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Post by portcityfan on Oct 20, 2015 21:14:26 GMT -5
Been checking the comments and was not going to respond because I haven't had a chance to get up to a game this year yet. What I will comment on is the thread regarding Pearsall #15 in relation to the kid being lazy. Lazy would be the last word associated with this player as I witnessed during his playing time back home in Wilmington. Obviously, people who don't know the facts or the person can only speculate. I wish Elon the best and hope they turn things around, but believe me they better pray he hangs around. He is a nightmare for defenses when healthy.
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Post by Triad on Oct 20, 2015 21:32:42 GMT -5
I'm not saying this kid should or shouldn't be playing. I don't think our TE play has been very bad anyway. But I am pretty sure he is healthy and able to play. I have seen some practices and he was out there. Usually on scout team. So either something happened or he just isn't good enough right now. He isn't even traveling when I went to the Richmond game so right now it doesn't seem like he is t any where near playing. Must be in the dog house.
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Post by Frustrated Fan on Oct 20, 2015 21:46:08 GMT -5
Puzzled...seems you haven't checked the stats or seen many practices or games. If you had, you would see that the freshmen are not superior to the upperclassmen in many respects. If we were building for the further and progress was happening, i would support staff's desires, but it hasnt happened so we need to find positives and work with the entire roster.
The upperclassmen have certain skills that show through compared to the freshmen - probably due to their time fighting at this level. From my view, and I have seen many practices and games over the past six years, therefore have seen the talent ebb and flow for our Phoenix. Right now, the offensive line would be further along if we had a few upperclass playing with some of the freshmen / esp the ones with previous game experience. As for QB, we are terribly thin and have to pick our poison with these two freshmen. CC is a gamer, but cannot accurately throw more than 10-15 yds BUT gives us some assistance with his running which he turns to almost immediately. DT throws the ball much better but also looks like a high school QB with his penchant to focus immediately on his receivers and throws late almost every time thus why his INTs are piling up. Not sure I agree with Lochery assestment. He threw the ball pretty well and was neck and neck with Quinn last year. Convenient that he didn't get a real opportunity at any time last year even when down big - premeditated by the staff? I just don't know and who knows if he would have been an upgrade to what we are going through this year... As for RB, you have clearly outlined our backs...and as I noted, Phan in every opportunity I have seen, is the hardest runner between the tackles and his small size and powerful lower body are assets he uses well. He played early in his career and played well...hiding behind his OL and darting for 4-8yds regularly - albeit much of his yards have come late in games, but with how we have struggled to hit the small holes we have had, wouldn't it be worth a shot at some point to give him an opportunity? He has looked good when playing against our defense this year as well. As for TE, the group as a whole has done well (but it is a mix of uppderclassmen playing). I am surprised as any that Pearsall who played so much before being hurt isn't getting any snaps. It is very strange. As for WR...we don't have many upperclassmen, but those you mentioned have received limited playing time and or limited passes thrown their way. I have seen Allison, Oliver and Seidwand catch the ball regularly over the years and can only think one game where Allison has dropped a pass, while Oliver and Seidwand have caught everything this year when given a chance. Frankly these two look much faster than the younger kids and right now we dont see any separation, yet they are running shallow routes? What I like most about these older kids is that Oliver and Seidwand are not afraid to block downfield for the backs, something the younger kids haven't shown a regular penchant for. McCray and Joyner are very good freshmen, but have consistently fought drops (esp Joyner) which kill drives and deflate the confidence the QB's sorely need. Lennon is very tall, but has totally regressed this year and looks disinterested for some reason. He should be dominating with his hands and size, but is not. Thomas has good upside but is still raw and not as smooth or fast a route runner which right now is needed with developing QB's. With the lack of production on the offensive side of the ball...a regular rotation at all positions (its working for the TE) would serve us well as maybe we would just find the right combination to show progress. Or we continue with the current positions as being played and we see more of the same, unfortunately.
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Post by Guest123 on Oct 21, 2015 2:45:21 GMT -5
Allison has absolutely dropped more than one pass, and unfortunately, in drive killing situations. In fact, I can only remember once where he MADE a decent catch in a critical situation. Joyner has had the most chances to make plays, which tells me that he is getting open, but he has also dropped more than anyone else. I'm not sure what's the deal with Oliver. He seems to do a good job when he's on the field. After the 2014 spring game, where he tore it up, I thought he was destined to be our next superstar receiver, but nothing materialized. McCray looked good early on, but DT seems to target him less than CC did. Which is a head scratcher for me. I'm not sure what to make of Lennon. He looked slow to me last year, but he made up for it with his hands, his height and his great natural habit of reaching for the ball at the last minute. This year he has been hot & cold. I'm not sure why Seidwand hasn't gotten the reps. Early on he was one of the kickoff returners, but you don't see him now. If I remember correctly, Thomas was our only 3 star recruit from last year. He's a good looking kid, but he hasn't gotten that many reps. I think I saw him in travel clothes on the sideline for the first game or two which tells me he was injured, but he's played sparingly in the past several games. There's also that big kid Ramseur, #86 I think. He seemed to really have the ability to get open in the scrimmages in camp, but unfortunately, he couldn't catch sticky buns. I'm probably leaving someone out. This group appears to be full of potential but very little realized. Why hasn't some of this talent been developed? Most of these guys have been targeted at least a few times with the ball zinging off their hands. It's their catching technique that looks poor to me. Where is the coaching? If half of the dropped passes would have been caught, Skrosky would be heralded an offensive genius, we would be at least 3-4 if not 4-3. By the way, these guys need to learn to block for each other! Coaching.
