VMI scout

[gofurman]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves... I want to look at Mercer as I know BL wants to beat us but VMI is so close

but let's get by VMI first - they may be 0-8 but when AT HOME...
ask Citadel (2 point win) ....or ETSU (3 point win) ....or Mercer (10 point win).. none of these are easy wins.. AT ALL

AT VMI they are just so close to winning.. and they finally won one last week (yes, D2 I think) - but now they know they can win

Heck, I think VMI led Chattanooga for most of the game before Chatt finally won by 7 !

As everyone says its wacky this year

I give VMI credit - they were bad last year and had several transfers.. yet appear better this year. Heck, I watched em' lose a few super close games. Citadel was lucky to escape

And, despite what you may think of VMI having talent or not, they do throw it a lot, which is not our defensive forte. We are better at pass rush than pass D we have in the backfield ( though I thought we looked much better with our DBs vs UTC. ) Of course, Tiano is not Hodges. Man, Hodges did impress me ... anyway, one big difference in UTC and Samford was that we could get to Tiano and make him uncomfortable.. he wasn't as mobile/savvy as Hodges. VMI gives up a lot of sacks so this is where I see us making our go of it while on D at VMI. **Get em' Adrian Hope !!!

While on O we just need to keep grinding out the run game with a few nice passes. Wear down VMI D for the second half.

To be honest, Roberts looked a little rusty missing a few passes that needed a little more touch.. hopefully he is 100 pct this week. HOLD ON TO THE BALL. That is key number one. 5 possible fumbles last week. 5

thoughts?

I haven't watched a full VMI game yet

[gofurman]

FUBeAR - didn't you have a sack chart of all the SoCon teams? I would love to see that here.. I think you posted it on AGS? thanks

[FUBeAR]

FUBeAR - didn't you have a sack chart of all the SoCon teams? I would love to see that here.. I think you posted it on AGS? thanks

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[The Jackal]

I expect a gritty team. Furman is more talented and the favorite, but VMI is not a team you want to let hang around. If we come out kicking the ball around, the Keydets can pull the upset.

The good news is that Furman has showed a lot of pluck the last few weeks. You are going to have to out bully us, and we've gotten a lot better at bullying.

I'm most excited to see the SoCon's top pass rusher against the league's worst pass protection.

[apaladin]

I expect a gritty team. Furman is more talented and the favorite, but VMI is not a team you want to let hang around. If we come out kicking the ball around, the Keydets can pull the upset.

The good news is that Furman has showed a lot of pluck the last few weeks. You are going to have to out bully us, and we've gotten a lot better at bullying.

I'm most excited to see the SoCon's top pass rusher against the league's worst pass protection.

Is their protection that bad, giving up sacks or is it because they throw it 50-60 times a game?

[furman88]

Couple thoughts about VMI. This a dangerous game. VMI is hungry for a win, would certainly help ease their pain to beat a improving Furman team. They are playing at home and throw the ball around alot and can run the ball alittle.
On paper this looks like a win for Furman but I never seen paper win a game. Furman needs long ball control drives keeping their air attack on the sidelines. Wehave to keep our foot on their throats no mo swings.
The Paladins have the talent edge to win this game but cannot come out flat and finally BALL SECURITY.
No turnovers!
Pueple Reign

[gofurman]

I expect a gritty team. Furman is more talented and the favorite, but VMI is not a team you want to let hang around. If we come out kicking the ball around, the Keydets can pull the upset.

The good news is that Furman has showed a lot of pluck the last few weeks. You are going to have to out bully us, and we've gotten a lot better at bullying.

I'm most excited to see the SoCon's top pass rusher against the league's worst pass protection.

x

Actually per FUBeARs post of sacks in all games Furman has the worst pass protection !!!

Not the most sacks against us in raw numbers total. . - but we had the most sacks made against us per pass we attempt. Kinda odd but if I read his chart right it's true. Weird considering with our running you wouldn't think the opponent could send a strong pass rush very often. Probably number is skewed by freshman QB play a little but this is SoCON only : from FUBeAR

Conference only...

