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Do early season bodybag games hurt more than help?

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Thinking about this today.

We start so many seasons with away games against powerhouse teams and always come home with a loss, sometimes 2 in a row (like this season)

We all know we need them for the budget, but couldn't we book these games a little later in the season, like when we played UF in the second half of the season before they played FSU? More of those games have to be out there.

Starting the season 0-2 has to have a mental toll on the team even if they say they look forward to playing these teams because they go up against the best teams in the country. While that's true, I'm sure they're not saying that when they get back on the bus after a blowout.

And I get that winning 2 and then losing 4 obviously gives you the same record as losing 4 and THEN winning 2, but there's more to it than that.

Starting the season 0-2 means we're automatically in the doghouse for the polls too and then it's at least til game 4 of 12 to get us back to 0.500, and that's if we start winning conference games after the bodybag games. If we lose the first conference game, we're now 0-3, then even if we win, it's 1-3, and it takes even more to climb back into respectable territory again, and the whole time our team seems "bad."

When our team is considered "bad", the media talks about us that way, which means the fanbases talk about us that way, which then filters down into the general public and people aren't buying tickets to home games.

Conversely if we started out 4-0 or 3-1 in conference and then lost a bodybag game, people would shrug it off more easily and all the while we'd keep the reputation as a decent team.

I know it's a small thing and the schedule is what it is because of Angelos and our budget, but maybe we're digging ourselves a hole every season while we're "paying our dues." More often than not we're in the last game or two trying to get the 6th win (if we even get that far) rather than knowing we're already a lock for the postseason and cruising through those last two games.
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East Carolina has the mentality to play anyone, anywhere. They seem to do fine, but they don't lay down in games with inexperienced coaching staffs.

2006
L - @ Navy
L - No. 4 West Virginia
W - Virginia
W - @ N.C. State

Pirates go 7-6 make Papa Johns Bowl


2007
L - @ No. 9 Virginia Tech
W - UNC
L - @ No. 5 West Virginia
L - @ NC State

Pirates go 8-5 make Hawaii Bowl

2008
W - No. 17 Virginia Tech
W - No. 8 West Virginia
L - @ NC State
L - @ Virginia

Pirates go 9-5 make Liberty Bowl

2009
L - @ West Virginia
L - @ No. 24 UNC
L - No. 22 Virginia Tech

Pirates go 9-5 make Liberty Bowl

2010
L - @ Virginia Tech
L - @ UNC
W - NC State
L - Navy

Pirates go 6-7 make Military Bowl

2011
L - @ No. 11 South Carolina
L - No. 11 Virginia Tech
L - UNC
W - @ Navy

Pirates go 5-7

2012
W - App State
L - @ No. 9 South Carolina
L - @ UNC
L - Navy

Pirates go 8-5 make New Orleans Bowl

2013
W - Old Dominion
L - Virginia Tech
W - @ North Carolina
W - @ N.C. State

Pirates go 10-3 make St. Pete Bowl
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Careful Owl2Doc. I was told "you don't get it" when I insinuated it may not be in our best interest to keep playing money games. Lets look at this year. Our record prevents us from drawing any new fans this year. Now we must sit another year and try and get by with 12,000 or so in attendance. ECSU wins . They can use winning as a recruiting tool.  They fill they  stadium. They make money knowing that every home game will bring in more money then they need. Our long term goal should be to fill the stadium every home game and that will only happen when SE Florida gets excited about having a winning college program in Boca. It is up to the Administrators to decide when to bail on the "money games".  Like every business, there always come a point where the bosses must decide to take a risk, make a change, and think a couple years down the road. I understand the money aspect of our program. But if we ever want to get to the point where we are mentioned with the likes of ECSU, this transition must take place. PS. This doesn't, can't , and won't happen over night.
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I agree with both sides of the issue in our present scheduling "strategy" (ie…finances). But as a guy who coached for MANY years and most recently in both slow and fast pitch softball at the HS/College level, my teams always played both travel ball (basically all-star teams) and local rec leagues. We mostly lost at the travel ball level but were very competitive (like ECU) and then dominated at the local level (like ECU). The girls learned to play and compete at a MUCH higher level at the travel ball touneys and took those applied those lessons at "our" level (like the Belt or CUSA). 38 of my young ladies went on to play Collegiate softball. And these were not all-star team type packjed teams like most well financed travel ball programs. These were ladies on the outside, from fringe outer area HS's mostly, overlooked but touhg and talanted young ladies who HAD TO BE COACHABLE (and their parents!) to be on my team!

