[badger74]

I read the Spring football write-up in the NA and looked thru the roster and it appears to Offense should be AWESOME. Defense might have some holes to fill. Am I on or off base?

[JakeP50]

It looks good on paper but we all know he deceiving that can be, 2-14 Houston Texans, but I am an eternal optimist and a bit insane when watching a team I care about, so if "home field advantage" and crowd noise actually do anything I can help in that area. Gillville here I come

[flameshaw]

It is all going to boil down to one game as usual. Coastal at their house. You make the call.

[JakeP50]

After that mess last year I have a feeling the guys are just counting down the days until they can try to ruin the Chicken's Senior Day. Rip the Big South Championship from their cocky (no pun intended) hands, ruin their Senior Day and force them to suffer the same anxiety on Selection Sunday that we have for years.I know from experience, and I'm sure the guys on the team know too, that stealing a championship from your biggest rival when all they do is brag about how great they are is one of the most fun things in any sport at any level. And if I make the trip to this game you can guarantee I will be screaming for all four quarters. #BeatCostal #FryTheChickens

[SuperJon]

I have a feeling the guys are just counting down the days until they can try to ruin the Chicken's Senior Day. Rip the Big South Championship from their cocky (no pun intended) hands, ruin their Senior Day and force them to suffer the same anxiety on Selection Sunday that we have for years.

Beej, is that you?

[SumItUp]

I have a feeling the guys are just counting down the days until they can try to ruin the Chicken's Senior Day. Rip the Big South Championship from their cocky (no pun intended) hands, ruin their Senior Day and force them to suffer the same anxiety on Selection Sunday that we have for years.

Beej, is that you?

That's funny, I thought the same thing when I started reading it and did a double take when the username did not match.

[JakeP50]

I have a feeling the guys are just counting down the days until they can try to ruin the Chicken's Senior Day. Rip the Big South Championship from their cocky (no pun intended) hands, ruin their Senior Day and force them to suffer the same anxiety on Selection Sunday that we have for years.

Beej, is that you?

That's funny, I thought the same thing when I started reading it and did a double take when the username did not match.

I don't know if I should take this as a compliment or an insult

[BJWilliams]

I think youre about right. Here is how I see the positions on offense:

QB- This one is Woodrum's job to lose. Two year starter, all conference both years, Masha or Shashaty would have to absolutely be out of their mind good in the spring to take the job and even then he probably still gets the job. The big question will be who gets the backup job. Masha according to Lang's piece this week got to run the scout team and is somebody that is going to see the field in some fashion, whether at the backup or in a package of plays designed for and around him. Personally I think that if they want him on the field, it would be best if he was the backup outright

RB- We return everybody except the much maligned Aldreakis Allen for 2014. Rice stepped up bigtime to become the lead man in the backfield last year, and as someone who wasn't sure if he could be a feature back, I would be the first to admit he proved me wrong. Richardson was a bit disappointing last year but I am interested to see how he does in his first (or second I forget) spring on the mountain. DJ Abnar probably will be the "lightning" option with Josh Smith getting some looks as well. Todd Macon will get his first crack at getting some carries as well as former all-state LCA product Carrington Mosley.
FB- Nicky Fualaauwill probably end up the starter here, with Kennedy backing him up
WR- This could be the most wide open race of the skill positions with all three starters coming back from, last year, plus McCarter returning from injury. Fritts comes off a redshirt year and looks like he could see the field in the WR rotation as well as 2013 walk-ons Brown, Roy and Kelly (which sounds like a law firm to me).
TE- With Brandon Apon and Michael Johnson both gone, there will be a first time starter at TE with Garrett Long, Dexter Herman, Will Johnson (transfer from WVU) and Canon Smith probably the three guys battling for the two spots on the two-deep at the position, while Tyler Meeks probably gets his first looks in garbage time
OL- This is gonna be a fun one too. Steward and Boyd are both gone and 6 of the likely slots in the OL rotation are filled by juniors or higher (Greg Ray, Max Sommer, Grant Jones, who, on a personal note, recently got engaged, so congrats to him, Mitch Hanson, Jonathan Burgess and Cody Gochenouer). If we assume that those 6 are all locks to start next year, that leaves 4 players for 2 spots (according to Lang, Coach Wagner wants 8 guys in the OL rotation), with two more who will probably redshirt (Passmore and Storey).

To answer your question Jake, if I was you Id take it as an insult but you take it as whatever gets you the least offended.

[prototype]

Beej, is that you?

I don't know if I should take this as a compliment or an insult

JakeP50-Then quickly run from this board;) Block this site forever...

[VAGolf]

It looks good on paper but we all know he deceiving that can be, 2-14 Houston Texans

That's not a good example. I predicted Houston to win 5 games at the start of the season. Several experts on ESPN and FOX had them missing playoffs too. You can't win games with that kind of QB situation. It was an easy call.

I do agree with you though. Honestly, our talent isn't my concern at all. You can look at the offense and see talent all around. Our defense looks really good too. My biggest concern is our ability to CLOSE.

