Coach Drink Staff Thread

[97APP]

Our D has been dominant against SunBelt/G5 teams - but there is a reason we do not have a P5 win - they've out scored us. Optimistically I believe Roof can provide some tweaks that will help us compete (and win) against P5s. After all, with all of his tenures he's gone against good-to-better P5 offenses.

We don’t need to tweak our defense. Statistically, we are damn good as is. Make two field goals (Vols, Deacons) and we have two more P5 wins. Our D should continue to be built to defeat teams in our conference and win championships. Athletic Speed that is aggressive over size wins. Georgia Southern is trying to mimic us to close the defensive gap and to win the conference. If they are better than us on total defense next year then we got the wrong guy at DC.

I would look more at game control than total defense. Ga Southern runs the option and controls the clock. Our offense under Satt basically did the same through the outside zone and ball control offense. I expect our offense to be more dynamic, higher scoring, and our time of possession to go down this season. This would result in more possessions for the opponent for more yards and opportunities to score. This would be true if we retained our entire previous defensive staff. If Ga South improves their defense and they become more proficient with their offense as they enter year two under Lunsford I expect them to improve their total defense stats. This comes true especially if we don't shut the O down in the second half as soon as we gain a 3 score lead like Satt would.

[WXAPP]

We'll be fine.

Football season is over. Time to step back, get through the Winter and we'll see what the Spring holds.

Give Coach Drink the room to build, develop and create. No real way to forecast (see what I did there) how all of the parts will fit and what the staff and team minutia will be at this point.

Ya don't rush a good Q on the smoker. Give things time to cook a bit.

-WXAPP

[Appstate88]

Our D has been dominant against SunBelt/G5 teams - but there is a reason we do not have a P5 win - they've out scored us. Optimistically I believe Roof can provide some tweaks that will help us compete (and win) against P5s. After all, with all of his tenures he's gone against good-to-better P5 offenses.

We don’t need to tweak our defense. Statistically, we are damn good as is. Make two field goals (Vols, Deacons) and we have two more P5 wins. Our D should continue to be built to defeat teams in our conference and win championships. Athletic Speed that is aggressive over size wins. Georgia Southern is trying to mimic us to close the defensive gap and to win the conference. If they are better than us on total defense next year then we got the wrong guy at DC.

I would look more at game control than total defense. Ga Southern runs the option and controls the clock. Our offense under Satt basically did the same through the outside zone and ball control offense. I expect our offense to be more dynamic, higher scoring, and our time of possession to go down this season. This would result in more possessions for the opponent for more yards and opportunities to score. This would be true if we retained our entire previous defensive staff. If Ga South improves their defense and they become more proficient with their offense as they enter year two under Lunsford I expect them to improve their total defense stats. This comes true especially if we don't shut the O down in the second half as soon as we gain a 3 score lead like Satt would.

We have been the #1 Sunbelt defense for the past three years. We are also coming off of back, to back, to back conference championships. We are the third youngest team in FBS. With who we have on defense, if we are not #1 in the Sunbelt, we got the wrong guy at DC regardless of what changes on offense.

[Gonzo]

It is remarkable that Gillen and company are announcing this on a Saturday and rolling out a PR wagon along with the announcement. App Football twitter posted a Dan Quinn and Bill Curry quote talking up Roof. I don’t think it’s an indicator of good vs bad hire, but obviously DG has his ear to the fan base and anticipated negative reactions. Gillen is very good at his job.

[Yosef84]

From our new DC’s twitter page: “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”

That's a great quote! I love it!

The situation at App is different from any that Roof has seen in a long time. This is a young upstart program, new to FBS and on the up swing. He is coaching under a young energetic coach who is looking to prove something. He is employed by a program that believes in excellence and doesn't fear the risks inherent in striving for the top.

Energy is contagious. We now have a DC who probably has a ton of football knowledge and decades of experience. His hands are being unbound and he is being told to let the horses run. He has done the "big time" programs but I bet the idea of playing without reservation and being handed a team capable of EXECUTING that style....I bet that is a dream come true for a DC.

