Identity

[Crusty]

Part of the issue is it appears our two toughest guys are both on the offensive side of the ball (LQAjr and Meeks).

And apparently Willis!

 

[Orangello]

Camden got smacked in the mouth and lost to Southie. Not so tough.

 

[Dinkyspond]

Camden got smacked in the mouth and lost to Southie. Not so tough.

BC has no players from South Boston. BC probably has as many players as we do from NJ.

 

[BVille44]

With our schedule this season I was hoping Fran could do what Cignetti is doing in Indiana.

 

[Orangello]

BC has no players from South Boston. BC probably has as many players as we do from NJ.

Ok then Ewa Beach Hawaii smacked down Camden.

 

[hoopsupstate]

With our schedule this season I was hoping Fran could do what Cignetti is doing in Indiana.

Indiana is more athletic than us, especially on defense. They rush the passer well and their linebackers and dbacks are pretty good. They have eight new starters from the portal on defense. I think our offensive skilled players are better, but their lines are night and day better. Until our lines get better we will be average at best.

 

[23Zone]

Hopefully hoops won't suck more. They might

 

[OttoinGrotto]

With our schedule this season I was hoping Fran could do what Cignetti is doing in Indiana.

Before the season did you expect Cignetti to be doing what he's doing at Indiana this season?

 

[OburgOrange]

Before the season did you expect Cignetti to be doing what he's doing at Indiana this season?

He wins everywhere. Google him

 

[OttoinGrotto]

He wins everywhere. Google him

I will not.

But seriously, how many people had Indiana having the year they're having?

 

[OburgOrange]

I will not.

But seriously, how many people had Indiana having the year they're having?

 

[PAcuse]

I will not.

But seriously, how many people had Indiana having the year they're having?

no one, I think the prediction was 5.5 wins

 

[OttoinGrotto]

no one, I think the prediction was 5.5 wins

Yep, and rather than give us hope that our program can have a season like that, people are bagging on Fran and crew because even though we're having a good season (by our program standards) we're not having the best one of all the new HCs.

 

[BVille44]

Before the season did you expect Cignetti to be doing what he's doing at Indiana this season?

Just pointing out that he has done an amazing job in Year 1 especially with the majority of his portal transfers coming from JMU and other FBS programs.

“First-year Indiana coach Curt Cignetti was not averse to bringing in Power Four transfers, but the core of his transfer group are from the same Group Of Five conference level that Cignetti left when he departed James Madison for Indiana. In fact, Indiana’s infusion of Group Of Five talent forms the core of their most productive players. It is a group that has lifted the No. 18 Hoosiers to a 6-0 record and 3-0 start in the Big Ten Conference.”

Secret of No. 18 Indiana success? Curt Cignetti Trusts Group Of Five Talent

 

[690West]

no one, I think the prediction was 5.5 wins

My system had them at 8.1 wins somehow. I also had Florida st at 2 wins which blew my mind and thought it was a glitch. Lol

 

[Offthedome]

Yup building your entire identity on one player that will not be here next year is not the best for previous years unless we can keep the donor spending big money to bring in McCord like QB every year.

We can become transfer QB U

If I ever win the crazy money lottery, I'll get us a couple game changers every year.

 

[kcsu]

This has nothing to do with DART.

But unfortunately, the same problems plague this year's team that have traditionally been areas of weakness.

Our offensive line stinks, and we can't stop the run.

We can almost overcome it, because we have an exceptional QB, an exceptional running back, and several extremely talented wide receivers. But those two basic limitations hold us back, the same way they always do.

There's also an elephant in the living room, namely that are defensive coordinators sucks. He might be a brilliant recruiter, but he is completely overmatched as a defensive coordinator.

Agreed. Cant believe the problem is his life long friend. This is going to be an issue.

 

[DocFlanders]

I thought we were a 9-10 win season team at the beginning of the year. Bought into the hype yet again. I do beleive without Fran we’d be a 3-4 win team max, but now thinking 7 may be our ceiling going ahead. They threw 13 freakin passes (or something close to that) and still beat us today … woof.

 

[anomander]

Indiana is more athletic than us, especially on defense. They rush the passer well and their linebackers and dbacks are pretty good. They have eight new starters from the portal on defense. I think our offensive skilled players are better, but their lines are night and day better. Until our lines get better we will be average at best.

A couple things. Indiana is the real deal. I've watched them several times this year. Great coaching on both sides of the ball.

Our problem is defense. If we're being honest out of the rotation players who can we honestly say is irreplaceable?
Marlowe, even though i'm guessing he's playing at 75%.
Barron, solid stats, but seemed to make more of an impact at safety. I think he would be a huge improvement at the STAR position.
Diggs, he's made his presence known at times, but really has a tough time get to the QB consistently. I thought he was most impactful when he was spying the QB, and playing LB stuffing the run. UNLV was by far his most impactful game, but otherwise?
Maraad, for a Freshman he has been really good and should only get better.
Barnes was by far the best cover corner but probably not physically ready to play which may have led to injuries and was a liability vs the run. Still, a great building block.
So I have Wax who is slightly injured, Barron, has been less impactful at a different position, Diggs, who was addition , Maraad, who's best years are ahead, and Barnes, who is done for the year. Not a good situation

Back to Indiana. I LOVED how Cignetti attacked the portal. He didn't go for SEC/B10 castoffs who couldn't crack the lineup at the school they were with. He brought a couple handful of extremely productive and experienced kids from a winning JMU program who were already familiar with his culture. G5/FCS captains, and kids who led their teams in rushing, passing, receiving, tackling at their respective program at a lower level. I'm sure other teams will try to copy their blueprint, but that's always been my preference. Give me someone who is a leader and has already shown they can contribute. Cignetti did a great job of building that team. I really like Fran and would take him long term, but just playing the what if game...if we hired Cignetti and he brought in his JMU guys and added the others through the portal in combination with the offensive stars we already had we could very well be undefeated too and in the driver's seat for make the first ever playoffs.

