Decision Announcements

[EastHallApp]

He is an incredible talent. Very underutilized under Drink's tenure and sparingly under Satts run heavy offense. Depending on who is under center, don't be shocked to see one of the best WR performances we have seen from an App player next year.

Serious question: What from the passing game this year did you see that would lead you to believe next year a WR playing in the same system will have unprecedented success?

I'm privy to some information that would validate what another poster said in noting that this was not a full Petersen offense. Look at what his scheme has been in other places, he is a heavy QB-centric guy, but we didn't throw the ball a ton this year. Another thing to note- Drink was a heavy QB-centric guy as well, but he also limited our air yards. Coincidence?

Drink averages 10 more passing attempts per game now at Mizzou (36 att/game) and average almost 12 more (38 att/ game) at NC State.

Petersen was similar, averaging over 30 att/game at LaTech and averaging over 40 att/game at ECU.

Well i don’t think it is a coincidence, for reasons lost on me, App messages boards would be burnt down if we had a pass-happy offense. And Gillin has seemed determined to keep a run-dominant offense in Boone. I remember the complaints about Drink when he was hired, and he ran a pretty balanced offense at both NCSU and Boise). The announcers even made reference to the “Appalachian Offense” yesterday, which i interpret to be run heavy. And that’s where the comment about it not being really Petersens offense came from, they said that on the broadcast as well.

So are you saying Clark is finally going to open up the offense and bring App State into the 2020’s as far as college offense goes? I hope that’s what you’re saying.

Also it sounds like you’re hinting that Zac may have been a reason that the offense has been so run dominant. I wouldn’t come on here and criticize a kid who won 32 games as a starter here, but it’s always been my opinion that Zac just wasn’t a pure passer and that limits some of what the offense can do, maybe especially this year.

Everyone points to his wins while also acknowledging that we don’t throw the ball.

It’s almost like Zacs wins can be attributed to NFL caliber running backs dominating games.

"Wins" as an unofficial QB stat can certainly be overrated. In extreme cases, you get things like that preseason thread where people were angrily arguing that Zac was better than Sam Howell.

Implying that Zac simply won by handing the ball off is extreme in the other direction. In three years, the guy threw for 7,000 yards, rushed for another 1,300 and accounted for 89 TDs. And we saw how much the offense struggled when he missed a couple games in '18.

[EastHallApp]

Serious question: What from the passing game this year did you see that would lead you to believe next year a WR playing in the same system will have unprecedented success?

I'm privy to some information that would validate what another poster said in noting that this was not a full Petersen offense. Look at what his scheme has been in other places, he is a heavy QB-centric guy, but we didn't throw the ball a ton this year. Another thing to note- Drink was a heavy QB-centric guy as well, but he also limited our air yards. Coincidence?

Drink averages 10 more passing attempts per game now at Mizzou (36 att/game) and average almost 12 more (38 att/ game) at NC State.

Petersen was similar, averaging over 30 att/game at LaTech and averaging over 40 att/game at ECU.

Well i don’t think it is a coincidence, for reasons lost on me, App messages boards would be burnt down if we had a pass-happy offense. And Gillin has seemed determined to keep a run-dominant offense in Boone. I remember the complaints about Drink when he was hired, and he ran a pretty balanced offense at both NCSU and Boise). The announcers even made reference to the “Appalachian Offense” yesterday, which i interpret to be run heavy. And that’s where the comment about it not being really Petersens offense came from, they said that on the broadcast as well.

So are you saying Clark is finally going to open up the offense and bring App State into the 2020’s as far as college offense goes? I hope that’s what you’re saying.

Also it sounds like you’re hinting that Zac may have been a reason that the offense has been so run dominant. I wouldn’t come on here and criticize a kid who won 32 games as a starter here, but it’s always been my opinion that Zac just wasn’t a pure passer and that limits some of what the offense can do, maybe especially this year.

I am not necessarily opposed to shifting a bit more toward an even run/pass balance. But does it give you pause at all that App State has been better over the past six years than virtually all the G5 programs who run your preferred offense?

Your passing game needs to be a threat to run. Notice that for the last few weeks the defense has stacked the box. They’re not scared of our passing game and I don’t blame them.

I don't think anyone would suggest the passing game was where it needed to be this year. It's more of a multi-year question. (i.e., the previous two years, we were 21st and 9th nationally in scoring offense.)

[TurfMonkey]

I am grateful for this Senior Class. I would guess this season has been exhausting and expect many
of them to shut it down. Don't blame them.

[Appstate88]

The Mayor #60 is moving on. Thank you Noah.

