GottaGoodBuzz
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81 vs Alabamer also. What a wonderful 7 days of anticipation for the remainder of the season.
Your Favorite "First Game" Played by GT
- Thread starter Sports Forum West
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Sports Forum West
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Couple of corrections of my earlier post...
The year was right. As I looked through USC's media guide last night I realized that even though they were undefeated, they finished 10-0-1 and won the rose bowl, UCS finished 3rd in most polls. Their lone tie was with Notre Dame the previous week. Juice had graduated the prior year, but they still ran left and right and left and right and you get the picture so that on the long pass play their wide out was left uncovered. Brilliant play! How I hated SC in those days. of course I grew up in LA and so even thought I was a TECH fan family ties. I also loved the Bruins/UCLA.
Hey, you all are very nice. Some of you engineers might wan't to lighten up on your prejudicies a little, things like NFL rosters etc. go through cycles. Just a very few years ago the PAC-10 and western conferences actually had more NFL players per capita than any other region. Also there are nearly 30 Division 1 programs in the WAC, Sun Belt, MWC, C-USA, PAC-10 and Independents that hale from a region which accounts for only about 1/4th the population of the US. So you might want to check those per capita stats again.
Football is just different in various regions and for obvious reasons. I see a lot of subtle differences that make football beautiful and great everywhere. Weather and climate often dictate the types of players recruited. Also, I would never put that much stock into the number of BOWL teams a conference places or wins either. BOWLS are a one game seasons played in very special circumstances that favor warm weather opponents. Most are in the South or Sun-belt venues which favor southern and warm weather teams as geographic home favorites. When those things are equalized Southern teams lose as often as they win. The season says a lot more about the quality of a team up or down.
As for number of bowls, the fact is bowls need TV sponsors and TV sponsors need markets so a lot of love between the BCS and the six member conferences is tied to that. Such collusive ties make it extremely difficult for many 1-A teams to recruit or compete for various resources equally.
The term "mid major" is a creation of the Television Media in the last few years. Why? To create the tier impression which forces out competitors in dollar terms. No such distinction exists in the NCAA rulebook. Troy State is required to meet the same exact standards for competing at the 1-A level as Notre Dame. Why then should Notre Dame have special marketing advantages. Free Market dictates that, but a free market does not allow a collusive agreement to control resources and revenues in an effort to shunt real competition and that's what the BCS does.
Much of the print media do not share the opinions that ABC/ESPN and to a lesser degree FOX and CBS share regarding the BCS. Much of the regular and feature print media cover teams like Louisville, Memphis State, New Mexico and Northern Illinois just like an equal number cover USC, Clemson and Florida.
What I am saying as an outside observer is that everywhere I go, I encounter many of the same arguments, much of the same rhetoric and all the same hype, whether its in Provo or College Station or Atlanta. I specialize in analyzing the game, individual and team matchups of philosophy, style and personnel.
The fact is some teams can be dominating in 11 games and just not competitive in one because of finals week, a girfriend dumps the key player, lots of little things. It's common everywhere. College football is a wonderful laboratory for sports psychologists. There are too many fluid factors which can move a team up or down in an instant. In many cases, two teams can face each other and the seemingly weaker team wins because it's so adept at it's way of playing a style which is just foreign to the more powerful team. That's what happens to Nebraska a lot of the time.
Even the great teams - rarely are there any - just overcome the little things, get some lucky bounces along the way, a 5th down if you are Colorado, stuff like that. It is said that things even out, but the top programs seem to get a few mor bounces, etc... and teams can lose on such flukey plays.
When I look at the two teams which will square off tomorrow in Provo, I see great tradition on both sides. The level of competition is what you know. GT plays tough opponents every year in and out of the ACC, but honestly, BYU does in and out of it's conference too. A lot of hot dog eating hacks that sit beside me in press boxes simply buy the SID's hype on this player or that and never do that much homework. Yes I think the ACC is deeper top to bottom, but six or seven of the eight MWC schools are pretty tough on any given day at their home. You sure wouldn't want to face them in their stadiums regularly any more than you want to listen to the war chant at FSU. Playing on the road is tough no matter what conference you are in or who you play. Also, better is the devil you know than the one you don't.
