Game Ten (WMU) Thoughts - 2026

[catdaddyp]

I don’t have much to say about this game, so I’m mostly going to speak in general terms. It was pretty clear that WMU is one of the most physical teams in the conference and has more depth than we do. They may be the best team we’ve played outside of the power conference opponents. About the only way to beat this year’s WMU squad is to get ahead early and force them to throw the ball. Otherwise, they just punish teams on the ground. If we played that game ten times, I’m honestly not sure we’d win more than once. And I can’t confidently say we’d even win that one.

 

Offensively, I thought we were mostly manhandled along the line of scrimmage. CB made a few beautiful throws, but the overall performance was otherwise unimpressive. Our backs and receivers did what they could, but it’s hard to do much when you only have the ball for maybe a fourth of the game.

 

Defensively, we again saw a rough performance from our secondary. I thought the defensive line and linebackers played well at times, but they looked fatigued as the game wore on. PFF had us down for 14 missed tackles, but I would guess there were more than that. I didn’t think effort was the problem. It was more a combination of poor technique, alignment, angles, and fatigue that ultimately did us in.

 

The good news is that the next two games are winnable. Whether we actually win them is a different story.

 

 

 

QB:

Broughton

 

RB:

Gant

Patrick

 

WR:

Williams

 

WR:

Mason

 

WR:

Burris

 

TE:

Cravaack

Hook

 

LT:

Slayden

 

LG:

Smith

 

C

Lyons

Mobley

 

RG:

Hampton

Fox

 

RT:

Jones

Gould

 

 

DE:

Durham

Waye

 

DE:

Frazier

Abor

 

DT:

Hull

E. Davis

 

DT:

Williams

Brown-Demery

 

DT:

Mixon

Highland

 

LB:

Johnson

Jones

Buchanan 

 

LB:

Nunoo

Curtis

Hocker

 

NB:

Branch

Moss

 

CB:

Hobson

Thomas

Newsome

 

S:

Hunter

Flowers

 

S:

Davis

 

 

Top Rated Offense:

WR - Williams

RB - Gant

WR - Burris

C - Lyons

QB - Broughton

 

Top Rated Defense:

LB - Nunoo

DE - Durham

S - Davis

DT - Mixon

LB - Johnson

[Ham]

Rough performance from the secondary?!  Near 100% completion rate---out of position---poor tackling!  LB crew:  not their best game.  Coaching:  It seemed as though we were lined up like blocking dummies.  Some run stunts with the line and LB's could have slowed Western down.  Pass D was not working; so you might have rushed at least one pass defender to pressure the QB's more.  Of course my TV view from Iowa isn't the best for evaluating performance.

[Let'sGoZips94]

Is JoeMo fired yet?

[exit322]

9 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

Is JoeMo fired yet?

 

It appears not.

[Let'sGoZips94]

3 minutes ago, exit322 said:

 

It appears not.

 

Edited 48 minutes ago by Let'sGoZips94

[ZippyDoo]

Cat, I have been complaining about the "Fatigue" issue all season, it is absolutely on the coaches.... It starts with the D line coach, then falls on Tibs...  

 

This week was a home game, meaning the coach has full access to every player on the sidelines... WHY IS THERE A NEED for MIXON to play 67 SNAPS????? Before anyone says well he was the highest rated defender according to PFF... PFF is garbage an example, TJ Watt stopped rushing, jumped intercepted a pass and returned it for a pick 6 yet PFF graded him a negative play...  Mixon played 67 snaps and had 4 tackles, 1 solo and 3 assists, he did have a good game, not taking anything away from him; Williams played 50 snaps and had 5 tackles and dominated...  Hull played 51 snaps and 1 assisted tackle... He was missing tackles that he usually makes !

Davis played 16 snaps and Highland got his first snaps of the season he played 6 !!! One of the top defensive tackles in the entire country coming into the season played 6 snaps while you had one tackle play 67 out of 80 !!!  No wonder MIXON was cramping in the second half and could barely move. Brown Demery took one snap for goal line, he did have a cast one, but you could have tried him.. He practiced all week.  

 

This has been happening ALL SEASON... That is why teams are held to a much smaller degree in the first half of games and then come out and run the ball down our throats in the second half.  It is the same thing every game.  Durham has been having an incredible season.  But if you notice he drops off in the second half of games.  Again the poor guy is human he has played 457 snaps in 8 games because he sat the first two... he is averaging 57 snaps a game...  This last game he played 60 snaps out of 80.  You have Watkins on the bench, Duncan (Redshirt Senior) who has taken a snap this entire season, Ridley (Redshirt Junior) not taken a snap this season, Jahvon Frazier (Redshirt Sophomore) not taken a snap, Tobias (Redshirt Sophomore) not taken a snap this entire season.    

 

There are two games left... this has been going on all season long it isn't going to change.  This is just another example of poor coaching and poor management...

 

Can't wait for the season to end and things to change... Most likely only one or two of these guys will be returning here and who could blame them.