Feb. 20 - Western Carolina

[Roundball]

"Furman football blows out WCU in spring season opener." https://www.postandcourier.com/greenvil ... f2564.html

[AstroDin]

IMO maybe the biggest part of Furman's dominating play yesterday was the drive chart.
The scoring drives;
9-65 (3:47)
9-87 (4:31)
10-89 (4:32)
12-93 (3:31)
17-74 (8:59)

In years past we've reeled off a lot of big plays. The Wofford game last year - we had one big run for our only score. Yesterday was like a death by a thousand cuts. This team will get some scores off big plays - we have the playmakers to do it. But - yesterday for not playing in over 440 days the Dins played in control and almost error free.

[The Jackal]

IMO maybe the biggest part of Furman's dominating play yesterday was the drive chart.
The scoring drives;
9-65 (3:47)
9-87 (4:31)
10-89 (4:32)
12-93 (3:31)
17-74 (8:59)

In years past we've reeled off a lot of big plays. The Wofford game last year - we had one big run for our only score. Yesterday was like a death by a thousand cuts. This team will get some scores off big plays - we have the playmakers to do it. But - yesterday for not playing in over 440 days the Dins played in control and almost error free.

It was. I do think our offense has plenty of quick strike in it. We saw a few chunk plays downfield early.

We've got a number of running backs that are a broken tackle or bad angle from a touchdown on every play.

[apaladin]

The only 2 negatives I saw were kickoffs/kickoff coverage and punt returns. I think they returned every kick snd out past the thirty. We are used to hardly ever having a ko returned. Instead of kicking it deep in the end zone, we are now kicking it to the 10. We let too many punts hit and roll 20-30 yards.

[The Jackal]

The only 2 negatives I saw were kickoffs/kickoff coverage and punt returns. I think they returned every kick snd out past the thirty. We are used to hardly ever having a ko returned. Instead of kicking it deep in the end zone, we are now kicking it to the 10. We let too many punts hit and roll 20-30 yards.

Hendrix addressed this.

Our special teams have a lot of young guys, many of whom have not gone full speed on a kick at this level. Kickoffs/returns are one area where a team likely isn't going to go full contact in a practice setting and risk injury.

[apaladin]

Elijah McKoy didn’t play on Saturday. Is he injured?

[Jasper]

yes, he is.

[AstroDin]

They said on the radio McKoy has a meniscus injury, I assume he's had surgery. McKoy hasn't taken a redshirt so if he rehabilitates well he could play in the fall if he chooses.

The Dins are stacked at Bandit > Hope, Agbenou, and Luke Clark. Not saying it wouldn't be helpful to have Elijah out there too.

[apaladin]

They said on the radio McKoy has a meniscus injury, I assume he's had surgery. McKoy hasn't taken a redshirt so if he rehabilitates well he could play in the fall if he chooses.

The Dins are stacked at Bandit > Hope, Agbenou, and Luke Clark. Not saying it wouldn't be helpful to have Elijah out there too.

So does that mean he could have 2 more years?

[The Jackal]

Also, one pretty incredible stat.

Furman had 1 offensive penalty for 5 yards.

Have not played in 440+ days, offense isn't huddling, changing pace, constant substitutions and personnel groups, second and third teamers played much of the game, and only one penalty.

[The Jackal]

When you talk about an experienced offensive line, I think this play sort of helps emphasize that.

It's a relatively simple design on a run play - LG pulls around, looks inside for a linebacker, fullback leads the tailback looking to kick out the next defender to show his face, tailback follows the caravan, breaks a tackle and accelerates to the outside.

WCU brings extra bodies against this run look. A lot of teams are going to do this to us. They send three guys to the center's left. After the LG pulls, there are only two guys there to block three rushers.

I'm sure Bear can give the specific terminology, but watch the backside - LT (Tomlin, I believe). He has to fill the hole vacated by the LG and steps near laterally inside. The center, Jumper, steps backside and seals both the DT and blitzing linebacker. Feeling that Jumper has sealed the inside, Tomlin peels back and gets a block on the DE - the only man yet to be blocked in this design.

Without that second block, the DE probably blows the play up in the backfield. Tomlin gets to him right before he gets his mitts on Wynn. Not sure if that's the design, but great awareness and athleticism to step that hard inside, block a man, and then peel back to one of the defense's most athletic players.

A lot of teams might fill the backside guard's with the fullback. Furman's coaches seem confident that their linemen can sort all of this out and can spare the fullback to get there "firstest with the mostest." The last thing any defensive backfield wants to see is 300 lbs Krober followed by 245 lbs Roberto followed by 216 lbs Wynn. Good night.

By the way, if you are looking for other wrinkles, watch Deluca bubble out at the bottom of the screen. If teams are going to crash that hard into the backfield, look for us to start quickly swinging the ball out to the edge.

[Furmanoid]

Also, one pretty incredible stat.

Furman had 1 offensive penalty for 5 yards.

Have not played in 440+ days, offense isn't huddling, changing pace, constant substitutions and personnel groups, second and third teamers played much of the game, and only one penalty.

Wow, that is really great if we can keep it up. If we want to go with methodical, long, soul killing drives avoiding penalties is crucial. Opposing coaches are betting that you can’t run play after play without screwing up with either a turnover, a sack or, more commonly, penalties that kill the drive. And most coaches actually lack confidence in their own offenses in this regard which leads them to go for big plays rather than the grinding drives. So far I LOVE where we appear to be heading with this sort of old fashioned approach.

[Furmanoid]

When you talk about an experienced offensive line, I think this play sort of helps emphasize that.

It's a relatively simple design on a run play - LG pulls around, looks inside for a linebacker, fullback leads the tailback looking to kick out the next defender to show his face, tailback follows the caravan, breaks a tackle and accelerates to the outside.

