Moving Forward

[Rekdiver]

Wondering how many will hit the portal?

That will be telling for sure!

[mountaineerman]

After we win today our record will match ECU. We are virtually a mirror image of them. Would be a good bowl game

I disagree with this ECU since we played them in Charlotte last year has been significantly better they look big and physical and well coached. We look the opposite. Watch the Cincy ECU game from Friday night tell me we look like a mirror image.

[Longrifle28]

I think Clark is going to have to do some soul searching. People react differently to adversity. Need to set aside pride, friendships, and take a critical view of the organization top to bottom. My view is that this is a comprehensive problem with not just one fix.

[boonetown1]

After we win today our record will match ECU. We are virtually a mirror image of them. Would be a good bowl game

I disagree with this ECU since we played them in Charlotte last year has been significantly better they look big and physical and well coached. We look the opposite. Watch the Cincy ECU game from Friday night tell me we look like a mirror image.

Yeah, Houston has ecu going in a good direction. The defense in particular is disciplined and physical. They just beat byu and barely lost to cincy

[RunawayJM]

At this point, we are moving backward.

[Stonewall]

Year by year , yes backward.In season , yes , we peaked at game 2 .

[311neers]

Wondering how many will hit the portal?

Been telling everyone on here since we signed Kanye Roberts that he HAS to play for this exact reason that the portal is just too easy. The big boys will be calling him after he got no PT for what seems to be a bad season. Play the studs while they are on campus, don’t give them a reason to leave. tell him he is RB1 next year and play him the next 2 games.

[BayouApp]

Let anyone play the next two games that can help us win.

[hapapp]

Wondering how many will hit the portal?

Been telling everyone on here since we signed Kanye Roberts that he HAS to play for this exact reason that the portal is just too easy. The big boys will be calling him after he got no PT for what seems to be a bad season. Play the studs while they are on campus, don’t give them a reason to leave. tell him he is RB1 next year and play him the next 2 games.

Perhaps, they will be calling him but unless he's in the portal that's an NCAA violation. He will get his chances next year as I expect our RB room will look very different.

[Yosefus]

My concern is Clark will or is coaching scared. App is in rare and somewhat uncharted territory with this season. Not so sure bowl eligible can be achieved at this point. Both ODU and the Stink are both very winnable games. Just concerned that moving forward we see success with status quo. Don't know what changes will or are needed to be honest. The defense is what we expected, the offense is in the biggest ditch we could have fallen into. Another concern is Clark's lack of any reasonable response on post game last night. When asked what went wrong he said he didn't know and hoped to find answers when they reviewed film today. We all put those coaches and players under the microscope but I don't think any of us truly know what we are seeing right now. There was no reason we should have lost yesterday or several other games this season with what has been traditionally put on the field. I'm rambling on and I apologize.

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

Even though I think Brice is one of the best passing QB’s we’ve had, I do think that the RPO the years prior to Brice really opened up the running game for us. We are missing that extra threat that our offense is dependent on. And although we have some decent Dlinemen, we don’t have any guys that other teams have to specifically plan for, like Meech or Blair. I think if one of the younger guys can step up to be that guy, it would give a lot of help to LB’s and DB’s. I think QB2 may be the solution to problem #1 next year. Can Spellman, Moss or someone else be the solution to problem #2. It is extremely frustrating to be 5-5 with the talent we have, but we aren’t far off. We’ve lost 4 games by 1 score. If we can solve these two problems, we could easily be 9-1, but there is a 3rd problem, that is on the field leadership. It appears some guys are truly trying and maybe it will just take this years seniors leaving for that to take shape, but the slow starts can be attributed to that and also coaching, need a rah rah guy on staff. There’s one specific coach I’m eyeing to be gone, perhaps it will be his replacement.

[BayouApp]

I see no point in worrying about a bowl game when we should be making some changes to the staff.

I still really hope we win two in a row and make a bowl game. Wife and I have made it to all but one, and I would like an opportunity this year (since only once a year it means a lot). When the bowl game starts, it is like a new season in some ways. I hope the team feels that way too.

