That is accurate. Maybe I don't agree about Bowden having to go if 2017 is as bad as 2016,but IMO I don't attribute the horrible season this year only to injuries..Certainly that was a significant contributor. But,MOST programs have injuries to key players throughout and don't necessarily fall off 'the deep end'.
Offensively,the injury to Woodson, at whatever degree of seriousness it might have been was significant. He appeared to be a SERVICEABLE QB given the receiving talent he had to throw to. While he improved over last season,he still doesn't impress me as a QB who can carry a program himself. He has to have help. Bowden gave it to him on the receiving side but IMO didn't do much for the run game. That was sorely needed once the QB situation again became muddled. One of my concerns with this coaching staff
is that except maybe for the first season,they have not really been able to recruit enough decent QB's to keep that position stabilized if someone doesn't perform or gets hurt. On top of that offensively,it seems they are not flexible enough to successfully adjust when players get hurt or don't perform. Again,the 'backups that Bowden recruited were not capable(He whiffed on Chapman). And,Goodman just wasn't prepared to be a QB. Never did see Hoyer did we? I believe at least some of the offensive issues this year fall back on the coaching staff. One positive,I thought under the circumstances the O-Line played pretty decently.
Defensively,this team was a mess from the jump. Yes,it lost significant talent. But,its also obvious that recruiting has not been at the level necessary to avoid the huge drop offs we saw this season. At this point Bowden and Amato should have developed enough in reserve so that the 'next man up' performed more competently. I am also not convinced that Amato was able/willing to adjust sufficiently to put the talent he had in the best position to be successful.
Finally,when we look at the teams the Zips beat this year,they were really weak. Marshall turned out to be bad. They beat Miami early,thankfully or that may have been different. They beat BSU which might have been their 'best' win. But they managed to lose to two of the MAC bottom feeders this year when a couple of wins would have kept them in it. The East was there for the taking.
What happens next season. I have seen posters here call for Milwee to be fired. I have seen people discuss how good another freshman Kato Nelson is going to be at QB.
Another QB with no experience taking control of the offense? There needs to be some rethink on recruiting objectives. And,there needs to be a rethink on how to adjust when that becomes necessary.
Re-up those season tix!