#77 R.P.I. Virginia Tech vs. #84 R.P.I. Marshall:

Today’s word of the day is… a·vail·a·ble

/əˈvāləb(ə)l/
adjective

Origin:
late Middle English
(in the senses ‘effectual, serviceable’ and ‘legally valid’): from avail + -able.

1. able to be used or obtained; at someone’s disposal.
2. (of a person) not otherwise occupied; free to do something.
3. not currently involved in a sexual or romantic relationship.
4. What LeBron James uses to describe his hellish off-season preparations.
5. Or, or, or, …this shockingly zero-hyphen-one Vah.Tech football squadron come 4:30 PM?

Marshall Head Coach: Charles Huff Jr.: age=41, (23-17 overall and @Marshall); has a rep’ for mega-recruiting and for oLines and Run-fits.
$755,000,000.oo

A native of Denton, Maryland Baller Huffer played at Hampton University, joining the football team as a walk-on Fullback. In addition to Fullback, he also spent time at Te and G before being named the starting C1. He was named a team captain his senior season… a self-made man as Tony Paige syndrome goes.

Prior to Marshall, he was the associate head coach and running backs coach at the University of Alabama. A coach with stints at Mississippi State and Penn State, he has gained the reputation of being one of the top recruiters in college football.

Prior to that Big Whistler Huffer broke in at Tenn.State, then back home to Hampton, Maryland, and Vandy before an N.F.L. gig (foreshawodingly enuff) with the B’lo Chips. Then on to bigger named: Penn.State, Olè Miss., and some little place colloquially known as: ‘Bama. His run-shape(s) have a tag for not fumbling and for finding really big-time chippers or V.H.T. (very highly touted) Rb1-type recruits. In addition to that -and counting across two differing bio’s- Huff has broken nineteen, that’s (19) different rushing records be that individual Rb’s or Team grounding along the way.

Ginkgo… this was our four’s alpha choice to anti-Fu’BAR the whole O&M shebang… and a choice who twice, that’s (2), turned our job, down!

Up @Huntington… Huff has only led Marshall to their second all-time victory over a top-10 opponent after besting the No. 8-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish 26–21 in South Bend, Indiana. Coach Huff also earned his first bowl win as a head coach in the 2o22 Myrtle Beach Bowl against the UConn Huskies 28–14. 7-6 his rookie head-honcho year and then 9-4 last year with bowl bids both years is on-trend and a positive slope with rise >>> run alike.

Huff and his wife, Jessica, have two boys: B.J. and Beau.

They are also expecting a third child in the coming months.
St.Eleutherius bless!

2023 record:  up 6 vs. 7 down and 3–5  5th (Sun Belt) with a: L in the Frisco Bowl.

Foe’rensics:

Marshall Defense: (starters back=)

• 6 of 1o in dLine Havoc.
• 3.5 from 1o in Linebacking Havoc.
• VII in X in Secondary Havoc.
• D overall: Like the offense, many of the key pieces on defense will be different for the Herd this season, thanks to both graduation and the transfer portal. Redshirt sophomore Michael Green will lead a defensive front that was actually very good on third downs, leading the Sun Belt by allowing opponents to convert only 32.4 percent of the time. Marshall also had the best red zone defense in the league last season, allowing touchdowns on 23-of-5o trips. The defense wasn’t nearly as good as the 2o22 version, but it had a good pass rush and the ability to bend without a lot of breaking. The portal hit this bunch hard, but Marshall got its own new parts with Jacarius Clayton (Mississippi State) as the possible new top-edge rusher. Ashton Heflin (Georgia Tech) a young prospect joining MLb1 J’Coryan Anderson in the linebacking corps. That defensive front six has some homegrown veteran parts, too. The combination of Isaiah Gibson and TyQaze Leggs should form one of the Sun Belt’s better tackle tandems. Replacing pass rushers Elijah Alston and Owen Porter will be tough, but Michael Green should ramp up the stats with more work. Displacing top Cb1, Micah Abraham is tough, and S1 Dyoni Hill was a playmaker, tho’ JJ Roberts and AG McGhee are excellent safeties who get around the ball. Safety J.J. Roberts will be a name to watch after 73 total tackles last season, one of the highest returning tackle counts in the Sun Belt. The rest of the secondary will be fairly inexperienced, making living up to the body of work from the last few seasons all the more difficult for defensive coordinator Jason Semore. The corner situation is a little bit iffier, yet helped by Arizona State transfer Cb1 Isaiah Johnson. There’s defensive backfield depth that needs figuring out; the back-up hind-4 is downright thin; or, –3 or so to boot.

