I believe that Kugler drained the program of the talent level we had seen with Price and even Nord. The strategy of running into brick walls and losing nearly every game had a devastating effect on attracting talented players. Good players just aren't into losing stupidly. Dimel brought with him the "reputation" and name recognition to convince players that the Wildcat offense wasn't the stupid brick wall breaking of Kugler but his first three years it looked pretty much the same. Hardison forced him to pass. Because Hardison lit a spark Dimel has been forced to go with him, but is still using him in a way that limits the offense offense. The RPO without the second run option just isn't the same at all. Price had gone with an offense that emphasizes skills players going one on one against a defender. Kugler said we don't need skills if we just pound the ball and then proceeded to eliminate the use of skills players. Stumbling onto an Aaron Jones prolonged the agony. Hardison forced the pass last season and receivers saw that there was openings for a receiver and a couple are getting a chance. So, I would say that Dimel has not substantially upgraded the talent. I would say that he has found a defensive coordinator that has brought some order to the defense, making it not just wet tissue paper strong. Offensively, we still are just about equal to NMSU. Actually, NMSU is ahead of us offensively. We knocked out their starting quarterback and their second string qb played well. Think what would happen to th Miners if Hardison was knocked out of the game.
if number two is right then the unskilled level is what he has upgraded? And yet we can never get a yard when we need it by using our "strength". For me, Dimel is Kugler with Hardison and the pass thrust upon him against his will. Before those two we were hanging with the teams of the AAC. We are now struggling to stay off of the bottom of maybe the worst conference in the country.
I won't even waste my time with number three other than to agree.
How did UTSA, and others go from a lower level to flying past us? It happens over and over. You pay the big boy bucks to get a big boy coach. One that players-good players want to come and play for. I know, I know. Picture the poor farmer, barefoot and barely able to feed his family, "Please mister, we don't have money for good coaches. We only have a few dried beans and pocket lint." That's fine but when you shop at the Dollar Store you get what you pay for.
We are going to have to make a decision, or it will be made for us. Are we going to be a FBS level school or drop. Or be dropped to wander homelessly like the aggies were and may yet be in a year or two. We cannot continue doing what we are doing. The downward path has about reached the bottom of the chart. The thing I hate is that I think we have all seen the answer for 50 years.
