Football starts off 0-1 in the CAA after a 26-14 loss at UNH

[mat1992 2,231]

https://towsontigers.com/news/2021/9/11/towson-football-fourth-quarter-comeback-attempt-falls-short-at-unh.aspx

 

Was waiting on a Zoom press conference, but Towson never showed up. Interesting since they never really showed up for the game. Give UNH credit. They read all the play-action plays and played sound football as they always do. Can't blame rust since they only played one game during the spring.

Bottom line is you can't just run the football (yes they should have run more tonight), if you can't throw it. The opponent is going to load the box. Jeff Miller and Chris Ferguson combined for 18 of 43 for four picks. One of the picks bounced off Darian Street, so that wasn't on Jeff Miller. Ferguson looked like a deer in the headlights at times. 

Look, the team that was here last winter did not want to play in the spring. They practice and RA had mentioned how the quarterback position performed poorly. They added CF after the spring and he did ok in the preseason. But while I though the main weakness was the kicking game. It's now the QB position. As everyone knows, you can't win without a solid QB1. 

Defensively, we had some good moments, but overall we were awful. Yes, we lost Mark Collins Jr. (not sure what the issue was) after the first possession. Brandon Shuman came in and his shoes blew up on the bomb to Coyle. No Elorm Lumor again and our pass rush was M.I.A. for most of the game. When we blitzed, Edwards picked it up. It's amazing how McConnell can find these quarterbacks. They all can run some and are accurate. Maybe not big arms or great size, but they know how to play the game. Instead of getting a spread-option type of QB, we go back to the 2011-13 season, running the power with T-West or Jerry Howard. That's fine. Howard, despite being nicked up, had some sensational runs. He had 97 yards on 18 carries. But for some reason, maybe due to the injury, he came out a bunch of times for either Devin Matthews, who runs extremely hard but is basically north-south. Sabias Folley had five carries for 21 yards. Seems like he missed a block late in the first half and was not seen again. Once again, it starts with the QB but other than Howard, we lack that dynamic runner. Even UNH has a few guys who can run outside and since we didn't set the edge all night, they can run past our linebackers and secondary. 

So without a solid QB like a Peter Athens or a strong runner like a Grant Enders, there's a four-letter word I can use but won't. Let's just say we're screwed unless an Amendola or a freshman QB comes out of the woodwork. My guess is there will be competition next week. Because if you throw four picks again, the scored will be 60-0 next week. 

[TSU88 1,070]

We all know what the outcome of the next 2 games is going to be. And we all know what the outcome of the game vs JMU will be. Let’s see a show of hands of everyone who thinks we’re going to run the table in the other 6 games, just to finish 7-4.

I feel bad for Ferguson and Miller, as their lack of mobility the next 2 weeks will likely be equivalent to feeding them to the wolves. After those 2 games, might as well see what we have in QB in Amendola and/or any of the other QB’s on the roster. For all intent and purposes we have next to no chance of making the playoffs 

[mat1992 2,231]

19 minutes ago, TSU88 said:

We all know what the outcome of the next 2 games is going to be. And we all know what the outcome of the game vs JMU will be. Let’s see a show of hands of everyone who thinks we’re going to run the table in the other 6 games, just to finish 7-4.

I feel bad for Ferguson and Miller, as their lack of mobility the next 2 weeks will likely be equivalent to feeding them to the wolves. After those 2 games, might as well see what we have in QB in Amendola and/or any of the other QB’s on the roster. For all intent and purposes we have next to no chance of making the playoffs 

I'd like to see Amendola or that kid Nathan Kent. They are dual-threat QBs. I mean you play them against ND State, it will be ugly. But it's going to ugly anyhow. I hate the Wildcat but maybe you get one of those kids on the field in certain situations just to have that ability to run.

[mat1992 2,231]

Also, that 4th and goal call at the 7 or 8 or whatever it was. That screen pass to Howard with four guys blocking for him was fine for a 2nd-down play. To not throw the ball into the end zone or near it on 4th down boggles the mind. The fact that we were giving the ball to our short-yardage back Devin Matthews on third-and-goal at the 7 also was incredible. If you don't have confidence in either QB, find someone this week who can complete passes. Not everyone is going to be wide open. The O-line can't protect for 6 or 7 seconds. The QB has to get rid of the ball or run from the pocket. Even the less mobile guys can dance out of the pocket. Shit, what do I know. I certainly don't know how to play the QB position. But I see the results. The completion %. I'm sure it's not all on the QB or the line. The receivers also have to step up. Other than Caleb Smith, you need more from Jabari Allen, Darian Street and Rutkowski. That Smith run after the catch was fantastic late in the game.

