LOL I can think of 7 or 8 legit excuses, GUYS OUR FOOTBALL PROGRAM IS STILL IN SHAMBLES!!!! Wish I can drink the Kool-aid, but I just can't on this one.
We are not close to winning five games, we're losing our best four or five defensive players to graduation and they are our best overall players, and return NOTHING on offense except Wadley and a banged up offensive line, we are still the worst football program in the country, one win against Rice or a close game at home against a beat up North Texas or a close game against LA Tech team shouldn't change the reality of the current lack of big time talent that is needed to win at the FBS level.
A stud group of RB's, QB's, or WR's ain't walking through that door between now and next November. Dimel and his staff almost blew a 34-10 lead to Rice, freaking Rice. Improvement? We compete in games now? Great, we went 1-11 overall, our average margin of suck against teams with losing records this year is 14.6 points i.e. UTEP was two scores worse than teams who are not even planning a bowl trip this year, that also includes a FCS team that stomped us at home, in the season opener by 20, don't wanna hear first game excuses on that one at ALL.
This is a major rebuild, don't matter the strength of schedule next year, we are going to be worse than next year unless Dimel attracts every grad transfer skill player on the market this off season or puts together one hell of a JUCO recruiting class between now and the December signing date.
I truly love me some UTEP and am desperate to see football turn the corner more than anyone, but we gotta keep it real, we will suck even worse next year, it will take at least two or three more recruiting classes to be at a level where we can actually complete with programs who have had consistent winning records in this decade, the cupboard is super dry guys, lets be real, Dimel has a longgg way to go.....