All of Sonny's talent is gone -
7-5 and the 3 year W run in bowl games comes to a screeching halt...
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All of Sonny's talent is gone -
7-5 and the 3 year W run in bowl games comes to a screeching halt...
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
2017 is really all about keeping J'Mar Smith healthy. As long as he's healthy and produces as expected, this team can go anywhere from 9-4 to 11-2 in the regular season.
HOWEVER, if J'Mar Smith goes down with an injury --the same way Brent Stockstill did last season at MTSU and Nick Mullens did at USM-- this season could get real ugly, real fast. I don't like our backup QB situation at all. You guys know that I've always said "College football is all about the QB". And I still feel that way.
I feel much better about this season for some reason...Originally Posted by Dwayne From Minden
Attempting to come out of a fog here- did we lose a (position)coach this year?
I hope we beat NSU on Sept 2nd. Then I'll worry about Moo State.
BTW, NSU just announced tickets for sale for their back-to-back road games to Tech 9/2 and to Grambling on 9/9. Tix for the Tech game $25, for Grambling $35.
I'm guessing their discounting the Tech one's because they want more of a crowd at the Tech game. Any idea if their coach is likely to be fired if he loses that game? I've heard the 2014 victory that has been the main reason he has survived as his teams have not been too great
J'Mar gets a true stud WR in Veal this year after his transfer season. The OL will be the biggest we've had since Holtz got here. Dancy will return to the RB lineup behind two senior RBs as well as several walkons the talent level of a "Hunter Lee".
Our DEs will be the best in CUSA and it will be much harder for opposing RBs to get to the second level on Tech's defense because we will have 6'-2" 320 DT Wallace back from injury- last year we had only one young DL (Johnson) over 290 lbs. We have some exceptional 'speed' players like Cee Jay Powell (LA State Championship MVP QB for Livonia) who will be getting on the field this year. This guy is insanely quick!
A historical 7th regular season home game should get us over the hump to host the CUSA game giving us yet another home game in Ruston. Anything less than 10 wins will be a setback in 2017.
Just as some ridiculed Ryan Higgins finally being ready for a breakout RS-Sr season the same ones will deny that the overall depth of this team will enable it to be an Access Bowl caliber team (barring a serious injury to J'Mar Smith). But that is the realistic potential of this year's team if we can get through the Sept 9-23rd gauntlet (Miss St, @ WKU, @ S. Carolina) with no more than one loss.
I think Grambling tickets are just expensive. Google Grambling football tickets and look at the stubhub results.
Those close to NSU's football program deny that. But others, especially in the alumni club of active supporters/donors, say Thomas has been given a pass because of that win. It is doubtful that another win in Ruston will save his job if his team tanks this year. He has to win the conference, or qualify for the playoffs, or at least have 8+ wins, and if one of those is over Tech, he'll survive for another year. But a win in Ruston and an overall 5-7 record will get him fired.
Demon Nation is quietly optimistic they will get another win in Ruston. They don't dare talk too openly about it....afraid to jinx it....but most expect to win again. I can't say I blame 'em. We self-destructed last time (5 key turnovers and stupid game-changing penalties), and their FG kicker was a perfect 3 for 3, all 40+ yards, yet he finished the season something like 9 of 30, including missing three chip shot attempts the very next week! Holtz will have his WTF game in 2017 and NSU might just be it....again.
I have very little faith in Holtz in games like this. He seems to be distracted, lost, "like a duck hit on the head"*. Holtz has demonstrated he knows how to prepare a team for a bowl game (like his dad did!); appears to be a real talent of his. But, for some of these regular season games....
* That statement, "like a duck hit on the head" is what Lincoln said of General George McClellan when he and his army staggered around during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, for months!. Of course, that was also when Robert E. Lee assumed command of the Confederate Army and in one week's time, he forced McClellan's Yankees to abandon the campaign and retreat out of Virginia.
I am excited for Boston. Now, if Bobby Holley can get involved...
Actually, Lincoln used that expression several times. It was a favorite of his when someone was not performing up to expectations. He used it to refer to other Union generals at times.
Lee is my favorite American War leader, and an engineer to boot!
I like the way you think! However, as you and HD pointed out, it's all about our QB, but I feel it'll also be somewhat dependent upon our LB & DB corps. If J'Mar is healthy & meets expectations, and we get modest improvement from the 2nd & 3rd level of our defense, I'm confident we can get at least 11 wins. If J'Mar is good and healthy, but our 2nd & 3rd level do not improve, we should have between 8-10 wins. If J'Mar is either injured or below expectations, but the LB's & DB's improve, we should be somewhere between 6-8 wins. However, if both are bad, then 5-7 wins is a likely result.
I'm naturally including the ConfChamp & Bowl results in the win totals.
That is optimistic. I was thinking the other day that if Tech somehow went undefeated and the best the P5 did was have teams with 3 losses, could we be kept out of the NC game. It would be great to play and defeat LSU in that game. I don't think it will happen.Vegas Odds is 9, I'm going with the over (here's hoping we can finally fix some of our defensive woes)
Realistically I'm hoping for 11-2 record with CUSA championship, and 12-2 with win in the bowl (drop two of @WKU, MSST, or @USCar)
What are your predictions?
Dream Scenario:
9/2 NWST: Tech wins 49-10 (revenge for Skip Holtz; J'Mar and new receivers become more confident)
9/9 MSST: Tech wins 35-24 (MSST lost to South Alabama early last year, I don't believe they will have improved greatly)
9/16 @WKU: Tech wins 56-42 (High Scoring game, loss of WKU's Lamb & drafted receivers too much to overcome)
9/23 @USC: Tech wins 28-13 (South Carolina's Coach is a defensive minded coach, should be able to keep their offense down)
9/30 USA: Tech wins 49-21 (USA cannot keep up with Tech, Sun Belt= 'nuff said)
10/7 @UAB: Tech wins 49-10 (UAB team ragged after lack of depth really starts to show; Holtz wins big as my wedding gift
10/21 SoMiss: Tech wins 39-13 (Tech finally overcomes 2-year slump, plays with energy to Trump rival; SoMiss's rookie QB needs new pants
10/28 @Rice: Tech wins 42-17 (Rice becomes more competitive, just not enough for Tech)
11/4 UNT: Tech wins 49-21 (UNT continues to improve)
11/11 FAU: Tech wins 56-28 (FAU shows improved offense under Kiffen, lack of defensive talent shows)
11/18 @UTEP: Tech wins 35-17 (Hard to play in El Paso with high winds)
11/25 UTSA: Tech wins 56-35 (Skip again tries to rub it in)
CUSA Champ: Tech wins vs. ODU 56-21 (2014 rematch & revenge)
Access Bowl: Tech beats LSU 49-35 (not that I want LSU to be so successful, but I want to be able to beat LSU at least twice in 2018
Our tickets may be a little high at $25, but Grambling tickets look to be rip offs just judging by these online sellers. I am comparing NSU game tickets. One site, Vivid seats, has ours ranging between $30-$76. Their's range $34-$126.
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