Fran said something interesting on his show last night

[tbonezone]

And he answered with, “Dominate the portal.”

kinda funny considering 3 weeks ago he said in the camillus pizza joint he was focusing on building thru recruitment and not portal. whatever his eventual plan is let's hope his entire season doesn't hinge solely on one key player who'd never even took a snap here. that's bad personnel management. rather inexcusable in fact .
in life and relationships always gotta have a PLAN B.

 

[ImperialOrange]

I've seen every game and still don't have a firm opinion on our physicality and toughness.

Glass half full: We held our own with Tenny and matched up fine with Clemson and SMU.

Glass half empty: Dominated by Pitt (badly), GT and Miami.

Are we an aggressive team? I dunno. Were we aggressive last year or just very precise? Not sure.

I don't like our in the box scheme... 4 down and 2 LBs with suspect safety play behind. I also don't think Bryant has the lateral mobility to go sideline to sideline in a 2 LB set BUT would rack up numbers as MLB with Deslauriers and another capable runner outside him.

Jobity and Perry being banged up all year has hurt us, they're beasts physically when healthy. Grant being hobbled as well has been brutal. Delaine and Chestnut are both a step or 2 slow but a healthy Grant between a pretty solid corner pairing of Peal and Samuels Jr would allow some younger, faster guys to play and mask positional lapses.

Our SOS this year exposed depth issues but our starting 11s on both sides, when healthy, are extremely capable. Obviously QB depth doesn't need discussed any further albeit I still have no idea what anyone beyond Rickie has as none have been given proper run.

We need to adjust schemes to our roster and instead we've been square pegs in round holes.

That said underclassmen talent is plus plus over past years physically thus hitting the portal to fill empty cupboard ending Dino years is a must currently. Add in upper echelon talents coming in at skill positions and we're really not as far off as our anemic post QB results would lead on.

How many wins would we have had Kyle been granted another year at QB? Ifs and buts I know but Gill and Co in the WR room would be putting up video game numbers.

 

[baggerbob]

I don't like our in the box scheme... 4 down and 2 LBs with suspect safety play behind. I also don't think Bryant has the lateral mobility to go sideline to sideline in a 2 LB set BUT would rack up numbers as MLB with Deslauriers and another capable runner outside him.

Jobity and Perry being banged up all year has hurt us, they're beasts physically when healthy. Grant being hobbled as well has been brutal. Delaine and Chestnut are both a step or 2 slow but a healthy Grant between a pretty solid corner pairing of Peal and Samuels Jr would allow some younger, faster guys to play and mask positional lapses.

Our SOS this year exposed depth issues but our starting 11s on both sides, when healthy, are extremely capable. Obviously QB depth doesn't need discussed any further albeit I still have no idea what anyone beyond Rickie has as none have been given proper run.

We need to adjust schemes to our roster and instead we've been square pegs in round holes.

That said underclassmen talent is plus plus over past years physically thus hitting the portal to fill empty cupboard ending Dino years is a must currently. Add in upper echelon talents coming in at skill positions and we're really not as far off as our anemic post QB results would lead on.

How many wins would we have had Kyle been granted another year at QB? Ifs and buts I know but Gill and Co in the WR room would be putting up video game numbers.

Perry missing almost the whole season hurt the Defensive line.

 

[Archimedes]

That said underclassmen talent is plus plus over past years physically thus hitting the portal to fill empty cupboard ending Dino years is a must currently. Add in upper echelon talents coming in at skill positions and we're really not as far off as our anemic post QB results would lead on.

How many wins would we have had Kyle been granted another year at QB? Ifs and buts I know but Gill and Co in the WR room would be putting up video game numbers.

Excellent read, thank you. I agree with you about Bryant's lateral movement. Truth be told, I wonder a little about Deslauriers' lateral quickness too. The current set up asks a lot of them.

 

[SU94]

I've seen every game and still don't have a firm opinion on our physicality and toughness.

Glass half full: We held our own with Tenny and matched up fine with Clemson and SMU.

Glass half empty: Dominated by Pitt (badly), GT and Miami.

Are we an aggressive team? I dunno. Were we aggressive last year or just very precise? Not sure.

Notice what you observed…
Glass-half full: Held our own or matched up fine with Tennessee, Clemson, SMU.

Two of came when we had a viable QB. Point is, when we become one-dimentional, we struggle. Extra defender in the box, etc. The math doesn’t work.

Nothing too novel here, but that is why we have to have a “balanced” attack. No, not 50-50. But we have to run the ball with intent and purpose.

