I don’t ever want to see last year’s ECU game again – EVER!

By the way, is it to early to start thinking about crushing Pitt into a pulp?

Coach Stewart has taken the steps to make sure that replacing Pat White has gotten easier, not harder. Obviously, I would rather have names like Meyer, Carroll, etc. as our football coach. But under the circumstances, trying to minimize the loss of a once-in-a-generation player like Pat White may be Bill Stewart’s best accomplishment yet.

lets see he was the coach of VMI really no one does well at VMI so the 8-25 is a little misleading VMI football program is so bad that the only mention of a game is the first one a loss to Washington and Lee (Where my brother goes to school currently a D-3 school) so that should tell you how bad their program is.

1. How do you know what happened when Boyd left (first for Tennessee, if you remember correctly, until Kiffin ran him off)? You say yourself that “rumors” say his dad didn’t like the direction of the program. Well, I remember Stew saying how “no player’s daddy is going to call the plays.” I don’t know what that’s all about, but it sounds to me like there was some tension there. Maybe Boyd would have left either way, but you can’t discount the staff’s ability to go sign another Elite 11 QB (just as unproven as Boyd).

2. I was simply trying to explain why fans are optimistic about JB as our starter. Folks remember the Rutgers game and this year’s spring game and the praise the coaches and media are heaping on him from practice. The optimistic fans also remember the difficult situations he was put in against Syracuse (Not sure where that 3rd QB should have come from, seeing as how Stew hadn’t been the HC when most of the players were recruited. Maybe the coaching staff thought we could get by Syracuse at home if they just ran the ball and let JB throw screens and managed the game, rather than hand the reins to Bradley Starks who might turn it over 4 times?), Pitt, USF, etc. And while I agree with roolgol that players SHOULD prepare the same when they are a backup, reality is that it’s harder to stay ready when you’re not playing. I’m not sure what your point is with Tom Brady? Hasn’t he played better as a starter? How about Matt Cassel this year? Look at how much he improved after the first couple games when he knew he was going to be the starter after Brady went down. Other examples are escaping me right now, but if you can come back with several names (I’m sure you can name one or two—-there’s an exception to every rule) of guys who played just as well as backups, you might change my mind.

3. Rich Rodriguez didn’t seem to be able to figure it out, which was my point to rebut roolgol’s statement that he is questioning the change in system. Not to mention the fact that, you know, we have new coaches who happen to have their own backgrounds and ideas and may not be suited to coach the old system. But that’s beside my earlier point that you run a system to fit your personnel. As for JB being anointed the starting QB role, who do you want to anoint? Geno Smith, who hasn’t even attended a collegiate practice? Or maybe Coley White, who hasn’t taken a snap in a real game and hasn’t shown anything in practice? How about Bradley Starks, who the coaching staff thinks has a promising future at WR (a position we happen to be thin at) and whose lone collegiate pass attempt didn’t come within 15 yards of its target? I’m sure if one of these guys comes into fall camp and blows everyone away, that person will play. But until then, I don’t think naming your 5th year senior QB who has significant game experience as your starter is really that big a deal. And I also don’t think you would find many people to agree with you on that point either.

Finally, as for my “little jab,” I couldn’t help myself. I guess I should have let the ignorance of basing your expertise on “being a 15 year season ticket holder” speak for itself.

HCBS still suffers in my mind from the perception created in the Colorado game, the uninvolved detachment on the sidelines, coupled with some deer-in-the-headlights looks and missed opportunities. (for those also following the Redskins, it reminded us of Joe Gibbs v.2). There’s a difference between delegating authority and abdicating it.

Later in the year he did seem to improve in that respect a little, let’s hope it continues, it’ll again be worth at least one game (I’m guessing) in the win column by the end of the year.

Good post.

i like it. very good prediction. i hope it turns out that well. but we’ll prolly be 2-3, not 4-1

…a voice of reason! Great points, especially bullet No. 2. Whatever the record, each year I hope for us to be better in our last game than we were in our first. I want to be the team that other teams dread late in the season. I have several wagers with friends on this season — I predict we will average more points per game this season, more yards per play, and have a larger avg. margin of victory. Ten wins is within reach…