Take a chill pill

[Afurmanfan]

This is one of the youngest teams we have ever had. So many redshirt freshman and true freshman playing- and it shows. But they are some very talented and fast young men. We are better on offense at every position except qb, center and receiving wise- tight end. Plays were there to be had but Darren obviously has not taken care of the football the you have to in order to win. He is the most talented- but one year as high school qb and now playing against good college defense? I was a freshman football player at Furman- the difference in my play between my freshman and sophomore year was huge. If Harris stayed healthy- we win I believe. He makes the right play checks at line, takes care of the ball, throws well and reads the option well etc.
Darren has now played in 4 games . It is possible to see them red shirt him and go with Jemar and Sisson this week. I think Harris will be back for UTC.
We are well coached - PJ made us look good with his arm, experience and running.
Leadership on the field is tough with so few upper class men, but they played hard to the end- no quitting against Samford.
Our coaches are excellent leaders- it showed in our continued effort after the game was basically over Saturday.
Stay optimistic my friend!
Realistically- I think we are a couple of years away from being a really, really good football team. We are seeing some of the best recruiting years since Coach Johnson.

[The Jackal]

I've been trying to find the actual redshirt rule (instead of just reporting on the redshirt rule), but I think we could feasibly do the following.

Grainger has played in four games (Clemson, Elon, ETSU, and Samford). As I understand the rule, Furman could shut him down for the season now and allow him to redshirt. I don't know if the "four game" rule applies the same for a team like Furman that (1) does not play a 12 game season and (2) won't play an 11 game season either.

It also does not appear that the rule forces teams to only utilize it in the first half of the season. So, Hamp Sisson, who hasn't played at all, could theoretically play the last few games and maintain his redshirt status.

There are some others this might apply to:

1. It looks like Travis Blackshear saw his first action against Samford.

2. I think someone mentioned Tyler Voyles, who is a true senior, may either use a redshirt or medical redshirt.

3. Braden Gilby has played in four games.

4. Jax Hackett has played in 1 game.

5. Dae'one Wilkins has played in 3 games.

Assuming Roberts is a no-go, it will be fascinating to see whether Furman goes with Lincoln/Sisson or keep running Grainger out there. I expect the latter. Only way to get better is to keep playing.

[AstroDin]

I was surprised to see Blackshear - who I believe is going to be a good one. I think it was Bear that mentioned Blackshear would be a great running back for Furman. His high school film is impressive on both sides of the ball.

I'm also curious to see what Furman does at QB for the next four games. After watching Sisson in several practices and his game film - I think he's the best option Furman has for the passing game Furman appears to want to run right now if Harris is a no go.

Paul C and I were chatting about our young tailbacks. When is the last time Furman had three running backs with this talented and versatile? Morehead appeared hobbled a bit with an ankle so we didn't get his speed pop, but Wynn and Watkins had great games against a tough Samford defense that played flat out with their ears pulled back. Hatcher said after the game Gooden played with a level of intensity he hadn't seen in a long time and they needed it to win.

I agree with AFurmanFan completely… this season has been WEIRD. Furman lost the game Saturday but had another win for the future. You have to believe in the coaches when they can land a commit after a tough loss from - arguably the highest rated recruit on the board. No, he doesn't have any stars but he does have 25 offers - 5 from FBS schools.

[The Jackal]

I was surprised to see Blackshear - who I believe is going to be a good one. I think it was Bear that mentioned Blackshear would be a great running back for Furman. His high school film is impressive on both sides of the ball.

I'm also curious to see what Furman does at QB for the next four games. After watching Sisson in several practices and his game film - I think he's the best option Furman has for the passing game Furman appears to want to run right now if Harris is a no go.

Paul C and I were chatting about our young tailbacks. When is the last time Furman had three running backs with this talented and versatile? Morehead appeared hobbled a bit with an ankle so we didn't get his speed pop, but Wynn and Watkins had great games against a tough Samford defense that played flat out with their ears pulled back. Hatcher said after the game Gooden played with a level of intensity he hadn't seen in a long time and they needed it to win.

I agree with AFurmanFan completely… this season has been WEIRD. Furman lost the game Saturday but had another win for the future. You have to believe in the coaches when they can land a commit after a tough loss from - arguably the highest rated recruit on the board. No, he doesn't have any stars but he does have 25 offers - 5 from FBS schools.

In my opinion? 2005.

Jerome Felton, Brandon Mays, Grant Brigham, Daric Carter, Ced Gipson, Renaldo Gray, Brantley Kendall

Not a clear 1:1 comparison, but Morehead/Watkins/Wynn remind me a lot of Gipson/Mays/Carter

[fufanatic]

I couldn't have been more impressed with Wynn Saturday. He's going to be special.