We had the talent to go 12-0 last season, but we went 8-4. We can have all the talent we want, but until we start closing these games out, we'll continue to share the BS title and watch the playoffs from Lynchburg.

[JakeP50]

I'm a delusional optimist when it comes to my teams, especially before the season starts, but I have 3 predictions. The reasonable sound-minded non-homer prediction: 10-2 with the losses coming to UNC and App St or Costal. In the losing to Costal scenario, unless they just crap the bed this year, the App St win and a likely shared Big South title gets us an at-large into the playoffs. Obviously beating Costal gets us the outright title and the auto-bid,and like I said I think this scenario that involves ruining The Chicken's Senior Day is more fun, but both get the job done and I really think one of them happens.
My delusional homer prediction is 11-1 only losing to UNC with everything that comes with my reasonable prediction.
And the spiteful,ACC hating Maryland fan in me combines with the delusional prediction and we go 12-0 after a 2 touchdown win in Chapel Hill that spurs the team on to blowout wins over the rest of the non-conference schedule, and a 17 point win @ Costal. This last one is obviously the least likely but by far the most fun

[VAGolf]

Yeahhhhhhh, we aren't beating UNC.

[thepostman]

Someone has now surpassed BJ. That is quite the accomplishment.

[ballcoach15]

I have yet to get over that fake punt Coastal ran.

[BJWilliams]

2013 is in the rearview mirror ballcoach...getting stuck in the past is what leads to severe depression and turning into somebody like LBL (or his myriad other usernames he has used over the years)

[Chippy]

2013 is in the rearview mirror ballcoach...getting stuck in the past is what leads to severe depression and turning into somebody like LBL (or his myriad other usernames he has used over the years)

Mine is the punt down the middle of the field at ODU with a 10 point lead and 4 minutes to go in the game - it was run back tor a TD. I guess this explains my clinical depression

[JakeP50]

Yeahhhhhhh, we aren't beating UNC.

I know that, that prediction was made purely out of spiteful ACC hate not any confidence in the team's ability to win that game

[VAGolf]

Yeahhhhhhh, we aren't beating UNC.

I know that, that prediction was made purely out of spiteful ACC hate not any confidence in the team's ability to win that game

I'm a Duke fan. Guarantee you I hate UNC more than you do. LU isn't getting a win in Chapel Hill.

They scored 80 points, in three quarters against a team that we lost to.

[JakeP50]

Yeahhhhhhh, we aren't beating UNC.

I know that, that prediction was made purely out of spiteful ACC hate not any confidence in the team's ability to win that game

I'm a Duke fan. Guarantee you I hate UNC more than you do. LU isn't getting a win in Chapel Hill.

They scored 80 points, in three quarters against a team that we lost to.

Yeah I know its not gonna happen, the 10-2 prediction was the real one the other 2 were just my rampant delusional homerism. We lose by at least 17,probably more,to UNC

[SuperJon]

Yeahhhhhhh, we aren't beating UNC.

I know that, that prediction was made purely out of spiteful ACC hate not any confidence in the team's ability to win that game

You really are BJ.

[ballcoach15]

Granted UNC will be favored, but that does not mean LU cannot pull the upset. LU has always played well agianst the "big boys", i.e. WVA, WF, NCState. I recall JMU beating VT a few years back. Upsets do happen.

[BJWilliams]

Nah...I don't have any raging ACC hatred (and I think 10-2 with 9-3 not out of the realm of possibility...we are not going 12-0...even Im not that crazy)

[Purple Haize]

Granted UNC will be favored, but that does not mean LU cannot pull the upset. LU has always played well agianst the "big boys", i.e. WVA, WF, NCState. I recall JMU beating VT a few years back. Upsets do happen.

UNC was beating ODU so badly they had to shorten the game. And they aren't losing anybody. And we have HUGE holes to fill in our D. I'm going just to enjoy the atmosphere

[jcmanson]

Granted UNC will be favored, but that does not mean LU cannot pull the upset. LU has always played well agianst the "big boys", i.e. WVA, WF, NCState. I recall JMU beating VT a few years back. Upsets do happen.

UNC was beating ODU so badly they had to shorten the game. And they aren't losing anybody. And we have HUGE holes to fill in our D. I'm going just to enjoy the atmosphere

Except for one of their best QBs ever. And their TE who entered the NFL draft a year early.

[Purple Haize]

Granted UNC will be favored, but that does not mean LU cannot pull the upset. LU has always played well agianst the "big boys", i.e. WVA, WF, NCState. I recall JMU beating VT a few years back. Upsets do happen.

UNC was beating ODU so badly they had to shorten the game. And they aren't losing anybody. And we have HUGE holes to fill in our D. I'm going just to enjoy the atmosphere

Except for one of their best QBs ever. And their TE who entered the NFL draft a year early.

They played with 2 QB's last year. And it's a TE......not a big loss