• 2021 Speculations

 #41890  by Davemeister
 Sun Aug 08, 2021 9:18 am
No one needs to defend anything they post here. This is a game, not an exam. There are no wrong answers - yet.
apaladin liked this
 #41892  by The Jackal
 Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:56 pm
affirm wrote:
Sun Aug 08, 2021 8:15 am
I’m impressed by the hat.
Look - I do not know as much as many of the others on here about certain matters, but I still have the right to and the willingness to speculate. We were asked to speculate. I have speculated. No point in continuing to revise my speculation.
I already said from the very beginning that I hope I am wrong.
I hope you are not offended.

I'm not offended. I already knew the answer.
 #41898  by The Jackal
 Mon Aug 09, 2021 6:51 am
Went back and watched a bit of Furman's game against UTC. (
We were 3-1 at the time.

You can see the first few drives as a type of novella on what plagued us this spring:

First Drive:
First down - nice play action, Sisson throws a ball that clanks off the WR's hands.
Second Down - option run. QB appears to make the wrong read and the DE gobbles up the RB in the backfield.
Third Down - now 3rd and 11, edge rusher gets a step on OT, QB doesn't move up in the pocket, throw disrupted for interception.

Second Drive
First down - Fumble. Looked unforced. RB/QB just mishandled the exchange.

Third Drive
First down - QB again appears to make the wrong read on the option. This time keeping it and getting tossed for a loss.
Second Down - Inside handoff with an RPO feel, but QB doesn't appear to be reading anyone. Stuffed.
Third Down - QB draw on a 3rd and long goes nowhere.

Second Q - First drive
First down - Zone run, RB looks to hit the wrong hole (cuts inside instead of staying outside) and runs into the LB
Second Down - QB makes correct read on option, gains yards.
Third Down - I literally cannot tell you what Furman was trying to do. It's a pass, but the offensive line, backs, and QB are all running in different directions. QB scrambles to get back to the line.

To me, this is all stuff that can get cleaned up. It's execution stuff. Overall though, Furman has got to get better on first down this fall. We don't have an offense (or at least didn't in the spring) that can play with 2nd and 3rd 11 drive after drive.
 #41899  by Furmanoid
 Mon Aug 09, 2021 7:40 am
Perhaps. But some qb’s just can’t make those option reads no matter how much you practice. And with our offense we can’t spends tons of time working on any one thing. We do too much different stuff.

Making handoffs from under center is something else that seems simple but it isn’t when nobody plays under center until they’re 18 or 19 and all their muscle memory is set to do something else.

And if a guy is 20-21 and still needs to hop 2 or 3 times before throwing 30 yds, I’m not sure it can be fixed easily.

So some of these minor execution things may be harder to fix than it looks. To me some of the problem has appeared to be that we have too big of a playbook to master. It requires mastery of too many little nit picky skills that do require practice and there isn’t enough time to practice them all. It will actually get worse now with all those qb’s.

If Astrodin reads this, I hope he will see how much time they work on under center handoffs, reverse pitches etc. Do they do read drills for option runs, etc.? One thing I have seen is that Texas appears to catch and throw real fast and that alone could make a huge difference.
bj93 liked this
 #41900  by The Jackal
 Mon Aug 09, 2021 10:11 am
Furmanoid wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 7:40 am
Perhaps. But some qb’s just can’t make those option reads no matter how much you practice. And with our offense we can’t spends tons of time working on any one thing. We do too much different stuff.

Making handoffs from under center is something else that seems simple but it isn’t when nobody plays under center until they’re 18 or 19 and all their muscle memory is set to do something else.

And if a guy is 20-21 and still needs to hop 2 or 3 times before throwing 30 yds, I’m not sure it can be fixed easily.

So some of these minor execution things may be harder to fix than it looks. To me some of the problem has appeared to be that we have too big of a playbook to master. It requires mastery of too many little nit picky skills that do require practice and there isn’t enough time to practice them all. It will actually get worse now with all those qb’s.

