A View from the Upper Deck
Mark Willard
Teamkong

Isn’t it nice when everything just sort of comes together?  When all the pieces fit, and everyone seems to be on the same page?  All the parts of the “well oiled machine” are in synch, and fortune seems to be smiling down upon us?

I know that feeling sometimes when I write this column, and it almost seems like the column writes itself.  But, what about the times like this week, when the column doesn’t come readily?  Then, it can be a real struggle.  Transferring that principle to the Gorillas, what about when things don’t go as planned.  What happens when the “well oiled machine” misfires?

There have been times, both recently and in the past, when the Gorilla football teams have seemed to be out of kilter somewhat.  Those times when it seems as though there are three different versions of the same play occurring at once, and no one really knows which is the correct one.  And not just individual plays, but entire series of plays.  Entire games where no one seems to have a clue as to the direction of the offense or defense.  Complete seasons of wondering where the team is heading, and why we would want to go there anyway?

In past seasons, the problem wasn’t really that we had bad plays, series or games; it was more a question of whether or not we would do anything about it.  The thing that seemed to frustrate more fans than anything else wasn’t that mistakes were being made; it was that the same mistakes were being made repeatedly.  We didn’t seem to be learning anything.  Failing to learn becomes learning to fail.

OK, so have things changed this year?  Well, I think so.  Are we perfect at learning from our errors?  Not a chance, but we are making significant progress.  Examples?  Well, the further “opening up” of the offense this year; involving (and evolving) the passing game; becoming less predictable to opponents.  We got a preview on the first offensive play of the St Cloud game, when the coaches called for a play action pass deep downfield.  And we all remember the spectacular result, don’t we?  However exciting that, and subsequent games where we opened up the passing game were, it’s not enough.  We have to continue to grow and evolve and learn.

I overheard someone say late in the CMSU game that it was “just like the Emporia game”.  Well, surprise!  It wasn’t “just like the Emporia game”, because this time, we didn’t lose…. maybe we are learning a little!  Late in that game, we did start to bring the occasional linebacker on a blitz, as we have done several times this year.  After the debacle against the ESU TE’s, CMSU tried to exploit that area as well.  The result was a measly 3 catches for a total of 31 yards.  Throwing the ball over the middle against us has long been a sore spot.  While CMSU had a couple of successful pass plays in that area, guess where the ball was thrown on Vernard Veasley’s fateful INT to seal the deal – over the middle, and we were waiting. 

I’m not here to break down the “X’s and O’s”, that’s the province of another column on this site.  My point is this:   Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks.  The key is, don’t try and make him forget everything else he knew before; try and blend the old with the new.  The new will come much more easily for both the teacher and the student that way.  Hopefully, we can apply this principle to the kicking game, and soon…..

We can’t ignore problems, but neither can we expect them to go away overnight.  Just because some of the problems in the kickoff coverage, and other aspects of the kicking game, are still struggling doesn’t mean that steps aren’t being taken to rectify the situation.  It’s an ongoing process, and sometimes those take a little while to work out.  I know most of us “want it all, and we want it NOW!” but sometimes life doesn’t work that way.  Nor does football.  I think we need to have faith that the coaches and players are making extreme efforts to fix these problems, and that they will overcome these shortcomings in our game.  And I’m sure we are also hoping that the solutions will come sooner rather than later.  Let’s not hide from the problems, but also lets not give up on them either.

Well, now we come to the player recognition portion of our show.  This weeks Unsung Hero is a longtime fan favorite at PSU, and a solid 4-year contributor.  In his four year career at PSU, Josh Lawson has started games at both ILB and DE.  Since making the transition to DE last year, he has been a fixture at the position.  A solid performer for the Gorillas, Josh is often overshadowed by the two “Big Boys” on the D-line, Aaron McConnell and Mark Stephen.  However, when you look at the stats, his contributions are clearly evident.  He ranks in the top 10 in tackles, and the top 5 in tackles for loss. Watching him on the field sometimes, you wonder how he isn’t even more prolific in these categories; he seems to be in on every play.  More importantly, the inspiration and effort he puts forth on every down are an immeasurable boost to the Gorilla defense.  For his efforts, his dedication, and his leadership, Josh Lawson is this weeks Unsung Hero.

Well, it’s finally here.  Arrowhead.  Bearcats.  Gorillas.  It all comes down to this game.  Let’s go out and get it done.