on the bright side

[Fullback41]

I don't want my frustration over the officiating or the punt to take away from how proud I was of the team competing and having a second half lead against tcu. If not for the utst game, we have competed in all our games. We may not be favored or able to pull the upsets against tcu or nebr but at least we fighting hard and in the game. I may be disappointed in the outcome, but not the effort. I was proud of the boys for finding a way to be in it late. I still feel good about this team going forward. We have pulled a couple upsets already and now wonder who will be favored this weekend vs afa.

Go pokes, this could finally be the year we beat afa. That losing streak is longer than vs tcu and utah.

 

[MrTitleist]

I agree. The Pokes are showing a lot of fight this year. Utah State was an aberration.. that was a very angry and frustrated team who should have more Ws than they have.. and they took it out on the Pokes. Last year TCU took us to the wood shed.. this year not so much. A win vs AFA would be huge.. and I think they're ripe for the pickin' to get beat. I was shocked when I saw my phone at numerous times today to see the Pokes were in this game until the end.. it's been a while since we've been able to say we were hanging around with a (arguably) top 25 team in the 4th quarter.

 

[23handicap]

I don't see us beating AF since we can't stop the run or tackle. By then AF will have their starters on Dline back. Our only hopes of a win will be NM and CSU.

 

[fromolwyoming]

I don't see us beating AF since we can't stop the run or tackle. By then AF will have their starters on Dline back. Our only hopes of a win will be NM and CSU.

Air Force doesn't have the big backs that most other teams have. Plus their defense has also been exposed by the run. Their O-line I think is actually smaller than our D-line as well (and larger o-lines have been our main problem against most teams).

We were also supposed to lose against SDSU. Didn't happen. There is always ALWAYS a chance of winning. NEVER post that BS again.

 

[NowherePoke]

I don't see us beating AF since we can't stop the run or tackle. By then AF will have their starters on Dline back. Our only hopes of a win will be NM and CSU.

Air Force doesn't have the big backs that most other teams have. Plus their defense has also been exposed by the run. Their O-line I think is actually smaller than our D-line as well (and larger o-lines have been our main problem against most teams).

We were also supposed to lose against SDSU. Didn't happen. There is always ALWAYS a chance of winning. NEVER post that BS again.

We certainly have a chance (a pretty solid one actually), but like the SDSU game, we need our offense to score 30 (luckily they are capable of it). This defense is Vic Koenning era bad. I hate to say it, because there are so many guys on the defense that are easy to cheer for and have been part of the program for so long (Biezuns, Gipson, Knapton, Hendricks, etc.), but I just can't believe how poorly we play on that side of the ball. Bottom 10 nationally in overall defense and 115th (only 5 below us) in rushing defense...despite playing a fairly weak schedule with two FCS programs, UNLV, and a 3-5 WAC team...and we haven't even played the best rushing (AFA) or overall (BSU) offenses we will play this year.

It's just brutal.

Some of it is due to roster/recruiting mistakes (hence we are playing converted LB's as DT, etc.), but the poor tackling and angles is simply fundamentals and preparation. I don't have anything against English and highly value his CO recruiting connections, but...."DC" needs to make a change at the DC position in the off-season. Coordinators can make a difference (witness the Greg Brandon experience in contrast to the Marcus Arroyo experiment), although obviously we have a long ways to go on the recruiting trail to build a stout defense as well.

 

[fromolwyoming]

However that fool is taking us out of the game entirely. I don't buy that.

 

[wyopokes2]

After watching the UNLV game last night, I totally see Boise State being vulnerable. They aren't as invincible in the conference as everyone thinks. UNLV had 3 sure interceptions bounce off of their hands. That game should have been 14's at half. UNLV was beating themselves for most of this game. Add that to their struggle with Air Force and I think this is a potential very close game with the pokes. If we don't come out scared from last years beat down and just play Poke football, we have a chance. I'm just full of optimism this morning.

