Coming off the program’s first ever FCS Playoffs appearance and win, expectations were higher than ever. And rightly so.
The team is loaded with talent and experience. From 5th-year senior and 4th-year starting quarterback Josh Woodrum to the program’s all-time best wide receiver Darrin Peterson to All-American kicker John Lunsford to 1,000 yard backs Des Rice and DJ Abnar to Big South career sack leader Chima Uzowihe. The list goes on and on.
The season got off to such great promise with wins over perennial FCS power Montana and Sun Belt member Georgia State. Making a 2nd consecutive playoff appearance seemed a given.
But here we sit at 3-4 overall and 0-2 in the Big South with back-to-back losses to Big South basement dwellers Gardner-Webb and Monmouth. It’s October 18th and the season is over.
Something is broken and it needs to be fixed.
Is it coaching? Is it play calling? Is it senior leadership? Is it a lack of execution? Is it something bigger?
I don’t have the answer.
I’m just a passionate fan like the rest of you. I don’t get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to try to solve the problem.
But there are multiple people who do.
Something is broken and it needs to be fixed. And the people who have been put in the position and are paid well to figure it out need to fix it.
The question remains, WILL we try something different or give it a good fist pump and carry on?
You’re absolutely right, we’re paying this coaching staff a ridiculous amount of money to be losing to the bottom of the Big South. They are paid to take this team to the next level, not “maybe have a winning record” as Gil said. Someone has to answer for this embarrassment.
Insult to injury, college game day is going to JMU.