Rate your team from the first of the season to now

[T-Dog]

It's November so it's a different landscape than it was in late August. Some have stepped up and are real threats. Others flopped and are playing for pride. Basically, how would you rank your team from what you saw at the very beginning of the season.

I'll start with my team.

Our glaring negatives at the start were our rush defense, passing defense special teams and wide receivers. We were solid at QB play, our backs were doing good, our O-line has done well (minus the 2nd half of JMU) and our D-Line was doing okay.

Our WR's took a few games, but now our receiving core is solid. Quick has stepped forward as a threat. Hillary is finally settling into his role and Courman is actually getting the ball his way now.

Our rush defense is still suspect, but against the caliber of rushing teams we've faced recently, in what sounds similar from last year, we make stops to keep points off the boards. Still isn't great, but it's good right now.

Pass defense was exposed against Georgia Southern big time. Several big time long pass plays given up. And we were burned against JMU and every now and then in the other games. Did better against Furman and did tons better against Wofford (although they aren't a passing team, Elon will be a big test of the passing defense on 11/15).

Special Teams is still suspect. Had a great game against Wofford, but we've had a huge breakdown in every game before that. Missed PAT's, kick returns for TD's, muffing kicks. Hopefully Wofford is a sign of things clamping down. More starters are playing special teams coverage which has shown in the last two games (no kick returns for TD given up).

Armanti is still Armanti, despite losing starting RB Devon Moore for the season, Welton has filled his shoes and Radford is healthy again. The D-Line got big sacks for the first time all year against Furman and made big 4th down stops against Wofford's run. The linebackers have been solid all year and are scary to go against.

Overall: Vast improvements from the WR's. Baby steps from Special Teams have helped and the secondary is gaining confidence but still can be burned at times. The Wofford game was darn-near flawless in a lot of aspects but since it's only one game, I won't say we're darn-near flawless in a lot of areas. Although with Chattanooga and Western Carolina yet to play, things are looking up with the SoCon buzzsaw out of the way.

We started at a C average (some A's and some F's weigh evenly) and right now, we're at an A-. Now it's a matter of not getting trapped. UTC could catch us in a hangover at their place. Elon could torch us passing the ball and Western in still a rivalry game at their place.

So AGSers, evaluate your team from the start of the year to right now.

[uofmman1122]

We kind of did a metaphorical Nike Swoosh.

We were up, then we went down, and now we're further up than we were before.

Swoosh! xlolx

[Tod]

We kind of did a metaphorical Nike Swoosh.

We were up, then we went down, and now we're further up than we were before.

Swoosh! xlolx

Nice! xnodx xnodx xnodx xnodx

[appfan2008]

not bad analysis of ASU...

I would add that the last 2 weeks speacial teams should have recieved an A... I know we missed an extra point against furman but that wind was insane and the st was perfect on friday...

[blueballs]

GSU has played close games all year... at the first they lost them, recently they have won them. Each week brings a new adventure.xlolx

What we have seen is the "coming out party" and growth of several first year players, including Antonio Henton, Lee Chapple, Adam Urbano, Josh Petkovich, Terrence Hall, William Maxwell, Leander Barney, Adrian Mora, Charlie Edwards, Zeke Rozier, Rod Tinsley, JB Shippy, Darrell Pasco, AJ McCray, Lennie Richardson, Marc Thomas, KR Snipes, Brett Layson, Derek Heyden, Tavaris Williams, Dion DuBose, Brent Russell, Marcus Russ, Joe Behrman, Trey Dunmon, David Arnold, Anthony Jones, Jerrell Crawford.

All of the above mentioned players are in their first year playing in the program and all have been solid contributors on the two deep or special teams.

GSU will have aonther 20+ scholarships to give out in February so another infusion of young talent looms. Like we've been saying all along, you had better get 'em this year beacuse by 2010 they are gonna be some kind of nasty.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

Hint to URI,It's not the coaching.

I think I'll wait a couple of seasons before I'll know enough on that subject. xrolleyesx

[Ronbo]

A totally pleasant and unexpected surprise. We lost 14 starters, the all time FCS kicking leader, a 43 ypk punter, the best RB in Montana history, two great WR's, and the Buck Buchanan winner. 4 of our starters from 2007 made NFL rosters.

