My Amateur Thoughts and Analysis (post, self-imposed 24-hour rule :D ) After the Tough Saturday for the Pirates--------And Where We Go From Here: After an explosive September, the pattern of AAC play continues. Pirates again, post gaudy offensive statistics (over 430 yds) only to be negated by a dozen penalties and lack of scoring punch. Furthered (still hard to believe) by 7 fumbles----- That equal a tough day at the office. Temple for its part, tallied 135 yards of total offense, punted 9 times and took care of business. ----Goes to show you the only gaudy statistic that truly matters is the final score. One thing is certain, after the first four AAC games the level and pace of competition is about to increase. There have been many theories heard why a team that scored 70 against an ACC opponent has evolved to a team averaging in the 20s against the lower half of the AAC: SMU, USF, UConn and Temple. Is it--- AAC officiating, cold weather, empty stadiums, lack of execution... Regardless of why, its time to crack the code. The next few weeks----will make or break this season. The question now: Which Pirate team shows up in Cincy? Is it the quick-strike endzone hungry Pirate offense which attacked a physical defense on the road in Blacksburg and with deep shots allowing our best athletes to beat their athletes deep. ------Or----is it the offense that plays the percentages, throwing underneath--- going back and forth on penalties (our pattern in the AAC) allowing defenses to dictate the pace of the game. We have a great offensive staff but it is clear---we are struggling with aspects of AAC play. Whether it is teams rushing 4 and dropping 8 into coverage, whether its the 8th official which sits in the offensive backfield ( most leagues have 7), the items listed above or a combination thereof----regardless--- we are at THE crossroads of the season. With Cincinnati on the horizon we have a week to adjust our system to mitigate our exposure to penalties (less snaps, more shots to the endzone, our best athletes deep?) or whatever new wrinkles will reignite our hunger for the endzone. One thing is certain---- its now or never, to innovate our scoring and get lethal again.
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 23:28:08 +0000
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