09/09 @ Indiana Wesleyan

valpofb16 · September 10, 2023, 10:52:24 AM

Having watched the game. Symmes/Coaching is the problem. When Mikey got to set and throw the offense looked viable. The run game worked in set formations.

When you have less talent, you dumb things down. This was reminiscent of Limbach at Eastern Kentucky. Motion everywhere for IZ and screens. Defense hardly had to shift at all and now the young OL and QB m/WRs are out of sync.

Also when Pauley went in for Woody the line got better. Due to the quality of snaps. Woodys snaps were slow or on the ground having never played center.

Besides a Hail Mary off a scrambled snap and penalties keeping the game alive. It was 24-7.

Valpo D was excellent only giving up 24 to the #5 NAIA team who started in plus territory the entire night.

Valpo was the much more talented team and lost. You can tell because it was a 2 point game and a -5 turnover differential.

The offense was not coached well and it is very evident. Unless Symmes improves this could be a 1-3 win team

valpofb16 · September 10, 2023, 10:55:01 AM

Also coming out in empty on the goal line and putting an OT in the slot jumping up and down to distract with the game on the line is bush league.

I'm not sure anyone north of 8th grade would actually attempt that.

soapyjeans · September 10, 2023, 11:17:24 AM

The unreliable snaps were a problem, I agree, but Apple needs to move. It was cringe worthy watching him get sacked 5 times. And maybe bring an extra QB back up (have 3 instead of 2). It was also hard to watch our WR, TE wide open but Apple getting sacked. We were the better team.

valpofb16 · September 10, 2023, 11:19:37 AM

We kept backs in and motioned tight ends in all night. The interior line got abused.

It will need to improve by game 4 of Mikey could start looking at alternatives. He's got good enough tape and isn't healthy for him to keep taking these kind of shots.

Worst part is IWU broadcast said they returned only 1 of their top 6 DL

Pgmado · September 10, 2023, 07:50:45 PM

Quote from: soapyjeans on September 10, 2023, 11:17:24 AM
The unreliable snaps were a problem, I agree, but Apple needs to move. It was cringe worthy watching him get sacked 5 times. And maybe bring an extra QB back up (have 3 instead of 2). It was also hard to watch our WR, TE wide open but Apple getting sacked. We were the better team.

There were at least four quarterbacks on the travel roster yesterday. I saw Keefe and Tyler on the sideline in addition to Jackson.

covufan · September 10, 2023, 08:21:58 PM

Quote from: Pgmado on September 10, 2023, 07:50:45 PM
Quote from: soapyjeans on September 10, 2023, 11:17:24 AM
The unreliable snaps were a problem, I agree, but Apple needs to move. It was cringe worthy watching him get sacked 5 times. And maybe bring an extra QB back up (have 3 instead of 2). It was also hard to watch our WR, TE wide open but Apple getting sacked. We were the better team.

There were at least four quarterbacks on the travel roster yesterday. I saw Keefe and Tyler on the sideline in addition to Jackson.

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usc4valpo · September 11, 2023, 10:48:50 AM

should Valpo bench Appel after that game. We are talking 5 INTs, which is simply unacceptable

Pgmado · September 11, 2023, 12:01:24 PM

Quote from: usc4valpo on September 11, 2023, 10:48:50 AM
should Valpo bench Appel after that game. We are talking 5 INTs, which is simply unacceptable

Sometimes stats tell the true and sometimes stats lie. Looking forward to going deeper on the tape on this one.

VULB#62 · September 11, 2023, 12:24:23 PM

Didn't see the game. Didn't have GameTracker on. Just saw the score, Paul's Twitter posts, and the eventual VU Athletics release hours later. And I respect fb16's assessments.

But the answer is: No.

Bench the game plans that don't afford Mikey enough protection (what, 5 sacks and how many uncharted pressures?!) to manage a controlled, methodical short passing game first. Take a very hard look at not only what you want to do, but how you think you can do it (for instance, does superfluous motion confuse the defense enough to gain any usable advantage?).

Reduce blocked punts to zero (betcha, if you replayed the video of the YSU block, the IWU block would look pretty similar - just guessing

)

Make reliable C-QB short snaps that don't freakin bounce on the ground.

Fox said it all after the game. "Get back to fundamentals." Couldn't agree more. They have a bye week to do that before Marist.

vu72 · September 11, 2023, 01:11:07 PM

Quote from: usc4valpo on September 11, 2023, 10:48:50 AM
should Valpo bench Appel after that game. We are talking 5 INTs, which is simply unacceptable

No. Two were very ill advised throws into heavy coverage, but two were tipped at the line. Perhaps those were his fault also but you see those in the pro game all the time.

FBFan22 · September 11, 2023, 03:04:45 PM

Just rewatched the game on ESPN+. Painful to watch, but it confimed what I saw in the stands on Saturday.

Pick 1 - Noseguard beats Valpo LG and is right in Mikey's face when ball is thrown. Noseguard deflected the pass and it goes right to IWU LB.

Pick 2 - Fade route at the goal line (yuck). Corner absolutely THROWS the Valpo WR to the ground and catches the jump ball uncontested. No pass interference penalty called. I'd love an explanation from the zebra on this one.

Pick 3 - tunnel screen (yuck). Valpo RT gets beat and the DE is in Mikey's face when he throws. Valpo RG gets beat by the DT and the DT gets a hand on the pass. Once again the deflected ball bounces right to the IWU LB.

Pick 4 - Davis beats the corner deep, corner grabs Davis' shoulder pad to slow him down and then somehow catches the pass (great catch by the corner). You could argue this ball was underthrown a tick, but it should have been pass interference or defensive holding at the least.

Pick 5 - 4 seconds to go, last play before halftime, had to throw it deep. Deep safety came over and picked off the hail mary. No harm done on this one - had to take the shot.

valpofb16 · September 11, 2023, 03:09:47 PM

Men. Mikey Appel led the PFL in efficiency as as a RSFR. Everything out of Valpo camp is how efficient he is.

Without Mikey throwing a bombed Hail Mary off a dribbles snap for a touchdown and leading a two minute drive it's a blow out.

Two passes were batted into interceptions. One was a throw at end of half that shouldn't have happened (Hail Mary on the sub 50 to end a half?) and one was an outstanding play by Cambell on the IWU sideline. No real dumb throws into coverage.

He had 0 Ints in the second half when Valpo stopped all the motion BS and an actual center played center

Three times they came out in empty on the goal line. Including play to tie where the here was no vertical run threat for the two point conversion. Putting Sczepanski in the slot and having him jump up and down 8 yards short of the sticks was laughable.

Valpo O was in plus territory 4-5 times in first half and had 7 points.

Symmes has never called a competitive football game nor played in one. And it showed. Guy was a bad hire, that's why many position coaches left from the spring already on the offensive side of the ball.

crusadermoe · September 12, 2023, 02:00:16 PM

It is so hard to compare Valpo football performance results across so many types of schools. Lots of apples vs. oranges year to year. You have FCS, D-2, D-3, NAIA. And at the lower levels you get huge variances year to year due to one or two great athletes who might move up a notch the next year.

Remember Josh Johnson with U. of San Diego playing for Jim Harbaugh? Josh has played several years in the NFL now with a few different teams. But he was playing Pioneer non-scholarship football.