Next Two Games Will Define This Season

[anomander]

On the one hand 8-4 would be the 3rd best record since McNabb. So it is a big accomplishment. On the other hand we had 0.0 P4 OOC games and only played one of the Top 4 ACC teams.

Going 3-5 (7-5 overall) in the ACC is pretty weak. That should be more of a concern going forward and not a celebration.


No matter what, year 3 is really when we need to see real results. We will know by then if the experiment was a success or it is time to move on.



Edit

Also we had an upgrade in talent. Adding one more W vs last year where we had no QB the 2nd half of the season, plus OG and Pena were out all year. That isn't some great accomplishment. We lost 1/2 of Shrader, Alford, Brown and replaced them with McCord, Meeks, Pena, OG, a partial JRS, and maybe Zeed for the last 3, all against a weaker schedule.

Exactly. Especially when you consider 2 of the ACC losses were to Stanford and BC. 7-5 is not an accomplishment, and 8-4 is disappointing to me. Seasons like this don't line up too often. They were set up to make the Gator bowl or a top 3 ACC bowl. Maybe if we made a serious bowl guys would have played.

We'll be lucky to have a chance at 6 wins next year...and the cycle continues

 

[DocFlanders]

we are what we are. No way we get 500 next year and those vibes may kill recruiting, especially since we can’t pay what the big boys can. Fran would have crushed it here pre NIL, but those are no longer the cards being dealt

 

[VTAaron]

My POV is that we need wins now to attain the long term results we want. Brown and crew were able to bring in a bunch of guys that they had personal relationships with from their time at other schools. Most of those relationships are going to be gone within another season, two max.

Luring kids away from other programs via the portal is going to come from (a) opportunities to start, and (b) joining a winning team.

We're going to be losing a LOT from this team, so there will be opportunities to start. However, 7-5 isn't particularly appealing. So the staff is going to have really sell a vision for 2025. And that's with us facing a far more daunting schedule than we've played this year.

I certainly wasn't someone thinking we'd make a playoff run! But 7 wins with this team against this schedule is a disappointment. And I worry it negatively impacts our future.

I agree and disagree... Fran is about rebuilding the program, yes there will be ups and downs...

But, it is apparent some strategies are not working out on the O and D lines for example and special teams. All of us are critical of everything to the point of attacking each other for views.

This is just the first year... Of course it is spectacular we have great QB that can think and perform under pressure, but is paramount the O line helps, as he will be gone. I don't know the plan like all of you, but I would wager Fran is holding on to explode the next year. I don't get that star persons are not put in from past years and replaced.

Don't get me wrong, but if a 3 line rush, and a sucky O line persists we are all eating dirt every single year with missed blocks or even tackle. We can't rely on 1 star person for every single formation to make plays, and I'm sure coach Fran knows this too.

There probably is a strategy, and maybe he is feeling it out. This is just the first year, and I'm fine with it. I think he is doing a good job. Where we go after is next years problem, but I think we are going 8-4 and maybe 9-3.

It would be great to throw a win right into Miami's face at the dome like Clemson a few years ago.

 

[DomeHolmes]

Agree with much of that. But for total D we have faced the least FBS plays by far. Stanford right now is #2 and they have faced 43 more plays. That is almost a game's worth. Yard per FBS play we are 16th in the ACC. The lack of plays is masking how bad our D really is. The last time we finished in the bottom 2 of the conference was when we finished last in 2017.

This is a very fair point, but even if you added 6 yards per play, times 43 plays we are still 10th or 11th in the ACC, which is not that terrible. Again, especially considering our inability to tackle, based on that metric alone we should be giving up 450 yards a game. either way I am still some what surprised at our numbers regardless, considering our three men rush is useless and we can’t tackle.

And also none of that changes our touchdown percentage in the red zone or our third down conversion rate, which are two key metrics.

but mostly my beef is with the passive nature of our defensive scheme. BC threw just 13 times for 65 yards and for most of the game our formations looked like we were playing a passing team. Watching us lineup against them with a light box over and over. It was so frustrating. If ever there was a team to play a seven man box and press coverage that was it.

it seems like we blitz one time per game, and that’s it. And it’s always up the middle, no safety, blitz, no delayed, blitz, etc. There is no creativity and nothing to put pressure on a quarterback or offensive coordinator. I can’t remember the last time I saw a twist or stunt of any kind. And if we’re not doing that to maintain our rush lanes, we don’t do a very good job of that either.