What happened last year?

[BullyPulpit]

We had Mike White, and it was basically the same team. But that team was painful to watch.

So, what changed?

Did the players mature and execute better?

Or did CWT misunderstood Sunshine football and Sunshine players (I used 'sunshine' because of the lizards up I-75)?

 

My feeling is that CWT threw away a year on the field. Sure, the staff recruited and the players practiced. But last year was simply a continuation of a failed experiment from year one (year one doesn't count because he took over a mess). Additionally, had CWT kept the same system (one that he installed and wanted us to play like Wisconsin), he'd be fired right now or getting close to it.

We played slow football, and we played tight formations, and we had no emotions whatsoever.

Here's the crux of my argument. You take this same team and play the same way as last year (same style) and tell me that we'd have the same record.

Here's the real question. What if Mike White had stayed? Would the system have changed or was the change implemented during the spring game and Mike saw the writing on the wall? --But CWT was shocked that Mike was leaving -when Mike told him he was leaving. Sooo... this leads me to believe things weren't going to change that much, not until Flowers was the only option. And then it wasn't really changed (look at the Memphis game again), not until Flowers told CWT to loosen up the play calling.

It comes down to this:

CWT didn't adapt to his players' abilities and styles for the first two years -and up to the Memphis game. After the Memphis game, it all changed.

Therefore, I contend that we could have gone bowling (reach 6 wins) during the second season (last year), if he would have adapted to his players' strengths, instead of making them play "his" system.

It's all good now. And I couldn't be more thrilled. But I think we could have been spared the extra year of pain, last year.

Did you consider that it is all part of a process? That, as of last season, the tools weren't quite in place to run this offense and the coaching staff went with the personnel and the offense that gave us the best chance of some success? Also, the coaching staff itself changed so dramatically in the off-season, to the point that this team is almost completely different than last season's. 

Flowers was definitely not ready to lead this team last season, although CWT even gave him a try. I think CWT knew all along that Flowers was going to be his QB of the future, but he might not have done him many favors by putting him in early last season. He looked flustered at times versus FSU and Maryland. He was growing the entire time, but really emerged in the Memphis game. Not that he put up crazy numbers or anything, but you could see that he was starting to adjust to the speed of the game and the players around him. I really don't think we were at a point where we were going to win many more games last year with a different philosophy. If you look this year, we have underclassmen contributing everywhere. We have a defensive coaching staff that gets it, and players that have responded well to the "Bull Shark" mentality. I think that has as much to do with the CWT's confidence in the offense as the offensive performance itself does. It is a lot different when you can go out and know that even if you make a mistake, have a bad drive, fumble a ball, you have a defensive unit that will pick up the slack. 

 

[TromBull12]

I agree with everything above. I'll go even further and say that if he would have opened up the pay book earlier it could have destroyed their confidence in the system and killed the season before it started. 

[BullsBoltsJagsRays]

We got shut out by Mousetown.  I sure hope our boys remember that, and are ready to unleash some hell a week from today.  

[ScienceBull]

We got shut out by Mousetown.  I sure hope our boys remember that, and are ready to unleash some hell a week from today.  

These players don't know what it's like to beat UCF... CWT doesn't know what it's like to beat UCF. I hope they are hungry and go up there and curb stomp the hell out of them! But first... beat Cinci!

[MMW]

I agree with everything above. I'll go even further and say that if he would have opened up the pay book earlier it could have destroyed their confidence in the system and killed the season before it started. 

In one of the post game shows, I think it was Syracuse, the guys were saying CWT was protecting his players, especially Flowers.

 

[Roaming Bull]

The curse of the Eveld's? Is that the difference?