 

[kcsu]

Once we lost 3 inside starters we were in trouble against physical OLs. Going 3 3 5 was the right call. Losing McDonald, Barnes only added to our issues. Bottom line is we are down to 3rd 4th string kids inside. If we had our inside guys back we win this game going away.

 

[UnknownOrange]

Maybe it did, I just see week after week of poor tackling and questionable angles and have to wonder if there is accountability, why does this keep happening

Because all teams have mantras. They are all genuinely the same type of thing in wanting your team to be focused, organized, disciplined, detailed, accountable, hard nosed, relentless, tough, etc

 

[JuiceMeUp]

Yep, and rather than give us hope that our program can have a season like that, people are bagging on Fran and crew because even though we're having a good season (by our program standards) we're not having the best one of all the new HCs.

I think it’s just the fact that this was our window and with the absolute gauntlet we face next year and the talent level we are losing, there isn’t really an opening again. At least in the near future. I guess we’ll see what we can bring in this offseason but with the guys we brought in, the guys we retained, and the schedule being so light this felt like our chance to really do something special (like Indiana is doing). Maybe that’s greedy, maybe that’s not realistic but when you’re so desperate as a fan base and that window does open up where things look legitimately possible it’s just disappointing to have all of ours goals missed out on with 3 games still left to play and the immediate future very uncertain.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

A couple things. Indiana is the real deal. I've watched them several times this year. Great coaching on both sides of the ball.

Our problem is defense. If we're being honest out of the rotation players who can we honestly say is irreplaceable?
Marlowe, even though i'm guessing he's playing at 75%.
Barron, solid stats, but seemed to make more of an impact at safety. I think he would be a huge improvement at the STAR position.
Diggs, he's made his present known at times, but really has a tough time get to the QB consistently. I thought he was most impactful when he was spying the QB, and playing LB stuffing the run. UNLV was by far his most impactful game, but otherwise?
Maraad, for a Freshman he has been really good and should only get better.
Barnes was by far the best cover corner but probably not physically ready to play which may have led to injuries and was a liability vs the run. Still, a great building block.
So I have Wax who is slightly injured, Barron, has been less impactful at a different position, Diggs, who was addition was very favorable, Maraad, who's best years are ahead, and Barnes, who is done for the year. Not a good situation

Back to Indiana. I LOVED how Cignetti attacked the portal. He didn't go for SEC/B10 castoffs who couldn't crack the lineup at the school they were with. He brought a couple handful of extremely product and experienced kids from a winning JMU program who was already familiar with his culture. G5/FCS captains, and kids who led their teams in rushing, passing, receiving, tackling at their respective program at a lower level. I'm sure other teams will try to copy their blueprint, but that's always been my preference. Give me someone who is a leader and has already shown they can contribute. Cignetti did a great job of building that team. I really like Fran and would take him long term, but just playing the what if game...if we hired Cignetti and he brought in his JMU guys and added the others through the portal in combination with the offensive stars we already had we could very well be undefeated too and in the driver's seat for make the first ever playoffs.

What are we even trying to do on D? I can’t figure it out. Or how we use Diggs. What position does he even play?

We started the year playing a 4-2.5-4.5 with Barron as a half LB half S. Now we seem to play a 3.5-2.5-5 how in the heck does that make sense, especially with the DL injuries?

Going back to how we started, this game should have been a 4-3 D. Or if you really want to play only 3 on the DL, it should have been a 3-4 D. It made no sense play only 6 guys up front and 5 in the secondary. In what world is that being successful?

And where is KJE? We need bodies yet would play him at DE? Or go 3-4 with him and Diggs as OLB?

Nothing we do scheme wise makes sense this year.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I think it’s just the fact that this was our window and with the absolute gauntlet we face next year and the talent level we are losing, there isn’t really an opening again. At least in the near future. I guess we’ll see what we can bring in this offseason but with the guys we brought in, the guys we retained, and the schedule being so light this felt like our chance to really do something special (like Indiana is doing). Maybe that’s greedy, maybe that’s not realistic but when you’re so desperate as a fan base and that window does open up where things look legitimately possible it’s just disappointing to have all of ours goals missed out on with 3 games still left to play and the immediate future very uncertain.

Season to season, you just don't know.

Tennessee didn't expect to win an NC with Tee Martin instead of Manning.

Indiana didn't expect to have the year they're having.

People are bagging this season without even knowing how it ends, and using that to justify bagging next season. Yeah, the schedule is a challenge, but so what? You play the games. The other team has to beat us too.

A lot of people are just weirdly deterministic. Lace 'em up and play the games and see what happens.

 

[anomander]

What are we even trying to do on D? I can’t figure it out. Or how we use Diggs. What position does he even play?

We started the year playing a 4-2.5-4.5 with Barron as a half LB half S. Now we seem to play a 3.5-2.5-5 how in the heck does that make sense, especially with the DL injuries?

Going back to how we started, this game should have been a 4-3 D. Or if you really want to play only 3 on the DL, it should have been a 3-4 D. It made no sense play only 6 guys up front and 5 in the secondary. In what world is that being successful?

And where is KJE? We need bodies yet would play him at DE? Or go 3-4 with him and Diggs as OLB?

Nothing we do scheme wise makes sense this year.

I was just talking about a 4-3 with my brother. They have 6 offensive lineman blocking our undersized players. We didn't have a plan and even worse didn't make any adjustments. King isn't playing because he shows up to class late but burned a RS? Same with a bunch of other freshman. That doesn't seem to make sense?