Blake Anderson clarifies comments on slow offensive starts

Blake Anderson said his earlier comments were intended to explain his team’s slow starts on offense against Auburn, UConn and Tulane, whose defensive fronts he described as their strength. He said the offense, which is inexperienced and learning on the job, needs time to get going against those opponents.

Anderson said the team’s approach worked Saturday as it chipped away at the opposing defense and fatigued it, adding that he believed the team should have won. He said the margin for error against heavily built and powerful rosters is small, but called that context rather than an excuse.

He also acknowledged that he was upset after the loss and did not respond well when answering the earlier question. Anderson said he was proud of how the team finished from the second quarter onward and created an offensive chance to win.

Anderson said the team’s future schedule will include a money game each year, likely two Group of Five opponents and an FCS team. He said the preferred Group of Five opponents would be in a similar market and spend roughly in the same range, allowing for rosters with comparable depth, size and power.

Despite the scheduling considerations, Anderson said the team will prepare to win regardless of its opponent or location. He added that if the team had played with the effort, energy and performance across all three phases that it showed Saturday during the first three weeks, it would have been competitive in every game.

Source: Blake Levine Sports Reporter.