Messages

Gotcha.

NWI GUY, who are the two fifth year senior O line men that they lost this year? I didn't know there were any fifth year seniors on the line last year.  There are two this year, though.

Talifierro is subbed even more than others on the line.  He split time mostly in half with Roberts.   Rentschler spent a lot of time watching from the sidelines as well.  Lundberg in and out.  Schofield taken out every third or fourth set of downs all season.  Most of the time Talifierro, Rentschler and Schofield were subbed out at the same time,  and usually after successful scoring drives.  It made no sense, and it continued all season long.  Our starting line scored all 17 points in the first half.  Defense gets the other.  Same pattern all season long.  Well, I guess they had their reasons, most of us just agree that it was almost like this season was sacrificed for next year.  We'll see if it was worth it.

And another penalty on the player replacing  all Conference Lineman Tom Schofield (who has been penalty free in four years of starting).   Another winnable game that the coaches chose to lose.

Nice to see that the starting O Line is being benched every third offensive possession.  It makes no sense whatsoever.  It is such a nice way to treat your senior All Conference Player and other seniors who have been true leaders showed up for EVERY game you for years...and now our customary give back with about 2 minutes in the half.  We have lost at least 4 games this year for this very reason.  Our starting line is pulled and our offense goes three and out with a couple minutes in the half.  This one is also on the coaches who seem hell bent on killing any chance we have with ridiculous game-changing substitutions.

Given that for most of their games they did not have their starting QB and captain, their other captain Nick Turner, and their other captain Joey Diaz-Martinez, it was rough to compete.  I know other teams battle injuries as well, but Valpo lost key players in every major position, including Cartales for the last 3 games.  A healthy Seewald would have undoubtedly flipped the script in at least two of the losses and possibly more.  We lost 3-4 games by only one score.  All in all, it was a disappointing season, but it certainly was not for lack of effort or the play of the guys who WERE on the field playing hard, particularly when some of their top OL players were consistently benched (often right after they orchestrated a very nice, clock eating scoring drive) to play younger players on crucial possessions throughout the season.  Not making excuses, simply stating facts.   

Our offensive play calling sucks and really doesn't give our offense a chance.  Running up the middle never works.  Running to the right usually results in a positive gain.  But do  we always have to throw bombs instead of just getting a first down?

Looks like our coaches are still going with the throw three incomplete passes with less than two minutes in the half plays to give the ball back to the other team that has worked so well.  Valpo has yet to stop any team from scoring when they get the ball with any time left right before the half, but our coaches insist on handing it back to them with just under or above 2 minutes, every single game!  Often, as has happened again, it leads to 2 scores.

The O Line is good, when they play their best players.  When they take them out every other set of downs, they are stymied.  The play calling at the end of the half was again terrible and led to a score.  This boggles my mind that with so many injuries, you bench one of the three All Conference returners.  I know I sound like a broken record, but I can not fathom why every other set of downs the coach benches the starters on the O line.  Then three incomplete passes with no pass protection with a minute and a half left in the second, giving it back to them to score.  I just watched a set of downs where we ran the ball for a first down, and then got it to 3rd and 4, and we throw a 30 yard incomplete pass.  So frustrating! Is it possible the coaches are trying hard to make sure the offense is as bad as the defense? 

Switching up the O Line again!  Played phenomenal football last week, so time to take out your All Conference player in the 1st quarter.    SMH

Defense really stepped up.  Offense was solid.  Great win for the helmet!

Looks like the coach is still finding ways to stifle the offense.  14-0 and all the momentum, and the coach pulls out his All Conference lineman (again).  A penalty by his replacement and their only 3 and out of the game gave Butler a big shot in the arm.  And they scored on the very next drive.  I'm still trying to come up with an explanation as to why you EVER take #73 off of that O Line.

We have lost two games by only one score.  Why a coach would have an All Conference O Line player sit out even one down of any offensive possession is beyond comprehension.  To have him sit out a quarter of our offensive possessions each game this season is just plain ridiculous.

 Coach C talks about the inconsistency on offense.  I think this could have something to do with playing 3 different QB throughout single games, and every time our offense gets some momentum, as we did at he end of the half (in the last 3 games), he takes out the O line starters, including his all conference player, to switch it up on crucial downs.  Of course there is no consistency.  Only one of the team captains set foot on the field yesterday, which is also a psychological blow, especially when the coach constantly reminds everyone that those are his leaders. And clock management, for the third game in a row has been ridiculous.  Why do we take out our starting O line (when they have just scored on our previous possession) with three minutes to go in the half (just like last week) and then throw clock stopping incomplete passes (with a back up O line on the field) to stop the clock and give the ball back to an offense that has only punted once in the entire half?  And then take out your senior starting punter on a punt out of our end zone that resulted in a safety...I have seen this all year.  The coach is killing any momentum we get with his line up switches and ridiculous clock management.  It's as if he does not want the offense to outperform his defense that he still finds ways to praise each week.  With less than a minute to go in the half he then puts in the O line starters and they drive again down the field.  Yes, they missed the field goal, but what they didn't do was hand the ball back to their offense on a 3-and-out.  Perhaps if the starters had played the entire first half we might have orchestrated a clock eating drive and maybe even put some points on the board to close the half with momentum on our side.   At the very least, we could have given our best offense a chance to prevent Dayton from scoring 9 points in those last three minutes.  Instead, the entire team comes off the field deflated and defeated in the first half because they do not feel that the coach is coaching to win.  With so many injuries, subbing out crucial players on important drives is only adding to their troubles.

I was thinking it was more like we won IN SPITE  OF the refs' best efforts to have it otherwise the entire second half.  Another thing I am noticing is something that we DON'T do this year: we don't meltdown every time we have a mistake or a bad break.  That is hopefully due to the maturity of the youngsters that played a lot last year.  We are due a lucky break or two, so let's take it and run with it.  The bell is getting a little workout this year!

I am new to the forum, but I watched the game, and thought the team did well.  Exceeded a lot of expectations of the many posters in terms of the  final score predictions I saw on here.  They are clearly moving in the right direction this year.  I thought they were the better team out there today.  Just had a couple unlucky breaks that will (hopefully) go their way as these young guys get older.  Our O-line gave great pass protection all day, and they have for the past three games.  And the running game continues to come along.  Morehead was comprised largely of seniors, so that seems to bode well for our boys going forward.  I have also noticed that our guys are playing much better in the second half this year, which is leaps and bounds better than last year.  I think they are capable of a win or two more this year. Go Valpo!