Syracuse Game Recap

0:47 This episode of The Boundary Corner podcast is dedicated to the memory of our friend and hokey, Brian Wilkerson. We lost Bride on Tuesday of last week. And we both spent Saturday gathered amongst his many family and friends, remembering the good times and morning the thought of not being able to make more of them with them. Well, Brian spirit and our memories of him will never fade. Whether it was taking laps around our hometown, and it's Tahoe one times at Longwood. Although he never claimed, he went to Longwood. When the great times in Blacksburg, whether it be at hokey football games tailgates. Just roaming around. Fox Ridge.

1:29 And I was lucky enough to have the pleasure of playing with them for five years. Playing football together, both in middle school and high school. Sometimes words just don't do a thing justice. So if you'll bear with us we're going to share a tribute from our good buddy. Jason long to a friend. He'd known since elementary school going to miss you be well. Now, back to the regular show

4:56 Ryan, you got another pass interference call as Jason was playing at tribute to Brian Colts. Get another call. Y'all are in the, isn't that me? Say this one might be a zesty win tonight because we got the Colts in the Niners play in here. Yeah, Carson's made well questionable. Decisions to bank. So the only way The only one I disagree. We've ran the ball up and down the field on you. Draw, the Taylor's pushing 100 yards, man. Well, he's just every the feelings I have is every time I looked up, it's a yellow flag for us but let's let's jump off that because we're going to probably interrupt enough of our things to my congratulations.

5:44 Your Braves. Yeah. Bravo's World Series. Let's do this first time since you were how old I was 16. Yeah. I'm like that 1650 actually 50. Take that back 15. You're right now? Yeah, yeah. The first century, the Brave and he battles like how old was I 99 1699 was a great year and I tell you what those jerseys look dope. Yeah that would tissue. I mean I know I'm not, I'm not I'm preaching to the choir here but petition to make those and then a white version of those.

6:30 Full-time uniforms and then we can have alternate space based off that whatever we want to do. It's true in some people. And I saw some people out there saying, nah, but you need to have innovate and I like, listen, you need Basics and you need to throw in the alternates, the up-to-date looks and stuff like that, you know, every now and then, but that was such a clean look. The orange number on the side, the block lettering, the maroon the right shade of maroon, no Stripes. Yeah, I said, I think that's the thing is that, you know, a lot of what was done then, I mean it's kind of the turn now, right?

7:12 Like that clean. Look, I mean, that's coming back, it's not a flashy, you know, there's times for that, but I think the clean look is what's really really playing well right now and I think that that was as clean as it gets, man. Let me bounce. This idea off of you. If you had people who are out there like what you got to do something different, what about if the numbers were ho Keystone like keep them white, but get that outline of the Hokey Stones where we find with that, I'd be fine with that everything everything else keep the same. The I mean, the Hokey Stone numbers were the thing. I like the most about the current Jersey. So I guess, you know, if you, if that's the one thing you want to squabble about that, One thing I'm not going to push back on.

7:57 That's what I'd say do when you pack do that with the letters and then get the white versions and essentially I would what would you say? Maroon maroon numbers, white jersey maroon numbers. Yeah, I mean tell Callie wants orange numbers we reached a liette tally ones orange numbers. At least he's not going to have a white and orange could pull my knowledge will look fine. And then make the Seven maroon seven, the number on the side of the maroon. Yeah. Make that maroon in those uniforms. I'm fine with that. Now, let's just say this, the team that took the field Saturday was the not the nineteen ninety, nineteen and man, lot going on yesterday with us. But we found, we had the opposite of the miracle and Morgantown.

8:48 We had the blasphemy and black Suburbans, what we had. And, you know, everybody is probably going to to say you guys always crap on the offense. Ya'll say you prese defense. No. Yesterday was the defense's failure. If you told us that we got 34 points because I'm going to, I'm going to give the defense there too, right? Give them there because that was a heck of a play that was primarily defensive starters out there. If you told us we got 34 points yesterday from the offense, defense chipped in a safety. We win this game. If you told me, we got 4 and 24 touchdowns. Two field goals.

9:30 Out of felt really good about our chances to win that football game. And it wasn't enough. And you know, as me and Brian were on the road, we were listening to the radio broadcast pretty much from Richmond all the way back to our hometown and Brian. It sounded like to me like, the defensive line was in trouble. They were making mistakes. And, you know, you mentioned you, what? I watch the tape. My eyes aren't the best. To me, it looks like, you know, they did have some troubles, he got pushed around some and they work. Fishing tackles for losses, in sacks. But you looked a little deeper looked at more than I look to condensed. I know you got a little deeper and found the full version.

10:12 What did you see? Because you said it wasn't as bad as you thought it was going to be. It wasn't as bad as it sounded initially. It was still not not, they're definitely not their best effort. Probably one of the worst efforts of the year, but it wasn't the the clown show. I was anticipating, they did get pushed out of their gaps, a good, a good amount that did result in. Bigger Rush, Lanes, making it harder for the linebackers, making it harder for the safety's coming up in their fields, but they did a better job of getting after the quarterback, you know, a lot of what, you know, we did miss some tackles and that's something you got to clean up. But a lot of what happened is that Schrader just did a really good job of Getting through the pass rush Lanes.

10:58 So, kind of creeping outside underneath the, the outside guy getting escaping the pocket and then just making plays with his legs. A lot of times on some of those pass plays that broke down and I think more than anything, it wasn't so much getting physically dominated. It was that over the course of this game. We saw depth show up again, right? We saw dep show up again and by the time we were kind of getting towards the end of Game that defensive line had had played a bunch of snaps and they just weren't quite bringing it the same way they were even though on the the ultimate touchdown play, we did have a big hit on the quarterback just before the ball went out there and Dorian strong Mystic by.

11:41 Yeah I mean that was just that was just a bang-bang play in Dorian had some other when we will talk about during a little bit he had some other places where he probably didn't do his best effort but you know he was he was running step for step. Up there was just a well-thrown ball and yeah but you did the what you did. The one thing in man coverage you can't do I mean you let him get a little bit further behind you then you want yeah let's talk about the flask 342. We were going to do that a little later on this rundown but since you kind of brought it up and brought up the point they scored 14 points in the last you know and basically three minutes and 42 seconds and it was only about 40 for left on the clock.