[asu7]

Marshall beat us because we had no passing game. If we have a passing game we win the sun belt. Passing killed us and I would be willing to bet money that is why the play calling looked vanilla at times. We just didn't have the talent this year. Sutton opting out hurt us big time. Outside of that the guys did better than I thought they would and at times did worse than expected. Coastal was winnable.

[appstatealum]

I'm not criticizing Zac. What frustrated me most about him is we all saw his potential, but something was amiss after he got hurt a few years ago. I've heard a few things that led me to believe that he wasn't putting in the effort that someone should if they want to be next level. Zac WAS a threat to pass, which helped our rush game, but when defenses saw that he was sporadic, they began to lean on stacking the box. Zac definitely benefitted from some incredible receivers, Henni and Malik were so reliable and Corey is an NFL caliber WR that teams had to account for. Zac also benefitted from a career of having some incredible RBs lined up behind him, but that's what football is all about.

I would definitely love to have a QB who could be relied upon in a game where a defense sells out to stop our rush attack, and outside of the Penn State year, Zac has not been that for me. I'd love to have a great QB who doesn't have to throw it more than 20-25 times a game, that means our rush attack is rolling and our defense is dominating. But to be "next level", we need a strong QB. I think we can be a good destination for some grad transfers or transfers from top tier P5s who know they won't hit the field behind some Top 10 pick. This could give our program the extra boost for NY6.

I honestly had that expectation for Zac, but a lot happened during his career here and it wasn't all beneficial for him to develop and sustain consistency. Part of that is on him though too.

[yosef69]

I'm not criticizing Zac. What frustrated me most about him is we all saw his potential, but something was amiss after he got hurt a few years ago. I've heard a few things that led me to believe that he wasn't putting in the effort that someone should if they want to be next level. Zac WAS a threat to pass, which helped our rush game, but when defenses saw that he was sporadic, they began to lean on stacking the box. Zac definitely benefitted from some incredible receivers, Henni and Malik were so reliable and Corey is an NFL caliber WR that teams had to account for. Zac also benefitted from a career of having some incredible RBs lined up behind him, but that's what football is all about.

I would definitely love to have a QB who could be relied upon in a game where a defense sells out to stop our rush attack, and outside of the Penn State year, Zac has not been that for me. I'd love to have a great QB who doesn't have to throw it more than 20-25 times a game, that means our rush attack is rolling and our defense is dominating. But to be "next level", we need a strong QB. I think we can be a good destination for some grad transfers or transfers from top tier P5s who know they won't hit the field behind some Top 10 pick. This could give our program the extra boost for NY6.

I honestly had that expectation for Zac, but a lot happened during his career here and it wasn't all beneficial for him to develop and sustain consistency. Part of that is on him though too.

Hit the nail on the head. Zac was scary his first year. Each year since he has regressed and the other teams did not respect him as much as 2018.

[BambooRdApp]

I'm not criticizing Zac. What frustrated me most about him is we all saw his potential, but something was amiss after he got hurt a few years ago. I've heard a few things that led me to believe that he wasn't putting in the effort that someone should if they want to be next level. Zac WAS a threat to pass, which helped our rush game, but when defenses saw that he was sporadic, they began to lean on stacking the box. Zac definitely benefitted from some incredible receivers, Henni and Malik were so reliable and Corey is an NFL caliber WR that teams had to account for. Zac also benefitted from a career of having some incredible RBs lined up behind him, but that's what football is all about.

I would definitely love to have a QB who could be relied upon in a game where a defense sells out to stop our rush attack, and outside of the Penn State year, Zac has not been that for me. I'd love to have a great QB who doesn't have to throw it more than 20-25 times a game, that means our rush attack is rolling and our defense is dominating. But to be "next level", we need a strong QB. I think we can be a good destination for some grad transfers or transfers from top tier P5s who know they won't hit the field behind some Top 10 pick. This could give our program the extra boost for NY6.

I honestly had that expectation for Zac, but a lot happened during his career here and it wasn't all beneficial for him to develop and sustain consistency. Part of that is on him though too.

Hit the nail on the head. Zac was scary his first year. Each year since he has regressed and the other teams did not respect him as much as 2018.

You are not criticizing ZT, but then you do...

[yosef69]

I'm not criticizing Zac. What frustrated me most about him is we all saw his potential, but something was amiss after he got hurt a few years ago. I've heard a few things that led me to believe that he wasn't putting in the effort that someone should if they want to be next level. Zac WAS a threat to pass, which helped our rush game, but when defenses saw that he was sporadic, they began to lean on stacking the box. Zac definitely benefitted from some incredible receivers, Henni and Malik were so reliable and Corey is an NFL caliber WR that teams had to account for. Zac also benefitted from a career of having some incredible RBs lined up behind him, but that's what football is all about.

