THE STATE OF FURMAN FOOTBALL

[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

Some coaches just assume that anybody can do it. They’ll just throw a guard in there & just expect it to work. It’s a very hard position. I hope our coaches aren’t that dumb.

Have we had 2 or 3 centers get hurt or something?

No. OL and Center is a pretty healthy group. Arguably our most healthy unit …thus my frustration with running the ball this year

[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.

We weren’t near as bad in 2016. Lost to Michigan St by 15. Lost 4 games by one score. Beat WCU by 28, ETSU by 45 and won at VMI by 14. The 2016 team scored 40+ points 3 times. We’ve only scored in the twenties twice this season against scholarship teams.(24, 20). We haven’t sniffed 30. That 2016 team would beat the snot out of this years.

The 2016 team also had a lot of seniors at key positions (including QB, RB, WR, etc.) This team is basically freshmen at the same positions.

But this many games in, the Freshman are more experienced than lots of “veteran” teams were in week 1-2. The straight “youth” part matters maybe more on the lines where an 18 yr old just isn’t strong enough, but the skill guys only get slower with age.

I don't know about all of that. Here's what I see, for instance.

This is a first down. I don't know what VMI is necessarily doing defensively, but their MLB appears to be either spying Hedden or has some sort of instruction to fire on him when he gets outside the pocket. That makes sense as most teams are going to take the risk of forcing him to speed up his decision-making.

I do not know this for sure, but Hedden appears to be waiting for WR to get free on the far side. The WR beats his man and Hedden squares up looking to launch a deep ball. He doesn't have enough time to do that, gets popped, fumbles, and that ends up being the turning point in the game.

I am not a QB coach, but Grant Robinson is 5 yards in front of Hedden by himself. To me, that's the throw. It's first down. We're in plus territory. The throw you want isn't there (or you don't have time to make it). Take the short toss and let him get 6 or 7 yards.

Again, I have no idea what the right call is here. I suspect there's a progression. Maybe he didn't see the linebacker. Maybe he thought he had enough time to get a chunk throw. I may be wrong, but if you throw the ball right at the point the video starts you (1) don't get hit (2) don't fumble and (3) throw to an open receiver who has space and momentum.

Jackal, I COMPLETELY AGREE. Always take the easy 5 yard play. Too many kids look for the bomb or whatever when 5 yard plays win games. Ability to SEE the field and get 5 -7 yard plays is so key.

We either need to coach these guys up at QB or bring someone else in to push them. We are making it hard on ourselves. I will say that the TE throws have been nice and the throws themselves have been nice and fairly accurate … but you have to see the whole field. Guys in the flat etc. We are limiting and hurting ourselves locking on to one receiver.

[The Jackal]

I have not been able to make it to a game this year. In years past, it often seemed that we went as the QB went -but I know the Ingle Martin’s & Tyler Huff’s of the world need to be surrounded by good players .

My question is how much of our problem on offense is due to the QB position?

In my view, if you are going to start a freshman at QB you need to support him with a good running game and solid defense allowing for short fields to work on. We don't really have either thing going right now.

If this is our path, then you hope that these guys are learning on the job. I keep looking at Darren Grainger a bit as an example - he put up roughly 1,500 total yards at Furman as a freshman. By the time he was a senior at Georgia State, he accounted for 3,300 yards and 30 touchdowns.

I realize we were fond of Tyler Huff, but i think Furman would have been just as good (maybe better) last season if Grainger had stayed at Furman and we were able to reap the benefits of his development at QB. Instead, we got the learning portion of his career while Georgia State got most of the productivity.

[Furmanoid]

We’ll see how it works out, but that may be our future roll. Sort of like minor leagues. You play your young kids and hope they do well, but if they play too well & learn too much, poof, they may be off to greener pastures. And now the flow in the other direction (think Ingle Martin) is shutoff.

I’ve just come to accept that college football is completely different now and every year is going to be unpredictable. There are no reliable rosters year to year. My coping mechanism has been to stop caring much. Not intentional, but this year I suddenly don’t care much about any of it.

[gofurman]

We’ll see how it works out, but that may be our future roll. Sort of like minor leagues. You play your young kids and hope they do well, but if they play too well & learn too much, poof, they may be off to greener pastures. And now the flow in the other direction (think Ingle Martin) is shutoff.

I’ve just come to accept that college football is completely different now and every year is going to be unpredictable. There are no reliable rosters year to year. My coping mechanism has been to stop caring much. Not intentional, but this year I suddenly don’t care much about any of it.

My relative said the same thing. It is hard to care if we are to become the minor leagues. I am caring as much as I can but this whole NIL and transfer instantly thing SUCKS. So far, it seems to be hitting basketball more than football... Maybe FCS football can sustain? I mean, honestly, I have proposed it should hit the best teams (SDSU and NDSU) the most - Dallas Goedert and Carson Wentz should leave now. Maybe.. maybe Furman is positioned to do ok by being ranked 15th without many NFL guys. Surely SDSU and NDSU will get cherry-picked?

Am I missing something here? Won't Minnesota or Wisconsin or Nebraska come and cherry-pick the best Dakota players??? And shouldn't Montana / MSU players get NIL money from Boise State or UW or Oregon , Oregon State?

Shouldn't that happen to diminish the Dakoktas and Montanas?

[apaladin]

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.

We weren’t near as bad in 2016. Lost to Michigan St by 15. Lost 4 games by one score. Beat WCU by 28, ETSU by 45 and won at VMI by 14. The 2016 team scored 40+ points 3 times. We’ve only scored in the twenties twice this season against scholarship teams.(24, 20). We haven’t sniffed 30. That 2016 team would beat the snot out of this years.

