Tell me what to think. And why...

[Uncle Ken]

Okay, I flew in for the game, and now I'm home.

The loss sucked. The score sucked.

I haven't been back on the board until just now, and therefore haven't seen the collective Allbuffs reaction to the loss (except for one short thread).

I'm oddly not as upset about this game as I was the other three losses.

This is why:

--We were in it until two minutes remaining in the third. It was the only game this year in which we looked like we could play SOME football in a loss. The score wasn't entirely indicative of the game, overall. This isn't our standard, of course, but it's progress.

--I thought our O-Line made some real progress on pass blocking. Where the **** was the run-blocking?

--We made solid adjustments at half, defensively, but our lack of production on offense ultimately doomed both sides of the ball. Those turnovers were killers.

--Seriously, I didn't feel we were that outmatched--or at least we weren't physically pushed around the field, for the most part. The whole thing sucked, and our lack of offense remains concerning (particularly our rushing stats this week), but I saw progress.

Now that you've all had two days to settle down, get the emotions and some of the pain out, please tell me what an asshole I am, and the perspective I'm missing with the my polyanna prognosis on a hard-to-swallow-loss.

 

[leftybuff]

Watching the replay of Webb's pick, he lasered onto Thornton before he was one step back from the Center, and was going to throw to him even if he was covered by all 11 fUCLA defenders. In all fairness there were only four around DT. The inevitable pick (after it had ricocheted off of one fUCLA defender into the hands of another) pretty much iced the game.

Not really responsive to your post, but it was good to get that off my chest.....

 

[Uncle Ken]

Watching the replay of Webb's pick, he lasered onto Thornton before he was one step back from the Center, and was going to throw to him even if he was covered by all 11 fUCLA defenders. In all fairness there were only four around DT. The inevitable pick (after it had ricocheted off of one fUCLA defender into the hands of another) pretty much iced the game.

Not really responsive to your post, but it was good to get that off my chest.....

The pick was so gawdawful. I actually think UCLA had 12 men on the field (uncalled) and all of them surrounded Thornton.

 

[Dark Bohner]

I was pretty engaged during the game which was a plus. I totally felt like I was kicked in the face when we had that beautiful 30+ yard pass play turn into a game changing turnover, which was a big change from the complete emotionless state that I had felt in the earlier games...either that or somebody pulled a Chris Tucker kick in the face from Rush Hour 2.

 

[Uncle Ken]

I was pretty engaged during the game which was a plus. I totally felt like I was kicked in the face when we had that beautiful 30+ yard pass play turn into a game changing turnover, which was a big change from the complete emotionless state that I had felt in the earlier games...either that or somebody pulled a Chris Tucker kick in the face from Rush Hour 2.

Concur. That was the game. That was the moment we lost any momentum (unless it was the failed fourth down attempt) and became doomed to our fates.

 

[AllStarBuffs]

Now that you've all had two days to settle down, get the emotions and some of the pain out, please tell me what an asshole I am, and the perspective I'm missing with the my polyanna prognosis on a hard-to-swallow-loss.

I would think most of the fanbase is apathetic at this point. no emotions, no pain, just expectations of being bad

 

[Duff Man]

I don't feel we played badly. I don't feel UCLA played great. They still controlled the game and won easily. It is what it is.

 

[J.R. Ewing]

At least we didn't quite like Fresno this year or UCLA last year.

 

[Uncle Ken]

At least we didn't quite like Fresno this year or UCLA last year.

Or if we did, we quit a lot later.

 

[Lt.Col.FrankSlade]

I felt UCLA was in control the entire game. I felt CU was "in it" because UCLA wasn't "in it." UCLA went through the motions, it seemed to me. At no point did I feel like CU was going to win the game, even when CU was moving the ball. Tough to win when you can't score.

 

[CVilleBuff]

The fact you're looking on a 42-14 home loss as semblance of improvement really tells you all you need to know about how disastrous this staff is.

 

[DBT]

Watching the replay of Webb's pick, he lasered onto Thornton before he was one step back from the Center, and was going to throw to him even if he was covered by all 11 fUCLA defenders. In all fairness there were only four around DT. The inevitable pick (after it had ricocheted off of one fUCLA defender into the hands of another) pretty much iced the game.

Not really responsive to your post, but it was good to get that off my chest.....

I'll bet you that if Thronton was being covered by all 11, Webb would have thrown to someone else. :lol: But I get your point.

 

[sackman]

I don't see how anybody can look at this game and make the argument that we were in it at any meaningful point in the game. UCLA didn't kill us with big plays. They killed us by moving the ball down the field at will. When they needed 5 yards on 3rd down, they got 8. When they needed to run the ball, they ran it. When they needed to complete a pass, they did so.

 

[Crash Davis]

I don't see how anybody can look at this game and make the argument that we were in it at any meaningful point in the game. UCLA didn't kill us with big plays. They killed us by moving the ball down the field at will. When they needed 5 yards on 3rd down, they got 8. When they needed to run the ball, they ran it. When they needed to complete a pass, they did so.

Agreed. Their offense went up and down the field, at will, all game. I'm actually still perplexed as to how they only scored 42.

 

[leftybuff]

I don't see how anybody can look at this game and make the argument that we were in it at any meaningful point in the game. UCLA didn't kill us with big plays. They killed us by moving the ball down the field at will. When they needed 5 yards on 3rd down, they got 8. When they needed to run the ball, they ran it. When they needed to complete a pass, they did so.

