If you can’t appreciate a win, you aren’t doing it right. Or something like that. I appreciate this win because I’ve been through my share of losses and I know a loss to South Alabama would be worse than the poorest of wins.
Wins aren’t always fun to watch. Sometimes — like today — they can be very ugly. South Alabama out-passed us and were it not for that 85-yard run by Byrd and the 51-yard scamper by Brown they would have out run us, too.
Oh. About those runs. We have had the amazing ability to bust out 50+ yard runs haven’t we? They have been practically our only scoring weapon. Although Darnell Smith and Carlos Harris are doing nice things, the passing game remains anemic. The run game has slowed as defenses aren’t even pretending to respect the air attack. Those long runs are all we have left.
It was nice to send the seniors out with a win. This makes two years in a row that we’ve left the final home game with smiles on our faces. Going undefeated at Apogee isn’t always reasonable, but these games are showcases and therefore important for fan-making: First home game, Homecoming, Last home game. You want to be at your best because theoretically those are the most heavily attended (except for today).
Yeah. Apparently there weren’t many people to watch it. I wouldn’t necessarily categorize it as apathy however. This game was televised and some of you people were probably watching it at home in the comfort of your living room, sitting on the couch, drinking a beer and eating some chili.
Hell, that is exactly what I was doing. There is no need to feel bad.
TCU was hosting K-State so the casual college football fan was at Amon G. Carter or stayed home to watch Johnny Football. Others had work commitments. Students had school and sex and college. I don’t mind trying to compete with television. The stadium is fun but TV is king and I need more televised Mean Green games in my life, yo. Mean Green Premium is cool for the weirdies like me that always have a damn laptop open but most don’t want to shell out $10 to watch a bad feed on even the best computer. Not when sweet High Definition is competing 6 feet away. More people can easily switch to a good game than can sign up for MGP or drive to Denton. G0ing to games — especially November games of a 4-6 team — are expensive and time-consuming (even if the greatest of time).
Denton isn’t a tiny college-town in the middle of corn fields. All metropolitan schools struggle to draw crowds when their records are bad. Just check pics of Miami, USC and UCLA in down years.
I make that argument every season though.
So let’s put this thing into perspective. We are now 4-6 (3-3) with an outside chance to get bowl eligible. Both WKU and ULM aren’t the teams they were a couple of weeks ago for different reasons. The Warhawks lost Kolton Browning and Western just kind of fell apart after getting steamrolled by ArkSt. So does this change our chances of beating them? Not really. We aren’t the team we were in October either. Injuries have taken their toll and momentum is lost. This is why a win is so precious. Wins during a hot streak are relatively easy. Those ugly ones in front of sparse crowds with backups make you appreciate the good times.
We know we haven’t dropped off much from Brelan Chancellor. Even though Antoinne Jimmerson went out with a stinger, Brandin Byrd and Jeremy Brown provided the big plays. It was classic North Texas football. Defense and running the ball.
It was a perfect end to our run in the Sun Belt. I don’t care if ULL and ULM and Western Kentucky and Troy are jumping up and beating even SEC teams. In my short five or so years of watching this mess I know the ugliness. We are adorable to other people. You know, like the MAC. A curiosity that plays weird games and makes kooky appearances every other year or so.
We both know that isn’t the reality of the Belt, though. It is remote locations, shaky internet feeds (if you are lucky), bad refs and zero respect. I don’t know if the new CUSA will be absolutely better. I do know that I am ready for a change.
So take a look around. Enjoy the last trips to Monroe and Bowling Green. Thank the good lord that you won’t be there again for a long while.
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