Call me a "kool-aid drinker" if you want. I choose not to waste unnecessary energy worrying about what could go wrong. I'll trust the man who has more football knowledge than anyone on this board....the one who conducted the interviews and did the research and who isn't relying on 5 minutes worth of statistics cleaned from a box score.

Welcome to the Rock, Coach Roof!

[appfan1991]

Our D has been dominant against SunBelt/G5 teams - but there is a reason we do not have a P5 win - they've out scored us. Optimistically I believe Roof can provide some tweaks that will help us compete (and win) against P5s. After all, with all of his tenures he's gone against good-to-better P5 offenses.

We don’t need to tweak our defense. Statistically, we are damn good as is. Make two field goals (Vols, Deacons) and we have two more P5 wins. Our D should continue to be built to defeat teams in our conference and win championships. Athletic Speed that is aggressive over size wins. Georgia Southern is trying to mimic us to close the defensive gap and to win the conference. If they are better than us on total defense next year then we got the wrong guy at DC.

Many on this forum have visions of beating (on a regular basis) P5 teams - after all we want to be respected for the fb powerhouse that we are in the state (region). Not to split hairs but statistics are statistics (they don't win games). If we faced the same level of talent pretty much game in and game out that ms state (#1 scoring defense),clemson#2 bama#4 doubt we would be #5. Better yet for the competition we faced this year to even get close to those we would have to be ranked #1 by a significant margin. (btw fresno st tied #2) - Saying all that to say we have a tremendous room for improvement - then we can compete with anyone (every game).

[Appster99]

NC State fans are thanking us on twitter for taking Roof from them. How can a guy be so loved by other coaches and so disliked by fans? I keep waiting for someone, anyone, who played for him to chime in. It just defies logic that a coach could be that bad and still keep getting hired.

[Rekdiver]

NC State fans are thanking us on twitter for taking Roof from them. How can a guy be so loved by other coaches and so disliked by fans? I keep waiting for someone, anyone, who played for him to chime in. It just defies logic that a coach could be that bad and still keep getting hired.

The NCSU culture is almost as bad as ECU.

[MAD Doctor]

As any Pittsburgh Steelers fan will attest, a high-powered offense loaded with stars with impressive stats will still still fail if your once dominant defense can’t stop anyone.
With that said, I believe Drink knows what he’s doing, short-term and long-term. I don’t think any of us expect Roof to be coaching our incoming freshman class when they are seniors, whether it’s Drink’s decision or Roof’s. Regardless, we’ve got a great returning team, an exciting new head coach, we are still App State, and there’s plenty of magic left on this old mountain.
Buy season tickets, give to Yosef, and believe in the black and gold.

[ukappfan]

Wait, NCST has culture....?

[AppSt94]

I really don’t get the obsession with beating P5s. Moreover, beating them consistently. What G5 has done it with sustained success? I get beating local P5s helps to a degree, but beating a shatty team that happens to be a P5 isn’t needle moving.

[Appster99]

Our D has been dominant against SunBelt/G5 teams - but there is a reason we do not have a P5 win - they've out scored us. Optimistically I believe Roof can provide some tweaks that will help us compete (and win) against P5s. After all, with all of his tenures he's gone against good-to-better P5 offenses.

We don’t need to tweak our defense. Statistically, we are damn good as is. Make two field goals (Vols, Deacons) and we have two more P5 wins. Our D should continue to be built to defeat teams in our conference and win championships. Athletic Speed that is aggressive over size wins. Georgia Southern is trying to mimic us to close the defensive gap and to win the conference. If they are better than us on total defense next year then we got the wrong guy at DC.

Many on this forum have visions of beating (on a regular basis) P5 teams - after all we want to be respected for the fb powerhouse that we are in the state (region). Not to split hairs but statistics are statistics (they don't win games). If we faced the same level of talent pretty much game in and game out that ms state (#1 scoring defense),clemson#2 bama#4 doubt we would be #5. Better yet for the competition we faced this year to even get close to those we would have to be ranked #1 by a significant margin. (btw fresno st tied #2) - Saying all that to say we have a tremendous room for improvement - then we can compete with anyone (every game).

