App picked as 28 pt dog to Clemson

[AtlAppMan]

The link between rushing attempts and winning is one of those things where I think commentators get cause and effect mixed up a little. If you run successfully and get a lead, then you're going to run more - because it's working, and because you want to burn clock.

I'm sure we'll try to establish the run every game this year. The good news is that I think Taylor Lamb will be good enough to win games with his arm when we need him to. And I don't think we'll be able to just gash Clemson with the running game with much consistency.

Your first paragraph is true to some degree, however, everybody can say it but a lot depends on whether this philosophy is used to build the foundation of a team or not. It appears that Sat and Ledford strongly believe in this concept and have used it to recruit and build the team around this philosophy. Therefore, as we saw in the last half of last year, you start to see how it can produce results on the field. ULL and stAte knew we were going to run it and we still did it. That is the ultimate difference between a team that wants to run first but is not built for it vs one that is built to run and can execute regardless of the defense it faces. I am not saying ULL or StAte is a Clemson but I am saying that there is a huge difference in our team's ability to impose the run game on its opponents in 2nd half of last year and it should be fair to assume we will be even better this year. It didn't just happen, our current team was built that way.

Lamb's ability to make good decisions and complete passes at critical times just enhances your ability to run when you want to run it.

[Yosef10]

Glad to see the positive thinking, I think we will come out looking good...but...Clemson is picked to win the ACC. That's not for nothing. Deshaun Watson is going to be healthy and he's got heisman finalist potential. The talent they're gonna have on defense is off the charts, as well as at skill positions on offense. Even with lost starters and plugging in new guys this is going to be probably the most talented team Dabo has had at Clemson. I'm looking forward to the game and think this will be a good game to measure ourselves with but its goin to be a tough one to come away with a W

[moehler]

its so hard to predict the outcome of games like this, when one team clearly has a big advantage talent wise. I think back to two games, the first the VT game several years back, on paper it looked like we should be able to give them a game, instead, they beat the hell out of us from the start of the game. Then you had the LSU game in the early 2000's, LSU finished second nationally that yr, yet we gave them one of their toughest games, only down 14 going into the 4th, and I believe we were pretty close in term of statistics, you just never know how these games will play out.

[firemoose]

I say the same thing for this one as I say for all these games. Hope we make a good showing and come out with very few to no real injuries. Anything else is just gravy on top.

Michigan was a full Thanksgiving feast plus a 20 tier cake made mostly of frosting (because everyone knows that cake is only there to give the frosting a place to go )

[fjblair]

I say the same thing for this one as I say for all these games. Hope we make a good showing and come out with very few to no real injuries. Anything else is just gravy on top.

Michigan was a full Thanksgiving feast plus a 20 tier cake made mostly of frosting (because everyone knows that cake is only there to give the frosting a place to go )

I'm with you firemoose. Clemson is the consensus pre-season pick to win the ACC and I expect they are going to bring their "A" game. I do like gravy though.....

[T-Dog]

Clemons was picked to win the ACC because there's really no one else. Florida State lost a ton of talent and no one else is at that level. They'll still be very good, but their defense will be young and they can be had. Plus playing Wofford the week before then playing App is a big difference.

But we got to take of business versus Howard beforehand.

[EastHallApp]

Clemons was picked to win the ACC because there's really no one else. Florida State lost a ton of talent and no one else is at that level. They'll still be very good, but their defense will be young and they can be had. Plus playing Wofford the week before then playing App is a big difference.

But we got to take of business versus Howard beforehand.

90 percent of my brain says what Moose said, but I think you make a good point. Clemson actually lost a ton of talent too, but I think people are picking them because Watson is coming back and Jameis Winston isn't. They aren't ready to buy into Louisville yet, and they don't want to pick Georgia Tech because, you know, triple-option, gross.

I am also surprised at how easily people think Clemson will replace Chad Morris. Dabo probably wouldn't still be employed there if he hadn't hired Morris, and people are apparently assuming the offense won't miss a beat without him.

[firemoose]

Just want to clear up something. I never said we didn't have a chance or that I didn't like gravy.

We have a chance against every team we line up against. The score always starts 0-0 and there are always 11 of us and 11 of them on the field. Breaks can go for or against each team. One bounce here. A tipped ball there. Anything can happen. I was using my statement as a baseline for each of these "money" games. That's why I said all else is gravy on top.