WCU brings extra bodies against this run look. A lot of teams are going to do this to us. They send three guys to the center's left. After the LG pulls, there are only two guys there to block three rushers.

I'm sure Bear can give the specific terminology, but watch the backside - LT (Tomlin, I believe). He has to fill the hole vacated by the LG and steps near laterally inside. The center, Jumper, steps backside and seals both the DT and blitzing linebacker. Feeling that Jumper has sealed the inside, Tomlin peels back and gets a block on the DE - the only man yet to be blocked in this design.

Without that second block, the DE probably blows the play up in the backfield. Tomlin gets to him right before he gets his mitts on Wynn. Not sure if that's the design, but great awareness and athleticism to step that hard inside, block a man, and then peel back to one of the defense's most athletic players.

A lot of teams might fill the backside guard's with the fullback. Furman's coaches seem confident that their linemen can sort all of this out and can spare the fullback to get there "firstest with the mostest." The last thing any defensive backfield wants to see is 300 lbs Krober followed by 245 lbs Roberto followed by 216 lbs Wynn. Good night.

By the way, if you are looking for other wrinkles, watch Deluca bubble out at the bottom of the screen. If teams are going to crash that hard into the backfield, look for us to start quickly swinging the ball out to the edge.

I love the play, but it kinda looks like wretched defense. The DE played too wide and the DT kinda went towards the A gap, so the only defenders with a chance on this 46ish thing are those 2 lbs (or whatever they are) who stay 4 or 5 yards deep. Then one of them gets bulldozed while the other misses the tackle. But I’m hoping that is an example of the fact that nobody’s defense is set up to handle simple stuff like this anymore. The second level guys aren’t recruited to stop a bunch of big dudes running straight at them.

[FUBeAR]

When you talk about an experienced offensive line, I think this play sort of helps emphasize that.

It's a relatively simple design on a run play - LG pulls around, looks inside for a linebacker, fullback leads the tailback looking to kick out the next defender to show his face, tailback follows the caravan, breaks a tackle and accelerates to the outside.

WCU brings extra bodies against this run look. A lot of teams are going to do this to us. They send three guys to the center's left. After the LG pulls, there are only two guys there to block three rushers.

I'm sure Bear can give the specific terminology, but watch the backside - LT (Tomlin, I believe). He has to fill the hole vacated by the LG and steps near laterally inside. The center, Jumper, steps backside and seals both the DT and blitzing linebacker. Feeling that Jumper has sealed the inside, Tomlin peels back and gets a block on the DE - the only man yet to be blocked in this design.

Without that second block, the DE probably blows the play up in the backfield. Tomlin gets to him right before he gets his mitts on Wynn. Not sure if that's the design, but great awareness and athleticism to step that hard inside, block a man, and then peel back to one of the defense's most athletic players.

A lot of teams might fill the backside guard's with the fullback. Furman's coaches seem confident that their linemen can sort all of this out and can spare the fullback to get there "firstest with the mostest." The last thing any defensive backfield wants to see is 300 lbs Krober followed by 245 lbs Roberto followed by 216 lbs Wynn. Good night.

By the way, if you are looking for other wrinkles, watch Deluca bubble out at the bottom of the screen. If teams are going to crash that hard into the backfield, look for us to start quickly swinging the ball out to the edge.

I love the play, but it kinda looks like wretched defense. The DE played too wide and the DT kinda went towards the A gap, so the only defenders with a chance on this 46ish thing are those 2 lbs (or whatever they are) who stay 4 or 5 yards deep. Then one of them gets bulldozed while the other misses the tackle. But I’m hoping that is an example of the fact that nobody’s defense is set up to handle simple stuff like this anymore. The second level guys aren’t recruited to stop a bunch of big dudes running straight at them.

Every Football person should LOVE this play - it’s Power...old-school basic Football & unstoppable if executed properly.

Only ‘variation’ is TE blocking out on DE/OLB instead of blocking down to chip DT & go to b/s LB. Probably read WCU’s alignment OR this is more of an A-Gap Power design, made famous by NDSU.

I’d like to see Kroeber getting out his stance a little quicker and perhaps skip-pull vs. flat-pull, but I’ll defer to Coach Lusk on that...although being a kid from The ‘Well, I’ll still give him crap about his ‘get-off’ when I see him. Coach Caldwell woulda said he’s coming out of it “like an old washer-woman”...whatever that means.

The pick-up by the OT on the backside is unique & EXTRA. He recognized he had stopped the charge of the blitzing LB...who could have blown up the play...and, I guess, realized he was now ‘caught up on the trash’ and that the DE is the ‘most dangerous man’ - really nice - absolutely takes experience, brains, and athleticism for him to make that block. Give that man a STAR!

...and Kroeber got his pads squared up, stayed tight to the LoS, eyed up his man, and walked the dog with him ahead of the RB...so, despite the start, he gets a ++ on that play also. (was just funnin’ calling my Homeboy out like that)

Final comment - FB is actually ‘wrong’ here. He’s not ‘bad wrong,’ but his man shoulda been the Safety that makes 1st contact w/Wynn. FB ended up double-teaming p/s LB with Kroeber. That kinda problem is a good problem and easy to fix ...but it is the difference in an 18 yard run & sailin’ into the Enzyme untouched

[Paul C]

I took this video with my iPhone at the game and was really impressed with the toughness of 170 lb Fr RB #17 Kendall Thomas on this play. He goes in motion and then cuts upfield at the snap and destroys the S dropping down into the box. Takes on a guy who looks to be 30lbs bigger, makes the key block, and shows toughness and tenacity.