12:22 Yeah it was the depth and it Then we went back to last week about roster management about recruiting and bar. No, and Garbutt are good. Some of the guys on a defensive inside are good. Probably a few guys could be would be more of the third rotation, not the second rotation but since we're not that deep they're only they're up in the second rotation so you know you sit there and it's like those last three minutes what they With a nine-point lead, they go in just a couple minutes drive down, get it within 5, and then in about 45 seconds scored, including 45-yard bomb.

13:05 And that's now the second time it's happened in the last every weeks and it's showing the depth and it's showing where we aren't haven't had the time to develop more defensive end and the three guys that could be potentially playing this year. All gone. Yeah, I think that's, that's the bigger thing is that, you know, you took a problem issue, and then, you can pounded it with with the three guys that had to transfer out for, you know, University related situation there. So it's very unfortunate. Like I said, it was a situation that we had already made pretty rough by the fact that we had Essentially one, I mean, in theory, we were coming into this year, you know, bar, no, not completely knocking it out of the park with one veteran defensive end. Yep.

13:59 And a guy that changed positions and then a bunch of red shirt will technically going to be freshman, but he's a second year freshman, that was The Game Plan before these guys transferred out. And now Cole Nelson, who's a true freshman, it It's Jalen. It's Adams who had Barry got many steps in his career and there's no depth at that spot. And in those last those last four drives of the two games we've lost on last plays. You could see there wasn't it wasn't there. And that was a lot to go into, don't get me wrong. I mean you know, Syracuse even up to that point still had shredded us all day.

14:43 I mean. Yeah. And the big thing, I say the other thing Beeline struggle with upfront was some of that setting the edge, especially on back side. There was a lot of cutbacks for Tucker. He had especially the one, not the one that went for the touchdown but but the other long run, he had was just a bad contain on the back side by the defensive end. So that's got to get better. You know, you got to understand your responsibilities there in the run and not over-pursue where they have those Lanes. To cut back and that was consistent throughout the day. There was drives where we did better with that and were able to force them off the field and there were some drives where we just couldn't and it's a yo-yo, right?

15:27 It's a big-time yo-yo it was a yo-yo. We're not we're not used to it being quite as much of a yo-yo on defense this week. So this week we the defense was a yo-yo. We're used to the offense being somewhat of a yo-yo. Yes, we are. They still were not. They still were Our alert you guys watch the game, but we're not used to the defense doing this. And this was one where the the offense had picked them up most of the game, and they weren't able to do it late. And I think the defense that was just gassed. And, you know, that's not an excuse that the staff should have been preparing them for those situations. I mean, at some point, you've got to figure out. I've got to have the legs and the bodies and the opening to get this done at the end of games. It's true.

16:19 Brian something you talked about, is you talk about time of possession on Wednesday night and that was pretty. Fair 31 to 28 pretty much. It was almost a 31:29 type thing so that was kept in contained. But we just look up and down. I mean the stats I mean, on third and fourth down they went 11 of 20. They went over 50% because they were converting in 444 on forth which weird Dreadful 12:15 for the You're awful dog. Shit. What doggy and then just in general, 550 total yards. They averaged seven, a carry Garrett Schrader. Put over to 36 where he had been averaging, like, 170.

17:03 We didn't force any turnovers, you know. It's it was literally the worst game, the defensive played all year and wasn't it was we'd probably say what a see game. And up into the last few minutes and then it went from a c to a d-minus. But just a few days and I know something you were telling me a little bit earlier that you were assuming to see the defensive line, have their struggles, but we looked at the safety stats and it was like well seem like just a few were cleaning up. The messes not the case between the safety and the linebackers worse or better than a defensive line. For the years, I'd say linebackers about what I expected when I looked at the tackles a lot of Apps lot of not really seeing where the ball was going and this kind of the same with safeties.

17:55 Let's take a look at Sean Tucker's big 4th and 1 touchdown. Run Nasir people's jumps inside and he didn't need to 2 ax head that Gap. But yeah, he's hanging around inside and all of a sudden, cut back Lanes, there, nobody's outside and it goes for six. You know what that looked like that looked like Carolina last year. Yeah, when he couldn't find the right gaps, and they were just hitting the wide open gaps from massive gains, and that backside of below-average game, Tisdale had had a pretty, he had his day was very up and down, he was either making a play or he was completely out of position. And again reminds you a little bit of last year and we hadn't seen a game like that from this defensive unit in the second and third level until this week. And I don't know if it was having the Out rushing attack from both the running back and the quarterback had did it or the fact that offensive line.

18:54 Sorry fact, that the offensive line wasn't sorry. The running game wasn't just a product of the talent in the backfield but also from the offensive line that was a solid offensive line combined with the fact, they had a very talented running back combined with the fact they had a quarterback that could run the ball well, and did he 174 on the ground? For great Shader, he almost average a to carry Tucker did what Because Tucker kept them around in the first half, and then, Schrader completely took over the second half. Yeah, I told you the other day, I feel for Tucker, having this type of season, his sophomore here, not his junior year because if he would put up these numbers and it was next year, people would be talking about him in at least the first three rounds in. Hopefully, for that kid, you know, even though he is at a different school, I hope that he continues to success this year. In the next year.

19:47 But we played with this point, he can do whatever he wants to now exactly thing, buddy. I'll just run something, we thought that we wouldn't see it all now he was just under 50%, please put 236 yards up and you know quite a few of those yards came in the last few drives when we needed the pass rush and even a couple of the passing touchdowns earlier our Corners just didn't look right and I do not have a wall or out. There is a big thing. Especially and this is what you call a good offensive coordinator. As we were driving down the road yesterday. How many times brine in? Just the course of about 15 minutes? Did we hear all they're going for wide here? Essentially, we can run the ball. We're going to stretch you out and even though they passed and we broke up a couple of those plays later in the game. When they were going for Five Wives to play catch-up no Waller there, we had to put them in experienced guys, playing Corner putting Jamari out on the island and Corner Corners had what up. I mean, average.

