Hey, GUESS WHAT, We are YOUNG !!!

[Bearboy]

I don't know how many of you noticed but there was a stretch during the 2nd qtr that the defense was playing lights out. 3 of 4 possessions for Liberty were 3and out, with the exception being the fly pattern for a td on first down. During that stretch, we had 2 true freshman on the field at the LB position. Talk about youth and time to make the switch? Time to go with the youth movement across the board.

I don't think anyone is against youth. That is my point. Young does not equal bad. We have talented players, so why are we not winning? Why aren't we improving? Why aren't we scoring when we get in the red zone?

The youngsters haven't been playing much. There were some changes with that for some of the game Saturday.

[Skiddy]

I don't know how many of you noticed but there was a stretch during the 2nd qtr that the defense was playing lights out. 3 of 4 possessions for Liberty were 3and out, with the exception being the fly pattern for a td on first down. During that stretch, we had 2 true freshman on the field at the LB position. Talk about youth and time to make the switch? Time to go with the youth movement across the board.

We are talking LIBERTY here....

[ASUMountaineer]

Nope have never recruited - didn't apply for the job either - anybody can hand out scholarships but does that mean they are better than our Sunbelt foes? Bottomline then if he can recruit why are we not playing better - you know why COACHING - WHY DID HE PUT THE BALL ON THE RIGHT HASH MARK AT THE END OF THE GAME - COACHING, COACHING, COACHING - hey I hope you are all right that we have some talent up and coming - he's not the guy to get the most of out them ...

When did you become such as expert on recruiting, coaching, etc.? What do we have here 5 posts? - unless this is a different screen name for someone who has been on here for awhile like a couple of people I know ---

No for years I was on Any Given Saturday not here - I am not an expert on recruiting, said that, but answer this did you agree with going for it on 4th and 4 at the GSU 8 when we were down 10 at the beginning at the second half? Did you agree with the last 3 plays against Liberty and not at least downing the ball in the middle of the field at the end on that 3rd down? Anyone who has been around football can make those calls - Right?

What would you have done?

Yes, I would have gone for it on 4th and 4 at GSU. As you said in another post, we have a kicking problem.

[WVAPPeer]

OK - let's think about this --- What if we were 3-3 right now --- Would there still be such vitriol? --- I doubt it, like others have said, too many are only looking at the W/L record --- We could be 3-3 WITHOUT ONE DIFFERENT PLAY/ ONE ADDITIONAL YARD MADE OR GIVEN UP/ANYTHING ON EITHER OFFENSE OR DEFENSE --- 2 made FGs and we would be 3-3 and that has not one thing to do with what our offense/defense did/did not do --- Thoughts???

[The Rock]

The what if scenarios don't really make me feel better because they didn't happen. Good teams find a way to win, not good teams find a way to lose. We are somewhere in between.
But let's say they did. We would have beaten a not so good FBS team in southern Mississippi, and beaten a decent ( but not top 25) FCS team. Still not a great record beating 0 conference opponents, and 2 FCS teams (one of which had no scholarships), but again, we didn't.
We had the se mentality last year, if we had made 1 or 2 plays we could have beaten a&t, or charleston southern. To me, There are no moral victories when you are beaten by teams you are expected to beat.
I feel ok about the Georgia southern game because we, at times, were competitive with a good team. Although our kicker was struggling, he has made 2 pats that game, and I think had a good chance of making that FG, I would have kicked, but we didn't and that ended up being a big momentum swing.
But for the other games whether we could have should have won, it's hard to pat yourself on the back for almost winning.

[EastHallApp]

OK - let's think about this --- What if we were 3-3 right now --- Would there still be such vitriol? --- I doubt it, like others have said, too many are only looking at the W/L record --- We could be 3-3 WITHOUT ONE DIFFERENT PLAY/ ONE ADDITIONAL YARD MADE OR GIVEN UP/ANYTHING ON EITHER OFFENSE OR DEFENSE --- 2 made FGs and we would be 3-3 and that has not one thing to do with what our offense/defense did/did not do --- Thoughts???

Also, we'd likely be 3-3 if our star running back didn't keep fumbling, especially in or near both red zones.

What that says to me is that App has to cut down on the self-inflicted mistakes (no breaking news there). Our limitations in athleticism and experience have been well documented. But we should be able to convert extra points and most <40 yard field goals, and fumbles should be a rarity.

[WVAPPeer]

OK - let's think about this --- What if we were 3-3 right now --- Would there still be such vitriol? --- I doubt it, like others have said, too many are only looking at the W/L record --- We could be 3-3 WITHOUT ONE DIFFERENT PLAY/ ONE ADDITIONAL YARD MADE OR GIVEN UP/ANYTHING ON EITHER OFFENSE OR DEFENSE --- 2 made FGs and we would be 3-3 and that has not one thing to do with what our offense/defense did/did not do --- Thoughts???

