Playing "winning football" sounds vague on the surface, and heading into Mike Elko's third season at the helm, it's clear that the program is in the right direction, but back-to-back losses to Texas and Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff were the antithesis of what we saw throughout the 2025 season.
This starts and ends with redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed, who threw four of his career-high twelve interceptions in both losses while seemingly playing with less confidence compared to his past performances, resulting in poor decision-making; former OC Collin Klein's decision to use fewer RPO looks and keep Reed in the pocket also deserves some blame.
Under first-year offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins, the expectation is that Marcel Reed will return to utilizing his dual-threat skill set more often, getting outside the pocket, especially on play action where he has thrived since becoming the full-time starter. Equipped with one of the best wide receiver rooms in the country, Reed's improvement this preseason should lead to another jump in consistent play.
However, the defense allowed nearly 400 rushing yards against Texas and Miami last season, a huge contributing factor in both losses that wasn't based on personnel, aside from a lack of size at linebacker, which has been addressed this offseason.
During Thursday's press conference, Mike Elko said taking another step toward making "winning plays" in key moments has been a clear focus, starting with finishing strong every practice, while his team's mental makeup will be tested throughout the nine-game SEC schedule.
#reed #losses #mike #Miami
This starts and ends with redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed, who threw four of his career-high twelve interceptions in both losses while seemingly playing with less confidence compared to his past performances, resulting in poor decision-making; former OC Collin Klein's decision to use fewer RPO looks and keep Reed in the pocket also deserves some blame.
Under first-year offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins, the expectation is that Marcel Reed will return to utilizing his dual-threat skill set more often, getting outside the pocket, especially on play action where he has thrived since becoming the full-time starter. Equipped with one of the best wide receiver rooms in the country, Reed's improvement this preseason should lead to another jump in consistent play.
However, the defense allowed nearly 400 rushing yards against Texas and Miami last season, a huge contributing factor in both losses that wasn't based on personnel, aside from a lack of size at linebacker, which has been addressed this offseason.
During Thursday's press conference, Mike Elko said taking another step toward making "winning plays" in key moments has been a clear focus, starting with finishing strong every practice, while his team's mental makeup will be tested throughout the nine-game SEC schedule.
#reed #losses #mike #Miami
2 days ago
