Judging by twitter reactions and the few in game emails I have received there is a lot of blame being thrown in the general direction of Munchie Legaux. That isn't without reason, Munchie spent three quarters looking utterly lost and one quarter looking OK. But the ultimate blame for this performance can't fall on Legaux, because he was repeatedly put in positions to fail. Munchie has talent and ability, but very little experience. It's a lot to ask for him to repeatedly rescue drives on 2nd and 3rd downs. Offensively UC put Munchie in a nice little box and tried to manage the game around him. In theory that is a sound idea. First time starter, on the road, big game etc. I get it, I don't like the idea at all, I hate it with a passion in fact, but I understand the impetus for it. But the only way that kind of strategy can work is if the rest of the team plays at a higher level to compensate for the guarantee of lesser production from the offense. That simply didn't happen. The Bearcats had a general theory of containment in effect on both sides of the ball. Again I hate that approach to Football. Its why I can't watch the NFL, because every game is the same, teams playing not to lose rather than trying not to win. It took 50 minutes for the Bearcats to cast aside the handcuffs that were kept on Munchie today. The results weren't stellar by any measure, but that's beside the point.
Leagux is a guy with immense physical talents. But coming into the game he had 40 snaps under fire. He was going to make mistakes. UC tried for 50 minutes to limit his mistakes by not giving him a chance to make them by not taking any chances. In the last 10 things opened up, against softer coverage admittedly. Legaux drove the Bearcats down the field and had a chance to make things interesting, and he threw a pick. I could care less about the pick, and I could give a shit about the loss. What bothered me the most about today was the collective decision to play not to win. I do not have the verbal repertoire to express how much I hate that approach. Still the season is not over, though I can already see people bailing out of the HMS Bearcat en masse. UC still has a chance, a distant one admittedly for third Big East Championship in 4 seasons, a 10 win season and most remote of all a trip to the BCS. But not if they play not to lose next week against Syracuse.
Anyways there is a Basketball game on that I can't watch on TV and have no desire to listen to on the radio. But if you have said desire and ability use this as your game thread.