Samford

[boulder3m]

It seems to easy to say that this is THE GAME OF THE CONFERENCE SEASON, but the truth is that is true. Sammy has a loss at Western, and if they can knock us off they can be the conference champion with the automatic invite. I know our guys realize this. However, if we come out flat against this team they will fling it around and hang a bunch of points on us early.
Our defensive secondary has really been stepping up, but this will be their biggest test.

[youngterrier]

Samford has had our number over the last few years.

hatcher has a history of playing the option well.

It will be a test.

Playoffs start now!

[boulder3m]

Our option seems to be bogged down. Don't know if we lack speed, blocking or whatever. Teams are playing the option so much better, and it's probably because they see it so often. Our speed appears to be in the receivers and a QB that doesn't play. Maybe we can see how to get them on the field. Just can't see the Samford pass D being as easy as The Citadel.

[youngterrier]

Our option got bogged down because the Citadel has a good defense and can recreate the option speed in practice.

I think their strategy was to attack the pitch man, because our pitch guys have more yards than usual. If you look at the film, they played read on our option, with their linebackers staying in position until they could see whether or not it was a dive. If it wasn't a dive, they just attacked the pitch man. It clouded the reads, because unlike Western Carolina, they didn't seem to have a spy on the QB at all times, so much as they were banking on the multiple breaking players to cloud the QB's read.

Brandon Goodson isn't slow. If you think our option is bogged down based on one outing and against a team that plays the option, when in the 2 weeks prior we've had over 400 yards of offenses (last week 393 yards rushing), I don't know what to tell you.

[woffordgrad94]

To support YT’s point, in 2015 The Citadel held us to just 118 yards rushing (and 127 passing). They have no problems preparing for an offense so much like theirs.

[19TERRIER19]

This will be a tough task. Against a team that has had our number, and coming off the BYE week so they will be healthy, and prepared. Coming off of a tough stretch of games against ranked opponents for us, this has all the normal indicators of a tough game for us.

All that to be sAid....this team isn’t like any other team. I’m not betting against them in form or fashion. I love their heart and their will. And they are going to need it again this week. But this team needs this win this week. Would be a shame to have such a good season and have another team sneak up and get the autobid. If they win this game against Sammy, we would hold all the tie breaks for the autobid goin forward and while we may lose a game somewhere I don’t think we would lose 2 from Chatt, VMI and ETSU.

Win this game and essentially lock up the conference crown and the autobid for all intents and purposes.

[Retiredterrier]

Game notes. No injuries from Cid game - although we do have three injured players - and two deep looks the same http://athletics.wofford.edu/documents/ ... tes_17.pdf

Media lunch https://youtu.be/H4rZtV4afkA

[lawdog]

From the game notes, it appears we should be able to run on them. The big question is how well we will defend against the pass. Turnovers could be big.

[youngterrier]

If we are as good as we think we are we should win. I don't like this game, Samford plays us tough every year

[boulder3m]

Hate to be such a pessimist, but unless we can change our ways this could be a rough game. We have to BEGIN the game like we finished The Citadel game. Our coaches have to be able to adjust on both sides of the ball better than they have shown to date. The Citadel just gashed our defense running our own offense in the first half, and our offense couldn't make the blocks to open the run. We have to be on our toes or Samford may hang 3-4 scores on us and we can't recover. As we have seen all season, we ARE capable of being very good, but someone needs to adjust in order to prove that again.

[WocoSix]

If we can make Samford a 1 dimensional team we should fair well. Samford doesn't have a traditional RB. All are WR's converted to the position. Their OL is huge but they are not athletic at all. Our DL should be able to get pressure without the use if blitzing. The QB is the big concern for me. He does a great job reading coverages and his WR's get to open spaces. Samford's routes are geared towards zone coverage. If we can't match up (like JSU ) and give our DL 4 seconds then it could be a long day.

Offensively I have more confidence that we should be able to move the ball. Citadel defense had some dudes. But i dont think samford has the same type personel. If we can get at least one 8 - minute drive for a score in the 1st and 2nd half, we should have them chasing points. Looking for Samford's QB to have under 35 attempts for us to be successful.

[youngterrier]

I'm a little more pessimistic about this game. We've not been good at getting pressure this year. We're dead last in the socon in sacks and I have no explanation for it.

We had trouble applying pressure last year as well. To win this game we have to win the turnover battle, if we can't, we'll lose. Their defense is so-so, but effective at stopping the option at times (ask the Citadel). It's possible that we'll get our 3-400 yards + and still lose.

We have to play ball control and make some plays on defense.

[lawdog]

The explanation is that we have not blitzed or stunted the QB; you need to if you want sacks. We did use a four man front a lot in the second half against Cid, and it really helped us.

[Ruckus]

If we get 400 yards of offense, I like our chances.
Last year they screened and isolated their RBs on our LBs us to death. To me, this is the critical matchup.
We cannot give up the big play and we have to tackle well in space.
Very few offenses sit in the pocket anymore; they use the gun and quick to medium routes to neutralize the rush.
In order for us to win we have to have no TOs and the offense has to get long sustained drives and points on possessions.

[Loyal-T-dog]

We have not sent blitzes much.
We have not used tight ends much.
We have not play actioned seam routes to wing backs much.
We have not run the option w/ #8 much.
We have not started games well and waited until the 2nd half to dominate.
We have not thrown short early down passes much.
__________
We will play 4 quarters of Wofford football Saturday and implement things we haven't done.
Go Terriers!