As a Coach you have to instill a spirit and a determination to fight harder and compete harder and keep it up all year. I am sure Coach P and staff are doing just that, but our young men are not carrying though well - thus MORE turnovers vs. OUR level teams than vs. the BigBoys. I posted before that I think (from what I read) that they are not practiceing physically enough to avoid injuries but that can and does lead to lots of missed tackles and fumbles form NOT being used to the contact! Ya play like ya practice is my beleif and always will be.
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GeorgiaOwl said

I agree with both sides of the issue in our present scheduling "strategy" (ie…finances). But as a guy who coached for MANY years and most recently in both slow and fast pitch softball at the HS/College level, my teams always played both travel ball (basically all-star teams) and local rec leagues. We mostly lost at the travel ball level but were very competitive (like ECU) and then dominated at the local level (like ECU). The girls learned to play and compete at a MUCH higher level at the travel ball touneys and took those applied those lessons at "our" level (like the Belt or CUSA). 38 of my young ladies went on to play Collegiate softball. And these were not all-star team type packjed teams like most well financed travel ball programs. These were ladies on the outside, from fringe outer area HS's mostly, overlooked but touhg and talanted young ladies who HAD TO BE COACHABLE (and their parents!) to be on my team!

As a Coach you have to instill a spirit and a determination to fight harder and compete harder and keep it up all year. I am sure Coach P and staff are doing just that, but our young men are not carrying though well - thus MORE turnovers vs. OUR level teams than vs. the BigBoys. I posted before that I think (from what I read) that they are not practiceing physically enough to avoid injuries but that can and does lead to lots of missed tackles and fumbles form NOT being used to the contact! Ya play like ya practice is my beleif and always will be.
Posted On: Oct 5th 2014, 8:37 AM #336221
that all sounds good but we are 2-4 and just lost to a team that shouldn't be in D-1. 
From what a couple little Birdy's from the inside are telling the coaching staff isn't not on the same page….and are not seeing eye to eye.
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"From what a couple little Birdy's from the inside are telling the coaching staff isn't not on the same page….and are not seeing eye to eye."

If that's the case, then a lot makes sense. When there was a difference in philisophy with previous coaches, it resulted in losses on the field. Missed calls and confused players.
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GeorgiaOwl said

 From what a couple little Birdy's from the inside are telling the coaching staff isn't not on the same page….and are not seeing eye to eye.
Posted On: Oct 5th 2014, 8:41 AM #336222

This concerns me. Why doesn't Partridge have control of the program? Poop flows down hill. If the leadership is not clear, everything below it suffers. It's that way in the business world too. 

FAU - THE REAL SLEEPING GIANT
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owl in training said

"From what a couple little Birdy's from the inside are telling the coaching staff isn't not on the same page….and are not seeing eye to eye."

If that's the case, then a lot makes sense. When there was a difference in philisophy with previous coaches, it resulted in losses on the field. Missed calls and confused players.
Posted On: Oct 5th 2014, 9:02 AM #336223

Should've just kept Wright as head coach. Can you elaborate on that O.I.T. ?
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LawOwl said

owl in training said

"From what a couple little Birdy's from the inside are telling the coaching staff isn't not on the same page….and are not seeing eye to eye."

If that's the case, then a lot makes sense. When there was a difference in philisophy with previous coaches, it resulted in losses on the field. Missed calls and confused players.
Posted On: Oct 5th 2014, 9:02 AM #336223

Should've just kept Wright as head coach. Can you elaborate on that O.I.T. ?
Posted On: Oct 5th 2014, 1:15 PM #336231

Elaborate on what?  I don't recall making any statements about keeping Wright as head coach.  I just recall when Pelini was HC, there was a difference in opinions on how things should be ran and the end result is now in the history books.  There's also game film that can collaborate some confused looks.  Personally, I'm not giving up on Partridge, nor have I given up on this team.  I've sat through enough disasters to keep waiting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  There's always going to be opportunity for improvement, even if that means Jay and Quez need crazy glue on their hands and someone needs to remind guys while watching file about their missed assignments.  stop pacifying them.
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owlcountry40 said

From what a couple little Birdy's from the inside are telling the coaching staff isn't not on the same page….and are not seeing eye to eye.
Posted On: Oct 5th 2014, 8:41 AM #336222

Isn't this why you get your own staff when you're hired as HC?
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