Alright: This is life in the SEC, and I really like Mullens' attitude and resulting statement to reporters immed after the game (figure y'all have seen/heard it).
Now, we may or may NOT be "there" yet (prob NOT)--but I have EVERY CONFIDENCE that THAT is where we are headed under this Coach and his staff. It would take a magic sort of SERIES of breaks in our favor to get it done THIS season (personally, as I've said I don't believe we'll consistently be able to COUNT on the sort of steamrolling "inevitability of victory" that you feel around Bama's and/or (LAST year's) Clemson squads, for eg, until our Head Coach/"QB-Whisperer" fully installs his whole offense and playbook in the person of (hopefully) someone like Emory Jones' dual-threat skills.
We saw flashes of it during the brief stretch after Trask sprained his knee in the first half; JONES drove the field with the offense--shoulda scored a TD if the receiver hadn't let one of his nice passes, a homerun strike, bounce off his hands as he broke free on a dead run. Oh well; I believe we did get 3 pts off that drive before Trask eventually returned...
For those wondering why Trask was RE-installed at starter there (and in my hyped-up excitement, I admit for a few moments I was among them... It just seemed to me right then that Jones gave us our best chance TO WIN the GAME... But I soon came to understand). With young true freshman Mathews the only "depth" as backup QB at that point behind Jones... and Trask IS still the more level-headed, calm, knowledgeable and experienced QB we have right now... If he can go, you put him back in as soon as you are reasonably certain that he is healthy enough to properly run your offense--and KNOW you have a capable backup in the person of Jones, still in reserve and having once again shown that he IS "THE FUTURE OF THIS OFFENSE". In just that brief few moments, one whole drive, basically, we saw how he actually gives us MORE POSSIBILITIES than the steady, efficiently performing Trask.
It is Sunday morn, College Football Final is on and Ed Ogeron is spouting his usual arrogantly lame drivel in that almost unlistenable gravel-voiced, nails-on-glass punishment of the English language... And he proceeds to dismiss us almost off-handedly...
To a question about "next week's opponent", unlike OUR Coach who gave a real and true, thoughtfully honest response to the inevitably similar question asked of HIM right off as he steps to the mike for HIS presser, Ogeron on the other hand just mumbles some crap about "...I haven't looked or thought about Florida...don't know or care much before now... I suppose we'll speed things up if thats the way to beat em, slow it down if THATS the way...Don't really have any idea, but I'm sure we'll find a way...These guys are tough; and I'll put my QB up against anybody right now..."
You know, I might have agreed with him somewhat before I heard all that... But I imagine Malzahn was at least THINKING much the same thing (I recall him saying a few things that pretty well at least HINTED at a similar attitude!)... So now I find myself thinking that though I am hardly "confident" heading into their place, and not having that Swamp advantage (which DID play a part in our being able to weather all the mistakes our offense made in that first half, at least) does put a potential damper on what might be possible, nonetheless I find myself finding some HOPE in our coming into "Death Valley" with a CHIP on our collective shoulders... If we can SOMEHOW find a way to turn THAT into a win, I really do believe this could turn out to be that "magic season" after all...the full embodiment perhaps of that old saw, "Better to be lucky than GOOD", OK? I'm hoping maybe this could turn out to be the year where BOTH were true!!! Imean it: If we can find a way to somehow steal a win in Red Stick Saturday, all bets are OFF for the rest of the schedule!
We gotta ABSOLUTELY stay healthy, FULLY healthy (and this includes Trask fully healing, and FAST the rest of the way, though...We have used up our "injuries coming early and now behind us" allottment-of-good-fortune).
How do Y'ALL see it?!!
Now, we may or may NOT be "there" yet (prob NOT)--but I have EVERY CONFIDENCE that THAT is where we are headed under this Coach and his staff. It would take a magic sort of SERIES of breaks in our favor to get it done THIS season (personally, as I've said I don't believe we'll consistently be able to COUNT on the sort of steamrolling "inevitability of victory" that you feel around Bama's and/or (LAST year's) Clemson squads, for eg, until our Head Coach/"QB-Whisperer" fully installs his whole offense and playbook in the person of (hopefully) someone like Emory Jones' dual-threat skills.
We saw flashes of it during the brief stretch after Trask sprained his knee in the first half; JONES drove the field with the offense--shoulda scored a TD if the receiver hadn't let one of his nice passes, a homerun strike, bounce off his hands as he broke free on a dead run. Oh well; I believe we did get 3 pts off that drive before Trask eventually returned...
For those wondering why Trask was RE-installed at starter there (and in my hyped-up excitement, I admit for a few moments I was among them... It just seemed to me right then that Jones gave us our best chance TO WIN the GAME... But I soon came to understand). With young true freshman Mathews the only "depth" as backup QB at that point behind Jones... and Trask IS still the more level-headed, calm, knowledgeable and experienced QB we have right now... If he can go, you put him back in as soon as you are reasonably certain that he is healthy enough to properly run your offense--and KNOW you have a capable backup in the person of Jones, still in reserve and having once again shown that he IS "THE FUTURE OF THIS OFFENSE". In just that brief few moments, one whole drive, basically, we saw how he actually gives us MORE POSSIBILITIES than the steady, efficiently performing Trask.
It is Sunday morn, College Football Final is on and Ed Ogeron is spouting his usual arrogantly lame drivel in that almost unlistenable gravel-voiced, nails-on-glass punishment of the English language... And he proceeds to dismiss us almost off-handedly...
To a question about "next week's opponent", unlike OUR Coach who gave a real and true, thoughtfully honest response to the inevitably similar question asked of HIM right off as he steps to the mike for HIS presser, Ogeron on the other hand just mumbles some crap about "...I haven't looked or thought about Florida...don't know or care much before now... I suppose we'll speed things up if thats the way to beat em, slow it down if THATS the way...Don't really have any idea, but I'm sure we'll find a way...These guys are tough; and I'll put my QB up against anybody right now..."
You know, I might have agreed with him somewhat before I heard all that... But I imagine Malzahn was at least THINKING much the same thing (I recall him saying a few things that pretty well at least HINTED at a similar attitude!)... So now I find myself thinking that though I am hardly "confident" heading into their place, and not having that Swamp advantage (which DID play a part in our being able to weather all the mistakes our offense made in that first half, at least) does put a potential damper on what might be possible, nonetheless I find myself finding some HOPE in our coming into "Death Valley" with a CHIP on our collective shoulders... If we can SOMEHOW find a way to turn THAT into a win, I really do believe this could turn out to be that "magic season" after all...the full embodiment perhaps of that old saw, "Better to be lucky than GOOD", OK? I'm hoping maybe this could turn out to be the year where BOTH were true!!! Imean it: If we can find a way to somehow steal a win in Red Stick Saturday, all bets are OFF for the rest of the schedule!
We gotta ABSOLUTELY stay healthy, FULLY healthy (and this includes Trask fully healing, and FAST the rest of the way, though...We have used up our "injuries coming early and now behind us" allottment-of-good-fortune).
How do Y'ALL see it?!!