The 2016 team also had a lot of seniors at key positions (including QB, RB, WR, etc.) This team is basically freshmen at the same positions.

That is irrelevant. They said FU was awful in 2016. They were not that bad, just a bad record.

[The Jackal]

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.

We weren’t near as bad in 2016. Lost to Michigan St by 15. Lost 4 games by one score. Beat WCU by 28, ETSU by 45 and won at VMI by 14. The 2016 team scored 40+ points 3 times. We’ve only scored in the twenties twice this season against scholarship teams.(24, 20). We haven’t sniffed 30. That 2016 team would beat the snot out of this years.

The 2016 team also had a lot of seniors at key positions (including QB, RB, WR, etc.) This team is basically freshmen at the same positions.

That is irrelevant. They said FU was awful in 2016. They were not that bad, just a bad record.

I mean, we were bad. We were bad enough that the coach was let go and basically started over with rebuilding the program.

[FU Hoopla]

Excuses are great and a few of them (youth) make sense, but............
Let's cut the crap and be honest....
You must also take into account that in 2024 the FCS is extremely watered down yet the SoCon is still ridiculously weak in this division, to be one of the worst in the country in this steaming pile of waste (outside of the top 5) that FCS football has become is pretty damn rough.....

[The Jackal]

Excuses are great and a few of them (youth) make sense, but............
Let's cut the crap and be honest....
You must also take into account that in 2024 the FCS is extremely watered down yet the SoCon is still ridiculously weak in this division, to be one of the worst in the country in this steaming pile of waste (outside of the top 5) that FCS football has become is pretty damn rough.....

Oh come on. This stuff gets old.

Mercer is a top 10 team. Western Carolina played top 10 Montana to essentially a draw in Missoula. ETSU played North Dakota State to essentially a draw in Johnson City. Heck, even Furman played top 15 William and Mary tough on the road.

[AllTimeFU]

Excuses are great and a few of them (youth) make sense, but............
Let's cut the crap and be honest....
You must also take into account that in 2024 the FCS is extremely watered down yet the SoCon is still ridiculously weak in this division, to be one of the worst in the country in this steaming pile of waste (outside of the top 5) that FCS football has become is pretty damn rough.....

All valid points.

Oh come on. This stuff gets old.

Mercer is a top 10 team. Western Carolina played top 10 Montana to essentially a draw in Missoula. ETSU played North Dakota State to essentially a draw in Johnson City. Heck, even Furman played top 15 William and Mary tough on the road.

[FU Hoopla]

Excuses are great and a few of them (youth) make sense, but............
Let's cut the crap and be honest....
You must also take into account that in 2024 the FCS is extremely watered down yet the SoCon is still ridiculously weak in this division, to be one of the worst in the country in this steaming pile of waste (outside of the top 5) that FCS football has become is pretty damn rough.....

Oh come on. This stuff gets old.

Mercer is a top 10 team. Western Carolina played top 10 Montana to essentially a draw in Missoula. ETSU played North Dakota State to essentially a draw in Johnson City. Heck, even Furman played top 15 William and Mary tough on the road.

All losses...

Tell me the best SoCon wins this year, I'll be waiting to hear that impressive list lol...

The fact that you will even fight the most obvious of things is what get's old...

This version of SoCon football has no credibility anymore, its gone and we currently sit at the bottom of it...

[gman84]

Well crap... I think I'll jump in front of a bus!

[gofurman]

Excuses are great and a few of them (youth) make sense, but............
Let's cut the crap and be honest....
You must also take into account that in 2024 the FCS is extremely watered down yet the SoCon is still ridiculously weak in this division, to be one of the worst in the country in this steaming pile of waste (outside of the top 5) that FCS football has become is pretty damn rough.....

Oh come on. This stuff gets old.

Mercer is a top 10 team. Western Carolina played top 10 Montana to essentially a draw in Missoula. ETSU played North Dakota State to essentially a draw in Johnson City. Heck, even Furman played top 15 William and Mary tough on the road.

All losses...

Tell me the best SoCon wins this year, I'll be waiting to hear that impressive list lol...

The fact that you will even fight the most obvious of things is what get's old...

This version of SoCon football has no credibility anymore, its gone and we currently sit at the bottom of it...

I am really TRYING to be positive but when all the App and GSU are gone and our claim is "our conference has a couple of close LOSSES" well... Heck, even last year Furman got in the playoffs and beat ... a dinged up Chatt team without the nasty DPOY and starting QB (we say we are hurt... well, they were too ). and then we lost to Montana. Close. but still a LOSS. My point is the only playoff team we beat was a fellow SoCon team - there is some irony there. At least the prior year we beat Elon so it was a smack on the CAA. I like that.

Anyway, the reason Furman has DOMINATED VMI is that process > results. Our team and process is far better so VMI only beats us once every Decade. They (VMI) are living on rare results that can't be sustained. VMI will beat us again in 2037. They can have that result for all I care. I will take the process that wins - SABAN. And we will gnash our teeth once every 15 years. If you need a team to fumble and snap poorly and -3 turnover ratio etc etc to get a shot to win with their youngest team in 20 years ... well, good luck with that. Thus the reason they win 2 games a year.

ANYWAY, BEAT WOFFORD !!! please. Get Citadel and Wofford !!! Win the battle for SC ! Don't let the Germans bomb Pearl Harbor !!!!!!!!!

[FUBeAR]

Well crap... I think I'll jump in front of a bus!

Would you like a companion jumper? FUBeAR has a few suggestions.

[FU Hoopla]

Well crap... I think I'll jump in front of a bus!

Would you like a companion jumper? FUBeAR has a few suggestions.

I am glad you at least have Mercer to keep you company this year, they are playing solid football, come to think of it adopting a second football team might be a good idea for the rest of us to consider as well...