@ Jacksonville 11/21

[VULB#62]

It's on to Jacksonville. It'll be a homecoming of sorts for all of our Florida players. Hopefully the improvement made over the last two weeks will translate into another competitive performance. Jacksonville started out the season with an impressive win at Delaware (CAA) like they would burn through the schedule undefeated. But they have shown over the long season that they have some weaknesses. While this may probably wind up being another loss, we need to show we belong on the field. The last time we played, JU beat us 86-7.

[covufan]

Would like to see the improvement to continue, and keep their offense off the field as much as possible.

Valpo   20
Jax.       33


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[usc4valpo]

Jacksonville 49, Saders 14

I have a feeling a lot of folks are glad this below expectation season is coming to a close.

Next year we will have valid data and criteria on Coach Cecchini's performance as coach. He will have his hand picked players and we will see if this football program is going on the right direction. Let's be realistic and admit this season was a major rebuilding year and the talent level was low. Valpo needs an established OL and QB for success.

Go SC! First place in the Pac 12 South! Beat Duckzilla.

[VULB#62]

Odds and ends:

###  We are down to 2 QBs for JU:  Scott and Jake.  It would be a shame to lose Jake's red shirt year after 10 games in the event Scott can't complete the game.  I wonder, because College of Faith was an uncountable game, could Jake have played and still retained red shirt status?  Just would have liked to see him in a game situation.  Next year, it'll be Jake, Ryan, (knee cap dislocation), Dalton (labrum repair) and Conner Smith (also labrum repair) competing for the starting role.

###  I think the corner has turned with respect to the young OL.  It's not a dramatic turn, but the last two games have shown that we can now score (50 points) and you can't do that without the OL.

### The D was one stop away from preserving the win against Morehead.  Could this week be the week we hold onto a lead by the end of the game?

###  Regarding next year:  This staff focused on O this past recruiting season. Now we lose Alex and John to graduation -- two almost irreplaceable players.  I'm thinking the emphasis this recruiting season will be on D. We were small on that side of the ball and IMO need about 3 more John Guilfords up front. So we may encounter the same inexperience on that side of the ball next season as we did this season on O. So....., year four is when both O and D should have enough experience and talent to show us something in the W-L record. 

[VULB#62]

JU Game notes:
http://files.streamlinetechnologies.com/valpoathletics/9DB11E6F-3F84-43E9-884D-91E1862A0213/Wk12JU.pdf

Looks like Catrine is out again.

Mention is made of starting QB Kade Bell not throwing a pass in the win over Campbell last week,  Cecchini doesn't know if Bell will be back for our game.

In checking the JU 2-deep on their site, Bell is not listed.  Starter is listed as Rylan Wells 6-1, 185 R-Soph backed up by Jordan DeSina, 6-2, 207, Soph. Butcha nevah know.

Big JU starting OL:
LT - 6-5, 285 R-Soph
LG - 6-4, 260 R-Fr
C - 6-0, 258 Fr
RG - 6-2, 292 R-Sr
RT - 6-7, 311 R-Sr
Av. Ht: 6' 3.6"
Av. Wt: 281

Betcha they run right a lot.  Both their Sr. FBs are 240.

Mid-sized JU starting D front 7:
DE - 6-3, 270
NT - 5-11, 275
DE - 5-10, 265
Bandit - 6-0, 230
LB - 5-10, 205
LB - 5-9, 205
LB - 6-1, 204

We match up size-wise pretty well vs. their DL.  We go 255, 285, 285, 260, and 285. We are young: 1 sr, 3 fr, 2 R-Sophs.  However, the JU front 7 has 1 Jr.  All the rest are seniors. 

[IndyValpo]

Odds and ends:

###  We are down to 2 QBs for JU:  Scott and Jake.  It would be a shame to lose Jake's red shirt year after 10 games in the event Scott can't complete the game.  I wonder, because College of Faith was an uncountable game, could Jake have played and still retained red shirt status?  Just would have liked to see him in a game situation.  Next year, it'll be Jake, Ryan, (knee cap dislocation), Dalton (labrum repair) and Conner Smith (also labrum repair) competing for the starting role.

###  I think the corner has turned with respect to the young OL.  It's not a dramatic turn, but the last two games have shown that we can now score (50 points) and you can't do that without the OL.

### The D was one stop away from preserving the win against Morehead.  Could this week be the week we hold onto a lead by the end of the game?

###  Regarding next year:  This staff focused on O this past recruiting season. Now we lose Alex and John to graduation -- two almost irreplaceable players.  I'm thinking the emphasis this recruiting season will be on D. We were small on that side of the ball and IMO need about 3 more John Guilfords up front. So we may encounter the same inexperience on that side of the ball next season as we did this season on O. So....., year four is when both O and D should have enough experience and talent to show us something in the W-L record. 

It is extremely important that Paliga not play. To waste a season in game 11 would stink. I mentioned this before, Lebanowitz was a QB in HS. Is he even on the team at this point?  If so, he could be the answer.
Here's the bad news, I am not sure Staal has ever lasted 2 games without injury. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Defensively we also lose Cotton, Bradley and Graham. We must add some size for the DL next year. Doepke is good size and played a lot 2 years ago before injury. What is his status?

