Pre-Game Thoughts

[danefan]

I figured it would make sense to have one thread running all year with pre-game thoughts to use the week leading up to games.

 

I don't have much to add on GSU as of now, but here is something else on Maine if anyone is interested.

 

They've got a video blog going during camp that will be updated everyday. Some interesting stuff.

 

Click the link and then on the Video Tab at the top of the video window.

http://goblackbears.cstv.com/index-main.html

[danefan]

GSU has daily updates on practice. (I wish we had that - maybe we will..)

 

http://www.georgiasoutherneagles.com/Sport...amp;SPSID=90301

[Michigan_Dane]

GSU has daily updates on practice. (I wish we had that - maybe we will..)

 

http://www.georgiasoutherneagles.com/Sport...amp;SPSID=90301

 

GSU takes their football very seriously. That is why they have daily updates. We haven't gotten to that level of development. We are light years from our state school peers in regards to football. Anyway...

 

What is the line on the game? I would love to see a win but this is a tough game. GSU has played Georgia tough every time. We're talking about them playing a SEC school last year and playing us this year. Tough game.

[danefan]

GSU has daily updates on practice. (I wish we had that - maybe we will..)

 

http://www.georgiasoutherneagles.com/Sport...amp;SPSID=90301

 

GSU takes their football very seriously. That is why they have daily updates. We haven't gotten to that level of development. We are light years from our state school peers in regards to football. Anyway...

 

What is the line on the game? I would love to see a win but this is a tough game. GSU has played Georgia tough every time. We're talking about them playing a SEC school last year and playing us this year. Tough game.

 

I'm not sure if there will be a line on this game, but I would imagine it would be somewhere in the range of GSU giving 14. I would expect this game to be very close, if not in our favor, in the first half. After that is when the speed and depth of GSU will kick in. I'm just hoping all the new Olinemen get their jitters out early and McCarty has a huge day. The Danes need to keep the ball in the hands of McCarty, run the clock down and keep the speedy GSU receivers off the field.

 

I would not be surprised at all to get out of there with a W. Of our three OOC games this year, I think GSU is probably the #2 team, behind Maine and ahead of UMass.

[UA_MA_2000]

Danefan, How do you like our chances against UMASS this year?

[danefan]

Danefan, How do you like our chances against UMASS this year?

 

Umass is probably going to be the weakest of the three tough OOC games we have. They have a new head coach (although he was an assistant before) and they have to replace their all-time leading QB, Liam Coen. They have brought in a Juco transfer from CA, but there's no guarantee of anything with transfers. They have a good RB coming back and I think they will definitely be relying on the run a lot more than last year. They racked up some good numbers against us on the ground last year, and the big 60+ yard run on the first drive of the second half really took the wind out of our sails coming out of the lockerroom. Had the game been at UField, I would have liked our chances even more. I think this game is a toss-up, but I'll be a little dissapointed if we don't get a W in Amherst.

[UAalum72]

Ford was on Wyland's radio show today. He's all set and eager to go, is happy that the team is balanced with 7 starters returning on each side of the ball.

 

Andrew Smith is a great runner, has a gun for an arm, but still needs work reading the secondary. They've got some sets for him to run against GSU - because of the humidity Ford wants to use a lot of players.

 

Booker seems to be ahead in the race for starting tight end.

 

Layton has hit some real bombs competing for punter/kicker, but needs more consistency.

 

McCarty didn't practice today after tweaking a hamstring.

 

Esposito was on the news last night, said the guys are looking to go undefeated, including out of conference. I like the attitude, but we'll see.

[danefan]

Ford was on Wyland's radio show today. He's all set and eager to go, is happy that the team is balanced with 7 starters returning on each side of the ball.

 

Andrew Smith is a great runner, has a gun for an arm, but still needs work reading the secondary. They've got some sets for him to run against GSU - because of the humidity Ford wants to use a lot of players.

 

Booker seems to be ahead in the race for starting tight end.

 

Layton has hit some real bombs competing for punter/kicker, but needs more consistency.

 

McCarty didn't practice today after tweaking a hamstring.

 

Esposito was on the news last night, said the guys are looking to go undefeated, including out of conference. I like the attitude, but we'll see.