20:52 It wasn't great. No, it was, it was it was very much yo-yo. There was either they were doing 100% what they needed to do or they just kind of look a little lost. There was times when Connor was out of out of position and coverage was late, kind of reading what the what the receiver is doing in man, not just not getting there on time, there was a couple times where Armani Chapman was kind of laid on the break. There was one. There was like a A deep come back, that was throw away outside and it hung out there and I was like, surely that's going to be a pig but Chapman was about half a second late and didn't get his paw in there and it ended up being a good completion for a first down.

21:37 And that was kind of indicative of how the, how the passing game went for them. It was balls that were sometimes questionable but they got there. And then there was balls that were very much 50/50 and we just weren't winning the battles. And sometimes, It was the corner, just not getting their head around. Even when they were in position and sometimes it was just not one in enough. It seemed like. And then, of course, we had the one that broke the broke the camel's back there at the end, which I mean, we were up. We want to cover one, but you made it a point to me when I hit you up earlier. And you just kind of said where they were on the field and how they were moving the ball either. They were going to in the time they had left, you said either they're going To nickel and dime you, if you play zone, they're going to be able to run, they're going to be able to pass short passes. Or you're going to have to play covers one cover 0, give them nothing put a smile on a quarterback and say you're not getting past here because you can't kick a field goal. Past here.

22:42 And that's what it was. It was the yet you watching. It wasn't if it says eight-point game if your hand is like Nickel Dime has but instead you have to go to that because of the situation. Well it's the failure on the third and fourth down to get them off the field and then the failure on the next play to contain the screen to Tucker that went for another long first down that kind of set things up in motion, right? So if you're if you're able to get off the field, Field there, you're able to let them keep the clock running if you're a like if you just do some of those little things that either bleeds more clock or gets them off the field and you don't get into that situation.

23:23 But once you're at the 45-yard line because that's when it gets difficult to call the defense because they do have just enough time where if they get a first down, they can clock. If they still got a chance to kick it, you get a little aggressive and you say, all right, we're going to try to Or that a little bit, bring a little noise and it doesn't get home in time. And their receiver has about a half step on our corner and that's all it takes. That is all it took to essentially finish the game because with 20 seconds left, it was, it was not going to happen. I mean, we somehow got a bomb into the end zone to just have a prayer there at the end. I mean, that was a, it was a big, big nut throw by by Bragg's.

24:10 In this side, the 15 to kind of get us in a position there. We could at least take a shot but you know all you don't want in the situation where you're up nine with under four minutes left, you shouldn't be in a situation where you're throwing Hail Marys at the end of the game to even have a chance. It's true. Well, even, even let's go back to earlier. The probably the biggest one, that kind of kept them in this game is And we'll talk about the offenses failures on this, but Peter more kicks a wedge that thing flips back to the 3-yard line. The safety false start gets them back to the 1.

24:54 And then they go on a 98 11, play a 98-yard, 11 plays for a touchdown even though yes we did block the kick and they did not tie it. But at that point in time as we're listening and hearing the game Flow me and you immediately say if we get to 21 They can't run the ball anymore. They can't run the ball effectively. The essentially you're able to sit in your zones and say, you know, if you run you're going to get four yards. If you pass, you're going to have to hit your spots. And essentially, we're going to make this game longer because we're up and eventually straighter probably would have made a mistake. But when you have that drive happening, get them right back in the game.

25:39 You know, we did get them down on but you felt like there were times just watching it right now. Ron, we could have been up 14:21 without blinking. Yeah, we Yeah, it seemed like the the defense just couldn't make enough plays to to get us in that situation and then when the offense did have some opportunities with short fields, we just failed to capitalize even though the offense overall had some really good drives in this game. Yeah. Sometimes when they were gifted short Fields they didn't do a whole lot with them. Well, they were there were really in the beginning of the game. There were two, right?

26:20 One is immediately after Hey. Immediately after the touchdown, we Fort, they Defense Forces, one of the three and outs and then we get it down to the tech. You know? We break it down to the Syracuse 45. It was the play where they tried the double reverse to Trey. That completely screwed that in. I'm sure Brian. Remember the plate? We were sitting here. Like what the bleep did you do that for? Like, why would you like, you know, it's second down and it's 8:00, you're moving the ball with not doing any sort of trickeration, right? Yep.

27:02 And then they do that. Get way backed up. We blow the opportunity there to that was right after lectures. Big screen where you kind of picked it up off the turf almost and yeah, took it 30 yards. Exactly turn around on second down and eight especially the way we were running the ball pretty consistently there. Yeah, it made no sense to do that. If you had all of the month, when you watch that play today, it was a QB lead playwright with the with the with essentially rotten and then going and then flipping it. If you looked at that and you look at that angle today, There were there were holes. Yeah. If that's where you know it's a trick play because if that's a read and he didn't see that pulled the kid out but then Braun, we defense holds again, it's another three and out this time again we get the ball like near Midfield lose. Two yards on again that set up the 98-yard play you had two drives Midfield nowhere to go you stall you wrote it was another one where you had a good First down play, and then you negated it with the negative second down play. Then he had the sack on third that puts you in negative yardage for the drive there, it just it it's those little things.

28:22 And again we're not going to hammer the offense. The offense especially the running game overall was better as good as we've seen all year. This is what we kind of expected from day one. So I'm not going to give them too much of a clap on the back. This is what we should have been experiencing all. Year, especially against this defense and they had a pretty ever pretty good running. Run rush defense but you know, I'm glad that we've had a commitment to the Run. We should have had a commitment to the run. When we have a quarterback that has some of the limitations that Braixen has, if you're not committing to the run, you are doing him a disservice, you're doing an absolute disservice and then you have malachite Thomas Freshman who comes in and goes for over 150 yards, close to close to 200. Actually, 200 all-purpose yards, well over that. And two big runs 11 went for a touchdown, but you still sit here, Brian and it's got to be questioned because of this coaching staff, right?

