UNK at UCM

[loper legionnaire]

The Mules cash in after getting an interception. Another scoring grab for Smith to extend the lead to 17-7.

[loper legionnaire]

On the one hand, if you would have told me earlier this week that UNK would only trail by 10 at halftime, I would have gladly taken it. On the other, I feel like the Lopers have played pretty well overall while the Mules have been a little off, so to still be down two scores is slightly deflating.

[loper legionnaire]

A nice drive to open the second half ends in disappointment for the Lopers after Heins misses his second field goal. He's now just 1-5 on the year.

[loper legionnaire]

UNK may be running out of gas. The Mules now lead 24-7 after a 12 yard catch by Pospisil. It was a 16 play drive that included 4 3rd down conversions and a 4th down conversion. The Lopers needed to get a stop and couldn't do it.

[ruwallydog]

And just like that…the rout is on

[loper legionnaire]

There's the knockout blow as the Mules once again take advantage of a Davis interception. Suddenly it's 31-7.

[loper legionnaire]

One more for good measure for the Mules.

[loper legionnaire]

The Loper backups get on the board on a pass from Johnson to Torres to make it 38-14.

[loper legionnaire]

That's game. The Lopers needed to be near perfect to keep it close but weren't. They did manage to win the time of possession battle and were almost even in total yards. But UCM got touchdowns after all 3 Davis interceptions, and Heins missed both field goal attempts for the Lopers. The Mules were also a combined 10-17 on 3rd and 4th down while the Lopers were 9-20.

[MuleBall]

The UNK QB is very talented and a very good athlete. Great runner plus the pitch but I don't think he has a huge arm...and that gets him in trouble.

[loper legionnaire]

The UNK QB is very talented and a very good athlete. Great runner plus the pitch but I don't think he has a huge arm...and that gets him in trouble.

He's not a passer, despite how much the coaching staff wants to turn him into one.

[HookemHerd]

He's not a passer, despite how much the coaching staff wants to turn him into one.

2x conference player of the year and they butchered him with play calling.

[Magic Man]

I will never understand why this couldn't have worked out with TJ Davis? Give him stuff he can do and play to his strengths. To throw away this year by thinking you have to just run your stuff makes no sense to me? They did run more option which was good to see but he really struggles with the throws he is asked to make and they have forced him to stay in the pocket this year. It is like they don't know how to use him? It has been sad to see.

[Predatory Primates]

I will never understand why this couldn't have worked out with TJ Davis? Give him stuff he can do and play to his strengths. To throw away this year by thinking you have to just run your stuff makes no sense to me? They did run more option which was good to see but he really struggles with the throws he is asked to make and they have forced him to stay in the pocket this year. It is like they don't know how to use him? It has been sad to see.

He's a pure option QB. Maybe with multiple years in another offense, he could have become a good passer, but trying to do it in one off-season was either arrogance by the coach or fear that he would be run out of town for starting anyone else. The fact that they have waited so long to try and adjust to him makes me think it's the first.

Mainly, I feel bad that someone talked him into staying at UNK. He's a possible nfl caliber natural athlete at some position, and I hope he doesn't miss his chance to get noticed because he is out of his element.

[AlexTheHAMMER]

In addition to lacking adequate funding when he was in Kearney, I recall him also admitting in a radio interview prior to last year's UNK-UCM game something along the lines of making rookie mistakes and not being flexible enough with his style of play. He wanted to play a certain way and didn't adapt enough when it was apparent he didn't have the right athletes to succeed with it.

Sounds kind of familiar...

Ok but Held has been a head coach at the D2 and JUCO levels before...this is not "rookie mistakes". To me, he's more bull-headed and not wanting to adapt.