BlackNGold
Club Member
The Hawkins Legacy is what Embree is trying overcome and the changes he is making is an attempt to break down that legacy. Under Hawkins losing was an acceptable outcome. Of course everyone wants to win but great competitors cannot stand losing and will do anything possible to avoid it. Under Hawkins the players were conditioned not to get down on themselves because they lost. I think this is the same thing that always caused Neuheisel problems, his teams do not dig down to win ( I always remember the "we lost focus getting off the bus" at Mizzou under RN).
Embree is now trying to push any and every button to reach that layer where players will themselves to victory...We saw this with Barnett in the 2000 season where he threatened to remove the decals from the helmets - everyone laughed but that 0-4 team went on the road and beat a heavily favored A&M team. When the 2001 season came around and they lost to Fresno State and if you went into the Buff locker room after that game those players and coaches were hurting,,,they really could not stand the thought of losing. We saw the same thing in 1986 (which, IMO, was the turnaround season for coach MAC) when over the course of the season you saw the team transform into something special (they were 6-6 but the NU win was one of the all time great games) that paved the way for the success in the late 80s and early 90s.
Embree will not be able to totally turn it around in one year and probably not within two years but it is a process and he will have to get his successes a little at a time. Yes, the talent has to be definitely upgraded but the overall attitude needs some adjustments also.
Embree is now trying to push any and every button to reach that layer where players will themselves to victory...We saw this with Barnett in the 2000 season where he threatened to remove the decals from the helmets - everyone laughed but that 0-4 team went on the road and beat a heavily favored A&M team. When the 2001 season came around and they lost to Fresno State and if you went into the Buff locker room after that game those players and coaches were hurting,,,they really could not stand the thought of losing. We saw the same thing in 1986 (which, IMO, was the turnaround season for coach MAC) when over the course of the season you saw the team transform into something special (they were 6-6 but the NU win was one of the all time great games) that paved the way for the success in the late 80s and early 90s.
Embree will not be able to totally turn it around in one year and probably not within two years but it is a process and he will have to get his successes a little at a time. Yes, the talent has to be definitely upgraded but the overall attitude needs some adjustments also.
