Dayton at Valpo

[usc4valpo]

Final game of the year at Brown Field.    Thanks to the seniors for their committment, and best of luck in their future endeavors.

I hope these guys come out loose and have fun, similar to USC when Ed Orgeron took over - heck, what do you have to lose?

Dayton 56
Valpo 20

[historyman]

I'll be there and giving the seniors and the rest of the team the support they deserve. Come on, Valpo let's pull one out and shock the league and for gosh sakes don't sit on the ball with any time on the clock.

[vu72]

I'm glad it will be on HLN!  Looking for a big win!!

[valpotx]

Hopefully our Seniors enjoy their last game of competitive football!

Dayton 59
Valpo 21

[willy]

Thank you seniors for your hard work and comittment to the program!  Go out swinging and lets shock the Flyers!

Valpo 33
Dayton 30

[VULB#62]

Dayton handed USD it's only conference loss, but has lost 2 in a row coming into our game.  Hope we can find it in ourselves to make it 3.

Thank you seniors.  Don't leave anything on field.

Valpo 24
Dayton 21

[laura]

Thank you Seniors. You have persevered through a tough stretch and come out the better for it. Good luck to you and your teammates. Have fun and represent Valparaiso University to your best.

[VUOR63]

Speaking from experience, there is not a worse feeling in the world than taking the helmet off for the final time.  I'll echo the sentiment on this board wanting the Seniors to go out on a good note--and there's not a better note than beating the Flyers.  Beat Dayton!

[talksalot]

thank you Seniors.  I was just reading the game notes for tomorrow's outing.   VU has a record of 211 Wins and 211 Losses at Brown Field.  Let's hope we stay above .500 !! 

Weather looks a bit iffy for afternoon... Precipitation chances and temperature estimates go like this

Noon 10%  52
1pm 20 %  52
2pm 40 %  54
3pm 50 %  54
4pm 60 %  54
5pm 80 %  54

with consistent winds out of the SOUTH at 23 mph.   

[covufan]

with consistent wins out of the SOUTH at 23 mph.   

We haven't had consistent wins from any direction in years!


I'm thinking they will come out loose and ready to have some fun, and maybe try a few new wrinkles of the old offense and defense.

Valpo   24
Dayton 38

Thanks and good luck to all of the seniors!

[talksalot]

OK, I fixed my "D" in the previous post...

I'm seeing a low scoring game with turnovers making the difference.  Flyers 20-12

[LaPorteAveApostle]

OK, I fixed my "D" in the previous post...

so we now know how to tackle?

[covufan]

OK, I fixed my "D" in the previous post...

I'm seeing a low scoring game with turnovers making the difference.  Flyers 20-12

If only the football team could fix theirs as easily.

[talksalot]

I set that on the tee... and you hit it...

oh, wait... that could set up a snide comment about our kicking team...

OK, speaking of that.   We've been having fun in the press box about the back judge running out onto the field when the ball blows off the tee to pick it up and hand it to the kicker.... or touch it... and then run back to the sideline.   I noticed in the 'Bama game the other night, the judge took only a few steps onto the field... and turned back.

I'm assuming it has to do with starting the play clock... but does anyone know the rule?

[milanmiracle]

Thank you Seniors. You have persevered through a tough stretch and come out the better for it. Good luck to you and your teammates. Have fun and represent Valparaiso University to your best.

And I would like to say THANK YOU as well. There's plenty to be said about what happend here the last 4 years, but I would like to say I am very impressed with the seniors who stuck it out and hung in there agaist ALL challenges against them.

Thank you!

[VULB#62]

Who are these guys in brown and gold?  Rolled right down the field.  Deep passes, N-S rushes.  Who are these guys?

[VULB#62]

Oh, oh.  Same defense though.  Now VU 7 Dayton 6 (7) on first series long gainer 

[usc4valpo]

Thanks to the seniors, and thanks be to God this season is over and we can move forward to better days...

It will be interesting what candidates will be interested for this job. I saw in the PostTrib that Gravier is putting his resume in, but he will likely get a nice thank you rejection letter.  This is an overhaul project.

[VULB#62]

I watched some of the game in spurts. Take away the two pic-6s and the KO return and it was a competitive game pretty much throughout. There was a difference in the team that was out on the field yesterday and the team that let St. Joe's and William Jewel win when there should have been a +21 point win on the boards. Aside from the three plays mentioned above (yeah, and that 72 yard catch and run lapse in Q1) each time the teams lined up over the ball, I felt like our kids were competing on a level playing field. Monster game by Kuramata.  There is talent on the squad. With a new coach, Hutson back, another good bunch of recruits, next year could be what we were expecting last year.  Can't say enough about the seniors who played 4 years, only to win 3 games, but still hung in for the love of the game.

[VUDad]

The Crusaders had more energy yesterday--great to see on the final game for the seniors.

[VULB#62]

Read this in the NWI Times:

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/valparaiso-university/vu-loses-season-finale-against-dayton/article_5aa1c23b-dc24-54af-9f45-660a6a291413.html

Gravier made no excuses. No platitudes. Assessed the loss as each of us would.

But I found this quote to be very interesting:

"It was like we were substitute teachers teaching calculus with a chemistry book," said Valparaiso interim head coach Mike Gravier, referring to himself and assistant coach Alex Bailey running practice during the week following the firing of head coach Dale Carlson.

"We had to write out every play and every part of the play just to be able to call something," Gravier said. Prior to Saturday's loss, Carlson had called the plays throughout the year.

Seems to me that the staff was highly compartmentalized by design.  You would think that the run game coordinator/OL coach (Gravier) would have a full grasp of the offense as a matter of policy.  This may be a hint at Carlson's controlling nature and why staff did not stick around too long. By compartmentalizing the coaching it reduced other coaches' ability to (1) make positive (er.. any) contributions because they didn't know all the other pieces and (2) it reduced the opportunity for healthy criticism/self-analysis.  I'm getting stronger and stronger vibrations that there was little room for assistant input -- and why things never changed and the same mistakes were made over and over (In a much earlier post I documented the definition of insanity:  "Repeating the same mistakes but expecting a different outcome.").  I also understand even better now why in post game comments it never focused on the play calling or coaching -- it was always the kids who were inconsistent.

[willy]

I watched some of the game in spurts. Take away the two pic-6s and the KO return and it was a competitive game pretty much throughout. There was a difference in the team that was out on the field yesterday and the team that let St. Joe's and William Jewel win when there should have been a +21 point win on the boards. Aside from the three plays mentioned above (yeah, and that 72 yard catch and run lapse in Q1) each time the teams lined up over the ball, I felt like our kids were competing on a level playing field. Monster game by Kuramata. There is talent on the squad. With a new coach, Hutson back, another good bunch of recruits, next year could be what we were expecting last year. Can't say enough about the seniors who played 4 years, only to win 3 games, but still hung in for the love of the game.

I agree with you totally VULB.  We were tied at 10 with five minutes to go in the half with the ball.  I had never seen so much enthusiasm and excitement  in the bleachers by the fans or on the sidelines by the players.  The two pick sixes at the end of the half were killers.  Instead of going into half possibly up or tied we were down 14.  After that the team seemed deflated.  I thought Coach Gravier and the staff had a great game plan.  We controlled the clock, we huddled and tried to manage the game.  Something Coach Carlson never did.  We have talent on the roster, we now just need someone to put the pieces together.