In it as far as being theoretically possible to come back, sure up until the 3rd or so, in it in the sense that we were in control of any portion of the game, well no, not since midway through the first.

 

[Uncle Ken]

The fact you're looking on a 42-14 home loss as semblance of improvement really tells you all you need to know about how disastrous this staff is.

No I get that, as a snapshot. But I'm trying to move into a more comprehensive view of all this, and I tried to acknowledge that in my OP.

I think we all agree that we should never lose to anybody 42-14 and be okay with it (or at all). And furthermore, it's problematic if we consider it improvement. Check.

But looking at the course of the season, and our youth, and examining (beyond the score) whether or not we were competitive at all in this game is what I'm looking for.

 

[JWP303]

I was also at the game, and I came away with a completely different impression.

We were out of the game after our second offensive possession. First drive we went 3 and out. Then, after forcing a fumble from UCLA we had great field position - Powell had a decent run into UCLA territory and we were looking good - in FG range in a still scoreless game.

That's when the wheels came off, in predictable fashion. We proceeded to throw an incompletion on 1st down, then fumble an ill-advised end around losing 15 yards in the process on 2nd down, then we take a sack rolling into the rush on 3rd down, then we take an illegal formation penalty, then we take a false start penalty. To recap: we ran 3 plays, 2 for negative yardage, 1 incompletion, + 2 penalties and lost a grand total of approximately 30 yards.

Just embarrassing type of stuff. We are back to the days where we'd be better off taking 3 knees and kicking the FG.

How you came away from that game with any positive thoughts is truly shocking to me. I had to resist the urge of walking out in the 1st quarter.

 

[Uncle Ken]

I was also at the game, and I came away with a completely different impression.

We were out of the game after our second offensive possession. First drive we went 3 and out. Then, after forcing a fumble from UCLA we had great field position - Powell had a decent run into UCLA territory and we were looking good - in FG range in a still scoreless game.

That's when the wheels came off, in predictable fashion. We proceeded to throw an incompletion on 1st down, then fumble an ill-advised end around losing 15 yards in the process on 2nd down, then we take a sack rolling into the rush on 3rd down, then we take an illegal formation penalty, then we take a false start penalty. To recap: we ran 3 plays, 2 for negative yardage, 1 incompletion, + 2 penalties and lost a grand total of approximately 30 yards.

Just embarrassing type of stuff. We are back to the days where we'd be better off taking 3 knees and kicking the FG.

How you came away from that game with any positive thoughts is truly shocking to me. I had to resist the urge of walking out in the 1st quarter.

I guess I was using Fresno State as my new baseline.

 

[NW Buff]

We did not play as poorly as CSU/Sac St/Fresno but UCLA was in control the entire time. Expectations are really low right now and we're meeting them.

 

[JWP303]

I guess I was using Fresno State as my new baseline.

Fair. In that case, I think the rest of the season will be a huge success.

 

[J.R. Ewing]

We did not play as poorly as CSU/Sac St/Fresno but UCLA was in control the entire time. Expectations are really low right now and we're meeting them.

Hardly. UCLA beat the huge spread by a touchdown even with our garbage time TD.

 

[Uncle Ken]

Fair. In that case, I think the rest of the season will be a huge success.

That's the spirit!

 

[sackman]

But looking at the course of the season, and our youth, and examining (beyond the score) whether or not we were competitive at all in this game is what I'm looking for.

I would contend that we were far from competitive. In virtually every statistical category, we were completely dominated. Except for time of possession. If anybody had any illusions about what a completely worthless statistic that is, let this game be their guide.

 

[sackman]

I guess I was using Fresno State as my new baseline.

The only real difference between the Fresno game and the UCLA game is that we didn't make Fresno work very hard for their points. They scored in big plays, whereas UCLA simply marched down the field, devouring giant swaths of territory, but never anything much over 15-20 yards. Frankly, I'm not convinced that's an improvement at all.

 

[Deleted member 807]

I guess I was using Fresno State as my new baseline.

More like a flatline.

It would literally require players and coaches to crap on the field to make that experience worse.

 

[White_Rabbit]

I'm pretty sure we secured the loss somewhere in the 2nd quarter. How people think we were "in it" going into the 4th quarter is beyond me.

 

[Liver]

I guess I was using Fresno State as my new baseline.

if that is our new baseline, they better lower the drinking age to 18 and start bringing around trays of $1 coors again or the stadium is going to be quieter than forest lawn at midnight.

 

[Burrito]

No I get that, as a snapshot. But I'm trying to move into a more comprehensive view of all this, and I tried to acknowledge that in my OP.

I think we all agree that we should never lose to anybody 42-14 and be okay with it (or at all). And furthermore, it's problematic if we consider it improvement. Check.

But looking at the course of the season, and our youth, and examining (beyond the score) whether or not we were competitive at all in this game is what I'm looking for.

You did say to tell you what you think.

 

[Uncle Ken]

You did say to tell you what you think.

I also told them to call me an asshole, but nobody has complied so far.

 

[SBG]

And we were going to be Texas at Texas in 08! I mean we were up at halftime, right?

CVB is right.

The team was never in it, even though they weren't too far behind until the end of the third. This team needs gashers to be competitive because we can't stop people on 3rd down nor can we convert it ourselves.