Virginia postgame discussion

[iceeater1969]

I'm not sure I fully agree with this.

Is our recruiting mediocre? I think it is, yes. Tech MUST be able to recruit to a unique offense. But it appears that the methods we use are just the usual run of the mill approaches. It is not at all clear that we have a SYSTEM that works. (I am always surprised that for an engineering school, we suck at using effective problem-solving when it comes to improving our own sports teams.)

Re our stadium, yes - it does average about 48K in attendance. But, it's consistent and better than our peers. We, like many conferences, lag FAR below the fill rate of the SEC stadiums for good reason. We are an urban school (a negative), with a low alumni-student ratio, with a pro sports team in town. Not sure what to do be done here, but I'd rather have a smaller, more intimate stadium than the mega-stadiums. Just my view.

Wanting to play elsewhere? I'm not sure how effective we are in recruiting to begin with.

To my mind, it all starts with a team's approach to winning. UT has its "Maxims". ND has the Notre Dame Way. Even USC. Tech relies on whoever is coaching at the moment.

I always like Bobby Dodd's approach at Tech. Paraphrasing, "We can't compete with the big schools. But our kids are smarter. Recruit locally - it's especially important to get kids who think like one another than mash a bunch of kids with nothing in common. Make sure their friends and family show up for the games. Local kids with their families always play harder. When playing, do what you can to keep the score close. (Bob Neyland's influence). Then, if we can control the ball with a few minutes to go, I'll find a way to win."

Dodd was supremely confident that if the game was close, we'd win. I don't see any of that thinking today.

Totally agree we have lost that Dodd swag we had when I was freshman in 65. I hope we can get back to that by winning .

At time of Dodd = no all football games on tv , no cheap air fair, no internet, no social media, no giant demographic move from the remote rural to mega cities ,etc. Son coaches in small town east Texas 75 miles east of Dallas and he says all the kids WITH SNAP want to get out of town and go to big city Dallas .
Maybe the big city could be a positive - especially from other big cities .

I have worn the Gt colors in south ga and the only folks that spoke to me are the uga folks to egg me on. Hear in Pensacola I meet folks who love to hate the dawgs.

What kind of kid comes to Gt?
Smart, independent , determined, high character, technical oriented, proven academics.
Now add high athletic ability for the Gt football player.
Unique folks come to Gt.
Can we find a team of talented athletes close to bds?

Of course we first we recruit like the devil near bds. IMO the coaches have a lot of h s coach contacts. I sit next to the pastor of an ast coach. The guy is a very knowledgable football fan as well as a good guy. He and son and coaches wife and mother caravan to games. They are personal friends with the family of a player that came to tech . It's family atmosphere.
This is the family atmosphere foundation for recruiting must be built locally but it can effectively extend ( modern communication, travel, etc) IMO to other large cities.

Braun family moved all around ( recruited Parker from Texas) . BDS and Tre Swilling moved around (recruited from la), Branch found his way from New Mexico to junior college in Texas ( ton of athletes in his family) .


As to deciding all this I say --In coach and Tstan we trust - we just send more $ for travel expenses and a little staff time.

Got to cast a wider net because we will never drop standards in academics or character.

Go jackets

 

[jeffgt14]

Actually have a game question. On the interception when we were up by 8, wasn’t Green wide open for an easy TD but we threw late into coverage?

Yes. But money is the reason we lost.

 

[LibertyTurns]

Don’t act like your **** don’t stink and they wouldn’t treat you that way. I have lots of ugag fan friends and have been to many games at ugag stadium decked out in tech gear with ugag alumni and never had a problem

This makes no sense whatsoever. This isn’t the same as the difference between Bammer & Awbarn. The institute of higher learning & the correctional institute could not be more different fundamentally and our fan bases reflect those differences. I have never met a ugly fan wearing GT gear nor vice versa. I suppose there’s a few mothers that have a son at each location and they may choose not to take sides, but Iwould expect a good father to encourage the substandard son to endeavor to overcome his challenges and improve himself sufficiently to become a valued member of society. To suggest that we all get along so some leghumper might be encouraged to purchase GT gear. That’s about as likely as eliminating the smell at the cesspool.

 

[Skeptic]

... To my mind, it all starts with a team's approach to winning. UT has its "Maxims". ND has the Notre Dame Way. Even USC. Tech relies on whoever is coaching at the moment.

I always like Bobby Dodd's approach at Tech. Paraphrasing, "We can't compete with the big schools. But our kids are smarter. Recruit locally - it's especially important to get kids who think like one another than mash a bunch of kids with nothing in common. Make sure their friends and family show up for the games. Local kids with their families always play harder. When playing, do what you can to keep the score close. (Bob Neyland's influence). Then, if we can control the ball with a few minutes to go, I'll find a way to win."

Dodd was supremely confident that if the game was close, we'd win. I don't see any of that thinking today.

Now, as to the "approach to winning": Of course it is the coach. Always has been. As for Dodd's approach to recruiting, if you look back at Johnson's early years he said a couple of times he would always recruit inside-out, "I ain't gonna fly over a Georgia prospect to get one somewhere else." The board then excoriated him for not recruiting nationally. In some quarters still do. Whether Dodd thought local kids played harder I don't know as I didn't know him. Generally my ezperience is that kids who want to win play harder. But, lastly, the Neyland influence: "...(get the ball late and) "I'll find a way to win."

