Coastal - 3:30pm - Discussion

[ASUTodd]

Just to play devil's advocate, how does App look better this year (besides the record)? Our defense is still bad and some of the same culprits continue to start. We seem to lack an identity; we are not what I would call a tough team, but not really a finesse team either. Our players continue to make mistakes and play calling is often suspect. Sure we aren't running the ball up the gut 3 times in a row for no gain, but now we pass 3 straight times for no gain so its essentially the same. We seem to learn and grow and play well one week only to regress and lose to teams we should beat the next. I am painting with a broad brush here, but I really don't see much of a difference on these big themes at this point. We weren't a good team and we aren't a good team but not sure I can say our foundations look solid at all. I consider the foundations of any good football team to be the trenches and depth. We have a banged up/bad Oline and a bad Dline as well, both of our trench units are not good and we don't seem to have any depth on the team at all. So yeah, how do we look better?

To my eye we look significantly better.

• Our play calling isn’t as predictable

• We actually run a misdirection play or two

• We’re winning most third-and-short and fourth-and-short situations

• I’ll take Dubinion over any running back we’ve had since Cam Peoples

• Until the Ramseys and Poindexter went out, our offensive line was much better

• Our kicking game is better

• Until Collins and McBurrows went out, our defense was better

• I have more confidence in our defensive coaches

• We’re light years ahead in recruiting

No knock on our current kicker, but Michael Hughes was a hell of a kicker. He got hurt in the flood and was unable to finish the season, but Hughes was definitely a more reliable kicker.

Hughes rookie stats : 9-12 fg. 50-50 XP.
De Freitas rookie stats (this year): 11-14 fg. 22-22 XP.

So far De Freitas is on track to be as good as Hughes. The biggest thing in those stats.....Hughes only went 1-3 in field goals longer than 40. De Freitas is 4-7.

So what you’re saying is that we are on track to kick more FGs and score fewer touchdowns this year than 2021.

If that is how you want to look at it.

[ASUFan4863]

I believe Hughes’ rookie year of actually kicking field goals was 2022. We had much fewer FG opportunities then than we have had this year due to a staff that despised taking field goals. The biggest difference, as pointed out, have been the long field goals which Hughes could not make that first season.

[App1795]

I love the idea of keeping traditions, but in all seriousness, what real unique traditions do we have besides pointing to an end zone while Bugler's dream is being played? App State chant, holding up 4 fingers as we enter the 4th quarter (not unique), "Its an Appstate first down"(not unique). Not being a smart alleck and those on this board thst know me know I love this school and team, but if you go to other schools throughout the ACC, SEC, even other G5s, you see a lot of different real traditions. Maybe its a good time to blend some new in with the old. Forgot one tradition - drunk students in black and gold sliding down a beautifully manicured hill that gets destroyed by the end of the season.

To age myself. I used to love the tunnel shaking when the beginning of hells bell’s would ring out. That always got me hyped

When I was in middle school (or maybe early high school), I remember coming up to The Rock with my dad from Charlotte. We had no affiliation to App at the time, just a neighbor who had tickets and couldn't make it. The team stood in the inflatable helmet, rocked it to Seven Nation Army, sent chills down my spine, and dominated. Back in Black, Hells Bell, multiple "App" "State" chants, "Mountain Music", the band playing in front of the student section while the team warmed up, and that lone, single waving App flag that was always in the student section.

Those memories carried me to Boone, and it does feel like we're losing our traditions. Couple that with the massive number of people who don't feel the need to stand up and be loud or leave early, and it pains me.