Mustangs Mid Season Review
John Hoh
Thursday June 21, 2001
In general, the Mustangs have played to their competition. The only exceptions are the games against the Indiana Firebirds and the Chicago Rush. Both games, it seems, the Mustangs came in unprepared. The Rush appear to be a rather good team for an expansion franchise. In playing the Rampage at Grand Rapids, the Tampa Bay Storm, and the San Jose SaberCats, the Mustangs played tough. But they played flat against the weaker teams: Houston, Oklahoma, and Detroit. As poorly as the Mustangs played against the Wranglers and Fury, it was a surprise to see them rebound from a 20-point deficit and beat the Grand Rapids Rampage, who are tied with Tampa Bay for the league’s best record.
Stumbling blocks that have kept the Mustangs from a successful 2001 season include turnovers, penalties, and key injuries. Coach Frazier’s goal at the start of the season was to reduce critical injuries, improve pressure on the opposing quarterback, and get a fast start on the season. The quarterback position was hit in a major fashion by injuries. Pressure is inconsistent against opposing QBs — but when it is applied, the results usually benefit the Mustangs. So much for a quick start to the season as the horses started 0-8.
The report cards, please!
Quarterback — Grade: C-
The grade could be higher if the Mustangs hadn’t been hit with injuries. Craig Kusick started the first game of the season, but went out with a knee injury. Donnie Davis came on and took the rest of the Firebird game to get into the game. Just as it seemed he was meshing with his receivers, he went down with an ankle sprain against Houston.
Milwaukee re-signed Kevin McDougal fresh from his XFL season and, while he played decently, key turnovers prevented the Mustangs from having success against San Jose. In a string of three games against supposedly inferior teams, the Mustangs struggled behind McDougal and in fact he didn’t hit stride until Chris Avery of the Rampage slammed him to the Bradley Center turf. When McDougal returned to the game, he led the Mustangs to 35 fourth quarter points.
WR/DB Kahlil Carter played the end of the Houston game at quarterback going 3 for 3 and a touchdown. Someone might want to start grooming this guy as a QB.
The team’s 12 interceptions are a tad high. A healthy percentage of these were returned promptly for touchdowns. McDougal tends to hold onto the ball too long, giving defenders time to either smother him for a sack or hone in on where the ball is going. Perhaps the fatigue of being in a third season in a year is taking its toll?
Offensive Line — Grade: C-
The O-Line must protect the quarterback—and when a team has played four men at that position and is forced to sign a mid-season replacement, one is hard pressed to say that the line has done its job. To the line’s credit, McDougal has had a tendency to hold on to the ball for far too long. Discontinuity with different signal callers also affects the line play. But the O-line needs to be more assertive in blocking.
Early failures prevented the Mustangs from converting third and fourth downs, as well as short opportunities. While the Mustangs have improved, they still need to be assertive and get that average rate of conversion up.
Receivers — Grade: C+
The receivers probably are hurt by their practice facility more than any other facet of the team. Long routes are hard to practice in a low-ceiling building. When the proper trajectory is placed on the ball in game situations, the ball arrives at a different angle and with a different look. Routes tend to be confused—do I pull up or keep running?
Compton, Ashley, and Riley, however, aren’t getting younger. Milwaukee may need to consider starting a rebuilding effort by keeping one veteran and signing rookies with speed and separation.
Running backs/linebackers — Grade: C-
The loss of Lincoln Coleman hurt. Grading RBs in the Arena league can be difficult. Running backs also play as linebackers, so they don’t get rest when the team plays defense. The Arena game is such that it is pass-friendly and run-confining. And a RB is usually in the game to either fool the defense or to block.
Les Barley has name appeal in Milwaukee, but hasn’t been explosive as I expected. He does have 4 TDs. A pleasant surprise has been Lawrence Lewis. This runner has 107 yards on 24 carries (a 4.5 yard/carry average). Upgrading the running game will help convert those third/fourth and short situations, or bang the ball into the end zone from the one yard line.
Defensive Line — Grade: B-
Coach Frazier wanted pressure on the opposing QBs this year, and the D-line gives it. They need to be more consistent in applying pressure. They also need to stay inside the box and avoid penalties.
The run stuff needs to stiffen as well. A 33-yard TD run allowed to San Jose is inexcusable. That is a good season for many AFL running backs.
Defensive Backs – Grade: D
Too many big plays given up. Too many bombs. Too many scoring plays of 20 yards or more. The low point came when Tampa Bay took the ball four times and scored on its first play from scrimmage. The Storm didn’t have the greatest of field positions all night—a credit to the special teams.
Against Houston, the secondary continually looked like were playing out of place.
But improvement was evident in the game against Grand Rapids. Passes were defended, and receivers were covered. Can the Mustang secondary keep that up for the next five games?
