VMI

[gofurman]

Concerns

Yes, TURNOVERS.

ABILITY TO RUN

OL create holes to run. Better snaps from a center. Slow snaps kill play timing

I worry about our athleticism at QB. I watch even Cole Gonzales etc (not a freak athlete at QB) and he takes off for 8 yard runs when a lane opens up. We need more athleticism at QB. Just maybe 5 elusive runs a game. Watch Louisville QB - not known as Michael Vick at all - and he is hurting Clemson with his QB keepers. Some designed. Some not where he just takes off… TD. we REALLY NEED more speed elusive QB. that works hand in hand to make the OL better !!!

[FUTex]

I don't want to be too pessimistic here guys, but I think our chances for a winning season are in jeopardy.

Since it’s impossible I think you are right.

Why reply to something that is obviously absurd with a literal interpretation that only affirms what we all saw weeks ago?

I'm just not going to fall in line with the "we suck" mantra. Sanguinity is more healthful.

We all saw that offensive line today, and we all saw the Center's mishaps. I cannot determine which position missed an assignment, only the area in which an assignment was missed. I can say it seems as if their defense knew what our O-Line was going to do, or they knew its weaknesses really well.

I say that without a few winky-dinks* and woopsie-doodles** the Paladins would have won that game.

* a term of complex football analytics involving those X's and O's with curved arrows on a whiteboard.
** when someone overturns the entire Risk board sending the little plastic pieces flying because someone they were allied to lied to them and encroached on their continent.

[gofurman]

I don't want to be too pessimistic here guys, but I think our chances for a winning season are in jeopardy.

Since it’s impossible I think you are right.

Why reply to something that is obviously absurd with a literal interpretation that only affirms what we all saw weeks ago?

I'm just not going to fall in line with the "we suck" mantra. Sanguinity is more healthful.

We all saw that offensive line today, and we all saw the Center's mishaps. I cannot determine which position missed an assignment, only the area in which an assignment was missed. I can say it seems as if their defense knew what our O-Line was going to do, or they knew its weaknesses really well.

I say that without a few winky-dinks* and woopsie-doodles** the Paladins would have won that game.

* a term of complex football analytics involving those X's and O's with curved arrows on a whiteboard.
** when someone overturns the entire Risk board sending the little plastic pieces flying because someone they were allied to lied to them and encroached on their continent.

The bold is disturbing. Like in a butterfly effect way. Tex gets it with his possums or whatever. As if their VMI coaches are able to read what’s coming from our OL

[AllTimeFU]

Concerns

Yes, TURNOVERS.

ABILITY TO RUN

OL create holes to run. Better snaps from a center. Slow snaps kill play timing

I worry about our athleticism at QB. I watch even Cole Gonzales etc (not a freak athlete at QB) and he takes off for 8 yard runs when a lane opens up. We need more athleticism at QB. Just maybe 5 elusive runs a game. Watch Louisville QB - not known as Michael Vick at all - and he is hurting Clemson with his QB keepers. Some designed. Some not where he just takes off… TD. we REALLY NEED more speed elusive QB. that works hand in hand to make the OL better !!!

I’ve been saying the same thing about athleticism/shiftiness at QB. I really liked seeing 5 take off for a 19 yard scamper.
I said it before…we fell in love with a big arm that wasn’t ready or perhaps may not have all of the tools (we’ll see) and a big butt that’s been moved from starting C to getting a few series at LG. You have to have it between the ears and technique at this level. Otherwise, if you added athleticism you’d be at the next level.

[gofurman]

Concerns

Yes, TURNOVERS.

ABILITY TO RUN

OL create holes to run. Better snaps from a center. Slow snaps kill play timing

I worry about our athleticism at QB. I watch even Cole Gonzales etc (not a freak athlete at QB) and he takes off for 8 yard runs when a lane opens up. We need more athleticism at QB. Just maybe 5 elusive runs a game. Watch Louisville QB - not known as Michael Vick at all - and he is hurting Clemson with his QB keepers. Some designed. Some not where he just takes off… TD. we REALLY NEED more speed elusive QB. that works hand in hand to make the OL better !!!

I’ve been saying the same thing about athleticism/shiftiness at QB. I really liked seeing 5 take off for a 19 yard scamper.
I said it before…we fell in love with a big arm that wasn’t ready or perhaps may not have all of the tools (we’ll see) and a big butt that’s been moved from starting C to getting a few series at LG. You have to have it between the ears and technique at this level. Otherwise, if you added athleticism you’d be at the next level.

EXACTLY. more athletic QBs make the OL so much better. Just basic runs and seeing lanes open up when defense plays a man coverage and vacates … our QB should then get a nice 7 yard gain. Watched several games today where the QBs did that. It drives a defense crazy.

[FUATT]

I made a couple of positive posts, but in the spirit of balance I'll chip in here with a sense of things we really need to work on.

First, we have to eliminate turnovers and if that means that certain guys play and other guys don't, that is just how it should go. We punted one time. Once. VMI scored 14 points on their own and otherwise the Defense fought their tails off and played pretty well. The turnover issues and the ball handling and decision making clearly impacted the play calling in the first half and we ultimately made the change at QB. We are not a good enough team to trade great plays for big mistakes, and I'll be surprised if that is not our ethos goign forward.

Easy one is, we have to fix FG protect. Easy place to start. It looks to me that the FG issues impacted the decisions to go for it on 4th, especially in the second half on the two fourth downs. If we convert either of those fourth downs we probably win.