We have 12 true freshmen burning redshirts. This should spell disaster, right?

8-1 and we have a great chance to go 11-1. xlolx xlolx xlolx xnodx

[clenz]

We kind of did a metaphorical Nike Swoosh.

We were up, then we went down, and now we're further up than we were before.

Swoosh! xlolx
That is a good way to describe UNI as well.

[jaxstatealum]

Well...

Offense is better than anyone expected xnodx
Defense is worse than expected xsmhx
Special Teams just plain sucks xmadx

[letsgopards04]

I think people were expecting good things from the 'Pards but 6-2 has been a pleasant surprise. However this team lacks a killer mentality and the play calling gets too conservative once we get a lead (ie Colgate game) and by the time the game gets close you can't turn the intensity back on.

[Appfan_in_CAAland]

I think we all saw on Friday night how much better everyone's favorite team has gotten since the start of the year!

[JMU2K_DukeDawg]

JMU remains as solid as it was in the beginning of the season. The main concern is LB, but it appears that the Defense is switching from a 4-2-5 to a more traditional 4-3-4 scheme by bringing up a safety to basically play linebacker.

The team tackled and filled in gaps vs. Delaware 110% better than they had @Villanova.

The main issue is health. You want to stay healthy to have a long run in the playoffs. JMU has a couple little issues aside from DJ Brandon out for the season, but nothing that should be the cause for fall from #1 before the playoffs. This bye week should help.

[Reign of Terrier]

Wofford looked like a serious championship contender......and the we played App State.

Offense gets in A. With the exception of the App game we didn't turn the ball over often

We still rack up yardage and score points.

Defense gets a C+. We looked like we were improving until we played App and we're clearly a little young in the secondary to challenge armanti. Before App we were successful at forcing turnovers, stopping the run, and getting sacks.
We have a +10 TO margin and that's with a -5 against App.

KO coverage is an achilles heal
special teams B-

overall grade B. Had we played better against App we could have been an A- or A team.

[Silenoz]

A-

During the preseason I predicted a 9-3 or 8-4 season with lots of close wins. And it looked like that might be the case during the UC Davis, CWU and Weber games. But right now we are looking as good as the 2004 team that made a championship run. Offense is clicking on all cylinders, and the defense has shown immense improvement.

Only issue is the number of sacks we give up which prevented me from giving an A or A+

[Ronbo]

The increase in sacks is a direct relationship to the low interceptions (only 4) and zero grounding penalties this year. Bergquist is hanging on to the ball inside the hash marks rather than taking an intentional grounding or throwing an interception.

I can live with the sacks verses the alternatives. Interceptions and grounding penalties, which by the way you lose the down, it's a very damaging penalty. Yes, when Cole drops back and can't find a receiver and he's inside the hash marks the smart thing to do is take the sack rather than throwing it up for grabs.

[Silenoz]

The increase in sacks is a direct relationship to the low interceptions (only 4) and zero grounding penalties this year. Bergquist is hanging on to the ball inside the hash marks rather than taking an intentional grounding or throwing an interception.

I can live with the sacks verses the alternatives. Interceptions and grounding penalties, which by the way you lose the down, it's a very damaging penalty. Yes, when Cole drops back and can't find a receiver and he's inside the hash marks the smart thing to do is take the sack rather than throwing it up for grabs.

Nonetheless, I do believe we are by far last in the conference in sacks against

[Ronbo]

Nonetheless, I do believe we are by far last in the conference in sacks against

And by far the lowest in interceptons and grounding penalties.

[Silenoz]

Well I want the best of both worlds! :)

[Ronbo]

I see two types of sacks occur alot this season.

1st one I've seen often is a blown screen play where they let the linemen through. Cole looks to his receiver and there is someone all over him so Cole doesn't throw the ball for fear the ball will be picked.

The 2nd is when all receivers are covered Cole looks and looks and then trys to get outside the hash marks to buy time or he tucks it and tries to run but he gets caught for a sack.

These 2 scenarios are probably 70% of Coles sacks. The other 30% is just blown blocks by the tackle or running back.

[MaroonDoom]

EKU. Much improved now. Plus in turnover margin. Offense still struggles at times, but it appears they are heading the right direction. Those earlier loses really hurt.

