UTC thread

[MidlandsPaladin]

After sitting through over three hours of offensive ineptitude, I have many questions. But the biggest one for me is why does Kendall Thomas spend 99% of the game on the sideline and how in the world does he only get one touch?

[gofurman]

First off, there are two sides to this coin. Furman is 3-2 in conference play with a front loaded schedule and has lost to the two teams vying for the conference championship by a total of three points. Based on that there is a limit to how bad Furman can actually be. Furman is in every game and no one here can say otherwise.

Secondly, when CCH came to Furman he had a super thin O line recruited for a more pass oriented offense and a starting RB that was recruited as a safety. Turned out that most of the teams in the conference couldn't stop Furman with this formula when Furman just repeatedly ran it up the middle.

Now that Furman has recruited an offensive line for a run based offense, has plenty of depth, and some of the offensive backs that will ever play for Furman...Furman can't average 2 yards a carry.
I'm lost on this and I'm kind of inclined to blame Covid. It's a freaking weird season with little consistency for every FCS team but still...I expected more out of Furman's running game.

I'm not blaming Sisson or the play calls. This offense shouldn't relying on a Sophomore QB with little starting experience to carry it over the finish line. If someone should be carrying Furman over the finish line it should be Wynn but he can't do that without the offensive line making holes to run through.

As for play calling, I have a strong belief that coaches "bad" play calling is based on things that we, as fans, do not know about. Plays are called based on what the coaches have faith the team can pull off & when the coaches don't have much faith the play calling gets weird... So, I'm not going to blame play calling but I am going to blame the players not being in a place at the beginning of the season where they were ready to compete...which is on the coaches.

Never played football so my football IQ is probably significantly below the average fan on here but these are my thoughts.

I'm not going to complain about the fans this time. Furman was in the game but it REALLY was not pretty.

you make a good point, that we were arguably/definitely a better running team with lesser talent than we are now with the guys who are built for it. I would love nothing more than 'up the middle' every play - so long as it works.. and that first year we KILLED teams like Citadel etc with it. Tis strange

[Davemeister]

Any QB needs an OL too. But yeah, the whole O is just painful at times. Which is a shame as I think the D - for the most part- gets it done

These opposing teams don’t respect our passing games

What passing game?

What running game?

[Furmanoid]

Boys, just enjoy the games. Our days of being really good are behind us, and I really don’t think any coach can do much better.

[purplehorse]

Sunshine, fresh air, watching our team play, fewer fans, easier parking, easy social distancing etc.
It is a hard product to sell unless we become significantly better. I never saw this coming when Marshall left and then Ga Southern and App State. I thoughts we would be in the playoffs every year.

The recurring question also is “Can a Furman excel in FCS football?” My answer has always been if Wofford can, Furman should be able to.

Sure we have been competitive this year in all 5 games but when you look at the details that is sure not saying much.

I wonder if the coaches and players are as shell-shocked as the fans? My guess is 100 % based on the pre-season hype.

[Affirm]

Boys, just enjoy the games. Our days of being really good are behind us, and I really don’t think any coach can do much better.

Sounds like a sort of echo to affirm’s past calls for Furman to consider going Pioneer for football. And by the way, Davidson is doing well in football lately. (And in baseball. Pioneer for football could be the way for us to reinstate baseball.)

[Thorny]

Boys, just enjoy the games. Our days of being really good are behind us, and I really don’t think any coach can do much better.

Sounds like a sort of echo to affirm’s past calls for Furman to consider going Pioneer for football. And by the way, Davidson is doing well in football lately. (And in baseball. Pioneer for football could be the way for us to reinstate baseball.)

I think fans suggesting we join pioneer for football should be grounds for being banned going forward...

[Paladin91]

That may have been the most bizarre and inept college football game I have ever seen. The offense is the worst I have witnessed at Furman and that includes the Fowler years. It is poorly designed, poorly constructed and sophomorically utilized. The QB may well be a wonderful young man but he is simply not a college quarterback. If the coaching staff actually chose him over Grainger, they are terrible judges of talent. The fact of the matter is that this is a poorly coached football team that seems to be unprepared for the opponent they are facing. The HC showed promise when he came in with a pair of great OC and DC hires in his first season. Drew Cronic ran an exciting and productive offense that leaked over into the season following his departure for greener pasture but has been regressing to the pitiful state it is in now under the current OC. I realize it is sacrilege to criticize long time members of the FU football family but that does not make it false. Unless Furman recognizes that there is plenty of non Furman connected talent out there in the young football coaching ranks and hires some for a few years, this is the product that will be put on the field. Today's game was a disheartening farce and a disservice to the players and fans but it was a more accurate evaluation of the team then the record reflected. I would think serious consideration has to be given as to whether football should be a scholarship driven sport under these conditions.