[Jasper]

Excellent post and thread. The QB thing has been beaten to death and nothing is going to change it. There was a ? mark at the start of the season and it doesn't matter whose fault that was. It was what is was. The funny thing is that we should have gotten away with starting a 5th year senior with virtually no playing time under his belt simply because the rest of the team and the coaching staff are very good. There is no question in my mind that if Harris Roberts had remained healthy this team would be 4-2 overall and 4-0 in the SoCon. We have paid a helluva price for being thin in just one position. Happens all the time in sports due to unexpected developments like injury. But this cupboard is far from bare. Not only is the team very young but it looks to me like we are having a great recruiting season. It also looks like there is an opportunity to red shirt a bunch of quality players who have medical reasons or will not play in 4 games. Alex Hanff and London Lewis have not played a down. Highly recruited freshman like Braylin Fisher, Matt Sochovka, Jax Hackett, Cameron Coleman and even Anderson Tomlin, who makes the 2 deep roster but has not played much if at all. We have the best stable of RB's I have seen at FU, excellent receivers and some great freshmen who are contributing right now and gaining valuable experience. This is exactly the way to build a program. We are simply not in the "plug the next guy in" mode as yet and as things worked out that condition showed itself in the most critical position and that really sucks because this IS a good team. I believe the coaching staff will solve the QB problem in whatever way they think is best. If they truly believe Grainger is the future then I expect to see him gaining valuable experience this year if HR is out for awhile. Me? I'm a buyer of calls on FU for the 2019 SoCon Championship and also making an "investment" in out-of-the- money "leaps" on a 2020 National Championship. Might even put in a call to Daddy Forcier out in California and see if he has any more QB's in that brood. Cant get much chillier than that.

[AstroDin]

Jasper, really good point bringing up Fisher… who was a late pickup and looks darn good. Also, Louis Hall, a WR is redshirting and recovering from a knee injury his senior season. Sochovka when he played looked impressive.

I meant to mention him earlier but Ryan Miller continues to impress. On his two catches and his end around run he looked explosive and beat the Samford players for extra yardage - that's saying something.

[Jasper]

Right about Louis Hall, Astro. I remember hearing that we were only able to get someone of his quality because of the injury. Miller looks like a quality receiver but more of a wideout, I think, than a typical TE where I believe he is listed.

[The Jackal]

Right about Louis Hall, Astro. I remember hearing that we were only able to get someone of his quality because of the injury. Miller looks like a quality receiver but more of a wideout, I think, than a typical TE where I believe he is listed.

I am interested to see where our TE position develops over time. We primarily use two guys - Walker and Miller - and move them in and out of the formation, often lining them up in the backfield or even split out as a WR.

There are new blocking rules in the NCAA that I think can disadvantage smaller TEs like Miller. Miller is listed as a TE, plays more like a WR, but at 6'1 208 is built like a running back.

Does Furman keep recruiting "traditional" TEs in the Jake Walker mold (6'4 228) or do they focus more on hybrid type players that are part fullback/part WR.

[Jasper]

It looks to me like the latter, Jackal. That seems to fit into the scheme they would prefer to use. Do you feel like they used last year's tight end in the traditional manner?

[The Jackal]

It looks to me like the latter, Jackal. That seems to fit into the scheme they would prefer to use. Do you feel like they used last year's tight end in the traditional manner?

Well, I think that's a complicated question.

Last year is a bad example. We had virtually no TE depth after Fletcher graduated (who himself is a converted QB). We had little used Ajay Williams and Caleb Auer (who moved to OL). Schumpert seemed to match the coaching staff's desire for a big-bodied receiver type for their new position.

We sometimes use the TE as a traditional hand-on-the-ground linemen with pass catching responsibilities. More often, though, we are utilizing that position as more of an H-Back instead of TE. Moving them in and out of the formation, spreading them out wide, running them out of the backfield. While not listed as a TE, I really don't see much difference between Avery Armstrong's role and that of the TE.

From what I can tell, Furman's coaching staff wants guys that can really run and catch and are strong enough to block out of the backfield. We occasionally seem to want to put the TE on the line as an extra blocker, but more often won't. Perhaps the flexibility is generated from the depth we are developing at fullback, so having an extra blocking TE may not be necessary.

It may also be that Miller is just a unique athlete that we are trying to utilize. As Coach Hendrix continues to fill the roster with the players he is looking for, it will be interesting to see how the offense develops and changes over time.