THE STATE OF FURMAN FOOTBALL

[apaladin]

Can someone other than Jackal tell me this is not the lowest point of Furman football since the non-scholarship football for fun bunch in the late ‘60’s? We have never been a team’s only win until now and we have done it twice. CCH said on the postgame we need to stop using youth as an excuse and that we have played too much football now. Not just the team but the coaches have been really bad also. They are supposed to be better than they are showing, Regardless of how bad we have been in the past we always had a glimmer of hope but just don’t see anything to get excited about going into next year. Can anyone talk me off the ledge?

[FurmAlum]

Don't agree AP. I see a lot of young talent that will be better next year and the year after.We lost tons of players from last years team and then 4-5 key players are injured before the season even starts and then we lose another 8-10. We are just playing too many young inexperienced players to be consistent.

I know it sucks to lose and I was gnashing my teeth in the 4th Q when we couldn't close the deal. But I have tried to refrain from making stupid comments and do any Monday morning coaching since I am not a football coach, unlike many of the expert coaches on the UFFP who have never coached a game.

Things will get better but maybe not this year.

[FU3]

We were awful in 2014 and 2016. Our recruiting was lousy and there was no way we were going to get better with the staff we had. That IMO is not the case currently.This is one bad year with a number of black swan events.

[gofurman]

Don't agree AP. I see a lot of young talent that will be better next year and the year after.We lost tons of players from last years team and then 4-5 key players are injured before the season even starts and then we lose another 8-10. We are just playing too many young inexperienced players to be consistent.

I know it sucks to lose and I was gnashing my teeth in the 4th Q when we couldn't close the deal. But I have tried to refrain from making stupid comments and do any Monday morning coaching since I am not a football coach, unlike many of the expert coaches on the UFFP who have never coached a game.

Things will get better but maybe not this year.

Some of the best coaches have never coached a game. I mean all coaches start - at some point - having not coached a game !!!

Know a guy - not me - who can literally watch 3 or 4 high school games and then tell me with 80% plus accuracy what play is coming next. Heck, coach K at Duke - top 10 coach EVER - was to be fired in year 3(? Something like that) until Tom Butters came to his defense and saved his job. We would never have heard of Coach K but for Tom Butters saving him. Just because you aren’t a coach … or have been doing a “bad” job as a coach for several years doesn’t mean you don’t know a ton about coaching.

[gofurman]

We were awful in 2014 and 2016. Our recruiting was lousy and there was no way we were going to get better with the staff we had. That IMO is not the case currently.This is one bad year with a number of black swan events.

Agree. Still some issues, like the ability to snap the ball better, are odd. Seems we could find someone to do that

[FUTex]

I don't agree AP.

If you saw that game and can't see any positives (like a nice sustained drive) then no one will be able to talk you off the ledge. Simply put - this year we have something of a JV team and HS all-stars playing against other school's Varsity teams. However, if you want to revel in defeatism, I can assist you there: Teams that lose learn how to lose. Some teams do it so often they forget how to win. I heard that over and over again from many an ETSU player in the 80s and 90s.

On the other hand, winners have a way of gaining their most valuable lessons from defeats. They try again, maybe try something a little different this next time, but they keep at it.

[jesse174]

Can someone other than Jackal tell me this is not the lowest point of Furman football since the non-scholarship football for fun bunch in the late ‘60’s? We have never been a team’s only win until now and we have done it twice. CCH said on the postgame we need to stop using youth as an excuse and that we have played too much football now. Not just the team but the coaches have been really bad also. They are supposed to be better than they are showing, Regardless of how bad we have been in the past we always had a glimmer of hope but just don’t see anything to get excited about going into next year. Can anyone talk me off the ledge?

I don't think the coaches have answers and if they did, we would see the glimmer of hope..unless we can effectively recruit for next year, we will not improve. Also I would like to see Jones be the starter for the rest of the season..just a preference..

[The Jackal]

I genuinely do not understand the panic from some of you.

• We are a single season removed from one of the great teams in our programs history. That team was loaded with seniors and grad students. If you are not going to live in the transfer portal (we don't), the piper is eventually going to be paid

• We knew we were going to have inexperienced players in key spots - QB, DB, etc. Even among the returning players, though, we have suffered massive injury issues. Every position group is hit. At some positions, our starter today was 3rd or 4th on the depth chart in the preseason.

Let's not make it more than it is. We knew the season was going to be a rebuilding/reloading year. We knew we'd have a number of inexperienced players. Injuries have brutalized the roster along with unexpected departures.

Football is a game that requires development at every level. Physical development. Mental development. It's almost always never a good idea to have to play freshmen unless they (1) a freak athlete or (2) are complimentary role players on the roster.

Do I think the same coaching staff that had Furman as one of the nation's best teams last year forgot how to coach or recruit? No.

Now, at the same time, we need to play better. At some point, you aren't a kid anymore. We're 7 or 8 games in and gotta stop making week 1 mistakes.

[AllTimeFU]

Truly, I’m a glass half full guy. Not the negative Nelly I accused GF and AP and others of when I said they were trolling. I was wrong.

On D - we have tons of legit excuses. I hardly have a fault there.

On O - it’s baffling. You can expect inexperience from a true fresh Q. You really role the dice with that. There were some that said if 8 didn’t get a chance to play this year he would leave. Is that why he was rushed? I’ve not seen anything that makes me think burning a redshirt was worth it. When 5 was benched early in the year it was as if we were waiting for the excuse to move forward with 8. It just seemed counterintuitive to what CCH says about building Furman players in the era of the transfer portal. Redshirt 8 and roll with 5 and 4 we brought in from California.

