Foghorn Leghorn

[The Rock]

This thread is killing me. First we complain about our freshmen kicker who (as has been pointed out) is 14/15 XP and 3/3 inside 40 yards. It's the longer field goals that aren't working out for us and it was widely reported that Rubino has a massive leg, but needs to improve on his accuracy. I think we also made a mistake not taking a timeout before the really long field goal, that whole thing looked rushed and I don't think he even walked off the kick properly. A few years from now, he's going to be one of the best G5 kickers in the country. He had scholarship offers from P5 schools coming out of high school, he's going to be a player.

Taylor Lamb is getting roasted again for ridiculous things. Our offensive line had a really bad day by their standards, even Collins had some snaps that altered plays because they were so bad. His only interception was a great play on a deflection that was very flukish. He's not a superstar, but again, he put his team in position to get the win.

The biggest issue from today's game was neither Rubino nor Lamb, it was penalties. We shot ourselves in the foot over and over again.

I agree to some extent, there is plenty of time for the kicker to become great. That does not mean, however he will. There are plenty of players at all positions that are highly ranked and recruited, and never produce as hoped. Not saying this is the case here, but just because a person has great offers to other schools, does not mean they are automatically great.
While 14/15 is decent, extra points should not be missed, and the 1 missed likely cost us the win at Tennessee. 3/3 inside 40 is what it should be, not really something worth touting. If that is 3/3 from 50, ok, that's impressive. That's like saying shaq was a great bball player cause he made 3/3 slam dunks. I don't care how big his leg is, if he can kick it 60 yards if it can't go through, what does it matter? If his leg is so big, why is Critcher doing kickoffs? We need a kicking game that we can count on to win games. Look at the UNC game today, they kicked a 53yd to win the game. We aren't even making 41 yards when the game isn't on the line.
He has a great chance of becoming a great kicker, but until he gets his mechanics, or mental aspect of the job right, how many games does it cost us?
Everyone keeps referring to Matics' bad year. Really he had 1 good year, and while he kicked the game winner for the bowl game, he missed 2 earlier in that game. I'm not sure he is the gold standard for kickers at App. In my opinion, the last time I felt confident having a kicker walking on the field for a game winner was Julian Rauch, and he has been gone nearly 10 years now.
Not trying to be gloom and doom, but let's call it what it is. I think it is obvious that our kicking game is a weak spot right now.

[hapapp]

Yep he did kick a 54 yard FG to win the game after he missed an extra point. Rubino has a lot to do to improve, much of it mental, some of it mechanics. He definitely has the leg strength as I watched him make a 52 yarder in pregame warm-up.

[bigdaddyg]

Yep he did kick a 54 yard FG to win the game after he missed an extra point. Rubino has a lot to do to improve, much of it mental, some of it mechanics. He definitely has the leg strength as I watched him make a 52 harder in pregame warm-up.

I think the difficult thing to watch is when we have 4th and 5 at the opponents 30 yard line and we go for it because Satt doesn't have faith in a 47 yard FG attempt- and we fail to get the yards. Guys talk about leg strength, mechanics, stepping off, etc. Its between the ears. Until Rubino can shut out the noise and execute it will be a struggle. The UT game was a heartbreaker no doubt. I am a believer that you can't let a game come down to the kicker. A typically dependable Gano missed a game winner at Denver in week one. The game should not have come down to that. The UNC finish was a rarity.

[hapapp]

I think back to the ODU game when we had the game in hand and went for it on 4th down a couple of times rather than giving him a chance to kick in a live setting. You do need to have confidence that your kicker can deliver. Not sure that is the case right now.

[Gonzo]

But I also agree the crowd and band were pretty ho hum. Hell, Yosef screwed up his flag at the beginning, the Cheerlearders ran "APP STA" across the endzone in TD celebrations because T and E didn't get with the program, and the GSU band, which was half the size of our band, sounded louder and was more enthusiastic than ours was by a mile. Heck the DJ couldn't even get the music right half the time.

