Valpo hosts SW Minnesota ST next who is 10-27 their last 4 seasons and 1-3 this year. Only win is over a 0-4 Minot State.
THAT BEING SAID Massey still calls for only a 7 point win. This is the last real time (outside of maybe Stetson) that Valpo is realistically favored.
1.7 YPC won't get it done. Last week I'm hoping for the best.
20-6 Valparaiso
Interesting fact is that my father graduated from Marshall HS in MN, which is where SW Minnesota State is based, and my Granddad was a Professor at the university for several years. Regardless, I take Valpo:
Valpo 31
SWMSU 14
A low end D2 team visits Valpo. Based on previous comments, Valpo wins 28-21.
Don't think I've seen this before at Valpo backup QBs Michale Martins brother Marcus Martin is the starting QB at SMSU
SMSU has a massive OL and a 220 Lb RB. D is small and fast. Valpo had another FR OL quit (2 already from camp). Need to find a way to build there
A full four quarters?
VU 31 - 17
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So far not seeing anything different from past games, argh... I don't get it.
2-0 SWMU after safety
Defense stood tall with two three and outs. Appel picked off, OL abused in short yardage. Microcosm of the season.
Side note: Offense ran bunch almost exclusively against Marist. In our own end zone no bunch formation. Can't even identify what Symmes is trying to establish
8-0 again another bomb over the corner opposite of Geiman. Valpo staring 0-11 down the barrel
Not a pleasant Q1 :banghead:
Valpo has a grand total of 3 yards!
Pic 6 >:(
Put in Keefe. At least let's see what else is on this roster.
Appel is rattled. His health is also in question with how bad the OL is.
Let some of the Freshman play on the OL.
Fox should look into moving on from Symmes immediately.
How Ja'shon Butler was the 4th back to get a carry this game is beyond me
Valpo drive chart:
- 3 & out
- Interception
- Safety
- Interception - TD
- 3 & out / Field Goal due to KR.
Ouch
Blocked kick to two yards.
Two touchdowns called back with holding. Two formations we haven't seen all season.
After the punt block, VU just failed to convert close to the goal line and missed a short FGA. Yikes.
I seriously thought that Appel was the guy around whom a conference contending offense could be built, assuming he stayed at VU. He seems like a good young man and a team player, with a rocket arm to boot. I hope he can turn it around.
Maybe they find a way to get back in this game and pull off a win. But I get the sense that the program has quickly reached an inflection point, whereby all of the painstaking progress made to scratch towards respectability is at total risk.
might as well gamble on a score -- 10-15
Todd said it - The D has kept this close despite almost incompetent offensive play. Special teams has contributed greatly only to see it wasted.
Agree, would like to see more of Butler on offensive snaps.
Watching the game, on the visitor sideline, am I seeing an old swing set next to the Valpo Athletics shed?
I see it. Probably the rack for suspending a heavy bag to drill line blocking technique
This is really a contest to see which team can make the fewest horrendous mistakes. Penalty with 39 yards to go for a first down? ? ? Crazy!!!
How will SW Montana State score next?
Up by 1 -- 16-15 on an Appel QB draw. Failed 2 pt conversion.
W
Glad to see Valpo win for sure, but truly that game was brutal to watch.
I looked up what you just said.
Brutal. Adj. watching the Valpo offense go 3 & out too many times to count, commit stupid penalties that negate positive plays and fail to protect the passer.
But I think, based on the 4th quarter play calling, Fox recognized and will communicate to Symmes that the best protection this inexperienced OL can give Mikey is to do more play action off runs and run fakes. And, though Mikey is not a great runner, he has to have at least one set of Run Pass Option (RPO) plays that let him read on the hand-off, not just blindly hand-off, pull the ball and then either run it or throw it.
Fb16 and JD24, does this make some sense?
62- actually both teams. Performance wise for both reams, it was not as bad as seeing Celine Dion, but it was close.
62. The offense was completely stagnant aside from 2-3 drives. If you are under talented , you find a handful of things you do well and get great at those.
Valpo is today seemed to have its best success in a 2x1 traditional spread formation. We still saw a bunch of the motion, the pistol full house look on the goaline was rough.
I agree with you in the sense that Fox will reign in Symmes more and more. Mikey made a hell of a play at the end of the game.
And then a concept is ran with players short of the GL for the two point conversation.
Bottom line is Symmes knew talent on the line. Mikey was the leading QB in efficiency last season in the league.
He receives an F so far,
Still under 200 yards per game on O
One thing I did notice, to my amusement and approval, on a couple of obvious short yardage plays was the use of what I've called 'Elephant' — ya put a pair of bruisers (2 large TEs are ideal) in front of the RB and overwhelm the point of attack between the tackles. Actually, a whole series can be run off that simple set including a counter and a delay pass among others. It pretty much guarantees two+ yards. BTW, I thought that lining up the Elephant to one side of center, then shifting it to the opposite side just before the snap was a nice wrinkle. I don't know why more teams don't use it.
If you want to get a visceral feel for how this game played out, click on Paul Oren's X (formerly known as Twitter) account in which he describes the frustrating sequence of drives, misses and mistakes. He captures it perfectly.
Not sure its fair to blame the OL entirely, what I saw was a total lack of field vision from Valpo QB, which would explain why WR, TE are left wide open. I'm glad they won today, but it was a ugly win against a div 2 team? Valpo does indeed have alot of talent, its just not being used. ???
