Western Carolina

[T-Dog 4]

One big aspect of efficiency for us historically has been the play of our O line. When they are dominating, we move the chains. We have been stymied at the goal line/red zone more than a few times and had to settle for a FG. Scoring is always good, but 3 instead of 6 really hurts our efficiency as well. Not sure whether it is personnel or schemes, but I don’t feel like our O line has been as dominant as it needs to be for us to be a championship caliber team...yet. Hopefully, we see that improve this Saturday. Go Dogs!

[WTFan]

Does anyone know Roo Daniels status? I know he's just one piece of the offensive line but I believe he's very much the leader of the OL and his return will likely make a great impact overall. Hopefully, he's good to go come Saturday.

[walliver]

One big aspect of efficiency for us historically has been the play of our O line. When they are dominating, we move the chains. We have been stymied at the goal line/red zone more than a few times and had to settle for a FG. Scoring is always good, but 3 instead of 6 really hurts our efficiency as well. Not sure whether it is personnel or schemes, but I don’t feel like our O line has been as dominant as it needs to be for us to be a championship caliber team...yet. Hopefully, we see that improve this Saturday. Go Dogs!

We had the same issues last year.

[youngterrier]

I can't really quantify how good the OL is from a year to year basis based upon an eye test. I would have to look at stats like sacks allowed, rush yards, etc. With sacks you would have to control for the amount of pass plays we run a game as well. Right now it feels like we've given up more sacks per game than last year but it also feels like we've called more pass plays

[19TERRIER19]

Having Roo back will certainly be a major impact on the OL....now as to what capacity he will be back for his first bit of live game action since the injury will be interesting. I would say he would be back in a limited capacity to begin with, but that is a guess. I am excited at the potential of this game....Western has done a great job of handling business so far and jumped into the rankings, so this game has become marquee......This can be a statement game. And solidify not only a sold grasp of first place, but validate what we think can be a very promising and successful season. And it gets to be done at GIBBS!!!!!!

Chalk me up as ULTRA EXCITED for this one.....Cant wait to see our boys go and and continue to prove themselves once again.

[boulder3m]

Sports can be very fickle. Remember how frustrated we were last year about this time? Then the team started to jell and really got on a roll. Some of that can be totally uncontrollable, such as injuries, schedule, etc. Remember the basketball season last year when, by the end of January Florida St was the best team in the country? Then by the tournament they had completely fizzled. It happens, and the coaches would rather they didn't peak too soon and fizzle, because most coaches know you can't keep it up all season long. You have to walk a line and it is very hard to do. We can't go out like Alabama in the FBS or N Dakota St in the FCS and just roll all over every opponent all season long. We have to first make the playoffs, and then peak duing the playoffs if we are to have a chance.

[19TERRIER19]

Building onto Boulder's post...

Wofford has won 10 of its last 11 games...(the 1 loss being in Double OT at Youngstown State in the Quarter Finals of the Playoffs).....
Widen the scope.....13-3 over the last 16 games....(the OT loss to Youngstown, a 2 point loss at Samford, and a 3 point loss to El Cid when we had the game firmly in hand)

While we may not have played our best ball to date, we have done the job. And now it will be time to elevate our game to the next level as we build to another potential playoff run.
We may not scare anyone on paper, or in the media guides, but we have more intangibles and moxy than any team I have seen. We simply know how to win, we make game winning plays, and don't flinch in championship moments. For that very reason, I do not blink when there is another flashy challenger, another team with more eye appeal coming to town. It is simply business as usual for a group that is galvanized in hardships and adversity, and just flat out knows how to get the job done. I look forward to much more the same this weekend with another tough challenge in front of us. But IMO we will do what have done in recent history and that is find a way to win.

[youngterrier]

It would be remiss if I didn't remind you guys that we were 5-3 in 2013, but with quite a few warning signs that we had problems. We subsequently lost 3 straight and went 5-6. We went from ranked and playoff contender to a losing record.

I won't breathe easy until we've won 8...if we win 8

[19TERRIER19]

When has it ever been easy????.....no such thing here at Wofford. No need to be concerned with anything other than winning this Saturday...then guess what....ANOTHER weekend where if we do not play up to our standards we can lose.....followed by ANOTHER weekend of an opponent that can beat us if we do not play a solid game.....and on and on etc......so goes the life in the Southern Conference......

[youngterrier]

What's great about the Socon being inconsistent and having some parity is that you really can't look past anyone

[19TERRIER19]

"What's great about the Socon being inconsistent and having some parity is that you really can't look past anyone"

BINGO......

[Loyal-T-dog]

No disrespect but why are we talking about anything we have done in the past?
2013, 2015 or last year means absolutely nothing.
In all actuality last week means nothing.
These young men are still trying to find a rhythm and identity while working hard through the first real series of tests in an institution that challenges them daily and there is one person that really knows what this Saturday means.
Coach will prepare them this week and has the experience to have the team ready come 1:30 Saturday.
He has been there so many times that the team simply needs to play out what Coach always preaches...
Play with intensity and execute at a high level and as long as we take care of the ball we will have a chance to win.
Of course we have not played a complete game or executed (player or play caller) like we expect but Coach has a gift of knowing when there is a moment at hand and to have the lads ready to step up to the challenge.
YT, over the past 28 years, analytics just cannot predict Wofford Football because we play what is in front of us and we fight every down. I know there are offensive and defensive schemes that have not been implemented. The Terriers just need to play at an expected level, make plays and find a way to win.
Look forward to playing a great Western team and really look forward to seeing Wofford players reflect their leader!

[youngterrier]

"analytics can't predict Wofford football" is the mindset that has us reaching 40 points twice in the last 5 years. Analytics/statistics simply asserts there are common variables that help us predict the future. It's applicable in most things in life

I know absolutely nothing about how other teams prepare for us, or for us to other teams, but it doesn't take much to deduce trends and tendencies and analytics helps us.

A committed undergrad could sit, watch film and derive a probabilistic formula for our playcalling (heck, I've done this this year without film...on third and 5 we pass to RJ on a quick hitch/out) and even individual player tendencies when running the option. Admittedly, it's difficult if not impossible to integrate that on the player level because people doing intuitively understand statistics (telling your players "70% of the time he'll pitch it" will have them cover the pitch man 100% of the time) but on a coaching level it helps with play-calling and strategy.

If you think programs around the country aren't beginning to use this method, be careful. Samford has started a sports analytics program, so the hypothetical "undergrad watches film on us" above is not outside of the realm of possibility or even likelihood

[CarolinaDog]

It's amazing to me to see all the new coaching positions created throughout the country for "offensive and defensive efficiency." If you look back to the Alabama-FSU game at the beginning of the year, ABC did a great job showing 20-25 coaches stuffed in the coaching booths for each side of the ball. Too many hands in the pot if you ask me which can over complicate play calling. Granted, the larger schools like the Clemson's and Alabama's can afford this "luxury," but I tend to lean towards the old school way of coaching and preparing for games. Analytics can be helpful for tendencies, but it's up to the prep put out on the field throughout the week and film study and doing your assignments on Saturdays.

[youngterrier]

The thing with analytics is that it influences the prep work. It's not like the offensive and defensive efficiency guys are in the headsets during game time, they're the people who collect information and use it to advise coaches.

Guts win games, but you need some brains too.