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Did AF actually watch ASU play this season?!?!

(12-21-2017 05:58 PM)NewMex RocketFan Wrote:  Did AF actually watch ASU play this season?!?!

App won last season and has a good shot to win this season. Mid-season injuries meant that up to 4 freshman were starting on offense and several newcomers were starting on defense. Since getting healthy, App has played more in line with what was done against Wake Forest and much less like what was done against UMass.

Should expect a game similar to last season except now you no longer have Roberts nor do you have Hunt. Sure there are plug and play guys, but no one just steps in for someone with Hunt's versatility and consistency or with Roberts size.

(12-22-2017 12:32 PM)ericsaid Wrote:  

(12-21-2017 05:58 PM)NewMex RocketFan Wrote:  Did AF actually watch ASU play this season?!?!

App won last season and has a good shot to win this season. Mid-season injuries meant that up to 4 freshman were starting on offense and several newcomers were starting on defense. Since getting healthy, App has played more in line with what was done against Wake Forest and much less like what was done against UMass.

Should expect a game similar to last season except now you no longer have Roberts nor do you have Hunt. Sure there are plug and play guys, but no one just steps in for someone with Hunt's versatility and consistency or with Roberts size.

LOL... you might be surprised how well we have replaced Hunt and Roberts...

(12-22-2017 12:32 PM)ericsaid Wrote:  

(12-21-2017 05:58 PM)NewMex RocketFan Wrote:  Did AF actually watch ASU play this season?!?!

App won last season and has a good shot to win this season. Mid-season injuries meant that up to 4 freshman were starting on offense and several newcomers were starting on defense. Since getting healthy, App has played more in line with what was done against Wake Forest and much less like what was done against UMass.

Should expect a game similar to last season except now you no longer have Roberts nor do you have Hunt. Sure there are plug and play guys, but no one just steps in for someone with Hunt's versatility and consistency or with Roberts size.

you might surmise that based on just reading about the team and who graduated. What you do not see is the difference in the defense this year vs. last year. The biggest hurt we will have is with our best defender out for the 1st half. Defensive backfield is much better than last year - and much deeper as well. D-line is more athletic and also deeper than last year. Linebackers - hit and miss. On offense, we not only lose our best receiver, running back and tight end - but we more than adequately replaced each one of them and got better results than last year.

(12-22-2017 02:00 PM)MotoRocket Wrote:  

(12-22-2017 12:32 PM)ericsaid Wrote:  

(12-21-2017 05:58 PM)NewMex RocketFan Wrote:  Did AF actually watch ASU play this season?!?!

App won last season and has a good shot to win this season. Mid-season injuries meant that up to 4 freshman were starting on offense and several newcomers were starting on defense. Since getting healthy, App has played more in line with what was done against Wake Forest and much less like what was done against UMass.

Should expect a game similar to last season except now you no longer have Roberts nor do you have Hunt. Sure there are plug and play guys, but no one just steps in for someone with Hunt's versatility and consistency or with Roberts size.

you might surmise that based on just reading about the team and who graduated. What you do not see is the difference in the defense this year vs. last year. The biggest hurt we will have is with our best defender out for the 1st half. Defensive backfield is much better than last year - and much deeper as well. D-line is more athletic and also deeper than last year. Linebackers - hit and miss. On offense, we not only lose our best receiver, running back and tight end - but we more than adequately replaced each one of them and got better results than last year.

Our best defender is out for the first half because he hit a guy hard making a spin move on an interior run. No launch. No head hunting, just a hard tackle on a bang bang play in traffic. And it came with a 7 minute review delay of the game.

App State put seven players on the first team All Sun Belt team as well as several other players on the second and third team along with a few receiving honorable mention honors.

I may be bias but I stand by my bowl preview article, which I am sure you all have read!

Still clinging to our upset of Michigan? Not anymore. Now we're clinging to beating Toledo in two bowl games in a row......with FCS-recruited players making plays for App all over the field in both.

