1. Why burn the redshirt on a 3-7 team that will not go to a bowl game? I don't get it.

2. Thoughts on Hall getting fired? We won't beat Troy. Does he get the can at end of year? I'm not sure they'll fire him, but I'm all for it.

He's out of his league

It was 100% the right thing to start Crawford. The issue I have, is burning a game by playing the kid ONE PLAY in a previous game and for only a few plays in another game. Most idiotic thing ever.

We needed to start him yesterday for multiple reasons. It gave us a better chance to win, while also prepares the kid for next year. That type of experience is huge. If his arm is ok, he should obviously start next week. Getting him experience gives USM a better chance to win. That is priority #1! I could give a damn about what will happen 4-5 years from now as it relates to his red shirt being pulled. He may not be here next year, much less 2,3,4 years from now, with the portal and coaching situation. Its an easy decision. Play him and prepare him for the future.

From the looks of it, he should have been starting a long time ago.

As far as Hall goes, I'd like to know if he called plays yesterday. If he did, fire him, no questions asked.

I don't know our financial situation. Id be ok with firing him win, lose or draw vs Troy. Looks like the offense has sucked for 3 years bc of him and him alone. I remember his first game. The offense was stale and anemic from day 1. We have had some talented QBs but they never developed. I have ZERO confidence in Hall at this point.

The team isn't in the physical condition they need to be in. Thats easy to fix and he hasn't for three years. Thats why MSU had the long TD run at the end of the game. They were too tired. Had we held , we still had a shot to win.

I like Hall, but its become clear that he is whats held us back. Also, his recruiting isn't anywhere I expected it to be considering his MS ties. I could go on. I hate starting over and fear losing some of our good players if he leaves. But its not like they can't be replaced. I want Crawford to stay. We could survive losing most of the others. With the portal, we can flip the roster fast if needed.

I have trouble defending 3-4 wins in year three. He had several close games over the last three years. Had his dumb*** NOT been running the offense, we could have won SEVERAL more games. I find that more of a negative than a positive. So if we have the money, fire him. If not, then fire appropriate assistant coaches and don't let Hall have the reigns on their replacements.

1. Not sure how I felt about burning the RS. On one hand, I think this means we're going to give EC experience and he's the QB of the future for us. He's got talent but he's green so we need to develop him and hope we can hold on to him. I heard somewhere this week, supposedly we have signed some other good QBs so building around him for next season is good. Honestly I like Wiles, but he's not the QB we need. On the other hand, if EC gets hurt and is on the shelf before we can utilize him, did we do anything smart. I agree with the using him for one play in one game was dumb.

2. Hall won't be fired. I am concerned that while he gave up play calling, he was still influencing the play calling. Run game isn't working, so let's run the ball. I think DoB and Sam Gregg's jobs may be on the line. And Ancar may be on the line as well with injuries and the conditioning of the guys in the 4th quarter. Hall has one more season before we get rid of him.

Believe the $ has been pledged and it's the AD's call, and with what looks like 2 bad hires and a fiscal misdeed thus far he's not in an enviable position.

He also hired Ladner, who seems to be showing last year was a fluke.


Has McClain has any good hires so far? We’re assuming Ostrander will be, but McClain’s track record sure hasn’t been great.

The problem I have with not doing it now is that he's going to be on an incredibly short leash next year if he stays. so we start 0-3 then you fire him? We don't want to end up in a situation like Hopson, and I have to think JM is smarter than that. Troy will beat us this week, so we're 3-9. Now what? I guess either way we should know by this time next Monday.

(11-20-2023 12:24 PM)EagNBran Wrote:  He also hired Ladner, who seems to be showing last year was a fluke.


Has McClain has any good hires so far? We’re assuming Ostrander will be, but McClain’s track record sure hasn’t been great.

Oz was the coach in waiting with Berry, I have to think he spent enough time with the program and Berry he knows how to keep the ship going the right way.

Didn't McClain hire Chadwell when he was at Delta State?

I agree he's going to be on a short leash, especially short if staff changes are not homeruns. We've seen what a good hire on support staff can do for a team. Hall needs to stay out of the play calling, let the incoming OC install his offense and let that person call the plays, only advise if it's not working. Same with Defense.

But I think we also need a new S&C coach. Like the guy, but the conditioning and injuries concern me.

Did anyone else feel like MSU had the script for our plays on Saturday?

After that opening drive, the second series I think it was Pass, Run, Run, Punt.

The third series was the same. IF I had tried that on the 2nd series, I'd run the ball. If we got yardage, ran it again, and then if it was short yardage, a little shuffle pass off to the side if it's long, then a screen.

The next series Play Action would've started the drive or an option.

The offense looked very vanilla.

(11-20-2023 10:45 AM)Mao Tse-gore Wrote:  Believe the $ has been pledged and it's the AD's call, and with what looks like 2 bad hires and a fiscal misdeed thus far he's not in an enviable position.

And where is the $30k, Mr. McClain?

Anyone hearing any buzz about JM, JP, and the DSU president job?

(11-21-2023 11:19 AM)EagleFWB Wrote:  Anyone hearing any buzz about JM, JP, and the DSU president job?

Nope.

What's the buzz? I know DSU just hired a new President earlier in the year, what you hearing?

Maybe someone was offered the position. Maybe someone blocked it. Maybe feathers were/are ruffled. Just wondering if any locals are hearing buzz or if that's speculation bs.

(11-21-2023 12:45 PM)EagleFWB Wrote:  Maybe someone was offered the position. Maybe someone blocked it. Maybe feathers were/are ruffled. Just wondering if any locals are hearing buzz or if that's speculation bs.

Unfortunately I haven't been local to Hattiesburg since 2013. The last 4 years I've lived in a barren wasteland in a valley that some are happy to be living in.

But to your point.. Doesn't make sense since DSU's president was installed in the spring unless JM tried for it.

Well, I mean my post wasn't necessarily specific to this very week. This stuff could have happened last spring... Any idea what the status of JM's contract is? I don't, and generally just spitballing.

I'm thinking there is a total staff overall after the season. Similar to the way JM forced it on the basketball team 2 years ago. Now, both Hall and Ladner should be warm seats.

If Hall is not fired after the Troy loss, his seat should be pretty damn hot game one next year. If that, then we've lost another 2 years.

(11-22-2023 12:30 AM)EagleFWB Wrote:  Well, I mean my post wasn't necessarily specific to this very week. This stuff could have happened last spring... Any idea what the status of JM's contract is? I don't, and generally just spitballing.

I'm thinking there is a total staff overall after the season. Similar to the way JM forced it on the basketball team 2 years ago. Now, both Hall and Ladner should be warm seats.

If Hall is not fired after the Troy loss, his seat should be pretty damn hot game one next year. If that, then we've lost another 2 years.

I believe he got an extension in 2022 for 3 years.

Hall has 2 years left on his contract but I'm sure there has to be an overhaul that was part of the talk after the USA loss.

Right now the staff is trying to keep their job and Hall has one more season and will be on a short leash next season and maybe even the following season.

As bad as it's been, the team hasn't given up.

I don't like the thinking that an assistant HAS to go if it's just as scapegoat. We did that with Shannon Dawson and he was probably the best coach on the team. The DC for example, it's his first year and he dealt with a ton of injuries, will he be any good? Does he stink? I don't know.