I finally want to weigh in with my own little thoughts. But first some house-keeping: A couple weeks ago I said I would apologize to the board for being such an optimist should VU lose to WKU. So, "I'm sorry for being optimistic about the WKU game." Yeah, I doubt anyone remembers that, much less cares about it if they do.
I also promised to stop defending Mason if we lost. On this I must renege.
I went to bed Thursday night heart-sick. I woke up about 4 AM Friday morning sick-sick. Something had jumped all over me and my compromised immune system. It wasn't until yesterday that I sat up and took nourishment. And today, voila! I can sit up and type. (just explaining my absence here the past couple days)
Enough about me: what about Mason?
The guy is one of the best DCs around and he proved it again last Thursday. Say what you will about him as a HC, he's a great DC. If we send him packing like so many of you want to do, we'll be spending big bucks to get rid of 1st class talent in that area.
And, on offense, he brought in a guy who is already making improvements. Unfortunately, that didn't transmit into a lot of points this game but it seems we're on the right track.
To all you Mason haters: would you like him better if we had won? Of course you would.
So this means that if our center hadn't snapped the low ball on that missed FG, you'd like Mason better.
Or if Marcus had caught the TD pass, you'd like Mason better. Or if McCrary hadn't thrown two picks in the end-zone, you'd like Mason better. He could have thrown one pick and you'd still like Mason better. But not the second INT. If it weren't for the blown coverage on that one long play for WKU...
That stuff is nonsensical when you think about it. We could have easily put up 30 points in this game just based on the offensive performance we saw. Give WKU their TD they dropped and the score would have been something like 30-21 Vandy.
I say there's no way we should even think about firing Mason yet. He stepped into quick-sand coming here. We simply don't have the players to win in the SEC. Especially OL and QB. But Mason sure has what sounds like the real deal in Shurmur coming along. Forgive CDM for last year and look at him through the lens of NOW.
Our pride is hurt getting beat by a WKU type program. Well, it's not like we don't know what that's like in the past, losing 3 friggin games to MTSU. These "lesser" programs are sort of camouflaged. They get players that VU can't take just like other SEC programs do. And for what it's worth, WKU beat Kentucky two seasons ago. IOW, WKU is no cream-puff.
It's not like there's some HC out there with a magic elixir who can come in here and make us winners in the SEC. That guy is not out there. And if he is, good luck getting him to come here. xcJF hit the perfect storm when he came here. He got his own Temple this past week-end though, coaching "mighty" PSU.
And it's not like there is no hope. IMO, our best hope is steady as we go. Mason and Ludwig are the best hope to build the program. I really believe that. We don't need to subject these kids (and recruits) to yet another coaching change. Mason is growing into the job. Our players are getting better. Let's just hope we keep getting better and have a better year than it now looks like we have in front of us.
BTW, I've read very few posts since the game so if I've repeated a bunch of stuff already said, well... I apologize for that too.
I also promised to stop defending Mason if we lost. On this I must renege.
I went to bed Thursday night heart-sick. I woke up about 4 AM Friday morning sick-sick. Something had jumped all over me and my compromised immune system. It wasn't until yesterday that I sat up and took nourishment. And today, voila! I can sit up and type. (just explaining my absence here the past couple days)
Enough about me: what about Mason?
The guy is one of the best DCs around and he proved it again last Thursday. Say what you will about him as a HC, he's a great DC. If we send him packing like so many of you want to do, we'll be spending big bucks to get rid of 1st class talent in that area.
And, on offense, he brought in a guy who is already making improvements. Unfortunately, that didn't transmit into a lot of points this game but it seems we're on the right track.
To all you Mason haters: would you like him better if we had won? Of course you would.
So this means that if our center hadn't snapped the low ball on that missed FG, you'd like Mason better.
Or if Marcus had caught the TD pass, you'd like Mason better. Or if McCrary hadn't thrown two picks in the end-zone, you'd like Mason better. He could have thrown one pick and you'd still like Mason better. But not the second INT. If it weren't for the blown coverage on that one long play for WKU...
That stuff is nonsensical when you think about it. We could have easily put up 30 points in this game just based on the offensive performance we saw. Give WKU their TD they dropped and the score would have been something like 30-21 Vandy.
I say there's no way we should even think about firing Mason yet. He stepped into quick-sand coming here. We simply don't have the players to win in the SEC. Especially OL and QB. But Mason sure has what sounds like the real deal in Shurmur coming along. Forgive CDM for last year and look at him through the lens of NOW.
Our pride is hurt getting beat by a WKU type program. Well, it's not like we don't know what that's like in the past, losing 3 friggin games to MTSU. These "lesser" programs are sort of camouflaged. They get players that VU can't take just like other SEC programs do. And for what it's worth, WKU beat Kentucky two seasons ago. IOW, WKU is no cream-puff.
It's not like there's some HC out there with a magic elixir who can come in here and make us winners in the SEC. That guy is not out there. And if he is, good luck getting him to come here. xcJF hit the perfect storm when he came here. He got his own Temple this past week-end though, coaching "mighty" PSU.
And it's not like there is no hope. IMO, our best hope is steady as we go. Mason and Ludwig are the best hope to build the program. I really believe that. We don't need to subject these kids (and recruits) to yet another coaching change. Mason is growing into the job. Our players are getting better. Let's just hope we keep getting better and have a better year than it now looks like we have in front of us.
BTW, I've read very few posts since the game so if I've repeated a bunch of stuff already said, well... I apologize for that too.