29:27 It happened with Hendon, hooker in 2019, And in the press conference, we listen to his like, well, he had done some good things in practice. If he's doing things like that in practice, he should have been the starting running back Carolina, not six games into the season. Yeah. So again it's this I mean in he runs hard, he has Vision right there were a couple times. You can see him in those things. He was waiting. Developing a whole found the whole, hit it. Now and what Herbert? Yeah, but did you notice how much more we're running inside? The tackles in this game?

30:10 It was much less of the outside Zone, a lot more inside, a lot more counter inside counter a lot more power, a lot more trap. I'll be there, were there were a bunch of bunch of things going on inside that we haven't seen a whole lot of all year. So getting that, Out there was nice because I feel like the strength of how we would our running game is now in the interior. So finally focusing on that is I think what paid part of the dividends now. There were still some, some questionable things on the offensive line this week. You know, past Pro was not great, Braixen didn't have a whole lot of time.

30:53 Tackles are still very hit-or-miss in pass Pro. Luke 2 Nu du is Is looking better but still is having some of the same types of things that we've seen you know, last season where they would be the snap. Sorry just whatever reason it sole situation, right? Yep. So we're still dealing with that and that that's obviously not helping Braxton as much as it could. But this was a much better overall game from the offensive line than we've seen in the last few weeks. And some of that was actually because the calls played into their strengths. Let me ask this Braun.

31:36 Did you when you were watching, did you notice what were the combos looking like yesterday? Like what was it was? It always Luke. Let it gets Brock Caton stylist. Or do we do we pick some things up on the line. It was, It was kind of mixed up throughout the game. They did, they did some different things and I've seen but it was kind of A little bit of there was more pulling interior than kind of the the pull and wrap that we've seen with some of the offense that we've seen from the from the previous week. So I think that was a little bit of a change and it kind of, I think it helped them out a little bit with getting up inside the tackles there.

32:21 Got you. Also yesterday, Raheem Blackshear goes over 100, all-purpose with the big screen catch, and then average and 7.8 on the ground for 78 yards. Still not using them the way we, you really want to use some but at least getting involved in things that he does better. Yeah, I don't know what they're challenging here. Like we threw the red flag, but y'all recovered ahead of the first down. So what's the point? I don't know what he was. I don't we don't have the volume on with that we be explaining but you know but to see them again using Rahim in the screen game and some of the other things they do with him yesterday, you felt a little better. You still don't feel 100% because you feel like it's Talent, you've said it numerous times to me and other people Rutgers is getting more out.

33:16 Got more out of this guy with a terrible staff that got fired, maybe that maybe the staff is worse and that's why they can't do it. Yeah, I mean, that's the point that I like to make is that, you know, you saw some of the things that we're hearing Blackshear did in 2018, right? PE only played four games in. 19. And in those games he did a lot of you did a lot from the slot, he had a if you extrapolated his stats from those four games out, over a full 12 game slot you know he'd be just under 1,000 yards, receiving so when you think about that and then you think about how we're using. I'm not saying I want him in the slot all the time but I do think that we need to do more with him in the passing game then just what two Targets.

34:05 One. 30 yards? Yeah, absolutely. They you don't Someone doesn't quite understand how to use them. Now, something that was said and you tell me how big of an impact, this would have said in the interview went day and maybe this is why the defense didn't play good and the offense played better, but went day. Did not run the scout team offense this week against the defense. He ran, he was, he had a lot more time in the meeting rooms with the offense in general. Could you see some of the plays especially like, how they were reusing the HVAC a little bit more pudding, Gallo in, but just watching some of the place today, I feel like it was something different and I don't know how big of an impact.

34:57 The head coaching come in for one week and make that big of a difference. Well, I think when you when it comes to the game planning side of things of how initially out the gate, they're they're planning on attacking the defense. I think that's where it makes the most. And I think when you talk about practice, I think some of that is the Intensity and attention to detail that probably Fuente brings to. It that seems like Brad cornelison does not really grasp and that attention to detail matters. That attention to detail matters. I mean there were there were times that I mean, I in college, I had a head coach that ran the offense.

35:41 So I never experienced this. Well, I had my head coach was, was blowing the whistle. Do it again? My head coach was calling us a clown show, if we screwed it up and we were running it until we got it fucking right, and then we'd run it another time to make sure that we got it right. And that reflected on Gameday, we knew what the hell we were doing. We executed and we put up a bunch of fucking points show did. And at some point, I mean, again, the deficiency is either you didn't get, you haven't recruited the right players and develop them enough to run what you're trying to do or you're not scheming properly, to put them in the right positions to make those plays. Again, execution is a one-off.

36:32 Excuse execution is not a weekly fucking thing. All right, let me ask this Prime. Do you if you are If you are, if you're just in for Wednesday. Do you continue to do what you did this week? Where you're defense played less? Because you're not running the scout team again. It's a pension detail, right? Or do you say the defense has enough Playmakers? If I put the often situations and get them to score, we can win a few games from here. Out. What do you want? I'm going to ask the question. Why does my head coach have to be on a field for us to have success?

37:14 Whether it's offense or defense? Well that's why we created this scenario. Why we created a scenario where you are reliant upon the head coach for practice field to function as it needs to week-to-week. Yeah, it went talked about it last week with the staff. And six years in, it should be a, heck of a lot better guys should be moving on to bigger and better things and they're not the guy's a Marlin, Max citing Marlin. Matt, couple years gave you that fantasy pick up. People had to have. All right, Ryan will continue to say this and watching some of the Tennessee Alabama game.

38:01 When I got home last night and seeing hinted hooker have a very good game. Alabama in Tuscaloosa against the saving defense. I've probably the most competitive Tennessee had been since Lanes game where Mount Cody blocked, the final second field goal to win it even though the Reflection In the End doesn't go that way because Tennessee start pulling their feet off. But bb10 420, I mean, he didn't break 200 yards, his big throws great there today, on the sidelines, that was his biggest third day. It wasn't a great throw, it was focused tables and his backside it was it was a decent through it. Got it was the best throw that he could make without It getting intercept.

