[NU Sports] Hittin' on Colby

[Dennis W. Brandt]

Yes, Greg Colby's numbers are dreadful, and no one will be sobbing if 
someone else is doing his job next season.  But remember that Casey Stengel 
lost 120 games with the '62 Mets because all of a sudden he had to play Marv 
Thronberry and Choo Choo Coleman instead of Mickey Mantle and Elston Howard. 
Our D did pull off a couple of athletic plays yesterday that won the game, 
but they don't have enough athletic talent by big time college football 
standards to do that enough, especially the defensive line.  I cannot recall 
once when Cory Wooten has stayed in a quarterback's face all game the way 
quality defensive ends often do, and our defensive tackles very seldom 
collapse the pocket.  Our defense is eminently blockable, and we miss a lot 
of tackles the way Fitz the player rarely did.  Yes, technique and schemes 
are in the equation, and it may be that there is a Coach Robert E. Lee out 
there who can get more out of the defense we have now.  Ultimately, though, 
we need more speed, strength, quickness, and athleticism.  Even if Colby is 
as incompetent as you say, he doesn't deserve the character assassination.