Premature Afterbirth (Part 1)

A few observations on the recent bowl games…

Hawaii vs Notre Dame
I will never, ever write another positive thing about Hawaii again. Given a chance to win their eighth game of the season and finish above .500, given a chance to play a bowl game in their own backyard instead of 3,000 miles away, given a chance to show a Christmas Eve national television audience what they can do, given a chance to take advantage of a matchup against a team that hasn’t won a bowl game since the year after Bill Clinton was first elected president, given a chance to get a signature win over, arguably, the most recognizable college football team in the land, what did they do? They choked. They stunk. They barely even showed up.

Notre Dame won 41-29, and the game wasn’t even that close. Hawaii somehow managed to make Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen look like Johnny Unitas. He threw for 401 yards and five touchdowns – both Notre Dame bowl records. Yes, that Jimmy Clausen. Don’t worry. You’re not alone. I don’t understand it either.

Florida Atlantic vs Central Michigan
Let me be the first (or at least one of the first) to say that I wouldn’t want Central Michigan’s Butch Jones to coach dung out of a calf. Double threat Dan LeFevour had a respectable first half passing, but -2 yards rushing. Why Jones chose to keep his star quarterback harnessed, I have no idea. In the second half, LeFevour netted fifty-eight yards rushing but, by then, they were playing catch up. Trailing by 11 with just over five minutes left in the game, the Chippewas drove to the Florida Atlantic six yard line. Faced with a fourth and goal, Jones, of course, chose to… go for it? Wait. Five minutes left. You need two scores. Don’t you take the nearly sure three pointer? Not if you’re Butch Jones.

Fourth down, incomplete pass. The score is still 24-13.

Fortunately, Florida Atlantic bailed him out by having the world’s worst three and out on their subsequent possession, losing two yards on first down from their own six yard line, and then throwing consecutive incomplete passes on second and third. One lousy punt later, and Central Michigan has the ball at the Florida Atlantic thirty-four. Give LeFevour credit for guiding his team to a crucial touchdown, and converting the two pointer to make the game exciting again.

Florida Atlantic 24, Central Michigan 21.

It’s decision time. With 3:09 left in the game, and two timeouts remaining, Jones, of course, chose to… do an onside kick? Before your scoring drive, you had stopped the Owls on three straight downs on a possession that consumed a grand total of fifty-four seconds. Don’t you send it deep and play defense? Not if you’re Butch Jones.

The onside kick fails, as most do. Game over. Great job, Butch.