I feel we have the skill players on O and good enough on the OL to be much better than we are. When was the last time we saw a wheel route, a back in the flat, a slant a post. Resorting to 50:50 balls doesn’t seem like an offensive attack game plan with that multiple skill weapons we have.

All that said, we have good coaches and we don’t know what happens in practice, what the actual assignments were, etc… I’m still glass half full.

What do you do at QB next week?

[AllTimeFU]

Can someone other than Jackal tell me this is not the lowest point of Furman football since the non-scholarship football for fun bunch in the late ‘60’s? We have never been a team’s only win until now and we have done it twice. CCH said on the postgame we need to stop using youth as an excuse and that we have played too much football now. Not just the team but the coaches have been really bad also. They are supposed to be better than they are showing, Regardless of how bad we have been in the past we always had a glimmer of hope but just don’t see anything to get excited about going into next year. Can anyone talk me off the ledge?

I don't think the coaches have answers and if they did, we would see the glimmer of hope..unless we can effectively recruit for next year, we will not improve. Also I would like to see Jones be the starter for the rest of the season..just a preference..

I completely agree with 5 starting all of the next 3 games.

[The Jackal]

Truly, I’m a glass half full guy. Not the negative Nelly I accused GF and AP and others of when I said they were trolling. I was wrong.

On D - we have tons of legit excuses. I hardly have a fault there.

On O - it’s baffling. You can expect inexperience from a true fresh Q. You really role the dice with that. There were some that said if 8 didn’t get a chance to play this year he would leave. Is that why he was rushed? I’ve not seen anything that makes me think burning a redshirt was worth it. When 5 was benched early in the year it was as if we were waiting for the excuse to move forward with 8. It just seemed counterintuitive to what CCH says about building Furman players in the era of the transfer portal. Redshirt 8 and roll with 5 and 4 we brought in from California.

I feel we have the skill players on O and good enough on the OL to be much better than we are. When was the last time we saw a wheel route, a back in the flat, a slant a post. Resorting to 50:50 balls doesn’t seem like an offensive attack game plan with that multiple skill weapons we have.

All that said, we have good coaches and we don’t know what happens in practice, what the actual assignments were, etc… I’m still glass half full.

What do you do at QB next week?

It's a little odd. Both Jones and Hedden had virtually identical numbers today at the same point (they were both 9/15 ish for 75 yards or so).

It's hard to really judge either of them with our complete lack of a running game up to this point.

I think we also saw what we assumed we might at some point see this year - and that was Gavin Hall show he is the future at the running back position. The coaches really didn't seem to let him loose until Jones was in the game.

[AllTimeFU]

What looked better to me by 5 was a good scamper, immediately getting the ball to the 3 and having the TE’s highly involved. I’d still go back to VMIs first possession as a model for us. Quick, high probability passes.

[gofurman]

Truly, I’m a glass half full guy. Not the negative Nelly I accused GF and AP and others of when I said they were trolling. I was wrong.

On D - we have tons of legit excuses. I hardly have a fault there.

On O - it’s baffling. You can expect inexperience from a true fresh Q. You really role the dice with that. There were some that said if 8 didn’t get a chance to play this year he would leave. Is that why he was rushed? I’ve not seen anything that makes me think burning a redshirt was worth it. When 5 was benched early in the year it was as if we were waiting for the excuse to move forward with 8. It just seemed counterintuitive to what CCH says about building Furman players in the era of the transfer portal. Redshirt 8 and roll with 5 and 4 we brought in from California.

I feel we have the skill players on O and good enough on the OL to be much better than we are. When was the last time we saw a wheel route, a back in the flat, a slant a post. Resorting to 50:50 balls doesn’t seem like an offensive attack game plan with that multiple skill weapons we have.

All that said, we have good coaches and we don’t know what happens in practice, what the actual assignments were, etc… I’m still glass half full.

What do you do at QB next week?

All timeFU, I appreciate you admitting you were wrong. Thank you!!! That is big of you. . Appreciate your PMs also.

FYI there is still a PM waiting for you I think.

We are ALL HUGE FANS here. HUGE.

Defense I agree. Too many injuries. .

Again, I agree though That Offense is baffling because the game is won at the LOS and offense has - this week - a starting OL of RS-sophomore, RS-Junior, RS-Junior, Rs-Junior, RS-Senior. All as Redshirts. Only one underclassmen. That is NOT young. No OL injuries to speak of really. . I don’t get our struggles there most weeks.

[gofurman]

Also, I have to emphasize what Jackal said. At some point - it’s NOVEMBER!!! - You aren’t a freshman anymore. Game 8 today? Some of the basic mistakes have to get better by now.

I will allow that there is still a difference in a freshman now in game 8 and that same guy as a sophomore next year. Weightlifting and film work and reps in offseason make a big difference. They do. However, game 1 and 2 mistakes should be cleaner now. Especially where no injuries. Defense has an excuse. Offense on OL, we don’t have that excuse.

[Thorny]

I don't see this season as some sort of trend.

Clay has coached at Furman for 20 years, been head coach for seven years, been honored as SoCon coach of year twice, led the team to two conference championships, led the team to four playoff appearances, and last year coached the best Furman football team in the last 15 years.

So, Clay is averaging a conference championship every three years, a play-off birth every other year, and I wouldn't trade Clay's tenure at Furman with any other coaches' record in the SoCon.

I'm tired but the football team sure looks like they are I'm good hands, I think replacing Clay is insane, and, if we're not discussing replacing coaches, what exactly do you expect Clay to do?