Sacred Heart 9.12.15

[VULB#62]

It's not you USC.  We've been talking about the 50+ freshmen on the roster for weeks. In reality, this is the first true Cecchini class. They worked their butts off and got both numbers and some good talent. That's the reason for so many freshman on the 2-deep. If the next couple of classes are anything like this one talent-wise, Valpo will be a steady contender. Doubt if they go for these numbers in subsequent years.

[usc4valpo]

62,

Yes, I did notice many freshmen from Florida and some significant contributions last week. Pretty cool stuff.

[K. J. Hall]

$100 CASH TODAY to any student/fan who will live-stream (face-time) the football game today against Sacred Heart! 

[Dojan123]

Is this game on a stream anywhere? Or just audio?

[usc4valpo]

and the Baby Crusaders are underway!!

[bbtds]

Based on the Scouting Report below, I'm in line with BBTDS.  SHU 34 - Valpo 24

It's now time for our 24 points. :-)

[usc4valpo]

wow, a rough day in Crusaderland. SHU is at a higher level.

[usc4valpo]

disappointing man. What the heck happened? 56-3? Is SHU that good?

[VU2624]

A number of turnovers and just poor play overall. Drops, fumbles, picks, poor decisions, too much pressure. It'll be sugarcoated but this was the first "we're trying to play with 50 freshmen and a bunch of new starters at too many key positions and some of those guys may not be as good as we thought" game. Next week they'll pummel the middle school team they are playing and all will be rosy going with San Diego marching in the following week with perhaps some revenge in mind for nearly beating them last year. The defense, on the other hand, should be better than this. This is where there are a lot more returners.

[vu72]

Missed the game, unfortunately did see the score.  Seems (forgive me!) Carlsonesk.  Was it as bad as the score?

[VU2624]

Forgive the rant but here goes:

I watched Cecchini's post game PC and he's got to be kidding me. He did the same thing last year and points fingers at the kids and never even hints at the staff maybe not having the kids properly prepared. If he wants an equity buy in from the players he needs to throw in the occasional "we've got to coach better". The OC and DC each blew a game last season and he defended them both despite the fact that most HS coaches would have wrapped both of those games up. The San Diego game was reprehensible how that final play was defensed and think of the memory the graduating seniors would have had if the DC was on his toes. My understanding from speaking to enough people that this was never prepared for in practice and they end up in a cover 2 shell with Devon Gadsen on an island. That was ok apparently. His OC can't even hand the ball to Brandon Hall vs Morehead who was running all over the place last year on a 4th down play and we're going to trick the defense with a QB who's not a runner running outside. "We felt we had the right play" IIRC was the comment. Well, you were wrong and won't say it.

He mentions that the same thing happened last year....he never directly mentions it but there's a strong implication of quit in his comments....yet he didn't have his team prepared for it. I don't care what he says they talked about, it's apparent that the message didn't get across and at least that part of it should be credited to the coaching staff including him.

How about taking responsibility instead of constantly mentioning that this is your first recruiting class and get the team prepared to play better no matter who recruited them. When the team blows up in a game, take your fair share of the blame.

I can tell you that there are a fair number of adults "close to the team" who also feel this way.

[valpochgo]

I agree totally.....^^^^  I watched this game live and thought the coaching was HORRIBLE.  Sacred Heart was a very beatable team but the Valpo coaches are in panic mode already.  They changed half of the kids on defense to different positions and when they made a mistake they were immediately benched. By the 2nd quarter half of the defensive starters were benched for the rest of the game other than on special teams.  I watched Sacred Heart run a wide receiver screen 8 times in a row for a score and we didn't adjust one time on defense.  Also, Sacred Heart did a great job of scouting our offense as the stacked the box and dropped defensive lineman back four yards into pass coverage on our slants and they got 3 interceptions by their defensive tackles.  It was like they knew what our offensive plays were before we did.....

I thought the team played great against EKU regardless of the score so for the players to be switched in game two to different positions was ridiculous. You can't have a kid play safety for 3 years and move them to linebacker or cornerback a week before playing a scholarship team then get mad and bench them when they make a mistake. 

I don't see practices so maybe they coaches are giving up on upperclassman and just want to play freshman moving forward.  Yet if that's the case then you can't blame the kids when the game play is sloppy.

[VULB#62]

I was at the game as well. Very disappointed. I could sense what was happening on the bench early on.  First set of SHU downs we force a 3rd down pass.  SHU receiver is covered tightly and VU corner is in great position for a pick.  But he stumbles and, wham, it is a 38 yard catch.  Bastin rips off a 50 yarder up the middle to within reach of the red zone.  Then a screen pass is intercepted by a dropped off lineman.  Another set of plays to within smelling distance of the goal line after a great catch  - another pick.  I was getting despondent -- I can imagine what was going through the minds of some of the players.  The entire game was set in those moments.  Enough  about that.