I would definitely love to have a QB who could be relied upon in a game where a defense sells out to stop our rush attack, and outside of the Penn State year, Zac has not been that for me. I'd love to have a great QB who doesn't have to throw it more than 20-25 times a game, that means our rush attack is rolling and our defense is dominating. But to be "next level", we need a strong QB. I think we can be a good destination for some grad transfers or transfers from top tier P5s who know they won't hit the field behind some Top 10 pick. This could give our program the extra boost for NY6.

I honestly had that expectation for Zac, but a lot happened during his career here and it wasn't all beneficial for him to develop and sustain consistency. Part of that is on him though too.

Hit the nail on the head. Zac was scary his first year. Each year since he has regressed and the other teams did not respect him as much as 2018.

You are not criticizing ZT, but then you do...

First post wasn’t me. He regressed and it’s as clear as 2+2 = 4

[InFor6More]

I believe the plan is for a one year grad transfer.

Is this true? Not questioning anyone’s knowledge or access to the program, just trying to understand if this is really the plan?

[yosef69]

I believe the plan is for a one year grad transfer.

Is this true? Not questioning anyone’s knowledge or access to the program, just trying to understand if this is really the plan?

I am 100 percent certain

[EastHallApp]

I believe the plan is for a one year grad transfer.

Is this true? Not questioning anyone’s knowledge or access to the program, just trying to understand if this is really the plan?

I am 100 percent certain

Yeah I'm certain about the grad transfer part. Not as sure about the one-year part.

[appstatealum]

I'm not criticizing Zac. What frustrated me most about him is we all saw his potential, but something was amiss after he got hurt a few years ago. I've heard a few things that led me to believe that he wasn't putting in the effort that someone should if they want to be next level. Zac WAS a threat to pass, which helped our rush game, but when defenses saw that he was sporadic, they began to lean on stacking the box. Zac definitely benefitted from some incredible receivers, Henni and Malik were so reliable and Corey is an NFL caliber WR that teams had to account for. Zac also benefitted from a career of having some incredible RBs lined up behind him, but that's what football is all about.

I would definitely love to have a QB who could be relied upon in a game where a defense sells out to stop our rush attack, and outside of the Penn State year, Zac has not been that for me. I'd love to have a great QB who doesn't have to throw it more than 20-25 times a game, that means our rush attack is rolling and our defense is dominating. But to be "next level", we need a strong QB. I think we can be a good destination for some grad transfers or transfers from top tier P5s who know they won't hit the field behind some Top 10 pick. This could give our program the extra boost for NY6.

I honestly had that expectation for Zac, but a lot happened during his career here and it wasn't all beneficial for him to develop and sustain consistency. Part of that is on him though too.

Hit the nail on the head. Zac was scary his first year. Each year since he has regressed and the other teams did not respect him as much as 2018.

You are not criticizing ZT, but then you do...

It's hard to dictate tone in an online post, so that's why I prefaced it with me not "criticizing Zac". Overall, I liked him as a player, but just because he is a "winner" and a good kid doesn't mean he's immune to pointing out areas where he could have progressed that would've been beneficial to himself and the team. I did the same analysis on Lamb years ago and thought I would be stoned to death by my fellow App faithful. I'm talking facts and general observations, and then analyzing where we have opportunities to be better as a team. You can be really good and always have opportunities.

[AppSt94]

Not sure I agree with your assessment. His completion percentage is up. His YPC are comparable to past years. Total yards are down, but he has considerably less completions than last year. Yes, INTs are up but how much of those are on him and not a product of no pre season camp, off season workouts to get accustomed to the new guys?

[Yosef10]

He is an incredible talent. Very underutilized under Drink's tenure and sparingly under Satts run heavy offense. Depending on who is under center, don't be shocked to see one of the best WR performances we have seen from an App player next year.

Serious question: What from the passing game this year did you see that would lead you to believe next year a WR playing in the same system will have unprecedented success?

I'm privy to some information that would validate what another poster said in noting that this was not a full Petersen offense. Look at what his scheme has been in other places, he is a heavy QB-centric guy, but we didn't throw the ball a ton this year. Another thing to note- Drink was a heavy QB-centric guy as well, but he also limited our air yards. Coincidence?

Drink averages 10 more passing attempts per game now at Mizzou (36 att/game) and average almost 12 more (38 att/ game) at NC State.

