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I think there are VERY few teams in any classification that has had a tougher 3 game stretch than Marshall has just completed. All three are top ten teams......period.

Very few teams would have had any more success in the win/loss category than we did during the Longview, Tex High, SS series...... and no one likes to lose. I think 0-3 in those games would have been easier to accept if there had been a little more fight, a little more excitement, and little more creativity in the games. Teams lose games..... even good teams lose games. I think Marshall has a good team.....a very good team. Which is why it's so frustrating to see us get outscored 135-61 in those 3 games. And some of that 61 points was meaningless late scores against SS after the game had been put away.

Fourth place is nothing to hang your head about in this district. But that doesn't excuse the fact that we have not looked good for a whole game since the PT game. And everyone has looked good against PT.

And I don't think Marshall fans are "satisfied" with just making the playoffs. I hope the coaches aren't.....because that IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

But I think what is more frustrating that ANYTHING....is something that all of us have seen if you visit other message boards online. Now.....I'm sure the Mav coaching staff has little interest in what is being said on these things, but as fans..... we have the luxury of questioning and analyzing the team.....

But for the last three weeks.....following the games, our opposing fans have almost in unison said the same thing: "Marshall has a great team but you just don't seem to utlilize your players to their strengths and talents."

And there you have it. After just 4 short quarters, our opponents have already figured out what our problem is..... and has been for a couple of years.

Marshall has lived and died on using a "scrambling QB" offense.

I'll agree....it has given us some success.....but it has also cost us.

I just think running this type of offense shows that we don't trust our offensive line to do their job.

Sure.....since 2006 we have had trmendous success with a QB-centric offense when playing Henderson, Pine Tree, Jacksonville, and Hallsville. But we have struggled against Longview, Kilgore, Whitehouse, and now add Texas high and SS. GOOD TEAMS KNOW HOW TO SHUT DOWN A ONE DIMENSIONAL OFFENSE.

Derrick Sneed to the left, Sneed to the right, sneed up the middle.
Darius Jones to the lift, Jones to the right, Jones up the middle.

Eventually...... you run into defenses that can either slow it down enough to beat you.....or they can shut it down completely.

Then we yank the scrambling QB out and put them in another position...... and then tell Fitzgerald (this year) or Jackson Hood (last year) to go out and save the day with a passing game that we haven't worked on all season.

We were lucky last season. Hood was able to go out and save the Texas High game......

Fitzgerald hasn't been so lucky. But how can he be?? He barely took a snap in the first 5 games of the season.

You don't magically develop a passing game in late October and early November after you have fallen 21 points behind in a football game.

Seems like to me....... we could have worked on developing our passing game against Jacksonville, Huntington, Hallsville, Pine Tree....... but no. Because we were able to rush for 500 yards, WHY PASS???? And now....here we are. We've needed a passing game in each of the last 3 games, and it hasn't magically appeared. Why? My guess it because we didn't work on it during those blow out wins. We were too busy running all QB-centric running plays that PT and Huntington couldn't stop.

A QB and thier WR's need to be in sync week after week after week. And they sync will NEVER develop when all you are doing is calling the same 4-5 running plays for entire football games. And then you want to become a run and shoot offense after you're in a 21 point hole..... huh???

I think about our district losses the last 3 seasons.....

This season: Longview, SS, Texas High....... all stopped the QB run. We were too one dimensional....and they keyed in on Darius Jones to shut him down. They succeeded. Our offense sputtered.

Last Season: Kilgore and WH..... both were able to keep sneed from running wild. Passing was not his strong point..... and our offense sputtered.

2006: Nacogdoches and Whitehouse: again....we were forced to pass in these games....and we were not very good at it. We lost both games.

There is little argument that Darius Jones is the best athlete on the team and probably in the district. But there is a lot of talent on this team, so why make one person carry the weight of the team on his back.

Develop a QB that is just at least MODERATELY proficient at passing. Just good enough to keep defenses guessing and on their heels. And all of a sudden.... that power runing games you want to utliize becomes a lot more effective. Especially when you have a stable guys that are great runners.

With KD Johnson, Jones, and Haigwood being mixed up into a unreal number of possibilities...... the options are limitless with a QB with just a moderately good passing arm. I think Fitzgerald.....if he would be given the chance to start consistently, could be that person. But asking him to do it on the fly is ridiculous. If he had been given the chance at the beginning..... with Jones roaming in the backfield or split out wide, along with the rest of the WR's and Johnson and Haigwood.... the offense has the look of a leathal weapon. But no.... we want to run QB left, QB right, QB up the middle. Johnson and Haigwood might get lucy and touch it once.... maybe twice in a drive. Then.......OPPS....we're down by 3 TD's.... OK Fitzgerald.... go pass the ball like a pro (even though you haven't had much of a chance to develop all season). I guess all that bench time while we were blowing out Huntington, Hallsville, and PT is haunting us a little bit now.

I honestly thought the Mav defense had been outstanding all season...... but Texas High and SS proved that our guys had no clue how to cover WR's in a passing offense. Playing 5 yards or more off the recievers...... and there was at least 4 LONG passes last Friday that the SS reciever didn't have a Maverick within 10 yards of them. One of them didn't have anyone with 20 yards of him. How does coverage get blown that bad that many times? Why do we give the WR's such huge cushions? They get to stand and wait for the ball to come to them with little to no pressure on them.

Marshall has a very good team. And I think our coaching staff KNOWS how to run a diversified offense...... they are just "playing it safe" to the point that it is crippling us. And then when we are in dire straits, we start taking risks that aren't paying off because we are forced to press and rush.

There are others issues......

the fumblitis..... which seemed to be remedied other than the one we had Friday. It hurt, but it by no means cost us the game.

the lack of tackling..... we're not wrapping up. we're hitting hard, but they are bouncing and spinning off the hit more more yards.

difficulty getting plays in fast enough...... general confusion at times on offense......

penalties...... I don't think I've ever seen so many unsportsmanlike penalties on a team before. I've heard it called "hustle" penalties. Looks like undisciplined penalties from the stands. You know you can run in and hit guys after a play is over....or a player is out of bounds.......but we continue to do it. Sometimes to our own demise as it keeps drives alive.

Barring disaster..... the Mavs will beat MP this week and we will be 6-4. Granted.... all 4 losses are to top ten teams. but all 4 were ugly blowouts too.

We will head to the playoffs where we will most likely take on Lindale, who I believe will be 9-1 should they win this week. I've heard their fans have the same gripes we do. Should we take care of that one...... I think the second round would most likely be Ennis or Waxahachie...... and that ladies and gentlemen could be our next mountain.....as both are very good.

Keep your heads up Mavs.....you guys have the talent to play with anyone.

Coaches......not only make them BELIEVE IT....... but prepare them to make it FACT.