Most Improved Position
PostPosted:Wed Aug 08, 2018 1:30 pm
With lots of returning starters, a key question for this year is “what is the most improved position?”
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I'm with you. Last season Weems was about the only CB with any experience. Lemons was a converted WR and Kearse was a freshman.Purpleglasses wrote: ↑Wed Aug 08, 2018 2:24 pmevery season we get these responses!
but to the point PaulC...I will go with the Secondary.
I believe that was the weakest part of our Defense last yr because of all the youth.
After a year of understanding schemes, and getting some snaps under their belt, (along with a Transfer)
we should see a big improvement.
I know! it's such a coincidence
Going for it on fourth down four times, keeping the ball on the ground, and converting all of them says a lot about the confidence the coaching staff has in the offensive line.FUBeAR wrote: ↑Wed Aug 08, 2018 3:35 pmOh...I just re-looked and see that the point of this thread was to project which position WILL see the most improvement in 2018. Sorry. Below are my thoughts on that topic for what we SAW in 2017. Feel free to disregard...except the final paragraph. Please read that.
For 2018...I’ll go with the O-Line again, Bob.
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Other than being distracted by 69 & Reverse Cowgirl, which have, I believe, pretty much stayed the same as they were in prior years...but I guess that could depend upon your own personal perspective...I thought y’all were watching the games...???.
Yes...great improvement in the Secondary & on Defense as a unit...and major improvement at RB...and TE (certainly in utilization)...and at QB...#7 was a different Player than he had been in years prior...but ALL of those improvements pale in comparison to the QUANTUM LEAP taken last year in the Play of the O-Line! Yes, they were young & moving around & learning on the fly (the best way to learn)...but does Furman make the Playoffs if they lose to Mercer? I don’t know, but I think it’s questionable. Does Furman beat Mercer if they aren’t successful on these 4 plays?
4th and 2 at MER 5
(9:28 - 2nd) Antonio Wilcox 6 Yd Run for a TD
4th and 1 at MER 43
(6:55 - 2nd) Kealand Dirks run for 4 yds to the Mercr 39 for a 1ST down
4th and 2 at MER 47
(7:15 - 3rd) P.J. Blazejowski run for 3 yds to the Mercr 44 for a 1ST down
4th and 1 at MER 5
(11:48 - 4th) Antonio Wilcox run for 1 yd to the Mercr 4 for a 1ST down
I can answer that one. NOPE! ABSOLUTELY NOT!! Might have even been shutout. And were they tricky plays? Nope. Just put the game, perhaps the season, on the backs of a bunch of young O-Linemen and trusted ‘em to get the job done against a very good run Defense. Would Furman have even dared to try this in the past? Highly doubtful. I wouldn’t have either with the OVERALL play we had previously seen from Paladin O-Lines for more years than I care to remember.
And, I know there is another thread about the O-Line, but their Play led the way in 2017 and, again, this was far & away, the most improved position for the ‘Dins, in my always humble and never O-Line-biased opinion!
Also - just want to point out that Coach Lusk is the FU O-Line Coach and I think we need to make sure to appropriately spread our accolades to include acknowledgment of his contribution to the change. Yep, Coach Hendrix raised him from a pup and is still mentoring him, but Coach Caldwell raised Coach Hendrix from a pup too and we know he ain’t ‘solely responsible’ for the OL improvement we have seen. So please remember to include Coach Lusk in your praise...and to tip your waiters, of course.
The definition of Furman football. Attitude!Does not matter who the opponent is, the consistent ability to convert third and fourth downs is demoralizing to a defense. Nothing fancy about those plays - just "we don't think you can stop us."
It beats a 4 yard curl on a 3rd and 7.
Remember 2014?