Lose the way that we have (all blowouts) or lose like FIU (every game by less than a TD)?

Obviously, you'd rather win, but I thought it was an interesting question since both schools are always lumped together and have arrived in the same place in completely opposite ways. Maybe it goes back to the scheduling question. Would you rather play the teams that they have played for less money or play the teams we have and be pretty much assured of being blown out of the water, but bring home a huge check at the end. This isn't a shot at FIU. They have played some solid programs, and have fought them admirably, but Maryland, USF, and Bowling Green are clearly a few notches below what FAU has had to face.

As a fan, i'm torn. The blowouts are tough, but at least they ae over and done with quickly. Losing heartbreaker's like they have sticks with you. I barely remember last year's Minnesota game, but I still get pissed when I think about the UCF game a few years ago.

The bottom line was $$$$. We needed it to keep the program progressing back when they scheduled these games ( they schedule these probably a year or 2 in advance ? ). Unfortunately the team was not at the point where we hoped we could have been competitive - graduations, injuries, ineligible recruits, loosing kids because of NCAA violations, etc… We gambled and unfortunately lost these games but the players and coaches who get to play with these prestigous teams – these experiences are invaluable.

The football program is in the black and that was a goal that had to be met.

We will begin to find out next week what we learned from playing these teams.
Of course I would have liked to have had all wins or at least have them close before heading into conference play. I think the schedule in the upcoming years will be different. Next year looks great.

We have to trust in our leader - he knows what he is doing - he has proved it more than once before.

This is a very tough question, the blow outs are not are bad if the effort is there by the players, I hate to see us continue to make so many silly mistakes. A repeat of last year where the breaks are deffinetely not going our way. From getting an interception, flumbling the return and allowing the other team to get great field position for their first score of the game. Later in the game, a very bad pass that should have been intercepted (three defenders between the passer & the receiver), insteads falls into the hands of a revceivers not even in position to have caught the ball for a TD :P and these plays a just two of many during these pass four games.

The results in these games could be better and not be so lopsided as they have been.

I agree that the blowouts hurt at the time but are forgotten sooner than close losses – where a game could have turned on a single play. It's the latter type (close loss) that causes sleepless nights.

I also agree that we have the right coach, that he knows what he's doing – and that the FAU administration required the athletic department to run in the black. Without better fan support and a group of sugar-daddy donors, I do not know of a way to avoid the payout games. The second part of that is to gain invaluable experience from playing very strong competition. On the field, the trick is to make that experience pay off during the eligibility lifetimes of the players who absorbed the 'experience.'

One way to help do that is for people who are close to the team to help the players understand that fans, too, get the picture and remain in support of a growing and improving program.

My guess is that the coaches already are looking at the specific plays that lead to opponents' scores, and rectifying any mistakes – as well as looking at the offensive plays that worked and variations (in addition to all the other details of what worked and what didn't).

Next Saturday will tell us a lot. Our opponent will be coming off a bye week, with plenty of time to prepare. This probably will help coaches more than players (unless someone is nursing a minor injury that needs another week, etc.) [Unfortunately, that game won't be on TV where I am.]

Back to my two favorite words of late: support and patience.
Hang in there, guys. You're taking the lumps and the heat. We're sitting in front of computer screens. We appreciate what you're doing.

I know there are those that say we are playing this schedule for the money and there are those that say we are playing this schedule for the experience. Its almost like the beer commercial, "less filling, tastes great"

I've noticed in my years that everything has a cost or a benefit. If you buy a bigger faster car, it burns more gas. Thats a cost. When you sacrifice and endure hardships in your life you come out of it stronger. Thats a benefit. This was a tough schedule of which many of these guys have never seen before. Its almost like taking all the very best players that they played in high school and put them on one team or four teams in this case. Reguardless of the money, there was a benefit from these games for the players. You can say there was a double benefit to playing a schedule like this. So for all those that seem to be concerned what the real reason for a schedule like this, just say both!

It seems like FIU's learning curve has progressed much faster than ours or their recruiting has been much better than ours.

That on-campus stadium doesn't hurt either. >:(

SigEp77 said

It seems like FIU's learning curve has progressed much faster than ours or their recruiting has been much better than ours.

That on-campus stadium doesn't hurt either. >:(

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if FAU has lost recruits because of facilities or lack of. I really shouldn't say lost. A recruit would have to show some initial interest before we can say we lost him.

Some one here on the board spoke to parents and recruits and found some were pretty turned off when they found out Lockhart is the home field.

The program needs the money. Obviously, Coach Howard has a plan. I am concerned about what the loses, are doing to the players' confidence. Football is more than just physical. It is also psychological. It is important believe that you can win. It is hard to have that confidence after getting beaten as bad has FAU has been the first four games.

The losses are going to be taken hard, and I hope so, otherwise they would just not care. Lets hope the coaching staff can repair the psychological damage before the team falls apart.

I believe that the coaching staff prepared the players prior to the first game of these tough OCC games and the reality of the matter is those losses still have an effect on the players.

We need to remember that this is a young team playing teams at a level that exceeds their current capabilities. We found out that we just don't have what it takes to macth up with these teams on a consistent basest and where overwhemled for the most part. Yet, there where times that we did. Silly mistakes, bad breaks compounded things as well. Most of these are mistakes are correctable.

The experience we have gain from these first four games may not become evident till next year. On the issue of recruits, we need to remember that we have loss some very good recruits from the past two recruiting classes - four from this past year alone which hurt, especially in the depth charts (some that could have easily have been starters this year - two running backs). So, it's not that we are not getting recruits so much that you do have limited schollys and teams take a chance on recruits and when some don't pan out it leaves a hole somewhere. And yes, it has hit us hard, but it does happen at establish programs as well, the difference is they have more depth then we do, so we tend to get hit harder and which becomes much more evident.

Lockhard has not been an issue so far as recruiting yet - this is not to say that it will become an issue in the future if we don't get a campus stadium approved in the near future.

The problem lies in the transition of 2004 and the loss of recruits we had to endure the past two years - we all knew that we where in a re-building year since and may have spurred our development process a bit, but these will get better 2007 will be better and 2008 should be a very good year for us.

Again, we have played competition well above our competancem that every small mistakes we made was magnified. Again most can be corrected.