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Gameday Thread: Week 2 EWU @ Oregon

Well at least we didn't quit! Can't quit if you never get started. Easy goings after this game...#3 MSU, Florida then Weber who spanked Utah State on the road 35-7...cool.
 
I’ve seen more Eastern football than most, and I can honestly say this might have been the single worst game I’ve ever seen Eastern play. I have no explanation for how bad this defense is. Words can’t even describe how inept they are. To say tackling is bad would be a huge understatement. I don’t know if this team even knows how to tackle. What’s even more scary, the players seem to be getting worse as time goes on. The same Eli Doyle who was a smashing machine last year at this time has been reduced to nothing more than a pylon. We’ve had a season worth of missed tackles in two games.

This can’t be written off as a single bad night. Tennessee State gashed the defense for 547 yards last week. Is that a good offense? They were held to 140 total yards today by a damn SWAC team. We got lit up by a terrible offense. Oregon could’ve hung 100 on us if they wanted. They rattled off 40 first downs in a row. That has to be approaching an NCAA record. At the very least, I assume it’s a record for Eastern’s defense.
 
Dopa, I sense a twinge of doubt in your conviction in your thinking. May I suggest you re-watch replays today at 11am/3pm and 10pm to make sure you didn't miss anything. If you do don't have any guns within an arms distance.


*FYI, was taking to several friends texting during game who also go way back and general consensus was not one of us remember seeing us get smashed so bad agianst a team who just got smashed the week before.


avengers-beat-up.gif
 
Obzerver said:
Dopa, I sense a twinge of doubt in your conviction in your thinking. May I suggest you re-watch replays today at 11am/3pm and 10pm to make sure you didn't miss anything. If you do don't have any guns within an arms distance.


*FYI, was taking to several friends texting during game who also go way back and general consensus was not one of us remember seeing us get smashed so bad agianst a team who just got smashed the week before.


avengers-beat-up.gif

It’s spilled milk under the bridge. The hard part is figuring out how to fix it. We lack so much physicality on defense that it’s hard to imagine we can get much better in two weeks. Against Tennessee State, the defense was out of position frequently. Against Oregon, we weren’t in as many bad positions but it didn’t matter. Even if you’re in the right spot, it doesn’t mean much if you can’t tackle.
 
I was kidding bout watching the game 3 more times in it's torturous entirety as it was hard enough to watch it live and we all pretty much saw it for what it was. Alas, I will prolly re-watch some of it throughout today.
 
Obzerver said:
I was kidding bout watching the game 3 more times in it's torturous entirety as it was hard enough to watch it live and we all pretty much saw it for what it was. Alas, I will prolly re-watch some of it throughout today.

I just had Larry and Paul's call. It was obvious in their voices they didn't know what they were looking at. They were resigned to the result early. Paul tried to resist, but resistance is futile.

Where are watching replays? Pac12?

It's not hard to imagine the defense getting smoked in the back 7 after the TSU game but what the F happened to the offense in your opinions?

OK, just found this gem on YouTube.... I may watch.
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40JYkq4hYWU[/media]
 
I’ve been at each game, so you get a pretty good idea of how it’s going from the stands when you can see the whole field. The offense just couldn’t handle the team speed of Oregon’s defense. There wasn’t a lot we could do, and even when Gunner got a good ball off, a lot of them were dropped. It felt like the game was too big for us. We didn’t look ready for the situation at all.

14 points against a good Power-5 defense isn’t good, but it’s reasonable. Giving up 70 and not making a single stop until the other team put their Freshman and walk-ons in is quite another. Against Tennessee State, there were lots of times we just got out of position because of mental mistakes and bad alignment. Against Oregon, we had plays where we were in the right position, but just swung and missed on tackles. We looked like children trying to tackle grown men.
 
LDopaPDX said:
I’ve been at each game, so you get a pretty good idea of how it’s going from the stands when you can see the whole field. The offense just couldn’t handle the team speed of Oregon’s defense. There wasn’t a lot we could do, and even when Gunner got a good ball off, a lot of them were dropped. It felt like the game was too big for us. We didn’t look ready for the situation at all.

14 points against a good Power-5 defense isn’t good, but it’s reasonable. Giving up 70 and not making a single stop until the other team put their Freshman and walk-ons in is quite another. Against Tennessee State, there were lots of times we just got out of position because of mental mistakes and bad alignment. Against Oregon, we had plays where we were in the right position, but just swung and missed on tackles. We looked like children trying to tackle grown men.

14 pionts... GT had plenty of time, WR's dropped passes and there were some poor throws. Gonna say, it's all bad at this point. Aside from DL play the defense is indefensible. So many missed tackles and a lack of heads up play.

Can the Eagles turn it around with a week off? How was the sideline demeanor of the team for those who were in the stands?

I always put this back on coaching, right or wrong. Am not sure Best or any of the other adults can change how they think about the game or get out of their own way despite the evidence of their eyes. GT is obviously a great team guy, am not sure he's the answer. Maybe there isn't one. What I thought would be an improved run attack would go a long way to making it easier on the QB, but the coaches in their wisdom have opted not to employ it. **see note on getting out of their own way** To be fair, Oregon wasn't probably the best place to lean heavily on the run game but last week at TSU in the second half was exactly the place to work on that. No long term plan in a season of mass changes doesn't bode well.

Taking it up the @#$ in Eugene can't be good for morale but with two weeks to lick wounds and prepare for a good MSU team I don't think the season is a loss. There is talent on the roster and an opportunity to gel and improve. Looking forward to seeing the real Eastern team show up.
 
I told myself I'd reserve judgment until the MSU game, so I'll stick with that. Tennessee State isn't that good, so giving up 29 points was concerning and the inability to run the ball was odd to me. Getting the doors blown off by Oregon also wasn't a surprise but giving up 70 in the way it happened was also very concerning.

MSU is good, but it's a home game that has to be won if this team wants a playoff spot. Another ugly loss to MSU will likely spell at least a 1-4 start with Sac State coming in for homecoming on Oct 15. Can't remember being eliminated by mid October in my years of Eagle football but that is certainly within the realm of possibility.

I didn't have high expectations for the team this year. I will be absolutely ecstatic with a 7-4 record and playoff at large. So far, they've won a game they needed to and lost the game expected, so we really don't know much. MSU at home was always a toss up for me (although my head says MSU will win).

The most concerning thing to me is the inability to recruit a solid QB since Beau left. Gunner may be a great kid and doesn't even appear to be the problem this year but who is waiting to take over next year? Furthermore, Best preaches being physical and has clearly moved to a more control the clock, physical style of play and the D appears to be the worst it's been in his tenure.

Dare I say this is a make or break year for AB? Love the guy and what he has been for EWU for decades but falling to the middle tier of the Big Sky now, could spell doom for years to come. Montana, MSU, Weber, Sac, and Idaho appear to be on the rise. Fundraising is obviously critical now as well. Lynn is in the last year of her contract as AD and I would be surprised to see her re-sign. A new AD would be most likely to make their hire at the very beginning.
 
2010, what a great post. Best needs to step up, we need him to. We can't start over again these are all his players and our future. Didn't know Lynn Hickey is in her final year as AD. I suspect you're right that she will retire again. Have no idea what we have in Shari McMahan as our University President as far as athletics are concerned. Who knows who the next Athletic Director will be and how good they will be. Lynn Hickey is Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics so sounds like perhaps there are additional duties she has besides devoting all her time with just athletics...maybe not. So, this year is important for Football and all sports not to slip down and stay healthy as programs go.
 

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