Up Next...UNC

[ASUFan4863]

I re watched this today. Yes a few bad memories came back to life but to offer some hope here to us App faithful - Watch the last 9 and a half minutes of the 4th. I am hesitant to say this but maaaybeee we figured out how to attack Maye during those last few possessions (or as much as you can at least). Now, think about how Maye picked on Ethan and Dexter all game long. Ethan is more experienced now and we have more talent in the secondary. Combine this with a bigger and faster DL and maaaybeee we might actually bode well defensively going into this game.

[AtlAppMan]

Mack said App doesn't respect the Carolina defense in his press conference. How many times will they say that to their players by Saturday afternoon? A lot.

However, Shawn Clark should be saying all the same and more to our team. We gave up 63 pts AT HOME. Do you think Drake Maye has any respect for the App D? Heck NO! Our guys have to be challenged. Maye and Co are going to be coming into this game with a swagger believing they are going to roll all over our D.

Mack also said they get on their players even more after a win. That is what our coaches should be doing too.

[Yosef84]

Motivation shouldn't be lacking for either team. UNC has effectively been embarrassed twice, even though they pulled out a W last year. App loves to hate the P5, especially the entitled in-state "flagship" and we remember the feeling of falling just short last year.

I wish we had looked sharper against GW but the fact is that, it is always hard to get these young guys to really feel 100% motivated for the FCS opponents. Even though they "knew" that GW was a good FCS team, they also knew that athletically we should whip them. An underdog with talent is always dangerous. That said, I think GW was exactly the kind of tune-up game that we needed. We got game reps for a lot of different players, and the coaches got plenty of film with coachable content. Traditional wisdom is that, the most improvement always happens between game 1 and game 2. I think that's especially true when a team under-performs. UNC is feeling good about themselves and despite Mack Brown's efforts, his boys are feeling cocky.

No doubt that UNC is the favorite, but I think App plays a much tougher game that predicted and, as always, I'll turn on the game expecting to win. I can live with losing, but if we lose, I hope it's because UNC plays lights-out and not because we under-performed.

[Stonewall]

I believe Stonewall's point is if our NT isn't commanding a double team that makes everyone else's job more difficult. So everyone is right here.

Puts a lot of pressure on ILBs , and yes eveyrone else plus we aren't playing against FCS athletes Saturday. Earl did a good job and we have had others .Size isn't everything but at nose it's a big plus.

What did he end up doing? Chose not to come back but is football over for him?

Earl? I thought he graduated but I am not certain.

[311neers]

I believe Stonewall's point is if our NT isn't commanding a double team that makes everyone else's job more difficult. So everyone is right here.

Puts a lot of pressure on ILBs , and yes eveyrone else plus we aren't playing against FCS athletes Saturday. Earl did a good job and we have had others .Size isn't everything but at nose it's a big plus.

What did he end up doing? Chose not to come back but is football over for him?

Earl? I thought he graduated but I am not certain.

Graduated, sure. But still had eligibility.

[Stonewall]

I believe Stonewall's point is if our NT isn't commanding a double team that makes everyone else's job more difficult. So everyone is right here.

Puts a lot of pressure on ILBs , and yes eveyrone else plus we aren't playing against FCS athletes Saturday. Earl did a good job and we have had others .Size isn't everything but at nose it's a big plus.

What did he end up doing? Chose not to come back but is football over for him?

Earl? I thought he graduated but I am not certain.

Graduated, sure. But still had eligibility.

We could use him.

[311neers]

Puts a lot of pressure on ILBs , and yes eveyrone else plus we aren't playing against FCS athletes Saturday. Earl did a good job and we have had others .Size isn't everything but at nose it's a big plus.

What did he end up doing? Chose not to come back but is football over for him?

Earl? I thought he graduated but I am not certain.

Graduated, sure. But still had eligibility.

We could use him.

Down him, Karon and Mcknight. Just have to rotate bodies and keep them as fresh as we can.

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

I think we bring 8 and hit Maye as much as possible early even if it means giving up a few scores. I think he gets his even if we don’t, so might as well put a pounding on him and get in his head.

[Longrifle28]

I expect UNC to try and be very physical with us this time around. We need to match that physicality, need to tackle better, and we need to limit penalties and turnovers. If/when Maye runs we need to punish him and make him really have to think about it. Defensive backs will really need to step up their game. I hope we have a good gameplan that looks to exploit possible weaknesses and then we execute.

Could UNC have a let down, and were we looking past GW? Hope so...

[BambooRdApp]

Tez Walker was denied by NCAA..will not play for heels for 2023..do not know the whole story other than snippets by UNC, other folks supporting the reinstatement, etc. Too bad for the kid.
When we play P5 schools, I want them at 100%.

[ericsaid]

I hate to say it.....but this time around Carolina will sand paper our ass. It could be really bad Deja vu 2011 vs VaTech. I hope I eat crow pie. Our RBs aren't as deep as folks think and the OL will get pushed around and we don't have a Cam Peoples style back to keep them honest nor a veteran QB. We will have to play up tight swarm and tackle extremely well and I don't see it happening.

Man, why are people so down after beating Gardner-Webb by three touchdowns? Liberty beat them by one point a year ago and lost to Wake Forest, led by Sam Hartman, by one point.

Gardner-Webb has a good time and the negativity around here is mind blowing. I think the Gardner-Webb game was probably a decent barometer for where App is and that's not a bad thing. Coastal beat them by 4 and went to the SBC Championship Game, Liberty beat them by 1 and won 8 games, with a 1 point loss to Wake, and Marshall beat them by the same number of points as App and beat Notre Dame.