Petersen was similar, averaging over 30 att/game at LaTech and averaging over 40 att/game at ECU.

Well i don’t think it is a coincidence, for reasons lost on me, App messages boards would be burnt down if we had a pass-happy offense. And Gillin has seemed determined to keep a run-dominant offense in Boone. I remember the complaints about Drink when he was hired, and he ran a pretty balanced offense at both NCSU and Boise). The announcers even made reference to the “Appalachian Offense” yesterday, which i interpret to be run heavy. And that’s where the comment about it not being really Petersens offense came from, they said that on the broadcast as well.

So are you saying Clark is finally going to open up the offense and bring App State into the 2020’s as far as college offense goes? I hope that’s what you’re saying.

Also it sounds like you’re hinting that Zac may have been a reason that the offense has been so run dominant. I wouldn’t come on here and criticize a kid who won 32 games as a starter here, but it’s always been my opinion that Zac just wasn’t a pure passer and that limits some of what the offense can do, maybe especially this year.

I am not necessarily opposed to shifting a bit more toward an even run/pass balance. But does it give you pause at all that App State has been better over the past six years than virtually all the G5 programs who run your preferred offense?

I wouldn’t say it’s a “preferred offense” as far as style goes or anything. I love running the ball and you can’t argue with the results, like you point out. I just think that outside of breaking off big runs, which is tougher to do against quality opponents, we have struggled to be a truly explosive and dynamic offense. While I do wear the black and gold shades, I can’t say at any point during the past 6 years have we been the absolute best G5 team in any given year, and IMO that is because of the lack of an offense that is dynamic and explosive and able to score in any way, from any spot on the field. Look at the G5’s who have been in the NY6 and the explosive offenses that they have had. That’s my end goal for App, not just beating up on the Sun Belt.

I should say, i probably come across more negative in posts than I truly am. I’m not disappointed with 9-3, not disappointed in any past seasons either. I just think with the way football is now played we put a ceiling on the program with the “Appalachian Offense” we’ve been running since Satt. I could easily be wrong here and maybe running the ball as much as we do gives us the best chance, but i just can’t help but see the massive overhaul in offense down in Tuscaloosa and think that’s what we should be attempting as well.

[AppSt94]

Outside of Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and the flavor of the year, everyone else has the same ceiling. We are playing for scraps.

[appstatealum]

Not sure I agree with your assessment. His completion percentage is up. His YPC are comparable to past years. Total yards are down, but he has considerably less completions than last year. Yes, INTs are up but how much of those are on him and not a product of no pre season camp, off season workouts to get accustomed to the new guys?

So, you acknowledge he is throwing the ball less, his Yard Per Pass is down, and he is turning it over with more frequency. Also go to the eye test, he has struggled to make reads and has a higher number of under and overthrown passes. This all points to opportunities with preparation. Also, there are extra steps QBs can make to build chemistry and timing with receivers, I know Zac has not taken advantage of these opportunities. It is what it is. He has had an incredible career here at App and I appreciate what he did.

[Yosef10]

Outside of Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and the flavor of the year, everyone else has the same ceiling. We are playing for scraps.

But I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about being mentioned with the UCFs, Cincys, Memphis’. They too have dynamic and explosive offenses. I’m not talking about being Bama, OSU, Clemson etc.. This is about style of offense, not recruiting top 5 classes.

[yosef69]

12 is out. Interesting that he’s forgoing an extra year for the NFL coming off a season that wasn’t his best. Good luck to him. Would love to see him make a roster.

[AppSt94]

Not sure I agree with your assessment. His completion percentage is up. His YPC are comparable to past years. Total yards are down, but he has considerably less completions than last year. Yes, INTs are up but how much of those are on him and not a product of no pre season camp, off season workouts to get accustomed to the new guys?

So, you acknowledge he is throwing the ball less, his Yard Per Pass is down, and he is turning it over with more frequency. Also go to the eye test, he has struggled to make reads and has a higher number of under and overthrown passes. This all points to opportunities with preparation. Also, there are extra steps QBs can make to build chemistry and timing with receivers, I know Zac has not taken advantage of these opportunities. It is what it is. He has had an incredible career here at App and I appreciate what he did.

Is he making the wrong reads, or is he having to hold onto the ball longer than he should? Yes, he is forcing some throws, and I’m not completely exonerating him for the errors. But you, of all people should know that the eye test isn’t always the best gauge. Guys weren’t running the designed routes. Veterans and rookies. What other ways can you work on timing with young guys when practice time is limited to ZOOM calls?