Originally posted by iupgroundhog
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Originally posted by IUP24 View PostI generally feel that coaching staffs and programs sometimes just need "change." There's a ton of guys on that staff who have been there for a lot of years. If your argument for keeping somebody around is strictly a W/L record, I get it. But there's also a bigger picture to evaluate too. Where is the standing of the program to others in the conference compared to when he took over? Where do they stack up against other SR1 players since he took over? People have been talking about Cal's demise for over a decade now. Did he increase the separation? How is SRU trending in comparison to IUP?
I'm not saying what should or should not happen. Truth be told, I don't think IUP will be in the market for a new head coach in December. Regardless, there are scenarios where sometimes change is good for all parties. They may be at that point. He had a fantastic year in 2017. He had a fantastic year last year as well, but when that team got deep into the journey, they proved to not be on the same level as another team within their own conference. I don't expect them to win the PSAC every year. I don't expect them to win the region every year. Heck, I don't expect them to reach that game every year. But at a macro level, evaluate this holistically, and not just the W/L record.
There's been commonalities for this team for years. Poor special teams play, horrific on-field discipline, slow starts, questionable offensive game plans, no attention to detail, etc. I'm not saying everything that happens between the lines is the fault of the head coach. But some of those items are a reflection. You have an OC, but the HC approves the game plan. You have special teams coach, but you continually see the same mistakes happen time and time again. You may have quality control people, but the HC should be involved in knowing time, score, situation, and remaining number of timeouts. Guys commit dumb personal foul penalties, don't keep putting them on the field. It's stuff like that that is worthy of discussing.
Quite honestly, I couldn't care less about who he's beaten, who he is undefeated against, etc. SRU is a good program. You aren't going to win 8 out of 10 games against programs which operate at that level. So I don't look at the result of them losing that game this year, or this week to Cal either, as a reflection of his performance. That said, process matters. They looked woefully unprepared against SRU. They looked unfocused against Cal. Those are things I look at. And those are things that seem to be happening with more and more frequency.
It has just kind of been the perfect storm this year, so a longer view is what’s needed before deciding what to do. Let’s also allow for the possibility that Tort doesn’t love the job like he once did. These relationships aren’t a one way street. Maybe he, and others, have been thinking about other opportunities. It’s easy to forget that the coaches have feelings, families, and their own ambitions or life plans that factor in. That’s totally fair. As of today I would be surprised if the university initiated a change. I do think how things go for the rest of the season will be important, however.
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Originally posted by iupgroundhog View Post
Interestingly, this was my original post on the topic. Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing about gun control.
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I read today's article in the IG. Regardless of all the negativity, I think there is a reality-based perspective in place and everybody is looking and planning for the future. There is another game Saturday. IUP wants to win it. They have to come back from this and that process starts now. IUP is actually a junior-dominated team. Yes, it all needs to be held together. I am rooting for Marchitelli and/or Romano to reap the benefits from all this. Regardless of their performances last week when they were abruptly thrust into a bad situation, I believe both are top QB prospects. Go IUP!
Edit: I should add that I wouldn't count Hunter out yet, either.
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Originally posted by iupgroundhog View PostI read today's article in the IG. Regardless of all the negativity, I think there is a reality-based perspective in place and everybody is looking and planning for the future. There is another game Saturday. IUP wants to win it. They have to come back from this and that process starts now. IUP is actually a junior-dominated team. Yes, it all needs to be held together. I am rooting for Marchitelli and/or Romano to reap the benefits from all this. Regardless of their performances last week when they were abruptly thrust into a bad situation, I believe both are top QB prospects. Go IUP!
Edit: I should add that I wouldn't count Hunter out yet, either.
I can say with certainty the team we've seen the last two weeks is not the same team we saw play Ashland. What happened to it ... we may never know. But, they are vastly different. I don't think the band is all singing the same song. Put it that way.
As for what remains, it's far, far from a given IUP wins out as some have alluded. Being honest, I'm not even sure they are favored this weekend. If they are, it's by a very small number. Every team upcoming is going to be licking its chops to get a shot at the wounded animal.
It's very difficult to predict how a team with very high expectations will respond to it's final five games after being eliminated so early.
I can say this for sure: there will be plenty of good seats available Saturday. Indiana's forecast is calling for an inch of rain, heavy wind and temps in the low 50s. Add to it both teams are toast, and this may be one of the lowest-attended games at Miller in a very, very long time. I'd expect less than 1,000.
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Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
I wouldn't get too far ahead. You're assuming all these juniors will return next Fall. I have my doubts.
I can say with certainty the team we've seen the last two weeks is not the same team we saw play Ashland. What happened to it ... we may never know. But, they are vastly different. I don't think the band is all singing the same song. Put it that way.
As for what remains, it's far, far from a given IUP wins out as some have alluded. Being honest, I'm not even sure they are favored this weekend. If they are, it's by a very small number. Every team upcoming is going to be licking its chops to get a shot at the wounded animal.
