GAME #4 - Valpo vs. Davidson (Homecoming) 9/29 1:00CST

[VULB#62]

Well, we couldn't stop a D-II read option team.  Now we face another read option team in Davidson.  They got hammered by Dayton 42-21, but they had a 14pt. lead at the beginning of the game. 

Some Davidson stats that should worry the Valpo faithful.

Game Stats     DAV   UD
First Downs       19      19
Total Offensive Yds   371   392
Passing Yards      177   193
Rushing Yards      194   199
Penalty Yards      6-60   7-45
3rd Downs           8-17   3-8
4th Downs             2-3   1-2
Time Of Possession   33:54   26:06

[covufan]

I think the team will bounce back.

Valpo   37
Davidson  24

[JD24]

Davidson is not really a read option team. Their new offense is a modified pistol triple option offense. It is very schoolyard and should turn the ball over fairly often as the offense gets installed. Some of the risks they take with the ball you don't typically see installed into an offense but it works sometimes and for big gains.  I thought this game would be a walkover prior to yesterday. They moved the ball early on Dayton but then did nothing for the better part of 3 quarters and Dayton made some adjustments. We'll see.

[VULB#62]

I thought the net run/pass balance that Davidson showed on the stat sheet was a bit surprising.  That gives us even more to prepare for.   

They completed 10 of 18 attempts but threw two picks. 

They had a total of 74 plays to Dayton's 53.

They controlled 12:29 of the 1st qtr -- that's how they moved out to a 14-0 initial lead. First drive took 5:14 (11 plays) and the second 7:15 (15 plays). Both of Dayton's Q-1 drives were 3 and outs.  Davidson had one other good drive all game in Q2 - a 14 play, 51 yd. drive (6:07 duration) that ended in a missed FG. In the second half they had possessions of 3, 5, 3, 3, 5 (the last being their final TD with 3:15 left and after Dayton had scored 42 straight points.

I am pasting my final comment from the TSU post-mortem here:

10 - The dimly lit bright side -- I think this was supposed to be a tuneup for conference play and, positioned in their minds as such, the players and coaches did not bring their A game, BUT..... this was not a PFL game.  We learned a lot about ourselves yesterday (as well as the past two Saturdays).  We need to channel every positive thing we learned going forward and not make those mistakes in conference play.

We know we are capable of playing good ball as we demonstrated against Duquesne (who also beat Dayton similarly). But we are still not used to winning so we haven't developed a true winners mindset.  It's uphill for the next 8 game. We should never consider ourselves a "favorite."  We are underdogs every weekend.

Davidson's first drive of the game is something I think  we will see on Saturday [click to enlarge].  Remember the name Wesley Dugger.

[JD24]

Where's valpofb16? Hope he's ok after Saturday's mess. Provides great info.

[valpofb16]

JD24 always appreciated. I watched Saturday on the ESPN+ app. We were bigger, faster, and stronger it appeared in many aspects. The defense was really slow playing their option. I don't think they got wore down, I think Truman State controlled the clock came into Valpo and beat the Crusaders soundly. A few players considered the game embarrassing.

That being said. The team they played had football scholarships and Valparaiso University does not. Davidson is 3-1 heading into Valparaiso with a team of primarily underclassmen. They should be better than people expect. Bilinski is still a year or two away from being a PFL capable starter, need a play maker. Missing Boxrucker has hurt to maintain drives.

This is a must win, if this game turns out to be a loss I am not sure where I see even being .500 a possibility.

[VULB#62]

Copied and pasted from the PFL Fan Forum site:

After week 4 here are the Massey ratings of PFLteams (order only) going into our game with Davidson:

San Diego
Butler
Drake
Dayton
Jacksonville
Valparaiso
Stetson
Morehead State
Davidson
Marist

The Davidson people are ecstatic that they are no longer listed last in FCS, PLUS there is a PFL team below them for the first time in years.

ALSO from the PFL Fan Forum:  5 out of 6 posters pick Valpo.  The lone decenter is a Davidson alum.  One week ago I would have said a solid win by Valpo by a couple of TDs.  Now?  Could be a shootout and a toss-up because we certainly showed we cannot stop the run right now -- the tape of the game was an early Christmas present to Davidson coach Scott Abell,.  And they run the ball.  just remember the name Wesley Dugger. 

[JD24]

Dugger ran for 1100yds last season out of a more conventional offense. He'll run it more out of the current offense along with the QB. 81 yards vs Dayton but on 28 carries. Gap integrity is very important and Davidson's triple option is a little odd as well in that it looks like organized school yard ball.

[VULB#62]

Dugger ran for 1100yds last season out of a more conventional offense. He'll run it more out of the current offense along with the QB. 81 yards vs Dayton but on 28 carries. Gap integrity is very important and Davidson's triple option is a little odd as well in that it looks like organized school yard ball.

