The Day After

[FU3]

I really believe that this team could ( if they played to their capabilities)beat anyone in FCS. The key for next year is to get a high seed and secure home playoff games. Given the bias toward other Conferences and our lack of top 10 ranking we were always going to have a tough playoff schedule this year.Should start 2023 in a significantly better spot.

[The Jackal]

I really believe that this team could ( if they played to their capabilities)beat anyone in FCS. The key for next year is to get a high seed and secure home playoff games. Given the bias toward other Conferences and our lack of top 10 ranking we were always going to have a tough playoff schedule this year.Should start 2023 in a significantly better spot.

I think next season we should see a little better consistency on offense. The offense was good for most of the season, but I think another year in the new system with our talent returning should see a jump in production.

Defensively, we were strong most of the season, but I felt could be exposed against teams that really could spread you out with 4 or 5 receivers. Our linebackers were excellent, but our two inside backers were not a great matchup against those offenses and we really could have used another body or two at the SPUR position.

Against most opponents our defense was perfectly fine. In a few of the games it just felt like we didn't match up well personnel wise with teams that legitimately went 4+ deep at WR (and we didn't face many of those).

[Affirm]

I really believe that this team could ( if they played to their capabilities)beat anyone in FCS. The key for next year is to get a high seed and secure home playoff games. Given the bias toward other Conferences and our lack of top 10 ranking we were always going to have a tough playoff schedule this year.Should start 2023 in a significantly better spot.

GOOD NEWS (I hope):
As previously stated elsewhere, Sagarin Rating now has us at #10 after the UIW game.
That would be a good place to start the 2023 season.
Maybe we could hope for even higher than #10 if UIW would win another game, or 2 more, or 3 more.

[purplehorse123]

Basketball is calling you

I’m there! This is by far the hardest playoff loss to get over since 2005. All the others we were just there and not really going anywhere. This team was different, getting better every week and had a shot to go deep into the playoofs. Probably still a longshot but still a shot.

2005 was tough because Furman was likely the top team in the country.

Small mistakes that might not cost us individual games, but in a tight game against a good opponent, they are magnified.

It actually seems like longer ago than 2005 that we were “likely the top team in the country”. I am not arguing that we were not, just saying it seems longer ago.

We were # 2 seed in 2004 when we lost to James Madison here 14-13 in quarters.

In 2005 we were not seeded and lost to #2 seed App State in semis in Boone 29-23 after being up 23-21 at half and Ingle Martin slipping on the ice on a walk-in TD in the 3rd quarter. We had beaten App here earlier in the year when Paladin Stadium was packed.

We were really good in 2004 & 2005 largely because of Ingle Martin. I think those might have been our strongest years other than 85, 88, 89 and 2001.

[cavedweller2]

Basketball is calling you

I’m there! This is by far the hardest playoff loss to get over since 2005. All the others we were just there and not really going anywhere. This team was different, getting better every week and had a shot to go deep into the playoofs. Probably still a longshot but still a shot.

2005 was tough because Furman was likely the top team in the country.

Small mistakes that might not cost us individual games, but in a tight game against a good opponent, they are magnified.

It actually seems like longer ago than 2005 that we were “likely the top team in the country”. I am not arguing that we were not, just saying it seems longer ago.

We were # 2 seed in 2004 when we lost to James Madison here 14-13 in quarters.

In 2005 we were not seeded and lost to #2 seed App State in semis in Boone 29-23 after being up 23-21 at half and Ingle Martin slipping on the ice on a walk-in TD in the 3rd quarter. We had beaten App here earlier in the year when Paladin Stadium was packed.

We were really good in 2004 & 2005 largely because of Ingle Martin. I think those might have been our strongest years other than 85, 88, 89 and 2001.

Spot on. My take also.

[gofurman]

I really believe that this team could ( if they played to their capabilities)beat anyone in FCS. The key for next year is to get a high seed and secure home playoff games. Given the bias toward other Conferences and our lack of top 10 ranking we were always going to have a tough playoff schedule this year.Should start 2023 in a significantly better spot.

I think next season we should see a little better consistency on offense. The offense was good for most of the season, but I think another year in the new system with our talent returning should see a jump in production.

Defensively, we were strong most of the season, but I felt could be exposed against teams that really could spread you out with 4 or 5 receivers. Our linebackers were excellent, but our two inside backers were not a great matchup against those offenses and we really could have used another body or two at the SPUR position.

Against most opponents our defense was perfectly fine. In a few of the games it just felt like we didn't match up well personnel wise with teams that legitimately went 4+ deep at WR (and we didn't face many of those).