38:51 Yep, what I mean let's just say what he is. He's at best average how they game planned up until this week makes him below average. Where I got to believe you. Got to believe passing lies hidden. Would be much better in this offense. Yeah, and we've seen it right. We've seen him in. Be better in this offense. So I'm just I'm confused. I'm not so much confused of You know, why you made a play to keep Braxton? I'm more confused that you did. Make a bigger play to keep Hendon.

39:32 Yeah. Like there wasn't a situation where you were out there doing everything you could to keep that guy in the building. Yep. It's true. Regardless, what happens, the stories that have come out like that guy had talent and it's showing you just don't go down at us. Clues against the saving defense regardless, if it's great or not, great in do what he did, especially in the first half and then keeping them in that game in the second half. So, Again, it goes back to our last week if you guys have not listened to last week's episode. If you can skip through the pit part and get to our assessment of the Five Pillars, you'll understand what we're talking about now.

40:16 Brian, before we get into tonight which is going to be y'all, we just past halfway point of the Season. We are giving some staff evaluation grades or every coach. We are going to take a quick pause for a message from our digital partners. We take a quick break, we'd like to tell you about getting your free website report from our digital partner, Grassroots, digital marketing Studio. They'll tell you how your website ranks on Google on-site, SEO and social media. No commitment to buy anything. You can get your free report by visiting. Grassroots digital studio.com forward slash free Dash website, Dash report. Now back to the episode All right, so guys, what we're going to do for the rest of the episode tonight is, we're going to give our staff evaluations by all means.

41:05 If you want to chime in, feel free, to give your grade will say who it is and be grateful, throw it up on here, and we'll throw it up. So, here showing off of the world. Exactly. But let's start. Brian. I want to start with J Hamm and I'm going to jump on this one first. Because, okay, yesterday's game. I was bordering on b-plus. First year, first year of having it, the defensive played well, definitely depth is a concern but overall the defense was playing well I'm not going to go full letter grade back but now it's on the be - so he's probably sitting on the 8281 versus the 88 to 89 for me.

41:48 After that game especially here in after the head coach was not run on the scout team, which, which was probably given him some help to be a young coordinator. Yeah, I won't be - and but before yesterday it was B+, what about you? Yeah, I'm going to give him a. I'm gonna go see. Plus I will like they dropped a full letter. I'd say overall we've done a really good job this year especially up until recently kind of slowing down the pass game for them for the other team. But I'm a little suspect on the The Rush defense and we're going to see more heavy rushing attacks with better offensive lines as we kind of close out the year here. Not that they're necessarily High Caliber in terms of the Elite Talent like a Notre Dame has at the running back position but I Take the whole workings of the team on offense might give us some problems, so that's going to be something to watch out for.

42:52 And if we have another game, you know, a few more games like we had on Saturday, you know, that gray could go down a little bit more but Saturday kind of made me a little wary, just because I'd seen a little bit of that before this game, especially against pit when I was like they shouldn't be getting the edge like that. Shouldn't be getting the edge. Yeah. And then we saw some more stuff like that. This week, it's kind of trending in a direction. I'm not comfortable with long term and I'm hoping that we can, we can do some, do some things here to kind of change that up and get that going back in the right direction. All right, let's move to the other side of the balls coordinator and let's go to Brad cornelison. Brian.

43:38 What grade are you giving him seven games into the season? This game, he moves up to a flat. I told e - he all he got out of the F into a d-minus for this week's effort, only but d-minus to me is still you need to get the fuck out of here. Yeah. Right because I mean, absolutely, you're going to be on academic probation and then you're going to be out of school if you just drop and he's all over the place, right? So, that's where we're at. D-minus for corn. And it really just goes back to the inconsistency in situational football and the inability to adequately.

44:23 Get the players ready to execute week in week out and see Braun. I was at a d-minus before I wasn't going to fit. Well, I'm going to fail it yet. Well I'm going to fail it yet. It was trending that way, but I was going to move into D + until we heard the interview that basically Fuente was in the offensive room all week. And I I'm going to stick it a d-minus. I beg them near. Gave it an F because literally you had to pull the head coach in there to put this sort of game plan to again, you said it attention to details and things like that.

45:08 All I can say is this if we continue to play like we did authentically, put up points, good drives more good than bad drives, less three and outs. I'm just going to go ahead and rack it up that 20 is in the room the whole time. And he is basically putting everything together and more than likely, it's more him than it is brass. Just Brad calling the plays, okay? All right, d - that is, you know, be miles across the board. All right, Brian? I'm gonna go Jack, Tyler next in the linebacker play, has been just okay.

45:52 This year. Not great. Not Dreadful horrible. Last year when Tracy claeys was on an island trying to coach. I'm back to play any kind. Yeah. But I'm gonna give him just a just to see first year, a lot of different things he's having to go through even more. So the outside noise even more. So with the second year really true first year coordinator. So, you know, like you said, it's up and down. There's been times of linebackers have played really good, there's been times, there's been yuck moments. So all it all balances out to me to see.

46:35 Yeah, I'm kind of I'm right there with you. I'm with the C-4 Jack as well and he's done some good things on the recruiting Trail early return so far too. Right, so I think the combination of that I think the combination of seeing some improvement especially some improvement. I know Tracy, claeys had never coached linebackers before but he was also a extremely veteran defensive coach. So I think, you know, he understood understood conceptually what that would take but Jack is And it seems an upgrade so far and I'm hoping that we continue to Trend in that direction. That's my hope. So, it's a good Trend but it's still not where it needs to be yet.

47:21 Now we're upload. Just put it on the ground at Midfield. You guys got the ball up a point. So yeah, y'all get y'all get a touchdown here. This is pretty much game over. Let's go to. I like them Berg next run because this isn't okay, because you feel like yesterday might have turned a little bit. But what are you given? Atom, like, Timber go up to this point. I'm going to give him a C+ and a lot of that is tied to off the field stuff. I think, I don't know how much credit to give him for Khalil Herbert other than getting him in the building. But that's not because I mean, we saw what he did last year, we see that he's tearing it up in the NFL already. Now these got an opportunity the last two weeks. And really two and a half weeks going back to the previous game where he came in and it just seems like I'm not really sure how much his coaching is impacting the on-field product. But I know that he's getting some of the right players in the building to be successful.