[moehler]

I thought it was strange ,that the media made Clemson a heavy favorite in the ACC, even though they lost I believe, 9 out of 11 starters on defense, the offensive coordinator, a qb coming off major surgery, their best back up DE who was projected a starter this year kicked off the team, their best offensive lineman, who chose to join the NFL supplemental drift this spring, and their starting kicker, who got caught driving drunk with, I believe, a controlled substance in his car, cant imagine he is going to be back. The might well turn out to be the best team, but at the time the media voted, how could they pick them no. 1 with all those question marks? Hmm, maybe its the same media that picked us 4th in the SBC,ha!

[AtlAppMan]

Part of the big question is how will WE perform on Sept. 12. First off, we have to start consistently stepping up and playing quality football for ALL of our schedule, especially our OOC games in the future. We no longer have write-off games against P5 schools like we did when we were FCS and posturing for the playoffs. Games like Clemson are opportunities for us to get signature wins and start establishing a reputation that we can compete against the top tier of P5, aka Boise State. If we want other FBS schools to respect us then we have to consistently bring our A+ game to these games.

Let's review how WE performed in FBS games since 2005 (this is my opinion but IMO tells more of the story). For most of our recent FCS history outside of 2005-2009 we have not had the players, QB, team to effectively compete with most FBS teams. We are now changing that dynamic, we are not there yet, but making progress. Our team DOES have to play to the TOP of their capabilities to give us a chance to win but that is possible. If Clemson plays average AND we play to a high level that we are capable then we can win this game.

2005 - Kansas (L 8-36) - we had a good team but just played poorly, our players felt they did not compete like they were capable
2005 - LSU (L 0-24) - our team stayed in game until late against a very strong LSU team. We competed respectably
2006 - NCSU (L 10-23) - played fair, start Trey Elder and realized he was not the leader capable of winning the big games, later that year Armanti emerged as a true athelete and leader on the field, we could have probably beaten this team later in the year hands down
2007 - Michigan (W 34-32) - the stars aligned, we brought our A+ game and they didn't take us as seriously as they should. We played to our FULL potential that day.
2008 - LSU (L 13-41) - We played good but not great, LSU was very prepared and beat us handily
2009 - ECU (L 24-29) - We played good but were w/o Armanti and made it a game, ECU was beatable on that day but did enough to win. If we had Armanti we would have probably won by a couple scores.
2010 - Florida (L 10-48) - We did not play to our potential that day nor were we as good as we had been with Armanti. Our program was on the downturn from a nationally competive FCS program of the previous years. Florida was prepared and was not going to be upset.
2011 - VaTech (L 13-66) - VaTech had been embarrassed the year before by JMU and was not having it happen again. We would totally unprepared and IMO, Jerry did not have our team ready to go. Our program was declining fast. We had been manhandled by Villanova in the final game the year before.
2012 - ECU (L13-35) - We played fair but really didn't have the team to complete with ECU. ECU played a good game and just took care of business.
2013 - UGA (L 6-45) - We hung in until 3rd qtr. We did not have a QB and line to compete. UGA played a so-so game and whipped us.

[AppState89]

Just want to clear up something. I never said we didn't have a chance or that I didn't like gravy.

We have a chance against every team we line up against. The score always starts 0-0 and there are always 11 of us and 11 of them on the field. Breaks can go for or against each team. One bounce here. A tipped ball there. Anything can happen. I was using my statement as a baseline for each of these "money" games. That's why I said all else is gravy on top.

Last 3 minutes of the first half against Michigan last year.

[JTApps1]

Part of the big question is how will WE perform on Sept. 12. First off, we have to start consistently stepping up and playing quality football for ALL of our schedule, especially our OOC games in the future. We no longer have write-off games against P5 schools like we did when we were FCS and posturing for the playoffs. Games like Clemson are opportunities for us to get signature wins and start establishing a reputation that we can compete against the top tier of P5, aka Boise State. If we want other FBS schools to respect us then we have to consistently bring our A+ game to these games.

Let's review how WE performed in FBS games since 2005 (this is my opinion but IMO tells more of the story). For most of our recent FCS history outside of 2005-2009 we have not had the players, QB, team to effectively compete with most FBS teams. We are now changing that dynamic, we are not there yet, but making progress. Our team DOES have to play to the TOP of their capabilities to give us a chance to win but that is possible. If Clemson plays average AND we play to a high level that we are capable then we can win this game.