Also, we'd likely be 3-3 if our star running back didn't keep fumbling, especially in or near both red zones.

What that says to me is that App has to cut down on the self-inflicted mistakes (no breaking news there). Our limitations in athleticism and experience have been well documented. But we should be able to convert extra points and most <40 yard field goals, and fumbles should be a rarity.

True - but my point was we could be 3-3 without any changes whatsoever from the offense or defense ---

[t4pizza]

OK - let's think about this --- What if we were 3-3 right now --- Would there still be such vitriol? --- I doubt it, like others have said, too many are only looking at the W/L record --- We could be 3-3 WITHOUT ONE DIFFERENT PLAY/ ONE ADDITIONAL YARD MADE OR GIVEN UP/ANYTHING ON EITHER OFFENSE OR DEFENSE --- 2 made FGs and we would be 3-3 and that has not one thing to do with what our offense/defense did/did not do --- Thoughts???

This is exactly what has me worried, and why I think it is coaching and not the players. Clearly as you have demonstrated we are but a few plays away from having a decent season. When we continually fail to make the plays game in and game out and the only consistent theme is mistakes, then I feel that falls directly on coaching. It isn't that we are too young to be winning right now, it isn't that we aren't talented enough to be winning right now, it is that we aren't coached well enough to be winning right now.
I understand that SS is doing some on the job training but it really looks as if his promotion may have been a bit premature. There are plenty of examples of coaches out there that have things flowing by year 2 and clearly SS isn't one of them. Like I said before, its not that he lacks the players, or the tradition, or the support, he just doesn't seem ready.
Our schedule this year is ridiculously weak, we play a majority of our games against either FCS or bottom of the barrel FBS schools, there is no excuse for a losing record against this competition (its why Georgia Southern is doing well- the SunBelt is weak this year). I expected some growing pains with the transition, but I expected those to come to light against the better teams in our conference, not the weak out of conference and bottom of our conference teams. I really hope that we can beat some of our remaining weak competition (Idaho, Troy, Georgia State) and that SS can start to prove me wrong because I want nothing more than for him to succeed, but he has yet to give me much hope that he can or will.
Our games have simply been too closely contested for me to believe we don't have the players to compete. If we didn't have the players we would get blown out. The talent is there, it just needs to be coached up properly.

[WVAPPeer]

Well I can guarantee you we won't beat Iowa ---

Take it from a former coach - learning to win as a coach and as a player is a process especially when so many other things are changing - Look, even I could take over Alabama tomorrow and win some games --- This team needs some "bounces" to go their way so the confidence can start to build - I made a decision one year to go with my freshmen and sophomores and it was ugly at times but they got experience and got better - each year after that we improved and by the time they were seniors they were conference champions - AND, it wasn't because I was such a great coach either - It is a process, and as long as Coach Satterfield and the other coaches plus the players believe that the course they are on will pay off down the road then I believe completely that good things will happen ---

[AppSt94]

OK - let's think about this --- What if we were 3-3 right now --- Would there still be such vitriol? --- I doubt it, like others have said, too many are only looking at the W/L record --- We could be 3-3 WITHOUT ONE DIFFERENT PLAY/ ONE ADDITIONAL YARD MADE OR GIVEN UP/ANYTHING ON EITHER OFFENSE OR DEFENSE --- 2 made FGs and we would be 3-3 and that has not one thing to do with what our offense/defense did/did not do --- Thoughts???

This is exactly what has me worried, and why I think it is coaching and not the players. Clearly as you have demonstrated we are but a few plays away from having a decent season. When we continually fail to make the plays game in and game out and the only consistent theme is mistakes, then I feel that falls directly on coaching. It isn't that we are too young to be winning right now, it isn't that we aren't talented enough to be winning right now, it is that we aren't coached well enough to be winning right now.
I understand that SS is doing some on the job training but it really looks as if his promotion may have been a bit premature. There are plenty of examples of coaches out there that have things flowing by year 2 and clearly SS isn't one of them. Like I said before, its not that he lacks the players, or the tradition, or the support, he just doesn't seem ready.
Our schedule this year is ridiculously weak, we play a majority of our games against either FCS or bottom of the barrel FBS schools, there is no excuse for a losing record against this competition (its why Georgia Southern is doing well- the SunBelt is weak this year). I expected some growing pains with the transition, but I expected those to come to light against the better teams in our conference, not the weak out of conference and bottom of our conference teams. I really hope that we can beat some of our remaining weak competition (Iowa, Troy, Georgia State) and that SS can start to prove me wrong because I want nothing more than for him to succeed, but he has yet to give me much hope that he can or will.
Our games have simply been too closely contested for me to believe we don't have the players to compete. If we didn't have the players we would get blown out. The talent is there, it just needs to be coached up properly.

