Links of interest:
Game story, The Post and Courier
Game story, The Birmingham News
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I don’t really have a lot to say about this game, to be honest. Just a few observations:
– In my opinion, it was a well-played game. There were no turnovers, and an absence of really dumb plays. It was a little lower-scoring than I would have expected.
Ultimately, The Citadel needed to make one more play to win the game. It didn’t make that play, though.
– This was arguably the best performance of the season by The Citadel’s defense. It was helped by the offense maintaining possession throughout the game, even when a drive didn’t result in a score (the Bulldogs were 7-19 converting third downs and had a time of possession edge of over 15 minutes).
Samford was 4-13 on third down. Six of the SU’s eleven possessions resulted in short drives (6 or fewer plays, 21 or fewer yards).
– While The Citadel’s offense controlled possession for major portions of the game, it didn’t make that ball control count enough. The Bulldogs had four different drives of seven or more plays that ended with no points being scored (including one that lasted 17 plays).
– I have a great deal of sympathy for Vinny Miller, who is apparently the official whipping boy for SoCon officials. I seriously believe a number change is in order, so the men in stripes aren’t so quick to throw their flags in his direction.
Imagine the pregame conversation Mike Houston could have with a certain SoCon referee:
Ref: “Coach, where’s #16?”
Houston: “Uh, he’s not playing. We’ve got, uh, another guy playing slotback today, #32.”
Ref: “Oh, okay, that’s good. Just between you and me, I thought #16 was acting like a jackass.”
Houston: “Yes, I know. You told the entire Homecoming crowd that during the Furman game.”
– Speaking of Houston, I have a suggestion. The Citadel’s head coach is intense and emotional, which plays very well with the Bulldogs’ fan base (and rightly so).
However, he probably needs a “cool down” period immediately following a game. I think the postgame radio interview can wait a few minutes.
This would have the added benefit of making it easier for fans to hear the coach’s thoughts. They need time to get back to their cars/tailgates after the alma mater is played.
– It was cold. Cold Cold Cold.
Cold.
That partly explained the less-than-sellout conditions at Johnson Hagood Stadium. The attendance could have been worse, however, what with Clemson and South Carolina both in action at the same time.
Samford brought very few fans, though that was perfectly understandable. Birmingham to Charleston is not a short trip.
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Now it’s time to get ready for the final game of the season. The coveted Silver Shako is at stake.
The team better be ready. VMI will be, especially in Lexington.
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The pictures are…well, they’re in color.
I didn’t have time to annotate them this week, though they are in sequential order. If you want to look for a specific play, it shouldn’t be too hard to find (assuming I took a picture of the play in question). The statistical play-by-play would be a good guide to use.
As usual, I took some pregame shots as well.
Filed under: Football, The Citadel | Tagged: Mike Houston, Samford, SoCon, The Citadel, Vinny Miller |
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