Wow, just wow.
What a game, and on homecoming.
After last week’s loss, Clint Dolezel knew the clock was ticking on his time in Commerce, and he delivered with a team that was prepared. He was ready and had this team ready. His first test was passed, now onto the next round.
They say the measure of a person is not how the react when things are going well, but how they respond when things are going rough. This team entered a game on a rainy Northeast Texas day, it being their homecoming game, with some unpleasent outside news (more on that later), and so many obstacles, and yet emerged with a win, a huge win against a team that was just outside the FCS Top 25.
The offense looked good at times but was hit and miss, that said, they played 3 quarterbacks due to injury, and it all fell onto young Luke Glass. Just legel enough to vote, and he showed that he could run an offense very effectively. I couldn’t be more impressed by how fearless and effective he was.
The defense played outstanding for a half, and actually played very well, but the penalties almost doomed them. You can’t commit penalties against a team as good as UTRGV and exepect to win, but the effort the defense put up was just so inspiring. The lack of discipline is easier to swallow when you know there is a deep desire to win behind it.
UTRGV was thinking they would be able to control the game and the clock by running the ball, and aside from their QB breaking contain a few times, they did nothing of the sort. They rushed for 72 yards which is well below their average of 200 yards per game and was rolling up 478 yards of offense a game. They held The Vaqueros to 265 of offense, close to half the productivity. This defense does not lack talent, just discipline. They get that figured out, the “Blue Gang Defense” moniker is there’s to grab.
For the first time this season, I saw a special teams coverage unit that was hungry, disciplined, and playing with desire. It was so refreshing to see. Someone got a hold of them. The kick/catch interference aside, I was very impressed with how the units covered and did not allow UTRGV to have big returns. Ben Mehan’s punting was…..better. 40.8 yards average.
But…Ozlo Rigby. He not only hit the game winner, he hit a field goal earlier in the game that got the Lions points, and then stepped up and hit the biggest field goal of his career. He will remember that if he is placed in that position again.
The Lions get an off week before heading down to face a Houston Christian team that beat Nicholls 16-2. Rest, recouperate, and then focus on the next test, a tough Husky team.
