FOOTBALL Middle Tennessee (1-2) @ #14 Iowa (3-0), ESPN2, 11AM, Saturday, September 28, 2019
- Thread starter SpaceRaider
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Shafer seems to be a fairly intelligent defensive football guy. He has to know it’s a problem if his two safeties (Blankenship and Moffat) are the #1 and #2 leading tacklers on the Blue Raider Defense then he’s giving up an avg. of 5-6 yards a pop. Hell, these two guys are lined up 12-15 yards deep at the snap.
Right. Doesn't take a rocket science. I suspect he's doing the best with what he has, but when your front 7 collectively weighs about 180 pounds, then there's literally nothing you can do. I feel like this staff became way too enamored with Khalil Brooks and decided to go out and recruit 5 LB's with his size, hoping to get similar results. Instead, we have a bunch of wet noodles on the second level who can't stop the run or defense the pass.
Our LB core looks like a group of safeties, and in front of them is 250 pound redshirt senior DT who gets relocated on every play.
This front 7 honestly wouldn't be able to stop most FCS teams, much less FBS teams. Just look at the TN State game. They ran (and threw) for tons of yards. Over 400+ if I remember correctly.
And this isn't something that can be fixed mid-season either. We are what we are and that's a terrible, TERRIBLE defensive football team. Our front 7 is a literal joke, probably worst in FBS, and worse than most of FCS. They couldn't stop the run for their life, and can't even stop the pass either despite being quicker due to weighing less. It's just an honest disaster and it's the result of piss poor recruiting over the last 2-3 years. Jordan Ferguson and Zaylin Wood will be future stars at the DT position but they are of course nowhere to be found.....
This staff....just really I have no words. There's not a single position coach on this staff I have anything good to say about. Dustin Royston did a good job with the most recent recruiting class but what the hell does that do for us right now? Nothing. Everyone else can kick rocks, eat dirt, and go eat for free somewhere else. Especially that half-wit Mike Polly who couldn't coach himself out of a wet paper bag. 12 men on the field. Never forget.
I get it. I really do. Duke is about to be ranked. That will make 3 ranked teams we will have faced with a total of 2 losses between the 3 of them. We played the toughest schedule in the league. We got our butts kicked but there is no team in the league that would have done better. UNT got worked by both SMU and Houston. Marshall was supposed to be the bell cow in the east and they got slaughtered by Cincinatti, giving up 52 to Cincy.
I watched the FAU/Charlotte game and if those are the best 2 teams in the east, we got a shot. It was like watching jr. high ball. It is what it is. Y'all can say the belt is better but Troy and ASU has no D as that game produced about 90 points. The P5/G5 wall is real.
We'll see what happens but next week will be different. Playing against the toughest makes you tougher in the long run. We have problems but every other CUSA team does too. WKU is 2-0 in the league and they lost to Central Ark. We're better off than we think. Hopefully.
I watched the FAU/Charlotte game and if those are the best 2 teams in the east, we got a shot. It was like watching jr. high ball. It is what it is. Y'all can say the belt is better but Troy and ASU has no D as that game produced about 90 points. The P5/G5 wall is real.
We'll see what happens but next week will be different. Playing against the toughest makes you tougher in the long run. We have problems but every other CUSA team does too. WKU is 2-0 in the league and they lost to Central Ark. We're better off than we think. Hopefully.
Yes, playing iowa and michigan will make the Raiders better prepared for conference play.
I don't really buy in since we played tougher competition we are better prepared. If we had "competed" with them it might be different but we were curbstomped and skulldrugged. The pysc of our players suffered heavily. Marshall was embarrassed but Doc can get them prepared. I would not be shocked if they beat us by three td's.
Maybe he’s the only one that didn’t have a false start and at least two holding calls?
Stock is a better coach than Mac and our players actually go to class now. We played 3 SEC teams last year and played for the conference title.
Why does Marshall get a pass for taking a dump against a G5 team and we don't for playing against the #14 team in the nation? So Doc will get them ready ut Stock won't? Tyler King, their best player got kicked off the team 10 days ago but Doc will get em ready. They barely beat Ohio by 2 points but Doc will have em ready? I'm not buying that.
You only need to look at Docs record in big games and bowls to see who can better prepare their team. It's not close.
As for playing tougher competition, I don't think it matters if we are getting destroyed to collect a check. Had we played like we belong on the same field it might be different.
To be fair, we are 3-3 against Marshall since we joined C-USA and interestingly 3-3 ATS. I expect us to lose, but history tells us this is a very even series and the underdog typically does better than expected, if not flat out upset the favorite.
yet we are 3-3 vs. them. We beat them in their house last year. They gave up 52 vs. a G5 team. This game is an even match.
Here we go again. Bet the farm on Marshall. JT has weighed in.
Iowa prediction:
”If they didn't put 40 on Rutgers or Miami of Ohio, they ain't putting 40 on us.
They put 45.
Here we go again. Bet the farm on Marshall. JT has weighed in.
Iowa prediction:
”If they didn't put 40 on Rutgers or Miami of Ohio, they ain't putting 40 on us.
They put 45.
You got me on that one bro but you know I'm right more than I'm wrong. Also, watch the Vandy, UGA film from last year. We called very different plays against thpse teams vs. FAU, Marshall and the rest of conference play last year. I think we hold back vs. OOC. It sucks for us but don't be surprised if we look a little different on Saturday. Not painting a pretty picture. It's kinda what we do.
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Here we go again. Bet the farm on Marshall. JT has weighed in.
Iowa prediction:
”If they didn't put 40 on Rutgers or Miami of Ohio, they ain't putting 40 on us.
They put 45.
No they didn't. They put 48. The margin was 45.
And it should be 4-2 us. Nixs last year as DC we made their inept offense look like the 1988 49ers. He should have been fired on the spot but we keep him until after the Hawaii bowl. I'm still irked about that.
I think he was a good HS football player at a powerhouse but would still struggle at the OVC level. Prolly D2 or NAIA at best.
We all know why he was signed. He’s a good kid with major limitations to succeed at this level. I just hope he’s giving our OL starters decent looks in practice.
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