• My Expectations For Next Year and Why?

 #40429  by Affirm
 Wed Apr 28, 2021 2:55 pm
I truly wanted to know, and I truly thought apaladin would answer.
He did not, so I subsequently attempted my own research.
2017 - lost to Elon
2016 - lost to Kennesaw State
2015 - lost to Coastal Carolina (again)
2014 - lost to Coastal Carolina
Whether we win or lose, NCA&TSU will be a big game. Some of the above were probably bigger, but we did not win any of them. At present, we at least have a chance to win against NCA&TSU, though I am not saying that I expect us to win. Actually, I think it will be a great achievement for Furman if we can be competitive against them on 9/4/2021. We go to Greensboro to play them in 2025. Maybe we will be better by then than we seem to be presently. There is always hope for that. There is hope even for 2021 at home.
 #40431  by Affirm
 Wed Apr 28, 2021 2:59 pm
apaladin wrote:
Wed Apr 28, 2021 11:47 am
Very excited about the NC A&T game for no other reason than the large crowd I expect them to bring, They have a very good program but lets not pretend they are Alabama. 🤣 Their last season included a 3 point win over Elon and a 6 point win over Chaleston Southern which was 2 weeks after FU beat CSU by 32. With that said if we don’t see vast improvement come September this game will be over by halftime. Would have loved for NC A&T to have joined the SoCon instead of the Big South.
Did UNCG veto them from joining SoCon? Did they just not want to join SoCon? Did SoCon approach them about joining?
 #40436  by Affirm
 Wed Apr 28, 2021 6:05 pm
affirm wrote:
Wed Apr 28, 2021 12:46 pm
apaladin wrote:
Wed Apr 28, 2021 11:47 am
Very excited about the NC A&T game for no other reason than the large crowd I expect them to bring, They have a very good program but lets not pretend they are Alabama. 🤣 Their last season included a 3 point win over Elon and a 6 point win over Chaleston Southern which was 2 weeks after FU beat CSU by 32. With that said if we don’t see vast improvement come September this game will be over by halftime. Would have loved for NC A&T to have joined the SoCon instead of the Big South.
Waiting to see your nominee(s) for bigger OOC regular season home games we’ve had since 2013.
No they are not Alabama.
When did we play Alabama at home or away?
ANSWERING MY OWN QUESTION:
1924 Alabama came to us.
3 times in the 1950’s we went to them.
I ACTUALLY THOUGHT THE ANSWER WAS NEVER.
(And by the way, 59 years ago [1962] was our last home football game against Clemson.)
 #40438  by gofurman
 Wed Apr 28, 2021 8:36 pm
affirm wrote:
Wed Apr 28, 2021 2:55 pm
I truly wanted to know, and I truly thought apaladin would answer.
He did not, so I subsequently attempted my own research.
2017 - lost to Elon
2016 - lost to Kennesaw State
2015 - lost to Coastal Carolina (again)
2014 - lost to Coastal Carolina
Whether we win or lose, NCA&TSU will be a big game. Some of the above were probably bigger, but we did not win any of them. At present, we at least have a chance to win against NCA&TSU, though I am not saying that I expect us to win. Actually, I think it will be a great achievement for Furman if we can be competitive against them on 9/4/2021. We go to Greensboro to play them in 2025. Maybe we will be better by then than we seem to be presently. There is always hope for that. There is hope even for 2021 at home.
Unfortunately that loss to a new (2nd year?() KSU team was nail in the coffin of Fowler :? . Losing to a second year (I think) program will do that
 #40439  by apaladin
 Wed Apr 28, 2021 8:53 pm
affirm wrote:
Wed Apr 28, 2021 6:05 pm
affirm wrote:
Wed Apr 28, 2021 12:46 pm
apaladin wrote:
Wed Apr 28, 2021 11:47 am
Very excited about the NC A&T game for no other reason than the large crowd I expect them to bring, They have a very good program but lets not pretend they are Alabama. 🤣 Their last season included a 3 point win over Elon and a 6 point win over Chaleston Southern which was 2 weeks after FU beat CSU by 32. With that said if we don’t see vast improvement come September this game will be over by halftime. Would have loved for NC A&T to have joined the SoCon instead of the Big South.
Waiting to see your nominee(s) for bigger OOC regular season home games we’ve had since 2013.
No they are not Alabama.
When did we play Alabama at home or away?
ANSWERING MY OWN QUESTION:
1924 Alabama came to us.
3 times in the 1950’s we went to them.
I ACTUALLY THOUGHT THE ANSWER WAS NEVER.
(And by the way, 59 years ago [1962] was our last home football game against Clemson.)
Thought I had answered but it didn’t go through, I mentioned the Coastal games and Kennesaw St. as far as good competition. The NC A&T game will generate more excitement than any of the aforementioned.
 #40444  by The Jackal
 Thu Apr 29, 2021 6:46 am
apaladin wrote:
Wed Apr 28, 2021 10:26 pm
Looks like WCU made a good head coach hire. Won D2 NC at Valdosta State in 2018.

