were winning that game with a FG there. The difference was seen later, they got a big turnover and immediately went to the end zone.
I thought the offensive changes worked out well. Slappy played very good. I am not good enough to rate or grade an offensive lineman, but it didnt seem like he got pushed around much. This is a great sign as he is so young, and will be around and anchoring that line for some time. It was odd that Willis didnt play (he was there and fully dressed) as he has seem to be pretty good at right tackle all year.
As most everyone knew would happen, we really, really miss Corey Gammage. The biggest disappointment on this team 8 games in is not the qb, or offensive line, or even the defense. It is the wide receivers. They get no separation, the drops are just ridiculous, and game changing. Last night may not have cost us the game, but did it cost us completely changing qbs for the year? Had Harris caught that ball late, and not cause an INT, could that have led to our first score in what seems like a month? Would that have been enough for Pennington to start the rest of the year?
Now, to the qb. I liked what Pennington brought to the game last night. Can he move as well? No. But will he need to? I dont think so. I think his ability to make all the throws and read the defense will force the defense to play completely different. The next game says a lot. If Fancher starts, then what? Does he play balls to the wall, or does he play like Joe Miles did back in the day and take a shot then look over the shoulder and see if Ron Jirsa is going to take him out. If Pennington starts, then the Fancher era is most likely done forever. I have been fine with Fancher, but, this stretch hasnt been good.
It was good to see the support that Pennington received on the sideline, especially from TJ McMahon. They seem to rally around him. This was indicated last year at the bowl game when the team chose him to speak on behalf of the team at the pre game fan pep rally.
This coming week at Appy is not a must win for the program. Our program is fine. We are established. We were established before Huff got here, we were fine before Doc got there, and we will be fine after Huff leaves. But, I truly believe this is a must win for the season, and maybe a must win for Coach Huff. Doc proved that he was able to handle something like this over the long haul, but he wasnt able to right the ship mid season. Speaking of the dreaded 2016 of course. 11/4 is a very important day for three gentlemans career, Huff, Trickett and Semore.
I truly believe this is the first time I have seen a Charles Huff football team be outcoached right when they got off the bus. Last night was not a player issue. Sure, we had four freshman roaming the defensive backfield for the bulk of the game, but they werent in position, virtually at all. Thats not always on them. I know that college kids are college kids, but last night, they truly were not put in a position to win. I believe I am a pretty consistent person. I support everything Marshall. Coaches, players, etc. I have only seen that type of game happen one other time.
Now, what happened after that game? We won 6 of 7 including the MAC Championship game and a bowl win.
And finally, the Sunbelt East is still not over...
We need the following to happen:
We need to win out
JMU needs to win out
Texas State needs to beat Coastal
ODU needs to lose to either Coastal, GA State or GA Southern
GA State needs to lose at ODU and home to Appy
GA Southern needs to lose to either TExas St. ODU or Appy
Simple is that!!! We are not dead!!!
So who starts at qb Saturday?
What wide receiver will step up and show out and be the qb's go to guy.
I believe everyone is allowed one bad game. I have plenty of bad days doing mortgage loans. My mistakes dont play out on national TV in front of tens of thousands of fans, but we are all human. Huff is allowed to have a bad day. This was a bad day. How can he bounce back will show us what we have. The last time this happened, our coach grabbed a bunch of rubber bands and a bunch of flashlights and parlayed that bad day into another great multi year run. I am 10000 percent on the Coach Huff bandwagon, it will take a whole lot more than one game to knock me off, but I did, for some reason, fill the need to give my full opinion.
The time is now.
Have a great week, and GO HERD!!
I have not seen a more disgusting display of football as I saw in the first half, since the Toledo game in 2000. The game plan was off. Normally i watch a game and can say, "well, coach put them in position to make plays, and it didnt happen." That wasnt the case last night. Starting right from jump with a timeout less than a minute into the game. Then after the muffed punt, we get the ball and pick away and then kick a FG. There was no way we were winning that game with a FG there. The difference was seen later, they got a big turnover and immediately went to the end zone.
I thought the offensive changes worked out well. Slappy played very good. I am not good enough to rate or grade an offensive lineman, but it didnt seem like he got pushed around much. This is a great sign as he is so young, and will be around and anchoring that line for some time. It was odd that Willis didnt play (he was there and fully dressed) as he has seem to be pretty good at right tackle all year.
As most everyone knew would happen, we really, really miss Corey Gammage. The biggest disappointment on this team 8 games in is not the qb, or offensive line, or even the defense. It is the wide receivers. They get no separation, the drops are just ridiculous, and game changing. Last night may not have cost us the game, but did it cost us completely changing qbs for the year? Had Harris caught that ball late, and not cause an INT, could that have led to our first score in what seems like a month? Would that have been enough for Pennington to start the rest of the year?
Now, to the qb. I liked what Pennington brought to the game last night. Can he move as well? No. But will he need to? I dont think so. I think his ability to make all the throws and read the defense will force the defense to play completely different. The next game says a lot. If Fancher starts, then what? Does he play balls to the wall, or does he play like Joe Miles did back in the day and take a shot then look over the shoulder and see if Ron Jirsa is going to take him out. If Pennington starts, then the Fancher era is most likely done forever. I have been fine with Fancher, but, this stretch hasnt been good.
It was good to see the support that Pennington received on the sideline, especially from TJ McMahon. They seem to rally around him. This was indicated last year at the bowl game when the team chose him to speak on behalf of the team at the pre game fan pep rally.
This coming week at Appy is not a must win for the program. Our program is fine. We are established. We were established before Huff got here, we were fine before Doc got there, and we will be fine after Huff leaves. But, I truly believe this is a must win for the season, and maybe a must win for Coach Huff. Doc proved that he was able to handle something like this over the long haul, but he wasnt able to right the ship mid season. Speaking of the dreaded 2016 of course. 11/4 is a very important day for three gentlemans career, Huff, Trickett and Semore.
I truly believe this is the first time I have seen a Charles Huff football team be outcoached right when they got off the bus. Last night was not a player issue. Sure, we had four freshman roaming the defensive backfield for the bulk of the game, but they werent in position, virtually at all. Thats not always on them. I know that college kids are college kids, but last night, they truly were not put in a position to win. I believe I am a pretty consistent person. I support everything Marshall. Coaches, players, etc. I have only seen that type of game happen one other time.
Now, what happened after that game? We won 6 of 7 including the MAC Championship game and a bowl win.
And finally, the Sunbelt East is still not over...
We need the following to happen:
We need to win out
JMU needs to win out
Texas State needs to beat Coastal
ODU needs to lose to either Coastal, GA State or GA Southern
GA State needs to lose at ODU and home to Appy
GA Southern needs to lose to either TExas St. ODU or Appy
Simple is that!!! We are not dead!!!
So who starts at qb Saturday?
What wide receiver will step up and show out and be the qb's go to guy.
I believe everyone is allowed one bad game. I have plenty of bad days doing mortgage loans. My mistakes dont play out on national TV in front of tens of thousands of fans, but we are all human. Huff is allowed to have a bad day. This was a bad day. How can he bounce back will show us what we have. The last time this happened, our coach grabbed a bunch of rubber bands and a bunch of flashlights and parlayed that bad day into another great multi year run. I am 10000 percent on the Coach Huff bandwagon, it will take a whole lot more than one game to knock me off, but I did, for some reason, fill the need to give my full opinion.
The time is now.
Have a great week, and GO HERD!!
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