2020(21) Preseaon Predictions

[FUBeAR]

Saw a comment on Football Scoop where Wofford's Josh Conklin might be a candidate at South Alabama....FYI

Not sure he would take that job (been kind of a cluster down there in recent years, I believe), but he will leave Woffy for the 1st halfway decent G5 that comes his way...bet on it. On the other hand, he may be smart enough to realize that he’s gonna be playing without Ayers Players / influence in the very near future...and want to bolt SparkleCity for any ‘safe harbor’ before the Porchyappers’ program craters.

[The Jackal]

Saw a comment on Football Scoop where Wofford's Josh Conklin might be a candidate at South Alabama....FYI

Not sure he would take that job (been kind of a cluster down there in recent years, I believe), but he will leave Woffy for the 1st halfway decent G5 that comes his way...bet on it. On the other hand, he may be smart enough to realize that he’s gonna be playing without Ayers Players / influence in the very near future...and want to bolt SparkleCity for any ‘safe harbor’ before the Porchyappers’ program craters.

I was surprised to see his name floated.

I'm not exactly sure what to expect from Conklin. I've been largely in the camp of "wait and see" on his career trajectory. I think we will know a lot more about his coaching bona fides after we see what Wofford looks like once the team is truly his and not primarily players recruited by the former staff.

That said, if the Terriers win the SoCon this season, I'll eat crow and stand in line.

[Davemeister]

That said, if the Terriers win the SoCon this season, I'll eat crow and stand in line.

If the Terriers win the SoCon this season, it will be our fault.

[FUBeAR]

BTW - Can a mod please correct the spelling of the last word in the title of this thread?

[Flagman]

BTW - Can a mod please correct the spelling of the last word in the title of this thread?

Tried. Prolly needs Stumpy skill, which I lack.

[Affirm]

BTW - Can a mod please correct the spelling of the last word in the title of this thread?

Someone (?!) changed PREDICTIONS to PREDICULATIONS (?!), but PRESEAON remains.

[Affirm]

BTW - Can a mod please correct the spelling of the last word in the title of this thread?

Someone (?!) changed PREDICTIONS to PREDICULATIONS (?!), but PRESEAON remains.

[cavedweller2]

As it should be.

[The Jackal]

Looks like more of the same for Western Carolina.

The Catamounts played three games and really didn't look good in any of them (though two were against FBS Liberty and UNC). Averaged just over 13 ppg on offense and surrendered 52.

Looking at the game notes, WCU is on their third defensive coordinator in four years.

I thought this was interesting - since 2012 (8 seasons), WCU had only four different starting QBs. All but 12 of those games were started by Troy Mitchell or Tyrie Adams (Adams, I think, leads WCU's career offensive marks in just about everything).

Through three games in 2020, WCU started two different QBs. Counting the fall and spring, they'll play five straight road games before their first home contest in March.

[FUBeAR]

Looks like more of the same for Western Carolina.

The Catamounts played three games and really didn't look good in any of them (though two were against FBS Liberty and UNC). Averaged just over 13 ppg on offense and surrendered 52.

Looking at the game notes, WCU is on their third defensive coordinator in four years.

I thought this was interesting - since 2012 (8 seasons), WCU had only four different starting QBs. All but 12 of those games were started by Troy Mitchell or Tyrie Adams (Adams, I think, leads WCU's career offensive marks in just about everything).

Through three games in 2020, WCU started two different QBs. Counting the fall and spring, they'll play five straight road games before their first home contest in March.

They avg’d 9 PPG on O - had 2 Defensive TD’s

That said - Didn’t hate everything I saw them doing on O vs. Liberty & UNC - watched parts of both of those.

Defense though - still don’t see a lot of improvement - Secondary tackling was non-existent vs. UNC.

Looked like a Team with an awful lot of ‘opportunity for improvement.’

[The Jackal]

Saw this posed on twitter. I liked this play set up.

Nice use of TB split out wide. Forces Mercer to show their hand before the snap.

I also like the blocking scheme. You can see the little wrinkles. Backside, the TE fills across the formation and allows the OL to get up to the next level. Playside, the LT engages the man Furman will eventually option and then move to the next level.

You can also really see Avery Armstrong's value on this play as a blocker. He takes the S/LB and blocks him seven yards out of the play. He's the one guy Furman has to make sure they block and he ends up no where near the play.

I love seeing Jordan Harris at RG fight his fanny up to the next level. He looks like he is looking for the backside linebacker, who had sort of run himself out of the play to the back side. I don't think he sees the safety, who ends up making the tackle. Get a body on that safety and that's a touchdown.

[FUBeAR]

Saw this posed on twitter. I liked this play set up.

