1. How worried were you at the half?
Not too worried. We were moving the ball well and it's typical that teams like Florida Atlantic wear out in the second half against BCS teams with greater depth. We should have never let it get so close in the second quarter, but the Owls made some plays. The important thing is that we bounced back.
2. Who should we be giving most of the carries to in our upcoming games?
My vote would have to go to Jarvis Giles, who's beginning to come into his own and will only get better. This guy is going to be a good one for us. I would also like to see Kenny Miles get some more carries, although I'm certainly happy with Brian Maddox's effectiveness in short-yardage situations and receiving out of the backfield.
3. Seriously, what's wrong with the kickoff coverage?
Everything; I'm really starting to miss Ray Rychleski. For one thing, we seem to be trying to pooch it around the 20 but aren't getting enough hang time on it. We also just aren't closing lanes in pursuit. This is definitely something to keep an eye on. Needless to say, starting next week we're going to be dealing with better kick returners and with offenses that will put up more than 16 points if we allow them to start around midfield every time.
4. Are you happy with Stephen Garcia?
Yeah, for the most part. He still isn't quite finding his touch on some of the deep balls. However, you can't complain with 20-27 with no INTs. The guy is literally light years away from the Outback Bowl.
5. Should we be worried that we gave up 300 yards to Florida Atlantic?
I don't think so. The Owls had the ball more than us because we scored quickly on several drives, giving them lots of opportunities to rack up yardage. Moreover, the Owls are a better-than-average team offensively. Don't forget that they picked up similar yardage against Bo Pelini's Nebraska team. Finally, while we gave up some yardage, the defense also toughened up a few times and kept the Owls out of the end zone with tough goal line defense and turnovers. All this despite the fact that the defense had its back against the wall due to the kickoff problems.
6. Despite the first half jitters, doesn't it feel great to handle a team like we did today?
Yes. It's been a long time since we've put up 500+ yards.