And when did we stop with the whole "Olympic theme song" during kickoffs? That was always a good way to get people pumped, again just flat.

Definitely the most unenthusiastic crowd I've ever witnessed. I'm also convinced fans will leave no matter what the score, time, and weather.

As far as the band goes, GA State's sounding louder probably has more to do with the fact that they were playing to you, assuming you were on the West side. Our band being in the end zone tends to mute them a bit as the sound is directed towards the hill.

We were pretty rowdy in 111.

And although attendance was visibly down, several friends and I remarked that fewer people left the game early than usual. Maybe the kind of fans that would show up to that game were not the type leave. It is disappointing that so many weren't making noise though.

[Gonzo]

I was also annoyed with the DJ. He played right up until our offense snapped the ball a few times and drowned out two App State chants.

[appfanz]

I thought the crowd was good and agree I didn't see that many early exiters. I think we saw a crowd of "true fans" yesterdsy

[tjpappy]

Watauga Democrat article about performance of Crutcher and Rubino with comments from Satterfield http://m.wataugademocrat.com/sports/cri ... l?mode=jqm

[appstate77]

I can tell you this the majority of lambs passes were off or bad and the ones that were completed were so by great catches by wideout

Agree to disagree, I'm not sure what game you watched but he wasn't bailed out by his receivers. Capel drops one that hit him in the hands. Misses were in tight Windows because of 8 defenders in pass coverage. No one is arguing g that Lamb is an NFL QB so why do you expect him to make NFL throws? Lamb doesn't have the greatest arm strength but that is not his problem. The problem is that he is occasionally late with throws. The kid is 23-5 with 3 of those losses to P5 schools. What more do you want?[/quot

Solidly agree. We got spoiled by AE....(bless his holy name;)). However Taylor is Taylor and is quite good in his own skin. He is not flashy, but he is efficient. Taylor takes what he has and simply wins and does so often. Don't forget without his leadership and 30 yd run in the last minute of the Camelia Bowl, we would be enduring taunts from Stink fans over a bowl loss. Give me TL any day over the Stink QB who thinks he is too good to lose. I like Taylor's humility and his drive to win. Sermon over.

[Yosef84]

I guess I am just easily pleased but I will take a 14 point win over this GA State team, especially without Cox. We didn't play down to them, they played up to us. Also, some around here need to show some respect and back off disparaging our own team and our opponents.

I salute the Panthers and the progress they are making, and I hope they take the stink to the wood shed again this year.

I completely agree. Georgia State is on the rise and has been since the middle of last season. Everyone kept talking about their passing game in predictions and I wondered if I was the only person concerned about their DEFENSE. They shut down Georgia Southern AT Georgia Southern last year....and played VERY well against Wisconsin. They also had two weeks to prepare for this game.

I was frustrated with the first half also. We were missing some key players (Cox most importantly) but we were also flat. Georgia Southern was playing outstanding defense though and needs to get full credit. This was a good win. Let's take it and get ready for ULL.

[PhillyApp1]

But I also agree the crowd and band were pretty ho hum. Hell, Yosef screwed up his flag at the beginning, the Cheerlearders ran "APP STA" across the endzone in TD celebrations because T and E didn't get with the program, and the GSU band, which was half the size of our band, sounded louder and was more enthusiastic than ours was by a mile. Heck the DJ couldn't even get the music right half the time.

And when did we stop with the whole "Olympic theme song" during kickoffs? That was always a good way to get people pumped, again just flat.

I'm not trying to gripe, but everyone always talks about the stands being dead, but those who are supposed to pump up the crowds are failing miserably at it.

Agree, the game didn't bother me; I mean we won. I just constantly notice the poor orchestration of the game day atmosphere. I mean it is someone's JOB to plan for the big event (games) and it's almost like they have never even planned an event. I mean, I work in sales and marketing for a large company and when we have events, they're planned to the t (entrance/exits, music fading not cutting off, strategic planning for participants, customer engagement, etc). DG has done an excellent job, but he needs to hire staff who will put in the time for our games. After all it's a big revenue generator. Just my two cents on something that constantly lacks.