[BobcatJH]

"We're Still *****ty"

[Eaglesrus]

I think we all saw on Friday night how much better everyone's favorite team has gotten since the start of the year!

So now y'all are going to start claiming that App State is the new "America's Team"? xlolx Man, I sure hated the Cowboys back in the day.

[Saluki09]

There were big question marks coming into the season with a new Head Coach and a new starting QB. While Dieker has improved, we still rely on the run more than we should if we want to be successful.

Also of note, I can probably speak for all Saluki fans and say we HATE the 3rd quarter. We have been outscored 62-12 in the third quarter (INDIANA STATE even scored more in the 3rd against us than we did against them). There was actually a massive celebration in parts of the student section this past Saturday as we got our first 3rd quarter touchdown of the season. The other points were a safety against Youngstown state, and a field goal against Indiana State.

I don't know what it is...if we just don't make adjustments well or what...but that is another thing that needs to be fixed. First half of the game we look like a BCS team, then second half we look like DII. Not gonna cut it.

[bpcats]

Montana State

Defense
Line - Was B- while we struggled to get healthy now A-
Linebackers A - they have been awesome all season long
Secondary - B- some new faces taking over and getting settled in and
better playcalling in the last two games have this unit
heading up
Offense
Overall our offense has not performed very well, but we are really young/inexperienced at a lot of places.

Offensive line - C+ they have done a really good job of running blocking overall, but are not a dominating line by any means. They face a big test this weekend vs NAU that will say a lot about how far they have come. We have a two freshman and a sophomore starting.

Running Backs - A- Crawford is a stud that has great field vision and a burst to get through the holes. Mason is a patient runner with good speed. Palmer is a mack truck when he gets moving

Wide Receivers C = we have some talent here but due to either wrong route running, drops, or qb play can't really get a read. Our best player is a freshman who makes a lot of plays.

Tight Ends - A = all Montana boys that are very talented. We just lost our best one to a season ending injury.

QB's - C+/B - = Our qbs are completing 50% of their passes and we are not throwing the long ball very often. We are going with a young guy that can be decent/effective by the time he graduates but is going through growing pains.

Special Teams - B Finally we have a field goal kicker that is only a freshman that has already hit 3 FG's of 50 yds or more.

Overall - B- Typical MSU team. Great defense waiting on an offense that can score.

[Native]

Weber started strong and gas improved, but they are young and have not yet peaked.

The Wildcat offense has shown glimpses of excellence all year long, and have gotten better. They have been so dominant that they have not had to show their entire hand. Mac still has a bag of tricks in his hip pocket.

The defense has gotten better as the season progressed. They have really stepped up at key moments in key games.

Special teams absolutely sucked at the beginning of the year and are now probably the best in the conference. Snaps are better, holds are better, and the placekicker's groin injury finally healed and he is back on kickoff duty. (7 TBs on KO in the last two games).

Maturity and poise have improved a bit in all facets of the game, but the progress has been in fits and starts. They have also stepped up after adversity. They seem to play up or down to the competition, but they really seem to play up for the strongest competition. The stronger the better, and they don't quit or panic when things go wrong. Those are good signs.

[UNCBears2010]

I have a visual aid for UNC's season so far:
http://www.usagold.com/gildedopinion/puplava/061402/dowchart.gif

Bottom line: We've gotten worse.

[slycat]

Texas State

Started season thinking the defense would be awful and our offense would be awesome.

Up to this point our defense is awful but slowly getting better. Our offense is good but I was shocked at how the QB George fell on his face the first few games.

I'm shocked that we are playing better on the road then at home. Usually we a a pretty bad road team.

[Walkon79]

Two Words:

Life Support

We're hanging in there despite a lack of offense and no less than 6 significant injuries to pre-season all conference players.

[JALMOND]

For Portland State---

Offense---no improvment, but no downgrading either. About where we were at the start. D'Ambrogio was the hot receiver in the run and shoot and, now that teams are keying on him, Woods has become the hot one.

Defense---Improvement tremendous from the first game all the way to now. Held Weber to only 31 points (7 in the second half), while the offense and punt team consistently gave the Wildcats a short field. Once, Weber had a first and goal from the one and came away with only a field goal.

