Around the SoCon tonight

[gofurman]

AP with their second pick 6, now 41-20. Amazing what happens when you play tight coverage. The defender picked it in FRONT of the receiver and had a clear path to the end zone. We never have that problem because we are always 5 yards behind the receiver.

It's not about "tight coverage", in my opinion.

Riddle is a talented QB, but Mercer really doesn't have a receiver that's going to blow by a defense. APSU has eliminated Mercer's running game and are hitting the QB nearly every time he drops back.

Defensively, if I know your QB doesn't have a ton of time to throw, that you can't really run it, and you've got no one that's going to run by my safeties, then I know you are going to throw it and I have a pretty good idea of where you are going to throw it.

If a defense knows you aren't running it, and can't go downfield, they can start jumping routes underneath, which is what they did.

agree - that said, i give Durden credit as that dude catches EVERYTHIN' . Man he was literally toyingg with his defender as he would catch the ball get tackled and help his CB up. High point .. catch.. TD.. impressed !

[gofurman]

Watching the Mercer/AP game man Riddle forces a lot of passes.

This is just my initial hot take.

Mercer's got some talented players on offense, but APSU is handing Furman a playbook on how to defense the Bears. The Govs have all but eliminated Mercer's running game (something Furman didn't do last year).

APSU has been able to pressure Riddle and take away Devezin. Good gameplan for beating them.

Jackal, But do you think we have the personnell to send everyone at Riddle and stop Devezin? not saying we cannot.. just saying I am sure our coaches wanted to get heat on the QB and stop Devezin last year and we couldn't as you note. So I am really asking if you think we can duplicate that gameplan. Maybe we can. I am asking - because just because you know what to do doesn't mean someone CAN. We know to move the ball on O vs VT and specifically use our experienced OL to block their DL- we just couldn't (I realize that's FBS and a bad example but you see my point)

W Hope and Seabrook I see the QB pressure - the issue is in the middle of the DL where APSU had that Huge dude (320). that helped stop Devezin who ran all over us last year when we had Jaylan Reid then... just asking . Maybe you feel sure we can?

Devezin ran all over us last year

[apaladin]

After a delay, ETSU and VMI are tied 7-7 at the half.

[gofurman]

And Woff and ETSu lose. Woff to Sam and ETSu to VMI. Win Furman win

[apaladin]

Yeppers VMI beat ETSU 31-24 in overtime.

[purplehorse]

Yes so 2 of the 3 co-champions from last year lose their opening Southern Conference game at home. That has to help us.

I may be wrong but at this point I wonder if there is more parity and mediocrity in the conference this year.

[The Jackal]

Yes so 2 of the 3 co-champions from last year lose their opening Southern Conference game at home. That has to help us.

I may be wrong but at this point I wonder if there is more parity and mediocrity in the conference this year.

I think most of the SoCon has underperformed.

I expected Samford and Wofford to step back. They lost too many players and I don't trust their coaches. I think their losses to Tenn Tech and SCSU, respectively, were embarrassing.

ETSU has no business losing to VMI.

[gofurman]

Yes so 2 of the 3 co-champions from last year lose their opening Southern Conference game at home. That has to help us.

I may be wrong but at this point I wonder if there is more parity and mediocrity in the conference this year.

I think most of the SoCon has underperformed.

I expected Samford and Wofford to step back. They lost too many players and I don't trust their coaches. I think their losses to Tenn Tech and SCSU, respectively, were embarrassing.

ETSU has no business losing to VMI.

Samford is coaching and lost players. Woff returned a ton _ most seniors in SoCon I think, coaching is weird. Woff has to worry in a sense about next year where all those guys graduate though I guess you could say actually they may improve next year because they may recruit players fir new system. That’s like gtech. Woff Is trying a system current guys (great run OL) aren’t built for. Their qbs aren’t built to pass and it appears they are RPO. They did better this week by returning to more run as they held ball 40 minutes! but only scores 14. They can run well but pass game not so much

[youwouldno]

The SoCon is just a bad football conference at this point in time. Out of 126 FCS teams (including non-scholarship), here are the SoCon Massey ranks:

29
34
51
54
59
60
77
82
92

The conference basically doesn't deserve any at-large playoff bids. A legitimately good team should dominate the conference schedule.

Wofford botched the Ayers succession and their program is pretty much finished in terms of being nationally relevant.

[gofurman]

The SoCon is just a bad football conference at this point in time. Out of 126 FCS teams (including non-scholarship), here are the SoCon Massey ranks:

29
34
51
54
59
60
77
82
92

The conference basically doesn't deserve any at-large playoff bids. A legitimately good team should dominate the conference schedule.

Wofford botched the Ayers succession and their program is pretty much finished in terms of being nationally relevant.

Man. Finished? Just like us anyone can switch improve or switch coaches - your wording sounds like they are don forever based on a 2 game sample

[gofurman]

The SoCon is just a bad football conference at this point in time. Out of 126 FCS teams (including non-scholarship), here are the SoCon Massey ranks:

29
34
51
54
59
60
77
82
92

The conference basically doesn't deserve any at-large playoff bids. A legitimately good team should dominate the conference schedule.

Wofford botched the Ayers succession and their program is pretty much finished in terms of being nationally relevant.

Massey
Has us at 24. I am not sure your numbers are right?
https://www.masseyratings.com/cf/compare1aa.htm

[youwouldno]

Massey
Has us at 24. I am not sure your numbers are right?
https://www.masseyratings.com/cf/compare1aa.htm

That's the Massey Composite, which is a page where he combines 6 different rankings, one of which is his own. The actual Massey ranking is 34, which is listed on that page and also if you actually look at the regular Massey FCS page.

[apaladin]

The SoCon is just a bad football conference at this point in time. Out of 126 FCS teams (including non-scholarship), here are the SoCon Massey ranks:

29
34
51
54
59
60
77
82
92

The conference basically doesn't deserve any at-large playoff bids. A legitimately good team should dominate the conference schedule.

Wofford botched the Ayers succession and their program is pretty much finished in terms of being nationally relevant.

The SoCon may be down. I do not put much stock in computer rankings. Never have. I am old school and believe humans are better at evaluating football teams than some mathematics geeks computer. You can make make figures say anything you want them too.

[fufanatic]

It’s hard to argue that the SoCon is a good football conference right now. The non-conference speaks volumes once again. But I think Furman is really good. So we need to dominate consistently week in and week out to get the committee’s attention. Let’s start Saturday against Mercer.

[Davemeister]

Best way to prove Furman is good is to win the not-so-good SoCon Title and kick some ass in the playoffs. Screw the committee's attention.