The bowl seemed a pretty good reflection of the season.
The defense was stellar. Injuries? No problem. Plug and play. As a unit and scheme, they show up and play lights out. A few times a game, giving up a few long passes where the secondary is out of position. Some great athletes got theirs against our D, but generally we played our game.
Offense? Inept. Runs up the middle until JJ comes up limping (kudos and guts for him keeping going, but Plan A game plan only works until he is hurt, then it goes to Plan D). Injuries? Uh, we have a pig farmer who is a one read, can sometimes scramble and pick up yards, but will take a bad sack instead of throwing it away. Injuries did hit harder on offense – QB1 out, QB2? out, QB3 fast but dev on passing, QB4 walk-on, RB1 nagging injury, RB2 out, RB4 out, TE1 (or WR) out, TE2 out, TE3/4 a little small and experieced, WR1 missed a few, WR2? out, C out a while, OL mix and match all year.
Arizona 1H was really bad. This whole game was bad. Still reachable if any offense came to life. We had 4! snaps in NW territory before the TD drive. To tie it! Defense kept us in it, offense (Ludwig calls, Barnes POOR execution) lost this. Same all year.
8-4 wasn’t bad at all with our schedule and who we had to play. NW starters were not that great and beat us. Whole season of could’ve, would’ve, should’ve.
Season like this next year? Whit retires. Great season like 2021, 2022? Whit goes out ‘on top’. I don’t think he can stand the NIL and transfer stuff.
Utah @ 
Baylor 
.
