I want to know

[AppSt94]

Coaching will lead us to mediocrity. The same issues that have plagued this team since Coach Clark took over continue to show there ugly heads.

-Lose the “middle 8” minutes
-RB rotations
-Playing down to opponents
-Taking the foot off the gas

Since ECU last yet have we played somebody and just tore them apart without a shred of doubt?

-Lose the “middle 8” minutes - At this point, I would quit talking about it. It’s an issue and a fundamental need, but the more it gets talked about, the more pressure it creates to win it.
-RB rotations - What’s your issue with the RB rotation?
-Playing down to opponents - legit concern
-Taking the foot off the gas - again legit concern, but one of those things that is subjective. We looked to be in control, until we weren’t. Then it becomes difficult to get it back.

As a fan base, I know we talk about the middle 8 probably too much, but it’s hard to ignore when it’s been so painfully obvious for years now. If we score on them the first drive in the 3rd it would’ve been a crushing blow. Chase missed a wide open throw, then Barbay decided to run another no-gainer up the middle on 4th and 2.

My issues with the rotations is 2 fold.
1) Cam and Nate are arguably the best running backs in the conference, and anytime one of them is not on the field we’re inarguably a worse team. They may have been dinged up this week, but both were capable of playing, and they had Noel in the game ******* blocking in the 4th but given no handoffs.
2) We don’t allow any of the guys to gain momentum. Swapping Chop out for Marshall every series allows no one to gain confidence, and periodically giving Castle drives is asinine. There’s no reason we should’ve had our 5th string RB in a game that we were trying to put away. Honestly this was as damning as anything with Barbay’s last performance.

Perhaps I needed to clarify my thoughts better about the middle 8 minutes. I meant that the team needs to quit talking about it. The coaches do, but they, as a group, need to work on it and not put pressure on the players as they need to play fast and loose.

As for the RBs. What I am seeing in terms of rotation is alarming. I try to avoid the word “concern”. I am taking a huge risk in typing this out, but I am starting to question the toughness and commitment of Noel and Peoples. Are they injured or hurt? They seem to be game time decisions and disappear during games. I have to speculate whether the coaches feel that they can rely on them.

Maybe the three yards and a cloud of dust approach is not good for the health of RBs? Especially when the pass is working. At some point it’s okay to get away from the run if it’s not there.

I don’t think that it.

[Stonewall]

I like Ted Roof .Good coach, perhaps an even better gentleman.

[spacemonkey]

The 3 yard cloud of dust works better when the defensive ends are not crashing down with no edge to contain.

[WASU 93]

Coaching will lead us to mediocrity. The same issues that have plagued this team since Coach Clark took over continue to show there ugly heads.

-Lose the “middle 8” minutes
-RB rotations
-Playing down to opponents
-Taking the foot off the gas

Since ECU last yet have we played somebody and just tore them apart without a shred of doubt?

-Lose the “middle 8” minutes - At this point, I would quit talking about it. It’s an issue and a fundamental need, but the more it gets talked about, the more pressure it creates to win it.
-RB rotations - What’s your issue with the RB rotation?
-Playing down to opponents - legit concern
-Taking the foot off the gas - again legit concern, but one of those things that is subjective. We looked to be in control, until we weren’t. Then it becomes difficult to get it back.

As a fan base, I know we talk about the middle 8 probably too much, but it’s hard to ignore when it’s been so painfully obvious for years now. If we score on them the first drive in the 3rd it would’ve been a crushing blow. Chase missed a wide open throw, then Barbay decided to run another no-gainer up the middle on 4th and 2.

My issues with the rotations is 2 fold.
1) Cam and Nate are arguably the best running backs in the conference, and anytime one of them is not on the field we’re inarguably a worse team. They may have been dinged up this week, but both were capable of playing, and they had Noel in the game ******* blocking in the 4th but given no handoffs.
2) We don’t allow any of the guys to gain momentum. Swapping Chop out for Marshall every series allows no one to gain confidence, and periodically giving Castle drives is asinine. There’s no reason we should’ve had our 5th string RB in a game that we were trying to put away. Honestly this was as damning as anything with Barbay’s last performance.

Perhaps I needed to clarify my thoughts better about the middle 8 minutes. I meant that the team needs to quit talking about it. The coaches do, but they, as a group, need to work on it and not put pressure on the players as they need to play fast and loose.

As for the RBs. What I am seeing in terms of rotation is alarming. I try to avoid the word “concern”. I am taking a huge risk in typing this out, but I am starting to question the toughness and commitment of Noel and Peoples. Are they injured or hurt? They seem to be game time decisions and disappear during games. I have to speculate whether the coaches feel that they can rely on them. Them not being out there for critical junctures has me wondering.