Davis dropped two touchdowns, no other player on Valpos current roster has shown the ability to break free for big plays from the LOS.
Jernegan was targeted for the 2 point conversion last game and this game.
Valpo OL is currently giving up 5 sacks a game. Pretty clear what a chunk of the problem is
Quote from: VULB#62 on September 30, 2023, 06:03:51 PMBut I think, based on the 4th quarter play calling, Fox recognized and will communicate to Symmes that the best protection this inexperienced OL can give Mikey is to do more play action off runs and run fakes. And, though Mikey is not a great runner, he has to have at least one set of Run Pass Option (RPO) plays that let him read on the hand-off, not just blindly hand-off, pull the ball and then either run it or throw it. Fb16 and JD24, does this make some sense?
I think they have to get Appel some easier throws to get him in a good rhythm. Without watching every play it seemed as if the routes are too long too often. That could be from not getting much out of the running game and ending up in 2nd and 3rd and long but Appel was missing everything today on the intermediate and deep routes. He missed Davis wide open in the endzone at one point. Appel had room to step up out of trouble at least a few times but just isn't quick enough to do it.
Having said that, sometimes when I review the game, I realize what I thought I saw I didn't see.
Well, we get a win over Directional U. At least all you haters of our Brown and Gold colors can now say they know of another school sporting those same choices.
Quote from: vu72 on October 01, 2023, 07:27:58 AM
Well, we get a win over Directional U. At least all you haters of our Brown and Gold colors can now say they know of another school sporting those same choices.
And I, for one, really like our color scheme choices so much better. The antique gold is so dull and drab. The SMSU helmet graphics were almost invisible. Our use of the bright yellow and dark brown with white really stands out crisply. Truth be told, if you look at most all the unis of all our teams, you seldom see traditional old gold, you see bright yellow being used as a base or accent color. I like that.
Well, despite my pessimistic comments about the overall program direction during mid-game yesterday, a come-from-behind victory from 15 points down is gut-check impressive.
I recall some of our resident braintrust flagging O-line concerns way back during transfer portal discussions, and they're proving quite prescient now. It's so demoralizing when your QB is under siege and the sacks start piling up.
Some extra kudos to our DL. The SMSU OL went something like 6-3 338, 6-5 333, 6-3 310, 6-6 298 and 6-4 283. The D held Agustin Donald, their 220 RB to only 57 yards and pressured their QB frequently (3 sacks) and stuffed the overall run game with 4 TFLs. We go 260, 270, 290, and 255 across the DL.
JD24 ;)
I agree with your summary, need more QB sneak play action passes, shorter routes to insure 1st downs, then maybe the OL wouldn't get so many holding calls. At some point I'd like to see Valpo back up QB's in action to see if they have good field vision, physicality, instincts. Valpo recruited them for a reason, it'd be good to see what any of them have in case Apple isn't ready.
After seeing Jackson in action and watching the scrimmage. Mikey is the best QB on the roster, for this roster.
Only question mark would be Keefe. Slightly more mobile. Doesn't have Mikey's deep ball.
Caron is best athlete of the bunch , but with his current frame and the OL. There would be worry.
I'm more curious on the RB position. Butler has shown his explosion on several kick returns but was the 4th back to touch the ball yesterday
YES. Re: Butler. He was recruited as a RB by a Pac10 FBS school. Give the kid more than a couple of carries to prove he can carry the pill. His quickness on returns is mesmerizing. That quickness off the LOS might break big gains. Right now, we don't have any back that has demonstrated a capability to turn the outside corner. He could be the one. But we have to have plays that allows that to happen
Quote from: valpofb16 on October 01, 2023, 02:14:39 PMAfter seeing Jackson in action and watching the scrimmage. Mikey is the best QB on the roster, for this roster. Only question mark would be Keefe. Slightly more mobile. Doesn't have Mikey's deep ball. Caron is best athlete of the bunch , but with his current frame and the OL. There would be worry. I'm more curious on the RB position. Butler has shown his explosion on several kick returns but was the 4th back to touch the ball yesterday
When Jackson played in the past, he appears quite limited. His only role, IMHO, is as a change of pace guy.
I think the bigger issue is RB or at least the running game. Until the running game gets going, if it ever does, it's going to be tough to throw the ball.
One thing about Appel yesterday is on the pick six against Valpo. That looked like a miscommunication between Appel and the WR. Looked like something such as Appel expected a stop route and the WR ran a curl. That'll get you in trouble real quick. Ask Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne. Point being that we (or at least I) don't know if it was a bad throw or just the QB and WR not being on the same page.
I have absolutely no idea anymore. But I believe Fox knows what he's doing, after all Valpo did pretty good last year! :twocents:
Dude, in terms of the futility of Valpo football they were good last year, maybe very good, but at the grand scheme they were not pretty good, they were sub 500. We need higher expectations gang!
Point Blank: program needs more money and continuity (players and coaches) for higher expectations.
Bulter was not recruited by any power conference schools. He went to Arizona as a student and walked on making the roster (still very impressive). He does not show up in any recruiting index at all which would be odd for anyone that has a single D1 offer. Also was not Pac 10 was pac 12
I get it 16 - I just wish we could celebrate or set standards higher than mediocrity, and from the the commitment from the university and its fiscal challenges it's doubtlful much will change for the better. Feeling great about a 5-6 record just isn't enough for me and maybe I expect too much.