So, one month out, where are we with Va Tech?

[18IsTheMan]

By the time Spurrier got to Columbia, the rest of the SEC and college football had caught up to his offense. When he arrived at UF, he brought an offense no one in the SEC or in much of college football had ever seen. The SEC was a "three yards and a cloud of dust" conference dominated by big, fast running backs and road grader OL play. 10-15 passes in a game was considered borderline "wide open play calling". If a team could score 17 points, they stood a good chance of winning the game. Stout defense really ruled the day.

Spurrier brought in multiple wide receiver sets and forced mismatches where linebackers were having to cover wide receivers or running backs coming out of the backfield. Other teams had no answer for the offense he brought for quite a while. 6' 185lb slow white linebackers stood no chance trying to cover a WR or RB who had a running start. Once the other SEC teams adapted and/or new coaches came in who weren't married to the old school style of football, Spurrier's success started to wane. By the time he got to Carolina, every team in the SEC was running and defending similar offenses as what he had brought in 1990.

It's crazy how quickly the game evolves. He left the game in 2001 as pretty much the undisputed offensive mastermind. He came back as an ok offensive coach. We had some good offenses and some great offensive players, but nothing that was going to wow anybody. He could still dial it up and call a fantastic game, though. When anyone thinks of those teams from 2011-2013, though, defense is what comes to mind. Kudos to him for adapting and being able to adjust without having the huge offensive edge he was used to having at UF.

 

[Piscis]

It's crazy how quickly the game evolves. He left the game in 2001 as pretty much the undisputed offensive mastermind. He came back as an ok offensive coach. We had some good offenses and some great offensive players, but nothing that was going to wow anybody. He could still dial it up and call a fantastic game, though. When anyone thinks of those teams from 2011-2013, though, defense is what comes to mind. Kudos to him for adapting and being able to adjust without having the huge offensive edge he was used to having at UF.

He really caught lightning in a bottle in that '11-'13 time period talent wise. What are the odds of two of the best HS players in the country coming from SC two years in a row and both of them going to Carolina instead of Clemson, UGA, Tennessee or Bama? Throw in a great talent at WR in Alshon and Shaw at QB and more talent on the LOS on both sides than had ever been collected at Carolina and Spurrier had everything he needed to win a championship. I'm not sure that alignment of the stars will ever happen again. It is even more amazing to think about when you recall what a lazy recruiter Spurrier was.

 

[18IsTheMan]

He really caught lightning in a bottle in that '11-'13 time period talent wise. What are the odds of two of the best HS players in the country coming from SC two years in a row and both of them going to Carolina instead of Clemson, UGA, Tennessee or Bama? Throw in a great talent at WR in Alshon and Shaw at QB and more talent on the LOS on both sides than had ever been collected at Carolina and Spurrier had everything he needed to win a championship. I'm not sure that alignment of the stars will ever happen again. It is even more amazing to think about when you recall what a lazy recruiter Spurrier was.

I've gotten heat in the past for noting that our run in those years was primarily fueled by an unprecedented run of top-shelf in-state talent. Spurrier was middling coach here through his first 6 seasons. But then we got a collection of in-state talent like the state had never seen before, and maybe never again.

 

[Stinky88]

VT (+1)
SC State (+2)
Vanderbilt (+2.5)
@Missouri (+3)
Kentucky (+4)
@LSU (+4)
Oklahoma (+4.5)
Alabama (+4.5)
@ole Miss (+5)
@Texas A&M (+5.5)
Coastal Carolina (+6.5)
Clemson (+7)

I see 7-5

 

[kidrobinski]

By the time Spurrier got to Columbia, the rest of the SEC and college football had caught up to his offense. When he arrived at UF, he brought an offense no one in the SEC or in much of college football had ever seen. The SEC was a "three yards and a cloud of dust" conference dominated by big, fast running backs and road grader OL play. 10-15 passes in a game was considered borderline "wide open play calling". If a team could score 17 points, they stood a good chance of winning the game. Stout defense really ruled the day.

Spurrier brought in multiple wide receiver sets and forced mismatches where linebackers were having to cover wide receivers or running backs coming out of the backfield. Other teams had no answer for the offense he brought for quite a while. 6' 185lb slow white linebackers stood no chance trying to cover a WR or RB who had a running start. Once the other SEC teams adapted and/or new coaches came in who weren't married to the old school style of football, Spurrier's success started to wane. By the time he got to Carolina, every team in the SEC was running and defending similar offenses as what he had brought in 1990.

Not what I meant, Youre referencing the system. and correctly for the most part; I meant the handling of qbs.

Spurrier wanted his qbs to do what he wanted, how he wanted, when he wanted; thus the rotating/alternating/insert the new capacitor methodology for 'repairing' an offense with different qbs. When youre still enjoying a relatively novel system complimented with superior athletes at every position on both sides of the ball as he was at Florida that can work; we of course didnt enjoy that luxury. There's a big difference between coaching and micromanaging; as one who played the position I can tell you that makes your guys freeze and tighten up, all guys, and thats exactly what we saw with early Connor Shaw. To his credit, Spurrier appeared to to catch a clue, backed off, and Shaw flourished. I fully believe that had he realized that earlier we wouldn't have seen disasters like the 06-08 stretch.

 

[muscleknight]

Remember 2 years ago we had a hotshot QB and finished 5-7.

 

[Gamecock Jacque]

Not what I meant, Youre referencing the system. and correctly for the most part; I meant the handling of qbs.

Spurrier wanted his qbs to do what he wanted, how he wanted, when he wanted; thus the rotating/alternating/insert the new capacitor methodology for 'repairing' an offense with different qbs. When youre still enjoying a relatively novel system complimented with superior athletes at every position on both sides of the ball as he was at Florida that can work; we of course didnt enjoy that luxury. There's a big difference between coaching and micromanaging; as one who played the position I can tell you that makes your guys freeze and tighten up, all guys, and thats exactly what we saw with early Connor Shaw. To his credit, Spurrier appeared to to catch a clue, backed off, and Shaw flourished. I fully believe that had he realized that earlier we wouldn't have seen disasters like the 06-08 stretch.

Spurrier wanted his QB's to see the field the same way that he did.

 

[Tngamecock]

VT is maybe one step above Miss State or even Vandy. If we don't win easily, all the preseason happy talk and chest beating will be shown to be foolish. A loss and 7 wins is probably our ceiling.

Old Dominion says hi

nothing like judging a season on one game.

 

[KingWard]

Illinois was from a seasoned Big 10...Bowl games, with players sitting out.

Please don't try to mitigate that abominable performance.

 

[18IsTheMan]

8.5 points is not a spread between two relatively evenly matched teams.

Line has nudged slightly to VaTech, with us now favored by 7.5

 

[Gamecock Jacque]

Heard a VT linebacker was arrested for dui.