I promise that I try my best not to be reactionary after games like this. It's understood that inevitably as a fan we will face frustration and angst, especially as we move towards the top of the pile where teams are more evenly matched on the athletic front. However, as I watched our team go out on the field and look like an overmatched, clumsy, weak, dumb, pile of steaming shit on both sides of the ball today, it was really disappointing. We looked like Mack Brown Texas Football against Big Game Bob circa 2000-2004. They were more physical than us, they were more intentional than us, they were better coached than us, they were superior to us in every way. Their running backs were balls of muscle that took multiple hits and guys to bring down. Their linemen on both sides rag-dolled our "large humans" with regularity. Their team came to play.
Perhaps the most disheartening thing was watching us trot out the exact same offensive scheme in the second half that didn't work in the first. We changed out some players, sure, but our coaches didn't seem to know how to change their plans to accommodate what they were seeing with their own eyes. We started the second half with a drive that was indistinguishable from the drives in the first half. I'm not talking about playcalling. I'm talking about philosophy. Same formations, same play designs, just different players and the hope that "this time, it'll work."
Even Napier's brain farts and Arch actually looking like a QB couldn't bring us back from the brink. We flat out sucked today. I hope there is some major soul-searching on Sark's part, because whatever people like Flood and Banks are selling him isn't working. We gave up a blocked punt for a safety. We punted from inside field goal range twice (what's up with that? Did Sideshow Bert scar us or something? Or is our kicker injured?). Our offensive line has been unable to move people for years now. Yes we've run the ball successfully, but when was the last time we were able to move the defensive line in a critical moment when they knew we were coming? Alabama in 2023?
This team is at a crossroads and every single individual from Sark down to the walk-ons needs to decide how they are going to approach their craft going forward, because otherwise this is going to be a long, long season.