Wait and see. Bell didn't have a coaching job last season.

Winning a national title is notable, but Valdosta State is a D2 powerhouse. Since 2000, VSU has had four head coaches, all of them won national titles with the exception of the current guy in year 1 (and he was 10-1).

VSU also has an easier recruiting road. There are fewer restrictions in D2 football, and VSU has access to one of the largest recruiting pools in the country - South Georgia and North Florida.

Maybe a good hire, but a number of VSU head coaches have moved to D1 with middling results. In the last 20 years, the only one that has moderately made it as a head coach is Chris Hatcher, and his tenure has been a mixed bag at three schools.
 #40445  by Furmanoid
 Thu Apr 29, 2021 9:11 am
I think Hatcher is the only one who has become a DI head coach. So that makes them 100% on producing mixed bags. Not bad really. And I think WCU would be ecstatic to get a mixed bag.
 #40446  by The Jackal
 Thu Apr 29, 2021 10:32 am
Furmanoid wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 9:11 am
I think Hatcher is the only one who has become a DI head coach. So that makes them 100% on producing mixed bags. Not bad really. And I think WCU would be ecstatic to get a mixed bag.

The last two VSU coaches have been fired from OC jobs at FBS schools.

WCU probably is not a hot ticket destination on the coaching circuit. They just fired Spier, who was arguably the most successful coach they've had in the last 30 years.
 #40447  by FUBeAR
 Thu Apr 29, 2021 11:38 am
Furmanoid wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 9:11 am
I think Hatcher is the only one who has become a DI head coach. So that makes them 100% on producing mixed bags. Not bad really. And I think WCU would be ecstatic to get a mixed bag.
Hal Mumme (43-75 @ Kentucky, SE Louisiana, NM State) & Mike Cavan (52-61 @ ETSU & SMU) join Coach Hatcher (77-71 @ GaSou, Murray State, Samford) on that list.

So...former VSU HC’s have a total record of 172-207 / .454 @ the D1 level. That’s certainly better than Mark Speir’s .327 winning percentage as The Big Cat...but I would imagine WCU’s fans are hoping for a bit higher projected results from Coach Bell.
 #40449  by The Jackal
 Thu Apr 29, 2021 12:06 pm
Furmanoid wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 11:54 am
Jackal was talking about the last 20 years.
Correct. Gotta read for context AND content.

My point is to say that highlighting a coach's D2 National Title at VSU isn't super compelling as a primary focal point of a resume.
 #40450  by FUBeAR
 Thu Apr 29, 2021 12:16 pm
Furmanoid wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 11:54 am
Jackal was talking about the last 20 years.
Who? I have Jackal blocked on my feed.
 #40451  by Fred Garvin
 Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:08 pm
My expectations are for the most part realistic and attainable.....
1. In contention for Southern Conference championship
2. Win the state
3. Green lot parking pass
4. Cooler
5. Purple pregame toast
6. Crank up "Gin n Juice" by the Gourds at 1 post game
7. Walk away from anyone wanting to discuss a Timmons renovation
8. Lower student body douche count at games
9. Problems discussed by our board experts corrected
10. A return of the FUATT victory cheer led by our glorious leader E.D.