Gildan New Mexico Bowl: WSU Cougars Fall 48-45, Mike Leach Nor Connor Halliday to Blame

Nov 16, 2013; Tucson, AZ, USA; Washington State Cougars head coach Mike Leach walks to the sideline during the second quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. The Cougars beat the Wildcats 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

Ok, so I have been wading through the comments of twitter and facebook for the negative comments that were sure to come, but heck if I didn’t find an idiotic mass of crimson and gray “supporters.”

Are you people kidding me? Let’s address some of the … we’ll call it “concerns” (in bold) of a truly bitter and incredibly nonsensical fan base right now.

"WSU’s run game was terrible and WSU doesn’t have a run game"

The run numbers say you are correct. The pass numbers say you didn’t watch the game. The Cougs didn’t try to run the ball, nor should they have, save for a single play at the end of the half where they should have considered it. Still, on that play, a perfect swing pass should have been caught by Theron West (who besides that and a fumble had an otherwise great game). He let it go inexplicably which cost the Cougs time and 3 points. Not sure when our fans will learn that this is an extension of the run game? Also, look back to the past three weeks. The run game has been instrumental in the wins.

"Clock Management was GAWD AWFUL at the end of both halves"

Wanna know why the Cougs didn’t run it at the end of the first half? Watch the end of the second half again. Fact is, West should have caught an EASY pass in the flats and run up the field and got down. Time would have run out, just like a run play.

Then at the end of the 2nd half, with the time running out, why not run? Kneel there and give it back with about 15-20 seconds left? Why not run it and the extra time that runs off during the play wastes those precious seconds? Running it was the RIGHT THING TO DO. Kneeling it would have been better, but hindsight is 20-20 and there’s no reason running it is a bad call. And of course Laufasa just wasn’t ready for the level of physical play by an All-American linebacker in that situation.

The fact that haunts us all is that the snap on that previously mentioned play came with 22 seconds on the play clock, with the clock running after that silly keeper by Halliday. Connor then didn’t realize that because he was ruled down the play before, the clock would be running on the ready-for-play and not the snap. Not sure how he didn’t realize it, but he didn’t. This was a nervous mistake and ultimately rushed everyone into the play. You saw the end result, horrifying fumblitis.

"Connor Halliday is a GAWD AWFUL QB, a high school QB, the sole reason we lost this game and started “a momentum of fumbles” that cost the Cougars the football game. GET RID OF CONNOR!"

I don’t get this. Connor Halliday ties an NCAA bowl record with 6 touchdown passes and only the one pick on a drop early in the game, also throwing for 410 yards in the process and you once again call him a HS QB. Ridiculous. What does “started a momentum of fumbles” even mean. Think of what you just said, now say it to yourself slowly, that makes zero sense. Plus, Connor had zero fumbles, so you’re misguided. He mismanaged a snap timing. He also had a touchdown dropped in the end zone by River. And he wasn’t even on the field for the final fumble. Things happen, he’s going to be one of the most prolific quarterbacks in college football next season and we’re going to love him.

"FIRE LEACH!"

Are you frickin’ kidding me? It’s now apparent that you’ll be calling for Leach’s head after every big loss this program endures in his tenure… and it’s because you don’t like Mike Leach, for no apparent reason. He had this team within 2 minutes of 7-6 and a bowl win, if not for a fumble. Then another. You simply have to be tough enough not to fumble and it has nothing to do with Leach. An All-American linebacker made an All-American play when his team had to have it. You’re an idiot if you’re on the “Fire Leach” train. That’s ok though, Moos is smarter than you are.

"I would never have believed that Coach Leach would have cost us that game, or any game for that matter with such blatent and obvious poor coaching during the end of the game. I am a current CAF member and football season ticket holder and this is unacceptable to me. If we would have lost, then no problem, but to lose due to unacceptable and outright grid kid coaching decisions is unforgetable. Kiss my CAF membership and season tickets goodbye. Enough is enough COUGS and this supporter has had enough."

Every time I rip WSU fans for not being as loyal as they think they are as a fan base, I get bombarded. Thank you for proving my point clearly. Now you’ve had enough? 10 seasons of no bowl and you pick now? Ba-bye. This had nothing to do with the coaching decisions. Halliday had a lapse in awareness for a second and snapped it early. Laufasa, our most sure handed back, then fumbled. Then Caldwell’s fumble on a kickoff in a tie-game was nothing short of bone-headed. After seeing the ball go on the ground twice in a row you would think he covers it. Nothing there is coaching. The Cougs were better than you ever imagined they would be this season. CAF is about more than a football game anyway. It’s about the University. The only “grid-kids” are people like this who would pull their support of an entire program over two minutes of football. 6 other games were managed damn well and so was this one, save for two minutes of collapse by the players. What does that even mean, “grid-kid coaching”?

There were many more, but I just cannot continue here. I will say this… I’m prepared for the massacre about to befall me in the comments section. But I am utterly disappointed by our faithful after the loss yesterday. So disappointed. We claim to have the best fans in the business and the overwhelming majority of them were complete morons after the loss. You not only show no class for your school, you show no class for yourself when you threaten to pull you support while others bash on people who had nothing to do with the outcome of the game.