1.) What encourages me the most right now is the consistency that is starting to grow. We have now put together 4 straight games where we matched up pretty well and had a chance in the 4th quarter. Each of the last 4 games have been single digit games. If we count the Tennessee game, then we have now had 5 straight competitive and solid performances. That is a great sign for building a program.
2.) We appear to be able to play up to our competition lately and also play with teams regardless of their style of play. I say this because we have had some past successful teams at UTEP that could play well with some teams, but then they would almost always struggle when we played physical teams(regardless of their record). My hope is that the consistent showings under Dimel might be hope that once he gets this thing turned around, that we won’t have that same weakness(of not being able to compete with physicsl teams) like we did in the past.
3.) I am also very encouraged by the number of different players that are having to play. For instance todays game was our 6th different offensive line combination to start this year. That’s 6 different combinations in 7 games! And even though they went against a veteran La. Tech defensive line, we still had a chance in this game until the very end.
4.) I will also pat myself on the back a little, because I was the first person who came onto this board after the NMSU game, at a time when every one was still pissed, and I expressed a lot of positives and optimism for what I saw from that game. I then watched rewatched the replay of that game a day later and then came back here and reaffirmed my initial thoughts. I saw the structure starting to form and we have been competitive ever since. We still have a ways to go, but without question, we are getting better as the season goes on.