Last year was terrific. We will all remember McCord for a long time. What we are less apt to remember if that LQA ran the ball for 1000+ yards, averaged 4.5ypc and ran for 16 TDs (red zone excellence). And that helped open up the field for Kyle.

We cannot go full air raid, no matter what Millhouse tells us. “Balanced” can be 2/1 or 70-30. It’s coming.

 

[gocraz4dasu]

I essentially want our entire transfer NIL budget to go to acquiring talent in the trenches. Maybe one or two elsewhere if there are impact players but we need to control the line of scrimmage. Unfortunately, I do not think we would be alone in that strategy.

 

[Blanko97]

Notice what you observed…
Glass-half full: Held our own or matched up fine with Tennessee, Clemson, SMU.

Two of came when we had a viable QB. Point is, when we become one-dimentional, we struggle. Extra defender in the box, etc. The math doesn’t work.

Nothing too novel here, but that is why we have to have a “balanced” attack. No, not 50-50. But we have to run the ball with intent and purpose.

Last year was terrific. We will all remember McCord for a long time. What we are less apt to remember if that LQA ran the ball for 1000+ yards, averaged 4.5ypc and ran for 16 TDs (red zone excellence). And that helped open up the field for Kyle.

We cannot go full air raid, no matter what Millhouse tells us. “Balanced” can be 2/1 or 70-30. It’s coming.

It was 31-3 in the SMU game before they pulled the starters. We did not hold our own

 

[SU94]

It was 31-3 in the SMU game before they pulled the starters. We did not hold our own

That was his observation (about physicality/toughness) and I said 2/3. To be fair, we ran for 100+ and Rickie approached 300yards passing. But the three picks. We actually outgained SMU in that game. We obviously did not deserve to win the game, but in the realm of physicality/toughness it was perhaps a bit closer than you assert.

 

[Blanko97]

That was his observation (about physicality/toughness) and I said 2/3. To be fair, we ran for 100+ and Rickie approached 300yards passing. But the three picks. We actually outgained SMU in that game. We obviously did not deserve to win the game, but in the realm of physicality/toughness it was perhaps a bit closer than you assert.

I think that’s a cope but I won’t rain on the positivity train any further

 

[Orijinal]

I've seen every game and still don't have a firm opinion on our physicality and toughness.

Glass half full: We held our own with Tenny and matched up fine with Clemson and SMU.

Glass half empty: Dominated by Pitt (badly), GT and Miami.

Are we an aggressive team? I dunno. Were we aggressive last year or just very precise? Not sure.

And dominated by Duke

 

[Archimedes]

That was his observation (about physicality/toughness) and I said 2/3. To be fair, we ran for 100+ and Rickie approached 300yards passing. But the three picks. We actually outgained SMU in that game. We obviously did not deserve to win the game, but in the realm of physicality/toughness it was perhaps a bit closer than you assert.

Thank you. Yes, I thought SMU beat us with speed.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Excellent read, thank you. I agree with you about Bryant's lateral movement. Truth be told, I wonder a little about Deslauriers' lateral quickness too. The current set up asks a lot of them.

Deslauriers can run as well as/better than any of current safeties. He's a special athlete, not just muscles.

 

[Ttk.gman2]

kinda funny considering 3 weeks ago he said in the camillus pizza joint he was focusing on building thru recruitment and not portal. whatever his eventual plan is let's hope his entire season doesn't hinge solely on one key player who'd never even took a snap here. that's bad personnel management. rather inexcusable in fact .
in life and relationships always gotta have a PLAN B.

Well that’s his long term goal? We have the number 25 ranked recruiting class on 247 sports. So yes that’s his long term plan but he needs to dominate the portal this year so we can compete for a bowl game next year…..

 

[Scooch]

Actually coach, it's your job to speak to Coach Nixon about that.

That’s infuriating. Accountability. LOL.

 

[Ttk.gman2]

Also a caller asked, "Why do we keep running the ball inside(and almost never outside) and do you are with that point? Fran said, "Yes and you'd need to ask Coach Nixon, but I agree with you. I am kidding but I do agree with you."

Fran is having a hard time with holding the staff accountable but I tbh k this offseason will be a mass exodus of dead weight on both sides we have about 15 -20 players that you have to keep on the roster the rest can leave we have a elite recruiting class coming in . And get guys in the portal with multiple years eligibility.

 

[Surfan06001]

“If we can keep it within sixty on Saturday I’ll be happy.”

 

[tbonezone]

We have the number 25 ranked recruiting class on 247 sports.

very few true freshman make a huge impact. need at least one year of strength and conditioning to adjust to the college level. this ain't michigan fab 5 impact.