Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2014 9:23:17 GMT -5
OK. Is anyone ready to move on from last week? So here we go...
Upcoming are the Delaware Blue Hens. They are currently 3-2 overall with wins over Delaware State, a lower lever MEAC team, Colgate, a Patriot League team and over a somewhat down JMU team in overtime. The losses were to Pitt 62-0 and last weekend, a somewhat unexpected loss to Sacred Heart 10-7.
I'm certainly not ready to predict a win, however, if the team can get back to its Duke, A&T, and Charlotte form, I think we can be competitive. Some key injuries have necessitated some younger/less experienced players step up. They got a trial by fire against UNH last week & should know what's expected this week. The losses of BJ Bennett and Carl Bostic in the run game have definitely not helped, but I was proud of the way Tuck Phan stepped up against UNH. He seemed like one player that came ready to play last week. If we can cure the dropsies against the Hens and gain a few more first downs to give the D some rest I think we'll have a chance.
If you're ready to move on, let's hear what you think about the UD game.
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homer
Elon Only
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Post by homer on Oct 6, 2014 13:07:13 GMT -5
I think this Saturday we find the heart of this squad. I expect them to bounce back with aggression, fortitude and effort. I hate to put too much emphasis on one game, but this is a biggie in terms of a real measuring stick.
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Post by superman7515 on Oct 7, 2014 6:39:16 GMT -5
A must win game for the Blue Hens if the slim playoff hopes are to stay alive, and that's not meant as a slight to Elon when I say that, what I mean is UD needs 5 wins in the last 7 games to have a shot. That leaves room to only lose two games the rest of the way and the season ends with New Hampshire and Villanova, a tall task there, so the Hens need to take care of it early. Hens lost 5 of their defensive starters before the season even started, so there's a lot of youth on the team. By a lot of youth, I mean there were 21 players in the season opener against Pitt making their collegiate debut, with several freshman starting and the two-deep is littered with them. That's not to make any excuses, just to explain some of the mental mistakes. The offense is good, but not great. QB Hurley has a tendency to lock on one wide receiver early, #17 Michael Johnson, and often shows a tendency to stay locked on him until he either forces a throw or gets sacked. TE Nick Boyle is a very good tight end and a good weapon in the red zone, but there is a tendency for the QB to leave him out of the game for stretches. RB Hills is a solid down hill runner and very dangerous when he gets to the second level and beyond the linebackers. The defense had a decent performance against Sacred Heart, despite giving up a ton of yardage they held the Pioneers to just 10 points. But they aren't without their warts, remember they let James Madison come back with 5 minutes left and score at will on multiple drives to force overtime. A lot of standing-up arm tackling, or lack of tackling, goes on. A lot of yards are given up after a player is hit because if they have any size to them, they just ignore the arm tackle and keep on keepin' on. Like I said, 5 defensive starters were lost before the season even started, so it's a bit of a patchwork D out there. Defensive backs play 7-10 yards off the wide receivers making them very susceptible to the slant and have a habit of letting receivers get underneath them. They aren't forcing many turnovers, the defense got their first interception of the year this past weekend against Sacred Heart, and it wasn't a great defensive play, the wide receiver fell down with the ball in the air and the pass hit the defender right in the chest. Special teams has two sides to it, the kicking and punting are bright spots. The punter is great, the kicker is above average and hasn't made any mistakes. The coverage team can get a bit sloppy, but that reverts to what I said above about arm-tackling. They have also shown a tendency to leave their lanes a bit too early, but thankfully that hasn't bit the team yet. The return game is led by the aforementioned WR Michael Johnson. Usually he's a good player, but the last few weeks has had a very laissez faire approach. He's let a couple of balls hit the turf and made some poor decisions with whether to return a ball or not. Feel free to stop by BlueHenNation.com and chat, I'm sure the guys would love some info on your team. If any of you are making the trip to Newark, let us know, I'm sure we can make some recommendations for dining and such to make your stop more enjoyable. |
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Post by whoanellie on Oct 8, 2014 22:16:07 GMT -5
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Post by elonpride on Oct 10, 2014 6:55:42 GMT -5
So far the season has been up and down, but there is one stat line that is consistent that both UD and Elon share: From the game notes: "Both Elon and Delaware are among the four teams nationally that have not lost a fumble this year. The others are Albany and Alabama State." elonphoenix.com/news/2014/10/8/FB_1008140051.aspxIt's interesting to read the CAA picks on AGS. Most think this will be a fairly close game. |
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fc97
Elon Only
Posts: 646
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Post by fc97 on Oct 10, 2014 9:26:05 GMT -5
I think the D has the potential to hold this close.
But we have no RBs left to give Coppedge a break, put some pass rush on Quinn and double cover Brown and the offense won't move.
I say we won't score a TD. The Kicker may get a lot of practice though.
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Post by fc4life on Oct 10, 2014 9:58:39 GMT -5
We need to break open the playbook tomorrow. We have to get some momentum for the second half of the season.
Our defense can only do so much.
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Post by elonfirefighter on Oct 10, 2014 10:27:47 GMT -5
The next two games are winnable. But to get the W we need to play flawless, no more mental mistakes
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Post by elonpride on Oct 10, 2014 10:41:44 GMT -5
I saw that Delaware lost last week to Sacred Heart 10-7. I don't know much about SH, but are they as good of a team as their record shows?
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Post by elon_phan on Oct 11, 2014 10:18:26 GMT -5
SH was in the play offs last year.
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Post by elon_phan on Oct 11, 2014 10:19:53 GMT -5
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Post by superman7515 on Oct 12, 2014 21:40:54 GMT -5
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Post by elonpride on Oct 13, 2014 6:48:08 GMT -5
So I'm curious, what were the adjustments made at halftime? The team came out roaring in the 2nd half. Here's what bugs me though: Take away that pick for 6, and Gallagher hits that 40 yard FG and it would be a tie game. Oh well, that "ifs" will always persist in losses. On a side note, saw that Liberty took down Appy at the The Rock and GSU continues to roll. GSU currently sits at 4-0 in the Sun Belt. I bet that really stings the "other" GSU fans  |
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Post by fc4life on Oct 13, 2014 9:36:49 GMT -5
We looked much better in the second half. However, after a few weeks of film, teams are really taking advantage of our cover-two defense. Our DB's were giving huge cushions to the WR. I counted only three true blitz plays as well. We need to tighten up our secondary and our tackling. We are still a very poor tackling team overall.
I loved the quick tempo the offense was running. We need to do more of that. We just don't have the consistent running game to speed it up and slow it down. Another bright spot was the play of Lennon. He could be a god one.
Lastly, our execution on the final two drives that meant something was horrid. Hopefully, we continue to improve. I can see baby steps. Let's steal a few down the stretch.
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Post by elonfirefighter on Oct 13, 2014 15:47:17 GMT -5
Positive is we are in most games, blown out in the one we should be blown out in. If we get the right recruits in and get a year of good conditioning under our belts we could be a drastically different team next year. A loss still hurts but we are on the right track.
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