On to the QB's. I'm not saying we have BCS talent at QB, but neither does the rest of the FCS universe. Yet we're third from the bottom in FCS offensive production. We have 2 problems in my opinion. Both coachable. 1. CC is scared. he'll tuck & run like a hunted rabbit and not give a play a chance to develop. When he does allow the play to develop, he rushes the pass and misses his target. A quick release can be good, but when you can't hit the target, it ain't no good. He needs to settle down & work on a smooth accurate release. Then he can slowly develop an accurate quick release. 2. DT has great pocket presence. he knows how to allow the play to develop. Unfortunately, he stares down his target, which a good DB can read like 34 font Jack & Jill. I may be feeble of mind, but it seems simple to me that you check off at least one receiver before you read your primary target. If nothing's there, you check your outlet. Not there? You run, throw it away or eat it. Again, staring down a target seems to be a coaching issue to me.
Running the ball is by far the biggest problem we have, in my opinion. Bennett can get blown over by a soft autumn breeze, Coppedge looks like John Travolta in the backfield after he gets the ball. Summers looked great until he got his bell rung & looked to be a little apprehensive in the last game. Gentry has the proper heart and work ethic, but just doesn't quite have a high enough skill beyond 2 to 3 yard banging it up the middle. But none of this really matters because the OL, which does a pretty good job of pass protection, can't run block worth a flip. Our problems here run deeper than just coaching, but a little more coaching might make things a little more better.
The larger issue is that each of these problems is somewhat dependent on the others. If a QB cant trust all his receivers to catch the ball, he tends to target one or get anxious and run before the play develops. If there isn't a hole to run through, a RB tends to dance around in the backfield. I don't know what the answer is, but I've played enough football to know that everything starts with the fundamentals and our offense seems to be missing a lot of fundamentals, and fundamentals are coachable.
So there's that.
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Post by VBPhan on Oct 21, 2015 6:31:11 GMT -5
Run Game: Problem could possibly be "blocking scheme" which is totally coaching. Let's face it, the bulk of our problems are not talent related, it's what you do with what you got. Swepson's OL coach took much less talent and got much more out of them. When we run, I know it beforehand in the stands, so I know the opposition knows it beforehand. I was on the sidelines Saturday (both sidelines) and the difference in "in game" coaching was alarming.
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Post by SSA on Oct 21, 2015 11:49:25 GMT -5
Things haven't clicked for a few years now. It is a shame, but there is zero juice at the games and around the program. Nothing to get excited about.
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Post by EP1980 on Oct 21, 2015 16:08:50 GMT -5
Word is Tracy Coppage has left the team
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Post by elonfan10 on Oct 21, 2015 17:18:43 GMT -5
Word is Tracy Coppage has left the team Confirmed.
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Post by Keepthefaith on Oct 21, 2015 17:28:08 GMT -5
Not good. Tracy saw a lot of PT the last 3 years.
This could be the first of many. Skrosky wanted to create a division between "his" guys and everyone else. Be careful what you wish for.
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Post by Guest123 on Oct 21, 2015 18:48:28 GMT -5
I disagree. He will not be missed. Phan is a more effective runner & frankly should have been higher on the depth chart than Coppedge anyway. My depth chart for RB is 1-Summers, 2a-Benett, 2b-Gentry, 4-Phan. Coppedge spent too much time dancing in the backfield. Ineffective.
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Post by Guest123 on Oct 21, 2015 19:06:31 GMT -5
In my opinion, if there's anyone that's gotten the shaft it's been Thuc Phan. He's kept a great attitude and has been grateful for any opportunity. Not only that, he had 24 rushes in three games played and gained 130 yards. That gave him 5.3 yards per carry which was the best on the team last year. When everybody but he and Coppedge were injured for the JMU game last year, he had 14 rushes for 89 yards and an average of 6.2 yards per carry. Compare that to Coppedge who had 18 rushes for 58 yards and an average of 3.2 yards per carry. Boy if anyone's got a beef with the last two coaching staffs it's Thuc. But yet he hangs in there with a good attitude and the hope he'll get one more chance. If I were the coach I'd make dam sure he got a minimum of 8-10 touches per game just off principle.
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Post by Keepthefaith on Oct 21, 2015 19:10:10 GMT -5
I have heard that he Thuc ia terriffic.
Why doesnt skrosky play him? I dont get being locked into certain guys when we flat out suck.
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Post by Elon Hero on Oct 21, 2015 19:39:18 GMT -5
If a kid quits a team. It is not a big loss. He quit his team
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Post by Keepthefaith on Oct 21, 2015 19:54:12 GMT -5
I think it is a big deal when a kid who has been here 4 years and enjoyed agood amount of PT quits
Not going to be the last. Hopefully skrosky can bring on another 35 freshman in this recruting class. Keep using the young excuse.
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Post by The lady in red on Oct 21, 2015 20:14:38 GMT -5
In my opinion, if there's anyone that's gotten the shaft it's been Thuc Phan. He's kept a great attitude and has been grateful for any opportunity. Not only that, he had 24 rushes in three games played and gained 130 yards. That gave him 5.3 yards per carry which was the best on the team last year. When everybody but he and Coppedge were injured for the JMU game last year, he had 14 rushes for 89 yards and an average of 6.2 yards per carry. Compare that to Coppedge who had 18 rushes for 58 yards and an average of 3.2 yards per carry. Boy if anyone's got a beef with the last two coaching staffs it's Thuc. But yet he hangs in there with a good attitude and the hope he'll get one more chance. If I were the coach I'd make dam sure he got a minimum of 8-10 touches per game just off principle.
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