As the Merced College football prepares to open Golden Gate Conference play at home on Saturday against Chabot, it's the perfect time to take stock and hand out a few midseason grades to Mark Kaanapu's program.
Bear in mind that these are merely my opinion and are not a reflection of the team's overall talent, but simply how well they've performed through fives non-conference games.
The truth of the matter is that the Blue Devils had faced more week-to-week adversity in Kaanapu's first season than any team -- not just football -- I've ever seen.
From Kameron Huddleston's death to a string of sickness and injuries to key personnel, Kaanapu and his staff have found a way to keep the MC players focused and giving maximum effort.
So if this was about perseverance alone, the Blue Devils would hands down get an A.
Unfortunately, all teams face adversity and in a results driven business, MC has been hit or miss through five games.
For that reason, the team as a whole gets a C-plus.
There have been moments of brilliance and promise mixed in with sheer disappointment.
At 2-3, the Blue Devils have already matched last year's win total. But they should probably be 4-1 or 3-2 at the least.
San Joaquin Delta and Feather River were both winnable contests that the Blue Devils let slip away.
The reasons for MC's up and down play are numerous and valid, but if Kaanapu is going to have a successful first GGC season, his squad will have to find some consistency moving forward.
Here's how I see MC's three phases of the game breaking down so far:
OFFENSE: C
The Blue Devils opened the season with an offensive unit that looked both potent and explosive.
But since its opening two victories over Monterey Peninsula and De Anza, the MC attack has been just average.
The Blue Devils have moved the ball fairly well through five games, averaging almost 300 total yards of offense, but scoring has become a recent issue.
The two major problems contributing to MC's lack of potency has been turnovers and lack of continuity.
The Blue Devils have 18 turnovers in five games, 13 of which have come in its three losses.
Continuity has also stalled drives.
The New England Patriots demonstrated this fact over the weekend. Offenses that put the same unit on the field week in and week out are more effective.
With Tom Brady missing all last season, the team is slightly off with timing and understanding.
It's more pronounced for the Blue Devils.
Injuries at quarterback, running back and offensive line have prevented the MC offense from finding a consistent rhythm.
A revolving door at quarterback has been part of the problem. MC is good enough as a team that the quarterback doesn't need to be spectacular, just consistent.
Brendan Crawford hopes he can do just that as he attempts to get his sprained knee ready for conference play.
Injuries have thrown a wrench in the running backs' performances as well.
MC has averaged 150 rushing yards per game, but was most effective the first two weeks when Emmanuel Brooks (295 yards), Stephon Mathis (231) and Joe Machado (216) were all playing.
Brooks missed Week 3 and Mathis missed Weeks 4 and 5. Kaanapu hopes to have him back Saturday.
The receivers have been very solid for MC, particularly considering almost all are freshman.
Eddie Beavers leads the group with 30 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns and tight end Kyle McMillin has added 13 catches for 189 yards.
The offensive line has been solid so far, but will probably need to be even better down the stretch.
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