Mid Season Predictions

[Appstate88]

Here’s an idea for the Head Ball Coach. We have 10 position groups. Next year, have the team select 10 leaders 1 from each position group. Meet with the 10 leaders throughout spring and summer. During the season, coaches select 3 Captains from the 10 leaders, plus one player not a designated leader to be a captain for the game and the coin toss. Reward those that do more than is expected on and off the field.

Theyh saw have something like this set up already. Those positions group leaders meet multiple times a week.

I like adding an ad-hoc captain though.

That’s good to know. Thanks for sharing.

[AtlAppMan]

MY biggest concern so far this season is that we seem to have a problem playing well against teams that are perceived (by the players) as worse that we are. I have no question that our 18-22 (plus 25 year old Chase) thought we would roll the FBS startup JMU after all we had been through up until that point, I am also sure that once we got up 28-3, our kids really believed they would continue to stomp them. I am equally sure that nobody on the team really believed that Texas State could hang with us at all, because they never have been able to. We all know what happened in both of those cases. My worry now is the Georgia State has also never beaten us, and neither has ODU. I have no question that we get up for and are ready to play Coastal, Marshall, Georgia Southern, but I worry how we show up this Wednesday and against ODU. That being said, IF we show up and beat Georgia State on Wednesday night, that we win out and play for a conference title and bowl game. That would make us 9-3 going into the title game. I would like to say we finish 11-3 but 10-4 is screaming to me just because I think that when we let off the gas after getting to the title game, especially since whoever we play from the West is bound to have a terrible record against us. IF we lose to Georgia State, I could see the wheels really come off and finish 6-6 or even 5-7 and miss a bowl. We have to start playing the way we are capable of playing.

MY biggest concern so far this season is that we seem to have a problem playing well against teams that are perceived (by the players) as worse that we are.

This statement is basically what my wife said after TxSt game. She said, "they (the team) seem to only want to play well when it is a BIG game but don't seem interested against the other teams".

[asu66]

Here's some reality for us to ponder until about 10:30 Wed. night. Our coaches/players will have had 10 days to prepare for a 2-4 Ga State team that has never-ever been able to crack the win column against App in football. They stand 0-8 in their football history with us. Sooner or later, they'll pull the rug from under our team's cleats and pocket that first upset. Could Ga State be the second 0-8 team to whip App this season?

Panther head coach Shawn Elliott is a Mountaineer football alum who was also once an elite member of the App coaching staff--eventually "caving in" to one of several "no-brainer" offers coming his way from P5 programs. Now in his second HC gig, he's on the hot seat in Atlanta. Oh but wait, the Panthers picked up their only two wins in back-to-back matchups with impressive wins over Army on the road in West Point and against Ga Southern in Atlanta. Shawn and his players are well aware that a win over the Apps would get big ol' YOSEF off their backs and let the frigid KBS temps lower the heat they're getting from C.Cobb.

Our fan base is starving for an App blowout win over a Sun Belt East Div. team to prove that their earlier stumbles have been addressed. Can they do it? Of course! Will they pull it off? TBD! I'm a little gun-shy of this one. Almost a classic trap game....

One point in our favor, perhaps... is that those Ga State guys don't like cold weather. It seems that about every time they've played in KBS, it has occurred during a sudden cold snap and/or in a snow storm.

Temps in KBS at half-time Wednesday evening will be approaching "hard freeze" territory! Advantage...Apps!

[Yosefus]

Has there been a press conference this week? Haven't seen it. Not that we get any good info from them but always like to hear coach to get a vibe on his confidence level.

[biggie]

Has there been a press conference this week? Haven't seen it. Not that we get any good info from them but always like to hear coach to get a vibe on his confidence level.

No Monday press conf. Just the SB one yesterday.

[Yosefus]

Has there been a press conference this week? Haven't seen it. Not that we get any good info from them but always like to hear coach to get a vibe on his confidence level.

No Monday press conf. Just the SB one yesterday.

