THE POSITIVES

[MidlandsPaladin]

DaLuca is the only positive.

Likely crapped our playoff chances game 2.

In 1985 we lost to d2 Newberry in our 2nd game.

Newberry wasn’t a conference game in a year when you only play conference games and you likely have to win the conference to make the playoffs.

.....and as someone pointed out we lost on a fluke FG and the starting QB(Lamb?) didnt play.

A long field goal isn't a fluke. It's a long field goal.

It'd be a fluke if it bounced off three players helmets and an eagle carried it through the posts are something.

Sorry, for a D2 player in that era, a 57 yard field goal was a fluke. His name was Eddie Taylor. Check his stats. Bet there isn't anything else close to that range.

[youwouldno]

Our offense is ok except for the qb, the center, the play calling, and the fact that nobody told the running backs they need to block. I’m not ready to trash the o line yet. If they aren’t good that says something about the program because they should be the strength of our team, right? I refuse to believe the emperor is neked.

Whether or not you refuse to believe it - and it certainly is a jarring thought - the reality is that, in year 5 of Hendrix's leadership, the team is sitting at FCS #44 in Massey. In 2019 they finished #33. Hendrix's best finishes were with Fowler's players.

This is a very typical pattern for an unsuccessful coaching regime, and essentially unheard of for a successful one.

[apaladin]

Our offense is ok except for the qb, the center, the play calling, and the fact that nobody told the running backs they need to block. I’m not ready to trash the o line yet. If they aren’t good that says something about the program because they should be the strength of our team, right? I refuse to believe the emperor is neked.

Whether or not you refuse to believe it - and it certainly is a jarring thought - the reality is that, in year 5 of Hendrix's leadership, the team is sitting at FCS #44 in Massey. In 2019 they finished #33. Hendrix's best finishes were with Fowler's players.

This is a very typical pattern for an unsuccessful coaching regime, and essentially unheard of for a successful one.

Wow, eye opening.

[FU3]

Our offense is ok except for the qb, the center, the play calling, and the fact that nobody told the running backs they need to block. I’m not ready to trash the o line yet. If they aren’t good that says something about the program because they should be the strength of our team, right? I refuse to believe the emperor is neked.

Whether or not you refuse to believe it - and it certainly is a jarring thought - the reality is that, in year 5 of Hendrix's leadership, the team is sitting at FCS #44 in Massey. In 2019 they finished #33. Hendrix's best finishes were with Fowler's players.



This is a very typical pattern for an unsuccessful coaching regime, and essentially unheard of for a successful one.

Interesting take, so to be clear your assertion is that coaches with the winning per percentage in their first 3 years that are similar to Hendrix are almost guaranteed to be unsuccessful ? I am not saying you are wrong I would just be interested in the data for the statement. He is after all 19-7 in Socon play and has finished no worse than second in the standings, (this is his 4th season not 5th). My concern is that after a really innovative initial season on offense ( with our previous OC ) the O has never been very coherent.We run multiple sets and personnel packages but the eye candy is defeated by teams sticking to an aggressive plan and our lack of in game adjustments.

[apaladin]

Going to be interestng to hear what CCH has to say on his show tomorrow. I am expecting some interesting questions.

[youwouldno]

Interesting take, so to be clear your assertion is that coaches with the winning per percentage in their first 3 years that are similar to Hendrix are almost guaranteed to be unsuccessful ? I am not saying you are wrong I would just be interested in the data for the statement. He is after all 19-7 in Socon play and has finished no worse than second in the standings, (this is his 4th season not 5th). My concern is that after a really innovative initial season on offense ( with our previous OC ) the O has never been very coherent.We run multiple sets and personnel packages but the eye candy is defeated by teams sticking to an aggressive plan and our lack of in game adjustments.

Winning percentage is very context-dependent. I'm only considering trend. Let's take the Furman football HCs starting with Johnson, and look at the team's FCS Massey rank 5 years before the coach took over, and then the results from that coach's tenure -

Bobby Johnson
Before (1989-93): #2, #2, #11, #17, #29
After (1994-01): #48, #32, #12, #29, #45, #5, #8, #2

Bobby Lamb
Before (1997-01): #29, #45, #5, #8, #2
After (2002-10): #7, #21, #9, #12, #25, #22, #25, #20, #26

Bruce Fowler
Before (2006-10): #25, #22, #25, #20, #26
After (2011-16): #27, #46, #31, #59, #48, #39

Clay Hendrix
Before (2012-16): #46, #31, #59, #48, #39
After (2017-20): #25, #25, #33, #44

The overall trends are fairly straightforward. Johnson inherited a formerly elite team going downhill, and rebuilt it, albeit with a couple of 'rebuilding' years in the middle. Lamb inherited a top 10 team and kept it there for several years, first with Johnson's players and then with Martin at QB, before dropping to fringe top 25 status. Fowler inherited a fringe top 25 team and dropped way, way down by year 3, before bouncing back partially in years 4 and 5.

