Something to think about...

[BigShoop]

"Winning ugly" is another way of saying "getting lucky". Seriously, think about what winning ugly means....

I'd rather play smart, do the right things, and in the long run become a team that is known for those things. Because being smart is what leads to consistent winning.

Depending on winning ugly all the time and/or living by the "a win is a win...just win baby" mentality is going to lead to a roller coaster ride....which is what we have been on for as long as I can remember.

My point with this post is to highlight just how many times this team has won games on pure athletic ability by it's players, despite consistently being put into less than desirable positions by it's coaches(down and distance, field position, clock/time out management).

That being said, the players share the blame as well. This team has LONG had players who play undisciplined football. Bad penalties at bad times, and the thing that really pisses me off is the finger pointing when Player A commits a bad penalty. Blaming a teammate, blaming the referee, blaming the sun being in his eyes, blaming his shoes being untied, blaming everyone in the world but himself.

No one is saying that this team, or any team, needs to play "perfect football". But a game - just one - where we don't call a timeout with :10 left in the 1st quarter(while still in the offensive huddle), or a late hit penalty, on 3rd down, from midfield would be nice.

[Brad]

Chime in:  Coaches are hardly responsible for late hits.  Coach up all you want, it's an individual out there playing.

Princeton is an incredibly disciplined basketball team...they don't get much mileage from it because they don't have the talent to fit their model of discipline.

I think we're way too critical of everything that transpires on the field as if it should happen with the seamless ease in which it happens on Madden 10 or EA NCAA Football 10.

It all rests in Jim Leavitt's hands - stupidly coached games that AlcoBull sits through as well as the huge upsets over Kansas, WVU, Auburn, FSU, etc. that others celebrate - even though, amazingly, they are one and the same.

[smazza]

THE COACHEs dont appear to be students of the game:poor clock management,lack of disicipline,poor handling of personnel

[smazza]

Chime in:  Coaches are hardly responsible for late hits.  Coach up all you want, it's an individual out there playing.

Princeton is an incredibly disciplined basketball team...they don't get much mileage from it because they don't have the talent to fit their model of discipline.

I think we're way too critical of everything that transpires on the field as if it should happen with the seamless ease in which it happens on Madden 10 or EA NCAA Football 10.

It all rests in Jim Leavitt's hands - stupidly coached games that AlcoBull sits through as well as the huge upsets over Kansas, WVU, Auburn, FSU, etc. that others celebrate - even though, amazingly, they are one and the same.

but dont you want a  program that competes for big east title year in and year out

as opposed to program that is in mired inmedocrity with a big upset win every year of so

[Brad]

Of course I do.

I also want World Peace.  Can we get that done tomorrow today?  Thanks.

[Alcobull]

THAT WAS SMART COACHING.

Coach like your job depends on it Jim.

[Brad]

THAT WAS SMART COACHING.

Coach like your job depends on it Jim.

It didn't stand out to me as anything different.  We did what I expected and to my joy it worked this time.

[BigShoop]

............

[tbbulls]

Man I thought that this was going to be another thread on how our Helmets are the wrong shade of Gold :clubs

[Minotaur]

............

I hear you. You ever read "The Allegory of the Cave?" Its one of my favorites and sometimes its what I have to rely on to understand peoples thinking. The big wins are shadows and all that some will ever see of Jim Leavitts coaching style. I will attribute the lack of "smart" play to him because he is the one constant and is the man in charge. Anyway you can come and try to explain what it means to play/call/run a smart, smooth or disciplined game but those in the cave will never really understand.

Remember FSUs special team play? It was like punt and catch pinning us inside the 10. That is smart, planned and disciplined football. It didn't win them the game but man was I impressed. USF will NEVER, NEVER get that kind of execution out of special teams, offense or defense. Its systemic. USF defense will always be more successful because it is reactionary and emotional. Contemplative, disciplined and methodical are not in the dictionaries at USF ATHLETICS.