The point about statistics is real. If we played 8 P5s this year our statistics would probably not put us anywhere near the top 25, much less top 10. Penn State hung 45 on us. We are the top tier of G5, and can hang with most middle ofvthe road P5s, but we have a lot of growth to achieve to consistently beat, not just compete, with the better P5s. That being said, if we lose the UNC game this fall, I will believe we took a step backwards. We would have trounced them in'18. I don't believe Mack Brown can work that miracle in one year.

[Stonewall]

Pinning our success or failure on one game , especially a P5 game,given the resource diffences ? Not me. The body of work throughout the year will tell the tale.

[AppSt94]

Should a loss to UNC occur, it won’t be a step back, but a dose of reality. Hope you guys can accept this.

[Appster99]

I really don’t get the obsession with beating P5s. Moreover, beating them consistently. What G5 has done it with sustained success? I get beating local P5s helps to a degree, but beating a shatty team that happens to be a P5 isn’t needle moving.

Its simple really. To be the best you have to beat the best. Coming from being a FCS powerhouse, we have quickly established our program among the elite G5s. Step up. Record breaking success. Goal achieved. Next step is consistently beating the "shatty" P5s and hanging the occasional loss on the majors. It will take years of dominating G5s to get into a P5 conference where we play the highest echelon weekly. That should be our long term goal. Not to be the best of the second class citizens, to be the best of them all. Few achieve it. Fewer sustain it for long. But we have to continually set our sights higher or we are settling for mediocrity.

[AppSt94]

I really don’t get the obsession with beating P5s. Moreover, beating them consistently. What G5 has done it with sustained success? I get beating local P5s helps to a degree, but beating a shatty team that happens to be a P5 isn’t needle moving.

Its simple really. To be the best you have to beat the best. Coming from being a FCS powerhouse, we have quickly established our program among the elite G5s. Step up. Record breaking success. Goal achieved. Next step is consistently beating the "shatty" P5s and hanging the occasional loss on the majors. It will take years of dominating G5s to get into a P5 conference where we play the highest echelon weekly. That should be our long term goal. Not to be the best of the second class citizens, to be the best of them all. Few achieve it. Fewer sustain it for long. But we have to continually set our sights higher or we are settling for mediocrity.

But that just it. Who has been consistent in it?

[Appster99]

Pinning our success or failure on one game , especially a P5 game,given the resource diffences ? Not me. The body of work throughout the year will tell the tale.

Point taken. My line of thinking is we have the best chance since the Wake game to prove we are getting better every year. Given our success this past season and the talent returning I fully expect to beat every G5 or lower next season. Beating even a not very good P5 still has more weight than pounding G5s. As you pointed out, they have resources we don't have. Beating Penn State would have been looked at as great, but an anomaly. Had we won that game, we could have played them again the next 10 weeks in a row and gotten beaten soundly each time. UNC is a next level team and I truly believe we will be better than them next year.

[Appster99]

I really don’t get the obsession with beating P5s. Moreover, beating them consistently. What G5 has done it with sustained success? I get beating local P5s helps to a degree, but beating a shatty team that happens to be a P5 isn’t needle moving.

Its simple really. To be the best you have to beat the best. Coming from being a FCS powerhouse, we have quickly established our program among the elite G5s. Step up. Record breaking success. Goal achieved. Next step is consistently beating the "shatty" P5s and hanging the occasional loss on the majors. It will take years of dominating G5s to get into a P5 conference where we play the highest echelon weekly. That should be our long term goal. Not to be the best of the second class citizens, to be the best of them all. Few achieve it. Fewer sustain it for long. But we have to continually set our sights higher or we are settling for mediocrity.

But that just it. Who has been consistent in it?

Who won their first 4 bowls in their first 4 seasons of eligibility? Everybody has to start somewhere. It doesn't matter who did it or didn't do it in the past. But if someone is going to do it in the future it might as well be App State.

[AppSt94]

So you aren’t asking App to do something that no one has done, you are expecting it?

[fjblair]

3,2,1 - Board melt down

#TrustTheVisor

Not really. The vocal minority has already had a number of meltdowns and have nothing left in the tank.

App Nation is on board and ready to roll.