[app83]

Some of you football gurus on here may know the answer to this but I remember for the past few years Hennigan and the other receivers seemed to be beasts blocking down field and took pride with their blocking skills. I know the newcomers this year have been a pleasant surprise with their receiving capabilities but I wonder if they are lacking in the blocking department which has also contributed to our lackluster running game this year. Personally I think CB7 is probably the best passer we have ever had but his lack of mobility is another issue that has hurt our running game. Prior to his arrival we had a 6-7 year run where the opposing team had to respect the potential for TL or ZT to take off for a long run if they keyed in on our backs. That threat does not exist with CB7 which hurts our offense as much as I respect him and believe that he has given his all for App. We still have a chance to get to a bowl game but I sure hope that we find a way to give Burger a few series over the next two games playing with the first team to see what he can do and to find out if we need to go back to the portal to find our QB1 for next year. I would assume that Roberts knows that that Cam and Chop will be gone this year so he is logically in line for significant playing time next year but I sure hope the staff has let him know that.

[bigdaddyg]

There sure is some big assumption that our players aren't happy and will leave. Have some of you guys personally interviewed them?

[BambooRdApp]

We go 7-5. I hope they get an email invite and go...no matter where it is....good for players, extra practices...and, if nothing else, a thank you to them for TIGMA

[Yosef84]

If we get a Bowl Invite, we should definitely go. There is a benefit to having the extra practice time, not to mention the visibility and consecutive bowl appearances (a stat that gets repeated and which provides positive perception).

[ah59396]

Wondering how many will hit the portal?

Been telling everyone on here since we signed Kanye Roberts that he HAS to play for this exact reason that the portal is just too easy. The big boys will be calling him after he got no PT for what seems to be a bad season. Play the studs while they are on campus, don’t give them a reason to leave. tell him he is RB1 next year and play him the next 2 games.

So I understand this, you believe playing him in 2 final games of the season would prevent him from what exactly? Going into the portal? Getting looks from power 5 programs? I don’t understand your thought process.

Are you arguing he’s unhappy as a freshman not starting and playing 2 games this season before likely becoming the starter next year, as a sophomore, is going to be a significant factor in persuading him to stay? Genuinely confused by this.

[bigdaddyg]

It's really disappointing to read people making assumptions that our players are so unhappy that many of them will look to transfer. Sometimes teams have tough seasons but right the ship together the next year and ball out.

[mike87]

Some of you football gurus on here may know the answer to this but I remember for the past few years Hennigan and the other receivers seemed to be beasts blocking down field and took pride with their blocking skills. I know the newcomers this year have been a pleasant surprise with their receiving capabilities but I wonder if they are lacking in the blocking department which has also contributed to our lackluster running game this year. Personally I think CB7 is probably the best passer we have ever had but his lack of mobility is another issue that has hurt our running game. Prior to his arrival we had a 6-7 year run where the opposing team had to respect the potential for TL or ZT to take off for a long run if they keyed in on our backs. That threat does not exist with CB7 which hurts our offense as much as I respect him and believe that he has given his all for App. We still have a chance to get to a bowl game but I sure hope that we find a way to give Burger a few series over the next two games playing with the first team to see what he can do and to find out if we need to go back to the portal to find our QB1 for next year. I would assume that Roberts knows that that Cam and Chop will be gone this year so he is logically in line for significant playing time next year but I sure hope the staff has let him know that.

I think you are on track with this. Our RPO is lacking in the O because CB doesn't really have the twitch speed. CB has the Pass but I don't see our receivers consistently getting off the blocks and presenting targets. And it's likely part of the blocking issues for the Run is in the receiver group. They are fast and can catch but don't appear as physically dominating as what we are used to. I'd like to have seen Cam or Chop in a slot receiver position some this year to put a little more size and physicality in the receiver corp. Don't know if they could do it but would have put more of that athletic RB room on the field at the same time.

[T-Dog]

I put a lot of this year's issues on coaching. The talent is there. The coaching has been lackluster.

Opposing defenses know Brice can't run. That limits the offense. Add in an OL that his poor technique and poor coaching, and it's led to a stagnant offense. Brice's big running damage is when App is trying to come back late and needs multiple scores, so the defenses are playing prevent and leaving wide open spaces.

I remember Clark saying in the summer that we would absolutely run packages with Brady McBride. I know he's been hurt recently, but we saw nothing even when he was healthy. Only action was in the second half of a blowout versus Citadel. He would be a change of pace at QB for a series or a play here or there. Kind of like how sometimes Noel offers a change of pace at RB or how Castle could if he ever played at times that mattered.