Well stated Jasper. My feelings exactly.

[gofurman]

Sunshine, fresh air, watching our team play, fewer fans, easier parking, easy social distancing etc.
It is a hard product to sell unless we become significantly better. I never saw this coming when Marshall left and then Ga Southern and App State. I thoughts we would be in the playoffs every year.

The recurring question also is “Can a Furman excel in FCS football?” My answer has always been if Wofford can, Furman should be able to.

Sure we have been competitive this year in all 5 games but when you look at the details that is sure not saying much.

I wonder if the coaches and players are as shell-shocked as the fans? My guess is 100 % based on the pre-season hype.

i hate to use 'wofford' but its the best close representative (though the option may have given them 'inefficiencies' - good term there from Jackal). It will be interesting to watch us going forward and them.. are they starting to struggle? but the point still holds merit. Good academic schools w FCS football. They have won the conference 3 times in a row.

PLEASE BEAT WOFFORD

[apaladin]

GF, sorry but just don’t see us beating WC. We very well could go 0-3 our last 3 games. Can we win at Mercer, at Citadel? Maybe but a lot has to change. We had more gifts today than I’ve ever seen and still couldn’t win.

[Affirm]

Boys, just enjoy the games. Our days of being really good are behind us, and I really don’t think any coach can do much better.

Sounds like a sort of echo to affirm’s past calls for Furman to consider going Pioneer for football. And by the way, Davidson is doing well in football lately. (And in baseball. Pioneer for football could be the way for us to reinstate baseball.)

I think fans suggesting we join pioneer for football should be grounds for being banned going forward...

I suggest that Furman moving its football program to Pioneer Football League should be considered very seriously.
I now think as much as or more than I ever have that it would be a good thing.
I realize I am not among people, on this forum, to be advocating that, but that does not change my opinion.

[tim]

Yeah, after all we have lost two games by a total point spread of three and we have only been in the playoffs twice in the last three years or so and have only won the conference title once in the last three years or so.

[Furmanoid]

Boys, just enjoy the games. Our days of being really good are behind us, and I really don’t think any coach can do much better.

Sounds like a sort of echo to affirm’s past calls for Furman to consider going Pioneer for football. And by the way, Davidson is doing well in football lately. (And in baseball. Pioneer for football could be the way for us to reinstate baseball.)

I think fans suggesting we join pioneer for football should be grounds for being banned going forward...

I suggest that Furman moving its football program to Pioneer Football League should be considered very seriously.
I now think as much as or more than I ever have that it would be a good thing.
I realize I am not among people, on this forum, to be advocating that, but that does not change my opinion.

For the record, I never said to join the Pioneer League. I will only do that when I hear any of our guys complain about the oppression of college sports. And actually I’d be in favor of DIII at that point. But so far our kids seem pretty sane.

I’m just saying there ain’t much use in griping about the coaches because they all perform about the same. And the kids are the kids we can get I guess. Can’t fault them for not being world beaters. There appears to be something about Furman that holds the big sports back no matter who the coach is.

[soconjohn]

Affirm suggesting Furman take on natural rivalries like Valpo...Do me a favor and research their record over the past decade...It makes VMI look Southern Cal from 2003-05...If Furman ever goes to that league, it might as well just have an intramural football program...I mean I am serious...I would honestly not come to games anymore with the likes of Davidson, San Diego and Dayton to look forward to...in football...We have to have better poster's than this...Affirm you got to come up with a better solution than the Pioneer league...How do Villanova and Richmond compete in the CAA? They don't just settle for some podunk league that never wins anything.

[Sad Din]

Affirm suggesting Furman take on natural rivalries like Valpo...Do me a favor and research their record over the past decade...It makes VMI look Southern Cal from 2003-05...If Furman ever goes to that league, it might as well just have an intramural football program...I mean I am serious...I would honestly not come to games anymore with the likes of Davidson, San Diego and Dayton to look forward to...in football...We have to have better poster's than this...Affirm you got to come up with a better solution than the Pioneer league...How do Villanova and Richmond compete in the CAA? They don't just settle for some podunk league that never wins anything.

well.. there's always canx the whole program and put the funds to develop very competitive D1 programs in Basketball, soccer, track, tennis, golf all of which have really good success competing with the big boys and gals.

Might even have a few pennies left to bring back baseball. and take away 100 male athletes and instant gender equality