K-State loss/game thoughts

[aero]

After sleeping on it, and I know I am in a minority here, I think the game plan was strategically correct. Both sides of the ball. The defense gave up 24 points to a good KSU offense. By in large they kept a good mobile QB in check. The D gave up 160 yards on the ground but almost half of that was on two plays so KSU never really got much going on the ground. Waters had a decent but not prolific day throwing the ball. While the 3 man rush and dropping eight can be painfully frustrating to watch it largely accomplished what was intended. Net results we gave up 3 touchdowns and a field goal. Going into this game I think most people would say we should be able to win at home against KSU giving up 24 points. On the minus side, our LB play just isn't very good. No wrap up tackling. I don't know how many yards of LBs were drug down the field after impact. We miss Frank Shannon.

The offense for the most part started to look like we thought they could. The game plan seemed more tailored to Knight's abilities and we moved the ball pretty well both air and ground. I was a little disappointed that our O line wasn't able to dominate a smallish KSU D line. My takeaway from this performance is that we really do not have many big play impact players on offense. The kind of guys the defense is always worried about taking it to the house from anywhere on the field. Shepard has the franchise in that department but I think of Shepard more as a really good receiver capable of making big plays. I would hate to think what this offense would look like without Shepard. Thought maybe Quick was going to get some work but he was soon forgotten. It's clear to me now why the coaching staff keeps trying to get Ross more involved and find situations for him to succeed even though from scrimmage the results are mixed.

The game plan was sound strategically but execution wise not so much. This game was turned just like the Texas game last week on low probability events. It worked in our favor last week. This week no. There isn't any way to game plan for a missed PAT or your All American FG kicker missing two relatively easy FGs. While the offense didn't make many mistakes the two they made were really big ones.

When I look at this team it seems like a talented bunch yet somehow underachieving their talent level. It's like the total is less than the sum of the parts. When we play a traditional type offense we limit our mistakes but have trouble moving the ball. When we open up a little, like yesterday, We move the ball but committed costly mental errors, both players and coaches. Our staff goes through timeouts like cheap bubble gum. No excuse for having so much confusion about coverage, having the correct number of players on the field or being unable to get a play in on a timely basis. Maybe this gets corrected and we win out but it seemed like this team could have been much better.

good post

[Piware]

Given what he's paid compared to other head coaches, he damn well better win 80 percent of his games. But the focus of this string has been about whether he can still compete for another NC. Does he have what it takes to make the four team playoff?

Why are you obsessing with what he is paid? That's a very Poke thing to say. Every team in college football history has had a down year or two when they have to reload. We could realistically have a 10 win season and there are a lot of ADs that would give their left nut for that. Enjoy our wins, don't fret over the losses and quit trying to second guess everyone in the program. You will be a lot happier and way less annoying on this board.

You are about to earn yourself an introduction to the Ignore button. If you don't like the program go park your bandwagon somewhere else.

[SoCalBigRed]

Ok, so you would be happier with:

Patterson .583
Briles .579
Snyder .666 going into this game
Saban .750
Freeze .689
Mullen .600
Malzahn .813
Helfrich .842
Stoops .802

The two coaches who have won more of their games than Stoops have a combined 5 years of coaching behind them. Sorry, I don't see anyone on this list I'd rather have as our head coach.

Neither do I.

[cvsooner]

Maybe I'm just getting old and hopefully a bit wiser, but to expect 19 and 20 year old kids to do exactly what you tell them to do every single time isn't happening. I'm not pleased we lost to TCU nor to KSU, but I also recognize we're two plays and five points away from being 7-0. Every team makes mistakes. Ours were fatal on the scoreboard.

I was worried about this four game stretch from WVU through KSU and said so in an earlier post. I honestly thought we'd come through at 3-1; Patterson and Snyder are simply too good to have locks on for wins. Patterson is personally a jerk, from what I can see, but he has done a great job with their program. Snyder I wish would retire for good, and nobody at KSU recruit anybody named Lockett (I read there are three more at home?).

It's clear to me that Stoops isn't one for airing his exchanges with his staff outside the meeting rooms, and in fact, he will defend them up to a certain point, and then they're encouraged to leave. Which is how we got Bedenbaugh and Montgomery and Boulware. All three didn't have their best days either. Not sure what happened to the better blocking we were seeing, or the sterling line play or the special teams last Saturday, but all three had issues.

It happens. But for two interceptions this team is 7-0 and atop the Big 12 standings. Twasn't meant to be, I guess.

[8timechamps]

Maybe I'm just getting old and hopefully a bit wiser, but to expect 19 and 20 year old kids to do exactly what you tell them to do every single time isn't happening. I'm not pleased we lost to TCU nor to KSU, but I also recognize we're two plays and five points away from being 7-0. Every team makes mistakes. Ours were fatal on the scoreboard.

I was worried about this four game stretch from WVU through KSU and said so in an earlier post. I honestly thought we'd come through at 3-1; Patterson and Snyder are simply too good to have locks on for wins. Patterson is personally a jerk, from what I can see, but he has done a great job with their program. Snyder I wish would retire for good, and nobody at KSU recruit anybody named Lockett (I read there are three more at home?).

It's clear to me that Stoops isn't one for airing his exchanges with his staff outside the meeting rooms, and in fact, he will defend them up to a certain point, and then they're encouraged to leave. Which is how we got Bedenbaugh and Montgomery and Boulware. All three didn't have their best days either. Not sure what happened to the better blocking we were seeing, or the sterling line play or the special teams last Saturday, but all three had issues.

