27-30 Hornet loss in overtime. This was a game that should have been won. A lot of inflection points in the game that could be pointed at as the cause, but ultimately it was lack of execution that cost the Hornets the game.
The refs had a big hand in this loss, but anyone who follows the Big Sky in any sport knows that the refs are awful and this should be expected. The Hornets have to be good enough to overcome blown calls, unfortunately we are no longer good enough to do so. The blown simultaneous catch touchdown that was ruled a pick, the blatant hold on Gipson in the endzone on the final pass in regulation that was missed, the pass interference call on the uncatchable pass on the ISU overtime possession…there were probably others but those were the big ones that stick in my mind. Either way, the Hornets were in a position to overcome most of those blown/missed calls and couldn’t get it done.
Offensively the game plan was simple and it started off great. Pound the ball against a weak defense and score points. Elijah Tau-Tolliver (11 car, 100 yds, 1 TD, 1 rec 16 yds) was on pace for a monster game until he got injured late in the 1st half. Curron Borders (18 car, 145 yds, 3 rec, 20 yds) stepped up and had a good game, unfortunately he was stripped of the ball at the goal line and the Hornets had another touchdown come off the board. Once the ISU defense adjusted, the Hornets had to go to the air more and the execution wasn’t there. Carson Conklin (24/40, 270 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT) wasn’t particularly sharp as he continues to bail from a solid pocket and throw away plays with a needless scramble. To his credit, he led two strong drives late in the game and put this offense in a position to win the game. Danny Scudero (5 rec, 79 yds) was the leading receiver, but he dropped a pass late in the game that would have set the Hornets up in the red zone. Jared Gipson (5 rec, 65 yds, 1 TD) had a good score at the end of the 1st half.
Defensively the Hornets did enough. This loss isn’t on this side of the ball. The Hornet defense held a high flying ISU offense to 17 points in regulation. That should have been enough for a win. On top of that, the Hornets made a critical goal line stop in the 4th quarter in which an ISU touchdown ends the game. The defense also forced 2 turnovers (none of which were cashed in for points) and got 2 stops on the same final drive to even give the Hornets a chance at the tie/win in regulation. Yes they struggled with tackling at times, and yes they got torched through the air, but this defense was never going to shut down ISU’s passing attack. The Hornets just had to limit the damage and get some stops and they did that.
Special teams had another clanker of a game. A missed field goal early and another blown situational awareness in which an obvious fake punt was coming mires what was otherwise a solid game. Coach LaPan needs to really get it together with the situational awareness issue.
Here are my takeaways from the game:
- I hated when Troy would roll the dice instead of taking points, and I hate it when Coach Thompson does it. Points come at a premium in the D1 game and passing up a high percentage field goal was one of the many plays that cost this team the game, especially against a team that was being dominated up front. Instead of taking a field goal, a horrendous slow developing play is called and a sack fumble scoop and score happens instead. 10 point swing just like that. Inexcusable.
- Play calling was meh. Coach Fresques was late to make 2nd half adjustments, but overall the play calling wasn’t the reason for the loss, lack of execution on the field was. Bobby struggles to make adjustments when opposing defenses take away the run. It shouldn’t take a whole quarter to figure it out.
- Offensive line had its struggles in pass protection, but for the most part a pocket was there on most plays. Conklin throws away too many plays by bailing out from the pocket at the first inkling of pressure. Step up into the pocket and make a throw…or scramble for a handful of yards.
- The notable execution issues mentioned above are coming from younger players. Conklin, Borders, and Scudero are all redshirt freshmen, these players will take some lumps now but it will pay dividends in the long term.
With the season mathematically over and four games remaining on the slate, I would hope the coaches swarm the field with freshman and younger players to start building for next season and beyond. I’ve felt like this became a development season the moment KB got hurt/quit but was hoping the Hornets would find a way to stay in the playoff picture, we’ve just arrived at the brutal realization of this coming to fruition.
Regarding the calls for coaches heads on a pike…eh, I don’t think we are there yet. I would expect some changes to the staff, but a wholesale reset with the head/associate coaches is still a bit far fetched for me to get on board with at this time.
Stingers Up!
Highlights