Special Teams---Consistent, but downgraded during the last game. Still, pretty close to where they were at the beginning.

A lot of freshmen and sophomores playing right now.

[X-Factor]

For da Bison:

Passing game : F+
Running game : B+
O-Line : D

D-Line : B
Linebackers : B
Secondary : A+

Punting : B
Punt Coverage : A+
Kickoff : B-
Kickoff coverage: C-
fieldgoals : D

Turnover Margin : D
Overall Depth : B

[UCABEARS75]

UCA:

Offense:
-Passing Game Overall A+; Nathan Brown is amazing. However, production has dropped past couple of games as OL has been less than acceptable and we have had some drops.

-Running Game Overall C; Capable but undersized Running Backs play hard but when OL can not dominate (like they did vs. Texas State) we struggle to run the ball.

-Overall Offense: Solid B but has not been as productive since Tulsa and Sam Houston games.

Defense:

-Pass defense C+; Need another corner and need our linebacker play to improve (best linebacker has played less than 1/2 of football this season; most athletic linebacker has yet to play a down) Pass rush has gotten better and better.

-Run defense B+; Basically due to same reasons as pass defense although linebackers handle the run better, as do the safeties.

Special Teams:

-Overall B+; Better coverage, better hang time on punts and kickoffs, solid return game. Only negative is kicker who could not miss first 5 games now is "iffy" at best on even short FG's nad P.A.T.'s

[LarryBoy]

Furman's performance rating seems to go up and down with every quarter played. It's best to average it out...

We started great. Trounced Mars Hill as we should have, stood tall against Virginia Tech, beat now Top-25 Colgate by 21, beat then-#6 Delaware in a game that felt a lot more important at the time.

Then we sleptwalked through a 35-10 victory over UTC, got trounced by Elon in our worst effort in years, and slipped past an improving Western Carolina.

Then we beat The Citadel solidly and hung with App State in a well-fought game.

Then we beat a much-improved Samford by the skin of our teeth.

Furman is Wall Street.

Offense: B
-Run game is improving, as the combo of Mike Brown and Tersoo Uhaa is proving to be a force to be reckoned with. Too many fumbles for the year. Passing game is backpedaling, and I now feel much better with the ball in the hands of our backs as opposed to in the air.

Defense: A-
-The 4-2-5 is working as it should. We contained Armanti Edwards and were even able to contain Samford's power rushing game (a surprise to many of us). However, we seem to be getting gassed in the 4th quarter, and we've seen several large leads dwindle as our opponents started airing it out.

Special teams: B
-Kind of meh. Okay kick coverage, okay field goal kicking. Our punting has been surprisingly solid, though.

[Woof]

Wofford looked like a serious championship contender......and the we played App State.

Offense gets in A. With the exception of the App game we didn't turn the ball over often

We still rack up yardage and score points.

Defense gets a C+. We looked like we were improving until we played App and we're clearly a little young in the secondary to challenge armanti. Before App we were successful at forcing turnovers, stopping the run, and getting sacks.
We have a +10 TO margin and that's with a -5 against App.

KO coverage is an achilles heal
special teams B-

overall grade B. Had we played better against App we could have been an A- or A team.


Pretty much agree, but would be more critical of special teams: C+. Would also add that we are pretty dinged up in a few key spots: 3 halfbacks out with season ending knee injuries and best punter/kickoff man out all season. Also, we still have 3 good teams to play so a lot could change.

[PaladinFan]

Furman's performance rating seems to go up and down with every quarter played. It's best to average it out...

We started great. Trounced Mars Hill as we should have, stood tall against Virginia Tech, beat now Top-25 Colgate by 21, beat then-#6 Delaware in a game that felt a lot more important at the time.

Then we sleptwalked through a 35-10 victory over UTC, got trounced by Elon in our worst effort in years, and slipped past an improving Western Carolina.

Then we beat The Citadel solidly and hung with App State in a well-fought game.

Then we beat a much-improved Samford by the skin of our teeth.

Furman is Wall Street.

Offense: B
-Run game is improving, as the combo of Mike Brown and Tersoo Uhaa is proving to be a force to be reckoned with. Too many fumbles for the year. Passing game is backpedaling, and I now feel much better with the ball in the hands of our backs as opposed to in the air.

