The win streak, now at 4, would seemingly help us both retain our current players and better recruit against the negativity that has been Neal Brown's future. It may be a bit harder to tell a recruit now that Neal Brown will not be there. Does it matter, maybe not, but I think it helps.
College football has been a passion of mine since I was 17 years old - I'm 64 now. In the recent past, I had become indifferent to it, and numb to the losses and poor play. What I've seen thus far this year has renewed my hope and my spirit. I had company over to watch the last two games with my son and I, deciding not to just watch the games alone because of a perceived bad outcome. In the past four years, we've been OK in the first half of games, but never made the adjustments that other teams did at halftime. We often either didn't score or allowed the other team to go crazy after halftime. Last night, I commented to my friend that in the second half, we just needed to get pressure on Morris instead of rushing three and hoping to get home. The third quarter was exactly what we needed - pressure the QB constantly and make him make rash decisions and lose confidence. Pressure came from everywhere and the results were spectacular. We won the coaching battle with TCU, and I am willing to admit that I didn't see that as a possible outcome for this game. I enjoyed the hell out of the game, screaming and standing up in my living room for the last drive. My wife had to leave the room, and I was my old fan self again. It felt pretty awesome.
Kudos to the defense and to our special teams. Two blocked kicks, a long field goal that should have counted before halftime, Straw averaging 46 yards per punt, great coverage, and - PRESTON FOX. I had all but given up on punt returns the last few years. Fox fields it and doesn't hesitate, picking his hole and going forward. What a fantastic job he's done. Hayes has been solid and accurate, and a big surprise for me - I now feel good about field goals again.
The "next man up" mentality was showcased again, as it has been all year. No matter who goes down, the next guy steps in and performs his job. Garrett Greene went down, Nicco filled in admirably. Our depth isn't great, but you can never underestimate our heart and grit. Our backups are ready and able, which we've lacked for several years now.
Finally, I must admit I thought the current staff was incapable of getting this kind of effort out of our kids. They have proven me wrong, and I am elated at that. I can root for all of these kids who play so hard and who have chosen to either remain on the proverbial sinking ship or hop onto it on the way down. They have earned my support and changed my attitude, and I am grateful. No clue what the rest of the season holds for us, but regardless, I'll be watching and rooting for the team that I've missed like hell for five years. Great job guys!
