1. I picked a great game to watch from a brewery in Buellton with my closest friends and their wives as a prelude to an awesome wedding weekend. I have spotty recollections of the game and know there was much to be nervous, bored, and frustrated about at various times, but 15 beers and great conversation have crowded out most of the bad taste most of our fans were left with.
2. A few have mentioned taking the road win against a tough team and running but most seem to view the have-to-see-it-to-believe-it turtling as the main takeaway. I understand the impulse of the latter but come down more in the former camp. I came into this game nervous as hell and as it turned out the game wasn't as nervy as I thought it would be. We had yet another meh, incomplete game but, like SDSU, USC, UC Davis, and Oregon (that one with a generous helping of luck) took care of business. Before the season a majority of us would have taken 5-2 against that part of the schedule.
3. We had another meh, incomplete game. I'm even more certain than I was before the game that no switch is going to be turned on with this team to become a great team. We've got serious flaws and are not going to go down as one of Shaw's better teams. I think the explanation that we are a few execution errors away was questionable before the game but now really lacks credibility. This team's shortcomings in the trenches and in offensive approach are more systemic than they are a manifestation of fixable individual failures.
4. As usual, I don't mind the criticism of and acute frustration with Shaw. It's his job to take these critiques. He is ultimately accountable for everything on the team and, when what frustrates fans most is clearly a product of Shaw's personality and philosophy, the complaints are going to come raining down and I have no problem with that. Still, it does seem to me that in assigning accountability our fans often don't extend the argument in the other direction. While Shaw's turtling saps our games of fun (a major problem), it also is part and parcel of his track record winning games like this. He gets credit for the win column. I don't think enough of our fans acknowledge that the turtling is part of what has gotten him here and makes it more likely we win games like last night. I'm not saying keeping the foot on the gas when we had the two touchdown lead would have been a bad idea or led to a loss, but we should at least acknowledge that keeping the foot on the gas adds elements of uncertainty, like the potential for turnovers or other factors that could lead to higher beta swings. The best description I've seen was from @slide2 - "Shaw is proud of winning so many one-score games without realizing his approach denies multi-score wins because of his turtling. his approach is to not lose games rather than to win games." I think that's right. I think we just need to acknowledge both parts of that observation - Shaw is robbing us of fun and the opportunity to win more comfortably, but his impulses also prevent us from losing games like this.
5. We probably should be talking more about the defense's performance last night. I am pretty shocked that we held Arizona State in the run game like we did. We held them to just over half of their average run production and over a yard less per carry than their average. Signature game for our run defense, which has been one of my concerns all offseason/season. Before the game Anderson talked about needing to have good run defense and I sort of rolled my eyes with the notion it was possible, and the guys delivered. I realize we all want fun on offense and aren't getting it, but the defense's performance is an equally important story for what we saw last night.
6. JJ Arcega-Whiteside is the star of the team and on the verge of major NFL paydays and, as always, he deserves to be singled out. But another thing I'm not sure we're talking about enough is how indispensable KJ Costello is for this team. Week in and week out he does better against passing defenses than other QBs. In this one it was a 20 point better passer rating than Arizona State averages allowing. And it's become clear Mills is not an available/credible backup. I am not sure our offense could do anything without Costello. So let's make JJAW our awards candidate, but Costello is 1b in the MVP discussion.
7. I'm psychologically ready for the post-Love era. This year has been a real shame and it would be a major bonus for me if the Love of old returns for a cameo or two before it's all said and done, but that's the word: bonus. At this point I'm not expecting it and am nearly as confident with Speights and Scarlett in as I am with Love. The real bottom line for me: none of those three is going to be a significant weapon as long as what ails us in run blocking persists, and I don't see light at the end of the tunnel this year or next for that getting solved.
8. I share the pro-Irwin comments that have been popping up in recent weeks. Winning player, good player, important part of this offense. If he never makes an all-conference team I will view it more as a Trent Edwards/Peter Kalambayi quality player limited by circumstances than as an indictment of him.
9. Nice to get Toohill back. Given the team defense performance against the run and the outcome on the scoreboard, I am inclined to give an attaboy to the whole group. This week more than ever, with my heavy drinking last night, I am going need @fborg81 and PFF to tell me anything insightful about how guys played.
10. I thought that was Jake Bailey's best game this season. Obviously Jet Toner wasn't stressed but gotta give an attaboy for being so reliable, especially in such a close game.
11. Game balls: passing game (I know it's a cop out but I want JJAW, Costello, and Irwin all to get credit), team defense (ditto there), Jake Bailey, Lance Anderson
12. Rose Bowl or Fiesta Bowl still in our sights so hard for me to be too down on this team but I'm more convinced than ever that this is a good to maaaaybe very good team that just doesn't have the run game or ability to put a complete game together to seriously challenge for Rose or Fiesta. I am especially doubtful that we can be competitive at Washington. I am left thinking Holiday would be a great result for these guys.
