.......after 5 games

[Flipper]

You could argue that Umass is better than Buffalo...UB has 3 wins but two are against FCS programs and one is against Miami which is barely a cut above FCS. UMass had a poor outing against Penn State, but playd Colorado and Vandy really close and had a nice half against BC.

[mscarn]

We beat Indiana. Indiana beat Missouri. Missouri beat South Carolina. South Carolina beat Georgia. We are better than Georgia.

My earlier application of the transitive property (thanks, Common Core new math!) with respect to Wisconsin wasn't meant to imply that BG was better than them but rather to show how the gap in talent between the programs (fairly immense at first glance after that game) isn't as large as one might think. Matchups play a huge role and we just happened to match up awfully against that particular team on that particular week and, because of that, the performance in rushing defense (as confirmed vs. UMass) wasn't necessarily a harbinger of what to expect for the rest of the season.

[Beaker]

While I'm certainly troubled by our defensive performances thus far, I understand that we lost quality players to graduation and to injury, so to have the success on defense that we had the last couple years would not be expected. I'm concerned that we don't seem to be getting better week to week, at least against the pass, particularly. I think we have to start improving defensively if we're to contend for even this week East division.

Some guys are probably not going to care for this post, but it's my opinion of what I see and I don't want to condone it by staying silent on the subject, knowing that some of what is discussed here filters back to the players and coaches. What concerns me more than the defensive play is what some others have mentioned and that's the attitude I'm seeing. There's a fine line between enthusiasm/confidence and over the top showboating/arrogance and I think we're moving toward the wrong side of that line. By no means am I painting all the players with that brush, but there's a lot of negatives going on out there that have nothing to do with blocking and tackling.

I see guys talking trash in opposing players' faces after a big hit or doing their little celebration dances after a tackle, all while they are getting shredded for massive yards and points. Personal fouls, false starts and all other manner of penalties that shouldn't be happening by the 5th game - those things show a team with poor discipline and that's a reflection of the coaching. It started with the bowl game and I don't see that as a coincidence that it was the first game that Clawson and his staff were not around. Say what you want about Clawson, but his teams generally played with class and if someone got out of line, the coaches corrected it. I can't say Babers and his staff outright encourage it, but it doesn't look like they seem to be doing much to discourage it.

I'm all for playing with energy and emotion and a successful team needs that, but it shouldn't be done in a way that tries to show up the opponent. When guys do things like stupid dances, making a spectacle of themselves after a score (when we are well behind on the scoreboard), it suggests some guys out to try to be the center of attention, instead of playing together, caring more about the success of the team than their own individual notoriety. We all want this team to win, but win or lose, I want to be proud of the way they conduct themselves while wearing the orange and brown. I don't want to see us earn a label like "thugs" and start playing like Miami of Florida in the 80's. Play with emotion, have fun, but don't embarrass your team or your fans.

Again, it's certainly not everyone engaging in this kind of stuff, but I think the team would be well served if the coaches made a higher priority of incorporating some discipline and humility, along with the teaching of X's and O's.

[Schadenfreude]

Without a doubt, discipline and sportsmanship have become an issue. The penalties at UMass were ridiculous. Unsportsmanlike conduct, taunting, and a lot of sloppiness. It's hurting the team.

[ziggy17]

The offense is there now as we all expected it to be. I think Knapke has done just about all we could ask of him filling in. He did have some forgettable moments against UMass but he's done well distributing and he's more mobile than I expected too. We now have a two-headed monster in the backfield which is great. Lewis, Moore, and Burbrink have all been good at WR and Jackson has been serviceable other than the deflection off his hands that got picked vs UMass. Dieter has been a HUGE disappointment. Did he even play Saturday? Someone refresh my memory but I'm pretty sure I never saw him. The OL has been strong it's a young unit but there's still 3 starters back and they've kept Knapke clean and paved the way for Trav and Fred.