Defense: A-
-The 4-2-5 is working as it should. We contained Armanti Edwards and were even able to contain Samford's power rushing game (a surprise to many of us). However, we seem to be getting gassed in the 4th quarter, and we've seen several large leads dwindle as our opponents started airing it out.

Special teams: B
-Kind of meh. Okay kick coverage, okay field goal kicking. Our punting has been surprisingly solid, though.


Been kind of a reverse of what I thought would happen. Furman's offense has really been sputtering of late but the defense is probably the best in the conference.

Hopefully we can fix some of what ails our offense during the off week. We have the players, just seem to be kinda missing something.

You also raise an intersting point. Defense has been playing lights out, but it doesn't seem as though we are getting a lot of subs in. I realize most of our backups are freshmen, but we might need to start getting those guys out there. Furman hasn't allowed any team to do what Samford did to us in consecutive possessions all season. Especially on that last passing play our defensive players just looked absolutely gassed. Offense has to hold on to the ball longer, sustain drives, and quit turning the daggum ball over.

[Hoseinexile07]

Presbyterian has had a disappointing season overall. Here's the report card more than 2/3 through the season:

DEFENSE: D [appropriately]
On average, we've surrendered 35.22 points per game. Granted, the two biggest outliers are Elon (66) and North Greenville (15). We've surrendered 4,422 yards this season as of November 1 for a grand total of 491.3 per game (232 per game through the air, 259.3 on the ground). The only reason why we didn't get an F on defense is because we CAN play when we want to. We only trailed App State by 3 going into half time, and we made plays when we needed to against Liberty (xhurrayx).

OFFENSE: C+
Our inability to score is what has kept us from being the Texas Tech of I-AA (high scoring, but pourous defense [and the fact that Tech is REALLY friggin' good this year]). We average 361.4 yards per game, mostly through the air. Brandon Miley, our redshirt freshman quarterback, has really matured since being thrown into the breach after Tim Webb was injured. The kid can throw: 80-127 (63%) for 881 yards. He's only had three starts. However, even though we can march down the field quickly, actually getting in the endzone is a problem. We've had a bad case of turnovers in the redzone all season (xbangx) which ruins drives and demoralizes the team.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B-
Punting gets an A. Bryson Summers is good at what he does. Placekicking and Cam Miller get a C. So far this season, he's 2-6, which is abysmally poor. He might have gotten his confidence back after kicking the game winner against LU (xhurrayx), so we'll see how he finishes out. Kick coverage, especially kickoffs, needs to improve.

[TbonZach]

Out of a scale of 1-10 (lowest to highest), the Bison, from the first game to now, get this rating:

-15

[bosshogg]

SC State is where we thought we would be

We knew we would get beat by 1-A UCF by a little (17-0)
We knew we would get beat by 1-A Clemson by a lot (54-0)
We knew we would be undefeated in conference (7-0)

That is exactly where we are....

[phoenix3]

Elon has been hovering below potential all season with the exception of the Furman and Presby games. The talent is one year older than last year but not playing with the same intensity. With the exception of the Richmond and Wofford games we have done what it takes to win but with the exception of FU and PC it was in ugly fashion.

The run game is better than last year and the first of this season, with a total of 18 net yards rushing in the first two games, which is a plus, but the pass game is below my expectations and has hovered there pretty much all year. Our Defense overall is better than last year. I think this is partially due to the reduced level of injuries early on in the season as compared to last year. We did have several injuries in the UTC and WC games which hopefully will heal with the off week. So the Defense has not been as good for the last two games as it was at the beginning of the season.

I'm hoping the team has had time to reflect and heal up over the bye week & will hit the field this weekend with a new sense of urgency and set us up for a strong regular season finish.

[PaladinFan]

Elon has been hovering below potential all season with the exception of the Furman and Presby games. The talent is one year older than last year but not playing with the same intensity. With the exception of the Richmond and Wofford games we have done what it takes to win but with the exception of FU and PC it was in ugly fashion.

