FB: Empire 8

[boobyhasgameyo]

As a matter of fact - I feel like this team could almost be as good as the 2006 team.  Maybe slightly less talented defensively, but not by much. 

2006 regular season ppg allowed (excluding Springfield) - 7.6 points
2006 regular season points yielded to Springfield - 56

Or alternatively, Fisher gave up 69 points total in 9 games outside of Springfield, and 56 to them alone.  So yeah...that is example #1 of many where Fisher can crap the bed against option teams and have it mean absolutely nothing the rest of the year. 

[middlerelief]

you'd think at some point the D would put in a strategy or two to stop it between then (Springfield) and Now (Salisbury)

until that happens, SJF will be a very good program, but not an elite one - pains me to say it, but elite teams don't do this season in and season out. 

[sjfcards]

you'd think at some point the D would put in a strategy or two to stop it between then (Springfield) and Now (Salisbury)

until that happens, SJF will be a very good program, but not an elite one - pains me to say it, but elite teams don't do this season in and season out.

Agreed, and it is starting to drive me nuts. Watching this team commit to a tackle and lose their assignment is so frustrating.

[boobyhasgameyo]

To be clear, I'm not arguing anything about the elite status of a program.  I've been saying all along there is no way Fisher finishes undefeated.  All I'm saying is that this team has the potential to be awesome, and that this showing against Salisbury is not an accurate reflection on how strong Fisher is or isn't.  If they make it to the playoffs, I wouldn't want to be a team facing them. 

[jknezek]

To be clear, I'm not arguing anything about the elite status of a program.  I've been saying all along there is no way Fisher finishes undefeated.  All I'm saying is that this team has the potential to be awesome, and that this showing against Salisbury is not an accurate reflection on how strong Fisher is or isn't.  If they make it to the playoffs, I wouldn't want to be a team facing them.

Of course it's an indicator of potential. It may not be the absolute answer to whether they can be awesome, but it's an indicator. Awesome teams win the games they are supposed to win. Does that mean SJF isn't as good as last year? No. But does it give anyone a lot of faith that they are substantially better? No to that either. I suppose SJF's saving grace going forward is there are no more option teams as the E9 will be configured. I wouldn't recommend scheduling one OOC either. It seems to be a chronic achilles heal.

[Jonny Utah]

To be clear, I'm not arguing anything about the elite status of a program.  I've been saying all along there is no way Fisher finishes undefeated.  All I'm saying is that this team has the potential to be awesome, and that this showing against Salisbury is not an accurate reflection on how strong Fisher is or isn't.  If they make it to the playoffs, I wouldn't want to be a team facing them.

Of course it's an indicator of potential. It may not be the absolute answer to whether they can be awesome, but it's an indicator. Awesome teams win the games they are supposed to win. Does that mean SJF isn't as good as last year? No. But does it give anyone a lot of faith that they are substantially better? No to that either. I suppose SJF's saving grace going forward is there are no more option teams as the E9 will be configured. I wouldn't recommend scheduling one OOC either. It seems to be a chronic achilles heal.

Depends on what potential you want to indicate.  As you saw last year, SJF didn't blow away the league like John Carroll did in their league, so losing to Salisbury and having close games with Frostburg didn't really indicate how SJF could do in the national playoffs against teams like JCU or MUC for that matter.  Of course you could also argue that MUC and JCU weren't really "awesome" last year, despite having numerous 50/60 point wins (wins that SJF wasn't really even close to having)

[Dr. Acula]

Pardon the ignorance, but what variation of the option does Salisbury run?

[Jonny Utah]

Pardon the ignorance, but what variation of the option does Salisbury run?

The standard triple option that West Point still runs.

[Upstate]

Fisher is 6-2 vs Springfield but 0-6 vs Salisbury...

Just insane that they couldn't solve SU once but regularly took SC to the woodshed...

[Dr. Acula]

Pardon the ignorance, but what variation of the option does Salisbury run?

The standard triple option that West Point still runs.