We all know the D is a disappointment and we haven't really even seen that week-to-week improvement. The DL is solid (Walker and Thomas are great at DE) and there the main reason why our run D has been great other than Wisky. That one game will skew our run D stats at the end of the year. The LB unit took a hit with DJ out but Gabe is always good and Sanford played half possessed on Saturday. The only DB that impresses at all is Nick Johnson. Two straight weeks with a pick. He's playing more and more and delivering as a result. The future looks bright for both Sanford and Johnson.

[able1]

How has Dieter been a HUGE disappointment? You didn't see him last week because he was injured in the Indiana game and hasn't played since.

[ziggy17]

WKU: 7 catches for 78 which is OK but doesn't really qualify him as a big difference maker.
VMI: 2 for 4
Indiana: 3 for 7

And for a 6-3 receiver he has posed much of a threat in the RZ.

I rest my case...

[able1]

You're entitled to your opinion and I respectfully disagree. We have so many other good targets that not everyone is going to get 100 yards a game week after week. My biggest issue is would you tell his mother he "has been a HUGE disappointment?" Are you aware she reads this board?

[ziggy17]

I did say that the defense has been a HUGE disappointment too, especially the DBs. Sutton, Ward, Jude, Turner, etc. They've all been horrible.

[Beaker]

How has Dieter been a HUGE disappointment? You didn't see him last week because he was injured in the Indiana game and hasn't played since.

The guy only had 2 full games before getting hurt. He had a dropped pass in the WKU game, but otherwise had a productive night and looked pretty good. If you take the 7 catches for 78 yards that night as the average and hypothetically project that out over a 12 game season, that's 84 catches for 936 yards. Hardly anything to sneeze at. Then a new QB came in for game 2, so whatever chemistry he may have had with Johnson is out the window. As a receiver, all you can do is run your routes and hope the ball comes your way. You have no control who the QB chooses to throw it to. In watching the Indiana game in person, I saw him open MANY times but Knapke was locked in on other guys as soon as the ball was snapped and never looked his way.

I think the criticism is unduly harsh.

[Flipper]

Stupid DJ Lynch...he hasn't had a tackle since the VMI game...what a disappointment

[bg1984]

Dieter is a great talent! He always impressed me in every scrimmage in which he played. He caught everything thrown his way and he got YAC. He and Johnson were locked in and as soon as he's 100% healthy and gets locked in with Kanapke, he too will be a 100 yard per game receiver. I'm sure he's chomping at the bit to get back in and we will all be impressed when he's at full strength!

[thewebboy]

Dieter is a great talent! He always impressed me in every scrimmage in which he played. He caught everything thrown his way and he got YAC. He and Johnson were locked in and as soon as he's 100% healthy and gets locked in with Kanapke, he too will be a 100 yard per game receiver. I'm sure he's chomping at the bit to get back in and we will all be impressed when he's at full strength!

Bingo! Barely even had a chance to see what he's capable of.

Say what you want about the D, but our WRs have been great so far. Only going to get better when Dieter returns. We get that Baylor kid next year too.... Oh my.

[bg1984]

"Oh MY" is right when it comes to Rhodes- the kid from Baylor. If you were at the last Scrimmage out on the practice field you saw what he's capable of doing! You talk about YAC- when this kid got the ball he went straight up field and headed for the end zone. We are getting ahead of ourselves here, but if they remain healthy, this receiving corp will be electrifying next year!

And thewebboy, you are spot on. The WRs have been awesome and so fun to watch. That is why in spite of the difficulties on defense, this team can pile up wins. It's going to be a roller coaster this year for sure and we may all need medication to watch, but it IS going to be exciting week in and week out! When they clean up some of the mistakes on offense there is no reason to think that this team will not score at least 50 each week. They left at least 15 on the field at Umass last week. Opponents may score 49 but it will be entertaining!

[Flipper]

Without a doubt, discipline and sportsmanship have become an issue. The penalties at UMass were ridiculous. Unsportsmanlike conduct, taunting, and a lot of sloppiness. It's hurting the team.

Sloppy...sloppy is the one word I think best describes the team thus far. The issues seem to be fixable....I don't see it as being a talent issue like 2010 was...it's jst a mtter of developing the discipline needed to stop making stupid mistakes