Hendrix was able to get back to fringe top 25 status with Fowler's players, but now is headed in the wrong direction. While it's certainly not impossible that things turn around, it would be very, very unusual.

[Furmanoid]

I guess this is when we’ll find out how good he is. Can he figure out what’s wrong and fix it? Can he do that even if it means hurting an old friend? Big challenges. And honestly there may be no way to paper over what appears to be a major problem at QB. If that is the root of the problem, maybe it can be fixed with the Texas kid in the Fall and we’re off to the races. Or if we just can’t scare up a real qb, maybe just put our best player back there and go schoolyard. But if the problem is that 4 years in, our o line is still bad, well that would be a bummer, and you can’t really work around it.

I’m starting to wonder if ANY coach can really do much better at FU. Seems like there may be a systemic problem beyond their control. So maybe just give the guy a break and accept the fact that we aren’t ever gonna be all that great.

[purplehorse]

I no longer believe any of the pre-season hype. The Austin-Peay OOC game told me all I need to know. I am always hopeful, but at some point, just like in basketball, you need to prove it on the field. The last Wofford game was also a beat-down after our early long TD run. Actions speak a whole lot louder than all the talk. There is time to recover but my expectations have certainly changed after yesterday.

I think we would be a much better football team if Grainger was still on the team. When he played against GA State last year I thought we had found our QB for 4 years. How things change.

[DoomedDin1127]

This thread is literally called the positives, while there aren’t many, it’s appropriate to stick to the topic I think we’ll adjust. We severely underestimated VMI but we won’t lose again this season to anyone because we thought we’d steamroll them. They’ll beat us because they beat US. “Remember how we underestimated VMI? Yeah let’s not do that again”

We can still win the conference.

That’s.... a positive

[The Jackal]

I no longer believe any of the pre-season hype. The Austin-Peay OOC game told me all I need to know. I am always hopeful, but at some point, just like in basketball, you need to prove it on the field. The last Wofford game was also a beat-down after our early long TD run. Actions speak a whole lot louder than all the talk. There is time to recover but my expectations have certainly changed after yesterday.

I think we would be a much better football team if Grainger was still on the team. When he played against GA State last year I thought we had found our QB for 4 years. How things change.

Unless you think the coaching staff is a bunch of blundering idiots (maybe you do), then you have to accept the fact that after three years, the coaches determined that Sisson is the better QB for Furman. Grainger had his chance. He didn't keep the job.

Yeah, Grainger had a whale of a game against Georgia State. Problem is, teams don't try and defense us like Georgia State did. Over and over that night our offense took the lid off the defense downfield. No one defenses us like Georgia State did anymore.

If you had told me before the VMI game that Sisson was going to throw for 232 yards, 2 TDs, no picks, and complete 65% of his passes I'd have said Furman beat VMI by 28. You can't honestly say that 9 sacks or the inability to establish the running game is his fault or that Grainger would have done any better.

[Affirm]

Our team is playing football. That's a positive.

[purplehorse]

Grainger at a minimum would have provided depth and a “change” at QB if we needed one (like when Sisson came in last year I believe it was against UTC). No doubt in my mind we would be a better team with him on the roster. I am not really debating which QB aid better-Sisson or Grainger.

[FurmAlum]

I don't think Sisson is the problem. It's only his 3rd or 4th start. He is still learning and yes he does need to learn to throw the ball away to avoid sacks. But no QB is going to be successful with guys in his face all the time.

That was a team loss. HC,OC, OL, RB's, QB, everybody on offense. They need to improve.

I still think we have the right QB and Hendrix is the right coach. One loss does not ruin a season.

I believe every team in the SoCon will have at least one loss.

[Rokawaylifer]

You guys are more on to this than me. However I saw this team crap on Vmi in last contest. Scratching head. Driving down from yankee land to watch the Samford contest. Hatcher is a competitor.

[gofurman]

I’ll give you a positive. we are pretty lucky Sisson didn’t get hurt w all those harsh sacks. Seriously.