Tomorrow's game may be a defensive struggle more than anything. We won't know until about 15 minutes in as to what type of game it's going to be. I don't think TECH would start a freshman if they didn't think he could win. I don't think BYU believes that TECH's offense, notwithstanding it's experienced O-Line, is particularly special or even as good as most of the O-teams BYU will face this year. We'll see both ways. All that being equal the game is in Provo, a little late on TECH's body clocks and dryer air is moving in so the altitude may be a bit of a factor. By late in the 3rd quarter TECH's players are going to feel about 10-15 lbs heavier... just the nature of the game and it's time and place.
Well this is a very long post. I do think BYU will probably win tomorrow. I know their personnel pretty well and they SHOULD have a tremendous defense. Oh and one of you asked about the All-American lists. Gosh it's preseason and there are so many. BYU has had 4 of it's defenders listed on various lists not including their star OLB Paul Walkenhorst who is lost for the year with a back injur. His replacement is a former starter that also played regulary as a freshman at the University of Washington before he transferred:
Jenaro Gilford - CB 6'2" 185 Sr. 4.4/40
Brady Poppinga - DE 6'5" 256 Jr. 8 Sacks as a Soph.
Aaron Francisco - MB/Monster Back 6'2" 222 4.45 40 hits like a truck.
Matt Payne (P) 6'4" 240 47+ Avg, high %<20, 13-16 FG's 60 yard range.
In my own observation I think their other corber, Brandon Heany is as good or better than Gilford.
Anyway, those four appear on several different pre-season AA lists.
BYU has had exceptional personnel on defense the last few years. You can have great players but the wrong scheme, poor fundamental skill coaching and unit chemistry. That happened the last two years. This year is quite different with the new DC and staff. I give it as a professional gut feel. BYU had what in real terms was probabably the 10th most effective secondary in the nation last year. Many of those players who saw tons of action are 2nd string as their RS starters return. They are better is what I am saying, much better and they were excellent a year ago. They are not "slow white guys." Interesting however is that they have several 4.3 and 4.4 guys on the team and they are mostly white which is a little unusual. BYU had an excellent group of very fast LB's - all 4.5/40 guys - and so I think BYU will be a very dominating defense. They have to play to prove it. We'll see!
Thank you all for letting me pop in. I hope to pop in all season and especially hope GT has a great season. I am White and Gold and loving it. Just don't get down on CG if September is a little disappointing. I've seen GT's schedule ranked as tough as #3 nationally. BYU's is #29 in part because of GT's appearance.
Go JACKETS.
The year was right. As I looked through USC's media guide last night I realized that even though they were undefeated, they finished 10-0-1 and won the rose bowl, UCS finished 3rd in most polls. Their lone tie was with Notre Dame the previous week. Juice had graduated the prior year, but they still ran left and right and left and right and you get the picture so that on the long pass play their wide out was left uncovered. Brilliant play! How I hated SC in those days. of course I grew up in LA and so even thought I was a TECH fan family ties. I also loved the Bruins/UCLA.
Hey, you all are very nice. Some of you engineers might wan't to lighten up on your prejudicies a little, things like NFL rosters etc. go through cycles. Just a very few years ago the PAC-10 and western conferences actually had more NFL players per capita than any other region. Also there are nearly 30 Division 1 programs in the WAC, Sun Belt, MWC, C-USA, PAC-10 and Independents that hale from a region which accounts for only about 1/4th the population of the US. So you might want to check those per capita stats again.
Football is just different in various regions and for obvious reasons. I see a lot of subtle differences that make football beautiful and great everywhere. Weather and climate often dictate the types of players recruited. Also, I would never put that much stock into the number of BOWL teams a conference places or wins either. BOWLS are a one game seasons played in very special circumstances that favor warm weather opponents. Most are in the South or Sun-belt venues which favor southern and warm weather teams as geographic home favorites. When those things are equalized Southern teams lose as often as they win. The season says a lot more about the quality of a team up or down.
