We Need to Play Smarter Not Harder

[ShotgunDawg]

I am going to make the most logical post I can on the topic of this enigma of a football team.

Here are today's stats:

Total Yards - MSU - 385 SC - 307 - EDGE = MSU

Penalties - MSU - 6/25 SC - 4/20 - EDGE = Push, no advantage to either team

Possession - 33:46 SC - 26:14 - EDGE = MSU

Turnovers - MSU - 5 SC - 0 EDGE = SCSCSCSCSCSC

3rd down conversions - MSU - 6/13 = 46% SC - 1/11 = 9% - EDGE = MSU


I must be honest, this is the most confusing MSU football team I have ever witnessed with my own eyes. I don't have a problem with the play calling, schemes, talent, defensive scheme, tackling, special teams, or any individual player. However, this team has a excruciating way of NEVER being able to play well and not doing the fundamental things that allow good teams to play winning football.

This team possesses a panic, an immaturity, a lack of leadership, a lack of mental toughness, and a lack of communication that inevitably leads to Murphy's Law, "If something bad can happen, it will."

This team competed for 4 quarters today, they had offensive success, they had defensive success, and had no screw ups on special team, but, as they have all year long, they found a way to screw up in the most monumental ways. If we run 10 plays, we run 8 perfectly, but on the other 2 a different person screws up in the most devastating way possible.

People can complain about Mullen's recruiting, but the truth is that we beat SC in just about every statistical category imaginable, but made critical mistake after critical mistake that has little to do with lack of talent and more to do with panic and a lack of focus.

IMO, this teams needs to settle down, relax, and play the game more freely and smarter. I don't know if they need to smoke weed, have a pizza party, or go knock up a bunch of OM girls as a slump buster, but they must do something to settle down and just play football.

My analogy to this team would be this: We are like an MLB team that has a team batting average .300, has good players, generally catch the ball, BUT get picked off every time we get on first base. The problem is between the ears, not physically.

I also think this team is OVER coached at times, and we play like robots. Robots do many things well, but lack creativity and the ability to improv when things don't go right. We multiply mistakes with awful mistakes. We are like a baseball team that makes 1 error, but in an effort to make up for the error, we make 2 unnecessary throws that allow an inside the park home run when all the other team did was hit a ground ball to the short stop.

In any event, I am just as frustrated as the rest of you, but I don't think coaching is the major problem. Perhaps the coaches could communicate a little better, but the schemes are good, the effort is good, but the consistent execution and ability to minimize the effect of mistakes is awful.

This team is confusing, but I think we've all seen that IF we ever show up and play for 4 quarters, we can beat anyone.

Sorry to be Genespagish, but we aren't inept, we just have a knack for getting picked off first every time we get there.

[blacklistedbully]

I agree. Those who want Dan gone are just a little too eager to lay the blame on him today. I, too, have been very frustrated with Dan in previous games, but felt he showed improvement today. A handful of players let us down BIG today.

[ShotgunDawg]

I agree. Those who want Dan gone are just a little too eager to lay the blame on him today. I, too, have been very frustrated with Dan in previous games, but felt he showed improvement today. A handful of players let us down BIG today.

Don't get me wrong, this is ultimately Dan's fault, but it's a correctable one. We must get better at the little fundamental things that are costing us in enormous ways.

Dan has a good plan because we score on most every 1st possession

Effort isn't a problem in my eyes, because I think we play hard.

We just make crucial crucial errors in execution.

[codeDawg]

I think everyone needs to recognize that today's problems were the result of a young, immature, but very talented QB. The turnovers were the difference, and those were mostly his fault. You can argue tips and pressure, but he has to learn how to work around those things and take the negative play instead of the turnover.

He's a good enough player to learn from a game like today, but this one is on Dak.

[blacklistedbully]

To me, a couple of perfect examples today were the quick out pass to, I believe Lewis with Samuel right there to block the one SCar defender in the area, and Artemas did NOTHING. Didn't even touch the defender. Inexcusable lack of effort on his part there.

Another was the pass in the flat to Perkins. Was perfect, had him in open-space, just as we fans have been clamoring for, and would easily have gone for a big play. Right in his hands, but he drops it.

Both plays were perfect calls by our staff. Both plays were failures due to lack of execution.

[ShotgunDawg]

I think everyone needs to recognize that today's problems were the result of a young, immature, but very talented QB. The turnovers were the difference, and those were mostly his fault. You can argue tips and pressure, but he has to learn how to work around those things and take the negative play instead of the turnover.

He's a good enough player to learn from a game like today, but this one is on Dak.

You get it. Very good post