I hope that call was at 5 in the morning. Clark did not look like he had slept, shaved or bathed in days. He was not overly confident either not like he was post UNC pre A$M. Not trying to read too much into a 3 minute or so video but that was not a good look or a good vibe to take away. I'm sorry I asked for it but thanks for posting it.

[BayouApp]

He seemed okay to me. He answered the questions directly, and said what we need to do. Maybe he is growing a beard, but I did not see anything that would cause me to think he had not slept or bathed in days.

[BambooRdApp]

I agree. Seems similar to past SBC pressers by him. Thought it was fine. He has been more formal with short answers in those pressers compared App. St. pressers

[AppStateNews]

He's probably staying up all night every night since Texas State game since there are clearly so many people on social media and message boards that know more about football than he does...

[yosef69]

He's probably staying up all night every night since Texas State game since there are clearly so many people on social media and message boards that know more about football than he does...

You are insufferable haha. We got rocked by a bottom feeder.

If a rocket blows up, doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know someone fucked up.

[AppStateNews]

He's probably staying up all night every night since Texas State game since there are clearly so many people on social media and message boards that know more about football than he does...

You are insufferable haha. We got rocked by a bottom feeder.

If a rocket blows up, doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know someone fucked up.

It happens. It's football. If every game was a guaranteed win, we wouldn't play the game.

He's the first to admit he didn't have the guys as prepared as he should have. But, I didn't see Clark making the wrong reads, missing tackles, missing blocks, etc

What I have seen these past 10 days is a coach working his ass off to make sure it doesn't happen again. Making changes on the lineups. Having conversations nobody wants to have. Etc.

But, not going to derail the topic. End of this conversation here.

[Saint3333]

What I have seen these past 10 days is a coach working his ass off to make sure it doesn't happen again. Making changes on the lineups. Having conversations nobody wants to have. Etc.

Excellent, looking forward to the fruits of that labor, hopefully it starts in 25 hours.

[bigdaddyg]

He's probably staying up all night every night since Texas State game since there are clearly so many people on social media and message boards that know more about football than he does...

You are insufferable haha. We got rocked by a bottom feeder.

If a rocket blows up, doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know someone fucked up.

It happens. It's football. If every game was a guaranteed win, we wouldn't play the game.

He's the first to admit he didn't have the guys as prepared as he should have. But, I didn't see Clark making the wrong reads, missing tackles, missing blocks, etc

What I have seen these past 10 days is a coach working his ass off to make sure it doesn't happen again. Making changes on the lineups. Having conversations nobody wants to have. Etc.

But, not going to derail the topic. End of this conversation here.

That "falling on the sword" crap coaches spew is noble but generally it's crap. I really hate the "we didn't have our guys prepared " mantra. That's the last excuse I as a fan want to hear. You have 12-14 games to prepare for. When I see piss poor tackling and blocking that's just lazy execution. If the opponent pulls out some seemingly new playbook that's a possible explanation why we got "outcoached".

[asu66]

I've known Shawn since he was a college frosh. To me, he seemed up-tight and uncomfortable today, sorta like a cat on a hot tin roof. He was obviously nervous because tomorrow's game will be the most important game of his head coaching career to date. He's aware that some in App Nation have questions about his grip on his team. In addition, a team coached by one of his best friends is coming to KBS with nothing to lose and everything to gain with a chance to get their first ever win against App.

Shawn's Apps, on the other hand, have a lot to lose; they absolutely have to prove that the wheels are not coming off and that they can execute four quarters of good football against a team they are supposed to beat with a minimum of missed assignments and with no on-field exhibition of loss of self-control (personal fouls). IMHO, Shawn was simply feeling the pressure because to tell the truth, he doesn't know how things will play out tomorrow night.

A lot of eyes will be on Shawn to observe how he manages a tense sideline and the ebb and flow of play. It's another part of a coach's life in a fish-bowl.

[AppStateNews]

I've known Shawn since he was a college frosh. To me, he seemed up-tight and uncomfortable today, sorta like a cat on a hot tin roof. He was obviously nervous...perhaps because tomorrow's game will be the most important game of his head coaching career to date. A team coached by one of his best friends is coming to KBS with nothing to lose and everything to gain with a chance to get their first ever win against App.