As for number of bowls, the fact is bowls need TV sponsors and TV sponsors need markets so a lot of love between the BCS and the six member conferences is tied to that. Such collusive ties make it extremely difficult for many 1-A teams to recruit or compete for various resources equally.
The term "mid major" is a creation of the Television Media in the last few years. Why? To create the tier impression which forces out competitors in dollar terms. No such distinction exists in the NCAA rulebook. Troy State is required to meet the same exact standards for competing at the 1-A level as Notre Dame. Why then should Notre Dame have special marketing advantages. Free Market dictates that, but a free market does not allow a collusive agreement to control resources and revenues in an effort to shunt real competition and that's what the BCS does.
Much of the print media do not share the opinions that ABC/ESPN and to a lesser degree FOX and CBS share regarding the BCS. Much of the regular and feature print media cover teams like Louisville, Memphis State, New Mexico and Northern Illinois just like an equal number cover USC, Clemson and Florida.
What I am saying as an outside observer is that everywhere I go, I encounter many of the same arguments, much of the same rhetoric and all the same hype, whether its in Provo or College Station or Atlanta. I specialize in analyzing the game, individual and team matchups of philosophy, style and personnel.
The fact is some teams can be dominating in 11 games and just not competitive in one because of finals week, a girfriend dumps the key player, lots of little things. It's common everywhere. College football is a wonderful laboratory for sports psychologists. There are too many fluid factors which can move a team up or down in an instant. In many cases, two teams can face each other and the seemingly weaker team wins because it's so adept at it's way of playing a style which is just foreign to the more powerful team. That's what happens to Nebraska a lot of the time.
Even the great teams - rarely are there any - just overcome the little things, get some lucky bounces along the way, a 5th down if you are Colorado, stuff like that. It is said that things even out, but the top programs seem to get a few mor bounces, etc... and teams can lose on such flukey plays.
When I look at the two teams which will square off tomorrow in Provo, I see great tradition on both sides. The level of competition is what you know. GT plays tough opponents every year in and out of the ACC, but honestly, BYU does in and out of it's conference too. A lot of hot dog eating hacks that sit beside me in press boxes simply buy the SID's hype on this player or that and never do that much homework. Yes I think the ACC is deeper top to bottom, but six or seven of the eight MWC schools are pretty tough on any given day at their home. You sure wouldn't want to face them in their stadiums regularly any more than you want to listen to the war chant at FSU. Playing on the road is tough no matter what conference you are in or who you play. Also, better is the devil you know than the one you don't.
Tomorrow's game may be a defensive struggle more than anything. We won't know until about 15 minutes in as to what type of game it's going to be. I don't think TECH would start a freshman if they didn't think he could win. I don't think BYU believes that TECH's offense, notwithstanding it's experienced O-Line, is particularly special or even as good as most of the O-teams BYU will face this year. We'll see both ways. All that being equal the game is in Provo, a little late on TECH's body clocks and dryer air is moving in so the altitude may be a bit of a factor. By late in the 3rd quarter TECH's players are going to feel about 10-15 lbs heavier... just the nature of the game and it's time and place.
Well this is a very long post. I do think BYU will probably win tomorrow. I know their personnel pretty well and they SHOULD have a tremendous defense. Oh and one of you asked about the All-American lists. Gosh it's preseason and there are so many. BYU has had 4 of it's defenders listed on various lists not including their star OLB Paul Walkenhorst who is lost for the year with a back injur. His replacement is a former starter that also played regulary as a freshman at the University of Washington before he transferred:
Jenaro Gilford - CB 6'2" 185 Sr. 4.4/40
Brady Poppinga - DE 6'5" 256 Jr. 8 Sacks as a Soph.
Aaron Francisco - MB/Monster Back 6'2" 222 4.45 40 hits like a truck.
Matt Payne (P) 6'4" 240 47+ Avg, high %<20, 13-16 FG's 60 yard range.
In my own observation I think their other corber, Brandon Heany is as good or better than Gilford.
Anyway, those four appear on several different pre-season AA lists.
