Michigan St. went the wrong way on Saturday

Well, at least the trip was great.  Not sure if we want Washington to join the Big Ten if we can’t compete with them; maybe we’d rather have Akron join the B1G.  

What an embarrassment.  What the ES doesn’t understand is 1) the lack of preparedness for Penix; 2) the lack of any effective adjustments at the half; 3) why the DBs played soft and unaggressive for the entire game, giving Penix the opportunity to slice, dice, and shred an already vulnerable defense; 4) QB Thorne showing up for only the last half of the last quarter.  

1. Coach Tuck noted at the beginning of his comments as he boarded a plane home, (paraphrasing) “obviously they were aware of a vulnerability in our defense and exploited it,” then why didn’t he have a better game plan to provide help to an obviously poorly executed DB gang?  We all knew the capability of Penix, who shredded MSU the two times he faced us while at Indiana.  Why give him what he wanted, which was soft coverage?   The lack of an effective pass rush, and few blitzes in the game, allowed Penix to basically do what he wanted.  On the other side of the ball, the offensive line played very poorly, and on no occasion did we see any misdirections in the run game or jet sweeps. All up the middle, all game long.  When it became obviously ineffective… why continue to run it for 2-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust when throwing the ball was the only way to crawl back into the game?
2. Coach Tuck also noted “we made adjustments” which is absolute horse shit.  If so, they were the least impactful and most ineffective halftime defensive adjustments since the French bailed on the Maginot line from the Nazis.  I have no idea what he and the staff were thinking. It was painful to witness firsthand the continued lame play by the DBs.
3. The DBs need lots of work and help. Not once - not once - did I see a Spartan corner turn his head to any Penix ball was thrown.  Instead, the DBs were chasing Husky receivers from behind all over the place.  Giving a 10-12 yard cushion every single play all game long served no purpose, other than playing into Penix’s hands.  Maybe coach Tuck acknowledges we didn’t have the talent, especially with injuries?  Then, ROLL OVER THE SAFETIES FOR SOME HELP.  Instead, too many times DBs were on islands or in a soft zone coverage that Penix exploited.  Coach Tuck didn't put his players in a position to win.  Just inexcusable.  
4. Thorne can’t just show up late in the 4th quarter.  He has got to stop telegraphing his passes, and take a page from Penix and look off the defense. No wonder the Husky DBs played such tight coverage!  And, he needs to make plays earlier.  He missed wide open receivers, and the pick from his own end zone was just a terrible, hurried throw.  Throw it out of bounds, buddy, not directly to the defenders!!!!  He was not sharp, once again.  For everyone who says “he gritted it out and was a gamer,” I say GREAT - show up EARLIER in the game than the 4th quarter.  Stop making so many mistakes!  
   
   

Lovely Seattle from I-5

Don't order the Fish & Chips!  At best a 6 of 10.  Shoulda got the pizza

Rip-roaring Husky Stadium.  It was loud.

There's Coach Tuck, lost in space.