[VULB#62]

Agree on Jake staying off the field. Cody is still listed on the roster but as a "D" Athlete.  We are also in accord on the need for bulk up front on D in next year's class, but with speed (or at least quick initial burst).  So many holes to fill, so little time.

[usc4valpo]

how about if Staal gets hurt, then we forfeit and just call it a season? What gain would be made if this situation occurs?

Go SC and Valpo - destroy Duckzilla!

[VU2624]

Agree on Jake staying off the field. Cody is still listed on the roster but as a "D" Athlete.  We are also in accord on the need for bulk up front on D in next year's class, but with speed (or at least quick initial burst).  So many holes to fill, so little time.

Cody Lebanowitz is essentially on collegiate IR and has been all season. Hall may return. Paliga shouldn't play. However an early injury at the QB position and a wildcat the entire game would be tough to watch.

Once again the 2 deep has some head scratchers likely not etched in what's really happening.

[vu72]

So why is it that we haven't played in Jacksonville since 2009? I thought we played everybody every other year at home and away.

[VULB#62]

First of all we only play 8 PFL games per season and the league has in the last decade or so  had ten and as many as 12 teams. So you just don't play everybody. But we had been playing JU regularly until 2009. I believe (with no foundation for this) that when they laid 86 on us in Carlson's first season in 2010, MLB said  'no more' to the PFL commissioner. That score went over the top and it was the way it was achieved -- the pedal was on the floor into the forth quarter.  Interesting that they have had to vacate all wins the past two seasons due to "inappropriate" use of financial aid. I suspect that Valpo had an idea that was the case ( like Mercer for that one year) and demanded that they be removed from our schedule. Just guessing........

[VU2624]

VULB....you seem to be up on these types of things. I tried to figure out what Jax did (as well as San Diego) but couldn't quite nail it down. Did they offer the players athletic scholarships, aid not available to the student body or something else I'm missing. Do you know?

[VULB#62]

VULB....you seem to be up on these types of things. I tried to figure out what Jax did (as well as San Diego) but couldn't quite nail it down. Did they offer the players athletic scholarships, aid not available to the student body or something else I'm missing. Do you know?

I believe they stretched the meaning of "need-based" for a bunch of players.  It wasn't like Mercer which used their one year in the PFL to give their 65 scholarship players a year of experience before formally jumping to the FBS scholarship Southern Conference.  This may be a bit of an overstatement but I hate the sandbagging Mercer pulled.  I also think that the PFL should have vacated all of their wins, but they just let them leave.  Mercer would not have provided any information anyway on their way out the door. Why do I think this?  You don' build a brand new 12,000 seat stadium and palatial field house for just football and lacrosse to play PFL games.  Argh.  I need to get over it.

[VULB#62]

Some news about the game from Brandon Vickrey

[tweet]667429594778214400[/tweet]
(Hope they don't have to use Conner -- he'll red shirt as well)
[tweet]667429801049915392[/tweet]

[tweet]667430045187743744[/tweet]

[tweet]667430263027273728[/tweet]

(2-deep lists Kellan as the starter at one safety)

[usc4valpo]

Gameday baby!!

Not much interest on this game as the hoops squad tries to conquer Duckzilla.

Go Troy! Go Saders! Make Phil Knight and Team Nike feel the pain!!!

[VULB#62]

Apparently rainy in J'ville. Game will be on ESPN3 I believe. KO is noon CST.

Go Crusaders!

[usc4valpo]

This one can be very ugly - by Sagarin ratings, Jacksonville is a 32 point favorite.

But the good things is that we can be thankful to God that this season is complete and the Saders can move on to next year

[VULB#62]

A measure of respect from Kerwin Bell, the JU HFBC:

"Valparaiso (1-8, 1-6) has only one official win (an 86-0 domination of College of Faith is counted as an exhibition game), but has given its opponents fits, including a late 36-29 loss to Morehead State last week.

"We haven't played them in a long time, but they are doing a good job of building that program. I gave our team examples of their Morehead State and Dayton games. They've been in a lot of games and you've got to try to put them away early because they will come to play and compete," said Bell.

If Kade Bell doesn't play we have a chance of keeping it kinda close.

[VULB#62]

Kade Bell is out. JU with the ball and 3 penalties to start 1 and 30.

[VULB#62]

3 and out for first drive. OK!

[VULB#62]

After a 1st down we throw a pick into a crowd.  Then after a good two downs give up a 52 yd TD.

[VULB#62]

Good play call gone bad.  Poor snap (bounced to Staal) on a quick kick that is blocked and run back for a TD.  Two TDs on 2 turnovers    It was 4th and 6 on the JU 40. It was all about lack of execution: the bad snap and the OL failing to keep the DL out.

[VULB#62]

Announcers talking about the lack of size of our OT (and our DL too).

Newman for a 39yd FG after a long run by Choudhry (39 yards).

[VULB#62]

Another sack of the JU Qb  D is playing a decent game.

Check that  As soon as i wrote that we had their TB dead in the backfield but lost trailing containment and gave up a long gain TD.  Then after a Valpo 3 and out the first play from the JU 40 a jet sweep takes it all the way to Valpo red zone.

Announcers comment -- clear difference in team speed.

[usc4valpo]

Big plays by JU and about to be 28-3. This game is going to get ugly.