BYU has had exceptional personnel on defense the last few years. You can have great players but the wrong scheme, poor fundamental skill coaching and unit chemistry. That happened the last two years. This year is quite different with the new DC and staff. I give it as a professional gut feel. BYU had what in real terms was probabably the 10th most effective secondary in the nation last year. Many of those players who saw tons of action are 2nd string as their RS starters return. They are better is what I am saying, much better and they were excellent a year ago. They are not "slow white guys." Interesting however is that they have several 4.3 and 4.4 guys on the team and they are mostly white which is a little unusual. BYU had an excellent group of very fast LB's - all 4.5/40 guys - and so I think BYU will be a very dominating defense. They have to play to prove it. We'll see!
Thank you all for letting me pop in. I hope to pop in all season and especially hope GT has a great season. I am White and Gold and loving it. Just don't get down on CG if September is a little disappointing. I've seen GT's schedule ranked as tough as #3 nationally. BYU's is #29 in part because of GT's appearance.
Go JACKETS.
golftango18yankeejuliet
Damn Good Rat
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The 2nd USC game being discussed actually occurred
in '73 and I think was either the second or third game of the year. The tailback was Anthony Davis and the next week, Sports Illustrated ran an article on the game saying that the reason he didn't get his normal yardage was that we had a linebacker "asigned" strictly to Davis. Although our defense was aware of him, nobody was assigned to him. The linebacker they named was Don Shank (his brother Jeff later played and was a captain for us) and he did have many good shots on Davis that day.
The Michigan State game mentioned was actually the third game of the '72 season (I know we openned with Tennessee on national TV and then played South Carolina, so it was at least the third game). We played in East Lansing and MSU was so much bigger than us that Bill Fulcher changed MLB Joe Harris' # from 50 to 40 and played him at safety during that game.
Ms.TA, you are right that the '76 Notre Dame game was later in the season (about the 8th or 9th game and we were either .500 or just under .500). We had run the veer offense that whole year but that week during practice, Pepper reinstalled the wishbone. A TECH player commented after the game that they seemed a "step slower" because of this and that turned into somebody telling them that TECH claimed they were out of shape. Their coach at the time was Dan Devine and don't get me started on him. However, MsTA,you were also correct about us throwing no passes. Gary Lanier dropped back one time and was sacked, but he ran and executed the option well the rest of the day.
Another outstanding player that day was an undersized fullback named Bo Thomas (he might have weighed a buck seventy-five) who constantly came up with key blocks for the other running backs and still ran for over 80 yards himself. The next year was the rout in South Bend and at least one of their asst. coaches made an obscene gesture toward our bench everytime they scored.
Now as for my favorite opening day game, I'm thinking probably at the state fairgrounds in Raleigh about 1985. My favorite day of the year (except for my anniversary, of course Honey if you read this) is that first day after a long hot summer when you wake up and the temperature is 55* or less, there are no clouds, and the color of the sky is that abnomal blue color (kind of like the frowning graemlin). This was that day even though it was the first week of September. When we entered the stadium, the nice lady taking tickets told us to hang on to our ticket stub in case we wanted to go out to the van to mix an adult beverage and bring it back in. At first , I wasn't sure if she wasn't trying to trick the TECH fans (and there were a lot) into leaving so they couldn't get back in, but she was telling the truth and many trips were made. The high that day was somewhere in the mid-seventies and nary a cloud ever appeared in the sky or on the field for TECH. We won (29 to 18 or something like that) to start what turned out to be a great year (9-2-and because of those cheatin' SEC officials-1).
in '73 and I think was either the second or third game of the year. The tailback was Anthony Davis and the next week, Sports Illustrated ran an article on the game saying that the reason he didn't get his normal yardage was that we had a linebacker "asigned" strictly to Davis. Although our defense was aware of him, nobody was assigned to him. The linebacker they named was Don Shank (his brother Jeff later played and was a captain for us) and he did have many good shots on Davis that day.
The Michigan State game mentioned was actually the third game of the '72 season (I know we openned with Tennessee on national TV and then played South Carolina, so it was at least the third game). We played in East Lansing and MSU was so much bigger than us that Bill Fulcher changed MLB Joe Harris' # from 50 to 40 and played him at safety during that game.
