There isn't much to be said at this point. Southern Miss football is in a deep, dark hole and it's going to take some kind of coaching effort to rebuild the program.
My initial impression from yesterday echoes the sentiment of some posts already made: the team is mentally beaten. I wouldn't go all the way and say they have "given up", but there was a visible change in energy after the first quarter when it was abundantly clear that this game was not going to be winnable. To extend that, there aren't any games left on the schedule that you feel you should win. There are "winnable" games left on the schedule, to be sure. Those games are important in building a semblance of momentum moving into the offseason. But, all of the "fixable" issues don't appear to be fixable in 2021.
Specifically, horrid offensive line play, razor-thin depth at the most important positions (student coach Smithhart is a bad step away from being the starting QB), and an overall lack of competitive talent.
To me, many of the mental mistakes we saw yesterday (and watched against UTEP) are a result of the larger issues. The defense knows full well that the offense is incapable, resulting in a loss of confidence in your only capable unit. The D is on the field far too long. Plus, big stops to get off the field can't even really be celebrated because they'll more than likely be out there again in four snaps. It's a slippery slope that seems impossible to climb.
The largest concern at this point is that the coaching staff will phone it in for this year. Now, I don't believe Hall or his staff will actually consciously do this. Hall is working with his back against the wall in many respects and is doing everything in his power to be competitive with what he has presently. But the temptation becomes to double down on recruiting and look ahead to the offseason to build towards 2022. A good thing in and of itself. But when you overemphasize the future, your current roster gives up. The confidence continues to spiral. More guys transfer or quit focusing on the next game because, well, if the coaches are looking ahead because this year is a wash, why shouldn't I?
It's a fine line to walk in a season like this. I'm sure glad I'm not tasked with turning this thing around - because it's going to take a heck of an effort to continue to build the culture and get buy-in from the guys you have right now. Hall has done that well to this point, I believe. The attitude of his guys in post-game/practice interviews and other comments in public continue to be positive - but what we saw yesterday was another step in the wrong direction. If Southern Miss football continues as it has the past two ballgames, the difficulty in turning the program around only compounds every week.
The bye week can either be an opportunity to recover and set your feet for a push in the final five games, or another step in the wrong direction.
My initial impression from yesterday echoes the sentiment of some posts already made: the team is mentally beaten. I wouldn't go all the way and say they have "given up", but there was a visible change in energy after the first quarter when it was abundantly clear that this game was not going to be winnable. To extend that, there aren't any games left on the schedule that you feel you should win. There are "winnable" games left on the schedule, to be sure. Those games are important in building a semblance of momentum moving into the offseason. But, all of the "fixable" issues don't appear to be fixable in 2021.
Specifically, horrid offensive line play, razor-thin depth at the most important positions (student coach Smithhart is a bad step away from being the starting QB), and an overall lack of competitive talent.
To me, many of the mental mistakes we saw yesterday (and watched against UTEP) are a result of the larger issues. The defense knows full well that the offense is incapable, resulting in a loss of confidence in your only capable unit. The D is on the field far too long. Plus, big stops to get off the field can't even really be celebrated because they'll more than likely be out there again in four snaps. It's a slippery slope that seems impossible to climb.
The largest concern at this point is that the coaching staff will phone it in for this year. Now, I don't believe Hall or his staff will actually consciously do this. Hall is working with his back against the wall in many respects and is doing everything in his power to be competitive with what he has presently. But the temptation becomes to double down on recruiting and look ahead to the offseason to build towards 2022. A good thing in and of itself. But when you overemphasize the future, your current roster gives up. The confidence continues to spiral. More guys transfer or quit focusing on the next game because, well, if the coaches are looking ahead because this year is a wash, why shouldn't I?
It's a fine line to walk in a season like this. I'm sure glad I'm not tasked with turning this thing around - because it's going to take a heck of an effort to continue to build the culture and get buy-in from the guys you have right now. Hall has done that well to this point, I believe. The attitude of his guys in post-game/practice interviews and other comments in public continue to be positive - but what we saw yesterday was another step in the wrong direction. If Southern Miss football continues as it has the past two ballgames, the difficulty in turning the program around only compounds every week.
The bye week can either be an opportunity to recover and set your feet for a push in the final five games, or another step in the wrong direction.