Kicking — Grade: C
Remy Hamilton was a preseason acquisition from the Carolina Cobras. Seems the kickers in camp couldn’t perform in game situations. Hamilton certainly has a leg, as evidenced by the many 50+ yard field goals he has kicked this year and salvaged bad Mustang drives. But short FGs and extra points have become adventures when Remy lines up to kick. His missed kicks proved the difference at Grand Rapids in week two.
Remy has consistently kicked the opposition deep into its territory. On occasion he’ll hit the Bradley Center scoreboard, but again that could come from practice facility being dramatically different from the Bradley Center.
Overall Offense — Grade: C
The Mustangs at times could score at will. Then, there were the games against Indiana and Chicago where the end zone seemed to be hostile territory. And the offense never clicked and meshed in Detroit. The 35-point fourth quarter against the Rampage was the offense Milwaukee fans expected.
Part of the problem was turnovers. The Mustangs threw 12 interceptions going into the Rampage game—and only collected one themselves. Penalties also killed the Mustangs at critical times. Early in the season, third/fourth and short were very real challenges to these Studs.
Overall Defense — Grade: D
Too many points given up. Too many big plays. While Milwaukee usually controlled time of possession, they lost 8 of 9 games. It was so bad at times, Coach Frazier and the defensive secondary were shouting at each other.
Special Teams — Grade: B
A bright spot for the Mustangs. The special teams have pinned opponents deep. Alvin Ashley has made strong returns, sometimes even to midfield. The team is disciplined in this area as few penalties are levied against the Mustangs on kicks.
Coaching — Grade: C
Rick Frazier wanted a fast start this year. It didn’t happen. He wanted to be free from injuries, especially serious injuries to critical players. It didn’t happen. So what did happen?
Coach Frazier kept the team positive. To a man, the players did not back-bite or point fingers. They played hard, although it seems as if the team plays to the level of their competition.
Coach Frazier knows about injuries. That was his worry in the preseason. There might be some merit to Don Shula’s philosophy to give the backup QB 25% of the reps in practice. (Trivia time: Shula’s 1972 Dolphins—the undefeated Dolphins—had a backup QB start 2/3 of the games.)
The coach also needs to have his team play each opponent as if they are world champs. The records should go out the window. On any given Friday/Saturday/Sunday, any given team can beat any other given team.
Team Character and Morale — Grade: B
An interesting observation, but never in the 0-8 start did any player point fingers and blame someone else or the coaches. Each week, while a cliché, the mantra “take it one game at a time” was uttered. The Mustangs played hard and hit hard against Grand Rapids for their first win. That says a lot about the character and morale of the team. It may serve them well if they hope to “run the table” and still try to make the playoffs. If anything, maybe one players meeting early in the year to air grievances might have helped stem the bleeding and the Mustangs would have a decent season.
Not knowing what the arena situation will be like next year also hurts. Will the ‘Stangs play in Milwaukee or elsewhere? And if in Milwaukee, which venue?
Management — Grade: C
How dedicated is the management to winning? Sure, they go out and get talent. But I wonder if they do enough. Two issues come to mind: Kevin McDougal and the practice facility.
At first I bought the party line that McDougal wanted to try his hand at the outdoor game and thus didn’t re-sign with the Mustangs. This hurt the team because it meant a new QB was learning the system and team for the second straight year.
But when the XFL folded, McDougal returned to the Mustangs. Certainly SOME NFL team with a lack of signal callers would have called Kevin. But—surprise, surprise—the Mustangs make him the highest paid player in their history. And while all deny my suspicions, still I wonder.
And the practice facility—the Epicenter in Waukesha, Wisconsin. If the ceiling is so low and a hindrance to practice, certainly a more suitable venue could be found! Uihlen Indoor Soccer park, perhaps? Each week the team denies the practice facility is a factor, or they say they won’t use that as an excuse. But then, what is the excuse for an 0-8 start and repeated misconnections between QB and receivers? The Arena league is about timing and passing — two elements that need practice and practice in ideal conditions.
The 0-8 start by the Mustangs was disheartening. After last year’s finish, Milwaukee fans expected the return of that nucleus and a strong season. But once again fans in BeerTown hope the Mustangs can again squeak into the playoffs and watch the playoffs on TV and not in person. The most recent game, against the Grand Rapids Rampage, shows the team has not given up. But, we fear, it is likely too late.
What can Milwaukee fans expect next year? Will the Mustangs stay? I hope to get an answer from Mr. Valozzi on that. Will the team stay as is, or will it be rebuilt? Will Coach Frazier be back next year, or will there be a new sheriff on horseback patrolling the MKE corral? And will the team have growing pains learning a new system? Stayed tuned as developments unfold.
John L. Hoh, Jr., is a free-lance writer from Milwaukee who grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin, as an avid Dolphins fan. He followed Arena Football since its inception, at one point watching tape-delayed games on low-powered WAV-TV in Waukesha. His happiest day was when Milwaukee was awarded the Mustangs franchise; his saddest when the Mustangs were contracted out of the league. John is married to his wife Maija (13+ years) and has a young son, Matthew. John pines for the return of the Arena Football League to Milwaukee.