I watched the post-game interview this morning as well.  I guess it all depends on what you are listening for.  It also has to do with what "we" was meant to communicate.  I took it to mean a collective we including staff.  And I talked to to some of the staff after the game.  They took this loss personally on themselves.  I don't think this staff throws kids under buses, but the kids have to know that they have to execute and be disciplined and the coaches can't do that for them.  Were the coaches pissed, did they yell at the players?  You bet. OC Jason Mirran reamed the entire offense and you could hear every word in the stands. In the Carlson era the coaches would've hung their heads along with the players. 

Before being accused of being an apologist for the staff, let me state that they did not have this team ready emotionally or physically -- maybe intellectually, but there is a difference.  However, what could have contributed to this is that in preseason and leading up to this game I was told the coaches made a decision to adopt a slightly different coaching approach from last year.  Right or wrong, the emphasis was placed more on teaching in order to bring the newer players into sync rather than demanding perfect execution and accepting nothing less.  I was told that they are changing that back to demanding precise execution, more intensity and accountability. There is still time to right the ship before we start the PFL part of the schedule.

Now, was SHU that much better?  Absolutely. Were they very beatable?  Let me say this: If we could have brought our A game with full personnel and they brought their C game, it might have been a competitive losing score.  But competitive.  We didn't and they didn't. Noel, their QB, was better than either of the two EKU QBs we saw last week and was the NEC MVP last year on a team that went to the playoffs.  We will not see as good a QB until maybe Jacksonville in the last game of the season.  Their featured WR, #14, was their "Tanner Kuramatta"  and was breaking off his routes precisely and got great separation not to mention great hands.  Last year he caught 79 passes for close to 1000 yards and 16 TDs. He is very good.  When Bastin broke his 50 yarder he was run down from behind by one of their linebackers - team speed? We were overwhelmed on both sides of the LOS by their size and depth.  Not mentioned by anyone was the fact that they rotated a second front four on second down after every VU 1st down play. Little swing passes to the SH RB were actually pretty much covered by our kids but the RB plain outran them to the corner.  They broke off some big runs in the second half and most of those were due to some broken assignments but also, as Cecchini mentioned, new guys being looked at.  But once past the LOS their RB out ran our secondary or at speed made our players miss.  Hell, they knocked BOTH of our QBs out of the game with concussions. Alex Green came off the field limping -- are we gonna risk his PFL season by putting him back into a losing OOC game? There are a lot of kids on the tape now and their good plays as well as their mistakes will allow the staff to coach them up better. 

And why not look at as many kids as you can under those conditions? Right now, this team is recruited for and built to play in the PFL.  OOC is where you see who you have and what they can do.  OOC is where, if you need a wake-up call (we did) and must make adjustments (tweaks or major), you can do it without impacting PFL results.

BTW i did not know this before, but Cecchini chose to spread the suspensions between these two games so a couple of guys still weren't dressed (don't remember their names) and Brandon Hall, who might have made some difference, was out with, you guessed it, a concussion.

We flat out gave an embarrassing performance in all phases of the game.  The coaches know they have to do a better job and said so.  The veteran players know they have to lead better and execute better. Grayson committed to that in the interview.  The new kids have to pay attention, learn and be more disciplined.   We have to get healthy as well. Next week we need to show all that in the scrimmage AKA  the COF game.  USD is another matter.  They and Jacksonville will be our toughest games.  Their talent would allow them to compete in the NEC right now much less the PFL. 

[VULB#62]

Brandon Vickrey Chicago Trib coverage:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/sports/ct-ptb-football-sacred-heart-valparaiso-st-0913-20150912-story.html

NWI Times -- no full article but a mention with the Ball State blow-out loss.

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/football/college/ball-state-valparaiso-lose-big-ohio-state-michigan-roll-to/article_ab940095-14ab-5813-8227-44438a3a82cd.html

Paul Oren's full article:
http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/valparaiso-university/crusaders-lose-both-quarterbacks-in-lopsided-loss-to-sacred-heart/article_bd854484-a21c-537f-a31f-c6eeaed0a1d0.html

[VU2624]

I was at the game as well. Very disappointed. I could sense what was happening on the bench early on.  First set of SHU downs we force a 3rd down pass.  SHU receiver is covered tightly and VU corner is in great position for a pick.  But he stumbles and, wham, it is a 38 yard catch.  Bastin rips off a 50 yarder up the middle to within reach of the red zone.  Then a screen pass is intercepted by a dropped off lineman.  Another set of plays to within smelling distance of the goal line after a great catch  - another pick.  I was getting despondent -- I can imagine what was going through the minds of some of the players.  The entire game was set in those moments.  Enough  about that.

