Following Missouri State’s 63-7 loss to Memphis, Dave Steckel was his usual, sarcastic self when speaking to the media, flashing the dry humor that has made him a hit around Springfield since his hiring last December.
“…Yeah, all week I’ve been thinking about getting my *expletive* kicked,” said Stec of his head coaching debut.
But, there’s nothing humorous about Saturday’s loss; the Bears were simply embarrassed.
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Historically embarrassed.
In 2011 Arkansas lost to Alabama and LSU, the two teams that played for the national championship, and beat Missouri State 51-7 to open the season. Two weeks later the eventual Rose Bowl champs Oregon beat Missouri State in Eugene 56-7.
In 2012 Missouri State played Louisville, the Teddy Bridgewater team that would ultimately go 11-2, beating Florida in the Sugar Bowl, and lost 35-7. That was just a week after losing a 51-9 season-opener in Manhattan, Kansas against a K-State team that went to the Fiesta Bowl.
In 2013, Iowa went to the Outback Bowl and beat the Bears by two touchdowns, 28-14 and last year Missouri State mustered 23 points and was competitive against an Oklahoma State team that was over .500 and won a bowl game.
These games are called “money games” and to put it nicely, FCS programs are paid to go play up a level and take one on the chin.
It happens every year and playing a Memphis team coming off one of its best seasons in more than a decade, returning a NFL-prospect at quarterback, a loss was to be expected. But, the way the Bears lost was anything but acceptable.
Just 125 yards of total offense, 18 rushing yards, 2-for-14 on third-down conversions and one of the most uninspired halves of football I’ve seen from any Missouri State team. Ever.
…By the way, I watched Missouri State lose, at home, to D-2 Washburn in 2008, 35-27.
Stec doesn’t like to use the word young when describing his football team, choosing to say inexperienced instead, but with more than a dozen freshmen and sophomores playing marquee roles for the Bears, it’s the best way to define them.
But, Stec himself also showed his “youth” in running a football team.
Missouri State’s first six possessions resulted in either a three-and-out or a turnover, including a Breck Ruddick fumble that he just lost a handle on.
Nerves…
A new team, a new system and a hostile environment, Missouri State looked intimidated early. And rather than maybe burning an early time out to allow his team, especially a defense that played 25 snaps during the first quarter in 90-degree Tennessee heat, a chance to take a breath, he watched as Memphis held the Bears to 33 yards on 16 plays in the first 15 minutes defensively and complied 173 yards and 28 points on the other side of the football.
Memphis even returned a punt for a touchdown. The last time that happened George W. Bush was in Office.
After several months of build up to the new era of Missouri State Football, Stec’s debut was about as exciting as a root canal.
Coming in with the reputation of being one of the best defensive minds in football, Stec's defense watched a double reverse pass go for a 60-yard touchdown and had more missed tackles than could be counted.
First games are typically sloppy and in no way an indictment on a season, but for 60 game minutes, the Bears looked unprepared and undisciplined.
Running an up-tempo offense against a team that ran more plays per game than Oregon did in 2014, with a quarterback that was making his first collegiate start, in his hometown, against a college that offered him, isn’t the worse part about Saturday.
Neither was the lack of fire and general, “can we get this over with” attitude that was apparent in the second half.
Again, those are signs of a young team… or inexperienced team… whatever you want to call it.
But, I didn’t expect a lack of passion from a staff that has been full of life and energy since arriving in Springfield.
I understand that Memphis is a good team, but it’s less about what they did and more about what the Bears didn’t do; there was zero excitement on the Missouri State sideline. Nothing for anyone, player, coach or fan to get fired up about.
I’m not a huge fan or trick or gimmick plays, or even going for it on fourth down, but in a game that was similar to watching a snowball roll down a hill, getting bigger and faster as it makes its way down, why not try something to break up the momentum.
Clearly it couldn’t have gotten much worse. At least at that point you maybe fire up your kids and salvage a bit of pride entering next week’s home opener instead of standing by idly.
Ultimately, this loss means very little in the grand scheme of things, as junior linebacker Dylan Cole said postgame.
Memphis is a really good FBS team, one that could be looking at playing in a major bowl game.
Missouri State can still challenge for the MVFC title, a FCS playoff spot and no player is in jeopardy of not graduating due to the loss.
Nearly every mistake from Saturday is a correctable one, something that should change with game action and practice reps, as this team continues adjusts to a new system and a new staff.
The Memphis loss shouldn’t define the Bears season and ultimately this will be water under the bridge as the season progresses, especially if the Bears win.
But, for a fan base that has become nauseatingly familiar with mediocrity, Saturday wasn’t the effort that many expected and it’ll be a month until we figure out exactly what we have in this team. The Bears take on D-2 Chadron State and Sun Belt favorite Arkansas State in the coming weeks and won’t play FCS competition until Oct. 3 when Indiana State comes to town.
What is painfully clear is that the restoration of Missouri State Football is certainly not going to happen overnight, or maybe even this season, but if it is in the cards under the current regime, Stec will have to mature into his new role as quickly as his players.
