https://www.espn.com/college-football/st...y-epic-win says:

"Under the radar game of the week

Most college football fans were fixated by Florida's upset of Auburn, but the Gators weren't the only Division I team with a drama-filled push to get to 6-0. Villanova QB Daniel Smith capped a 75-yard drive with a 1-yard TD pass to DeeWil Barlee with 1:59 to play to pull ahead of William & Mary for the win. The Wildcats are the first FCS team to 6-0 and, along with North Dakota State and a trio of 3-0 Ivy Leaguers, are the final remaining undefeated teams at the FCS level."

It's great that of the 6 CAA teams who didn't make the Playoffs last year, 5 of them (everyone except URI) are at least .500 vs. FCS.

A whole bunch of potential recruits were at the game and the seem pleased with their experience. I hope they figure on being the difference in 7 points.

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A few thoughts:
1. Nova's kicker is terrible, which helped keep the game close
2. Their coaching was overly conservative at several points, almost certainly helping keep the game close
3. I have a genuine question with only minimal intended snark - why don't we ever run the I-formation? I know it is old school, but we clearly needed an extra blocker for the run game on many occasions.

(10-06-2019 05:21 PM)2017WithPep Wrote:  3. I have a genuine question with only minimal intended snark - why don't we ever run the I-formation? I know it is old school, but we clearly needed an extra blocker for the run game on many occasions.

Like that time where we ran the exact same play with Yoder five straight times? Said with slightly more than minimal snark.

He did score a TD on that fifth and final carry.

(10-06-2019 05:21 PM)2017WithPep Wrote:  3. I have a genuine question with only minimal intended snark - why don't we ever run the I-formation? I know it is old school, but we clearly needed an extra blocker for the run game on many occasions.

So I know it's not the same but we run out of that goofy "sideways I" sometimes for a lead blocker. I think the logic is that Marion wants the QB in shotgun and wants all of our plays to look the same pre-snap so as not to tip anything. I've noticed that a big part of the go-go is being "multiple".

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(10-05-2019 06:24 PM)TribeNomad Wrote:  Fun game. VU games usually are

Gotta get pass rush. Defense gave up third and long after third and long

Everson always open

It truly is difficult to create a pass rush when we play really soft zone coverage even on 3rd and 7. Our corners never press, we never play man and we essentially never bring more than 3 or 4 rushers. Now that our film is in everybody’s hands we will not pressure the qb until we adjust our coverage even occasionally. Same front 7 was tops in the conference and 14th in the country in sacks through 4 games. Haven’t had an official sack since. Missing Murray and a key backup in Fullwood doesn’t help either but I’d hang it more on other teams easily scheming our coverage tendencies.

Been a concern for years, corners always seem to be off the line.

(10-07-2019 08:48 AM)Tribe3455 Wrote:  

(10-05-2019 06:24 PM)TribeNomad Wrote:  Fun game. VU games usually are

Gotta get pass rush. Defense gave up third and long after third and long

Everson always open

It truly is difficult to create a pass rush when we play really soft zone coverage even on 3rd and 7. Our corners never press, we never play man and we essentially never bring more than 3 or 4 rushers. Now that our film is in everybody’s hands we will not pressure the qb until we adjust our coverage even occasionally. Same front 7 was tops in the conference and 14th in the country in sacks through 4 games. Haven’t had an official sack since. Missing Murray and a key backup in Fullwood doesn’t help either but I’d hang it more on other teams easily scheming our coverage tendencies.

Agreed. While the offense has become more varied, the defense has become less so. I'm surprised teams don't pass more on us. The turnovers and sacks in the first 4 games seemed to mask how soft the defense truly is.

I like that Nova 3-3-5 defense. Their 3 down lineman are good at bringing pressure and they keep the OLine guessing where the extra rusher and delayed Blitzer is coming from. Very hard to prepare for and requires a disciplined OLine. Of course, it requires recruiting the horses to run it, but I love the wrinkles that it would create. I'd argue that that system fits with the kind of athletes that we are starting to recruit. We need to load up on fast physical Lbs that are capable in coverage, can chase down ball carriers, and can shoot the gaps on blitzes.

(10-07-2019 10:08 AM)mrjoolius Wrote:  I like that Nova 3-3-5 defense. Their 3 down lineman are good at bringing pressure and they keep the OLine guessing where the extra rusher and delayed Blitzer is coming from. Very hard to prepare for and requires a disciplined OLine. Of course, it requires recruiting the horses to run it, but I love the wrinkles that it would create. I'd argue that that system fits with the kind of athletes that we are starting to recruit. We need to load up on fast physical Lbs that are capable in coverage, can chase down ball carriers, and can shoot the gaps on blitzes.

Sometimes it ain’t the jimmys and joes. Nova picked up 4 sacks to the tribe’s zero on Saturday. They do have one really good pass rushing lineman but that’s it. Fischer I think is his name. He has 5.5 sacks on the year but only 1 other sack has been registered by a lineman for them. The biggest issue is how they use their LBs not the actual backers they have. The majority of the nova sacks were and have been by their linebackers and I would be hard pressed, after seeing them play, to say our linebackers couldn’t do the same thing given the opportunity.

William & Mary Coach Mike London said true freshman cornerback Latrelle Smith from Phoebus has a lower body injury. Asked if it would be short term, London replied, “We’re hoping that.“

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Freshman WR Kane Everson has totaled catches for yds with TDs during the last two contests. His receptions vs. Villanova on Saturday marked the most by a Tribe player since Tre McBride (2014).

#GoTribe | #OurStateOurTribe https://t.co/WqsIRsOwbq

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(10-07-2019 01:38 PM)Tribal Wrote:   Freshman WR Kane Everson has totaled catches for yds with TDs during the last two contests. His receptions vs. Villanova on Saturday marked the most by a Tribe player since Tre McBride (2014).

#GoTribe | #OurStateOurTribe https://t.co/WqsIRsOwbq

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Might Everson's performance on Saturday be (at least partially) due to the fact that Anderson seemed to stay in the pocket longer, waiting on receivers to finish their routes/get open, and not look to scramble/run as quickly as Mathis?

Not that there's anything wrong with that - change is good, when managed properly - but it felt more like old-school Tribe Football that many of us are accustomed to.

Anderson's 25/33 passing for 245 yds with 3 TD's and no interceptions was a very solid day. Now if the sacks could be cleaned up, and get our running game to match.