No refs, no fumblerooskie's, no excuses...

[MikeG]

Bottom line:  inside the 5 on the last 2 possessions, only 3 points to show for it.  We had our chances but didn't deserve to win.

BTW....alot has been made of the rain affecting our team speed and the passing game.  Anyone think it might have had something to do with our poor tackling?

I don't think so.  It wasn't raining in New Jersey and a certain corner back I have now called out repeatedly resorted to back pedalling and grabbing Rice's facemask.  Also the huge touchdown pass when Underwood was hit when he caught it.  No wrapping up.  And on one of Rutgers last kickoff returns they got it to midfield because of poor tackling.  Wet or dry, shoulders don't tackle, arms do.

you have that backwards.

arm tackling is the problem-- we need to get a shoulder on the ball carrier and then WRAP. That is how you tackle. Theshoulder into the body stops momentum, the arms merely add you weight to the player to help drag them to the turf. Sure-- you can arm tackle some people--- just not human bowling balls like Ray Rice or elusive/power backs like Dixon.

[mikebeau]

Bottom line:  inside the 5 on the last 2 possessions, only 3 points to show for it.  We had our chances but didn't deserve to win.

BTW....alot has been made of the rain affecting our team speed and the passing game.  Anyone think it might have had something to do with our poor tackling?

I don't think so.  It wasn't raining in New Jersey and a certain corner back I have now called out repeatedly resorted to back pedalling and grabbing Rice's facemask.  Also the huge touchdown pass when Underwood was hit when he caught it.  No wrapping up.  And on one of Rutgers last kickoff returns they got it to midfield because of poor tackling.  Wet or dry, shoulders don't tackle, arms do.

you have that backwards.

arm tackling is the problem-- we need to get a shoulder on the ball carrier and then WRAP. That is how you tackle. Theshoulder into the body stops momentum, the arms merely add you weight to the player to help drag them to the turf. Sure-- you can arm tackle some people--- just not human bowling balls like Ray Rice or elusive/power backs like Dixon.

i agree.  shoulders and wrap with your arms. They are forgetting the arms part.

[smazza]

This time we got beat.  And it doesn't matter that we might have outplayed them in the second half.  We got beat.

The rain totally negated our team speed.  I cant think of any other reason we looked so slow.  I wish this was a problem that the bulls will only have once a decade, but unfortunately, in the Big East there are a few locales that will always have these issues. 

The mistakes are ridiculous.  If it wasn't a false start, it was a holding.  If it wasn't a holding it was a pass interference.  If it wasn't that, recievers were dropping balls. 

The worst tackling I have ever seen.  This was on par with the first half of the Auburn game.  Except, this time we managed to sustain such poor fundamentals for the entire game.  I'm not sure I had seen 5 deep backs "tackle" a reciever before, and the WR manage to still be standing.

And after all of that, we still had a chance to tie at the end of the game.  Unfortunately live by the sword, die by the sword.  While Matt Grothe is an amazing talent, sometimes the gun slinger ability that makes him so great can back fire.  This time it was a bad sack on the bootleg that put us 11 yards away on 4th and goal.  I don't fault him for it though.  With his ability to make plays, there will be bumps along the way.  There will be amazing runs and bad sacks.  But we should have never been in that position.  Without all the dropped passes, bad tackling, and penalties. 

We withstood their 1st half run and made too many mistakes to come back and win.

usf looked bad

[smazza]

Bottom line:  inside the 5 on the last 2 possessions, only 3 points to show for it.  We had our chances but didn't deserve to win.

BTW....alot has been made of the rain affecting our team speed and the passing game.  Anyone think it might have had something to do with our poor tackling?

I don't think so.  It wasn't raining in New Jersey and a certain corner back I have now called out repeatedly resorted to back pedalling and grabbing Rice's facemask.  Also the huge touchdown pass when Underwood was hit when he caught it.  No wrapping up.  And on one of Rutgers last kickoff returns they got it to midfield because of poor tackling.  Wet or dry, shoulders don't tackle, arms do.

you have that backwards.

arm tackling is the problem-- we need to get a shoulder on the ball carrier and then WRAP. That is how you tackle. Theshoulder into the body stops momentum, the arms merely add you weight to the player to help drag them to the turf. Sure-- you can arm tackle some people--- just not human bowling balls like Ray Rice or elusive/power backs like Dixon.

mikeg-good treatise on tackling

[smazza]

USiF.

Come on.  We lost two road games in a tough conference.  We got too full of ourselves, and didn't play for six quarters.  Read the quotes from last night.  Stuff from the players about how ESPN didn't believe they were good.  Well now we've proven them right.  Time to get the heads on straight and prove it again.

10-2 is still very achievable.  Would you rather have the roster from that school up the road?

usf lost to two unranked teams

the penalties dont stop

[smazza]

Did CHill actually hold?

yes although it wasn't a huge hold-- it was at the point of attack and a valid call imo

these guys need to be coached better

these are bad bad penalties

I have to disagree Mike.  I have watched that play a couple of times and I cannot see the hold.  Just my opinion.  we just can't seem to catch the breaks that got us to 6-0.

Watch one more replay.  Ced's right hand has a fistful of jersey.  If that happens anywhere else they don't call it but as Mike said it was at the point of attack.  I would have made the same call as it likely made the difference on the TD.