Did any of you have this same experience last night?

It was 28 - 21 with 2 minutes to play in the first half and I told Mrs. CobbCountyHokie that it felt like we were being blown out and that our defense was finished for the night. I sensed it then and I realized that the beat down was coming in the second half and I was unfortunately absolutely correct.

There are some trends that are noticeable that have me very concerned.

First, I worry that this team lacks leadership from within. The troubling trend from our 3 losses was the lack of drive from someone to drag this team over the chasm and will them to victory. Nobody on the field seems to have it. We have a 97-yard run against Notre Dame and the team drops into the fetal position and gets played off the field. Last night, we have a punt bounce off Sean Savoy's face and the team, once again, assumes the position and folds. Where is the person wearing maroon and orange that will stand up and lead his team to overcome this adversity? Why must we fold when bad things happen?

Teams that are young tend to get better as the season progresses. If they are well-coached, the errors of youth get ironed out over the course of the season and eventually the young team grows up before our eyes. Purdue would be a very good example of this for 2018. Instead, this team is regressing and looks to lack quality talent and a tactical game plan that can overcome their lack of experience.

Our defensive line play is horrific this season. Good Bud Foster defenses have always featured consistent and exemplary play from the defensive tackles, middle linebacker, and strong safety. The great CBF defenses have always been strong at those positions. If those positions are weak, the defense usually suffers as a result.

This season, without Devine Deablo at safety, the team is essentially lost. I think we beat ODU comfortably if Deablo plays. We suffered mightily against Notre Dame without Deablo as well and it is possible that a home blowout would have been drastically different if he had played.

Against the triple option, those positions are vital for success. This is why Clemson destroys GT on an annual basis as they cannot compete against Clemson's D-line and linebackers. Last night, we saw the absence of Tim Settle on every B-back dive and if you cannot stop the dive, then everything else in Paul Johnson's playbook becomes operational and lethal. Sadly, I think our D-line talent is nowhere close to what it has been in the past and if it is not improved, we will see many more beat downs in our future beginning with a very physical BC team.

Finally, this team is suffering from a general lack of enthusiasm and they are clearly taking cues from their coaches that are flat-lining on the sideline. Nobody appears to have any urgency on the Tech sideline and something needs to change ASAP.

I fear that CJF was very successful with Coach Beamer's players, even as recruiting tailed off in the last of the Beamer years. Unfortunately, as the personnel becomes more of Justin's guys over Frank's guys, the talent is not there and we will be fortunate to be better then mediocre in a very weak Coastal division. I'm not impressed with what we have and I am not impressed with how they are progressing.

The trends are not looking good and unless this team finds some urgency and some quality in the next 10 days, I fear that an 0-4 November will be approaching.
[Post edited by CobbCountyHokie at 10/26/2018 10:36AM]