As for the fourth downs, I'll leave it to others to questions the calls, but we clearly have some major red zone issues. That flows out of the run game issues and the shuffling along the OL that has occurred. We threw it on both 4th down plays for a reason. And when you only feel like you have half the playbook in those situations that makes it hard. I think you have to look behind the calls, and ask why we made those calls, and that is when you start to see it and figure out what the real problem is.

I am not going to call out players by name but there are clearly 3/4 guys who have been beaten out, or are just making too many mistakes, and the best thing for them, the team and their future is to sit right now and figure it out. They don't need their reps. Its doesn't help them and doesn't help the team.

C snaps... yes we need to get better but we have a guy there who was never supposed to play that position but he is the best option we have, has stepped up, our run game is getting better as a result and interior pass pro is improved too. It is hard to have to watch him learn it on the fly but it is what it is.

There is a lot to work on with young guys, guys playing a little out of position and guys who need to get better. Gotta coach it all. Our job is to show up a support. See you gents at Wofford.

[FurmanATT]

Football falls again
But elsewhere #Paladins rise
As seasons run down
-- MD

https://wellpilgrim.com/2024/11/03/furm ... er-at-vmi/

[Davemeister]

I would comment on yesterday but I am still speechless.

If Ellis Johnson were here, he might opine that Furman is the best 2-6 team in the FCS.

[gofurman]

I would comment on yesterday but I am still speechless.

If Ellis Johnson were here, he might opine that Furman is the best 2-6 team in the FCS.

It’s amazing to lose when you punt ONCE.

I liked the second half better than the first half. Give 5 a chance. Whomever is playing smarter - 0 TURNOVERS !!! Smart decisions. Take the short pass if it’s there.

Agree. Learn to freakin kick FGs. Man.

[The Jackal]

I would comment on yesterday but I am still speechless.

If Ellis Johnson were here, he might opine that Furman is the best 2-6 team in the FCS.

It’s amazing to lose when you punt ONCE.

I liked the second half better than the first half. Give 5 a chance. Whomever is playing smarter - 0 TURNOVERS !!! Smart decisions. Take the short pass if it’s there.

Agree. Learn to freakin kick FGs. Man.

You know Jones threw an interception, right?

[gofurman]

I would comment on yesterday but I am still speechless.

If Ellis Johnson were here, he might opine that Furman is the best 2-6 team in the FCS.

It’s amazing to lose when you punt ONCE.

I liked the second half better than the first half. Give 5 a chance. Whomever is playing smarter - 0 TURNOVERS !!! Smart decisions. Take the short pass if it’s there.

Agree. Learn to freakin kick FGs. Man.

You know Jones threw an interception, right?

Yep.. ONE Turnover with Jones at QB... TWO Turnovers with Hedden at QB.. simple math. Also, we seem to Fumble more with Hedden and the RBs than with Jones and RBs. though I grant that is a very limited sample size.

And Jones was in a "last drive situation" for his INT - no turnovers until then. Though AGAIN there had to be a smarter play. The interception was easy with the safety coming over on the deeper pass. As you and others have said - SEE the whole field. Take the 5 yard passes. Take the EASY lower risk plays

But regardless in a full half Hedden two fumbles.. Jones ONE INT on last drive.

I have joined the "I hope they both get snaps going forward" camp. Whomever is playing smarter (maybe more conservative?) and less mistakes

[FUATT]

I would comment on yesterday but I am still speechless.

If Ellis Johnson were here, he might opine that Furman is the best 2-6 team in the FCS.

It’s amazing to lose when you punt ONCE.

I liked the second half better than the first half. Give 5 a chance. Whomever is playing smarter - 0 TURNOVERS !!! Smart decisions. Take the short pass if it’s there.

Agree. Learn to freakin kick FGs. Man.

You know Jones threw an interception, right?

Yep.. ONE Turnover with Jones at QB... TWO Turnovers with Hedden at QB.. simple math. Also, we seem to Fumble more with Hedden and the RBs than with Jones and RBs. though I grant that is a very limited sample size.

And Jones was in a "last drive situation" for his INT - no turnovers until then. Though AGAIN there had to be a smarter play. The interception was easy with the safety coming over on the deeper pass. As you and others have said - SEE the whole field. Take the 5 yard passes. Take the EASY lower risk plays

But regardless in a full half Hedden two fumbles.. Jones ONE INT on last drive.

I have joined the "I hope they both get snaps going forward" camp. Whomever is playing smarter (maybe more conservative?) and less mistakes

I think this is right. 8 needs to get better in the decision making category - I forget who posted the vid but heck yeah take the check down to 28 on first down and we don't fumble and we probably go in an score - but I think 5 is going to get to play some too. I would be some of it would be flow of the game kinds of stuff.

5 won't kill us but not sure he can win it for us. 8 - like at Citadel - can go out and win it for us but he can also blow our head off at any second.

[The Jackal]

At some point, we're at week 8 or whatever and we need to stop making poor decisions with the football.

There's a point of being young, but there's also a point where we have to prioritize ball security and taking what the defense is giving you. I suspect that at this point the QB is less going to be who has the highest ceiling, but who is going to hold onto the football.

[AllTimeFU]

At some point, we're at week 8 or whatever and we need to stop making poor decisions with the football.

There's a point of being young, but there's also a point where we have to prioritize ball security and taking what the defense is giving you. I suspect that at this point the QB is less going to be who has the highest ceiling, but who is going to hold onto the football.

Was it worth it to burn a red-shirt? Ceiling implies later..years down the road.

[gofurman]

At some point, we're at week 8 or whatever and we need to stop making poor decisions with the football.

There's a point of being young, but there's also a point where we have to prioritize ball security and taking what the defense is giving you. I suspect that at this point the QB is less going to be who has the highest ceiling, but who is going to hold onto the football.

100%.