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Post by jneal318 on Sept 8, 2019 16:48:23 GMT
Going to make an observation for all. And yes, DTNSU, you are right! Are we cursed after letting Scott Stoker go who brought us our last Southland Conference Championship in 2004? Think about the type of players he recruited and even with Laird on that staff! Yes, they were edgy players but they were talented and made us very competitive. Another talking point, he had a staff that coached up Demetress Bell from being a basketball player to a player who played defense to an All-American Tackle! But enough about Stoker, last year we had Jazz Ferguson who probably covered up a lot of flaws that we had with our team. This year, pay attention to the preseason. We brought in a transfer from BYU at receiver, this kinda lets me know we weren't comfortable with the receiving core. Then, we bring in a CB from BYU, so now we're worried about our depth at corner. Both of these players are seeing significant time, so this goes back to recruiting. Are we getting the proper players or is the problem that we aren't coaching them up? Either way, it goes back to the coaches doing their jobs in which they are paid to do. If Laird is not the guy, it is time to stop with homer picks (Laird) and guys who are within the conference (Thomas). There are plenty of D-II coaches that are ready to move up and we just got thoroughly outcoached by Bill Maskill and his staff! Out with the old and in with the new, we need new blood to turn the program around, period point-blank. I'm a firm believer in having faith and will support Laird through this struggle, but I think we all agree we must start to see results on the field. The Lone Star Conference might as well take Chief Caddo after yesterday as Midwestern and Tarleton beat both teams who battle for him. I believe Laird gets another year, but the hot seat is getting warmer in Natchitoches.
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Post by NSU2003 on Sept 8, 2019 17:35:18 GMT
Winning, proven, D2 head coach is probably the route we should've gone a few times now. If Laird can't get it together and we have to yet hire ANOTHER HC that's what we need to aim for. I probably guilty in the past thinking that we should steer away from D2 head coaches but a good coach is a good coach...no matter the level.
Chad Morris started at little ol' Elysian-Fields HS.
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Post by Cajundemon11 on Sept 8, 2019 18:12:30 GMT
Stokers last 4 years at the helm. 5-5, 4-7, 4-7, and then 7-5 against a weak schedule and super weak southland. Program was in bad shape and he only really won with the previous staffs players his first year. I keep having to remind everyone of this.
At least we beat the d2s though. Shit I’m out of answers or ideas. Cancelling my plans to come for SELU, coming for homecoming but that’s it.
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Post by purplestorm on Sept 8, 2019 19:24:08 GMT
I've been to one game in three years and I won't be back until we show that we are serious about competing. I'll still buy season tickets, but I give them away. Not driving six hours round-trip to watch this kind of effort. My free time is precious and I spend it wisely. Thank you Midwestern State for exposing the flaws in our football program. You have awakened even the nominal fan and now those responsible for this must take responsibility for it and find answers or step aside for those who can and have the desire to get it done. Status quo will no longer work in sleepy Natchitoches. This train wreck and dumpster fire can no longer be covered up by beautification projects of wrought iron and slick stadium posters. The fans want a competitive program. That's all we're asking for and that's not too much to ask. Peace to you all. Don't let this ruin your late summer and fall. Life is too short for that. Later.
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Post by NSU2003 on Sept 8, 2019 20:50:11 GMT
I've been to one game in three years and I won't be back until we show that we are serious about competing. I'll still buy season tickets, but I give them away. Not driving six hours round-trip to watch this kind of effort. My free time is precious and I spend it wisely. Thank you Midwestern State for exposing the flaws in our football program. You have awakened even the nominal fan and now those responsible for this must take responsibility for it and find answers or step aside for those who can and have the desire to get it done. Status quo will no longer work in sleepy Natchitoches. This train wreck and dumpster fire can no longer be covered up by beautification projects of wrought iron and slick stadium posters. The fans want a competitive program. That's all we're asking for and that's not too much to ask. Peace to you all. Don't let this ruin your late summer and fall. Life is too short for that. Later. Same. I'll listen to Patrick...watch the stats and catch the band's halftime show on youtube the next week but I'm not driving two hours to watch that style of football. Yesterday is the exception because I brought kids to see the school and the SoN.
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Post by Cajundemon11 on Sept 8, 2019 23:45:20 GMT
At least the band is killing it! They were awesome
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Post by LongTime Tiger on Sept 9, 2019 1:11:34 GMT
The administration is getting what they deserve. They pulled the plug on Thomas just to try to sell more tickets for last year with a "new is better" campaign. What did it do - sell 12 more season tickets? Thomas had Jazz Ferguson and other players on campus who would have made Demons competitive in 2018. They lost 4 conference games in 2017 by 4 points or less. Finished in the middle of conference, even losing those four. Instead you hired a good guy, a "favorite son" who had ZERO head coaching experience, ZERO recruiting experience (as the man) and said, " go make us competitive". Everyone who had not already drank the Kool-aid knew this wasn't going to work. Schools in the conference laughed. Where is the recruiting base that Laird was going to bring in - Ruston? So we won 5 games in 2018 but only 4 in conference. Five games total! And now, this abomination. Sometimes you should be happy with what you have and maybe fund the program alittle better so we could be competitive with other Southland schools. Starting over with inexperience isn't working.
