As frustrating as the D was vs. State, and I hope/pray/think we will not do that again, it did what it was supposed to do. State effectively scored 21 points. That loss was on the offense and in particular QB Calzada. We lost by 4 points, Zach gave them 5 points with his first pass and last play.
That INT is 99.9% on Zach, you can't have that inaccurate ball placement to a WR that is on the move running a crossing route, it has to be out in front of him. Could Demas have caught it? Sure, but that is on the QB, not just my opinion, but Jordan Rodgers said so in the game, McGee said so in his film study, and even Jimbo alluded to it in his presser.
The safety, look I know if you take a grounding call in the EZ it is a safety, I also know the OL did not block that great on that play, but you cannot hold the ball there and take a safety. Throw it into the stands in the general direction of a receiver, throw it at your RBs feet, something, anything, but you can't hold the ball and take a safety there. If you get called for grounding, so be it, but you can't lower your eyes and look at the pass rush and bail on the play and just take the safety, period.
The OL was not great that game, but they were good enough. Zach was still leaving good pockets, missing wide open WRs, playing hesitant, etc.
HOWEVER, the great news is that was the last game Zach looked like that. Now, he still misses some reads and doesn't make some throws that he should make, but his play right now is a 1000% improvement over Pig and State. Give me the Calzada of Mizzou and USC, much less Bama, vs. Pig and State and we win those games easily. If Zach played vs. State like he did vs. USC or Mizzou we beat State 35-21.
We were never a top 5 team due to new QB and OL, the injury to King was disappointing, the growth of the OL took longer than hoped with a true fish OL playing OC we had not planned on... but it is all coming up roses now and I believe we will win 2 or 3 of our last 4 to have a very good season all things considered. As well, if they care to look and acknowledge it, all the naysayers can also see the Jimbo QB coaching and development happening at warp speed with the play of Calzada.
State was the most frustrating loss of the Jimbo era by a mile but if we played them again on Saturday we would handle them easily IMHO.
As it is, BTHO bye and Auburn!