The Good, The Bad and the Ugly- JMU

[t4pizza]

It is really hard to write this piece after witnessing the game last night. I was hoping a day of reflection would take the edge off and I could find some positives, I was wrong. App went to Hattiesburg and lost 58-10 and frankly it wasn't even as close as the score indicated.

The Good- There really wasn't anything good in this game. But for the sake of being positive, early in the game, the defense played well. 4 tipped/blocked passes, 1 which led to an interception was probably the highlight. Then the wheels fell off.

The Bad- honestly, there really is just too much to even write about here and I can't really differentiate what was bad and what was ugly because it all looked pretty ugly to me.

The Ugly- The ENTIRE Game, and I am not being hyperbolic in any way. I have never seen such a poor display by an App State football team. The fact that nothing good stands out shows just how ugly this game was. I am not going to belabor the point, we looked awful in every aspect of the game, our offense was anemic and at one point in the 4th quarter we had more penalty yards against us than yards gained by our offense. We had 1 yard rushing in the entire game, 1 yard! The defense gave up 58 points and 627 yards of offense. Our playcalling was bad at best and our coach left our gimpy, limping, clearly hurt QB in the game long enough that he eventually had to be carted off the field in an air cast. For those of you that didn't watch the game, consider yourself lucky.

[BambooRdApp]

Good- Interception and weather was perfect for football
Bad- D- gave up over 600 yards
Ugly -offense - there was none

[Bigdaddyg1]

Other than the uniforms I don’t see App State football (right now), hopefully it’s not anymore. Like many I feel almost no connection to this program. It’s hard to even speak of the prior regime given the fact that coach passed so suddenly and his tenure ended badly. When SC died so did much of the TIGMA aspect. Perhaps it’s our viewing perception but most here generally felt a big don’t give a SHI# attitude from the top down. We play at minimum 12 times a year and if this season got mailed in weeks ago that’s truly a shame. I asked this on the Winning thread. Could we simply try the “old way” of building a team. Recruit those hidden gem guys who both relish an athletic scholarship, love to play and really want to come to Boone. Build thru recruiting and development and fill gaps (not half the roster) with hungry, perhaps overlooked but talented FCS guys and a few from P4 and G5 schools. Also go get that smaller school coach who isn’t just looking for that next P4 gig. That next Coach doesn’t have to stay 20 years but maybe long enough to return that App State feeling because it ain’t there now and this method of roster retooling really isn’t the answer.

[MDaniels]

Other than the uniforms I don’t see App State football (right now), hopefully it’s not anymore. Like many I feel almost no connection to this program. It’s hard to even speak of the prior regime given the fact that coach passed so suddenly and his tenure ended badly. When SC died so did much of the TIGMA aspect. Perhaps it’s our viewing perception but most here generally felt a big don’t give a SHI# attitude from the top down. We play at minimum 12 times a year and if this season got mailed in weeks ago that’s truly a shame. I asked this on the Winning thread. Could we simply try the “old way” of building a team. Recruit those hidden gem guys who both relish an athletic scholarship, love to play and really want to come to Boone. Build thru recruiting and development and fill gaps (not half the roster) with hungry, perhaps overlooked but talented FCS guys and a few from P4 and G5 schools. Also go get that smaller school coach who isn’t just looking for that next P4 gig. That next Coach doesn’t have to stay 20 years but maybe long enough to return that App State feeling because it ain’t there now and this method of roster retooling really isn’t the answer.

AMEN

[MrCraig]

The good- rock bottom is a solid foundation.

This season may be a wash, but hope springs eternal. There's always next year.

[Seattleapp]

The good- rock bottom is a solid foundation.

This season may be a wash, but hope springs eternal. There's always next year.

It’s only a solid foundation if you have the proper builders

[Kafarmer]

I always try to stay positive and call out folks on here for such pessimism and vitriol. I still supported a Coach Clark in hopes of figuring this new world of college football out. I think a lot of his downfall was being too loyal to those around him at his own detriment. I’m sure he learned that from Coach Moore. He was too loyal to Dale Jones when the defense started dropping off. He was too loyal to Sloan as DC. After that terrible start to 2023 and the improvement moving to the Star package, he let his loyalty give him another season. He was loyal to Frank Ponce. Part of that was from past success and another in the fact that position had been an in & out door every year that he wanted to close for awhile. I will say this, it’s hard for an offense to build a game plan and be successful when virtually every game you’re in the hole on the scoreboard so early in the game. Some would say they should adjust. Well, yea, but adjusting every game is a little tough on how to prepare for the next game.