2. A few have mentioned taking the road win against a tough team and running but most seem to view the have-to-see-it-to-believe-it turtling as the main takeaway. I understand the impulse of the latter but come down more in the former camp. I came into this game nervous as hell and as it turned out the game wasn't as nervy as I thought it would be. We had yet another meh, incomplete game but, like SDSU, USC, UC Davis, and Oregon (that one with a generous helping of luck) took care of business. Before the season a majority of us would have taken 5-2 against that part of the schedule.
3. We had another meh, incomplete game. I'm even more certain than I was before the game that no switch is going to be turned on with this team to become a great team. We've got serious flaws and are not going to go down as one of Shaw's better teams. I think the explanation that we are a few execution errors away was questionable before the game but now really lacks credibility. This team's shortcomings in the trenches and in offensive approach are more systemic than they are a manifestation of fixable individual failures.
4. As usual, I don't mind the criticism of and acute frustration with Shaw. It's his job to take these critiques. He is ultimately accountable for everything on the team and, when what frustrates fans most is clearly a product of Shaw's personality and philosophy, the complaints are going to come raining down and I have no problem with that. Still, it does seem to me that in assigning accountability our fans often don't extend the argument in the other direction. While Shaw's turtling saps our games of fun (a major problem), it also is part and parcel of his track record winning games like this. He gets credit for the win column. I don't think enough of our fans acknowledge that the turtling is part of what has gotten him here and makes it more likely we win games like last night. I'm not saying keeping the foot on the gas when we had the two touchdown lead would have been a bad idea or led to a loss, but we should at least acknowledge that keeping the foot on the gas adds elements of uncertainty, like the potential for turnovers or other factors that could lead to higher beta swings. The best description I've seen was from @slide2 - "Shaw is proud of winning so many one-score games without realizing his approach denies multi-score wins because of his turtling. his approach is to not lose games rather than to win games." I think that's right. I think we just need to acknowledge both parts of that observation - Shaw is robbing us of fun and the opportunity to win more comfortably, but his impulses also prevent us from losing games like this.
5. We probably should be talking more about the defense's performance last night. I am pretty shocked that we held Arizona State in the run game like we did. We held them to just over half of their average run production and over a yard less per carry than their average. Signature game for our run defense, which has been one of my concerns all offseason/season. Before the game Anderson talked about needing to have good run defense and I sort of rolled my eyes with the notion it was possible, and the guys delivered. I realize we all want fun on offense and aren't getting it, but the defense's performance is an equally important story for what we saw last night.
6. JJ Arcega-Whiteside is the star of the team and on the verge of major NFL paydays and, as always, he deserves to be singled out. But another thing I'm not sure we're talking about enough is how indispensable KJ Costello is for this team. Week in and week out he does better against passing defenses than other QBs. In this one it was a 20 point better passer rating than Arizona State averages allowing. And it's become clear Mills is not an available/credible backup. I am not sure our offense could do anything without Costello. So let's make JJAW our awards candidate, but Costello is 1b in the MVP discussion.
7. I'm psychologically ready for the post-Love era. This year has been a real shame and it would be a major bonus for me if the Love of old returns for a cameo or two before it's all said and done, but that's the word: bonus. At this point I'm not expecting it and am nearly as confident with Speights and Scarlett in as I am with Love. The real bottom line for me: none of those three is going to be a significant weapon as long as what ails us in run blocking persists, and I don't see light at the end of the tunnel this year or next for that getting solved.
8. I share the pro-Irwin comments that have been popping up in recent weeks. Winning player, good player, important part of this offense. If he never makes an all-conference team I will view it more as a Trent Edwards/Peter Kalambayi quality player limited by circumstances than as an indictment of him.
9. Nice to get Toohill back. Given the team defense performance against the run and the outcome on the scoreboard, I am inclined to give an attaboy to the whole group. This week more than ever, with my heavy drinking last night, I am going need @fborg81 and PFF to tell me anything insightful about how guys played.
10. I thought that was Jake Bailey's best game this season. Obviously Jet Toner wasn't stressed but gotta give an attaboy for being so reliable, especially in such a close game.
11. Game balls: passing game (I know it's a cop out but I want JJAW, Costello, and Irwin all to get credit), team defense (ditto there), Jake Bailey, Lance Anderson
12. Rose Bowl or Fiesta Bowl still in our sights so hard for me to be too down on this team but I'm more convinced than ever that this is a good to maaaaybe very good team that just doesn't have the run game or ability to put a complete game together to seriously challenge for Rose or Fiesta. I am especially doubtful that we can be competitive at Washington. I am left thinking Holiday would be a great result for these guys.
