SoCon Football Coaches ‘dis’ Mercer

Might have worded that assessment a little more strongly than I intended as I was probably getting 'my back up' a bit at Jackal's arguments.

So, let me try to frame my (possibly under-informed) opinion(s) on WCU's O-Line more accurately in response to your well-reasoned and thoughtfully knowledgeable post. You still may not like it and I'm sure you won't agree with it, but it will be clear...I hope.

I don't remember exactly why, but I didn't watch a lot of WCU's games with Mercer or Furman last year. I did not attend either. OK - now I remember why...on 11/11, when WCU played Mercer, I was in Paladin Stadium watching Furman completely dismantle a thoroughly overmatched bellhop squad. And, on 10/28, when WCU played Furman, I was probably doing my part to participate in the Event Formerly Known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party...from afar. I think after Adams went out in the 1st quarter, I believe, against Furman, I knew it wasn't going to be much of a game...and I didn't go back and watch the Mercer/WCU video because I was wrapped up in making plans to attend both Mercer @ Alabama AND Furman @ Samford the following Saturday. So, I really didn't see much of those Cat O-Linemen in 2017.

In 2016, WCU, playing @ Mercer, had less than 100 yards rushing with Detrez-Freakin' Newsome at RB and the shifty Tyrie Adams at QB against a Defense that was not nearly as talented and deep as the Bears' D will be in 2018. My memory is of lots of Mercer Defensive players running free in the backfield on running plays and on passes...causing 5 turnovers. I remember WCU's O-Line looking slow, sluggish, overmatched, and, what appeared to be, poorly Coached. 4 of the 5 OLmen that started that game are 'those guys' that are now pulling down those All-This & All-That accolades you mentioned. Now, they were only R-SO's at the time, and I noticed that 2 (Miles & Spry) of those 4 guys were NOT starters when they played @ Furman 4 weeks later. But they both show up as 'participating,' (so they weren't injured/out), so maybe the WCU Coaches didn't like what they saw of them @ Mercer either. I watched that FU/WCU game on replay video and the WCU O-Line looked about the same to me as they had against Mercer while playing an FU Team, which was 'limping home,'  that held them to under 150 yards rushing.

If we want to go back to 2015, I didn't go to Mercer @ WCU, because my Bear was having surgery that day and watching the broadcast was awful...and it was completely down most of the time. 2 of 'those guys' started in the O-Line as R-FR, then, for WCU. Now, don't tell anyone, but I did have access to lots of video back in those days, including end zone video AND scout video (meaning almost all of their games), where an OL Coach can REALLY see what's going on...and those 2...played like FR...which they were...and it was only the 1st half of the season at that point - 4 games in, maybe. I do remember being very impressed with WCU's OT, Josh Wineberg, though. He was a GOOD'N! I probably didn't watch the WCU rout of Furman in 2015, but I see 2 of 'those guys' started. Perhaps they played well. I don't know.

So, I've just really never seen any of those 4 guys excel in games and I have seen them play rather poorly (IMO) in multiple games. I've probably never seen 2 of them play very much, and the ones I did see were when they were youngsters. Almost all O-Linemen, if adequately Coached, improve substantially during their 4/5 years of college play. If they don't, they usually quit because it's hella demoralizing to get your butt whipped in practice every day and never get to play in games. I did make that comment about them looking poorly Coached that day @ Mercer in 2016 above. Maybe that was due to the awful play the Coaches had already seen from WCU's D that year and knew that they were in for a 'disaster season' or maybe it was because their 'wunderkind' Adams was suspended for the 1st quarter (with no serviceable backup QB - Newsome just took every snap in Wildcat and I think handed off once..and ran the rest of the time...mostly for his life.). That kind of thing can throw everything out of sync and it just happens. I've had it happen to my O-Lines - had good O-Lines look like they had never practiced a snap because something was amiss in their shakras that night, I guess. So, maybe this OL Coach is great and he's developed all 4 of these young men into the All-Conference Players they have been proclaimed to be. I'll look forward to seeing that...for the 1st time.

All that said, I did see a decent-length practice video with end-zone view of WCU recently...and the OL looked like they were moving well and picking up stunts...and playing with high confidence. When I see them do that in games, I'll be ready to say they are All SoCon Players (in my book), as Mr. Wineberg CLEARLY was...but not until...regardless of what others say/have said. A couple of words about those 'accolades'...Listen, it wasn't too many years ago, that a Long Snapper...a friggin' Long Snapper...was named a Pre-Season All SoCon OLineman by the Coaches!!! So, I don't put a lot of 'stock' in those selections, particularly the Pre-Season variety. Also, I think there were 15 O-Linemen named to the 1st and 2nd Team Coaches All SoCon pre-season Team this year. Everybody gets a trophy! C'mon Coaches - stop the 'horse-trading' and pick REAL All Conference Teams!

So...what's the name of the Soph who is starting in the O-Line for WCU? I need to update my WCU 'depth chart.'