It could be a glass half full/half empty approach. Without knowing the type of injuries they have, it's all speculation. (maybe you know something that I don't) Maybe Noel is injured, but trying to will his way onto the field. He took three good shots on his TD carry, carried the ball one more time and we didn't see him again with the ball. Peoples had a noticeable limp when he came off the field against Troy. Perhaps they both tried to go and didn't have the wheels to keep going. Perhaps the coaches put them on a pitch count???

If we score at all in the second half, this conversation turns to, we gave our RB's a little bit of work and got them some rest.

[AppSt91]

Thinking about RB injuries , two years in a row.Is our S&C program where it needs to be or is it just misfortune?

I don’t know the answer but am wondering the same thing.

[AppStateNews]

Thinking about RB injuries , two years in a row.Is our S&C program where it needs to be or is it just misfortune?

I don’t know the answer but am wondering the same thing.

I don't know how strength and conditioning can help ankles getting rolled over.. if a 250+ pound person bends your ankle on a direction it's not supposed to go, you can have the best S&C coach ever and your ankle will still not be 100%

Now the rehab process may need looking in to...

[Stonewall]

Injury prevention is a primary goal of S&C.One of the "Pillars" as I recall.Of course not everything can be prevented but it seems we continue to have an epidemic of "rolled ankles".

[AppStateNews]

Injury prevention is a primary goal of S&C.One of the "Pillars" as I recall.Of course not everything can be prevented but it seems we continue to have an epidemic of "rolled ankles".

For sure. S&C can and does prevent tears, pulls, etc from over use. What it does not, and cannot do, prevent tears from large men falling on it.

My understanding about Cam is it's the same injury as last year -- which was a chipped bone in his ankle. There is nothing S&C can do about that.

Noel got rolled up on against UNC and played through it. As anybody who has ever rolled an ankle knows, it's the next day or two that it gets tight. He tried to go, but couldn't cut laterally. Which is extremely important in our zone scheme.

[Seattleapp]

Injury prevention is a primary goal of S&C.One of the "Pillars" as I recall.Of course not everything can be prevented but it seems we continue to have an epidemic of "rolled ankles".

For sure. S&C can and does prevent tears, pulls, etc from over use. What it does not, and cannot do, prevent tears from large men falling on it.

My understanding about Cam is it's the same injury as last year -- which was a chipped bone in his ankle. There is nothing S&C can do about that.

Noel got rolled up on against UNC and played through it. As anybody who has ever rolled an ankle knows, it's the next day or two that it gets tight. He tried to go, but couldn't cut laterally. Which is extremely important in our zone scheme.

The levels some folks are going to assign blame to our loss is reaching a fever pitch

[appgrad95&97]

Injury prevention is a primary goal of S&C.One of the "Pillars" as I recall.Of course not everything can be prevented but it seems we continue to have an epidemic of "rolled ankles".

For sure. S&C can and does prevent tears, pulls, etc from over use. What it does not, and cannot do, prevent tears from large men falling on it.

My understanding about Cam is it's the same injury as last year -- which was a chipped bone in his ankle. There is nothing S&C can do about that.

Noel got rolled up on against UNC and played through it. As anybody who has ever rolled an ankle knows, it's the next day or two that it gets tight. He tried to go, but couldn't cut laterally. Which is extremely important in our zone scheme.

The levels some folks are going to assign blame to our loss is reaching a fever pitch

Coaching is an issue. We are not well coached. This staff is not bad, but its not great either.

[311neers]

Injury prevention is a primary goal of S&C.One of the "Pillars" as I recall.Of course not everything can be prevented but it seems we continue to have an epidemic of "rolled ankles".

For sure. S&C can and does prevent tears, pulls, etc from over use. What it does not, and cannot do, prevent tears from large men falling on it.

My understanding about Cam is it's the same injury as last year -- which was a chipped bone in his ankle. There is nothing S&C can do about that.

Noel got rolled up on against UNC and played through it. As anybody who has ever rolled an ankle knows, it's the next day or two that it gets tight. He tried to go, but couldn't cut laterally. Which is extremely important in our zone scheme.

The levels some folks are going to assign blame to our loss is reaching a fever pitch

Coaching is an issue. We are not well coached. This staff is not bad, but its not great either.

Can anyone point me in the direction of an Ex Oline player, ex o-line coach, that has turned out to be successful as a head coach in the college ranks?
(Andy Reid does not count, NFL completely different). Sam Pittman only one that comes to mind, and it's a little early for him but he has Arkansas rolling. Clark can get there, but needs some work it seems.