Agree. Overall a GREAT YEAR. But I would agree with Jackal as I watched some of the same things. The reason I put the D a notch below the O is exactly what he is saying. And I get it. CCH knows to win in the SoCon you "run the ball and stop the run". I mean it is all worthless if you can't win in your conference and get to the playoffs. It is hard to recruit to stop every system. We have had this before where we get to the playoffs and struggle to stop teams with good Pass Pro and 3/4 legitimate WRs. We got to Elon with AWESOME PRESSURE on the QB. Loved that game. He got happy feet (too much if you ask me - sometimes I felt he still had time and yet started running out of the pocket and misfiring). That is what a lot of long-term pressure will do though. Great scouting by our D coaches !! However, UIW was 2 levels (whatever you want to say) above Elon. The Pass Pro was better... the QB was MUCH more elusive (that really really hurt)... and the receivers were like Western Carolina on crack LOL. Honestly though - and I completely agree with Jackal - I would add one point. We need to add the ability to stop a running QB to the mix. And that is hard. I know. Faster LBs? Is that how you do it? Scheme? I don't know. Thus why I love us having Huff. It adds an entirely different element to the offense. Do you leave a spy and lose a Safety? If not, do you just "hope" you have contain? That will fail at times. All teams are susceptible to running QBs but we seemed especially susceptible at times as Western ran their QB more than normal and we weren't prepared for it early on CCH said I think (so they saw something they liked vs our D by running him) and the UIW QB just made some painful plays to extend drives getting 7 to 20 yards on his runs. I will allow he was a FREAK athlete. You could tell by watching him vs some of our guys I know are good. He was dropping guys all game. That was just painful for me watching our D cover everything and then the UIW QB takes off for 8 yards. Granted, we do it too with Huff

I do hope we always have an agile running QB. It just adds so much to an offense. Think Armanti Edwards etc. It kills a D

[gofurman]

I think CCH has it right. They were better. We almost stole it, but the better team won. The great thing to me is that we didn’t quit. I’ve seen us quit a lot in the past. And I just feel like we have some sort of idea what we want to do on offense. That’s refreshing.

Can we ever get over the talent gap at the top of FCS? Probably not, but we may get close enough that other qualities offset it. That’s why I was exploding when 2 first half drives were killed by false starts. We aren’t good enough to do stupid stuff. The other guys are supposed to be the dummies. I bet we get all that cleaned up.

Furmanoid, I agree man. Also, consider that that was such a senior OL of ours that struggled with this ALL DAY. Over and over with the pre-snap penalties. So many upperclassmen on our OL that got penalties. That had to be the most pre-snap penalties all year! Ugh... As you say, we just can't do that. UIW isn't Wofford where we have a 40 point cushion, LOL. UIW doesn't care about 5 yards.. It matters to our running game.

Funny, I thought about how almost ALL football guys refer to holding and false starts as "drive killers"... NOT TO UIW they aren't.. They are just how they plan to play the game

[palafan]

Basketball is calling you

I’m there! This is by far the hardest playoff loss to get over since 2005. All the others we were just there and not really going anywhere. This team was different, getting better every week and had a shot to go deep into the playoofs. Probably still a longshot but still a shot.

2005 was tough because Furman was likely the top team in the country.

Small mistakes that might not cost us individual games, but in a tight game against a good opponent, they are magnified.

It actually seems like longer ago than 2005 that we were “likely the top team in the country”. I am not arguing that we were not, just saying it seems longer ago.

2001 should've been a National Championship. I get the loyalty to Ivory, but starting Brigham was the better call.

[saltyshaker]

i think we actually lost this playoff game when we lost our focus after the bad call in the samford game.i think we did a much better job of not letting that affect us for the rest of the year.but it was too late.had we stayed focused i think we would have beaten samford and goten a seed and a second round home game.which we would have won.
not to forget this lesson next year.

[purplehorse123]

Basketball is calling you

I’m there! This is by far the hardest playoff loss to get over since 2005. All the others we were just there and not really going anywhere. This team was different, getting better every week and had a shot to go deep into the playoofs. Probably still a longshot but still a shot.

2005 was tough because Furman was likely the top team in the country.

Small mistakes that might not cost us individual games, but in a tight game against a good opponent, they are magnified.

It actually seems like longer ago than 2005 that we were “likely the top team in the country”. I am not arguing that we were not, just saying it seems longer ago.

2001 should've been a National Championship. I get the loyalty to Ivory, but starting Brigham was the better call.

Especially after we had destroyed Ga Southern the week before. As I remember the field was unusually wet which did not help an injured Louis Ivory.

[Purple rain]

If Tyler had not been hurt, Samford, we would have won that game. But, that is part of the great game of Football.

[greenvegas]

If the Georgia Southern quarterback doesn't fumble deep in Furman territory, Furman doesn't win the National Championship in 1988. Some ifs can be in our favor.

[cavedweller2]

Blankenship pick sealed that deal.

[Bootie]

"IF my aunt Minnie had a moustache, she'd be my uncle Fred."

[Davemeister]

If the Georgia Southern quarterback doesn't fumble deep in Furman territory, Furman doesn't win the National Championship in 1988. Some ifs can be in our favor.

If memory serves, the GSU QB didn't just drop the ball. Furman put a good lick on him. Sometimes you make your own luck.