Mavs notes

[Maverick91]

Not trying to be an echo chamber. I have read as much as I can from every other poster on here I think everyone has credence to what they are saying in one fashion or another.

I have pumped the sunshine with the best of them in this board, my caveat was always if this team played focused and executed caught every catchable ball, tackled well, and didn?t commit stupid penalties, we will win most of our games this season.

I have been saying since last season that this team is inconsistent and doesn?t know how to put their foot on someone?s throat and finish business. Saturday proved that this team still struggles with those concepts. I was hopeful that the LSU game woke the boys up and they broke free of that hinderances, I kept telling myself if we can go to Kentucky and do to them what we did to arky and A&M this team is legit and they made the turn that they needed to.

So they didnt, and the issue is, why can they not make this turn?

-I dont think you can blame leach. He has always been known as a disciplinarian and give your best effort coach. Unless that is changed they arent getting that from him.
- craping the bed over the past 15 years aka just not giving an crap and playing at 50% effort hasnt been our MO.

So where did this crapping the bed come from? Where did the mentally weak mentality that this team has struggled with come from?

You might not agree, I think it is still a hangover from Moorhead. We still have guys that he recruited, the jaw jacking, talking, running the mouth is always somewhat acceptable when you are winning, but I?m losing it?s a glaring issue that must be fixed. We never struggled with that type of smack talk until Moorhead showed up.

The issue with this team isnt offensive concepts or defensive concepts. This team is emotionally weak, and we have a QB that can run this offense in his sleep, Will as much as I love him and what he has done and will end up doing for us. The kid doesnt have it in big games especially away from home. Until he does I will not trust him to play well away from home. He has to show it to me for me to believe it now.

All that to say this team has to fix their emotional maturity before we can look at anything else as an issue. Because the plays were there all game, it?s clear on the film the boys just didnt execute.

HAILSTATE looking forward to seeing some type of growth against Bama!

[BrunswickDawg]

I think you are ignoring that we had similar abilities to crap the bed under Dan and under Jackie. And boy, did Jackie's guys talk a TON of smack and we couldn't always back it up.

In all honesty, I think you ignored the major factor for us, and for any other team that struggles with this issue (it's not just us). The killer mentality and ability to step up and take over big games is what makes high 4* and 5* star players what they are. They ooze that confidence and ability, and they draw similarly minded and talented people to them and they feed off that. They have also been there before. Those high talent guys almost always have been winning titles since the were 5. They are steeped in high pressure situations and they excel in them. We rarely get those guys. Dak was one who fell through the cracks, but he didn't have enough dudes around him to overcome the likes of Bama - who has a roster full.

If I hadn't witnessed this myself, I'd say it was a load of BS. But, I watched a 5 star All-American QB walk in a locker room and take a good team and make it great, out work everyone, and never back off the gas.

[TrapGame]

You really have to give Kentucky credit. Will Levis wasn't losing this game. Stoops and White did a good job with the game plan and motivating the team. And really after crapping the bed with South Carolina they didn't need to be motivated.

However, Kentucky without Levis next year will be a lot like us in 2016 without Dak. That level of leadership is not on that team without Levis. That Sheron kid is not going to win them any games on his own. I would not be surprised if Stoops hits the portal for an experienced pro style QB.

[gtowndawg]

You really have to give Kentucky credit. Will Levis wasn't losing this game. Stoops and White did a good job with the game plan and motivating the team. And really after crapping the bed with South Carolina they didn't need to be motivated.

However, Kentucky without Levis next year will be a lot like us in 2016 without Dak. That level of leadership is not on that team without Levis. That Sheron kid is not going to win them any games on his own. I would not be surprised if Stoops hits the portal for an experienced pro style QB.

And credit to their crowd. Their backs were against the wall, they knew it and they came out and made sure they didn't slide into oblivion.

[Maverick91]

I think you are ignoring that we had similar abilities to crap the bed under Dan and under Jackie. And boy, did Jackie's guys talk a TON of smack and we couldn't always back it up.

In all honesty, I think you ignored the major factor for us, and for any other team that struggles with this issue (it's not just us). The killer mentality and ability to step up and take over big games is what makes high 4* and 5* star players what they are. They ooze that confidence and ability, and they draw similarly minded and talented people to them and they feed off that. They have also been there before. Those high talent guys almost always have been winning titles since the were 5. They are steeped in high pressure situations and they excel in them. We rarely get those guys. Dak was one who fell through the cracks, but he didn't have enough dudes around him to overcome the likes of Bama - who has a roster full.

If I hadn't witnessed this myself, I'd say it was a load of BS. But, I watched a 5 star All-American QB walk in a locker room and take a good team and make it great, out work everyone, and never back off the gas.

That is why I said the last 15 years. Mullen kinda removed the smack talk from our team and just go out there and do your job type of player was recruited and felt like they were held to that standard.

I am not overlooking it. I think you are correct, most upper echelon teams have those players that never lost anything in their life. But it is also not a fair assumption to think that a 3 star kid has a loser mentality or at best a lesser winning mentality. Mullen had the same type of player that we currently have and we werent half the head case that we were Saturday.