You guys are all freaking out and you really don't even understand why. You see Gardner-Webb and assumed they would be the same ol' Gardner-Webb of the past and they ain't that. App struggled in the 1st half of ETSU in 2019 and finished 13-1. App struggled in the first half of Elon in 21' and won 10 games. Stop, losing, your, cool.

[ericsaid]

I expect UNC to try and be very physical with us this time around. We need to match that physicality, need to tackle better, and we need to limit penalties and turnovers. If/when Maye runs we need to punish him and make him really have to think about it. Defensive backs will really need to step up their game. I hope we have a good gameplan that looks to exploit possible weaknesses and then we execute.

Could UNC have a let down, and were we looking past GW? Hope so...

Dude, you really don't know how good Gardner-Webb is, do you? They aren't Gardner-Webb from a few years ago. App was also breaking in a Redshirt Freshman QB with a broken finger the first half. Sloan was toying around with d-line combinations and coverages the 1st half. Once all of that was settled, App went on a tear, scoring 24 straight points and forcing 3 turnovers. This GWU team lost to Liberty by 1 point and to Coastal by 5 last year. App scored more points on a defense that returned almost everyone, including three All-Americans, than Coastal, Marshall, and Liberty did last year.

It was Week 1 against a well coached and very talented FCS team. I'm actually encouraged by how the game played out once Joey came in. App outscored GWU 38-14 once he came in the game, scored on five of six possessions, and he threw more touchdowns than incompletions.

Chill. GWU would've been a mid-pack Sun Belt team before expansion, probably 2019, with this team. Everyone would've been happy with a 45-24 win in a conference game at that point. Yet, because they don't understand the context, they freak out. It's dumb.

[ericsaid]

Their defense was embarrassed last year and will be ready to go. Over under is 58.5, which is low.

Seems folks are expecting a 38-17 type game which sounds about right on paper.

In years past we had advantages at a few position groups, that doesn’t appear to be the case this year, maybe push at WR, RB and DB (neither are great). QB, and both lines they have a clear advantage.

On paper, they had an advantage at QB and both lines in 2019 and 2022. So what's different? The defensive lines don't play each other so that's a pointless comparison. The offensive lines don't play each other so that's also a pointless comparison. Based on what I saw on Saturday, I'd be very encouraged about the potential of App's defensive line, dog, and anchor positions. Safety play was improved, and the corner spots and depth were upgraded over last year. You also have an upgrade in Sloan over Jones as well as most position coaches on defense.

People reacting negatively to the GWU game doesn't surprise me but the extent of it is quite puzzling. I always thought App fans were educated on their opposition but this doesn't seem to be the case.

[spacemonkey]

I think we have a good chance to win the game and a really$$$$ good chance to cover the spread. The APP money line is probably the bet I would go with. I hope we get it done because I think it will be a LLLOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGG time before the heels sign up to play us again. Especially if we lose. If we win they will want to avenge their loss.

[Saint3333]

Their defense was embarrassed last year and will be ready to go. Over under is 58.5, which is low.

Seems folks are expecting a 38-17 type game which sounds about right on paper.

In years past we had advantages at a few position groups, that doesn’t appear to be the case this year, maybe push at WR, RB and DB (neither are great). QB, and both lines they have a clear advantage.

On paper, they had an advantage at QB and both lines in 2019 and 2022. So what's different? The defensive lines don't play each other so that's a pointless comparison. The offensive lines don't play each other so that's also a pointless comparison. Based on what I saw on Saturday, I'd be very encouraged about the potential of App's defensive line, dog, and anchor positions. Safety play was improved, and the corner spots and depth were upgraded over last year. You also have an upgrade in Sloan over Jones as well as most position coaches on defense.

People reacting negatively to the GWU game doesn't surprise me but the extent of it is quite puzzling. I always thought App fans were educated on their opposition but this doesn't seem to be the case.

Lot's of great lines in this post, my favorite is dlines don't play each other, great stuff!

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

Tez Walker was denied by NCAA..will not play for heels for 2023..do not know the whole story other than snippets by UNC, other folks supporting the reinstatement, etc. Too bad for the kid.
When we play P5 schools, I want them at 100%.

They are at 100%, he was not eligible, so if he’d played, they’d be 105%

[ukappfan]

My one concern with this game is it could be raining. 55% chance. That will hurt us from being able to spread them out.

[AppSt94]

My one concern with this game is it could be raining. 55% chance. That will hurt us from being able to spread them out.

How so?

[Black Saturday]

Tez Walker was denied by NCAA..will not play for heels for 2023..do not know the whole story other than snippets by UNC, other folks supporting the reinstatement, etc. Too bad for the kid.
When we play P5 schools, I want them at 100%.

They are at 100%, he was not eligible, so if he’d played, they’d be 105%

Rules are rules, he should not be allowed

[AppStateNews]

Tez Walker was denied by NCAA..will not play for heels for 2023..do not know the whole story other than snippets by UNC, other folks supporting the reinstatement, etc. Too bad for the kid.
When we play P5 schools, I want them at 100%.

They are at 100%, he was not eligible, so if he’d played, they’d be 105%

Rules are rules, he should not be allowed

I haven't followed this case closely, but didnt NCAA change the rules after he was already accepted and enrolled? So, he was on campus ready to play (passed all NCAA rules) and then the NCAA said "nah, we're going to change the rules."

If the rule was always in place, then I agree to it being held up. If they changed the rule AFTER the approved his transfer and then deny it because of said rule change, that is not right at all -- and not something I wouldn't put passed the NCAA for doing.