why we lost 4 of our last 5

[Tgr4life 167]

1 minute ago, TSU88 said:

I for one am not interested in leading a group of disaffected fans to RA’s house, carrying pitchforks & torches. Frankly, I hope he gets another 1-year extension for making the playoffs again next year. For that to happen, he needs to have a good recruiting haul (including FBS transfers). I also think the O & D coordinators ought to be scrutinized. I think it’s fair to suggest we could upgrade in both departments

agreed

 

[omniland 31]

I've always said we win by outscoring teams in this league and not by playing lights out defense.  Don't get me wrong, that was a pathetic defensive effort.  I just can't imagine a example of a team failing to make good tackles and taking poor pursuit angles. 

That being said the stars sort of aligned for Duquesne.  Can you really get a worse day for passing the ball?  Just incredible weather that favored Duquesne.  Some on here said it would be the same outcome with clear weather.  I couldn't disagree more.  We don't have the top rated CAA offense for no reason.  I just can't imagine we wouldn't have sustained more drives by being able to pass.  By sustaining more drives obviously we score more points but we also keep our weak defense off the field, which is what we did all year.  Instead the weather was just great for a weak conference Duquesne team with a big athletic back.  A big athletic back that we could not match with our own big athletic back and our pathetic defense had to continually face him after our offenses constant  3 and outs.  Our weak defense got absolutely no help and the weather had everything to do with it because we are a team that sets up the run with our pass.  I like Simpson and Young but they are small and in torrential rains it is just not realistic that they are going to move the chains and sustain drives without the threat of a passing game.  Yes it is disappointing that our defense could not stop basic running plays all day.  However it is not that surprising.  They were weak all year, and when your great passing game can't pass and you have 3 and out after 3 and out you are going to eventually get run over by that big back because you are not that good on defense and he is a really good back.  He is eventually going to show his talent if you give him that many touches. 

I disagree that we should have run Knudson or some other big slow back.  This is division 1 football.  Knudson or anyone like him isn't running anywhere.  Getting a big back like T West or even like the back we faced today is a difficult thing.  They are in high demand.  Anyone can get a big slow bruiser with no moves.  But big slow bruisers aren't doing anything in division 1 football.  We miss someone like Wethington.  I know that name is old news but he was big and athletic and is what we would have needed in a game with this kind of weather.  You may never see weather like this again in quite some time. 

Despite the lack of a passing game, I could see us squeaking this one out, even in this weather had Simpson not fumbled the ball.  It happens but just crucial because as the rain kept falling the chances of success in the passing game declined.  No ability to pass meant 3 and outs because we could not pass or set up the run.  Anyone that has watched us this year knew that we were not just going to shut them down offensively.  Probably the most embarrassing loss I have witnessed from Towson.  Duquesne beat us fair and square and deserved to win however it would not surprised me if they get absolutely pummeled by South Dakota.

[tualum 108]

Would it make everyone feel better if the dukes beat South Dakota next? Lol

[TSU86 16]

 I am still shaking my head five hours later. 

The fact that I just cannot get over is — a less talented team, from a far inferior conference, simply beat the crap out of us. There was no trickery, no scheme, no poor officIating - they just rammed it down our throats. 

This was a case of poor coaching, no motivation, and a defense that simply GAVE UP. 

I am still shocked and pissed 

Edited November 25, 2018 by TSU86

[mat1992 2,229]

11 minutes ago, omniland said:

I've always said we win by outscoring teams in this league and not by playing lights out defense.  Don't get me wrong, that was a pathetic defensive effort.  I just can't imagine a example of a team failing to make good tackles and taking poor pursuit angles. 

That being said the stars sort of aligned for Duquesne.  Can you really get a worse day for passing the ball?  Just incredible weather that favored Duquesne.  Some on here said it would be the same outcome with clear weather.  I couldn't disagree more.  We don't have the top rated CAA offense for no reason.  I just can't imagine we wouldn't have sustained more drives by being able to pass.  By sustaining more drives obviously we score more points but we also keep our weak defense off the field, which is what we did all year.  Instead the weather was just great for a weak conference Duquesne team with a big athletic back.  A big athletic back that we could not match with our own big athletic back and our pathetic defense had to continually face him after our offenses constant  3 and outs.  Our weak defense got absolutely no help and the weather had everything to do with it because we are a team that sets up the run with our pass.  I like Simpson and Young but they are small and in torrential rains it is just not realistic that they are going to move the chains and sustain drives without the threat of a passing game.  Yes it is disappointing that our defense could not stop basic running plays all day.  However it is not that surprising.  They were weak all year, and when your great passing game can't pass and you have 3 and out after 3 and out you are going to eventually get run over by that big back because you are not that good on defense and he is a really good back.  He is eventually going to show his talent if you give him that many touches. 

I disagree that we should have run Knudson or some other big slow back.  This is division 1 football.  Knudson or anyone like him isn't running anywhere.  Getting a big back like T West or even like the back we faced today is a difficult thing.  They are in high demand.  Anyone can get a big slow bruiser with no moves.  But big slow bruisers aren't doing anything in division 1 football.  We miss someone like Wethington.  I know that name is old news but he was big and athletic and is what we would have needed in a game with this kind of weather.  You may never see weather like this again in quite some time. 

