JFC, that was hell. The only, ONLY redeeming thing about it is that we found a way to win in the end, unlike so many similar games.
This game reminds me in a lot of ways of the 2015 SIU game. Big favorite, some level of optimism around the team, and needing overtime to avoid an unbelievable disaster. The difference being that SIU was a shootout with no defense, in typical KW fashion, while this game was an offensive slog, in typical Allen fashion. That 2015 team found its way to a bowl game despite a terrible performance, and so can this one.
HOWEVER, Walt Bell should be given his belongings in a garbage bag and fired into the sun tonight. What the f*** was he doing??? He had two good calls in the entire game, the missed two-point where Tayven missed the most open receiver in the history of football, and the game-winning conversion. Other than that, all the meager production we had was in spite of him. Camper made three great plays on calls that appeared to be "just throw it up and pray" where the scheme did nothing to get him open, and the very few successful runs all felt essentially like flukes with no reason you could point to for why they worked.
And he is, possibly (probably) the worst, least creative short-yardage play-caller I've seen in my entire life. IU gets the pick in the red zone in the first half after our first touchdown, a situation where the goal is to establish control in the game over a lesser opponent so that we don't end up in the situation we did, and what does he do? Run up the middle, run up the middle, and then, here's a huge twist, two Wildcat runs up the middle. ****ing absurd. And then he did the same s*** on the goal line in the 4th quarter, which made Allen settle for the field goal because he, rightfully, had no confidence we could score from one yard out, and that kept the game in reach for Akron.
Oh, and don't forget the uncountable number of short-side option plays, of which, at most, two worked for any meaningful yardage. Or the time our defense forced a three-and-out early in the second half and he proceeded to go: short-side speed option for -7, Run up the middle for 7 (mostly fine), and then short-side speed option for 0 on 3rd and 10! WTF?!!! I hate him, I genuinely hate him. I have given him so much benefit of the doubt up to now: Maryland was a field hospital when he was there, Willie Taggart was a terrible coach at FSU, UMASS was a terrible program before and after him, etc. But no, he just ****ing sucks. How he ever managed 40+ at Arkansas State or his one decent season at Maryland completely boggles my mind. He is clueless. Debord, but worse.
This game reminds me in a lot of ways of the 2015 SIU game. Big favorite, some level of optimism around the team, and needing overtime to avoid an unbelievable disaster. The difference being that SIU was a shootout with no defense, in typical KW fashion, while this game was an offensive slog, in typical Allen fashion. That 2015 team found its way to a bowl game despite a terrible performance, and so can this one.
HOWEVER, Walt Bell should be given his belongings in a garbage bag and fired into the sun tonight. What the f*** was he doing??? He had two good calls in the entire game, the missed two-point where Tayven missed the most open receiver in the history of football, and the game-winning conversion. Other than that, all the meager production we had was in spite of him. Camper made three great plays on calls that appeared to be "just throw it up and pray" where the scheme did nothing to get him open, and the very few successful runs all felt essentially like flukes with no reason you could point to for why they worked.
And he is, possibly (probably) the worst, least creative short-yardage play-caller I've seen in my entire life. IU gets the pick in the red zone in the first half after our first touchdown, a situation where the goal is to establish control in the game over a lesser opponent so that we don't end up in the situation we did, and what does he do? Run up the middle, run up the middle, and then, here's a huge twist, two Wildcat runs up the middle. ****ing absurd. And then he did the same s*** on the goal line in the 4th quarter, which made Allen settle for the field goal because he, rightfully, had no confidence we could score from one yard out, and that kept the game in reach for Akron.
Oh, and don't forget the uncountable number of short-side option plays, of which, at most, two worked for any meaningful yardage. Or the time our defense forced a three-and-out early in the second half and he proceeded to go: short-side speed option for -7, Run up the middle for 7 (mostly fine), and then short-side speed option for 0 on 3rd and 10! WTF?!!! I hate him, I genuinely hate him. I have given him so much benefit of the doubt up to now: Maryland was a field hospital when he was there, Willie Taggart was a terrible coach at FSU, UMASS was a terrible program before and after him, etc. But no, he just ****ing sucks. How he ever managed 40+ at Arkansas State or his one decent season at Maryland completely boggles my mind. He is clueless. Debord, but worse.