It's very difficult to predict how a team with very high expectations will respond to it's final five games after being eliminated so early.
I can say this for sure: there will be plenty of good seats available Saturday. Indiana's forecast is calling for an inch of rain, heavy wind and temps in the low 50s. Add to it both teams are toast, and this may be one of the lowest-attended games at Miller in a very, very long time. I'd expect less than 1,000.
I think your uncertainty about players returning is valid. Part of what IUP sells is swagger, winning, and dominance. This team seems to lack those three things. Its never been easier for players to walk. IUP has benefitted greatly from the latest transfer rules by poaching PSAC players. What irony if the same thing happens to them.
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Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post
A perfect game to partner with the local schools LOL!
I think your uncertainty about players returning is valid. Part of what IUP sells is swagger, winning, and dominance. This team seems to lack those three things. Its never been easier for players to walk. IUP has benefitted greatly from the latest transfer rules by poaching PSAC players. What irony if the same thing happens to them.
Like I said, something happened to this team. You can see it from the stands very clearly. That IUP 'swagger' vanished after the ESU debacle.
Being honest, I go back to the Timeout. I think that exact instance killed this team. It's my opinion that travesty resulted in the players losing faith in their coaching staff. Regardless of all the 'coach speak' and everybody under the sun being blamed, players just don't brush that off. If you want the singular moment the 2023 season changed, go back to about 6:45 p.m. on September 9.
The players again being publicly called out these past two weeks on Tort's show surely isn't helping matters. Tort again said that Cal didn't do a thing they hadn't seen before and they were ready for all of it -- but just didn't play well. He was particuarly harsh on his defense, stating that only two players played well the whole day (Biss and Fowler). He said his experienced secondary played similar to how they played as freshmen two years ago. Granted, they (again) gave up a ton of big plays.
Question many are asking in Hawk Land is were they really prepared, as he keeps saying? Interestingly enough, while Tort said they were prepared for everything and knew what Cal would do, Vulcans coach Gary Dunn, on his show, stated they knew they could hit those big plays against the IUP defense.
Obviously, the Cal game completely changed the moment Karst went down. The Vulcans saw blood in the water and had no fear at all of the IUP QB (whomever it was going to be). Much like the SRU game, the defense did play better in the second half. But, just the same, the damage was long done due to the first half.
In IUPs last three 'big' games (ESU, SRU and Cal), IUP gave up a long TD drive on the games first series. In each of those games, IUP then responded with a three-and-out. Slow starts and instant holes. Maybe it's time to quit deferring the toss and taking the ball.
Sadly for the IUP faithful, I still believe that was a good team. It was lost along the way. But, that's a good roster. That, of course, brings up a whole different discussion.
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Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
I wouldn't get too far ahead. You're assuming all these juniors will return next Fall. I have my doubts.
I can say with certainty the team we've seen the last two weeks is not the same team we saw play Ashland. What happened to it ... we may never know. But, they are vastly different. I don't think the band is all singing the same song. Put it that way.
As for what remains, it's far, far from a given IUP wins out as some have alluded. Being honest, I'm not even sure they are favored this weekend. If they are, it's by a very small number. Every team upcoming is going to be licking its chops to get a shot at the wounded animal.
It's very difficult to predict how a team with very high expectations will respond to it's final five games after being eliminated so early.
I can say this for sure: there will be plenty of good seats available Saturday. Indiana's forecast is calling for an inch of rain, heavy wind and temps in the low 50s. Add to it both teams are toast, and this may be one of the lowest-attended games at Miller in a very, very long time. I'd expect less than 1,000.
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Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post
A perfect game to partner with the local schools LOL!
I think your uncertainty about players returning is valid. Part of what IUP sells is swagger, winning, and dominance. This team seems to lack those three things. Its never been easier for players to walk. IUP has benefitted greatly from the latest transfer rules by poaching PSAC players. What irony if the same thing happens to them.
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Originally posted by iupgroundhog View Post
Guys, my above post was just stating what the current state is. I understand there is always the possibility that current players may not come back. I was not speculating about that. I just stated it is a junior-dominated team so I don't think I am the one "looking ahead."
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Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
I wouldn't get too far ahead. You're assuming all these juniors will return next Fall. I have my doubts.
I can say with certainty the team we've seen the last two weeks is not the same team we saw play Ashland. What happened to it ... we may never know. But, they are vastly different. I don't think the band is all singing the same song. Put it that way.
As for what remains, it's far, far from a given IUP wins out as some have alluded. Being honest, I'm not even sure they are favored this weekend. If they are, it's by a very small number. Every team upcoming is going to be licking its chops to get a shot at the wounded animal.
It's very difficult to predict how a team with very high expectations will respond to it's final five games after being eliminated so early.
I can say this for sure: there will be plenty of good seats available Saturday. Indiana's forecast is calling for an inch of rain, heavy wind and temps in the low 50s. Add to it both teams are toast, and this may be one of the lowest-attended games at Miller in a very, very long time. I'd expect less than 1,000.
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