Week in Review

My high school golf coach Rich Riesner had a great saying. "You can't birdie 'em all if you don't birdie the first. CSU-Pueblo has kept alive their dream of running the table by "making birdie" in their first game of the year on the road at West Texas A&M. The victory wasnt a thing of beauty but football is not a game of style points but a game that measures success by the point total on the scoreboard. It's a good think since the Thunderwolves statistics didn't measure up real well against the high powered Buffaloes of West Texas. They were outgained 556-238 in total yards. The defense allowed 8 "explosive" plays (yards gained of over 20 yards) to just three for CSU-P. But those are just two of the statistical categories. You have to dig deeper to find a ray of hope for the otherwise dismal performance by the defense. Defensive coordinator Hunter Hughes charges did pick off Buffalos quarterbacks three times in the game. They held A&M to just four of 14 on third down conversions. In the fourth quarter the defense began to make big play after big play. Defensive ends Corey Orth and Pueblo East freshman Darius Allen put constant pressure on Buffalos quarterback tandem. In the secondary the insertion of Jerrod Lacy at safety/nickel back gave the Thunderwolves a fast bigtime hitter. And cornerback Stephen Dickens picked up right where he left off in last years freshman campaign by leading the team in tackles and nearly snaring a "pick six" late. These positives help to offset the apparent blatant disreguard for the fundamentals of tackling. The Buffalos "yac" (yards after catch) was way too much. Perhaps a new stat would have been more appropriate for this one. Yards after first contact. These issues will surely be addressed. Plus make no mistake about it the Thunderwolves will not face anybody else on their schedule with the array of speedy backs and receivers possessed by the Buffalos. Offensively CSU-P faces bigger challenges in my humble opinion. The Packs two headed running back monster failed to get much going with the exception of one long run by Jamaal Johnson. Preseason All-American Jessie Lewis was ordinary at best before sitting out the fourth quarter with leg cramps. Quarterback fumbled on the first series of the game and at times his internal clock was slow. In his defense the Buffalos defense was big, bad and nasty. But he will be the first to tell you he will have to play better. The glaring difference in this game was on special teams. Kyle Major was spectacular hitting four field goals including a personal best 52 yarder. Punter Brandon Kliesen changed field position on several occasions. Thunderwolves came up with two blocked punts the last of which set up the game winning field goal by Major. Josh Sandoval did fumble once on a return but atoned for that by ripping off a 62 yard return in the fourth quarter to set up a score. All of this leads us back to the top when I stated its not about style points but about the scoreboard. I am sure West Texas feels they are still the better team and perhaps they are right. The Thunderwolves bask in the glow of victory and their newly achieved number 21 ranking in the newly minted national poll. The challenge for them is to get better and get better in a hurry because a football season can get ugly real quick if you rest on your laurels.