As you know I enjoy posting a few thoughts that I believe most people “see” but often “overlook”… Throughout this season it has become apparent this team has a type of chemistry that functions on the “next man up” mentality. This type of functionality makes it difficult to game plan for and difficult to defend on both sides of the ball.

Take these examples for instance; let’s start with the offence. In each game, a separate receiver took the lead in either receptions or yards. Vs FU is was Stagnatti 70 yds and Kelly with 4 recp. Vs Chatt is was Holmes with 61 yds, Vs GWU it was Coffee for 60. The Cit had Kelly with 80 yds and Stagnetti with 5 recs. WU had Stagnetti leading the way with Richburg and Kelly right there. Then WCU it was Kelly, Richburg and Burns, MU was Richburg. You see where I’m going. The receiver spot is not like a QB where if you don’t have a true #1, then you don’t have a good situation. The receiving corps is different whereas, you never know who is going to be the main guy this week – so who do you try and shut down? Now add in the TE. Wick looks to be the first guy on the field, but then you change it up and add Burns into the package, and now Adkins comes in and they don’t miss a beat. Now you have to spend time planning for 3 TEs and separate looks. Let’s mix in the RB situation. There is no doubt that both Holmes and Saylors are studs (Big props to the O-Line). Each brings a different set of skills, including catching the ball out of the backfield (Holmes) or lining them up outside (Salors), each is a threat no matter who is on the field. Now let’s look at power football down on the goal line. You have Thompson to grind it in, a TE in the pattern, a RB on blast and now you have to account for the big ole DE Ferrell catching passes… Man that’s tuff.

OK let’s talk about the D. The same thing is happening on that side of the ball; whereas a perfect example played out last week. Everyone knows Robinson is a stud at safety, but when his partner Tucker goes down, Smith comes in and becomes the SoCon D player of the week – next man up. When the line doesn’t have Player on the end, Madman Maduafolkwa steps up, likewise Bockrath and Gatewood. Wigel is the man in the middle, and Folks has allowed him to read and react and both have to be accounted for on blitz and Folks in the passing lane down field. But guess what, when either steps off due to wind or passing scheme, Yancey, Griffen, Cooper and Williams step in and up. Now how do you game plan against situational cutups? It’s damn difficult, because you don’t know what package the Bucs will be in or who is on the field. Last year you could tell who the other team was going to try and pick on; this year is different.

When you look at the other teams, it’s pretty easy to say he is the number one receiver, or we have to stop this guy or stay away from that guy… One thing the Bucs have shown us this year is that you can never count them out, you can never say he is going to lead in rushing or he will lead in receptions or yards or what the personnel packages are going to be. You can’t say avoid this corner or don’t run up the middle or stay in the pocket… You get where I’m going?

Go back and look at all of the final drives the Bucs needed to win the game. Everyone mentioned above had an iatrical part of every one of those drives. No one person, other that “All ETSU QB” Herrink, was the definitive guy. You take anyone of those TEs, RB or WRs out of the drive and it stalls. Think I’m lying, go back and watch the games again. The same goes on D. When the game needed to be shut down in years past, it had to be Wiegle or Player. Now its everyone – the next man up. Cheers.

Love it!