I wanted to take a few days to think about the roller coaster ride that was 2019 before posting anything. You all made a lot of good points, some I will likely reiterate in this post. My apologies in advance for the lack of brevity. These are my opinions, and you all may disagree with most or all of this and I'd love to hear your thoughts.
1. Durden has to go - period. Wes Satterfield did a fine job with the QBs and as OC at Austin Peay and the players all like him. There was obvious friction between RH and Durden all year. The QB play did not improve as it was supposed to with Durden coaching the QBs. Still a lot of picks, and most balls thrown to only two receivers all year. If Charlie or Fuller were not open, Joe ran. No patience or ability to read progressions. We also saw a lot of the same from Durden on play calling all year long. Zero adjustments made in the second hal of games we should have one, including the last one.
2. Durden has to go.
3. Nicholson played well earlier in the year, but seemed to digress these last few games. Never turned around to look for the ball any time he was targeted, pass interference call, and gave up the game winning TD in OT. Against JMU, they had another DB covering the boundary and he had inside the hash - they targeted him that first play after Charlie's fumble and burned him bad. They knew what they were doing after watching the Villanova game.
4. Our special teams play was atrocious all season. I figured once Legg left he'd take that with him but twas not to be. I have not idea why they used the pooch kicks against W&M. Cost us a lot of field position. I have a feeling we could lose Breckenridge and/or Trau give Larson is performing both duties. The would free up some scholarships for other positions of need as well. Jake started off strong but got shaky as the season went along. Saw a few touchback kicks early on, but they were few and far between later in the season. Hopefully will get that leg a lot stronger in the next few months and come out next season like he started this season.
5. Finishing the season at 6-6 with a win over the Tribe would have given those returning some momentum heading into winter. A 5-7 record, that loss and the W&M players throwing their helmets and acting like they've never won one before made for a lot of long faces amongst the Spider players. Could be a long winter and spring.
6. LB Noah Holmes left the team last week before the W&M game. Not transferring, apparently just wanted to go home.
7. I am optimistic about the offense in the 2020 season. We lose only two players on offense in Charlie and Keyston. Hopefully the coaching change I am suggesting will enable the QBs to improve their reads and progressions and a new playbook with some not seen for some time creativity will energize them. And Walker will hopefully get a fair crack at the role. I was disappointed we didn't see him in a few games this season. We get the entire OL back, and healthy RBs. I agree we need a bruiser, bowling ball type like Gordon was. I was pleasantly surprised by Savon Smith. We will have Coll, Close, Tsangeos, Powell and others in the TE room, as well as two commits in the 2020 class - I like the direction that group is heading. With a healthy Castellano, Jasper, Brooks, Maffe, Cloud and other WRs, we have size (a lot of 6'3 and 6'4 guys) and speed that put us in decent shape for next year.
8. RH needs to can Durden, like today.
9. I am optimistic, but less so, about the defense for 2020. Mo, Ejoni, Trent, Daniel Jones, Billy Caughell and Feamster all gone. I feel bad for Jimmy Marchese in that he transferred and never saw the field because of injuries all season long. I think LB is where we will be strongest, barring no injuries. They need to put the 4-3-4 back in. With Wheeler (who should be CAA defensive newcomer of the year), Dressler and a healthy Phil O'Connor all playing at the same time, that is scary. Turner, Ritten, Eldridge all back at DT but need to find some DEs to replace Mo. The secondary scares me most. I liked what I saw from Nile Harris this year. He played well and is a great kid - speaks several languages and plays violin or cello in the university orchestra outside of football. Will need a lot of people to step up here next year, and quick, or it could be a long season.
10. Next year's schedule is more difficult than this past season. This team has a lot of work to do in order to get a whiff of the playoffs. We lose Albany and Villanova but get NH and Towson. Travel to NH, Pitt, Yale, Stony Brook and Elon with two different times - NH and Pitt and then Yale and Stony Brook - where they boys will have to travel two weekends in a row. Hopefully by airplane.
