OK you guys - BOOKMARK THIS THREAD

[bcoach]

We haven’t beat a single team with a winning record. Our marquee “win” of the season is a close loss at home versus a mediocre P5 team.

I heap praise on this team when they win and I make no excuses for them when they lose. Reality is, this is just a bad football team with mediocre talent.

I’ve held out belief for most of the year that we’d flip a switch, that ain’t happening.

We will be lucky to squeak into a bowl at 6 wins. I’ll be stunned if we share the Sun Belt title. But whatever I’ll keep watching and cheering them on. This whole season is an absolute disappointment.

I have to disagree. I don't believe this is a bad team I believe it is a very average team. The problem is expectations. All this silly P5 talk sets expectations that lead you to believe this is a bad team. They are not bad in my opinion they are just average.

[hapapp]

The consistency with which we sleepwalk through the first quarter baffles me.I do think ,not unlike last week ,that we were one conversion away from taking control of the game.In neither instance do I understand the play calling ,based on what was working at the time .A couple of plays away from 7-2 .Make no mistake however , the defense got shredded and embarrassed today.

We are also a couple of plays away from 4-5 or even 3-6 as well. This is a team that has lived on the edge in all but two games.

[Goapps15]

7 out of 8 road games we've gotten 10 plus points in the first half. It's very difficult to overcome that consistently.

P.s. we aren't above losing to Georgia Southern right now. I'm really nervous about that game now in front of less than 15k.

[Yosefus]

I agree this is an average team at best. They are missing the killer instinct it appears to me. The Wake loss did something to this team. It has been a different vibe since then. I am very concerned with any of the remaining games. Don't know what has happened on defense especially giving up to many yards and points cant win games like that. On the other hand just glad we are disappointed with anything less than 10 wins. With the youth on field this year there should not be a drop off with expectations.

[App74]

Most importantly, I hope that whatever is wrong is corrected now or after the season. I cannot accept it is all about injuries and youth.

Regardless:

1. I will be at each remaining home game.
2. I expect to lose two of the last three games.
3. I will be at a bowl game if we qualify (unless it is Mobile).
4. I will continue to support financially and with my presence.
5. I have low expectations for next season with likely a far tougher conference schedule.
6. Repeat #4.

[YesAppCan]

Still waiting for a complete four quarter performance, not holding my breath.

Methinks the Wake game may be the closest we see this year to a 4 quarter effort.

The way we lost that game, I simply don’t think we have recovered. Seems that game took the wind out of our sails. Haven’t been the same since.

I agree. Also wonder if by losing Wake game AND any chance of NY6 bowl, took away some motivation.

[appstate77]

I think the Wake loss took some of the soul out of the team. On a brighter note. AE had 5 catches for 51 yrds as Toronto won the CFL East and has a playoff bye.

[AppSt94]

I don;t think I made excuses to start this thread and I'm not sure others have either - I try to state the info as I see it - I stick by my prediction - some of you guys just don't have a clue - Satterfield and Woody and this bunch can no longer coach - geez, the bums have lost 3 SB games in 3 years -After the loss at UGA the only viable realistic accomplishment for this season was to win the SB - we are going to the same bowl in Dec as we would have if we finished 11-1 - Finishing 11-1 would have been great but anything more after the UGA loss is basically window dressing - Not saying I wouldn't have loved to beat WF and UMass and ULM but our season goal of winning the SB is still possible and then just as if we were 11-1 we will play a MAC team in a bowl game ---

Honestly WVAPPeer, I appreciate your optimism and it keeps me hopeful. But this team could go 0-100 and you’d be telling us all why we shouldn’t blame the team and coaching staff. Sometimes bad is bad. We will still all be back next week.

Thanks for the kind words but really - this team and coaches have lost 3 SB games in 3 years - we haven't performed this season like I had hoped but the reason is NOT poor coaching - some questionable calls? sure - some stupid penalties by some players? absolutely - some blown assignments? yes --- But when some point out we have had a lot of injuries and we play a lot of freshmen, it is not an excuse - It is a FACT and it has to have had some negative affect on the overall performance ---

I agree it’s a fact. But great programs find a way to reload every year. They don’t drop games to one win programs and sunbelt doormats. Understanding our deficiencies and being frustrated with our outcomes don’t have to be mutually exclusive concepts. I expect better from this program.