If Astrodin reads this, I hope he will see how much time they work on under center handoffs, reverse pitches etc. Do they do read drills for option runs, etc.? One thing I have seen is that Texas appears to catch and throw real fast and that alone could make a huge difference.

I think these points are well taken. I am by no means an expert in this offense, nor do I break down all of the film, but I've said for a while that we appear to simply not be executing the offense.

I have frequently been left with the opinion that the playbook may be too unmanageable. Our offense has a lot of moving parts, but it sometimes feels like the players are confused on assignments. That, to me, is as much a coaching problem as anything else.

To me, this is why I don't panic about the offense. We've got talent. We've got depth. You can watch the games and frequently see how one missed assignment or poorly timed execution puts the offense in a bad situation.

To your last point, I think the offense is running read option drills. With more QB depth this fall, I'm wondering if the coaches won't open up that part of the offense and let our QBs start to run the ball more frequently.

 #41901  by apaladin
 Mon Aug 09, 2021 10:35 am
Jackal, your analysis of the utc game is spot on. Lots of QB mistakes that prolly can only be fixed by replacing said QB. Its not like he is a frosh. Can he learn to read and make those plays in 3 months? Don’t think so. I can run that play that is posted above with no one around. :)
Last edited by apaladin on Mon Aug 09, 2021 11:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
 #41903  by The Jackal
 Mon Aug 09, 2021 11:30 am
apaladin wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 10:35 am
Jackal, your analysis of the utc game is spot on. Lots of QB mistakes that prolly can only be fixed by replacing said QB. Its not like he is a frosh. Can he learn to read and make those plays in 3 months? Don’t think so. I can run that play that is posted above with no one around. :)
I don't think that's necessarily true. There's the frequent adage that the most popular player on the team is the backup QB.

As I mentioned on another thread, you'd have to go back a ways to find the last time Furman had a whole lot of offensive success starting a freshman or sophomore QB. It's not just about this particular group of QBs - that's been the case for long time.

Our offense has a lot going on. Maybe too much. We have historically seen a lot of positive improvement from QBs as they get more experience in the offense. I'm sure the coaches will select the best player for the job.
 #41904  by DeepPurple
 Mon Aug 09, 2021 1:28 pm
I speculate that we will see a much improved QB. I also know we have more than 1 qb unlike this past spring, CCH and GQ will have options. We did not have these options in the spring. NCA&T will be a big game for us. We have a fantastic defense, hopefully we will put it all together in a few weeks.
DINS!
din23 liked this
 #41905  by AstroDin
 Mon Aug 09, 2021 1:44 pm
Furmanoid - mentioned the drills - yes to all that you mentioned. I'm not comfortable getting into specifics not sure what can be said in public related to drills and what could translate to a formation. If I get out this week - it will be late in the week. I will pay a bit more attention.

As mentioned —> Jace Wilson does fire the ball out quickly — we need to keep in mind he's not your normal freshman QB. He did start I know of his junior and senior years. He's also a coach's son. A veteran HS coach that coaches offense. From my untrained eye, this shows. I plan on watching Minson more closely next time out too.
 #41915  by Affirm
 Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:05 pm
The Jackal wrote:
Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:56 pm
affirm wrote:
Sun Aug 08, 2021 8:15 am
I’m impressed by the hat.
Look - I do not know as much as many of the others on here about certain matters, but I still have the right to and the willingness to speculate. We were asked to speculate. I have speculated. No point in continuing to revise my speculation.
I already said from the very beginning that I hope I am wrong.
I hope you are not offended.