I had hoped and still hope Coach Loggains will succeed. Expectations for this year should have been tempered. We’re really not far off from pundits predictions for this year. The frustration comes from the fact we are digressing and it doesn’t seem the coaching staff has the least bit of thought on how to settle that.

I think the defense has improved but still lacks consistency. Our offense put them in a ridiculous position this past weekend. They can’t be expected to be successful against a good team when they are on the field so much.

What has happened to our run game? Dubinion started strong and still seems to have some fire in his gut. Has our offensive line become so injured that we can’t run at all? The last two games have been ridiculous.

AJ Swann was completely ineffective against JMU, for whatever reasons. Why, especially when it was so obvious he was dinged up, did we continue to send him in until he was beaten so badly he had to be carted off?

Why, when we were having no luck at all on offense would we try a fake punt from that location?

Any answers would help me!

[t4pizza]

I always try to stay positive and call out folks on here for such pessimism and vitriol. I still supported a Coach Clark in hopes of figuring this new world of college football out. I think a lot of his downfall was being too loyal to those around him at his own detriment. I’m sure he learned that from Coach Moore. He was too loyal to Dale Jones when the defense started dropping off. He was too loyal to Sloan as DC. After that terrible start to 2023 and the improvement moving to the Star package, he let his loyalty give him another season. He was loyal to Frank Ponce. Part of that was from past success and another in the fact that position had been an in & out door every year that he wanted to close for awhile. I will say this, it’s hard for an offense to build a game plan and be successful when virtually every game you’re in the hole on the scoreboard so early in the game. Some would say they should adjust. Well, yea, but adjusting every game is a little tough on how to prepare for the next game.

I had hoped and still hope Coach Loggains will succeed. Expectations for this year should have been tempered. We’re really not far off from pundits predictions for this year. The frustration comes from the fact we are digressing and it doesn’t seem the coaching staff has the least bit of thought on how to settle that.

I think the defense has improved but still lacks consistency. Our offense put them in a ridiculous position this past weekend. They can’t be expected to be successful against a good team when they are on the field so much.

What has happened to our run game? Dubinion started strong and still seems to have some fire in his gut. Has our offensive line become so injured that we can’t run at all? The last two games have been ridiculous.

AJ Swann was completely ineffective against JMU, for whatever reasons. Why, especially when it was so obvious he was dinged up, did we continue to send him in until he was beaten so badly he had to be carted off?

Why, when we were having no luck at all on offense would we try a fake punt from that location?

Any answers would help me!

Sadly, all the answers you seek rest with the coach and as we have seen throughout the year, he is not likely to answer them in any meaningful ways. But rest assured, the "93 years of combined NFL coaching experience" will find it way into any answers, like that fact has helped as at all this year.

[ASUTodd]

The good- rock bottom is a solid foundation.

This season may be a wash, but hope springs eternal. There's always next year.

I'm just confused about this season. There has to be something going on that we can't see. The regression of play from the offense is just weird. It's not a small regression either. I've beat the drum of giving Coach Dlo another year but it's getting harder. I expected us to be about .500 this year but two of these losses have just been embarrassing. Seeing Marhsall, JMU, and several other teams lose a ton of players and coaches and still be competitive is just confusing to me. Even with Coach Dlo being a new head coach, he's been around long enough to have some idea what to do. I'm hoping that something clicks and we get it right next year. Going into the game with NC State we should be 3-0. Maine is a 100% winnable game. ECU, maybe 50/50. UNCC is a MUST win and should be a 100% win. A loss to Maine should lead to firing. A win against Maine and a close loss to ECU, I can handle. A loss to UNCC not acceptable and should be a firing. This is all assuming that Maine will be our first game.

[MrCraig]

The good- rock bottom is a solid foundation.

This season may be a wash, but hope springs eternal. There's always next year.