48:39 And I'm not sure who was holding back Malachi, Thomas you from getting on the field more stamps, whether it was him or whether it was Brad cornelison, or whether it was Justin Fuente, okay? So I'm not sure whether to ding him for not getting Thomas More carries earlier in the year or not. So right now, I'll stick with c-plus You're going to stick with C plus on it. Okay, I'm going to give him a beat - again. A lot of its the off-field stuff. you know I think without a doubt that is probably one of the bigger things, he is a good recruiter, he does have a good eye for talent, you know, he was a secondary on Malachi last year he brought in Herbert, he saw that tape so We're idiots in the back end now.

49:33 Okay. Um, but also with Herbert, it was a year of consistency. We had seen Herbert's tape when you he could blow up, what it is like Timber got the consistency out of and that's why we're seeing it up there, whatever he said to him. The piece that I'm interested in is just what you are. If Malachi Thomas, who we heard, he had done some good things, but he was missing this That. If you have a guy like that and he's missing. Well, he's missing some past Pros, you should be banging on the table saying when we should be running the damn ball. A lot more than we should be in past Pro even though it might give away when he's not in there that we're going to potentially have more of a pass. The kid comes out once against a good defense like that. To the tune of 150 yards on 24 carries averaging. Almost six of carry.

50:30 You should be stepping up, slamming your fist on the table and saying, see I told you that thing, if we had those running backs in the West Virginia or the Notre Dame game so I give them a b-minus, still wish they would use him, right? But I'm a little soft on Adam That I Used to Be. Okay, fair enough. All right. So where we going next, man? Let's go next to. This is going to be a good one because it is all over the place Vance. Vice. If we're if we're just talking this year, give me a see. Okay, well the I'd say this year and recruiting this year, you still sticking with the sea. Still sticking with the sea.

51:14 Okay. Why, why why not? You know, why not lower with this year? Because clearly in the offseason, he made some serious mistakes that hurt our depth. Why not lower? The recruiting has still been there and I think he was dealt a bad hand that he had a hand in somewhat creating because this season was going to be a little bit of a work in progress before two guys. Got ran off into other ACC teams will not ACC teams but Power five teams and I think we look like we made some ground up there.

52:12 When we were using our current running backs the way they should and playing to the strengths of this offensive line. So you can't put as much on that. But I think that he's done a poor job with the rotations. He's that that's that's that's that's the one thing that I'm still frustrated with is that he has not figured out who is best 5r and you ran off to good players and we have been inconsistent at best both in the Run game, which I I'd expect and in the past game, which I 100% did expect, All right, I'm going to be a little harsher on him and I'm going to go with the D+ because running off to guys, who would have been key to depth would have significantly.

53:01 Help this offensive line I think Doug Nestor would have started it right tackle I think Silas tansy would have started it Right Guard. I think Brian Hudson would have been your swing guy inside. Right, that that's that's that's accurate. That's one big strike that, that to me, where it takes him from like, potentially a C+. Or now you're down to a seat. The next one is, I still don't think he's putting the best five out there because my reality if you want to make the best file, especially running the ball. Johnny Jordan should be playing probably Center in Brock Hoffman should be at Right Guard. But again, Back to the other point. Why he, ran guys off is probably the same reason with this, and the whole goal should be get your best five out there. We know, Brock and plague.

53:51 Our, we know we've done, Johnny complete, Margo your mixing, and your mixing and that's fine. I get you might need to give guys a breathers but give it a chance like this. Give that a chance and give that a chance in Fall Camp versus early. Do I think Kaden more is a nasty guy guard. Yes he is. Yes he is but he has some deficiencies because he is a freshman dip and you know it's one of those things to it's like dude you playing for your job this year. Well, what if he gets mad and I lose the line?

54:32 What if you lose the line, you're probably going to be gone. Going anyway, if you don't put your best five out there. Yeah, and I've played in a situation where, you know, I've been one of the Swing guys in a six-man rotation. I know that sometimes you ride the hot hand and then sometimes it's a tree rotation and then sometimes it's a play to your strengths. So I get that aspect of it, but I'd like to see them play to the strengths of what's happening in the flow of the game. Mmmmm. Then just getting guys out there to get guys out there. Yeah, that's very true.

55:13 All right, bro, we're going to pair these next two guys together because they essentially run the same line and that's JC price and beer, bill, till Nick and I'm going to give JC and Bill a solid be. Like you said, earlier, The Edge stuff with the rush defense, has not been the greatest. They are also working with the very limit They're also working with limitations on the outside because of depth but overall the defensive line has played well this year, not unbelievable but it's not been the true detriment to the defense. Even though yesterday they had their issues and on the last couple drives of several games, they've had their issues.

55:55 But overall, this is also the second year of it. Yep, guys. They'd recruited to the system. Three on the defensive end. Left. So, you know, if you asked me today, I would want at least JC price to be on the next staff as one, you know, it usually happens. Usually don't see a complete gutting and everybody leaves. Usually one or two guys has remains on staff. I think if what's going to happen what we assume is going to happen, I'd like to see JC price stick around Yeah, I'd like to see JC price stick around and, and bills harder because Bill cost more and Bill doesn't give you as much on the recruiting Trail.

56:39 True. So JC is the easier. Keep their, I'm going to give them a C+. Probably I could go be - I'm really kind of going between the two. I think given the limitations of their depth that is really nothing to do with them. I think they've done a really good job overall, they're still dealing with a their most elite player is a guy that switch positions and is, you know, more of a freak athlete than a true defensive Edge Presence at this point, but they're still getting a good amount out of him. He had a, he was a, he had an active game. The play that impressed me.

57:21 Most is one of the one Schrader took off and he's walking him down from the back side. Yeah and yards downfield that's impressive and he doesn't give up on plays. He's always going that's a big thing for me and Garbutt has really turned into a really solid overall player at the defensive end position. And if we can clean up, just some of those technical things that we're seeing those two guys could really be, you know, some of the the top two out there in the ACC. So I think they're turning a corner a little bit but they're not quite there overall.