It happens. But for two interceptions this team is 7-0 and atop the Big 12 standings. Twasn't meant to be, I guess.

Good post.

I can't put my finger on the exact reason, but it's clear we've not played well (in all three phases) since WVU. I'm sure the coaches are very aware of it too, and this could be the best possible time for a bye week. Extra time to work on the things that need it most before going down the back stretch of the season.

It's frustrating that the two losses this year were by a combined 4 points, and even more frustrating that we did more to lose those games than the opposition did to win them. However, that's how it worked out, and that's where this team finds itself.

There isn't a game left on the schedule that this team can't win. And there's really only one tough team left to play in Baylor. All of the teams left on our schedule (except maybe KU) can beat us if we don't show up to play. It's going to be up to this team to find a way to bounce back and finish strong. 10-2 may not be enough to get a playoff spot, but it's hardly a bad season, and would be enough to be proud of and build on going into next year.

[cvsooner]

I'm sure the coaches' meetings yesterday and today were pretty interesting. Stoops sure seemed down at his press conference; no big surprise there. Bob Stoops is a very smart man, and a proud one, and a fierce competitor, and he knows, clearly, what he's seeing and he doesn't like it. But at some point Mr. Bad Guy is going to have to emerge. If the problem is with his brother, or if it's with the star QB who brought him his only NC so far, he's going to have to deal with it. Whether that means switching up Norvell with Heupel, which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, or finding someone to handle linebackers besides Kish--our LB play is woeful at this point; loss of Frank Shannon came at a terrible time.

The one stat that stands out to me is nearly half of KSU's yards came on four plays, which strikes me as emblematic of MS's defenses. On 50+plays KSU got only about 200 yards, but on four another 200. Did a pretty good job of handling Lockett, particularly compared to last year. But Waters, whom we handled pretty well last year, was too effective.

Other than that, I'm not sure how you fix it. College recruiting is so hit and miss--Ahmad Thomas was supposed to be this great safety, and either he's flat not ready (which is likely), AND he's the best we have, which is scary, but he's learning. At least I hope he's learning.

I do have to wonder how this game might've played out if KSU hadn't had the bye, after some pretty easy opponents. I don't see them going undefeated the rest of the way, nor do I see TCU getting off scot free (and if you think our D is underperforming, get a load of the stink up in Stoolwater--they made us look like the 1985 Chicago Bears against the Horned Frogs).

It's conceivable the Big 12 title could be a three or four way split, with everybody having two losses. I don't think obviously we'll make it into the playoffs, but the cliché may be true that we're conceivably the best two-loss team in the country. When we're on, everything is clicking, we're pretty formidable. But our secondary is a mixed bag at best and our LBs are barely adequate.

Offensively we've got some talent but we're maddeningly inconsistent (unless your name is Sterling Shepard). Our line is adequate and we've got good depth, and a QB who is great when he's hot but disastrous when he's cold. 82 percent completion rate and three TDs...oh, and a pick 6 that never should have been thrown. Nor the end-around pass by Neal. A lot of that is just experience and it's painful to see--I don't mind it so much if players learn not to do that again. Go make new mistakes; don't keep making the same old ones.

And the playcalling: jeepers, you, as O coordinator, know you're missing perhaps your two best blockers in the formation with goal to go from the one, and you continue to try to run Perrine into the line. Okay, I can see doing it once. After that, fake it and head around end. Or, the thing I've never understood, from inside the two, I'd run a run-pass option every time, unless I had a clear edge in personnel.

All that said, Hunnicutt makes either or both field goals and we're at 6-1. We had chances to win, got ourselves into chances to win this game several times. And then couldn't or didn't do it.

As I say, I still think it's possible to win the Big 12, but now all the margin for error is gone.

[BoulderSooner79]

There was a posting on TFB about Bob being super serious after the TCU loss. After the KSU game, I'll bet he is super-duper-if-anyone-even-cracks-a-smile-they'll-be-given-to-Schmitty-for-a-week serious. I think there is only one higher level of serious, so we better win out to avoid going there.

<== Gary being serious

[JLEW1818]

Two losses by a combined 5 points

[EatLeadCommie]

4 losses in less than 4 seasons at home. If we've lost our home mojo, we won't be contending for a natty anytime soon.

[cvsooner]

Three of those losses at least were to good teams (one played for a national title and one went to the BCS Fiesta that season, and this season KSU looks at least formidable). The inexplicable one was the Tech game. Still crazy in retrospect.

[TrophyCollector]

4 losses in less than 4 seasons at home. If we've lost our home mojo, we won't be contending for a Big XII title anytime soon.

FIFY

[8timechamps]

Three of those losses at least were to good teams (one played for a national title and one went to the BCS Fiesta that season, and this season KSU looks at least formidable). The inexplicable one was the Tech game. Still crazy in retrospect.

There's no way to ever understand that loss. I've filed it under "Rain delay caused us to lose" in my mind, and never plan to revisit that game.

You're right, the other three loses were to pretty damn good teams (and it certainly looks like KSU is set to make a run at the top). That doesn't make it any easier to stomach, but it does make it a little easier to understand.

At the time of our 'invincible at home' streak, I didn't take the time to really appreciate what we had going on. That was pretty amazing.

[cvsooner]

You know, too, the part of this we seem to have a hard time accepting is that maybe the other team is pretty good too. Somebody's going to get outplayed/outcoached every game, you know? We've got a funny mix of experience/inexperience/talent in the program right now, from players to coaches. The future is bright if things continue to develop. I know we as fans get frustrated but we had a decline that set in after 2008 and it's not been addressed until last year. I figure it'll take another season or two to really get it fixed.