Scrimmage Notes

[bulldozier1]

The problem with Grothe and now BJ. They never played in a good offensive system. Never had good QB coaches to teach them anything. BJ was a rookie QB, who made rookie mistakes. We all know how it is being inexperienced (losing your virginity). Quick snap and fumble. Going for the hell mary pass and thow an interception. His heart going hundred mile. And pop goes the weezel, mistake happens. Let's hope he gets his sea legs.

[smazza]

i think bj is surrounded by better coaches now

[E.T.]

Our OC's kept changing . . . 

[Bullpride08]

The problem with Grothe and now BJ. They never played in a good offensive system. Never had good QB coaches to teach them anything. BJ was a rookie QB, who made rookie mistakes. We all know how it is being inexperienced (losing your virginity). Quick snap and fumble. Going for the hell mary pass and thow an interception. His heart going hundred mile. And pop goes the weezel, mistake happens. Let's hope he gets his sea legs.

You honestly believe that?  Canales spent every waking moment each week to try, no beg, BJ to look short.  BJ is just as inexperienced now, it's a new offense and the new staff do not have a clue what he can do because he can't take contact, or sit in a pocket for fear of injuring that shoulder. The staff, by necessity, is going to make him a pocket passer, something he was clearly not good at last year when he was in the pocket, getting happy feet and trying to move out quicker then the pocket set.  Then shall I say he was 52% passing with 9 INT's and 14TD's.

He's still only a RS-Soph....if you honestly believe he's going to be better without his two best weapons anymore, without having any meaningful practice time.  Basically in terms of the mental aspects of the same right now BJ is just like he was to start last season, back to square one.  Without a giant weapon in our arsenal to help him I just don't see our offense suddenly becoming a juggernaut next year.  Just last week the staff said verbatum to try and help the more delusional, that they had to back down the offense a little because BJ was overloaded.

Just don't set yourself up for a fall.  BJ's a tremendous athlete that needs time to grow and develop as a player and learning this offense.  He showed last year that he needs time as brilliant as he was at times he was just as awful on the flip.

[Bullpride08]

i think bj is surrounded by better coaches now

based on what?  The 67th best offense that Fitch ran at ECU, or the 84th best that Vaas ran at Miami of Ohio?  Or was it Peter Vaas' 116th ranked Duke Offense in 2007, or Fitch's 79th ranked offense at ECU in 2008?  Base on those numbers what makes you so certain?

And before you say 'it's Duke what do you expect' in 2008 and 2009 the years after Vaas departed they went to 102, and then 69...so someone proved improvement can be made at Duke. 

Hell I think some of you dufus don't even realize that in 5 years at ECU Skip managed only 1 top 50 offense and that was in 2005 when they were 47.  Heck even UCF's produced more prolific offenses then that in 2005, 2006 and 2007.  In fact USF had more prolific offenses then ECU in 2006, 2007, and 2008, and equal in 2009 (despite breaking in a freshman newby QB and they having a 5th year senior QB).

I brought up UCF to prove it's not just ECU's C-DOA inclusion that's an excuse, and showed that despite all these USF and UCF fans complaining about their offenses...in most years since Skip had been at ECU our offenses were more productive then his...and we won more ball games, and more bowl games, and beat his team like a drum in the PapaJohn's bowl.

Just becareful what you say without doing an ounce of fact checking.  You may hate Leavitt and that's your perogative, but before annointing the new staff as 'chosen ones' how about letting them prove to a few of us they're better than their history dictates.

[windbane]

My concern, as it was when the coaching change went down, is that the timing was so horrible.  Holtz somewhat salvaged recruiting, but it ended up a far cry from what it was shaping up to be. If we do have a sub .500 record and miss out on a bowl game I think we are in a down ward spiral. Holtz better be able to pull off a big upset somewhere. He has shown he can do it before. Say what you want about Leavitt, but besides the inaugural year we only had one losing year and that was the year we were transitioning to BE.

I agree the expectations from many around here are naïve.

Skip had losing seasons too- two at Uconn in his first two years, and went 5-6, and 6-6 at ECU in his first two years.  He's no magic man either, and will need to build trust, and learn about his players things Leavitt already knew.

It's just reality.  WVU has loans of talent with Devine, Jock Sanders, Tavin Austin, Clarke...and return 4 starting OL.  Pitt is loaded with Baldwin returning and I think a new QB is like an addition by subtraction there...RU with Sanu, Savage, Martinek, and DC Jefferson will be tough.  I see us taking some lumps, we lost to much, even in areas where we didn't expect to lose like Hermann, Ford, Stirrups, probably Taylor, and don't be surprised if a few more of those leave the nest soon too.

Lindsey Lamar is struggling at WR right now, and outside of him Skip's even said he's the only WR with 'juice'.  Reality is reality.  The great classes of 2008, and 2009 are still underclassmen.  Take a guy like Virgin, or Hawkins, or Shields.  Good looking potential in those at TE and H-back, but none have played any real time, and are just baby's in football comparisons.  Look at MLB.  Barrington is a stud but physically he's not ready to be the every down MLB, the past five that position has been manned by big, experienced boys like Kion, Moffett, and McKenzie.  Barrington is about 15-20lbs lighter then when those guys played, and way more inexperienced.  He will be 'great' eventually but expect some lumps when he starts out.

I don't agree we're in trouble for a while if this season is bad though.  I think 2011, if Skip is as good a coach as it seems, pencils out very nicely on paper.  The defense could return the entire starting DB's, Barrington, Lanaris, Lattimore, Witherspoon...DL will have Hampton, Forte, Giddins, and Davis with what will be a battle ready stud in Sager, Thompson, and Chandler.   Oh and add T-Rex in there to go with possibly Ivan Nicholas returning there, and don't be surprised if Deonte Welsh turns into a stud corner for us...and I think Cliett will make serious noise too.  I am also excited about the prospects of Mark Joyce as an OLB...he's 6-1 210lbs and can fly!

On offense we'll have Evan Landi (who I expect will be a great WR), Griffin, Lamar (by then hopefully 15lbs bigger and more acclimated to WR), Victor Marc, maybe Montague, Richardson...with Shield and Hawkins at TE, Murray/Battle/Hayes at RB, BJ with another back-up that's a real viable option (and hopefully Gunsby moving to a position he can be more valued at like WR or OLB), Virgin at H-Back...and a good nucleus of the OL returning.

Look at 2011 and if Skip is the guy we all think he is he may suffer a bit in 2010, but 2011 and 2012 could be his resurgence onto the big stage!

First of all, who says Lamar is struggling at WR?  Skip just said he's the fastest, not that no one else is any good.

Secondly, McKenzie played Sam, not MLB.

Who are you hinting at that might leave the program?

We'll see if all those guys need an entire year to get ready, because you haven't named anyone that we don't already have.  We have everyone but Mitchell and Hermann returning on offense so there should be an improvement there.  The talent level on defense shouldn't drop and the secondary, especially CBs, should be better, imo.

[E.T.]

i think bj is surrounded by better coaches now

based on what? 

...

His dislike of Leavitt

[angus82]

i think bj is surrounded by better coaches now

based on what? 

...

His dislike of Leavitt

Based on the fact that they have won a conference championship. (even if it was only CUSA)

[BullMedic]

****, lots of pessimism in this thread. I'm not trying to say we'll go undefeated but I think 7-5 is a legit realistic goal.

[bulldozier1]

Hell, we went to the Canadian bowl with BAD COACHING. I'm sure we can fall into a bowl game with good coaching. Geez.