ETSU @ #3 Furman Oct. 28th (Homecoming)

[The Jackal]

When Furman played the Citadel, I sort of thought the Bulldogs would come into the game fired up. Furman was a rival and it was early enough in the season where they could stop the bleeding a bit and turn their season around.

My gut thinks ETSU may come into town pretty demoralized. It's the second leg of two road games to ranked teams. They've got a ton of injuries. They just got waxed in a rivalry game against UTC. Very little is going right for them.

I've seen enough Nick Saban speeches to know that the best idea is to prepare to play a four quarter hard fought football game. I suspect that if Furman can put ETSU in a position early where they say "here we go again," we can put them away.

[The Jackal]

Just a few initial thoughts on ETSU.

1. They've got a lot of injuries. According to Coach Quarles https://etsubucs.com/news/2023/10/23/et ... urman.aspx

It makes practice difficult. Our punter is currently the scout team quarterback and one of our long snappers was scout team player of the week as a receiver to give some examples of how thin we are. We also have guys that are having to play different spots than they are used to as well. For example, Chris Everhart moved from right guard to left guard, which might not seem like a big deal but it's similar to learning to write with your non-dominant hand. Some guys are also playing two different spots at times due to the injuries. With that said, nobody is complaining and our guys are still working to get better.

From last weeks game notes, the Bucs are down to their 5th string QB, William Riddle, a redshirt freshman. He was 8 of 25 for 46 yards against UTC with 4 sacks and a pick. Their usual starter, Tyler Riddell, went out with an injury early in the season, tried to come back, and then appears to have been injured again.

2. They are very young. Something close to a third of the team is freshmen. A lot of freshmen on their two deep.

3. As you might imagine, with a lot of injuries at QB, they run the ball a lot. They are third in the SoCon in rushing, but dead last in passing at 104 yards per game - roughly 200 yards fewer per game than Samford and WCU average. They still have the very talented wideout Will Huzzie, but I suspect struggle to get the ball to him.

4. Their primary back, Irby, is a pretty good player, but I think not at the level they've had the last few years with Quay Holmes and Jacob Saylors.

5. Their two wins were both at home, against winless Wofford and D2 Carson Newman. I watched some of their game against Samford earlier, and they have the ability to hang around on you, but seem to fade in the second half as depth and adjustments start exposing them. They managed 6 points against Mercer and 3 against UTC.

They put up some points against Samford, but that was also a game the Bulldogs were hit by the turnover bug. ETSU broke a long 70 yard run late, but their two first half scoring drives were set up by Samford turnovers with a short field.

[FU Hoopla]

The Buc stops here.........................

[FUBeAR]

Just a few initial thoughts on ETSU.

1. They've got a lot of injuries. According to Coach Quarles https://etsubucs.com/news/2023/10/23/et ... urman.aspx

It makes practice difficult. Our punter is currently the scout team quarterback and one of our long snappers was scout team player of the week as a receiver to give some examples of how thin we are. We also have guys that are having to play different spots than they are used to as well. For example, Chris Everhart moved from right guard to left guard, which might not seem like a big deal but it's similar to learning to write with your non-dominant hand. Some guys are also playing two different spots at times due to the injuries. With that said, nobody is complaining and our guys are still working to get better.

From last weeks game notes, the Bucs are down to their 5th string QB, William Riddle, a redshirt freshman. He was 8 of 25 for 46 yards against UTC with 4 sacks and a pick. Their usual starter, Tyler Riddell, went out with an injury early in the season, tried to come back, and then appears to have been injured again.

FWIW- In case anyone other than FUBeAR is interested in these sorts of things (human interest stories involving SoCon Football - if not, don’t read this post)…

William Riddle is the younger brother of Robert Riddle.

Some of you may recall Robert Riddle as the outstanding QB for Mercer in 2018 and 2019…or you may not.