Despite the lack of a passing game, I could see us squeaking this one out, even in this weather had Simpson not fumbled the ball.  It happens but just crucial because as the rain kept falling the chances of success in the passing game declined.  No ability to pass meant 3 and outs because we could not pass or set up the run.  Anyone that has watched us this year knew that we were not just going to shut them down offensively.  Probably the most embarrassing loss I have witnessed from Towson.  Duquesne beat us fair and square and deserved to win however it would not surprised me if they get absolutely pummeled by South Dakota.

Of course we miss Wethington but when you don't have Yeedee, you have to be creative. I'm not saying run Knudson 20 times but in the red zone, as a wildcat QB, it worked once. He's huge. So is Stover. They are basically like our big backs. The weather wasn't any worse than when we played Elon in 2015 and used fullbacks because Vito and Shane got hurt in the first quarter. That was one of the worst I've ever seen.

You're right. The weather made a huge difference. Our best defense was a good offense that moved the ball and took time off the clock. Sort of like the 2011-13 teams but they were mainly able to run the football and this team can't consistently. But I can't honestly say we win this game in good weather or at this point of the year, 45 degrees because we still struggled in the red zone and our D is porous. They had a pretty good QB who would have given them balance.

[mat1992 2,229]

4 minutes ago, TSU86 said:

 I am still shaking my head five hours later. 

The fact that I just cannot get over is — a less talented team, from a far inferior conference, simply beat the crap out of us. There was no trickery, no scheme, no poor officIating - they just rammed it down our throats. 

This was a case of poor coaching, no motivation, and a defense that simply GAVE UP. 

I am still shocked and pissed 

You have a right to be pissed. We all are. I don't agree that there was no motivation and well sure, the defense got worn down because they are used to an offense that moves the ball. Terrible pursuit angles but sure, these are college kids. Once they got behind two TDs with no real offense, they probably wanted to get in a nice warm locker room and get the eff of the field and out of that monsoon.

[Blounge 520]

We didn't stand a chance against South Dakota State anyways so at least we saved some time and money blowing this one to Duquesne.

[omniland 31]

Yeedee would have certainly been our best option today.  I don't think he is Wethington but definitely the type of back that we needed in that downpour.  And although I believe our strength is out scoring the opponent and therefore hiding our defense by keeping them off the field, this doesn't mean I'm ok with this.  It is just that having seen Rob's teams, he can't seem to put together a Maine type of defensive unit.  We get a really good defensive player here and there, such as Dangerfield, but overall our good teams have just laid the points on.   Of course no guarantee that we win even in better weather however that was as extreme of weather as you are going to see that favors one team over the other.  If that game started at noon, I believe it would have made all the difference in the world. 

 

Although our offense is our strength and really the reason for our success this season (Flacco in particular) I am concerned with our total lack of ability to adjust to teams adjusting and spying on Flacco.  We lost 4 out of our last 5 games.  Starting with the Delaware game, we showed problems with redzone production.  I think we won that game (just a dropped pass second to last play of the game and the game is over and we win) but even before the end of the game we were showing signs that we did not have an answer for teams trying to spy Flacco and keep him from converting 3rd downs.  Like I said, we still played good enough to win but we kicked a lot of field goals and struggled to convert in the redzone on 3rd down.  We then move on to a really good Maine defense and again we played good enough to win but just struggled in the redzone at times.  Every opponent is tired of Flacco extending plays and converting third downs.  Every league watches film and tries to put together a game plan to combat the other teams success.  It just seems that we were not creative enough to come up with ways to make teams pay a price for dedicating a player on a spy position.  We then had over 500 yards against JMU but only 17 points.  Again, just a breakdown in redzone production for the 4th week in a row.  I think Elon was even closer than the score due to our lack of redzone production; it was just that Elon was so one dimensional that we got away with being unproductive for the first 3 quarters.  Flacco makes teams dedicate resources to stopping him from taking off with the ball.  Now make them pay for doing this.  I think this is a good team and look forward to next year.  It is just a shame it had to end with such an embarrassing loss.          

[mat1992 2,229]

Hachman had Tye Smith, Dangerfield, Frank Beltre, Ryan Delaire, Telvion Clark, Monte Gaddis, Jordan Love, Arnold Farmer, and Jon Desir. Six of those nine players went up on to play for pay. He had a lot of talent but we played a soft zone because our offense was so good and we played that wonderful bend but not break defense (it broke a lot).

This team plays more press coverage without that kind of talent. I overrated the secondary coming out of camp and apparently so did the coaches.

[TuTigers2012 1,061]

I know everyone will say no to this but I think there was a lot of overlook from the staff players and fans.  I think they came in to confident and it showed.

The weather isn’t an excuse as we had all week to gameplab for a monsoon. The area has been hit hard with rain this year. They would have known about toms inability to throw in it. 

Bottom line making the playoffs is cute and good for moral and for Ambrose’s absurd contract but the program is regressing. In the last 5 years we shouldn’t be 2-2 (1-2 at home) against nec programs with two wins by the skin of our teeth. Add in a loss to middling ivy program, why should we be happy with the way they have preformed. We won 29 games in 3 years with the best player we will ever have and in mY opinion we haven’t built off that. 

I may come off as an asshole and most of you hate my opinions but if you guys were mediocre and not doing good at your job for over 5 years, what would happen?