16-34 Hornet loss. Hornets struggled through the first half and then costly turnovers in the 3rd quarter ultimately decided the game as the Hornets did not look good against a spirited NAU team. A strip and scoop and score by the NAU defense on a disguised blitz followed up by a poor read by Carson Conklin (17/36, 162 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT) led to more easy points for the Jacks. Another poor decision late resulted in another easy interception for NAU while the game was still in the balance. As poor as Conklin played, the play calling was even worse. The play calling by Coach Fresques was unimaginative and did not put the players in the best position to succeed. NAU constantly brought the blitz and there were no adjustments made to get the ball out of Conklin’s hands quickly. Elijah Tau-Tolliver (16 car, 77 yds, 3 rec, 9 yds) broke a few good runs, but the Hornets largely abandoned the running game in the 3rd quarter.
On defense, the Hornet front held their own and got pressure on the quarterback, however the Hornet secondary struggled to stop the Jacks in critical passing situations. I thought the Hornet defense did fine all things considered, they were just put in too many short yardage situations due to poor quarterback play. The Hornet defense did make stops and had the Hornet offensive execution and play calling not been so horrid, they could have climbed back into the game. Linebacker Nakian Jackson (10 tak, 1 TFL) led the defense in tackles and Josh Cashiola (5 tak, 2.5 TFL, 2 sac) led the team in sacks.
On special teams, Zach Schreiner (3/3 FG, 1/1 PAT) hit a career long 49 yard field goal. The punt team gave up a big return but was able to strip it away and force a turnover before NAU scored a touchdown. A mixed back for the special teams today.
Here are my takeaways from the game:
- The Hornet offense has no identity without KB on the field. With KB unable to play due to health, this is now just a developmental season for the younger players. We’re just not a contender this season and shouldn’t be ranked in the top 25. I expected more from this roster.
- Coach Fresques’ play calling does not put these players in a position to succeed and he did not make any adjustments against the blitz in this game. He’s been a coordinator long enough to be better than this. A game like this is unacceptable.
- Conklin has to get the ball out of his hands faster. The passing plays take too long to develop, he’s got to do a better job of checking down to a hot route. This is on Coach Fresques as well. I don’t recall seeing many screens or plays to the flat against an NAU defense that was aggressive in the box but played off the receivers most of the game.
- Offensive line had arguably their worst game of the year. As bad as Conklin looked, there were plenty of times where the offensive line didn’t hold up against the rush. They also didn't get a big push on most run plays. A very sluggish and uninspired performance.
- The horrendous red zone offense came into play yet again. A 1st quarter 1st and goal from the 9 only garnered a field goal. Had the Hornets cashed in on that opportunity, it would have been a 7 point game with 10 minutes to go instead of an 11 point game.
- Schreiner is putting together another solid season. He should see plenty of opportunities given the Hornet struggles in the red zone.
- Defensive secondary played pretty soft coverage and NAU was able to pick them apart in critical situations.
- Defensive front did enough to keep the Hornets in the game. NAU did get some running yards in garbage time, but the Hornets were able to pressure NAU’s quarterback and keep the NAU running game from completely taking over the game.
It’s hard not to be critical of the Hornets given the recent success we’ve had. The Hornets had 4 of the first 5 on the road and have been banged up with injuries and this game was at elevation. The bye week could not have come at a better time. Now the Hornets will have a steep uphill climb if they want to do anything notable this season. Conklin is only a redshirt freshman so there will be mistakes which means this offense will likely sputter against the better defenses on the schedule. There is a lot of room for improvement for the offense in the 2nd half of the season, the key to watch will be if Coach Fresques can get the offense on track.
The other side of the ball has been pretty solid in FCS play and I think this is the best defense since the 2019 season. There is room for improvement, especially in the secondary, but this defense has shown they can keep this team in games. If the defense keeps playing like they have been, there should be plenty of opportunities for wins the rest of the way.
Stingers Up!