2005 - Kansas (L 8-36) - we had a good team but just played poorly, our players felt they did not compete like they were capable
2005 - LSU (L 0-24) - our team stayed in game until late against a very strong LSU team. We competed respectably
2006 - NCSU (L 10-23) - played fair, start Trey Elder and realized he was not the leader capable of winning the big games, later that year Armanti emerged as a true athelete and leader on the field, we could have probably beaten this team later in the year hands down
2007 - Michigan (W 34-32) - the stars aligned, we brought our A+ game and they didn't take us as seriously as they should. We played to our FULL potential that day.
2008 - LSU (L 13-41) - We played good but not great, LSU was very prepared and beat us handily
2009 - ECU (L 24-29) - We played good but were w/o Armanti and made it a game, ECU was beatable on that day but did enough to win. If we had Armanti we would have probably won by a couple scores.
2010 - Florida (L 10-48) - We did not play to our potential that day nor were we as good as we had been with Armanti. Our program was on the downturn from a nationally competive FCS program of the previous years. Florida was prepared and was not going to be upset.
2011 - VaTech (L 13-66) - VaTech had been embarrassed the year before by JMU and was not having it happen again. We would totally unprepared and IMO, Jerry did not have our team ready to go. Our program was declining fast. We had been manhandled by Villanova in the final game the year before.
2012 - ECU (L13-35) - We played fair but really didn't have the team to complete with ECU. ECU played a good game and just took care of business.
2013 - UGA (L 6-45) - We hung in until 3rd qtr. We did not have a QB and line to compete. UGA played a so-so game and whipped us.

Don't forget Trey Elder was rushed back from shoulder surgery and was in no way 100% against NC State. Looking back we should have brought Armanti in earlier and given him a chance with Trey so banged up. Oh well...

[Bearboy]

One factor that I haven't seen mentioned is the "Stringer - Watson" history. Devin was a teammate of Deshaun in high school. Wonder if that will take the wow factor away from our defense. I mean Devin is probably telling our guys that Deshaun is really a human, and not a superhero like some believe. Lol

Seriously I do think it plays into the mental aspect of our defense to some degree that day. I know that some of Deshaun's tendencies have already been discussed by some of our players. The LB core has joked about some of the moves that he uses...and God knows we could use any help possible against this kid! Deshaun is the real deal! Kid has GAME!

[APPdiesel]

Thinking about Clemson is good and all, but right now I'm worried about Howard. Remember, we're half a season removed from being embarrassed at home to FCS Liberty.

"We have 11, they have 11, score starts 0-0...we have a chance to beat them" --- Guess what, Howard believes the same thing.

BEAT HOWARD!

[AtlAppMan]

Howard...

I want to see a shutout for Howard. Our team needs to bring a defense to that game with a vengence. I want to see our guys play that game like they are serious about making a run for a New Year's Day bowl. That means you better put up huge numbers in all aspects of your game, offense/defense/special teams. I want to see a pack of rabid dogs running and flying all over the field on Sept. 5.

The significance of this game is to set the tone for the entire season. Right now there is not a more important game on our schedule.

Not asking for much.

[EastHallApp]

I admit it - I am looking past Howard. I am overconfident that App will win in a blowout.

I just hope my hubris doesn't cost us the game.

[moehler]

for what its worth, I took a look at Howard in a couple mags to get an idea of what they will be like, their being picked in the bottom half of their conference, specifically, they lost their all conference, and best player, the qb. We should not have a lot of problems with this game, and hopefully, it will be over by half so we can get valuable playing time for some of the subs, I'm really curious to see the backup qbs run the offense.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

http://wisconsin.247sports.com/Bolt/BRE ... --38488540

[firemoose]

Thinking about Clemson is good and all, but right now I'm worried about Howard. Remember, we're half a season removed from being embarrassed at home to FCS Liberty.

"We have 11, they have 11, score starts 0-0...we have a chance to beat them" --- Guess what, Howard believes the same thing.

BEAT HOWARD!

This thread was about Clemson. But my quote was generic to every team on our schedule and it applies TO every team on our schedule. I wasn't looking past Clemson. Just wanted to clear that up also given that you put "" around the line and I was the one who said something similar. I've never looked past the next game. Not as a player, coach, or fan.

BEAT HOWARD!!!

[PhillyApp1]

OK, This is my ANNUAL beef/fear about playing The Big Boys.

EVERY Frickin year, LSU ,VaTech, ECU, Ga, Michigan, Florida, use the same tactic.........their Dbacks press and hold our receivers so much we end up giving up on the pass and making it easy to play run defense.

Coach SATT, my prayer for you and this team is to learn how to get off the Press Holds and pass the ball.
Its up to the receivers to have the technique, moves, and speed to do it.
If you go back and look at all those games, next to turnovers, inability to pass on PRESS coverage ended the game.
My advice is a lot of practice with extra defensive players that are allowed to hold our receivers. In Basketball it was called playing ROUGH HOUSE.

GO APPS.......PLAY ROUGH HOUSE !!!!!



Side note, we had a receiver who was going to make a difference in a few of those games but he got kicked off the team.