vs. Murray State (9/18)

[jpfalcon09]

The above pretty much nails it. Team is playing hard. That shows positive development.

Barring a catastrophic meltdown, Loeffler is safe for this year. It is next year where he really has to show something. Hell, he set the standard to which he should be judged himself. 2022 should be a competitive team, 2023 should win a conference title.

I had to re-read it, then saw that you quoted HIM setting standard for winning the MAC…. Ha!

I was going to say, we are crossing our fingers to get a win against a Non-Top 25 FCS team…. That’s a loooong way to a MAC title in two years …..

That said, he is likely safe….. unless, Kit Hughes comes through with a replacement?!?

Kit Hughes is going to name himself as coach.

[Flipper]

We really NEED this win on Saturday. A loss could set a really ugly tone for the rest of the year. Like another winless season tone

[roguewarrior]

We really NEED this win on Saturday. A loss could set a really ugly tone for the rest of the year. Like another winless season tone

Should we lose to a pedestrian MS Team, especially at the hands of a Loeffler blunder….get punished by Minn and Kent….. we walk into Akron winless with no confidence, possibly banged up and the natives restless….. I would call it a must win.

[guest44]

It's refreshing to see all the Loeffler (3-16) apologists begin to face the reality of the situation. He could actually be a worse football coach than Mike Jinks.

[MarkL]

A building burns down. A builder comes along to replace the building and the construction process is slow and not always agreeable. Nobody likes the situation of course. But rather than blame the guy who is slowly building, I think it appropriate to blame the arsonist who burned the thing down in the first place.

[TommyG]

A building burns down. A builder comes along to replace the building and the construction process is slow and not always agreeable. Nobody likes the situation of course. But rather than blame the guy who is slowly building, I think it appropriate to blame the arsonist who burned the thing down in the first place.

No question, but if the builder is installing a toilet in the middle of the dining room, you might have an issue.

[MarkL]

A building burns down. A builder comes along to replace the building and the construction process is slow and not always agreeable. Nobody likes the situation of course. But rather than blame the guy who is slowly building, I think it appropriate to blame the arsonist who burned the thing down in the first place.

No question, but if the builder is installing a toilet in the middle of the dining room, you might have an issue.

Unless you really have some intestinal problems.

Point taken. I just think Loeffler is ... unfortunately ... still a year away from a proper eval. It's slow and I've got my beefs with the offense. But big picture is more encouraging than not IMO yet jury will still be out for the time being.

[BGSU33]

We really NEED this win on Saturday. A loss could set a really ugly tone for the rest of the year. Like another winless season tone

Exactly. Last week was a blown opportunity, making this pretty much a must-win game for us at this point. It's arguably our biggest game of the season for a number of reasons. We. Must. Win. Period.

[Schadenfreude]

This is an important game, but I'm not going to hit the panic button if we end up on the short end this weekend.

I know what I saw last weekend. I saw a Falcon team playing with heart and fire and discipline. The Falcons damn near won against a team that is probably better than half the MAC East. The improvement is clear, even if the final result wasn't what we wanted on the scoreboard.

This Murray State team may also be better than half the MAC East. Many FCS schools are playing lights out right now, perhaps because many of them played out a season just months ago, when the rest of Division I was limited to spring practice.

I could very easily see us coming up short here and still getting two or three wins in MAC play. And if that's how this season plays out, this team will be on the track I expected.

Coach Loffler is doing what he was hired to do: A full long-term overhaul.

[hammb]

I know what I saw last weekend. I saw a Falcon team playing with heart and fire and discipline.

I know people don't like to hear this. Especially people who have been around since the 80s, but those things alone can NOT win football games in this era. YES, they are all requirements to win, but if your coach cannot manage the clock on gamedays you won't win. If you're running schemes that don't play into your teams' strengths you won't win. If you aren't putting opposing teams (players, coaches, or both) in a mental bind, you probably won't win.

Yeah, it's great that we're playing with heart & discipline, but until you actually find a coach that can combine it with decent X's & O's, along with a feel for gameday, it's all irrelevant. And I think anybody who watches football would realize that when the losses start to pile up that heart & fire is the first thing you'll see vanish. It's impossible to put in the work (and endanger your body) when you know deep down that it's all pointless. I hope they can keep that fire. I hope they can win this game and hopefully a MAC game early in the year. If not, I fear more bad losses in our future.

If you're building your program on heart and fire you're doomed to failure.

[mbenecke]

This is an important game, but I'm not going to hit the panic button if we end up on the short end this weekend.

I know what I saw last weekend. I saw a Falcon team playing with heart and fire and discipline. The Falcons damn near won against a team that is probably better than half the MAC East. The improvement is clear, even if the final result wasn't what we wanted on the scoreboard.

This Murray State team may also be better than half the MAC East. Many of FCS schools are playing lights out right now, perhaps because many of them played out a season just months ago, when the rest of Division I was limited to spring practice.

I could very easily see us coming up short here and still getting two or three wins in MAC play. And if that's how this season plays out, this team will be on the track I expected.

Coach Loffler is doing what he was hired to do: A full long-term overhaul.

I'm also pretty much in this camp right now. Cautiously optimistic, hoping for a win this weekend, but understanding that the score isn't what we are evaluating this team by right now.

Really looking forward to being back in the Doyt for a game this weekend for the first time since the Toledo win in 2019. I had my delayed graduation walk there in the spring this year, but nothing beats a gameday atmosphere in BG.

[Flipper]

I'm sorry..this is year three here for Loeffler. If we lose to a less than stellar FCS team after losing to a middling Sun Belt team....I'm going to be in the we need to start thinking about the next coach camp. The issues he's facing (COVID, liberalized transfers) are issues that every coach is dealing with. Was Jinks horrible...yes. But to me it's unconscionable to have the offensive line we have this year when you're in year three. You do what Meyer and every other coach has done in similar circumstances...find JUCO players or better yet, hit the portal to patch the depth chart. You do not roll into a season with a bunch of inexperienced kids

[gspointer]

A building burns down. A builder comes along to replace the building and the construction process is slow and not always agreeable. Nobody likes the situation of course. But rather than blame the guy who is slowly building, I think it appropriate to blame the arsonist who burned the thing down in the first place.

Very well said!

[roguewarrior]

We get it takes time. We get it sometimes means a step back before moving forward. I have personally been one of the most staunch defenders in this process…..

A coach has to have many tools in his skill set to be Good. Even More tools to be great. What some of us are beginning to conclude is that Loeffler has many skills (certainly more than Jinks) , but if he can’t manage a game and and offense, he can never be a good coach, destined for mediocrity. The worst kind of problem: A borderline serviceable guy. The horrible get canned. The great leave. He’s a weatherman: wrong 55% of the time and always has a job.

[BGSU33]

We are home underdogs to an FCS school on homecoming. There’s Loeffler’s bulletin board material. If that doesn’t light a fire under these guys I’m not sure what will.