58:04 Just the depth is killing them and that's hurting them. So I'm trying not to give them give that too much of a not for him. So I'll still go see plus like I said, I could go be - but they're kind of right there. Got it. All right, here's the next one for you. Brian. And this is going to be the really interesting one Jafar. I don't want to fail him but I might have to fail him. I might have to fail him. We just we haven't seen enough of the guys, he's bringing in. Take some steps.

58:45 Most of the guys that are doing well, we're either already recruited before he was hired or we're already playing before he was hired very true. You know, we still have Tay and tray that are out there doing their thing. I haven't seen Significant jumps in game from, from Trey, from 2018 to. Now he's been just steady Eddie consistent. He was good at the gate and he's continued to be pretty good the whole way through. So, and the only thing I can say is that Jafar has that wide receiver core blocking, like a motherfucker.

59:28 They are some good ass blocking wide receivers they are. They are they are. He definitely could be a consultant for the rest of his life making. I don't know, hundred thousand dollars a year. Just going around to Tween spring practice and fall camps. Just teaching wide receivers to block. I'm I'm giving him enough. Plus I'll give them a plus block the bonus but it's just, it's nothing. There you're not seeing like we're not seeing you made the point would pray and say they do their thing and they're about where they were when they got here, right? Yeah, that way when they got here, wide receiver was We've not seen Lofton, pay you Jones the other any other guy you want to mention briefly, come on and start making it big.

1:00:21 And this is the year three. This is the year, you usually see. So if you tell me at the end of the season, hey Robinson was 1,000-yard receiver. Trey Turner, had 1,000 all-purpose yards between 650, 700 yards through the air, and using him on jet sweeps and things like that, okay? Great, you're doing your job. It's the same old. And you know what? We went from Harlem and Wiggins to him, is kind of crazy, right? Because Wiggins had Ford in them who had good Seasons. They were known Commodities when you that were very solid and they came in all three of those guys in 16 exploded.

1:01:04 Cam comes back. The next year, builds upon again in an 18 with a bunch of young guys, guys, Flash. Ash you know. Yeah, gate an 18 so ever since he got here it's just been doesn't feel like he's done anything and you know That's just the feel I got to give the f+ so. Alright. Next guys this is one I think we're definitely going to differ on James shall best the tight ends and special teams coach that man gets an A minus in my book. Okay, tell me why well, okay, first of all. What, let's, let's start going after John Parker Roman fixed, his short kick issues. Rome has been banging them.

1:01:51 He'd bang to 48-yarder yesterday. I saw that kid could have been good from 58, maybe 60, all right, kick return, game, Malachi and Keyshawn, getting good averages. If you kick it short to us, you can pay somewhere between the neighborhood of 28 to 35 yards. Every time if not more Right. Yep, punt return. I think Taylor Robinson is getting up there to being the absolute best in the country. A 40-yarder yesterday and a big run back helped us out. Peter Moores are freshman. Kicker five-star. Oh wait I'll store kicker.

1:02:32 Plenty his ass off. And I know it's one of those things where you dwell you know, we don't want to be punting a lot. Everybody needs a good partner. Everybody needs a good if you don't have a good punter, look at Syracuse. How many times they set us up inside with bad kicks? The other we're taking advantage of them. It would have been blowing the doors off of them versus losing the game. And then just think about how gallo and Drake played yesterday. When they truly let Gallo get into the HVAC position. Running game was better. Drink, caught a touchdown pass. Need to see more of that. If those guys were truly producing at a great clip, I'd probably get in the neck but right now sign of stymied but we are especially Gallo plan that HVAC position.

1:03:22 Definitely seeing the moves there. Now, how much lower you going to me? Because I know you're not going higher. I'm gonna go be. It could be higher if we'd seen more from the HVAC since James Mitchell has went down. I think overall that he does a probably one of the better special teams coaches in the ACC, definitely has kept the tradition going with, with Beamer ball, with special teams, being a focus outside of last year in punt, return situations.

1:04:04 I really don't have a ton of negative things to say about the special team since he's been here. And looking at this year, same, same story other than the short kicking it Use that drop, John Parker Romo, had in the first three games. I don't really have a big problem with with the Special Teams this year, I'd like to see more out of guys, not named James Mitchell. Since he went down in the HVAC roll, it seems like some of that has been game Flow. Some of that has been calls, so it's not all on him. But those guys haven't went out there and flashed as much as I was expecting them to flash since James Mitchell's went down so that's what kind of brings it down. For me a little bit, got it.

1:04:50 Alright. Alright then, let's hit this guy up. Ryan Smith where you put in Ron Smith that Ryan Smith gets a B+ I'm solid b-plus. He's done some good things with the young guys that have come in. Killing it on the recruiting Trail. When he's got his best guy out there, you can tell. Yes. So and but he's brought the other guys along the younger. Guys along both last year and into this year a little bit faster than we anticipated, much fat and short of a few snafus here and They've held up against some pretty solid competition this year. I think, you know, you could there is room for improvement there, that's why it's not an a it so it's not a - but overall I like what Ryan Smith is bringing, I think he's probably other than JC price.

1:05:47 The only other coach that I think probably gets retained by whoever the next staff is absolutely. Absolutely. And I think Ryan Smith is probably the biggest no-brainer on that just because of his age and the position and unless whoever is coming in as a defensive guy that wants to coach corners and exactly. And there's not many of those guys that move on to DC /. Hate head, coach positions. I'm with you on a B+ also. Funny fact, me and Brian went to college with Ryan sister. We did not know this. Until a few weeks ago, I'm friends with her own social media.

1:06:28 I think Brian you are too and yep, it's all Pop up and I messaged him like, is that Ron Smith? Oh yeah. He's my brother's. Like, how did we not know this season? She was like, oh, he's just, he was significantly younger. When we were all in college, I'll make sense. This girl, friends with salad. Basically, every day in college is really funny, but it's a lot of the point you made is to recruiting. It's the younger guys Walter before he got banged, was kept playing better and better each week Jermaine Waller. We saw in 2019 who was out in 2020 returned in 2021. And look even better. And the difference between 2019 and 2020. One is Ryan Smith, he is a good recruiter, he is a young guy, he is a rising star. He should be retained in some capacity with the next head coach.