Same here, a part of the KBS lore is its atmosphere...one which is supposed to have a reputation of being a hard place to play if you're a visiting team. We did pick up a bit in the third but that enthusiasm should have been there from the beginning.
It's not like we are a brand new program or something...we've been doing this sort of thing for at least the last 15 years so there should be some sort of established protocol on how to do these things, or at least people who have been doing this in a perennial manner for several seasons.

- Yosef not wearing his hat should be considered "out of uniform" and shouldn't happen unless he's letting a fan wear it in a photo op. And should also lead the team out of the tunnel with his flag waving proudly.

- Band should play before every kickoff and every touchdown. Play something besides the same song you just did for the halftime show. DON'T RESPOND TO THE OPPONENT'S BAND BY PLAYING A RECORDING.

- Hype up the start with some sort of epic, and enduring video montage to build up the tunnel entrance. When you see RISE and the various promotional segments the school releases leading up to a game, it's obvious we have some talented people with a/v capabilities working for the program, so let's utilize

- Keep the canned DJ music to a minimum, and if you use it, at least key up to the chorus parts of the songs people actually know rather than cutting them off randomly in mid stream. Also don't play songs that are clearly identifiable by other teams (looking at you Hendrix)

- If you're going to do a promotion, put some effort into it. I remember Black Saturday games you were given a black shirt to ensure the stadium was blacked out. This game, from where I was sitting was the typical mix of black, white, yellow and gray clothing as you'd see any other App game. Surely there is a sponsor out there that would have flipped the bill for some shirts or pom poms to make it a little more special than the average home game.

Just a few things we can do which would improve the atmosphere. I'm not calling for like a house cleaning of the production department, but we ARE an FBS team...meaning we are playing at the top-tier of college sports and as a result of that, our overall product should reflect that status both on the field and in the stands. Kidd Brewer should be a proverbial "Lions Den" for opponents to enter and one of the scariest places in the G5 schools to have to play in.

The D J is a crowd killer and a band killer. He overplayed both bands and the crowd cheers. Say what you want but I look down at the students and they are not into it either. He just makes us look like a middle school program. Please just fire the DJ and use the band. Think about the places we have been to play the big boys. they don't do this crap. It really is distracting and embarrassing. We deserve better.

Amen ..... The D J is not needed as much and totally distracts from cheering by fans .... The Rock was loud because they let us get loud instead of blaring music in between every play.... Totally disruptive to game experience

The team will be fine

[asutrnr81]

But I also agree the crowd and band were pretty ho hum. Hell, Yosef screwed up his flag at the beginning, the Cheerlearders ran "APP STA" across the endzone in TD celebrations because T and E didn't get with the program, and the GSU band, which was half the size of our band, sounded louder and was more enthusiastic than ours was by a mile. Heck the DJ couldn't even get the music right half the time.

And when did we stop with the whole "Olympic theme song" during kickoffs? That was always a good way to get people pumped, again just flat.

I'm not trying to gripe, but everyone always talks about the stands being dead, but those who are supposed to pump up the crowds are failing miserably at it.

Agree, the game didn't bother me; I mean we won. I just constantly notice the poor orchestration of the game day atmosphere. I mean it is someone's JOB to plan for the big event (games) and it's almost like they have never even planned an event. I mean, I work in sales and marketing for a large company and when we have events, they're planned to the t (entrance/exits, music fading not cutting off, strategic planning for participants, customer engagement, etc). DG has done an excellent job, but he needs to hire staff who will put in the time for our games. After all it's a big revenue generator. Just my two cents on something that constantly lacks.

One of the problems is there were 24 NEW faces at the beginning of the year staff meetings for the athletic department.

Either side you take.....too little history still in Boone, attention to detail, hiring folks with little prior experience, or pay, there is going to be a learning curve.

[asutrnr81]

For whomever said our OL did not have a good game. Our backs getting 3-4 yards prior to being hit is pretty impressive. Penalties excepted I thought they played pretty well.