I think it comes down to coaching and training these boys in the right ways. I think this staff will do it, just unfortunately is taking longer than needed and wanted.

[BlackSailsDawg]

That is why I said the last 15 years. Mullen kinda removed the smack talk from our team and just go out there and do your job type of player was recruited and felt like they were held to that standard.

I am not overlooking it. I think you are correct, most upper echelon teams have those players that never lost anything in their life. But it is also not a fair assumption to think that a 3 star kid has a loser mentality or at best a lesser winning mentality. Mullen had the same type of player that we currently have and we werent half the head case that we were Saturday.

I think it comes down to coaching and training these boys in the right ways. I think this staff will do it, just unfortunately is taking longer than needed and wanted.


I agree. The evaluation of players is not great. I'm not sure I have posted this or not, but I know a 6a RB/SS that runs a 4.5 who has not even been evaluated. And he is racking up yards and plays. 6' 185. Catches balls out of the backfield etc. I watched him play on a visit and he had over 200 yards out of the backfield catching it and like 100 in rushing. On defense.. a pick 6 and a forced fumble. Last year he averaged 10 plus yards a carry. Not only that, he's a 3 time state champion in wrestling! Kid is a beast.... Not even evaluated.

There are guys out there that are just not properly rated. We have to do a great job in finding them.

[Maverick91]

I agree. The evaluation of players is not great. I'm not sure I have posted this or not, but I know a 6a RB/SS that runs a 4.5 who has not even been evaluated. And he is racking up yards and plays. 6' 185. Catches balls out of the backfield etc. I watched him play on a visit and he had over 200 yards out of the backfield catching it and like 100 in rushing. On defense.. a pick 6 and a forced fumble. Last year he averaged 10 plus yards a carry. Not only that, he's a 3 time state champion in wrestling! Kid is a beast.... Not even evaluated.

There are guys out there that are just not properly rated. We have to do a great job in finding them.

I wish I had the ability to get you in touch with someone that could do something about this.

[BrunswickDawg]

That is why I said the last 15 years. Mullen kinda removed the smack talk from our team and just go out there and do your job type of player was recruited and felt like they were held to that standard.

I am not overlooking it. I think you are correct, most upper echelon teams have those players that never lost anything in their life. But it is also not a fair assumption to think that a 3 star kid has a loser mentality or at best a lesser winning mentality. Mullen had the same type of player that we currently have and we werent half the head case that we were Saturday.

I think it comes down to coaching and training these boys in the right ways. I think this staff will do it, just unfortunately is taking longer than needed and wanted.

Never said that 3 stars have a loser mentality. It's about exposure to pressure situations and the ability to excel in them. No amount of coaching is going to give players that experience or the composure to excel. You either have it, or you don't. Sometimes, it can be as simple as 1 guy having it. Dak had it, and it elevated the team. Fletcher Cox had it, and it elevated the team. But, Mullen's teams didn't exactly excel under pressure. Go look at the 2012 Texas A&M, LSU, and Ole Miss games. Or even the Gator Bowl against Northwestern. The '14 OM game, '15 LSU game, the whole '16 season (which we lost a TON of win able games regardless of how bad the D was). You also rarely saw them rally when down. A Mullen team that got down 10-0 in the first quarter was DOA.
No Mullen team could have come back like we did against Auburn last year.

[BlackSailsDawg]

I wish I had the ability to get you in touch with someone that could do something about this.

Yeah. Me too. That kid in the game I mentioned, 6 TDs including that pick 6. At that time they 6-0. He never came off the field. Returned punts and kicks. Was on kick off coverage... 6A.. not 1A.. They had the players, he was just that beast. No ranking at all.

[Maverick91]

Never said that 3 stars have a loser mentality. It's about exposure to pressure situations and the ability to excel in them. No amount of coaching is going to give players that experience or the composure to excel. You either have it, or you don't. Sometimes, it can be as simple as 1 guy having it. Dak had it, and it elevated the team. Fletcher Cox had it, and it elevated the team. But, Mullen's teams didn't exactly excel under pressure. Go look at the 2012 Texas A&M, LSU, and Ole Miss games. Or even the Gator Bowl against Northwestern. The '14 OM game, '15 LSU game, the whole '16 season (which we lost a TON of win able games regardless of how bad the D was). You also rarely saw them rally when down. A Mullen team that got down 10-0 in the first quarter was DOA.
No Mullen team could have come back like we did against Auburn last year.

I think you are marrying lack of talent/skill in ?12 aka being exposed year, and Dan being horrible with time management in ?15, and the vacuum of leadership in ?16, and the scheme of Dans offense overall to not come back once down with this teams inability to just play consistent ball. We have the talent, we should have the leadership, all these boys are in their 3rd year at least, and we have the scheme to come from behind, and we have an experienced coach that can read a game.

Again to me this lends the hand to we are for whatever reason emotionally immature especially on the road. I also think that is a skill learned, you arent born emotionally mature.