I'm not offended. I already knew the answer.
It appears that, so far, the majority of the few posters who are willing to commit to a w or l vs UTC are agreeing with me that it will be a l. Maybe not by 30, as I have speculated, but no one else, I think, named a margin. And as one poster wrote “no need for anyone to defend anything they post on here - a game, not an exam; no wrong answers “. So I’m OK with your speculations, but you should be OK with mine; and if you have to keep saying you are not OK
with mine, that is your problem. I am not here to debate.
 #41917  by FurmAlum
 Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:38 pm
I said UTC might be a loss. I think we have a very good chance of beating them. We only lost by 2 points last year. I also do not get why everybody thinks UTC is going to be so good. Heck, they quit halfway thru the spring season.

Also the SoCon Commish, like the SEC Commish, needs to come out and say that if you are not ready to play it's gonna be a FORFEIT. No more shenanigans like VMI pulled in basketball, and Chatty and Woffy pulled in football!
 #41925  by The Jackal
 Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:36 am
affirm wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:05 pm
The Jackal wrote:
Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:56 pm
affirm wrote:
Sun Aug 08, 2021 8:15 am
I’m impressed by the hat.
Look - I do not know as much as many of the others on here about certain matters, but I still have the right to and the willingness to speculate. We were asked to speculate. I have speculated. No point in continuing to revise my speculation.
I already said from the very beginning that I hope I am wrong.
I hope you are not offended.

I'm not offended. I already knew the answer.
It appears that, so far, the majority of the few posters who are willing to commit to a w or l vs UTC are agreeing with me that it will be a l. Maybe not by 30, as I have speculated, but no one else, I think, named a margin. And as one poster wrote “no need for anyone to defend anything they post on here - a game, not an exam; no wrong answers “. So I’m OK with your speculations, but you should be OK with mine; and if you have to keep saying you are not OK
with mine, that is your problem. I am not here to debate.

Furman may very well lose to UTC. UTC's not a bad team. That's not the point, though.

I, like many, have grown weary of the vocal minority of negative posters who seem interested only in furthering a narrative or personal agenda. They have driven away many good folks from this forum.

This is a venue for the exchange of ideas concerning Furman athletics. It is not a "safe space" for one to post drivel and shirk from defending your position. You are not insulated from criticism here. Nor am I.
din23, dornb liked this
 #41929  by FUBeAR
 Tue Aug 10, 2021 7:36 am
C’mon Jackal. Be honest. No one has ever criticized your posts.
 #41933  by Affirm
 Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:20 am
The Jackal wrote:
Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:36 am
affirm wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:05 pm
The Jackal wrote:
Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:56 pm
affirm wrote:
Sun Aug 08, 2021 8:15 am
I’m impressed by the hat.
Look - I do not know as much as many of the others on here about certain matters, but I still have the right to and the willingness to speculate. We were asked to speculate. I have speculated. No point in continuing to revise my speculation.
I already said from the very beginning that I hope I am wrong.
I hope you are not offended.

I'm not offended. I already knew the answer.
It appears that, so far, the majority of the few posters who are willing to commit to a w or l vs UTC are agreeing with me that it will be a l. Maybe not by 30, as I have speculated, but no one else, I think, named a margin. And as one poster wrote “no need for anyone to defend anything they post on here - a game, not an exam; no wrong answers “. So I’m OK with your speculations, but you should be OK with mine; and if you have to keep saying you are not OK
with mine, that is your problem. I am not here to debate.

Furman may very well lose to UTC. UTC's not a bad team. That's not the point, though.

I, like many, have grown weary of the vocal minority of negative posters who seem interested only in furthering a narrative or personal agenda. They have driven away many good folks from this forum.

This is a venue for the exchange of ideas concerning Furman athletics. It is not a "safe space" for one to post drivel and shirk from defending your position. You are not insulated from criticism here. Nor am I.
YOUR problem, as I said before.
Trying to be the legislature, executive, and judiciary of UFFP.
I can and will say or not say what ever I feel like saying or not saying.
It will be appropriate and civil, so no one should worry about that; although I realize some will consider it inappropriate and uncivil because it does not align with them or is deemed far less smart or far less “witty and cute” than them.
I am sure some do not like ANYTHING I post.
Too bad.

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