The run game is better than last year and the first of this season, with a total of 18 net yards rushing in the first two games, which is a plus, but the pass game is below my expectations and has hovered there pretty much all year. Our Defense overall is better than last year. I think this is partially due to the reduced level of injuries early on in the season as compared to last year. We did have several injuries in the UTC and WC games which hopefully will heal with the off week. So the Defense has not been as good for the last two games as it was at the beginning of the season.

I'm hoping the team has had time to reflect and heal up over the bye week & will hit the field this weekend with a new sense of urgency and set us up for a strong regular season finish.


It's shame we can't play you guys again this season (in all likelihood). Furman was in a daze that game and played terrible football. I realize that Elon is good and all, but the Phoenix did not see the best Paladin team we have.

[skinny_uncle]

There were big question marks coming into the season with a new Head Coach and a new starting QB. While Dieker has improved, we still rely on the run more than we should if we want to be successful.

Also of note, I can probably speak for all Saluki fans and say we HATE the 3rd quarter. We have been outscored 62-12 in the third quarter (INDIANA STATE even scored more in the 3rd against us than we did against them). There was actually a massive celebration in parts of the student section this past Saturday as we got our first 3rd quarter touchdown of the season. The other points were a safety against Youngstown state, and a field goal against Indiana State.

I don't know what it is...if we just don't make adjustments well or what...but that is another thing that needs to be fixed. First half of the game we look like a BCS team, then second half we look like DII. Not gonna cut it.
Adjusting to the new coach took the Dawgs a few weeks, but they really seem to finally getting the hang of their new 3-4 defense the last four weeks. Each of the last four games, the opponent's rushing yardage has been going down. With Dieker improving each game and Warner being Warner, this team has been steadily improving and could make some noise before the season is over. For a team with a new coach and half their starters from last year gone, they are already exceeding expectations. Remember the preseason polls had the Salukis picked as low as fifth in the Valley. They are still in contention after 8 games and could win the autobid if they can win out down the stretch. It's been quite a year with more to come.

[WrenFGun]

Offensively, R.J. Toman has been every bit as good as Ricky Santos. There has been no decline, though he did struggle a bit in week one with some questionable throws. The running game has been effective, though it is disappointing that our biggest threat, Chad Kackert, simply cannot stay healthy. He usually does come up huge around playoff time, and the Villanova game would be a good time to do it. The offensive line, for the most part, has stayed healthy, and Dan Larkin has done an effective job standing in for Chris McClurg. While there have been some drops, I think Terrance Fox has really stepped up to join Mike Boyle and Scott Sicko as legitimate weapons. Would've liked to see more from J.T. Wright, but he's been hurt. I think Kevon Mason has really developed this season and is going to be a threat next season.

Defensively, they've been improved from last season, and much improved the last few weeks. The defense still does not get a tremendous amount of pass rush and plays way too conservatively, but it looks like Ryan Hinds has morphed into a cornerback that opposing QB's try to avoid. Dino Vasso is a bit of a ballhawk, but needs to work on staying committed to his area of coverage. I think Hugo Souza has disappeared a bit after a strong beginning of the season. The LB's (Jackson, Ware, Parent) are the strength of the team. Ware is a missile out there. Steve Young gets double-teamed on every play and is quite good, but needs some help. I think Brian McNally looks like a keeper at one DE spot, and Kevin Peters/Kyle Maroney have been better than expected. I think this unit is coming around and is good enough to compete, now. The rush defense is extremely good, and the turnover margin is there, even if the yargage numbers against are scary. I've always said that UNH does not need an elite defense to succeed, they just need to be decent.

[JohnStOnge]

McNeese has declined, but it's understandable. It started the season with the strength being on offense and primarily at wide receiver. It had two "stretch the field" deep threats in Quinten Lawrence and Immanuel Friddle along with a good YAC slot receiver in Steven Whitehead.

Lawrence got knocked out for the season against South Dakota State. Friddle, after making a big play to start the game, got put out early in the first quarter against Texas State.

As McBeat has noted on the McNeese board, that really changed things for McNeese State. There's no way, for example, that Nicholls State could've used the defensive strategy it used if Lawrence and Friddle had been on the field.

Friddle did return and see limited action against Southeastern Louisiana last week. But he was wearing a big knee brace and clearly not at full strength.

[petethepenguin15]

My penguins have really taken a turn for the worst this year:( I hope they can turn it around next year.