I am trying to imagine the reaction of this board, the hypersonic, supercharged, double shot-loaded outbursts. The mind's vision is of Johnson tacked up with roofing nails on the goalposts as an arrogant, presumptuous, out of his league bumpkin. Charlie Dressen of the old Brooklyn Dodgers was once alleged to have said, trailing something like 15-3 in the last inning, "Keep it close, boys, until I think of something."

We all want to win, Johnson, too. If he had the answer he'd share it. I personally think it is better players than the other guy. It is why recruiting is so ferocious. But maybe it is more complicated than that. I just haven't seen a team with inferior players win the NC.

 

[Captain killem]

Obviously reading comprehension is not required at GT. Reread cause you didn’t get it. @LibertyTurns

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Yes. But money is the reason we lost.

I get the sarcasm, but you are conflating strategy and tactics.

Tactics, like missed plays, missed tackles, poor ST play, not sustaining drives, are why we are 4-4 this year, and why we sometimes lose games we shouldn't.

Strategy, like not being able to fundraise to the level of our peers, ergo not being able to compete with facilities, recruiting, et al, are why we are losing the overall war.

 

[Skeptic]

I have sat on it and mulled things over for 24 hours. The defense is better than I thought it would be, the QB not as good as I hoped he would be early. The interior O line apparently is paper mache or is treated as such (Clemson and Va. crushed them up front) and because we get manhandled there we have no perimeter running game. When D tackles get into the backfield the MLB skates where he wants, the safeties cheat up, and it is a fire drill. I hardly recognize Johnson's offense any more. In short, this is not a very good football team. We may win a game going out, but it would be an upset, even Duke. And it kills me to suggest us beating Duke would be an upset. I had high hopes, I will root them home and hope for the best.

 

[Captain killem]

Fundraising question
Is it easier to get $1000 from an individual or $10 from 100?

 

[jeffgt14]

I get the sarcasm, but you are conflating strategy and tactics.

Tactics, like missed plays, missed tackles, poor ST play, not sustaining drives, are why we are 4-4 this year, and why we sometimes lose games we shouldn't.

Strategy, like not being able to fundraise to the level of our peers, ergo not being able to compete with facilities, recruiting, et al, are why we are losing the overall war.

Not buying it. We should be 7-1 right now. Talent and facilities is not the issue right now. We have the mentality of a losing team and lack any confidence to win a game. Wake Forest could've very easily been a loss too but we made some big plays and gained some confidence.

 

[Vespidae]

Now, as to the "approach to winning": Of course it is the coach. Always has been.

Really? Are you serious?

Dabo coaches how he was coached by Gene Stallings. Stallings was taught bt Bear Bryant and heavily influenced by Tom Landry.

All coaching trees bear a similarity in thinking. It doesnt just spring from someone’s mind spontaneously.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Not buying it. We should be 7-1 right now. Talent and facilities is not the issue right now. We have the mentality of a losing team and lack any confidence to win a game. Wake Forest could've very easily been a loss too but we made some big plays and gained some confidence.

Again, we should be 7-1, but that's because Tactically, we have failed this year. Strategically, we never really play on a level playing field because we are losing the financial arms race FBS P5 football has become.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Fundraising question
Is it easier to get $1000 from an individual or $10 from 100?

You're spot on here. That's what @OldJacketFan has been preaching.

 

[Captain killem]

That’s what I been saying the whole fing time. But this “institute” thinks otherwise.

 

[Captain killem]

Quit catering trying to get the 1000 and start going after the 10 most people can spare 10 but your digging deep to get a grand

 

[Captain killem]

I’m gonna talk to Eddie Lee and see if he has any influence pull or contact with Stansbury

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

That’s what I been saying the whole fing time. But this “institute” thinks otherwise.

Again, you're not completely correct. As a sidewalk fan, I give a set amount per month. It's not as much as some, but it's more than a lot of fans give. It was set up through the GTAA. If you aren't a season ticket holder or a regular donor, they probably don't know how to contact you. That's where the system is failing. We need to get a fundraising campaign going that brings in a broader base.

 

[Captain killem]

I had already planned on leaving an something from my estate when that time came but with the attitudes I see and notice helllllllllll no I worked too hard for what I got to leave it to ingrates

 

[stech81]

@Augusta_Jacket , did they reach out you to be an A-T donor or did you initiate the process? As I said earlier I have NEVER been contacted by the GTAA. Now I will say the service I've received when I've called has been very good for the most part just to be fair.

I have don't know why they haven't called you. Just this year I have had 2 times a student athlete has called and thanked me for getting season tickets and supporting the athletic department. Also get numerous E-mails from GTAA asking me to answer questions how did I enjoy the game.

 

[OldJacketFan]

I have don't know why they haven't called you. Just this year I have had 2 times a student athlete has called and thanked me for getting season tickets and supporting the athletic department. Also get numerous E-mails from GTAA asking me to answer questions how did I enjoy the game.

I do get the post game emails but no calls.

 

[Tech93]

I also get the calls from a student athlete