What happened was always possible, but you’d figure at worst, it would be like 41-14. A game where there were chances, but it just didn’t happen. That’s something to build on.

It was way worse than any nightmare.

You go from celebrating fighting back versus ODU and Georgia Southern to being laid waste with no redeeming qualities. There are no moral victories here.

Throw out the fourth quarter stats. This App State offense had 29 total yards through three quarters. JMU had more than 29 points.

To suffer as the fans did, the coach who lets his GM and son watch the iPad after calling a fake punt on 4th and 11 from the 24-yard line marched his offense out to suffer more. “To build the mentality of not quitting” or some nonsense line from Dowell was the lecture given on Monday.

By the time the not-100% AJ Swann was possibly injured badly in the fourth quarter, his playcaller had long-since quiet quit on this one.
The defense bent and sometimes broke as long as they could before breaking was the only option. That point was in the Middle Eight (last four minutes of the first half, first four minutes of the second half) when the Mountaineers were outscored 17-0.

Around the Mountaineer Internet, you have your garden-variety of takes. There are the doomers who want DLo fired right now, preferably out of a canon. You got your revered former player circling the wagons, referencing past hard times. You’ve got those who blame NIL because that’s been their default setting since they learned what NIL was.

You know who didn’t say anything? Dowell’s boss or anyone in athletics. It was another Saturday, then another Sunday, and then another Monday morning presser; just like every other week. Did you get your tickets for the Marshall game Mrs. Lincoln after that play you saw last weekend?

In said Monday morning presser, Dowell refuses to give injury news, says “complimentary football” a few times, takes accountability, then talks about the lack of execution and does little to reassure a fanbase that is equal parts jaded and traumatized.

Remember when this team was 4-2 and up two scores on Coastal while wearing the Flying Yosef helmets? Me neither.

This fanbase needs reassurance. Throw them some bones. Don’t look down your nose at them as customers. If we’re a family as we like to think, then be there for your family.

In the “rebuilding a program” process, you can lose your way, and instead of just winning some games, you could forget how to win any game.

There’s no more room for error. Two home games. Win both and there’s some bowl joy to have. Lose one or both, and not only is the season a failure, but the home fans didn’t even get a winning record.

One continual Loggains saying at Mountaineer Talk and the Monday press conference is that this team needs to learn how to win. Why? Because when he got here, they were not a winning team. Well, those non-winning players beat JMU the last two years. You got dog-walked back down I-81. Hire an offensive coordinator.