I'm just confused about this season. There has to be something going on that we can't see. The regression of play from the offense is just weird. It's not a small regression either. I've beat the drum of giving Coach Dlo another year but it's getting harder. I expected us to be about .500 this year but two of these losses have just been embarrassing. Seeing Marhsall, JMU, and several other teams lose a ton of players and coaches and still be competitive is just confusing to me. Even with Coach Dlo being a new head coach, he's been around long enough to have some idea what to do. I'm hoping that something clicks and we get it right next year. Going into the game with NC State we should be 3-0. Maine is a 100% winnable game. ECU, maybe 50/50. UNCC is a MUST win and should be a 100% win. A loss to Maine should lead to firing. A win against Maine and a close loss to ECU, I can handle. A loss to UNCC not acceptable and should be a firing. This is all assuming that Maine will be our first game.

No disrespect, but you and many others are discounting what injuries have done to this team, especially on the offensive line. A lot of positions were thin at the beginning of the season, and the injuries have continued to pile up. With even an average offensive line, I think this team wins at least 3 of the games they've lost. But the o-line is just not good at all right now, which leads to using TEs and RBs for additional blocking, which creates less options on offense, which leads to the defense having to be on the field all game.
We have to give it another year. If App is in the same position this time next year, or worse, heads will roll.

[BambooRdApp]

The good- rock bottom is a solid foundation.

This season may be a wash, but hope springs eternal. There's always next year.

I'm just confused about this season. There has to be something going on that we can't see. The regression of play from the offense is just weird. It's not a small regression either. I've beat the drum of giving Coach Dlo another year but it's getting harder. I expected us to be about .500 this year but two of these losses have just been embarrassing. Seeing Marhsall, JMU, and several other teams lose a ton of players and coaches and still be competitive is just confusing to me. Even with Coach Dlo being a new head coach, he's been around long enough to have some idea what to do. I'm hoping that something clicks and we get it right next year. Going into the game with NC State we should be 3-0. Maine is a 100% winnable game. ECU, maybe 50/50. UNCC is a MUST win and should be a 100% win. A loss to Maine should lead to firing. A win against Maine and a close loss to ECU, I can handle. A loss to UNCC not acceptable and should be a firing. This is all assuming that Maine will be our first game.

No disrespect, but you and many others are discounting what injuries have done to this team, especially on the offensive line. A lot of positions were thin at the beginning of the season, and the injuries have continued to pile up. With even an average offensive line, I think this team wins at least 3 of the games they've lost. But the o-line is just not good at all right now, which leads to using TEs and RBs for additional blocking, which creates less options on offense, which leads to the defense having to be on the field all game.
We have to give it another year. If App is in the same position this time next year, or worse, heads will roll.

JMU game good example. The pocket was closing around Swann pretty quickly on every pass play it seemed

[BallantyneApp]

The good- rock bottom is a solid foundation.

This season may be a wash, but hope springs eternal. There's always next year.

I'm just confused about this season. There has to be something going on that we can't see. The regression of play from the offense is just weird. It's not a small regression either. I've beat the drum of giving Coach Dlo another year but it's getting harder. I expected us to be about .500 this year but two of these losses have just been embarrassing. Seeing Marhsall, JMU, and several other teams lose a ton of players and coaches and still be competitive is just confusing to me. Even with Coach Dlo being a new head coach, he's been around long enough to have some idea what to do. I'm hoping that something clicks and we get it right next year. Going into the game with NC State we should be 3-0. Maine is a 100% winnable game. ECU, maybe 50/50. UNCC is a MUST win and should be a 100% win. A loss to Maine should lead to firing. A win against Maine and a close loss to ECU, I can handle. A loss to UNCC not acceptable and should be a firing. This is all assuming that Maine will be our first game.

No disrespect, but you and many others are discounting what injuries have done to this team, especially on the offensive line. A lot of positions were thin at the beginning of the season, and the injuries have continued to pile up. With even an average offensive line, I think this team wins at least 3 of the games they've lost. But the o-line is just not good at all right now, which leads to using TEs and RBs for additional blocking, which creates less options on offense, which leads to the defense having to be on the field all game.
We have to give it another year. If App is in the same position this time next year, or worse, heads will roll.

this goes back to S&C though. We've had injury problems for longer than this year.

[ASUTodd]

The good- rock bottom is a solid foundation.

This season may be a wash, but hope springs eternal. There's always next year.

