Fans are clearly struggling to get their heads around the product that is this year’s football team. Is it the hardnosed, relatively disciplined team that took Notre Dame (who we really don’t know is good yet or not) to the mat with an impressive comeback? Or is it the sloppy, inconsistent, out of sync, hot mess that showed up for the game Saturday? Right now, the answer is both and we are at a critical stage in the life of this program and this coaching staff. One of my greatest disappointments from CMN was that despite saying he takes full responsibility for the lousy, unacceptable performance against JSU, he does not apply the “accountability” to his coaching staff that he so often references for his team.
In his press conference yesterday, most all of his comments were on what players did not do right but he did not acknowledge that fundamentally bad coaching calls were just as responsible for both losses as the players. I for one would have felt better had Norvell and or Fuller stated “we blew the call on the last play by being more worried about a potential game tying play and ignoring the possibility of a winning play”. A junior high school defensive coach calls for a prevent defense or extra safety in that situation 100% of the time. Both Norvell and Fuller defended that call. That is not accountability and that is how you can lose players when coaches don’t walk the talk. Ditto for Dillingham defending the lame deployment of the wildcat on the goal line. Is that really the best short yard play we have?
I will not give up on this team but this week is a make it or break it moment for the program. I want to see the week one team, with improved in game coaching, show up on the road this week and beat a decent Wake team and regain a little respect and confidence. From there, do what so many Bobby Bowden coached teams did, get better each and every week of the season. The players have worked too hard to get to this point and without success to show for it. Take the next step in the climb - Go Noles!
In his press conference yesterday, most all of his comments were on what players did not do right but he did not acknowledge that fundamentally bad coaching calls were just as responsible for both losses as the players. I for one would have felt better had Norvell and or Fuller stated “we blew the call on the last play by being more worried about a potential game tying play and ignoring the possibility of a winning play”. A junior high school defensive coach calls for a prevent defense or extra safety in that situation 100% of the time. Both Norvell and Fuller defended that call. That is not accountability and that is how you can lose players when coaches don’t walk the talk. Ditto for Dillingham defending the lame deployment of the wildcat on the goal line. Is that really the best short yard play we have?
I will not give up on this team but this week is a make it or break it moment for the program. I want to see the week one team, with improved in game coaching, show up on the road this week and beat a decent Wake team and regain a little respect and confidence. From there, do what so many Bobby Bowden coached teams did, get better each and every week of the season. The players have worked too hard to get to this point and without success to show for it. Take the next step in the climb - Go Noles!
