Some of you guys have the football IQ of a earthworm.
Early non-conference games are a lot like NFL pre-season expect for the fact that you damn well better win. The final score counts, but you are evaluating how the team performs in every aspect of the game. So far, our defense is not playing anything close to championship football. We do not seem well prepared to start games, and our pass rush is not effective.
Yes, yes, yes, the points are what really matter. But if you think that it is no cause for concern to give up 23 first downs, 4.7 YPC, and 412 yards to UTEP, then you are fooling yourself. What UTEP's players lack in ability, composure, whatever to convert some of those drives to points..I can promise you that Big XII teams like OU and Missouri have. We need to get a lot better and quickly.
The only real positive that I have seen from our defense in the first two games is the effort. Our guys are trying really hard, but the results just are not there. We are over-running plays, and seem out of control at times. We are also not tackling well. I thought after the first game that might just be a transition from camp to full contact, but it was still bad this week.
I have seriously rolled back my optimism for this defensive unit. Our young DB's are going to improve slowly, but they need help from the front 7. You guys who are saying that we are "holding back the blitz package" better be right, because what we are doing now is not getting it done.