[TSU88 1,070]

Meanwhile, a whopping total of 3 people so far have posted about tonight’s game. Granted, it’s a Saturday night, but I also think it speaks to the level of interest in the Ambrose-lead Tigers 

Edited September 12, 2021 by TSU88

[mat1992 2,231]

2 minutes ago, TSU88 said:

Meanwhile, a whopping total of 3 people so far have posted about tonight’s game. Granted, it’s a Saturday night, but I also think it speaks to the level of interest in the Ambrose-lead Tigers 

It's fine. I know some people won't post because if you have nothing better to say don't say it. Others will call for his job tomorrow. I know we had about 3 months to prepare for this with all the new players. I just don't get the whole thing. I should have seen it against Morgan. Tulane put up 69 points on them tonight. I know Tulane looked great against Oklahoma in the first game. But we should have put 50 on them. You hate to say the season is over in Game 2, but unfortunately it is. 

[TSU88 1,070]

A certain poster, who modesty prevents me from mentioning, foreshadowed this in his post after the Morgan game. I believe I, er, he, said the offense was underwhelming, the QB didn’t look terribly impressive and that a top-tier FCS team would have dropped 50-60 points on Morgan. 

[Chris Datres 423]

The QB play was horrid, there's no sugarcoating that.  That being said, UNH gave us plenty of opportunities because of their own mistakes.  But I go back to something I had said in preseason -- if the staff is saying great things about the talent on defense, then let's unleash that talent.  Instead, we let Coyne or Coyle or whoever that guy was run roughshod over us in the first half.  Zero pass rush, zero blitz, zero coverage.  It's the same BS that we've seen with the defense since 2013.  Despite all of the offense's f-up's, they got it to 20-14 at the beginning of the 4th quarter and the defense immediately gives up a drive for a score.  Get a freakin stop on that possession and things could have been a lot different and we escape with a win.  As for the playcalling inside the 10 in the last 5 minutes, I think the coaching staff gets a bad case of hubris and tries to prove that a pass play is the right play.  Could have easily run on first down from the 9 and the 4th down call was the type that should get the OC fired.  But again, you can't turn the ball over 4 times as well as once on downs inside the 10 and expect to win any game, let alone one on the road.

[Blk&goldfan 10]

Not a whole lot more that can be said. It’s was horrendous. I had high hopes after all of the earlier  hype on this board by some posters about how great this team was going to be but wow, sorely disappointed!

[mat1992 2,231]

48 minutes ago, Chris Datres said:

The QB play was horrid, there's no sugarcoating that.  That being said, UNH gave us plenty of opportunities because of their own mistakes.  But I go back to something I had said in preseason -- if the staff is saying great things about the talent on defense, then let's unleash that talent.  Instead, we let Coyne or Coyle or whoever that guy was run roughshod over us in the first half.  Zero pass rush, zero blitz, zero coverage.  It's the same BS that we've seen with the defense since 2013.  Despite all of the offense's f-up's, they got it to 20-14 at the beginning of the 4th quarter and the defense immediately gives up a drive for a score.  Get a freakin stop on that possession and things could have been a lot different and we escape with a win.  As for the playcalling inside the 10 in the last 5 minutes, I think the coaching staff gets a bad case of hubris and tries to prove that a pass play is the right play.  Could have easily run on first down from the 9 and the 4th down call was the type that should get the OC fired.  But again, you can't turn the ball over 4 times as well as once on downs inside the 10 and expect to win any game, let alone one on the road.

Well considering the OC is the head coach, he's not going to fire himself. But it was one of the worst calls I've seen in years. I saw a few blitzes and a little bit of interior penetration. That's disappointing, but it doesn't matter. We're not shutting them out. But guess what? When you have a mobile quarterback, even if he runs a 4.7 40, he can outun a 300 pound linemen and he did that several times tonight. Not making excuses, but we certainly missed Elorm Lumor, who just can't seem to stay healthy. Not sure what our OLBs were doing all night. Nobody seemed to set the edge. IF UNH decided to run on the perimeter a few more times, they would have put the game away earlier.

But as I said earlier, even with questionable coaching on both sides of the ball, if you turn it over four times, it takes all the air out of the balloon. The energy seemed deflated after every turnover. I'm surprised they didn't put up 40 points. if you do that against NDST, they will put up a lot more than 40 points. They can do that without the turnovers.