Team xxxxxxxx Sacks Allowed xxxxxx Pass Attempts Made xxxxxx Sack % PER PASS ATTEMPT
Samford xxxxxxx 7 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 302 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 2.27%
Wofford xxxxxxx 4 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 107 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 3.60%
Chatt xxxxxxx 11 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 253 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 4.17%
Citadel xxxxxxx 4 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 78 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 4.88%
Mercer xxxxxxx 12 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 187 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 6.03%
WCU xxxxxxxxx 18 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 237 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 7.06%
VMI xxxxxxxxxx 34 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 418 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 7.52%
ETSU xxxxxxx 21 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 219 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 8.75%
Furman xxxxxxx 12 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 95 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 11.21%


A few notes from this good data from FUBeAR - surprised Furman is last... it's not that we have given up many sacks.. just that on the rarer occasions we throw we are prone to being sacked.

NOT surprised that despite all the passing at Samford you just can't get to Hodges based on the OL and the quick throws - that's what makes them good and why they could win the SoCon. That OL - despite taking a 'defeat step' as FUBeAR calls it is good at what they do. They protecet Hodges and then he is good at making hot reads etc and running safely to the sideline.. be glad to see Hodges gone.

Not surprised to see ETSU where they are - their OL seems a little porous to penetration

[The Jackal]

I expect a gritty team. Furman is more talented and the favorite, but VMI is not a team you want to let hang around. If we come out kicking the ball around, the Keydets can pull the upset.

The good news is that Furman has showed a lot of pluck the last few weeks. You are going to have to out bully us, and we've gotten a lot better at bullying.

I'm most excited to see the SoCon's top pass rusher against the league's worst pass protection.

Is their protection that bad, giving up sacks or is it because they throw it 50-60 times a game?

Probably some of both. VMI throws it more than any team in the conference, but are not nearly as good at it as, say, Samford.

Just by comparison, VMI has attempted 50 or so more passes than Samford. Samford has surrendered 9 sacks. VMI has surrendered 43.

VMI also has the lowest completion percentage, small yards per catch average, and highest number of interceptions. So, they are a true volume passing attack. With a short game passing attack, you would think they would try to suppress sack numbers by getting the ball out quickly. That doesn't seem to be the case.

I sort of expect Furman to deploy a similar defensive strategy that they used against UTC. Try to confuse the offensive line blocking schemes, force VMI to run the ball, and see if their five offensive linemen can block a three man rush.

Staggs likes to use Seabrook, Hodge, and Hope in passing situations. I think we saw Furman move Hope around a lot more against UTC than we had previously, rushing from both the left and right.

[apaladin]

Forget the sacks. I think that it is more disturbing that WC has thrown the ball more this year than we have.

[Flagman]

Latest weather forecast: Clear and sunny, 45 degrees, 14 MPH winds
BRRRRRRRRR...…….

[gofurman]

FUBeAR - didn't you have a sack chart of all the SoCon teams? I would love to see that here.. I think you posted it on AGS? thanks

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Well played FUBeAR. Well played

[gofurman]

Forget the sacks. I think that it is more disturbing that WC has thrown the ball more this year than we have.

That's a good catch AP. Hadn't noticed that. Now do realize that is CONF games only so Wofford has played one more game than us as has UTC or anyone with a non-conf game left.

That said I am shocked - or really surprised - if Wofford ends up w more pass attempts than we do on the year in conference that is not something I saw coming. Apparently they are passing more this year w Conklin allowing a little more freedom on O and D. And of course all that matters is do we win or lose. But yeah, my take would be we would have more throws than Wofford and Citadel as I see us as 75/25 run pass. Maybe 80/20. Enough to keep D honest.

If you think of it we could Check that stat in two weeks after all conf games and see what the pass attempts finished at. One other note, playing Lincoln vs Citadel - and he did AWESOME !!- probably had a few less passes than if Roberts plays just from his seniority. Also Grainger vs Samford. . That's just 7 quarters though. I would still have guessed end up with more pass attempts than Woffd even knowing that. Will be interesting to see