Where to begin with this week's recap... So much on the field to cover, but I will start with this. That was the second coldest MU football game I have been to in 25 years. The game at Akron where Byron broke his leg and was carried down the field was worse (about the same temp but Akron had a 30 mph wind that day and misty drizzle/low fog/ice pellets).
Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Herd's nail biting win over JMU...
The Good –
• Clutch time – You know why Michael Jordan was incredible? It wasn't his 50 point games in January at Minnesota... It was all the moments where it was clutch time and he made the shot. Marshall hadn't been in position where it was backs against the wall, must win, go get it done, in a long time and last night everybody got it done.
• Defensive adjustments – After the first three possessions it looked like we were headed for 45-0 ass kicking. We were down 17-0, they were running the ball like we were a middle school team, and we had zero momentum. I dont know who made the right calls but the defense got off the field a couple times before halftime and stop the bleeding.
• Gadget plays – Im not a big fan of trying to trick people all the time, but last night Doege dug deep in the playbook and it payed off at big moments. The fake field goal toss pitch to Verhoof was ballsy and effective. Then back-to-back reverses in overtime is not something anyone expected.
• Green-McKnight -– The play that changed the game was the pick 6. Great read by Green-McKnight and the double pump by the QB made it and easy sprint to the end zone.
The Bad –
• Getting off the bus late – For a quarter and a half we just simply didn't show up. No energy, no excitement, no big plays on either side of the ball. It looked like we were flatter than flat, but once the train got rolling it rolled down hill.
• The last 25 seconds – It wasn't really clock management at the end that was an issue, it was more the path to winning the game in regulation that eluded us. I get trying to set up a winning field goal, but leaving one play with two second left meant we hd no room for error. If it were third down, and we had say 10 seconds on the clock and timeout, we could have fallen on the ball after the hold was dropped and tried again on 4th down.
The Ugly –
• The forementioned hold – Clark had a great game punting the ball, but man what time to lose the handle on a field goal snap. I was happy for him that we won because that moment would have been the lasting image if the game went the other way.
Overall, and I say this as a football guy and fan of the game – Last night was an emotional roller coaster. Absolutely nothing went right for about 28 minutes, then all the sudden everything went our way. We got every break we could possibly get in the second half. Every call went our way. Then we coughed it up on a game-winning field goal, got behind in overtime, and somehow it still all worked out. It was a lot to process (Bells Two Hearted helped)... Now, it's on to Louisiana for the conference championship game. Im booking a flight out of Atlanta this afternoon so we will see how it goes. I actually like our chances a lot... Sometimes it just feels like the universe is dealing you a winning hand.
Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Herd's nail biting win over JMU...
The Good –
• Clutch time – You know why Michael Jordan was incredible? It wasn't his 50 point games in January at Minnesota... It was all the moments where it was clutch time and he made the shot. Marshall hadn't been in position where it was backs against the wall, must win, go get it done, in a long time and last night everybody got it done.
• Defensive adjustments – After the first three possessions it looked like we were headed for 45-0 ass kicking. We were down 17-0, they were running the ball like we were a middle school team, and we had zero momentum. I dont know who made the right calls but the defense got off the field a couple times before halftime and stop the bleeding.
• Gadget plays – Im not a big fan of trying to trick people all the time, but last night Doege dug deep in the playbook and it payed off at big moments. The fake field goal toss pitch to Verhoof was ballsy and effective. Then back-to-back reverses in overtime is not something anyone expected.
• Green-McKnight -– The play that changed the game was the pick 6. Great read by Green-McKnight and the double pump by the QB made it and easy sprint to the end zone.
The Bad –
• Getting off the bus late – For a quarter and a half we just simply didn't show up. No energy, no excitement, no big plays on either side of the ball. It looked like we were flatter than flat, but once the train got rolling it rolled down hill.
• The last 25 seconds – It wasn't really clock management at the end that was an issue, it was more the path to winning the game in regulation that eluded us. I get trying to set up a winning field goal, but leaving one play with two second left meant we hd no room for error. If it were third down, and we had say 10 seconds on the clock and timeout, we could have fallen on the ball after the hold was dropped and tried again on 4th down.
The Ugly –
• The forementioned hold – Clark had a great game punting the ball, but man what time to lose the handle on a field goal snap. I was happy for him that we won because that moment would have been the lasting image if the game went the other way.
Overall, and I say this as a football guy and fan of the game – Last night was an emotional roller coaster. Absolutely nothing went right for about 28 minutes, then all the sudden everything went our way. We got every break we could possibly get in the second half. Every call went our way. Then we coughed it up on a game-winning field goal, got behind in overtime, and somehow it still all worked out. It was a lot to process (Bells Two Hearted helped)... Now, it's on to Louisiana for the conference championship game. Im booking a flight out of Atlanta this afternoon so we will see how it goes. I actually like our chances a lot... Sometimes it just feels like the universe is dealing you a winning hand.