I watched the post-game interview this morning as well.  I guess it all depends on what you are listening for.  It also has to do with what "we" was meant to communicate.  I took it to mean a collective we including staff.  And I talked to to some of the staff after the game.  They took this loss personally on themselves.  I don't think this staff throws kids under buses, but the kids have to know that they have to execute and be disciplined and the coaches can't do that for them.  Were the coaches pissed, did they yell at the players?  You bet. OC Jason Mirran reamed the entire offense and you could hear every word in the stands. In the Carlson era the coaches would've hung their heads along with the players. 

It's great that Coach Miran was trying to light a fire under the offense but I don't agree that the staff, publicly, is taking responsibility all the while the HC is pointing fingers at his team...which is the problem.

Yesterday the Auburn Coach wasn't happy with his QBs play. So he says he's got to coach him better. Bill Belichek and other coaches spell it out in forms of "we've got to coach better, play better, etc" comments. Not thinly veiled comments about being "disappointed" with the team while coming just short of stating he thought they quit. If the coaches are including themselves then they need to say that.

As I mentioned above, based on the number of direct comments and texts from those close to the situation, I am by far not the only one picking up on this.

[vu72]

So our two quarterbacks were knocked out of the game via blows that caused the defensive players to be ejected??  Helmets to the head?  Nice coaching on their part.

[usc4valpo]

2624 -

Belichek comments come out like a recording. He hates post game interviews especially in defeat, but he says generic stuff and walks away.

That being said, Valpo's football team was below par yesterday, and there is a lot of learning to do going into the PFL season. The QBs are going through some significant growing pains.

BTW, was the attendance over 3000? Pretty good!

[VULB#62]

That's what was released in the summary.  I don't know if that was accurate though.  I think there were more like 2000 real bodies.

[IndyValpo]

Sacred Heart was a very beatable team

That line right there tells me you will never have anything relevant to say...

As I mentioned above, based on the number of direct comments and texts from those close to the situation, I am by far not the only one picking up on this.

I have to believe in almost every situation when the players mommies and daddies think they know best good things will happen.....

[FWalum]

Yesterday the Auburn Coach wasn't happy with his QBs play. So he says he's got to coach him better. Bill Belichek and other coaches spell it out in forms of "we've got to coach better, play better, etc" comments. Not thinly veiled comments about being "disappointed" with the team while coming just short of stating he thought they quit. If the coaches are including themselves then they need to say that.

Evidently you didn't listen to Coach Cecchini's post game radio interview with Todd because he accepted blame and said loud and clear that we've got to coach better....  Most of us have thought that this staff has been on point and has made great strides since taking the helm, to blast them after this game against a team in a completely different competition classification is just plain ridiculous and maybe even irresponsible.

[VULB#62]

Thanks for adding that additional perspective, FW.  Hypercritical reactions without all the information in emotional times do no one any good.

[sliman]

I tend to agree with most of 62's comments about the game.  I thought SHU was perhaps the best team I've seen play at Brown Field.  I was really impressed with their overall team speed and even the biggest players where quick and athletic.  My concern is why we schedule back to back games against teams such at EKU and SHU to open the season when it is very likely that they will be physically superior and the risk of injury to our players is greater.  One maybe as a measuring stick, but two?  It's nice to try to maintain a schedule of Division I opponents, but if the "bigs" can play teams "below" them to open the season, why can't we?  (Disregarding teams such as COF that aren't on the chart!)  Perhaps this will improve as the number of non-scholarship Division I teams continues to grow, but to avoid lengthy and costly trips perhaps we should look at Division II and II opponents in weeks 1 and/or 2.

[VULB#62]

Mark explained that to me after the game on Saturday.  Some parts of the OOC schedule are arranged 3-4 years in advance. That was the case with SHU.  At the time the H&H (we go there in 2016 I believe) games were scheduled, SHU were a bottom tier NEC team coming off at least 3 consecutive losing seasons and a narrow win over Marist.  I believe they lost to Marist the next season.  They then changed coaches.  In Coach Nofri's first season they went 2-9.  Certainly a much different program now.

To demonstrate, we are scheduled to play Dartmouth in 2021 and 2022 and Montana 2017.

[VU2624]

Yesterday the Auburn Coach wasn't happy with his QBs play. So he says he's got to coach him better. Bill Belichek and other coaches spell it out in forms of "we've got to coach better, play better, etc" comments. Not thinly veiled comments about being "disappointed" with the team while coming just short of stating he thought they quit. If the coaches are including themselves then they need to say that.

Evidently you didn't listen to Coach Cecchini's post game radio interview with Todd because he accepted blame and said loud and clear that we've got to coach better....  Most of us have thought that this staff has been on point and has made great strides since taking the helm, to blast them after this game against a team in a completely different competition classification is just plain ridiculous and maybe even irresponsible.

I'll voice my opinion where I think appropriate. But thanks.

[VULB#62]

Marist beat SHU 34-27 @ Marist.