Win the MAC Championship and can't even get inside our 35 yard line much less score. Yikes!

(12-24-2017 02:00 PM)AppRolls Wrote:  Still clinging to our upset of Michigan? Not anymore. Now we're clinging to beating Toledo in two bowl games in a row......with FCS-recruited players making plays for App all over the field in both.

Win the MAC Championship and can't even get inside our 35 yard line much less score. Yikes!

And this is where you’ll be asked to leave this board forever...

(12-24-2017 02:08 PM)Rocket_Fanatic Wrote:  

(12-24-2017 02:00 PM)AppRolls Wrote:  Still clinging to our upset of Michigan? Not anymore. Now we're clinging to beating Toledo in two bowl games in a row......with FCS-recruited players making plays for App all over the field in both.

Win the MAC Championship and can't even get inside our 35 yard line much less score. Yikes!

And this is where you’ll be asked to leave this board forever...

The truth hurts, but then nobody likes an ungracious winner either.

I'm betting a lot of Rocket fans lost a lot of money on this game not to mention pride. But did they learn humility? We are still waiting on comment from UofToledoFans who talked an inordinate amount of stat smack on the SunBelt board.

(12-24-2017 02:32 PM)App75 Wrote:  I'm betting a lot of Rocket fans lost a lot of money on this game not to mention pride. But did they learn humility? We are still waiting on comment from UofToledoFans who talked an inordinate amount of stat smack on the SunBelt board.

Bet you alot of us didn't lose a dime gambling on this game. I have always worked way too hard to earn my money to throw it away.

This is the punishment for the team playing like $hit We have to read on our board about how Appy State is the next Alabama. I guess we should be doing "up-downs" along with Woodside and the offensive line in equally poor performances. At halftime, the guy who said it the best was Jesse Palmer when he said App State came to play and "Toledo looks totally disinterested". Yep.. Have to admit, I was not very interested in this game either and expected to win by around 20 - regardless of how many "all-conference" players they may have had. This was less how good App State was as it was how poorly we played and how this was reminiscent of how we ended our season 2 years ago against NIU and WMU - totally disinterested and way too many mistakes. At least we scored in those games and had a chance to win them. I quit watching when after we were down 20-0 and had the ball with a chance to get a score and make it 20-7, we throw another intercept with Woodside missing receivers high and behind them most of the night. It was pathetic.

(12-26-2017 01:30 PM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(12-24-2017 02:32 PM)App75 Wrote:  I'm betting a lot of Rocket fans lost a lot of money on this game not to mention pride. But did they learn humility? We are still waiting on comment from UofToledoFans who talked an inordinate amount of stat smack on the SunBelt board.

Bet you alot of us didn't lose a dime gambling on this game. I have always worked way too hard to earn my money to throw it away.

Indeed. I’ve never, ever bet on a sporting event. Far too many things that can happen in that unknown. For example, had Lamb been injured in the first series & not been able to play, I doubt App State scores that many points.

Disinterested maybe but most the bowl games are played on pride, coached on pride... the Akron game meant nothing about how good we are or are not. The App game was the measuring stick.

When I heard the Seniors were not practicing a few weeks back I thought we might be taking it easy.... they do not need to hit as much as staying in shape and sharp.

If you know as a player you are being out worked and out prepped that tends to play out in the game... now if APP didn't practice their seniors I'd be surprised

(12-26-2017 03:40 PM)UTDE Wrote:  Disinterested maybe but most the bowl games are played on pride, coached on pride... the Akron game meant nothing about how good we are or are not. The App game was the measuring stick.

When I heard the Seniors were not practicing a few weeks back I thought we might be taking it easy.... they do not need to hit as much as staying in shape and sharp.

If you know as a player you are being out worked and out prepped that tends to play out in the game... now if APP didn't practice their seniors I'd be surprised

And they did not prep for a Conference Championship. Seemed to be a MACC hangover.

I expected a similar game to last year as App was healthy (minus our best DL out) and hoped to keep it tight by scoring in the 30’s.

