I, like many of you, was beside myself when we couldn't stop the run yesterday. I would have sold out on it and made them throw and gotten to the QB when they did. No idea why we didn't do that often.
However our defense is what it is... Bennett can adjust (which he didn't very well) but at the end of the day we are average at best on defense. Our defensive line is good but not great. The LBs are slightly below average and our secondary is avg IMO.
Obviously offense is our strength. Stidham was amazing last night. Why in the world do we time after time after time (6 years ago in Manhattan, 3 years ago against TCU when we were up by 14+, the Cotton Bowl, Iowa State, etc, etc, etc) hit the brakes when Briles and company get ansy. Its like all of a sudden Briles channels Grant Teaff and says "I know we have not gained more than 3 yards a carry all game and I know Stidham is 95% on the five yard hitch to Coleman but damn it, I am a MAN and we are going to run it up the middle on 3rd and 5 like a MAN does." Then we punt.
While the defense didn't help, did anyone really expect much better? What we can control is our offense. KSU controlled the line of scrimmage, but we controlled everywhere else. Why did we refuse to see this and take the foot off the gas. Hitting the brakes in the 4th qt cost us the Cotton Bowl. Briles flat out admits it and he is right. Last night we hit the brakes in the second half. We have to use our best weapon with confidence. I lost it last night when we ran the ball on 3rd in 6 with our second to last possession. I know the old school football guys will go to the 1940s football manual and say, "up by 2 touch downs in the 4th qt you have to run the ball". That might be true if your defense is trustworthy and your offense is average. Both are not true with Baylor. We have to win with our offense playing aggressive. If we accept this, then we can attack the game with the proper strategy and have our best chance of winning and usually winning big.
Thank glory that we sobered up and took that shot down the field on our last possession. The refs screwed us on the McGowan hold and Callahan blew the field goal, but that last pass completion saved the game and allowed us to run the ball without fear of having to punt (we were in field goal range). If we give the ball back to KSU with 2 minutes left after 3 runs of 2.5 yards we lose the game.
Glad to win but frustrated it had to be close when it didn't have to be close. Winning doesn't seem to matter anymore. Its how you win and who you beat (and of course your historical standing).
However our defense is what it is... Bennett can adjust (which he didn't very well) but at the end of the day we are average at best on defense. Our defensive line is good but not great. The LBs are slightly below average and our secondary is avg IMO.
Obviously offense is our strength. Stidham was amazing last night. Why in the world do we time after time after time (6 years ago in Manhattan, 3 years ago against TCU when we were up by 14+, the Cotton Bowl, Iowa State, etc, etc, etc) hit the brakes when Briles and company get ansy. Its like all of a sudden Briles channels Grant Teaff and says "I know we have not gained more than 3 yards a carry all game and I know Stidham is 95% on the five yard hitch to Coleman but damn it, I am a MAN and we are going to run it up the middle on 3rd and 5 like a MAN does." Then we punt.
While the defense didn't help, did anyone really expect much better? What we can control is our offense. KSU controlled the line of scrimmage, but we controlled everywhere else. Why did we refuse to see this and take the foot off the gas. Hitting the brakes in the 4th qt cost us the Cotton Bowl. Briles flat out admits it and he is right. Last night we hit the brakes in the second half. We have to use our best weapon with confidence. I lost it last night when we ran the ball on 3rd in 6 with our second to last possession. I know the old school football guys will go to the 1940s football manual and say, "up by 2 touch downs in the 4th qt you have to run the ball". That might be true if your defense is trustworthy and your offense is average. Both are not true with Baylor. We have to win with our offense playing aggressive. If we accept this, then we can attack the game with the proper strategy and have our best chance of winning and usually winning big.
Thank glory that we sobered up and took that shot down the field on our last possession. The refs screwed us on the McGowan hold and Callahan blew the field goal, but that last pass completion saved the game and allowed us to run the ball without fear of having to punt (we were in field goal range). If we give the ball back to KSU with 2 minutes left after 3 runs of 2.5 yards we lose the game.
Glad to win but frustrated it had to be close when it didn't have to be close. Winning doesn't seem to matter anymore. Its how you win and who you beat (and of course your historical standing).