Yuck.  I just sat through Mount Union playing a Capital team that runs something similar (their HC was a QB at Navy) today.  Maybe SJF should play Cap instead of Otterbein?  It'd certainly help their confidence against the option.

[Jonny Utah]

Pardon the ignorance, but what variation of the option does Salisbury run?

The standard triple option that West Point still runs.

Yuck.  I just sat through Mount Union playing a Capital team that runs something similar (their HC was a QB at Navy) today.  Maybe SJF should play Cap instead of Otterbein?  It'd certainly help their confidence against the option.

Yea, and I don't think they have any sort of wrinkle either.  Air Force and navy seem to have some newer concepts with their option game, navy even has some i formation plays with the real wide splits on the Oline.

[sjfcards]

Did something happen to Fusco (Fisher RB) today? I didn't see him much, and I guess I didn't realize it until I was home.

[Bombers798891]

I am more than surprised by the Fisher loss today.  I am borderline stunned that they gave up 37 pts including OT today.  Although Salisbury may run a gimmick O, after playing them for 6 years you would figure that Fisher would have a plan to stop it.  Salisbury is the same team that lost to Buff St last week.  No excuses, if you are to compete at the top of D3 you have to win games like this.

Losing to an option team has never been an indicator for how Fisher performs against everyone else. 

Yes, except it can keep a really good team (2010) out of the playoffs, and it certainly hurts them in terms of seeding when they do make the playoffs.

But I wanted to comment on something I saw on the video: After J.D. Hook scored the winning touchdown, he held up his finger to silence the Fisher crowd.

1. Don't do that, it makes you look like a jerk

2. Especially don't do it if you transferred to Salisbury from a conference doormat. Act classy and be thankful you're on a decent team

[sjfcards]

I am more than surprised by the Fisher loss today.  I am borderline stunned that they gave up 37 pts including OT today.  Although Salisbury may run a gimmick O, after playing them for 6 years you would figure that Fisher would have a plan to stop it.  Salisbury is the same team that lost to Buff St last week.  No excuses, if you are to compete at the top of D3 you have to win games like this.

Losing to an option team has never been an indicator for how Fisher performs against everyone else. 

Yes, except it can keep a really good team (2010) out of the playoffs, and it certainly hurts them in terms of seeding when they do make the playoffs.

These losses have to drive the coaching staff nuts. Yes, if Fisher wins out they will probably get into the playoffs, but they have games against Ithaca, Utica, Alfred and Buff State left. They should win those games, but after yesterday I don't think any of them are locks.

2010 is the best example. That was a really good Fisher team. Lthey lost to AU on the road, which was a really good team that year. At that point I said it was no big deal because they could just wi. Out and make the playoffs. Until they lost to a talented Springfield team 2 weeks later. Fisher was Better than that Springfield team and that kept them out of the playoffs all together.

[middlerelief]

Re: SJF

In looking at some of the comments, there seems to be a strain of "good enough" when trying to rationalize head scratching losses every year - maybe it is because of the memories of the struggling years still persist a decade+ after the fact I don't know.   Here's a question - in looking at the teams presently ranked ahead of SJF, do any of you see: JCU, Linfield, MHB, UWW, Mt. Union, or Wesley taking a knee to end regulation??

Follow up -- you have the offensive player of the year in Fenti, with monster WRs who were having their way with Salisbury the whole game and all other teams the whole season - do you not at least give them a shot at the end zone regardless of how improbable the outcome is??  Whomever called that play, and whomever approved of that, should be scrutinized.  (as well as the softy D scheme to end the 4th, but I can't rant for too long it's Sunday)

You can't have a "good enough" mindset if the program, and the supporters, ever want to be in contention for something bigger.  East Ave - The Home of Good Enoughs and the ECACs can't be a consolation prize.  We should be past that by now.

Perhaps I'm alone in feeling this way I don't know - but I do know, I'd like to support a team that is headed and staffed with a group that has a burning desire to win on every play for 60 or more minutes - and that just doesn't appear to be the case at SJF right now.