I actually think we are 0-2 due to bad timing of some unfortunate events. 1- our home opener gets cancelled due to weather/lightning. This prevents us from getting first game crapola out of the way with an Akron opponent who we likely could’ve still beat while committing turnovers, bad penalties and first game jitters of some young players, notably a true freshman Starting QB. So instead we get to experience these things against a better more determined CU opponent and we fail to overcome. 2- then some dirty sob from CU twists our QB’s leg, taking him out for the end of the game , when we desperately needed him, preventing a much better chance of actually coming back to win that game. 3- This injury also takes AM out of the Troy game and requires us to go into game 2 yet again with a QB who hasn’t taken any CFB snaps and who, quite frankly, is nowhere near the athlete AM is. He did not have the same playbook at his disposal for reasons that should be obvious and the coaches chose to go with a more conservative game plan that gets blown up in the first quarter due to falling behind early. The storied first to second game jump does not occur for various reasons and we drop another game that only one week earlier appeared to be a game we should’ve won. So here we are 0-2 instead of 3-0 or 2-1.
Now, like you said, the things that can be laid at the feet of HCSF is the failure to burn clock late in the CU game, special teams play that inexplicably has cost us field position and a lack of points due to missed field goals, and a host of really bad penalties. It’s tough to put too much blame on the coaches for the stupid penalties and maybe these do belong more to the players but discipline is typically dependent on coaching so they get it. But really we are 0-2 due to series of unfortunate events largely out of their control. Young rebuilding teams rarely are going to weather these types of things. So here we are. It will get better as long as AM is able to play and stays healthy. We are in for a long year if we have to rely on anyone else in the QB room. But yeah I think everything on your list contributed except for maybe lack of talent. Lack of depth yes, but not a lack of talent from our intended first string players. One guy could’ve been the difference in both games. That’s not an ideal position to be in but that is where we are.
Edit- I failed to mention the circumstances of the fall 2 man QB competition that resulted in our intended number 2 QB Gebbia taking his ball and going home all while denying our real backup meaningful fall snaps which could’ve been useful since he was needed so early in the season. It’s really nothing that can be blamed on anyone but it happened.