1:07:19 Well, JC and Ryan. If you're taking both of them, you can kind of hit the ground running with the recruiting footprint that they've started to build. Yes. Since they've come on staff. So that, at least helps you potentially Retain the class that you have and get you your boots on the ground as soon as the new stabbed gets in place. Exactly, exactly. Alright Braun. Well we've done everyone. So let's go to the head ball coach. Where are you with Justin Fuente? I mean it's got to be a d - right for me it's a d-minus in the big thing goes is that he's not making changes to make the team better know that that's my big thing.

1:08:05 When we look at the struggles, we've had with Brad for Nelson. When we look at a lot of the game Flow things. If we look at just an inability to make changes during the game when he sees things aren't going the way they need to, when we look at how he is as a recruiter. Yeah he is not a recruiter he does. Well when he gets Recruiters on his staff, very true but he is not a guy that's going to he's not Mack Brown he's not going to go in the living room and and get you a kid. He's not Frank Beamer. He's not going to go and 757 and get you a kid. Nope he's not that type of coach. It's got to be pretty much a close done deal when it get when the player comes into his office to get that final. Yay, or nay exactly.

1:09:03 And you know and even then sometimes it's not a it's not a closed up shop there. So, exactly. I'm going to go D, not the D- it least this week, he noted finally took five games in noticed issues and decided to move himself from one part of the game planning and to another part of the game planning. And we did pay dividends on that D should have been gone after yesterday. Yeah, I do believe that because you are a reflection of what your team does and numerous time this year in situations, he has essentially failed his team and I know everybody can say well there's offense and there's all this key is the reflection of the team. How they how they perform these.

1:09:57 You because it is a trickle down, you tell the offensive coordinators. What you want you to other defensive coordinators with they won't? They go down to their guys. If you're giving the wrong, message the wrong signals, the drawing Vibes. That's why there have been so many failures this year. You can see what his body language a few weeks ago in a Monday Presser You can see it yesterday. He did not walk out on the interview yesterday for he did not like that. Last question that was asked, I think by David Cunningham with textile on, he answered it and he walked away slipped, he looking pissed. But if that's how you carry yourself and your team sees it or hears about it, they're going to be similar to it.

1:10:39 So yeah. Yeah, and I think that's the big thing is that he, he's almost to even Keel, right? He's to even Keel. And I think, when you, when you get to the bad body language, the bad body language is the start of the week and it carries on into the post game, right? Yeah, can't have that. I'm sorry, I'm celebrating over here. It's okay, it's so cool. You didn't get the to. So we're still up dudes, we still score, but it was also a fantasy score to. So now, I've put my projection, let me, let me just say I am now up, almost 50 points on the guy I'm playing.

1:11:23 Yeah, but every every time young score, your defense points, go down down down because you started the Colts defense. Here's the thing. I went from 19.3 On defense. 218 Debo went from 10 to 18 fair enough so your netting out pretty good. There you got out there. Yeah as long as he's the guy burning, I'm good. So anyway there's our staff evaluations as long with minors, Colts, talk fantasy talks, what we do here that you kind of go through it. There's only a couple guys above average, a lot of guys below average numerous D's and F's and you see the way things are trending.

1:12:08 And as this season goes along, we're going to have more segments like this on Sunday nights where we've got some other ideas in our heads. Yeah, these two crazy heads so definitely check this in now Brian, let's look at the pickles, also, Brian. Let me say this. You actually, you do not get the number, right? But you almost nailed the spread right on the game with the Syracuse by For, you know, essentially Syracuse, you know, does eventually win the game yet 4136 so slightly off there? So, you had a good read on that, just not that many points now. On Saturday, pick them's You gained some Down, The Back in the Saddle. Again, the big guys, Back in the Saddle. Again, the big guys, back over 500 again, Brian's back to 42 and 40.

1:13:01 After a seven and three week. Brian nailed, the army, weight game, the FSU UMass game, the Clemson pit game. The Bama Tennessee game, okey State you at Notre Dame and Oregon. So you know the only games you essentially Miss were the three ACC games BC Lewisville. NC State Miami which I don't think anybody saw that coming and then we detect. Got you again. Yeah they tend to do that. Any time I pick them it's like I get one and then they bite me the next three weeks if I go with them. So I gotta I gotta remember if I win one with them. I got to move off of him real quick and we'll also Jeff Collins going for to last night which made no logical sense. And the only thing you could say is inside, we were going to go and score.

1:13:58 When the game we weren't going to tie it. I went six and four. You know, the one that got me probably, the biggest was laying 35 and a half points with UMass and not getting that I should follow my instinct. Well, they're bad team and I should have thought in some way FS you would get at least more than 35 and a half points then it but I tell you the one that really got both of us was in Sea State Miami. Yeah man. Well as we sit here we thought a couple weeks ago was just Duke and we saw Miami place like what we got a chance there now. It's like Miami went from being potential to not very popular.

1:14:41 They're settled in at quarterback again and now they're starting to score some points again and that's helped their defense stay off the field as much. Yep. And so even though they still have some of the same problems on defense that they had three weeks ago, they've got some offense to go with that. So that's covered up a little those blemishes. Yeah absolutely freaking lutely brine so I think Think me and Brian. Probably going to be on this after we sign off in a couple minutes here and watching the end of this game because it's going to be a tight one. This could be a very big key Drive. Frying, anything breaking in the last nothing big man. I haven't seen anything come across my board and was going to do one more check. I'm not seeing anything either.

1:15:27 So guys that is going to wrap up this episode of The Boundary Corner podcast. Ian Curtis Wilson, I'm Brian Sigler. Visit our website. Boundary corner be t-dot-com. Listen to all of our episodes and while you're there, do not forget to follow us on Twitter. Facebook, Instagram, subscribe on our YouTube account and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. Coon Spotify, Apple, music Apple using apple pie, Cast and Amazon, you heard him play that beautiful Helm. If we entered our program today, dedicating this episode to our buddy Prime Jason long, check him out Spotify and apple music.

1:16:09 And Brian is always always. Let's go. Okay.