Wonder if that perceived uncomfort is due to conversations he knew he was going to have today. Or perhaps the outcome of conversations already had?

I know for a fact of at least one lineup change, but that was made last week.

He looked calm and relaxed on the Mountaineer Talk on Tuesday.

[AppStFan1]

He's probably staying up all night every night since Texas State game since there are clearly so many people on social media and message boards that know more about football than he does...

You are insufferable haha. We got rocked by a bottom feeder.

If a rocket blows up, doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know someone fucked up.

It happens. It's football. If every game was a guaranteed win, we wouldn't play the game.

He's the first to admit he didn't have the guys as prepared as he should have. But, I didn't see Clark making the wrong reads, missing tackles, missing blocks, etc

What I have seen these past 10 days is a coach working his ass off to make sure it doesn't happen again. Making changes on the lineups. Having conversations nobody wants to have. Etc.

But, not going to derail the topic. End of this conversation here.

I figured this. He is paid to figure this out and I am trusting we do. I said 8-4 all along and I'm sticking with that pick but I will adjust that if we somehow lose to Ga State. I have a feeling we get it done and see a much better performance this week. I know things can fall apart but I won't slide into that camp for sure unless I'm wrong and we look awful against Ga State. The only reason I believe this season could possibly fall apart is the league is brutal. You could argue that November is going to be almost as tough for us as September was.

[Bootsy]

Clark and the kids better be ready. Shawn Elliott and Georgia State will be.

If App comes out flat, we'll hear something at KBS we haven't heard in a long time...the sound of booing fans.

[bigdaddyg]

We are used to investing so much into our football program and seasons. We discuss aspects of the team and schedule months in advance. We count down the days and eagerly anticipate every opening weekend- as we should. We are also bitterly disappointed when our "loaded team" takes what is perceived to be a horrible or inexcusable loss- Texas State and JMU. While every season seems to fly by this year the A&M and Game Day Saturdays were long ago. Until we are mathematically eliminated from the conference title we should remain completely invested and positive. None of us truly knows what's going on inside the locker room. Many on here carry some preconceived notion that we have some unbeatable roster but the reality is that there are equally if not better teams in the Belt now. Hopefully the team is healed up and ready to go get it.

[Yosefus]

Some hope for us fans and naysayers. I have been pretty down since the TxSt loss on our hoped and chances for Wins the rest of the season. Soo...I looked back 50 years on win/loss records. We have had 42 winning season plus.500 wins to 8 losing records. In the last 40 years 37 winning to 3 losing seasons. In the last 30...28 winning records to 2 losing records. 1 of the last 2 was our last in FCS. My guess is we finish strong and with at least a winning season. Don't quote me but I believe we have a +30% chance of winning conference title still based on FPI. This probably should be in the meaningless or random stats post. Pretty good record the last 30-40 years I would say.
GO APP! WIN BIG TONIGHT

[AppStFan1]

Some hope for us fans and naysayers. I have been pretty down since the TxSt loss on our hoped and chances for Wins the rest of the season. Soo...I looked back 50 years on win/loss records. We have had 42 winning season plus.500 wins to 8 losing records. In the last 40 years 37 winning to 3 losing seasons. In the last 30...28 winning records to 2 losing records. 1 of the last 2 was our last in FCS. My guess is we finish strong and with at least a winning season. Don't quote me but I believe we have a +30% chance of winning conference title still based on FPI. This probably should be in the meaningless or random stats post. Pretty good record the last 30-40 years I would say.
GO APP! WIN BIG TONIGHT

I did not know exact but I know we had single digits in that regard over last 40+ years. Stuff like this is why 6-6 or 5-7 would have people freak out. No matter the reasons our fan base won't put up with 2-3 years of no bowl games or losing seasons in a row. There is a high standard here so the reactions after losses are vocal. We are not use to losing and being a losing team is not an option.