 

[calpoke25]

After watching the UNLV game last night, I totally see Boise State being vulnerable. They aren't as invincible in the conference as everyone thinks. UNLV had 3 sure interceptions bounce off of their hands. That game should have been 14's at half. UNLV was beating themselves for most of this game. Add that to their struggle with Air Force and I think this is a potential very close game with the pokes. If we don't come out scared from last years beat down and just play Poke football, we have a chance. I'm just full of optimism this morning.

I would like a sip of whatever you are drinking. Boise St. is vulnerable against a very good team like TCU, but their offense might put 800 yards on us.

 

[Wyo2dal]

I disagree with this statement, Boise is very vulnerable to the screen the same thing that we ate SDSU alive with in the first half. UNLV used those screens against BSU and they don't have the speed at defense to catch a player breaking loose.

Problem as always will come to what we can do in the 3rd and 4th quarters. If DC coaches to win instead of coaching not to lose we could build a quick early lead and nail the coffin shut instead of coasting with it open.

I suspect our D line will be worn out and winded in the 2nd half due to conservative play calling which will bite us in the ass again.

 

[calpoke25]

I disagree with this statement, Boise is very vulnerable to the screen the same thing that we ate SDSU alive with in the first half. UNLV used those screens against BSU and they don't have the speed at defense to catch a player breaking loose.

Problem as always will come to what we can do in the 3rd and 4th quarters. If DC coaches to win instead of coaching not to lose we could build a quick early lead and nail the coffin shut instead of coasting with it open.

I suspect our D line will be worn out and winded in the 2nd half due to conservative play calling which will bite us in the ass again.

I don't see how our playcalling on offense is going to change the fact that our defense just isn't very good or that our D-Line is simply outmatched. That doesn't have anything to do with playcalling, rather recruiting.

 

[BackHarlowRoad]

We were also supposed to lose against SDSU. Didn't happen. There is always ALWAYS a chance of winning. NEVER post that BS again.

Agreed, there's ALWAYS a chance.

....unless, of course, we're down 11 with a little over 2 minutes left.

 

[WYCowboy]

I don't see us beating AF since we can't stop the run or tackle. By then AF will have their starters on Dline back. Our only hopes of a win will be NM and CSU.

Air Force doesn't have the big backs that most other teams have. Plus their defense has also been exposed by the run. Their O-line I think is actually smaller than our D-line as well (and larger o-lines have been our main problem against most teams).

We were also supposed to lose against SDSU. Didn't happen. There is always ALWAYS a chance of winning. NEVER post that BS again.

We certainly have a chance (a pretty solid one actually), but like the SDSU game, we need our offense to score 30 (luckily they are capable of it). This defense is Vic Koenning era bad. I hate to say it, because there are so many guys on the defense that are easy to cheer for and have been part of the program for so long (Biezuns, Gipson, Knapton, Hendricks, etc.), but I just can't believe how poorly we play on that side of the ball. Bottom 10 nationally in overall defense and 115th (only 5 below us) in rushing defense...despite playing a fairly weak schedule with two FCS programs, UNLV, and a 3-5 WAC team...and we haven't even played the best rushing (AFA) or overall (BSU) offenses we will play this year.

It's just brutal.

Some of it is due to roster/recruiting mistakes (hence we are playing converted LB's as DT, etc.), but the poor tackling and angles is simply fundamentals and preparation. I don't have anything against English and highly value his CO recruiting connections, but...."DC" needs to make a change at the DC position in the off-season. Coordinators can make a difference (witness the Greg Brandon experience in contrast to the Marcus Arroyo experiment), although obviously we have a long ways to go on the recruiting trail to build a stout defense as well.

I agree with most of what you say NowherePoke. We are lacking fundamentals & preparation. I've never seen a defense blocked out of a play as easily as UW's defense is (and this includes kick & punt coverage too). Not all of it is due to size though, because you don't see Air Force with their size disadvantage getting blocked out of plays like we are (at least until their defense was completely decimated with injuries). UW fundamental tackling is just about the worst I have ever seen in college football.
This coming AF/UW game might be one of the highest scoring games in history.