After following Tech Football for > 40 years, I

[Gold Rush]

I have to call it like I see it. I've experienced Tech football since the days of Dodd.

Walking back from the game, I was thinking about the status of the program.

I was initially tempted to say that the program under Gailey is very very similar to the Bill Curry era. Losing the "easier" games and pulling a big upset occasionally. Run oriented offense - game control, unimaginative play-calling etc...

However, I believe we were a little better off with Curry (and I wasn't a big fan of Curry mainly because of the way we'd lose games) - but if you watched Tech back then - Curry would get the guys FIRED UP....Tech might get beat under Curry, but they gave it 110% out there - they played HARD for Curry. Other than that - I feel that these two coaches are similar.

I liked Curry a LOT as a person, and had great respect for him, but the program progressed to a point, and it became clear that Tech had reached a plateau under Curry.

We seemed to have reached, for better or worse, a plateau.

I see no improvment in the offense since the beginning of '03. Maybe a digression.

I was willing to buy into the initial excuses (Fresh. QB, attrition, playbook changes, coaches changes, youth etc.)

But now, we have an experienced OL. We have an experienced group of RBs, including perhaps the bext RB in the ACC. We have an experienced defense.

I don't see that there are any excuses at this point.

Its not losing that hurts - I understand losses. It HOW we are losing thats bothersome.

Lets face it - we are becoming Wake Forest (BEFORE Grobe).

We have Gailey for the rest of this year - but if there isn;t dramatic improvement in the offense.......Well - lets say this...Did anybody see the UCONN - Pitt game ? Wow....

 

[RamblinPeck]

Re: After following Tech Football for > 40 years,

Well, Im as disgusted and confused as everyone else. But the long field goal attempt to me really sticks out and seems to characterize what I see as CCGs biggest flaw. It really seems to me that he coaches to not lose, instead of coaching to win. I know this sounds like a stupid claim because of course everyone is coaching to win, but Chan seems to be afraid of having big plays go agianst us, so he doesn't try for big plays for us... and more often than not it ends up bitting us in the ass because we lose momentum.

Now understand, I don't think we should be throwing the long ball on every 4th down, but when you're down by 14 its not the time to try for a Tech record breaking field goal agianst a light wind.

I also saw this same mentality in the the 3rd quarter with either 5 or 7 minutes left when the coaching staff seemed to just call it a game, and quit trying anything that might get some points on the board. But even if that way the case, and the game was a wash at that point then why not but in some of the second string to get some experience agianst a really top notch team?

I can just throw my hands up and wonder /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wtf.gif is going on. This is my 4th season as an undergrad here and you would not believe how depressingly fatalistic the student sections have become since my freshman year. Its really just wrong what these roller coaster sub-par seasons are doing to our school.

Oh well, heres to beating the Terps, and having some better coaching, whether its from Chan or someone else it's gotta happen because this road we're on is unacceptable. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

 

[AlaGold]

Peck.

you called it.When we got the Miami 10 at first,CG ran 3 running plays incl 3rd down w/o a even a try for a pass to the end zone.He basically said I have NO confidence in passing and will try to win 6-3. HA!

 

[76jacket]

Gold Rush,

I have to agree with what you are saying. There's something not right about what direction we are heading with this program. I think you are correct about a coach such as Curry having players play for him. I only hope we are at a plateau and not going lower.
I will give that we are better in general on defense but what we have gained there has been well more than lost on the offensive side of the ball.

 

[Gold Rush]

I used to love to watch Curry before a game, during warmups...He'd go to individual players and you could see him talking to these guys, getting them fired up...

I never liked his playcalling - but he definitely seemed like a "players coach" (Chan seems that way too, to a degree).....

The program under Curry and the program now are so similar in so many ways, its scarey....I recall how Furman used to give us FITS under Curry - as well as some other teams that we should have beaten....Then he'd pull some big upset. Just like now -

 

[interchange]

Well sir. I have to say I don't mind the concept that CCG is trying to institute. There's nothing wrong with that style of play so long as you have the heart to win.

However, the play calling has really disgusted me of late. I supported Chan until this game. I wanted to believe he would learn from his mistakes and not make them again.

When I look at this team I see a lot of talent. I see a place where a bunch of coaches with the right vision would love to come and exploit that talent.

However, we are digging holes on every play. Chan apparently doesn't like to throw in a fullback to lead block or to pull an extra guy to the run side. He doesn't like to create space for PJ and Woods to run in. His pass plays are designed to do exactly what RB does not like to do. He calls routes down the field which are designed to hit receivers in stride instead of allowing PJ to scramble and letting his receivers get a certain point down field and then look for the ball in a place they have the best chance of catching it. You can't hit a receiver in stride if you don't have time or height.

But what is really irking me is the play calling on DEFENSE. They're calling a corner blitz on almost every play and it's never working. The only time tech has had success on defense, and it has been great success is when we cover the receivers and don't give them space to finish a route before the QB goes down. Our front line is getting plenty of penetration, but they aren't going to get sacks if the QB knows pressure is coming from the corner. He'll just check to a different play, roll out, or hit a quick route. to the sidline he knows we're not covering.