But I had no idea how disinterested Toledo was in playing physical, when they got punched in the mouth on both lines they never got off the mat.

(12-26-2017 10:00 PM)Saint3333 Wrote:  I expected a similar game to last year as App was healthy (minus our best DL out) and hoped to keep it tight by scoring in the 30’s.

But I had no idea how disinterested Toledo was in playing physical, when they got punched in the mouth on both lines they never got off the mat.

About the same comments I made about our Toledo team after the loss to Ohio U. Same performance in that game, but we at least scored 10 points - and gave up 38 (or something like that). Both lines were manhandled in that game as well. I don't get it. We had a MAC championship team, but generally speaking - championship teams don't get beat up like this in 2 games against essentially equal caliber football teams. I could understand it if it was against top 10 teams in the nation. Baffling. We have to learn to compete in every game, and if the starters aren't doing it - it's time to get the reserves in to show what they can do and maybe takeover that starting job.

(12-27-2017 10:41 AM)MotoRocket Wrote:  

(12-26-2017 10:00 PM)Saint3333 Wrote:  I expected a similar game to last year as App was healthy (minus our best DL out) and hoped to keep it tight by scoring in the 30’s.

But I had no idea how disinterested Toledo was in playing physical, when they got punched in the mouth on both lines they never got off the mat.

About the same comments I made about our Toledo team after the loss to Ohio U. Same performance in that game, but we at least scored 10 points - and gave up 38 (or something like that). Both lines were manhandled in that game as well. I don't get it. We had a MAC championship team, but generally speaking - championship teams don't get beat up like this in 2 games against essentially equal caliber football teams. I could understand it if it was against top 10 teams in the nation. Baffling. We have to learn to compete in every game, and if the starters aren't doing it - it's time to get the reserves in to show what they can do and maybe takeover that starting job.

Top 3 OG's out. A single back up that covered both OT positions. 2 of 3 DE's out and lose the 3rd for the first half of the Bowl game. Lost Cody,etc.,this was a weakened Rocket team. Much worse shape injury wise than the 2015 team that won the Boca Raton Bowl.

(12-27-2017 11:14 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(12-27-2017 10:41 AM)MotoRocket Wrote:  

(12-26-2017 10:00 PM)Saint3333 Wrote:  I expected a similar game to last year as App was healthy (minus our best DL out) and hoped to keep it tight by scoring in the 30’s.

But I had no idea how disinterested Toledo was in playing physical, when they got punched in the mouth on both lines they never got off the mat.

About the same comments I made about our Toledo team after the loss to Ohio U. Same performance in that game, but we at least scored 10 points - and gave up 38 (or something like that). Both lines were manhandled in that game as well. I don't get it. We had a MAC championship team, but generally speaking - championship teams don't get beat up like this in 2 games against essentially equal caliber football teams. I could understand it if it was against top 10 teams in the nation. Baffling. We have to learn to compete in every game, and if the starters aren't doing it - it's time to get the reserves in to show what they can do and maybe takeover that starting job.

Top 3 OG's out. A single back up that covered both OT positions. 2 of 3 DE's out and lose the 3rd for the first half of the Bowl game. Lost Cody,etc.,this was a weakened Rocket team. Much worse shape injury wise than the 2015 team that won the Boca Raton Bowl.

They played thru and over injuries all year.....in fact I was amazed at how well they kept stepping up in that regard. But I don't think injuries alone can explain what is was about the Ohio game or bowl game that caused them to look so totally and completely lost----well beyond mere deer in highlights. To me, those two games stand out a stark anomalies, the causes for which I just don't understand---not what happened, but WHY it happened in those specific games. Sure, the match ups weren't favorable (two opponents with a stout running game and a defense that could both stuff the run and bring pressure on the QB) but I don't believe match ups alone can explain the extent of complete and total domination the Rockets experienced in those two games. The "disinterested" theory appears to me to be the best explanation, but then why the total disinterest in those particular games?