[NU Sports] Rueful Realist

[NEONRye at aol.com]

The reference to being "outcoached" caught my eye.  I give RW credit  for 
going for it 4th and inches at the NU 40 in the Fourth Quarter, which was  gutty 
but the right call, given our defensive shortcomings.  But he (or his  
Offensive Coordinator) made a horribly conservative call near the end of the  First 
Half that for me was the fulcrum on which the game ultimately  turned.  We had 
3rd and about 3, and, if memory serves, simply ran  off-tackle for no gain, 
when the passing attack had been working.   We  needed to keep the ball and run 
out the clock with a 23-7 lead going into the  locker room.  Instead, we gave 
the ball up and the Lions marched right down  the field for a big TD, which 
got them right back into it.  Watching at  home on "The Deuce", I was upset at 
the time, and I'm still upset about that  play.  We are simply not good enough 
to sit on a lead.  We needed to  go for the throat and keep them way down, as 
they ultimately showed that they  had more playmakers on the field than we did.
 
Having said that, if McGarrigle is able to tip the ball on 4th and 13, we  
would have hung on for the win.  He just missed it, which, I fear, is a  sign of 
what lies ahead.  Last year--until Hawaii--we got the breaks and  pulled out 
games like this.  Perhaps the wheel now turns on NU.....
 
Oh well, at least we now know we have a FG kicker.  He was great,  including 
kickorffs.
 
 
Paul Levinson