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Let’s Talk Hail State
Well Bulldog fans, we are officially at Defcon 5, and have pretty much lost all wiggle room for getting to a bowl game this season. Currently setting at a poultry 3-3 record on the season, and just 1-2 in the Southeastern Conference, things just keep getting worse as the seasons moves along.
Oh and by the way, just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, well, we have those damn LSU Tigers coming to town this weekend, and did I mention another day game? If last weeks loss wasn’t bad enough, this week we get to face the No. 2 ranked team in the country at Davis Wade stadium. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think this is going to do anything for our motivation moving forward, but we shall see.
I for one think LSU is overrated because they haven’t played anyone besides ninth-ranked Florida and 15th-ranked Texas. No big deal, right? Yep, this game could get ugly quick, but there’s that old saying after a big win like LSU got against Florida last week—this could be a trap game for those Tigers. But I wouldn’t bet on it, just Pray for It.
It’s true State fans, last week was difficult to digest, and I still get a little heartburn thinking about it,. But now it’s in the past, just like our hopes of having a winning SEC record this year. “Dang nab it.” Yet there’s still a few possibilities left to have a decent season, so let’s Talk Hail State, the Good the Bad and the Ugly (Tennessee).
THE GOOD!
We still have six games left on the schedule that give us a good chance to go bowling. The LSU and Alabama games seem to be pretty much out of reach at this point. I have high hopes that we can, and should, win games against Arkansas, ACU and Ole Miss. I must say that I have lost some confidence in a couple of those, but I still have us winning all three at this point.
I also see one last opportunity for State to pull off an upset, and that will have to come against Texas A&M on the road. A win here after three straight losses would be huge from a momentum standpoint moving into the last four games of the season. In saying all of this, I still see a possible 7-5 season, which would give us a 4-4 record in the SEC. Here’s to staying as positive as possible in our current situation.
The BAD!
The first half of last week’s game against Tennessee was bad on many fronts. The offense was stagnant with Stevens under center due to his lack of pocket awareness and inability to handle any pressure. No matter how much we State fans wanted him to succeed, I think this project has run its course, at least for now.
Once again, I have heard about the lack of discipline from the players toward the coaches on the sidelines during the game. If this is in fact true, then the performances, or lack thereof, could be a direct result of the climate of the team. As I stated above, these are just rumors so far, but I can share some of the signs I have seen for myself during the games.
Lack of physicality on both lines, it seems that the team has lost any desire to fight and win over the past few games. This could be due to lack of conditioning, preparation, or maybe some players just don’t really care anymore. I think it is a mixture of all three, and these players need to get together and have an intervention among themselves. This goes for the coaching staff as well. If you are going to call yourself a leader, then you need to damn well lead.
It would be nice to see just a little bit of emotion on the sideline when our defense misses three or four tackles in a single play. The same goes for the offensive side of the ball when we have players just standing around watching the game while others are trying to make a play.
By the way, the term ‘players’ coach’ is a way of saying that the coach does not hold the players to a high standard of disciple and performance. It is one thing to want players to like you as a coach, but it’s another to not demand respect!!
The UGLY!
This one is very personal to me, and I hope everyone reading this understands my point. I agree that the coaching staff has under-performed this season, and the current record shows it. I also agree that coach Moorhead deserved some criticism for the offensive woes and overall team performance. I mean, he makes a lot of money and we all expect a positive output for that kind of payout, I get it. I for one have been very hard on this coach so far this season, but that doesn’t mean I think he’s a bad person.
In fact, I have to say that from everything I have seen and heard about Coach JoMo, it sure makes him seem like great person that loves this sport and his family. I respect that of him and would never confuse his actions as a man and a father with his job as a football coach. But that is what happened after the Tennessee game last week, and it was not fair for our coach and his daughter.
Like I said, we pride ourselves on being a family. No matter where you go, we go with you. That stands for every player, coach and student that ever attended this university and coach Joe Moorhead is a permanent part of that family. Anyone that will disrespect him in front of his daughter or call him mean names not only hurts this university but truly hurts their own family. I am Truly sorry to the entire Moorhead family for what happened Saturday. I believe 99.9% of the Bulldog family feels the same way.
“Respect other people’s feelings. It might mean nothing to you, but it could mean everything to them.” — Roy T. Bennett
HAIL STATE AND GO DAWGS.