Furman 16, The Citadel 6.
It wasn’t a terrible performance by the Bulldogs. It just wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t completely frustrated by the way things turned out, but I wasn’t overwhelmed with positive vibes either.
Links of interest:
Jeff Hartsell’s article on the game
The Post and Courier‘s “photo gallery” of the game
Click on that last link to see photos of the Bulldogs wearing their “Big Red” jerseys. I was disappointed with the decision to break out these uniforms for the game. This was supposed to be a special, unusual uniform set designed to commemorate the return of “Big Red” (the flag) to The Citadel.
I wrote about these uniforms last year when they were first worn, for Homecoming. What I said then:
I didn’t have a problem with breaking out the red jerseys for this game. The original Big Red, of course, arrived on campus in March; its disappearance and rediscovery is an interesting tale. Wearing red jerseys for the Homecoming following that development seemed reasonably appropriate (and a good way to push merchandise).
I’m not sure I would want to see them again, however. I certainly don’t want the football team wearing red jerseys to become a yearly event. I think doing that would make it much less special, and also detract from the school’s traditional colors for its sports teams.
Of course, it could be argued that the parade of different football uniform color combinations this season has already devalued the tradition of wearing light blue and white. In ten games, the Bulldogs have worn six different jersey/pant color combos, including four different looks for the six home games.
In fact, I think the fact The Citadel did not have a standard uniform combination this season made the red jerseys seem a little less unusual. Let’s face it, if the Bulldogs had lined up wearing silver or black, nobody would have been all that shocked, so the red jersey wasn’t that much of a departure.
I still feel that way. If anything, I feel more strongly about it after seeing the game against Jacksonville, when the Bulldogs wore a new uniform that actually looked pretty good. I am afraid that we are going to continue this multiple uniform combo deal throughout the season. I also wouldn’t be all that surprised if someone in the department of athletics is trying to figure out how to justify wearing black or silver jerseys/pants/helmets.
I’ll get off my uniform soapbox for now, because I know folks are probably tired of the constant drumbeat about the unis (or at least tired of my constant drumbeat), but I want to make three more points:
— The Bulldogs wore the new helmet logo with this “Big Red” set, which made it look even weirder (and which was obviously inconsistent with the uniform as a whole).
— The game notes now actually feature a chart listing The Citadel’s uniform combinations for each contest. While it is arguably sad that such a chart is necessary, I will give the media relations staff credit for it, because I think it’s a good idea. The problem, of course, was that the notes for the Furman game listed the uniform combo as being “Citadel blue tops, white bottoms”. I guess not everybody got the message.
— The light blue “side panels” on the red jerseys look even worse when compared to the no-panel look of last week’s jerseys.
—
I’m not going to rehash the game. I’ll just make some observations, many of which are probably faulty…
— On The Citadel’s first drive to open the game, the Bulldogs threw two passes (both incomplete) in three plays and punted. I know that the element of surprise is always a consideration, and that Triple O’Higgins probably features more passing than some other triple option offenses, but I would have liked to see the team try to establish an offensive rhythm early by sticking to the ground game.
— This game could have looked a lot like last year’s matchup in Greenville, when Furman scored a TD right out of the gate and the Bulldogs played from well behind for the entire day, but for a big play by Brandon McCladdie on third-and-goal from the Bulldogs 4-yard line. Chris Forcier would have scored if McCladdie had not kept containment and made what amounted to an open-field tackle. If The Citadel had come back and won the game, McCladdie’s play would have been huge. It was still noteworthy.
— Furman’s coaches treated Forcier more like a freshman than a senior in terms of play-calling. I’m not sure what to make of that.
— Jerodis Williams is a tough back. Very impressive. I also thought Paladins linebacker Kadarron Anderson had a good game.
— Things that are still a work in progress: Ben Dupree’s passing, and the Bulldogs’ o-line play in general. Both can improve, though. I’ll take some overthrows and missed blocks now for pinpoint passing and solid line play later.
— Dupree is going to frustrate a lot of SoCon opponents with his ability to turn broken plays into positive yardage.
— On The Citadel’s sixth drive of the game, the Bulldogs chewed up just over seven minutes of possession, eventually facing a 4th-and-8 on the Paladins 35-yard line. The Citadel took a delay of game penalty and then punted. The punt went into the end zone for a touchback, so the net was 20 yards (a de facto 15-yard net, really, considering the penalty).
I think Kevin Higgins, if he had to do it all over again, would have gone for it. I certainly believe he should have. The Bulldogs trailed 13-6 at the time, and there were four minutes remaining in the third quarter.
In that situation, if a field goal attempt isn’t a realistic option, going for it is the right move. In fact, I think it’s the right move in most situations, but you definitely have to go for it in a game when the possessions are limited. The Citadel only had eight possessions in the entire contest (and one of those was a one-play drive to end the first half, so the Bulldogs in effect only got the ball seven times).
You simply aren’t going to get that many opportunities to make a play in your opponents’ territory. Higgins did make the correct decision on The Citadel’s next possession, however, going for it on 4th-and-6 at the Furman 49. It didn’t work out, but it was the right call.
— The tailgaters were out in force on Saturday. Larry Leckonby probably spends a fair amount of time wondering how to get most of the people tailgating in the lots surrounding the stadium to actually enter the stadium. It’s a problem.
—
Now The Citadel has a week off before its first road game of the season, a trip to Elon. The Phoenix are playing this weekend, as they travel to Durham to face North Carolina Central. Elon is 1-1, with a loss to Vanderbilt and a victory over Concord.
I’ll close with some photos. My usual lack of skill in picture-taking was combined on Saturday with a dying battery in my camera, so I didn’t take quite as many as usual. I did get a few off-field shots of note, though, including the 1961 SoCon championship trophy and the mascot for Bojangles, apparently named “Bo” (what a surprise).
Speaking of mascots, I got a picture of General too, relaxing on a block of ice covered by a blanket. General is a very cool dog (quite literally on Saturday, despite the late-afternoon heat). He and his buddy Boo made a lot of new friends, including quite a few Cub Scouts. I also appreciated Boo’s handler moving the SoCon trophy around so I could get a half-decent shot of it. Many thanks.
Filed under: Football, The Citadel | Tagged: Ben Dupree, Big Red, Boo, Brandon McCladdie, Chris Forcier, Elon, Furman, General, Jacksonville, Jeff Hartsell, Jerodis Williams, Kadarron Anderson, Kevin Higgins, Larry Leckonby, Southern Conference, The Citadel, The Post and Courier, Triple O'Higgins |
The Sports Arsenal 
Leave a Reply