Yes, that was a brutal loss.
Yes, we were all crushed, especially to lose so badly to our hated rival.
Yes, our porous secondary, the one we’ve been complaining about all year, gave up the one play they couldn’t give up, the play that flipped all the momentum we were building toward a two-score lead.
And yes, the injury bug hit at the worst possible time, taking out both Brooks Davis and Evan Shafer—and early.
It’s easy to tip into despondency, to blame Hauck, blame the defense, blame the A.D.
But remember, extremes hide the truth. And now that I’ve retreated from the ledge of a 60-story high rise, I’m regaining my optimism.
Our stadium is still the Mecca of FCS football.
We’re well set at the most important position on the field, hopefully for the next two years.
We lose the incomparable Michael Wortham but hopefully retain several key skill players, especially Gillman and Davis, with more talented under classmen emerging as potential stars.
We’ve got a lot of young studs on the O-line, a point of emphasis seemingly in the last two recruiting classes.
Our recruiting class was solid.
And while the portal taketh, it also giveth. Experience so far indicates that we gain more than we lose, given the atmosphere and chemistry around this program.
We just passed the darkest day of the year; the days only get brighter from now on.
As does my optimism about next year.
I’m back.