And frankly, stupid penalties season after season is bad coaching. Satt does almost everything well, but apparently discipline isn’t one of them.

Edit: also I’m not throwing shade at you. I generally appreciate your unfettered optimism. So thanks for keeping it rolling.

Great teams reload talent every year, but said team generally dont put those guys on the field for significant playing time their first year, or even their second. Sunbelt Doormat? They were 3-3 in the conference coming in to the game. Our penalties per game is almost double those from the previous years so I fail to see the correlation signifying a yearly problem.

Stop dramatizing your frustrations. Yes we are 5-4. Yes we could be worse. Yes we could be better. But all in all, it is a less than normal season. But it isn't the end of the world.

[AppDawg]

7 out of 8 road games we've gotten 10 plus points in the first half. It's very difficult to overcome that consistently.

P.s. we aren't above losing to Georgia Southern right now. I'm really nervous about that game now in front of less than 15k.

BigC had a stat yesterday after going down 14-0. We have now given up 85 straight points this season on the road before we have scored our 1st points. Consistently playing from behind.

[YesAppCan]

Wow! Very telling.

[WVAPPeer]

8-4 at best is a disapoointment with our extremely weak schedule. There isn't a way to sugar coat it. How we are playing is not okay. The excuses need to stop from us as fans.

How we are playing is not okay, however, we also don't need to overreact and start asking to fire coaches.

I never said fire coaches. Just accountability.

What does "accountability" mean to you?

[Goapps15]

8-4 at best is a disapoointment with our extremely weak schedule. There isn't a way to sugar coat it. How we are playing is not okay. The excuses need to stop from us as fans.

How we are playing is not okay, however, we also don't need to overreact and start asking to fire coaches.

I never said fire coaches. Just accountability.

What does "accountability" mean to you?

That the guys need to play better and show more life. There are times where the effort does not appear to be there and that is on the players. We have now gotten down 85-0 on the road this year before scoring a point. That's just not good enough.

[WVAPPeer]

" They don’t drop games to one win programs and sunbelt doormats."
Oh - Like the DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPIONS losing to Syracuse???

[WVAPPeer]

Thank you, I feel so much better now.

Great
What did you consider legitimate accomplishments going into this season? and after the loss to UGA?

Barely beat the little sisters of the poor, barely? Lose to a 1-win team and a team who had lost the last 3? Sorry, youth-whatever. Injuries, every team has 'em. Flat out-that aint getting it done. Where does the buck stop?

91 - would like for you to answer the question posed above - that would give me a little more perspective ---

[ah59396]

I don;t think I made excuses to start this thread and I'm not sure others have either - I try to state the info as I see it - I stick by my prediction - some of you guys just don't have a clue - Satterfield and Woody and this bunch can no longer coach - geez, the bums have lost 3 SB games in 3 years -After the loss at UGA the only viable realistic accomplishment for this season was to win the SB - we are going to the same bowl in Dec as we would have if we finished 11-1 - Finishing 11-1 would have been great but anything more after the UGA loss is basically window dressing - Not saying I wouldn't have loved to beat WF and UMass and ULM but our season goal of winning the SB is still possible and then just as if we were 11-1 we will play a MAC team in a bowl game ---

Honestly WVAPPeer, I appreciate your optimism and it keeps me hopeful. But this team could go 0-100 and you’d be telling us all why we shouldn’t blame the team and coaching staff. Sometimes bad is bad. We will still all be back next week.

Thanks for the kind words but really - this team and coaches have lost 3 SB games in 3 years - we haven't performed this season like I had hoped but the reason is NOT poor coaching - some questionable calls? sure - some stupid penalties by some players? absolutely - some blown assignments? yes --- But when some point out we have had a lot of injuries and we play a lot of freshmen, it is not an excuse - It is a FACT and it has to have had some negative affect on the overall performance ---

I agree it’s a fact. But great programs find a way to reload every year. They don’t drop games to one win programs and sunbelt doormats. Understanding our deficiencies and being frustrated with our outcomes don’t have to be mutually exclusive concepts. I expect better from this program.