If you made it this far, would like to hear anyone's opinions on any of the above. And fire Durden.
1. Durden has to go - period. Wes Satterfield did a fine job with the QBs and as OC at Austin Peay and the players all like him. There was obvious friction between RH and Durden all year. The QB play did not improve as it was supposed to with Durden coaching the QBs. Still a lot of picks, and most balls thrown to only two receivers all year. If Charlie or Fuller were not open, Joe ran. No patience or ability to read progressions. We also saw a lot of the same from Durden on play calling all year long. Zero adjustments made in the second hal of games we should have one, including the last one.
2. Durden has to go.
3. Nicholson played well earlier in the year, but seemed to digress these last few games. Never turned around to look for the ball any time he was targeted, pass interference call, and gave up the game winning TD in OT. Against JMU, they had another DB covering the boundary and he had inside the hash - they targeted him that first play after Charlie's fumble and burned him bad. They knew what they were doing after watching the Villanova game.
4. Our special teams play was atrocious all season. I figured once Legg left he'd take that with him but twas not to be. I have not idea why they used the pooch kicks against W&M. Cost us a lot of field position. I have a feeling we could lose Breckenridge and/or Trau give Larson is performing both duties. The would free up some scholarships for other positions of need as well. Jake started off strong but got shaky as the season went along. Saw a few touchback kicks early on, but they were few and far between later in the season. Hopefully will get that leg a lot stronger in the next few months and come out next season like he started this season.
5. Finishing the season at 6-6 with a win over the Tribe would have given those returning some momentum heading into winter. A 5-7 record, that loss and the W&M players throwing their helmets and acting like they've never won one before made for a lot of long faces amongst the Spider players. Could be a long winter and spring.
6. LB Noah Holmes left the team last week before the W&M game. Not transferring, apparently just wanted to go home.
7. I am optimistic about the offense in the 2020 season. We lose only two players on offense in Charlie and Keyston. Hopefully the coaching change I am suggesting will enable the QBs to improve their reads and progressions and a new playbook with some not seen for some time creativity will energize them. And Walker will hopefully get a fair crack at the role. I was disappointed we didn't see him in a few games this season. We get the entire OL back, and healthy RBs. I agree we need a bruiser, bowling ball type like Gordon was. I was pleasantly surprised by Savon Smith. We will have Coll, Close, Tsangeos, Powell and others in the TE room, as well as two commits in the 2020 class - I like the direction that group is heading. With a healthy Castellano, Jasper, Brooks, Maffe, Cloud and other WRs, we have size (a lot of 6'3 and 6'4 guys) and speed that put us in decent shape for next year.
8. RH needs to can Durden, like today.
9. I am optimistic, but less so, about the defense for 2020. Mo, Ejoni, Trent, Daniel Jones, Billy Caughell and Feamster all gone. I feel bad for Jimmy Marchese in that he transferred and never saw the field because of injuries all season long. I think LB is where we will be strongest, barring no injuries. They need to put the 4-3-4 back in. With Wheeler (who should be CAA defensive newcomer of the year), Dressler and a healthy Phil O'Connor all playing at the same time, that is scary. Turner, Ritten, Eldridge all back at DT but need to find some DEs to replace Mo. The secondary scares me most. I liked what I saw from Nile Harris this year. He played well and is a great kid - speaks several languages and plays violin or cello in the university orchestra outside of football. Will need a lot of people to step up here next year, and quick, or it could be a long season.
10. Next year's schedule is more difficult than this past season. This team has a lot of work to do in order to get a whiff of the playoffs. We lose Albany and Villanova but get NH and Towson. Travel to NH, Pitt, Yale, Stony Brook and Elon with two different times - NH and Pitt and then Yale and Stony Brook - where they boys will have to travel two weekends in a row. Hopefully by airplane.
If you made it this far, would like to hear anyone's opinions on any of the above. And fire Durden.