Nice use of TB split out wide. Forces Mercer to show their hand before the snap.

I also like the blocking scheme. You can see the little wrinkles. Backside, the TE fills across the formation and allows the OL to get up to the next level. Playside, the LT engages the man Furman will eventually option and then move to the next level.

You can also really see Avery Armstrong's value on this play as a blocker. He takes the S/LB and blocks him seven yards out of the play. He's the one guy Furman has to make sure they block and he ends up no where near the play.

I love seeing Jordan Harris at RG fight his fanny up to the next level. He looks like he is looking for the backside linebacker, who had sort of run himself out of the play to the back side. I don't think he sees the safety, who ends up making the tackle. Get a body on that safety and that's a touchdown.

Ain’t nothing but modernized 29 Base (counter option) - p/s OT Arc Blocking on CB is pretty cool.

On the other hand, in the old days, instead of zoning it b/s & hoping the OG can climb thru to the FS, the b/s uncovered OT woulda released flattened his angle, run clear acrost the field, and put the FS’s heels in the air. That’s the guy which makes the tackle. Difference was, in the old days, those OT’s had Sprinter’s Speed & Cat-like Agility. Ask Robbie - he’ll tell you!

[The Jackal]

It certainly appears to me that the backside OT probably has the better angle to the linebacker.

Can't exactly tell what Mercer's Will backer is doing - whether he is coached to fill that gap against Furman's motion or just loses discipline on the play. I know Mercer had already been burned for a touchdown on a similar option pitch by Watkins.

The play probably breaks down on the defensive end with the SS/OLB blocked by Armstrong. He doesn't appear to even see Armstrong coming.

[FUBeAR]

It certainly appears to me that the backside OT probably has the better angle to the linebacker.

Can't exactly tell what Mercer's Will backer is doing - whether he is coached to fill that gap against Furman's motion or just loses discipline on the play. I know Mercer had already been burned for a touchdown on a similar option pitch by Watkins.

The play probably breaks down on the defensive end with the SS/OLB blocked by Armstrong. He doesn't appear to even see Armstrong coming.

Yep...Orbit motion gets p/s OLB to beat himself ‘on alignment.’ That pre-snap step inside, in response to the motion, give Armstrong the angle he needs to simply screen the SS and create a lane for the pitch man. The b/s LB is no real threat on this play. His at-snap step is also in response to the motion and the counter part of this (the Tweeter called it “freeze,” but with QB opening to the b/s, it’s “counter”...and it’s not “Speed” either because there is a dive-fake component (even w/o a dive man) to it...but he’s a Duke/Davidson man anyway...prolly knows a lot about basketball).

The FS is the guy you gotta get to break this for 6. That’s what the b/s OG & OT are trying to do (zone combo up to him - the FS, not the b/s LB), but the DL doesn’t let the OG off free (he’s reading hats...doesn’t react to motion or counter), so the OG can’t get up on #7 (Eric Jackson...who is a pretty darn good Player, btw).

As I was trying to describe...if the b/s OG just stays on the DL and the b/s OT takes something like this path...

\
..\______________________

...he can get that FS blocked...if he’s fast enough...OLmen in those days were SLOW if they ran over 5.1 or 5.2 in the 40. Now that is considered a great time for a College OT. That said though, the biggest difference as to why it’s so hard to get that FS blocked on counter-option is you can’t cut block more than 5 yards downfield these days & the ‘intersection point’ on that play, using the scheme I prefer, would be right about 4-6 yards downfield...so, you can’t really use his full-speed sprint to get to the pitch man against him and ‘put his heels in the air’...quite so much anymore. So, the combo up scheme probably is best, in truth, and you won’t see Brothel Cole taking the pitch & going 80 yards untouched, with his State Champion 100 & 200 speed, quite so much anymore.

So...instead, we play basketball on grass (or fake grass) now and “get the ball to our skill players in space,” and call it more exciting...all because DB’s whined about getting their legs taken out..and the corresponding ACL surgeries...I guess.

Edit...actually the kinda, sorta, not-so-much, dive man is aligned to the counter/dive side of the QB at snap and does “freeze” for a count...before he assumes the role of pitch man...so, I guess, you can call this”Freeze” option in that sense...and since there is no actual dive fake...I guess “Speed” is not a complete misnomer. So, I’ll give the HS Coach a pass on his labeling and apologize for my aspersions cast at Duke & Davidson Football. FUBeAR will allow this to be tagged as “Freeze Speed option”...but he shoulda said “Freeze, Speed, Counter Option” to be completely accurate.

[The Jackal]

Did I miss something - I no longer see Corey Watkins on the roster.