24, might that offensive scheme mean it will be even harder to establish and follow rock hard keys/reads?  If so it plays to an already semi-undisciplined D.   That is, does it force us into a school yard defense?  That is scary.

[usc4valpo]

Saders 34
John Davidson 14

[JD24]

Dugger ran for 1100yds last season out of a more conventional offense. He'll run it more out of the current offense along with the QB. 81 yards vs Dayton but on 28 carries. Gap integrity is very important and Davidson's triple option is a little odd as well in that it looks like organized school yard ball.

24, might that offensive scheme mean it will be even harder to establish and follow rock hard keys/reads?  If so it plays to an already semi-undisciplined D.   That is, does it force us into a school yard defense?  That is scary.

The offense itself is so new that I expect turnovers to be an issue for them.

[VULB#62]

Lets hope so.

[JD24]

27-23 Valpo. Valpo will have more than a TD lead and Davidson will make the score look closer near the end of the game.

[78crusader]

At the game.

A 1-10 season awaits.

Paul

[valpotx]

The last possession was a mess.  We bailed ourselves out on the first 4th down, but then had 2 balls just thrown up for grabs, before we had to do a third?  They couldn't stop anything thrown on a slant or cross, so why in the world did we just toss it up on 2nd and 3rd down? 

[usc4valpo]

I have to question the third down call on Valpo's last drive in the first half. It was 3rd and 10 near midfield and I think they did a draw like rush for an insignificant gain. In such an offensive first half, I was puzzled by the call. From there, Davidson was able to score before the half.

Something is really funky with this team and I feel they are losing their mojo. The QBs are not 100 percent and the defensive line is getting pounded.

[mila]

Who is the win going to come from?

[usc4valpo]

Not sure Mila, but probability will prove they will win a game or 2. Talent wise and coaching wise this is not a Carlson team, and  you would have to assume they will get better.

[JD24]

The last possession was a mess.  We bailed ourselves out on the first 4th down, but then had 2 balls just thrown up for grabs, before we had to do a third?  They couldn't stop anything thrown on a slant or cross, so why in the world did we just toss it up on 2nd and 3rd down?

Because we didn't "toss it up on 2nd and 3rd down"
The pass to Fox was just a lollipop out of Seewald's hands. Fox was open and last year that's a pass that Seewald gets to Fox likely for a completion. They had to throw down the field with the time remaining. In addition, the 3rd down pass to Norberg should have been caught. Is it tough? Yeah...but that's the difference between Frank Catrine and Norberg (or anyone else on the roster). Catrine comes down with that and the Crusader's have a couple of shots at the end zone from the 10-12 yard line.

[JD24]

Kudos to VULB#62 for calling this mess on defense. Todd and Dave can call the "2nd half effort" what they want on defense but 380 yards on the ground and 550 yards in total offense given up by a defense isn't going to win many games whether you give it all up in the first half or spread evenly through the game. It's terrible. I don't get it either. The front 7 for Valpo should be pretty stout but it is getting chewed up. One of the CBs also struggled I thought today. Supposedly all this experience was going to lead to more victories. Right now Valpo will probably win a couple of games but the thoughts of competing for a league title? Laughable at this point.

At the end of the half and at the end of the game the defense let these guys go right down the field. Also not a good sign when a DB is setting records for tackles in a game.

[VULB#62]

I couldn't see the game and only got occasional updates by game tracker. You dont win when you give the opponent 23 more plays and almost 150 total yards for free. And if you can't  shut down a last gasp two minute offense in your own house, you deserve to lose.

We lost because we cannot (or refuse to or don't  have a system to) run the ball to control the clock
We lost because we couldn't stop a run offense or pressure it into turnovers
We lost because we are one dimentional on O and we do not effectively attack on D
We lost because we do not play fundamental, in your face football.
We lost because we were not as tough as Davidson on every play and the game of football is decided one play at a time

So Davidson is 4-1 and we are 0-4.

[VU2014]

We need to start stringing some wins together. There are no more moral victories for this program. It's time to start getting some wins.

[usc4valpo]

Let's start with focusing on one win and see where it goes from here. Dayton will be a tough one to win. The QBs need to get healthy and fast.

[valpofb16]

Went to game.

Second week in a row we were beaten soundly. We had more talent they had a better scheme.

Missing Turner was a problem. Replacing Nunes this year with Lane + Booker has been a problem. Their pulling action gave us fits. Missing Leandre is a problem.

I believe we have been outcoached and unprepared now for two weeks. The Duncan , Seewald thing is boggling. Let seewald play and get a rythm or redshirt him this season and play Duncan.

The penalties and lack of discipline on offense and defense is extremely concerning. Does not look like a Cecchini coached team.

It does appear there is some odd ju-ju going down up there. Wonder if egos or something else it taking place

[usc4valpo]

This team is currently in a state of disarray. They have been out coached the past two weeks, and the defensive line needs to step it up.