And frankly, stupid penalties season after season is bad coaching. Satt does almost everything well, but apparently discipline isn’t one of them.

Edit: also I’m not throwing shade at you. I generally appreciate your unfettered optimism. So thanks for keeping it rolling.

Great teams reload talent every year, but said team generally dont put those guys on the field for significant playing time their first year, or even their second. Sunbelt Doormat? They were 3-3 in the conference coming in to the game. Our penalties per game is almost double those from the previous years so I fail to see the correlation signifying a yearly problem.

Stop dramatizing your frustrations. Yes we are 5-4. Yes we could be worse. Yes we could be better. But all in all, it is a less than normal season. But it isn't the end of the world.

Not sure where I said it was the end of the world. Stop dramatizing my posts.

ULM is a doormat and we shouldn’t lose to them. Two of their three conference wins were versus Texas State and Coastal. Two bad teams we were able to squeak by as well. They aren’t good and shouldn’t be a measuring stick.

[WVAPPeer]

8-4 at best is a disapoointment with our extremely weak schedule. There isn't a way to sugar coat it. How we are playing is not okay. The excuses need to stop from us as fans.

How we are playing is not okay, however, we also don't need to overreact and start asking to fire coaches.

I never said fire coaches. Just accountability.

But some are

Who? Name 'em. Have not seen that here, plain and simple. stop with the hyperbole.

91 - you are correct that I haven't read the word "Fire" - but I have read what I have interpreted as "they are doing a good job coaching" - would you not agree?

[WVAPPeer]

Guess you guys didn't see that Coastal lost 39-38 at Arkansas last night --- Look guys, this is why I love college football - EVERY GAME COUNTS - there is so much more parity across the board ---

[App91]

How we are playing is not okay, however, we also don't need to overreact and start asking to fire coaches.

I never said fire coaches. Just accountability.

But some are

Who? Name 'em. Have not seen that here, plain and simple. stop with the hyperbole.

91 - you are correct that I haven't read the word "Fire" - but I have read what I have interpreted as "they are doing a good job coaching" - would you not agree?

Im sure you meant to pur a "not" in there but, i think that interpretation is correct. and i agree with it on some points. it is a fact that this has not been the best coaching job. i am not sure of the why's but it is obvious. When the same mistakes happen over and over, to me that would mean they are not being addressed. I know you have a unique perspective from your background, i do not have the same, so i understand where you are coming from. I dont think it is entirely wrong to discuss those issues on a message board, thats what it is here for. If everyone only sung the praises of all involved, this would be a boring place.

[App91]

Thank you, I feel so much better now.

Great
What did you consider legitimate accomplishments going into this season? and after the loss to UGA?

Barely beat the little sisters of the poor, barely? Lose to a 1-win team and a team who had lost the last 3? Sorry, youth-whatever. Injuries, every team has 'em. Flat out-that aint getting it done. Where does the buck stop?

91 - would like for you to answer the question posed above - that would give me a little more perspective ---

Only my personal opinion--i had us a 10-2, losing only to UGA and Wake. I hoped we would and thought we could beat Wake, but i knew it was not a great chance. Our conference (and rest of non-con) should have facilitated wins, based on past performance. By and large, our conf schedule was against the lowest half of the league and we did not get the two powers. We have struggled with each, lost to a 1 win non con. opponent, and now let a lesser opponent beat us. I struggle with the playing poorly vs. that's just truly who we are. And if that is the case, why have we fallen so far so fast?
Don't look now but we have the same conf record as GAst. We both beat Coastal and they beat LaMon. Based on peformance, that is going to be a very difficult game. Southern will be balls out to get their lone win against us, and LaLa will be terribly difficult. The bottom could drop out of this quickly.

[AppSt94]

10-2 was not an unreasonable expectation considering what we expected to have on the field making significant contributions. But we haven't had the services of two of those pieces all year and three have missed significant time due to injury. I understand the "next man up" mantra, but not all players are the same.