[AppSt94]

Injury prevention is a primary goal of S&C.One of the "Pillars" as I recall.Of course not everything can be prevented but it seems we continue to have an epidemic of "rolled ankles".

For sure. S&C can and does prevent tears, pulls, etc from over use. What it does not, and cannot do, prevent tears from large men falling on it.

My understanding about Cam is it's the same injury as last year -- which was a chipped bone in his ankle. There is nothing S&C can do about that.

Noel got rolled up on against UNC and played through it. As anybody who has ever rolled an ankle knows, it's the next day or two that it gets tight. He tried to go, but couldn't cut laterally. Which is extremely important in our zone scheme.

The levels some folks are going to assign blame to our loss is reaching a fever pitch

Coaching is an issue. We are not well coached. This staff is not bad, but its not great either.

Can anyone point me in the direction of an Ex Oline player, ex o-line coach, that has turned out to be successful as a head coach in the college ranks?
(Andy Reid does not count, NFL completely different). Sam Pittman only one that comes to mind, and it's a little early for him but he has Arkansas rolling. Clark can get there, but needs some work it seems.

Les Miles, Steve Addazzio. Ralph Friedgen

[AppFan11]

Look, injuries are part of the game…. that’s why you are seeing the number of kids playing HS decline…. this will continue. When you have multiple injuries in the same position group, you are going to see a reduction in production. If you think about the 2019 year…. we stayed “mostly” healthy. To have great seasons, you have to stay healthy. So far we have had multiple injuries to the rb’s and Lb’s…. we have seen a reduction in performance in those groups….that is what happens. Do I like it… of course not. It’s a big factor. When in the second half we lost the use of our top three rbs…. we could not sustain drives, which led to a young defense being on the field too much and were exposed and tired. We actually played “de-complimentary “ football… the defense would get a stop.. the offense went 3 and out and put the D back on the field. In a one score difference game, there are lots of things that people can point to……play calling, bad calls, injuries, a young D etc. but make no mistake, the multiple injuries within the same position group is huge and unfortunately for us it has reared its ugly head. Do we fold the tents? Of course not. Against lesser talent we’ll probably be fine. However, if the injuries to these groups persist, we will need adjust our schemes.

[311neers]

For sure. S&C can and does prevent tears, pulls, etc from over use. What it does not, and cannot do, prevent tears from large men falling on it.

My understanding about Cam is it's the same injury as last year -- which was a chipped bone in his ankle. There is nothing S&C can do about that.

Noel got rolled up on against UNC and played through it. As anybody who has ever rolled an ankle knows, it's the next day or two that it gets tight. He tried to go, but couldn't cut laterally. Which is extremely important in our zone scheme.

The levels some folks are going to assign blame to our loss is reaching a fever pitch

Coaching is an issue. We are not well coached. This staff is not bad, but its not great either.

Can anyone point me in the direction of an Ex Oline player, ex o-line coach, that has turned out to be successful as a head coach in the college ranks?
(Andy Reid does not count, NFL completely different). Sam Pittman only one that comes to mind, and it's a little early for him but he has Arkansas rolling. Clark can get there, but needs some work it seems.

Les Miles, Steve Addazzio. Ralph Friedgen

I'll give you Les Miles for sure. And maybe Ralph Friedgen. Addazzio was a sub.500 coach but I guess that's successful for BC lol. Phillip Fulmer a good name, but it's not 2002 anymore.

[AtlAppMan]

Folks are searching for answers. I am too but let's be a bit careful in some areas like, saying a RB doesn't want to get back on the field. I don't think any of our ills are because our players don't have enough heart or are not trying their best to get it done on the field. I am NOT in that camp. I think our guys have played their hearts out this season and it has been an emotional ride for anybody, much less 18-24 yr old young men. Normal human nature is going to cause ups and downs in emotions at times during this ride so I am not faulting any players for that. Some may not always execute correctly but, IMO, that is not because of lack of want. I also don't want us pushing a player back on the field if he really isn't ready. I know you have to play through some things but there is a logical point where you have to go or not go and none of us are the ones to say what that point is.

[ASU843]

There have been a few comments regarding the speed of the offense and the quick scores. I don't think this aspect of the game has been given enough thought in that the defense (especially in the 4th) barely had time to get a drink before they had to get back out there. It went both ways but our guys in particular had to be gassed to some degree. It was still a warm day and it's not like we are legit 2 deep especially in our secondary. While I believe we will have games where we can strike quickly we will need some 10 play 6:00 drives to allow the defense to rest.

