...but I already have some pretty solid feelings about our outlook going on the road (for REAL—as opposed to that game against USF down in Tampa coupla weeks back) this Saturday against UK.
Even considering the mixture of the streak finally lost at home and the several “close calls” where they had every chance to beat us (and probably SHOULD have actually managed it at least once or twice there), it begins to look as if THOSE opportunities are more than likely behind them AND us by now:
Just going by what we’ve seen of the growth and development of Mullen’s charges so far THIS season, the potential is our OWN to control and ultimately dominate the line of scrimmage going BOTH directions against UK—and once again pull away in the second half.
It’d still be best if we were to do a better job of getting it going EARLY this time, though—ELIMINATE the need for any “late-charge” (as some of those aforementioned “late close victories” required) eliminating sloppy play (and MISSED TACKLES) that have marred much of our play at times, ESPECIALLY in the first halves of the first few games.
In other words, it is all in our own hands: Our fate, the outcome of this game, those beyond, and essentially the rest of this season is within our own control!
It is simply up to US to stop the unforced errors, tackle cleanly and generally DO YOUR JOB: Prepare properly for success—So that come Saturday, you PLAY LIKE YOU PRACTICE!
We get started in that vein early in a game, NO ONE beats us. Least of all a team like UK who, though well-coached and generally improving, ISN’T as talented OR deep as us even NOW. We play up to our talent and execute our Coach’s game plan and even at THEIR place and with a raucous crowd behind them we win going away. But be forewarned:
If we screw around, revert to bad habits and lose composure early, we CAN lose control and dig a hole we may or may NOT be able to dig ourselves out of.
I don’t even wanna GO there—so far as I’m concerned, THIS one REQUIRES us to at the very least play clean and establish control FROM THE START.
Because I see it that way, I guess I EXPECT us to KNOW EARLY in this one which way it is headed. I DON’T expect the kind of disappointing let-down we saw against LSU last year— but we’ll know it if we see it, and if we DO, well, it’ll obviously mean a huge “missed opportunity” that will drain what has otherwise til now been a fast-building excitement of all its fun and promise.
We’re NOT the team that you can just calmly, confidently just relax and ENJOY THE RIDE heading INTO such a game: We haven’t proven ourselves yet; we just aren’t THERE yet.
It’s one we “SHOULD” win though—and as such, at this point it’s one that amounts to “an early test”, a chance to see, to PROVE where we are, WHO we are right here and NOW.
Even considering the mixture of the streak finally lost at home and the several “close calls” where they had every chance to beat us (and probably SHOULD have actually managed it at least once or twice there), it begins to look as if THOSE opportunities are more than likely behind them AND us by now:
Just going by what we’ve seen of the growth and development of Mullen’s charges so far THIS season, the potential is our OWN to control and ultimately dominate the line of scrimmage going BOTH directions against UK—and once again pull away in the second half.
It’d still be best if we were to do a better job of getting it going EARLY this time, though—ELIMINATE the need for any “late-charge” (as some of those aforementioned “late close victories” required) eliminating sloppy play (and MISSED TACKLES) that have marred much of our play at times, ESPECIALLY in the first halves of the first few games.
In other words, it is all in our own hands: Our fate, the outcome of this game, those beyond, and essentially the rest of this season is within our own control!
It is simply up to US to stop the unforced errors, tackle cleanly and generally DO YOUR JOB: Prepare properly for success—So that come Saturday, you PLAY LIKE YOU PRACTICE!
We get started in that vein early in a game, NO ONE beats us. Least of all a team like UK who, though well-coached and generally improving, ISN’T as talented OR deep as us even NOW. We play up to our talent and execute our Coach’s game plan and even at THEIR place and with a raucous crowd behind them we win going away. But be forewarned:
If we screw around, revert to bad habits and lose composure early, we CAN lose control and dig a hole we may or may NOT be able to dig ourselves out of.
I don’t even wanna GO there—so far as I’m concerned, THIS one REQUIRES us to at the very least play clean and establish control FROM THE START.
Because I see it that way, I guess I EXPECT us to KNOW EARLY in this one which way it is headed. I DON’T expect the kind of disappointing let-down we saw against LSU last year— but we’ll know it if we see it, and if we DO, well, it’ll obviously mean a huge “missed opportunity” that will drain what has otherwise til now been a fast-building excitement of all its fun and promise.
We’re NOT the team that you can just calmly, confidently just relax and ENJOY THE RIDE heading INTO such a game: We haven’t proven ourselves yet; we just aren’t THERE yet.
It’s one we “SHOULD” win though—and as such, at this point it’s one that amounts to “an early test”, a chance to see, to PROVE where we are, WHO we are right here and NOW.