I'm just confused about this season. There has to be something going on that we can't see. The regression of play from the offense is just weird. It's not a small regression either. I've beat the drum of giving Coach Dlo another year but it's getting harder. I expected us to be about .500 this year but two of these losses have just been embarrassing. Seeing Marhsall, JMU, and several other teams lose a ton of players and coaches and still be competitive is just confusing to me. Even with Coach Dlo being a new head coach, he's been around long enough to have some idea what to do. I'm hoping that something clicks and we get it right next year. Going into the game with NC State we should be 3-0. Maine is a 100% winnable game. ECU, maybe 50/50. UNCC is a MUST win and should be a 100% win. A loss to Maine should lead to firing. A win against Maine and a close loss to ECU, I can handle. A loss to UNCC not acceptable and should be a firing. This is all assuming that Maine will be our first game.

No disrespect, but you and many others are discounting what injuries have done to this team, especially on the offensive line. A lot of positions were thin at the beginning of the season, and the injuries have continued to pile up. With even an average offensive line, I think this team wins at least 3 of the games they've lost. But the o-line is just not good at all right now, which leads to using TEs and RBs for additional blocking, which creates less options on offense, which leads to the defense having to be on the field all game.
We have to give it another year. If App is in the same position this time next year, or worse, heads will roll.

I buy some of that....but a coach knows what he has and should be able to scheme something that can get some yards. 145 passing yards and 1 yard of rushing (you had a top 30 running back, and top 5 at one time - if he's dropped off that much to the O-line being injured then that means he wasn't that good and the o-line is the reason for his success).... 10 first downs to their 32.... 9 punts..... time of possession 17:42 to 42:18..... The drops have been abysmal as well. Leaving a QB out there that shouldn't be out there is abysmal. Its the little things that keep happening that just make you say, "huh?!?!" I've still got faith in Coach to turn this around but this last game (along with Southern Miss, and Boise) just have me thinking. We shall see how we end the season. I predicted we would lose 45-17. We lost worse than that and did so be looking VASTLY inferior. Maybe it is injuries and maybe it isn't. Again, losing to Maine or UNCC should be the final straw.

[BUTCH1991]

The Good - App baseball schedule should be coming out anytime now. It was released 11/18 last year and 11/17 the prior year.

The Bad - Almost Everything game related Saturday

The Ugly - D Lo allowing Swann to stay out there and get hurt, not trying to run the ball the end the torture, and that damn fake punt!

[mike87]

The good- rock bottom is a solid foundation.

This season may be a wash, but hope springs eternal. There's always next year.

I'm just confused about this season. There has to be something going on that we can't see. The regression of play from the offense is just weird. It's not a small regression either. I've beat the drum of giving Coach Dlo another year but it's getting harder. I expected us to be about .500 this year but two of these losses have just been embarrassing. Seeing Marhsall, JMU, and several other teams lose a ton of players and coaches and still be competitive is just confusing to me. Even with Coach Dlo being a new head coach, he's been around long enough to have some idea what to do. I'm hoping that something clicks and we get it right next year. Going into the game with NC State we should be 3-0. Maine is a 100% winnable game. ECU, maybe 50/50. UNCC is a MUST win and should be a 100% win. A loss to Maine should lead to firing. A win against Maine and a close loss to ECU, I can handle. A loss to UNCC not acceptable and should be a firing. This is all assuming that Maine will be our first game.

No disrespect, but you and many others are discounting what injuries have done to this team, especially on the offensive line. A lot of positions were thin at the beginning of the season, and the injuries have continued to pile up. With even an average offensive line, I think this team wins at least 3 of the games they've lost. But the o-line is just not good at all right now, which leads to using TEs and RBs for additional blocking, which creates less options on offense, which leads to the defense having to be on the field all game.
We have to give it another year. If App is in the same position this time next year, or worse, heads will roll.

this goes back to S&C though. We've had injury problems for longer than this year.

This. We shouldn't get depleted by injuries more heavily and consistently than everyone else. These players have all been successful in someone else's scheme or they'd have never made it to D1 ball. Hard to believe it's really 'the players' or 'the injuries'.

[BUTCH1991]

I'm not all that in tune with S&C, but there sure are a lot of people blaming the S&C staff for events of this year. What injuries can we really attribute to them? I don't recall seeing much in the line of cramping or pulled muscles this year. I've seen ankle & knee problems which they can't prevent and I haven't seen us tire out, other than Saturday and who can blame the D? I'm not saying you guys are wrong, I just don't know enough to put blame on them.

[Pikapp79]

It’s sad to see how far this program has fallen. When you look the other way for years it slaps you in the face. Fat and happy turns into skinny and sad.

[Seattleapp]

The good- rock bottom is a solid foundation.