And here's another point: I know everyone likes it when we come out in all black. But, on a bright sunny day, when the temperature on the turf (with all of those rubber pellets) is probably 95-100 degrees, we should take every advantage that we have. Make the visitors wear the dark colors. Yes, I love Black Saturday, However, no matter how hard you condition, game day is different. White jerseys or Gold with Light colored helmets are going to be cooler.

Regarding all black uniforms: It doesnt bother me if they wear all black with a few exceptions. I thought it was dumb to have Black Thursday back in 2019 against Ga Southern. It was cold and misty and wet. Our poor lighting did not help visibility. I imagine Zac had a tough time finding receivers. In those circumstances, yellow/our gold is the easiest color to see. Just my viewpoint but you can google easiest colors in fog or misty conditions to see for yourself.

[appgrad95&97]

Injury prevention is a primary goal of S&C.One of the "Pillars" as I recall.Of course not everything can be prevented but it seems we continue to have an epidemic of "rolled ankles".

For sure. S&C can and does prevent tears, pulls, etc from over use. What it does not, and cannot do, prevent tears from large men falling on it.

My understanding about Cam is it's the same injury as last year -- which was a chipped bone in his ankle. There is nothing S&C can do about that.

Noel got rolled up on against UNC and played through it. As anybody who has ever rolled an ankle knows, it's the next day or two that it gets tight. He tried to go, but couldn't cut laterally. Which is extremely important in our zone scheme.

The levels some folks are going to assign blame to our loss is reaching a fever pitch

Coaching is an issue. We are not well coached. This staff is not bad, but its not great either.

Can anyone point me in the direction of an Ex Oline player, ex o-line coach, that has turned out to be successful as a head coach in the college ranks?
(Andy Reid does not count, NFL completely different). Sam Pittman only one that comes to mind, and it's a little early for him but he has Arkansas rolling. Clark can get there, but needs some work it seems.

I basically made that point or asked that question when he hire was announced. Now the the for no reason extension, we have to hope he grows into the job.

[GSUwasGump’sFallbackSchool]

I want to know…

Is it time to bring this thread back to life?

[ASU843]

Injury prevention is a primary goal of S&C.One of the "Pillars" as I recall.Of course not everything can be prevented but it seems we continue to have an epidemic of "rolled ankles".

For sure. S&C can and does prevent tears, pulls, etc from over use. What it does not, and cannot do, prevent tears from large men falling on it.

My understanding about Cam is it's the same injury as last year -- which was a chipped bone in his ankle. There is nothing S&C can do about that.

Noel got rolled up on against UNC and played through it. As anybody who has ever rolled an ankle knows, it's the next day or two that it gets tight. He tried to go, but couldn't cut laterally. Which is extremely important in our zone scheme.

The levels some folks are going to assign blame to our loss is reaching a fever pitch

Coaching is an issue. We are not well coached. This staff is not bad, but its not great either.

Can anyone point me in the direction of an Ex Oline player, ex o-line coach, that has turned out to be successful as a head coach in the college ranks?
(Andy Reid does not count, NFL completely different). Sam Pittman only one that comes to mind, and it's a little early for him but he has Arkansas rolling. Clark can get there, but needs some work it seems.

Pittman and Arkansas lost today 40-17 to Mississippi State. They aint rolling yet..

[311neers]

For sure. S&C can and does prevent tears, pulls, etc from over use. What it does not, and cannot do, prevent tears from large men falling on it.

My understanding about Cam is it's the same injury as last year -- which was a chipped bone in his ankle. There is nothing S&C can do about that.

Noel got rolled up on against UNC and played through it. As anybody who has ever rolled an ankle knows, it's the next day or two that it gets tight. He tried to go, but couldn't cut laterally. Which is extremely important in our zone scheme.

The levels some folks are going to assign blame to our loss is reaching a fever pitch

Coaching is an issue. We are not well coached. This staff is not bad, but its not great either.

Can anyone point me in the direction of an Ex Oline player, ex o-line coach, that has turned out to be successful as a head coach in the college ranks?
(Andy Reid does not count, NFL completely different). Sam Pittman only one that comes to mind, and it's a little early for him but he has Arkansas rolling. Clark can get there, but needs some work it seems.

Pittman and Arkansas lost today 40-17 to Mississippi State. They aint rolling yet..

Haha so my point stands…offensive line coaches don’t know ball. get thru the year and have some serious conversations in the off-season. we can’t go down this path. we lost what was easily ours and we lost it FAST.