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Post by Cajundemon11 on Sept 9, 2019 13:09:50 GMT
Goodness gracious, are you serious?
Jay didn’t win games that’s we he got let go. He was 14-30 in four seasons. Holy shit sometimes I get on here and feel like I’m taking crazy pills. Don’t know what the answer is but it sure as hell wasn't retaining jay freaking Thomas.
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Post by Frustrated42 on Sept 9, 2019 13:13:29 GMT
I don't think it's time to give up on Laird, but I do believe he needs to get more involved with his assistants. We have to be able to run more than 10 different offensive plays during an entire game. The offense is predictable and one dimensional. Our opponents are running their base defenses and stopping us cold. No running game equals no passing game. Predictability equals stoppable. The defense needs to quit showing their blitzes. Out opponents have a field day completing passes in the middle of the field five to ten yards down field when our linebackers show and run blitzes. We also need to quit pulling players when they make mistakes and ignoring them on the sidelines. Coach them up when they make mistakes. That's their job. Praise them when they do well. The team looked like zombies saturday night from start to finish. The coaches continue to put transfers on the field that don't know where they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to do. Stick with the players that have been through all of the workouts and practices and know their assignments and responsibilities. If the players that have been there for a few years don't know what to do that's on the coaches. This is the poorest that I've seen them play. Being outplayed and outcoached to the extent that they have been in the last two games is unacceptable. They are a much better team than what we are seeing on the field. The coaches have to teach the kids how to play. They have to get rid of the arrogant belief that if the players just do what the caoaches ask and go to where they tell them to go that they will win. This is not a video game. The players have to be able to make the plays needed to win. I hope we get things turned around before conference starts.
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Post by NSU2003 on Sept 9, 2019 21:23:50 GMT
I don't think it's time to give up on Laird, but I do believe he needs to get more involved with his assistants. We have to be able to run more than 10 different offensive plays during an entire game. The offense is predictable and one dimensional. Our opponents are running their base defenses and stopping us cold. No running game equals no passing game. Predictability equals stoppable. The defense needs to quit showing their blitzes. Out opponents have a field day completing passes in the middle of the field five to ten yards down field when our linebackers show and run blitzes. We also need to quit pulling players when they make mistakes and ignoring them on the sidelines. Coach them up when they make mistakes. That's their job. Praise them when they do well. The team looked like zombies saturday night from start to finish. The coaches continue to put transfers on the field that don't know where they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to do. Stick with the players that have been through all of the workouts and practices and know their assignments and responsibilities. If the players that have been there for a few years don't know what to do that's on the coaches. This is the poorest that I've seen them play. Being outplayed and outcoached to the extent that they have been in the last two games is unacceptable. They are a much better team than what we are seeing on the field. The coaches have to teach the kids how to play. They have to get rid of the arrogant belief that if the players just do what the caoaches ask and go to where they tell them to go that they will win. This is not a video game. The players have to be able to make the plays needed to win. I hope we get things turned around before conference starts. At the beginning of the game as I watched I thought..."hmmm, I guess we're just gonna run a very basic playbook and we should be able to out athlete them" but neither of those things happened. We should've, if we're recruiting well, been able to out athlete them...especially at the QB, WR, RB and OL level. That gives me concern and would be the reason why we're unable, year after year, to get out of the cellar of the SLC. We aren't getting the players we used to get. For a variety of reason.
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Post by LongTimeTiger on Sept 12, 2019 7:42:57 GMT
Goodness gracious, are you serious? Jay didn’t win games that’s we he got let go. He was 14-30 in four seasons. Holy shit sometimes I get on here and feel like I’m taking crazy pills. Don’t know what the answer is but it sure as hell wasn't retaining jay freaking Thomas. We beat LA Tech for the first time in 40 years & everyone got to wear that proudly for a year! No chance of beating anyone but Grambling now
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Post by Cajundemon11 on Sept 12, 2019 14:03:40 GMT
Goodness gracious, are you serious? Jay didn’t win games that’s we he got let go. He was 14-30 in four seasons. Holy shit sometimes I get on here and feel like I’m taking crazy pills. Don’t know what the answer is but it sure as hell wasn't retaining jay freaking Thomas. We beat LA Tech for the first time in 40 years & everyone got to wear that proudly for a year! No chance of beating anyone but Grambling now And then lost to them by 28. He was 14-30, but we should’ve retained him because he was 1-1 vs tech? He was a losing coach and needed to go sooner. Doesn’t matter what’s happening now he was not the guy.
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