Post game summary and questions

[The Jackal]

In my view, if major P5 schools are struggling to retain and develop QB depth, then I imagine it's not just a Furman issue. This is probably just where college football is right now.

Was it an issue at the schools you mentioned for basically 4 seasons in a row? I think that's the disconnect. The top programs (FCS or FBS) don't seem to have this problem very often, even if no one is entirely immune.

Bad luck is a thing, no question. I mean, if a team has 4 scholarship QBs and all 4 get hurt, it would be pretty unreasonable to expect a coaching staff to have a great solution.

But, when you have 2 scholarship QBs, it's not really "bad luck" to run into a depth problem. That's just not enough guys to start with. There's a commit for next year, but what if, say, Sisson decides to graduate? Whoops, 2 QBs again.

The 2019 and 2020 classes had 0 QBs. Sign a QB every year. If there's attrition, sign 2. It's too important of a position to shortchange.

What I'm saying is this isn't all on this coaching staff. They inherited some of this problem.

Hendrix inherited P.J. Blazejowski and Harris Roberts.

Bruce Fowlers staff didn't recruit a QB in 2015. They brought in Avery Armstrong in 2016, who was almost immediately moved to WR. So, Hendrix inherited a team that hadn't recruited a QB in two seasons.

Hendrix brought in Jemar Lincoln in his first class in 2017. Lincoln transferred out.

Upon Lincoln's transfer, Furman now had no QB for 2015, 2016, and 2017.

In 2018, Hendrix brought in both Sisson and Grainger. Grainger, of course, transferred out. We played this spring with 1 scholarship QB. Would Grainger have stayed if we played football in the fall of 2020? Maybe?

The staff attempted to plug the hole with Shiflett as a transfer. Shiflett didnt' work out at QB (at least to this point). Now they have Jace Wilson in 2021 and Jones for 2022.

I understand your point, but right now we are seeing the effects of not retaining a QB for three seasons. Some of that may be on this coaching staff. Some of it was a problem they inherited.

So, by my count, next year will be only the second time Hendrix will have 3 scholarship QBs at the same time (the first being Roberts/Grainger/Sisson in 2018).

[youwouldno]

Of course the current staff can't be blamed for not taking a QB in 2015 or basically 2016. And the 2017 recruiting class was a last-minute deal, so there's a partial excuse for Lincoln not being the right fit on either side.

It's the 2019 and 2020 classes that just don't have an excuse. This isn't hindsight - it came up back then too. There is no public indication that CCH intends to move away from this approach of intentionally under-resourcing the QB position. It's so strange. And it also seems to show an inability to recognize the need to change approach.

I hope that this changes going forward, but CCH never talks about strategy in any detail (another unfavorable comparison to Richey), so I guess we'll see, eventually.

[The Jackal]

Of course the current staff can't be blamed for not taking a QB in 2015 or basically 2016. And the 2017 recruiting class was a last-minute deal, so there's a partial excuse for Lincoln not being the right fit on either side.

It's the 2019 and 2020 classes that just don't have an excuse. This isn't hindsight - it came up back then too. There is no public indication that CCH intends to move away from this approach of intentionally under-resourcing the QB position. It's so strange. And it also seems to show an inability to recognize the need to change approach.

I hope that this changes going forward, but CCH never talks about strategy in any detail (another unfavorable comparison to Richey), so I guess we'll see, eventually.

But if that's your argument, why would Hendrix recruit well at every position but the most important one? Why would that be a strategy?

[youwouldno]

But if that's your argument, why would Hendrix recruit well at every position but the most important one? Why would that be a strategy?

By strategy I don't mean recruiting in general, I mean scholarship allocation and depth. The staff could have signed QBs in 2019 and 2020 if they wanted to. They chose not to. Of course they would always make room if there was an opportunity to land a QB with 20 FBS offers or whatever, but even without someone like that being available, I just do not believe there were 0 QBs in either year that -

1) Had the necessary academic/character traits
2) Were noticeably better than the average Furman walk-on QB

So long as there were players that met the above criteria (and of course there were), the Paladins should have signed them, and allocated one less scholarship at a couple of other positions (e.g., WR depth is pointless without effective QB play, RBs won't have as much running room, the defense will be more exposed, etc., etc., etc.).

[The Jackal]

But if that's your argument, why would Hendrix recruit well at every position but the most important one? Why would that be a strategy?

By strategy I don't mean recruiting in general, I mean scholarship allocation and depth. The staff could have signed QBs in 2019 and 2020 if they wanted to. They chose not to. Of course they would always make room if there was an opportunity to land a QB with 20 FBS offers or whatever, but even without someone like that being available, I just do not believe there were 0 QBs in either year that -

1) Had the necessary academic/character traits
2) Were noticeably better than the average Furman walk-on QB

So long as there were players that met the above criteria (and of course there were), the Paladins should have signed them, and allocated one less scholarship at a couple of other positions (e.g., WR depth is pointless without effective QB play, RBs won't have as much running room, the defense will be more exposed, etc., etc., etc.).

Well, Shiflett would have fit the bill in one of those years.

[youwouldno]

Shiflett was always seen as a possible WR, but in any case, I would just stick with my strategy instead, and then I have 5 scholarship QBs. Perfect, (counterfactual) mission accomplished.