.....and for the record.....there are about 100 other FBS schools who would like their QB to be 23 and 5 over their last 28 games.

[mountaineerman]

For whomever said our OL did not have a good game. Our backs getting 3-4 yards prior to being hit is pretty impressive. Penalties excepted I thought they played pretty well.

.....and for the record.....there are about 100 other FBS schools who would like their QB to be 23 and 5 over their last 28 games.

200 and some yards rushing is not a bad day for he OL and while lamb may not be the greatest passer his ability to not get rattled and managing the game is outstanding

[hotrod2001]

I'm not overly concerned about Rubino. He's a true freshman and has plenty of time to get his skillset honed in. Zach Matics was the same way, yes we lost a few games via a missed field goal but 1. he made up for it last year by only missing one the entire season (and securing us a bowl win) and 2. you could go back to the proverbial position of "if the rest of the team did their job, it wouldn't be left up to the kicker to win or lose the game."

We've got a bye week, plenty of time to rest up the troops, and get Rubino in front of the goal posts and get some more practice in before going off to take on a struggling UL Lafayette team and following that up with Idaho. Big picture is to get our ducks in a row between now and the GASO and Troy games because those are going to be the ones that we're really going to need everyone firing on all cylinders.

[bigdaddyg]

I'm not overly concerned about Rubino. He's a true freshman and has plenty of time to get his skillset honed in. Zach Matics was the same way, yes we lost a few games via a missed field goal but 1. he made up for it last year by only missing one the entire season (and securing us a bowl win) and 2. you could go back to the proverbial position of "if the rest of the team did their job, it wouldn't be left up to the kicker to win or lose the game."

We've got a bye week, plenty of time to rest up the troops, and get Rubino in front of the goal posts and get some more practice in before going off to take on a struggling UL Lafayette team and following that up with Idaho. Big picture is to get our ducks in a row between now and the GASO and Troy games because those are going to be the ones that we're really going to need everyone firing on all cylinders.

Hadn't looked at the schedule. Really sets up pretty good. Cox gets time to recover fully. Next 2 are breathers.

[T-Dog]

Spencer Bridges is the new Assistant AD of Marketing, Promotions and Fan Engagement. He controls the canned music.

bridgessj1@appstate.edu

[CVAPP]

Hadn't looked at the schedule. Really sets up pretty good. Cox gets time to recover fully. Next 2 are breathers.

I would not say that even if I thought it to be true. Everybody left on our schedule wants beat us, bank on it!

[hapapp]

I'm not overly concerned about Rubino. He's a true freshman and has plenty of time to get his skillset honed in. Zach Matics was the same way, yes we lost a few games via a missed field goal but 1. he made up for it last year by only missing one the entire season (and securing us a bowl win) and 2. you could go back to the proverbial position of "if the rest of the team did their job, it wouldn't be left up to the kicker to win or lose the game."

We've got a bye week, plenty of time to rest up the troops, and get Rubino in front of the goal posts and get some more practice in before going off to take on a struggling UL Lafayette team and following that up with Idaho. Big picture is to get our ducks in a row between now and the GASO and Troy games because those are going to be the ones that we're really going to need everyone firing on all cylinders.

Hadn't looked at the schedule. Really sets up pretty good. Cox gets time to recover fully. Next 2 are breathers.

Not sure there are any breathers. Everyone thought GSU was going to be a pushover. This team hasn't demonstrated it can put together a complete game yet. Perhaps it's the ULL game when that happens but I'm not ready to assume anything at this point.

[AppSt94]

For whomever said our OL did not have a good game. Our backs getting 3-4 yards prior to being hit is pretty impressive. Penalties excepted I thought they played pretty well.

.....and for the record.....there are about 100 other FBS schools who would like their QB to be 23 and 5 over their last 28 games.

That was my comment Chip and I made it based on the down and distance that we were operating in and the number of TFL. Remove Moore's long TD and the YPC is reduced by 1. The holes just weren't there IMO which put us into obvious passing situations with unproven receivers.