Ms.TA, you are right that the '76 Notre Dame game was later in the season (about the 8th or 9th game and we were either .500 or just under .500). We had run the veer offense that whole year but that week during practice, Pepper reinstalled the wishbone. A TECH player commented after the game that they seemed a "step slower" because of this and that turned into somebody telling them that TECH claimed they were out of shape. Their coach at the time was Dan Devine and don't get me started on him. However, MsTA,you were also correct about us throwing no passes. Gary Lanier dropped back one time and was sacked, but he ran and executed the option well the rest of the day.
Another outstanding player that day was an undersized fullback named Bo Thomas (he might have weighed a buck seventy-five) who constantly came up with key blocks for the other running backs and still ran for over 80 yards himself. The next year was the rout in South Bend and at least one of their asst. coaches made an obscene gesture toward our bench everytime they scored.
Now as for my favorite opening day game, I'm thinking probably at the state fairgrounds in Raleigh about 1985. My favorite day of the year (except for my anniversary, of course Honey if you read this) is that first day after a long hot summer when you wake up and the temperature is 55* or less, there are no clouds, and the color of the sky is that abnomal blue color (kind of like the frowning graemlin). This was that day even though it was the first week of September. When we entered the stadium, the nice lady taking tickets told us to hang on to our ticket stub in case we wanted to go out to the van to mix an adult beverage and bring it back in. At first , I wasn't sure if she wasn't trying to trick the TECH fans (and there were a lot) into leaving so they couldn't get back in, but she was telling the truth and many trips were made. The high that day was somewhere in the mid-seventies and nary a cloud ever appeared in the sky or on the field for TECH. We won (29 to 18 or something like that) to start what turned out to be a great year (9-2-and because of those cheatin' SEC officials-1).
ramblinwise1
beware the zealot
- Joined
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<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">You are correct, it was "TD" Anthony Davis. He was 5'8" in his cleats.
My most memorable season-opening games:
1981 at Alabama, played in B'ham. GT 24-21. I still have the paper from the next day, with the headline reading "Tech 24, Alabama 21. It really did happen." My game program and ticket stub are in my collection. It was a great day, and was fun to watch the UA fans in stunned disbelief.
1984 vs. Alabama. GT 16-6. I remember Ramblin' Robert Lavette's short TD run on a sweep to the left edge of the north endzone, and he got a penalty for spinning the ball on the ground after he scored. The other thing that I remember is that the Bama crowd was unusually quiet, and I don't recall hearing their band. I had friends from LA (Lower Alabama) with me--people I'd converted to Tech fans when we were neighbors in SW GA. They saw new neighbors from LA on North Avenue trying to buy tickets, and couldn't believe they'd driven five hours just on the hopes of getting in. Those same folks from LA parked their car on the shoulder of the downtown connector, and were among many cars from Alabama towed from the interstate that day.
1990 vs. NC State. GT 21-13. What a hot day...and the beginning of a great season.
1994 vs. Arizona. UA 19-14. We got screwed on the fumble no-call...and the beginning of a terrible season.
1981 at Alabama, played in B'ham. GT 24-21. I still have the paper from the next day, with the headline reading "Tech 24, Alabama 21. It really did happen." My game program and ticket stub are in my collection. It was a great day, and was fun to watch the UA fans in stunned disbelief.
1984 vs. Alabama. GT 16-6. I remember Ramblin' Robert Lavette's short TD run on a sweep to the left edge of the north endzone, and he got a penalty for spinning the ball on the ground after he scored. The other thing that I remember is that the Bama crowd was unusually quiet, and I don't recall hearing their band. I had friends from LA (Lower Alabama) with me--people I'd converted to Tech fans when we were neighbors in SW GA. They saw new neighbors from LA on North Avenue trying to buy tickets, and couldn't believe they'd driven five hours just on the hopes of getting in. Those same folks from LA parked their car on the shoulder of the downtown connector, and were among many cars from Alabama towed from the interstate that day.
1990 vs. NC State. GT 21-13. What a hot day...and the beginning of a great season.
1994 vs. Arizona. UA 19-14. We got screwed on the fumble no-call...and the beginning of a terrible season.