[The Jackal]

Shiflett was always seen as a possible WR, but in any case, I would just stick with my strategy instead, and then I have 5 scholarship QBs. Perfect, (counterfactual) mission accomplished.

Yeah, but if A&M and South Carolina are struggling to find 3 scholarship QBs, where's Furman going to find 5?

Look, it'd be great for Furman to have a team full of cyborgs and no scholarship limits. That's not reality.

[FUBeAR]

Not sure if anyone else is masochistic enough to put themselves thru the torture of watching this, but if you are so inclined, there are some rich moments worth savoring.

Apologies for not getting all the time marks, but such a rich tapestry of whining & self-congratulations for their 3rd consecutive (MISperceived) ‘win’ over Furman was being woven that it would have been difficult to whisk it all apart and would diminish the pleasure that can be derived from letting it all wash over you.

A few teasers…
* At about 6 minutes (video time…about 2 minutes into the actual broadcast) they agree that they want to quickly put the Furman game to rest and move on to WCU. About 30 minutes later, they stop talking about the Furman game and move into a discussion of the ALCS. They may eventually discuss WCU, but FUBeAR must admit…he had to tap out.
* At about 10 minutes, the 1st of the whining about the officials begins. Well, I think it was the 1st…Coach said something about being OK with losing “fair & square” prior to the 10 minute whine, which could be characterized as a reminiscent of toddler sitting in time-out and harrumph-whining about ‘that’s what you get with those guys’ … the guys being Furman in this usage
* Following 10-15 minutes of learning about how the bellhops dominated the entire game, they have an entire discussion about Officiating & the mechanics of reporting on Officials’ competence from the League Office. It’s during this segment that Coach says “technical” calls shouldn’t be made at that point of the game. He neglects to acknowledge, as has been widely reported in the Charleston Media, that the Director of SoCon Officials was asked by the bellhops to review the play & ruled that the call was 100% correct.
* Then, and FUBeAR thinks this was the best part of all…even though the way he said it…a bit differently each time as he said it twice…made it a bit unclear (but funny as, um, heck either way)…Coach said the Official apologized to him for getting the (correct) call wrong….or that the Official should have apologized (for making the correct call) which would have increased the level of respect that Coach bestows upon him. FUBeAR is a bit surprised he didn’t assert that Coach Hendrix apologized to him for kicking his a$$!

FUBeAR knows it may be daunting, but pour yourself a big glass of w(h)ine and give it a watch. You may savor it as much as FUBeAR did.

GO CATAMOUNTS!

[The Jackal]

I watched a good bit of it. It was as expected. Definitely seemed to be in the vein of "if we played better and made fewer mistakes, we would have won."

I mean, sure. If Furman had played better and made fewer mistakes they would have won by three touchdowns. Furman, for instance, missed several wide open receivers in the passing game. That's not your defensive acumen. That was Furman's failure to execute their offense.

What Coach Thompson doesn't concede is that with the game on the line, Furman's defense - which had been on the field twice as much as the Citadel's defense - forced two turnovers. The Citadel's defense let Furman run the fullback up the middle 7 straight times for the game sealing score.

Also, I still don't understand the whining about the blocking penalty. It's a penalty. The intent of the player is irrelevant. The "spirit of the rule" is irrelevant. Thompson knows it's a penalty; he just thinks that you shouldn't call it at that point in the game. Apparently, there should be a different rulebook for the Citadel where the game situation dictates not calling penalties against them.

[gman84]

When you are a legend in your own mind (coach Thompson) you do things like this.
When you are a tool (coach Thompson) you do things like this.
" Next ? !"

[Davemeister]

There's a commit for next year, but what if, say, Sisson decides to graduate?

Good point. Though listed as a Junior, I believe Hamp is academically a Sr.

The future is wide open for this young man and he knows he is going pro in something other than football. Unless his teammates vote him a Captain for the third year in a row, I think the odds are he won't stick around next Fall.

[Davemeister]

When you are a legend in your own mind (coach Thompson) you do things like this.

Nobody asked me, but if you did: I'd say Thompson reminds me a bit of Ellis Johnson. Next thing you know he'll be saying "The Citadel is the best 2-4 team in the FCS".

[tya1]

What Coach Thompson doesn't concede is that with the game on the line, Furman's defense - which had been on the field twice as much as the Citadel's defense - forced two turnovers. The Citadel's defense let Furman run the fullback up the middle 7 straight times for the game sealing score.

Highlighted for clarity and truth telling. The Citadel had the game going their way on offense and defense, but in crunch time they got outplayed. Better to say nothing sometimes instead of whining

[FUBeAR]

What Coach Thompson doesn't concede is that with the game on the line, Furman's defense - which had been on the field twice as much as the Citadel's defense - forced two turnovers. The Citadel's defense let Furman run the fullback up the middle 7 straight times for the game sealing score.

Highlighted for clarity and truth telling. The Citadel had the game going their way on offense and defense, but in crunch time they got outplayed. Better to say nothing sometimes instead of whining

One might say a bunch of angry Furman’s with sticks on both sides of the ball (and on special teams) whipped their serge wool covered fannies …when it mattered.

[Thorny]

We may periodically complain about our coaches but we are rarely embarrassed by how they act.

Something we should probably try to remember.