 

 

Gets me fired up. I can't wait to see Andrew Smith. I've heard great things about him. I'm glad he'll get some playing time this year as next year we'll need a new playmaker.

 

Thanks for the update 72.

[danefan]

UMass will have a young defensive, with what appears to be their defensive anchor (Senior Linebacker Josh Jennings) out for potentially the whole season with a back injury.

 

http

://www.gazettenet.com/2009/08/12/umass...king-tradition

They did get a big transfer from Cuse though.

 

The UMass defensive system will remain pretty similar to what it was in recent years with Dudzinski, a long-time assistant coach under Don Brown, assuming defense-calling duties under Morris.

 

Senior Kurt Filler has the most games in that system. The junior college transfer had eight tackles in nine games last year after a dominant juco career at the College of San Mateo.

 

"We're young but we have some good players and good coaches," Filler said. "We have to keep the tradition up with the linebackers. We're young but we're picking it up fast."

 

Sophomore Tyler Holmes was the only Minutemen to play as a true freshman last year. Originally slated to redshirt, UMass elected to use Holmes in the final six games and he responded with 23 tackles, including two behind the line of scrimmage and an interception. He's expected to be a key piece of the Minuteman defense.

 

"I know the defense a lot better so I'm playing with a lot more confidence," said Holmes, who'll likely play at middle linebacker. "There's no set depth chart so we're all working hard trying to get better."

 

Junior Mike Mele has the most actual game experience among the group, but it came in a different uniform.

 

Mele started 12 games for Syracuse and was third on the Orange with 72 tackles last year before transferring to UMass.

[haggyland]

They did get a big transfer from Cuse though.

At this point is UMass considered an upgrade from Syracuse?

[danefan]

They did get a big transfer from Cuse though.

At this point is UMass considered an upgrade from Syracuse?

 

I would say its a lateral move. Maine plays at Syracse the week after they come to play us at UField. I wouldn't at all be surprised to see us beat Maine at home and Maine beat Syracuse in the dome the very next week.

 

Man would I love to see that.

[haggyland]

I wouldn't at all be surprised to see us beat Maine at home and Maine beat Syracuse in the dome the very next week.

 

Man would I love to see that.

That certainly would be nice to see but I don't know if that is more of a testament to the growth of FCS football or a sign of how bad things have gotten in Syracuse.

[danefan]

I wouldn't at all be surprised to see us beat Maine at home and Maine beat Syracuse in the dome the very next week.

 

Man would I love to see that.

That certainly would be nice to see but I don't know if that is more of a testament to the growth of FCS football or a sign of how bad things have gotten in Syracuse.

 

I would say a little bit of both. It would definitely be a testament to the growth of UA football, but not necessarily FCS football in general. FCS teams have been beating FBS teams for some time now (UNH has won an FBS game in 4 (or 5) straight years). But, yes, the Syracuse of the McNabb years would not have gotten beaten by an FCS squad. That's for sure.

[haggyland]

I wouldn't at all be surprised to see us beat Maine at home and Maine beat Syracuse in the dome the very next week.

 

Man would I love to see that.

That certainly would be nice to see but I don't know if that is more of a testament to the growth of FCS football or a sign of how bad things have gotten in Syracuse.

 

I would say a little bit of both. It would definitely be a testament to the growth of UA football, but not necessarily FCS football in general. FCS teams have been beating FBS teams for some time now (UNH has won an FBS game in 4 (or 5) straight years). But, yes, the Syracuse of the McNabb years would not have gotten beaten by an FCS squad. That's for sure.

 

Slightly off-topic, but Greg Paulus has been named SU's starting QB.

Should be fun to watch.

[danefan]

CSN's Socon preview

 

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com...-so-2009?blog=5

 

Georgia Southern head coach Chris Hatcher: “It’s been a tremendous attitude change for us — to the good — this offseason. We struggled a lot last season, finishing 6-5. Had a lot of games that were decided by one or two points that if we make a play here or there, we may possibly find ourselves in the playoff pool. Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way. In the last game with Furman, we kind of found our identity with Lee Chapple as our quarterback. Came out of there with a big win, and that just really propelled us through the offseason.”