You can have young talent but young talent does not always provide consistent results.

[NoLongerLurking]

Kicking game and defense = winning App State. It's easy to blame that field goal Saturday, but I recall a missed PAT.

[WVAPPeer]

Yeah but the 2 point XP
made up for that miss

[NoLongerLurking]

Yeah but the 2 point XP
made up for that miss

Very true. Thanks! In typical end of the world fashion, my memory is trying to make me think only of the negatives.

GO APPS! BEAT TROY!

[hapapp]

On the year, App has missed 2 XPs. Arguably, the best teams in the SBC have also missed at least 2. Ark State 2, ULL 2, USA 2, Ga Southern 4.
Our kicking game hasn't been stellar. However, why do we assume that every team in the conference is dead on perfect. Or even more ridiculously suggesting that any high school kicker could do better than what we have. Our kicking game has cost us two games and that is a concern but let's not act as if we have no one who can put it thru the uprights. I believe that as Critcher adjusts to his role, that he will become more consistent. It is also time to stop referring to him as the punter. He is our kicker as well...something he did in high school.

[Appsolutely]

OK - let's think about this --- What if we were 3-3 right now --- Would there still be such vitriol? --- I doubt it, like others have said, too many are only looking at the W/L record --- We could be 3-3 WITHOUT ONE DIFFERENT PLAY/ ONE ADDITIONAL YARD MADE OR GIVEN UP/ANYTHING ON EITHER OFFENSE OR DEFENSE --- 2 made FGs and we would be 3-3 and that has not one thing to do with what our offense/defense did/did not do --- Thoughts???

If, if, if...
And if the hound dog hadn't stopped to take a crap, he woulda caught the rabbit.

[WVAPPeer]

OK - let's think about this --- What if we were 3-3 right now --- Would there still be such vitriol? --- I doubt it, like others have said, too many are only looking at the W/L record --- We could be 3-3 WITHOUT ONE DIFFERENT PLAY/ ONE ADDITIONAL YARD MADE OR GIVEN UP/ANYTHING ON EITHER OFFENSE OR DEFENSE --- 2 made FGs and we would be 3-3 and that has not one thing to do with what our offense/defense did/did not do --- Thoughts???

If, if, if...
And if the hound dog hadn't stopped to take a crap, he woulda caught the rabbit.

Well that was a brilliant response - wow, I am impressed ---

[Appsolutely]

Thanks!

[bigdaddyg]

someone with a better memory than me please help to look back some of the playoff games during our three year championship run. Didn't we get a couple of HUGE breaks? Didn't Furman and/or JMU committ some major blunders- fumble in the redzone trying to set up a field goal, and perhaps another bad fumble? Point is, in a close game sometimes you get a break and sometimes the other guy gets a break. I am a big Carolina Panthers fan. Look what happened to a good NFL kicker last week. Missed a chipshot game winning field goal in OT. I pointed out on another post that the blocked XP in the Illinois State playoff game was one of the most painfull losses. We just are not getting the bounces right now. Hopefully that will change soon.

[MDaniels84]

OK - let's think about this --- What if we were 3-3 right now --- Would there still be such vitriol? --- I doubt it, like others have said, too many are only looking at the W/L record --- We could be 3-3 WITHOUT ONE DIFFERENT PLAY/ ONE ADDITIONAL YARD MADE OR GIVEN UP/ANYTHING ON EITHER OFFENSE OR DEFENSE --- 2 made FGs and we would be 3-3 and that has not one thing to do with what our offense/defense did/did not do --- Thoughts???

WVAPP ,
I tend to agree. However, even if we were sitting on a 3-3 record, I would still get an upset stomach on Saturday morning knowing that our current defensive scheme was going to roll back out on Saturday afternoon. Even with fumbles, missed FG's , missed PAT's , etc.... IF our D would play tighter coverages, we would likely be 3-3 thus far.

[WVAPPeer]

OK - let's think about this --- What if we were 3-3 right now --- Would there still be such vitriol? --- I doubt it, like others have said, too many are only looking at the W/L record --- We could be 3-3 WITHOUT ONE DIFFERENT PLAY/ ONE ADDITIONAL YARD MADE OR GIVEN UP/ANYTHING ON EITHER OFFENSE OR DEFENSE --- 2 made FGs and we would be 3-3 and that has not one thing to do with what our offense/defense did/did not do --- Thoughts???

WVAPP ,
I tend to agree. However, even if we were sitting on a 3-3 record, I would still get an upset stomach on Saturday morning knowing that our current defensive scheme was going to roll back out on Saturday afternoon. Even with fumbles, missed FG's , missed PAT's , etc.... IF our D would play tighter coverages, we would likely be 3-3 thus far.

That's true and I agree - but my point is that we could be 3-3 without any change in offense or defense --- 2 made kicks ---