No I don't think it was an improvement.

Worst thing is after last season I had hope that we were on the right track and that the next season would be better. I do not feel that way now.

The Ek hire is actually what gives me some hope. Because it’s proof that you can change a coach and change the entire nature of a unit. That gives me hope on the lines. And that’s honestly where we need wholesale makeovers. I get the DL was shallow in terms of depth, but we were soft on both lines. We need guys with Ek type energy coaching the lines.

On the field, special teams have certainly improved (thank God). On offense and defense it is hard to see improvement. For me, until the line play vastly improves being at the top of the bottom or bottom of the middle of the conference is our ceiling.

In conference play we gave up an average of 195 rushing yards/game. Only Rutgers and Maryland were worse. On offense it looked like the run game improved, yet in conference we are at 3.9 yards/attempt (13th in the conference) and 133 yards/game (11th). Throw in the pass protection issues with the line and the qb holding onto the ball we had no big play potential other than EJ breaking one. With little exception, the opposing defenses could play vanilla and contain us all game.

When Rhule came in he talked about recruiting athletes and looking at track times and said he could teach them to be good football players. When is that going to happen? For a "developmental program" there hasn't been much development. I guess that's what happens when you have coaches that need to be developed trying to develop players. Where does strength and conditioning fall under all of this? That seems to be one area that has gotten little attention in all of the line discussion.

Bottom line, we need more football players and established coaches than projects. Maybe that's all he could get at Temple or at a decimated Baylor but in the BIG that's only going to get us to the lower half of the conference.