Though he made the SoCon All-Freshman Team in 2018, he only played in 4 games before a bellhop crushed his collarbone. So, he did not play in Furman’s SoCon Championship (though not playoff ) -clinching end-of-season victory. He did play against Furman in 2019, in a losing 45-10 effort, so that may not have been highly memorable either.

The saddest part of this story began just 3 weeks later when Robert Riddle’s lower leg suffered a sickening compound, complex fracture as a result of a “hip-drop” tackle by a VMI DB. (Look up hip-drop tackling. It’s quite a thing…still perfectly legal, but extremely dangerous. FUBeAR saw a Furman DB assist on a tackle of a WCU player using this technique last Saturday - again it’s perfectly legal - so not “dirty” at all - just dangerous)….Anyway, Riddle rec’d years (dunno how many - somewhere between 2 and 4) of extended eligibility because of medical redshirts, regular redshirt, and Covid). FUBeAR believes he was on Mercer’s roster thru spring of 2021, though, after multiple surgeries, he was never able to return to game action for the Bears.

Following graduation from Mercer, he transferred to Chattanooga (his & William’s hometown) as a Grad Transfer in 2021 with 2 or 3 years to play…Chatt was excited to get him and had very high hopes for his return to action…but he never could get his leg back to full-go and ‘hung it up’ at some point in ‘21 without ever taking a snap as a Moc.

FUBeAR thought Robert Riddle had NFL potential, so the story is definitely a sad tale, though he appears to be thriving as a young non-football-playing adult. Hopefully his younger brother will not have a good game this Saturday, but will become a STAR at ETSU and, most importantly, will remain injury-free.

[The Jackal]

Robert Riddle was a good player.

My recollection is Mercer's offensive coordinator also went to UTC about the same time.

[apaladin]

As of now lots of tickets left but that was the case for Family weekend too so hopefully sales will pick up closer to game day.

[FU Hoopla]

As of now lots of tickets left but that was the case for Family weekend too so hopefully sales will pick up closer to game day.

Doubt anyone will be on visiting side, but surly the home side will be full, right?

[FurmanATT]

When Paladins come marching home again, hurrah, hurrah! -- MD
Off the glory road and back for Homecoming. #Paladins
https://wellpilgrim.wordpress.com/2023/ ... omecoming/

[FU Hoopla]

When Paladins come marching home again, hurrah, hurrah! -- MD
Off the glory road and back for Homecoming. #Paladins
https://wellpilgrim.wordpress.com/2023/ ... omecoming/

Good stuff!

[apaladin]

As of now lots of tickets left but that was the case for Family weekend too so hopefully sales will pick up closer to game day.

Doubt anyone will be on visiting side, but surly the home side will be full, right?

Just check and looks to have been some sales since last I looked but still lots of tickets available on the home side. Still 3 days to go and maybe some walk up sales but good luck with that.

[MidlandsPaladin]

As of now lots of tickets left but that was the case for Family weekend too so hopefully sales will pick up closer to game day.

Doubt anyone will be on visiting side, but surly the home side will be full, right?

Just check and looks to have been some sales since last I looked but still lots of tickets available on the home side. Still 3 days to go and maybe some walk up sales but good luck with that.

Does this means that there will be spaces in the Gray lot for me to park?

[The Jackal]

We played ETSU for homecoming, I think, in 2003.

I felt bad for them, really. I saw their team bus onto campus. We were heavily favored. I believe they'd already announced they were going to shutter the football program after that season.

Just a team full of guys whose school had basically given up on them. Finish out the season and there would be no more football. Felt like "dead man walking."

[gman84]

Not sure what their vibe is now. I would NOT sleep on anybody at this point. Too much at stake.

[cavedweller2]

Always take them seriously especially at Homecoming. They beat the shit out of us in the late 90's on Homecoming.
1997. 58-28. Never forget.

[gman84]

Always take them seriously especially at Homecoming. They beat the shit out of us in the late 90's on Homecoming.
1997. 58-28. Never forget.

Remember it well. Rainy day. I think we threw pics on 3 consecutive possessions in the 4th quarter.