This season may be a wash, but hope springs eternal. There's always next year.

I'm just confused about this season. There has to be something going on that we can't see. The regression of play from the offense is just weird. It's not a small regression either. I've beat the drum of giving Coach Dlo another year but it's getting harder. I expected us to be about .500 this year but two of these losses have just been embarrassing. Seeing Marhsall, JMU, and several other teams lose a ton of players and coaches and still be competitive is just confusing to me. Even with Coach Dlo being a new head coach, he's been around long enough to have some idea what to do. I'm hoping that something clicks and we get it right next year. Going into the game with NC State we should be 3-0. Maine is a 100% winnable game. ECU, maybe 50/50. UNCC is a MUST win and should be a 100% win. A loss to Maine should lead to firing. A win against Maine and a close loss to ECU, I can handle. A loss to UNCC not acceptable and should be a firing. This is all assuming that Maine will be our first game.

No disrespect, but you and many others are discounting what injuries have done to this team, especially on the offensive line. A lot of positions were thin at the beginning of the season, and the injuries have continued to pile up. With even an average offensive line, I think this team wins at least 3 of the games they've lost. But the o-line is just not good at all right now, which leads to using TEs and RBs for additional blocking, which creates less options on offense, which leads to the defense having to be on the field all game.
We have to give it another year. If App is in the same position this time next year, or worse, heads will roll.

Were injuries the issue against a now 6-4 Boise State team who systematically dominated us on both sides of the ball and held us to 185 total yards? My point being, it’s easy to give DLO a pass and simply say injuries are why we aren’t 7-3. but we are one dumb play call by Oregon state from being 3-7. And we haven’t been remotely competitive against good teams, and look completely unprepared against peer teams. Like many on here, the eye test is what it is. The southern game was more concerning as they could do pretty much what they wanted and we come back a week later and get absolutely destroyed, not by Georgia or Ohio State but by JMU.

[MrCraig]

The good- rock bottom is a solid foundation.

This season may be a wash, but hope springs eternal. There's always next year.

I'm just confused about this season. There has to be something going on that we can't see. The regression of play from the offense is just weird. It's not a small regression either. I've beat the drum of giving Coach Dlo another year but it's getting harder. I expected us to be about .500 this year but two of these losses have just been embarrassing. Seeing Marhsall, JMU, and several other teams lose a ton of players and coaches and still be competitive is just confusing to me. Even with Coach Dlo being a new head coach, he's been around long enough to have some idea what to do. I'm hoping that something clicks and we get it right next year. Going into the game with NC State we should be 3-0. Maine is a 100% winnable game. ECU, maybe 50/50. UNCC is a MUST win and should be a 100% win. A loss to Maine should lead to firing. A win against Maine and a close loss to ECU, I can handle. A loss to UNCC not acceptable and should be a firing. This is all assuming that Maine will be our first game.

No disrespect, but you and many others are discounting what injuries have done to this team, especially on the offensive line. A lot of positions were thin at the beginning of the season, and the injuries have continued to pile up. With even an average offensive line, I think this team wins at least 3 of the games they've lost. But the o-line is just not good at all right now, which leads to using TEs and RBs for additional blocking, which creates less options on offense, which leads to the defense having to be on the field all game.
We have to give it another year. If App is in the same position this time next year, or worse, heads will roll.

I buy some of that....but a coach knows what he has and should be able to scheme something that can get some yards. 145 passing yards and 1 yard of rushing (you had a top 30 running back, and top 5 at one time - if he's dropped off that much to the O-line being injured then that means he wasn't that good and the o-line is the reason for his success).... 10 first downs to their 32.... 9 punts..... time of possession 17:42 to 42:18..... The drops have been abysmal as well. Leaving a QB out there that shouldn't be out there is abysmal. Its the little things that keep happening that just make you say, "huh?!?!" I've still got faith in Coach to turn this around but this last game (along with Southern Miss, and Boise) just have me thinking. We shall see how we end the season. I predicted we would lose 45-17. We lost worse than that and did so be looking VASTLY inferior. Maybe it is injuries and maybe it isn't. Again, losing to Maine or UNCC should be the final straw.

I think (THINK) we saw that scheming in the near-comebacks against ODU and GA Southern. JMU was just too good at basically everything to out scheme App's deficiencies. You're right, though, there have been some decisions that just make you shake your head.