TigerVic
09-10-2006, 12:20 AM
An overall crummy day today. Our mistakes contributed to or gave Moeller their 24 1st Quarter points. And, although we made some challenges, we never could get back into it.
Two key plays: Moeller's punt to the 2 yard line in the first and, after we were about to seize the game's momentum, the 3rd and 18 pass for a 1st down in the 3rd. I don't think the game saw the ball in Moeller territory much after that.
Moeller won, fair and square, but we certainly gave them fodder to work with- can't do much when your defense constantly is backed up to its own 20.
I'm sure there is second guessing to come (I have certain thought, but I will keep my mouth shut here). However, what's done is done, Can we make something good come out of this? I think so. One thing is that I think this game will put a little hunger back that I feel has been missing this year. I see so much about how we'll just waltz to the title game again. It isn't that easy, as we found today. It's time the team, coaches and fans stop reading our press clippings and get that hunger back that we had last year at Cincinnati. Sure, we've lost some key guys from the '05 team, but I think we've lost something even more- the hunger and desire to do our job.
I saw alot of evidence of panicking and not doing the job we know we can do- especially offensively from the playcalling to the execution. I don't think we trusted ourselves after getting down 2 scores. We paid too much respect to Moeller's defensive line and not enough respect to ourselves- respect that we had for ourselves last year when down. When things don't go as planned, you can't just rely on talent, of which we have abundance of at the skill positions, but you also have heart and character to gut it back.
The good thing is that we have a long way to go. To give a little heart- in '89 and '91, Moeller beat us early in the season and we ended up going to the semifinals- we came off the canvas and fought our way back toward the top. Esp in '91- I think many Tiger fans thought the same way many did today- that we would just roll over Moeller. That didn't happen. However, we need to not look at that loss, but at how that team- full of talent- rebounded. WE NEED TO DO THE SAME!
We can also look to last year's McK finale and how we responded for a more recent example.
It's gut check time for all of us. The title or title game or even the playoffs will not be handed to us based on talent. We need to fight tooth and nail the rest of the way- bring back that hunger and confidence we had.
This loss might end up doing us more good than harm. We'll tell by how we respond.
Two key plays: Moeller's punt to the 2 yard line in the first and, after we were about to seize the game's momentum, the 3rd and 18 pass for a 1st down in the 3rd. I don't think the game saw the ball in Moeller territory much after that.
Moeller won, fair and square, but we certainly gave them fodder to work with- can't do much when your defense constantly is backed up to its own 20.
I'm sure there is second guessing to come (I have certain thought, but I will keep my mouth shut here). However, what's done is done, Can we make something good come out of this? I think so. One thing is that I think this game will put a little hunger back that I feel has been missing this year. I see so much about how we'll just waltz to the title game again. It isn't that easy, as we found today. It's time the team, coaches and fans stop reading our press clippings and get that hunger back that we had last year at Cincinnati. Sure, we've lost some key guys from the '05 team, but I think we've lost something even more- the hunger and desire to do our job.
I saw alot of evidence of panicking and not doing the job we know we can do- especially offensively from the playcalling to the execution. I don't think we trusted ourselves after getting down 2 scores. We paid too much respect to Moeller's defensive line and not enough respect to ourselves- respect that we had for ourselves last year when down. When things don't go as planned, you can't just rely on talent, of which we have abundance of at the skill positions, but you also have heart and character to gut it back.
The good thing is that we have a long way to go. To give a little heart- in '89 and '91, Moeller beat us early in the season and we ended up going to the semifinals- we came off the canvas and fought our way back toward the top. Esp in '91- I think many Tiger fans thought the same way many did today- that we would just roll over Moeller. That didn't happen. However, we need to not look at that loss, but at how that team- full of talent- rebounded. WE NEED TO DO THE SAME!
We can also look to last year's McK finale and how we responded for a more recent example.
It's gut check time for all of us. The title or title game or even the playoffs will not be handed to us based on talent. We need to fight tooth and nail the rest of the way- bring back that hunger and confidence we had.
This loss might end up doing us more good than harm. We'll tell by how we respond.