2008 Woodie Awards
After great start Mustangs struggle
Andy Zweber
Issue date: 10/6/05 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
The Southwest Minnesota State University football team traveled to Bemidji State last Saturday to take on the Beavers in the second of seven conference games in the 2005 season. To make a long story shorter, the Mustangs traveled back to Marshall with a 47-9 loss, their tails between their legs and their heads down looking for an oat bag full of confidence and attitude.
From a statistical standpoint, the Mustangs looked more like a "My Little Pony" that you would buy at Toys r' Us, rather than a young breed of Clydesdales. Bemidji racked up 510 yards of offense while converting 11 of 16 third downs, a statistic head coach Eric Eidsness described as "demoralizing." Bemidji raced out to a 27-0 halftime lead and at one point led the Mustangs 47-0 with only 6:31 to play in the game.
From a coaching standpoint, how does Eidsness pull his team out of a two game skid where they have been outscored 89-23?
"You believe in them and tell them that there's a lot of football left to play," said Eidsness, whose team is now 3-3 on the year and 0-2 in the conference. "You focus on the positives and learn from and correct the negatives."
One of the negatives the Mustangs must face this weekend may not necessarily be teaching the x's and o's of football, but rather building the confidence that is needed to field a competitive football team.
"We need to get the confidence back into this team like we had in the beginning of the year," said Eidsness. "There are no secret plays or secret formulas that are going to help us out. We just have to play hard and execute and know that it's all mental and psychological."
One of the few positives from the game was senior wide receiver Ray Denson, who once again showed that he has "99 problems, but the touchdown ain't one." The lone offensive score for the Mustangs, Denson caught an 18-yard touchdown, the 23rd of his career, which catapulted him into fourth place for receiving touchdowns all-time in SMSU history.
Another positive for the Mustangs would be that this Saturday they travel to the University of Minnesota-Moorhead, to take on an 0-5 Dragons team that has been outscored 190-41 this season, and is arguably the worst team in the NSIC. However, Moorhead is celebrating Homecoming this weekend, so Eidsness expects a loud crowd and an energetic football team, so a fast start will be the key to victory.
"Getting a big play early will really help us get our confidence back and take away their (Moorhead's) momentum," said Eidsness. "It's going to be a fun atmosphere, and I expect the kids to play hard, execute, and get a win."
From a statistical standpoint, the Mustangs looked more like a "My Little Pony" that you would buy at Toys r' Us, rather than a young breed of Clydesdales. Bemidji racked up 510 yards of offense while converting 11 of 16 third downs, a statistic head coach Eric Eidsness described as "demoralizing." Bemidji raced out to a 27-0 halftime lead and at one point led the Mustangs 47-0 with only 6:31 to play in the game.
From a coaching standpoint, how does Eidsness pull his team out of a two game skid where they have been outscored 89-23?
"You believe in them and tell them that there's a lot of football left to play," said Eidsness, whose team is now 3-3 on the year and 0-2 in the conference. "You focus on the positives and learn from and correct the negatives."
One of the negatives the Mustangs must face this weekend may not necessarily be teaching the x's and o's of football, but rather building the confidence that is needed to field a competitive football team.
"We need to get the confidence back into this team like we had in the beginning of the year," said Eidsness. "There are no secret plays or secret formulas that are going to help us out. We just have to play hard and execute and know that it's all mental and psychological."
One of the few positives from the game was senior wide receiver Ray Denson, who once again showed that he has "99 problems, but the touchdown ain't one." The lone offensive score for the Mustangs, Denson caught an 18-yard touchdown, the 23rd of his career, which catapulted him into fourth place for receiving touchdowns all-time in SMSU history.
Another positive for the Mustangs would be that this Saturday they travel to the University of Minnesota-Moorhead, to take on an 0-5 Dragons team that has been outscored 190-41 this season, and is arguably the worst team in the NSIC. However, Moorhead is celebrating Homecoming this weekend, so Eidsness expects a loud crowd and an energetic football team, so a fast start will be the key to victory.
"Getting a big play early will really help us get our confidence back and take away their (Moorhead's) momentum," said Eidsness. "It's going to be a fun atmosphere, and I expect the kids to play hard, execute, and get a win."