• ∑ (summary): returning D production=57% (74th most). Both Safties are your conflict defender(s) here. Only 9% seniors in their Top-22-deep
• Film-Study:
  Here we see… what kinda/sorta is a base forty-two. Albeit one with two, that’s (2) two-point-stancing De1’s, at least a decent amount of the time. Their De’s stand-up. The 2nd-layer is mo’ normalized (Will-Mike-Sam). Tho’ they even stagger depth here just a pinch to the short side. Corners will jam/press at times. And -when they were not D-1aa worn down then out- Stony Broke got a bit of a northward push at times vs. the Marshall 1’s. Marshall will favor 8 or 9 guys at times in the box and dare you to take the head of their Tampa-2 (deep) if/when you can. Marshall will deal and jump-gaps and try to engineer as much penetrative disruption that they can. Tho’ there are less peeps remaining if/when you can bust that initial seal and break their Ot-box of contain. Higher risk higher reward D run-fills wise. Herd Safties were frankly had to eval’ ’cause they were hard/seldom to been seen on tape. They are at least 1o-12 off the line-of-scrummage at most times. Kinda a double centerfield or twice safety-net look. They do play the ball not the man and their Dline deflectively does the very same. Tip Drill indeed. Marshall does a nice job with their under-zone floods. Forcing a longer pass-pro’. Tho’ S.B.U. sure went after the Herd’s right-side D deep. They musta seen something(s) there… final, thingy being… they looked sawed-off to me. Lay-ups, not dunks. “Can’t coach Hite”.

Defensive letter-grade:

Marshall Offense: (returning starters=)

• O overall: New offensive coordinator Seth Doege takes over a group that struggled to score points in the back half of the 2o23 season. The quarterback competition is especially intriguing. Cole Pennington, son of Marshall legend Chad Pennington, is a player with high expectations thrust upon him, yet it remains to be seen if the redshirt freshman is ready. The Herd also have former Morehead State signal-caller Colin Parachek and Tulsa transfer Braylon Braxton in the mix. And actually starting Stone Earle. All 3 just saw decent/significant reps vs. Howard. All three quarterbacks threw a touchdown pass v. Stony— a first for Marshall since 1932 A.D. Also… all-everything Qb-Coach1 (Mitch Griffis) sudden retirement has mo’ than suddenly hurt here. Braylon Braxton is the thudder… kinda a Diet Drones of a sort. Stone Earle is the vanilla JAX redux who got engaged in H.S. and seems very much the good-guy choirboy sort. (With the same softie dad-bod JAX looks no less). At running back, Rasheen Ali is gone –he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens– tho’ refugee Rb1, NC State transfer Jordan Houston and all-3o4 homegrown returner Ethan Payne figure to lead a capable running back unit. The wide receiver room is filled with intriguing transfers, including former Middle Tennessee wideout Elijah Metcalf (54 catches for 634 yards and six touchdowns last season). He should make life easier for whoever wins the quarterback gig. Michigan State’s Christian Fitzpatrick should be the best of the bunch on the outside, Bralon Brown (Ole Miss), Tychaun Chapman (North Carolina), Carl Chester (Tulsa); all of whom will be thrown into the equation. Up front, Marshall’s offensive line should be headlined by upperclassmen. New offensive line coach Cody Crill should provide a necessary jolt to the group. Odd side is very old and likewise big. The even (right) side is the opposite. Younger and weight-room less filled-out alike. Three new starters are in from the transfer portal around veteran Logan Osburn at center1. The depth is an issue, tho’ the starting five should be okay with a little time.
• ∑ (summary): returning O production=67% (48th most).
• % run:pass mix. is your secret sauce offender here.
• Film Study:
  Marshall O does a lotta single-back ‘gun thingys. QUICK hitting zippy O when it is firing on all cylinders. Not a deep or northerner O. Lottsa behind the L.O.S. to a normalized 1st-down markers depth (1o’ish yards). Lottsa E-W looks, and they will cross you up over the pretty congested middle here. VERY narrow splits! Lottsa inside quickie gap-over pulls to just on the outside-eye of their Ot1’s plunge or dives. That, and somewhere the ’84 Barboursville Pirates (o-splits) are, smiling. Marshall will run the very same pattern(s) to the very same depth(s). Even 3 to the very same side! Lotta O.G. Out’s and whatnot. Kinda a bit of a throwback passing attack; tho’ it will down-out-down you eventually on a Chair-Route. Their Qb’s will work some Read Option things; they will keeper it enuff to keep you honest too. Rb1 ‘burner’ Turner does have some measure of velocity. The rest are okay to far mo’ moderate. This is a technical, patient and singles doubles kinda O. The Herd Qb(s) straight missed some throws last Saturday… not A+++ accurate. Seems down a pinch from ’23 to we.
• (bonus round🙂 my in-stte contacts say that MU ran the very same plays right-n-left all day. Or showed next to nothing. Just a variation(s) off of the very same base handful L or R. IF, that is true? There may be mo’ to this O than we film-room saw… possibly a good deal mo’ at that. You are warned.

Offensive letter-grade: (I) is for: “Incomplete’. (Tho’ wethinks C+++ or so on the full show).

‘Herd Special Teams: (return)

Alec Clark will likely take over the punting duties for the Thundering Herd this season. He had seven punts last season, averaging 40.3 yards per kick. Placekicker Rece Verhoff returns after a season in which he made 11-of-18 field-goal attempts. The return team will have the difficult task of finding a replacement for Jayden Harrison, who had two return touchdowns last season before transferring to Notre Dame.

Bonus: ‘pending upon where you look, we are somewhere near ~115th in Field-Position (cumulative: D+O). This is near specialty high treason in history Beamerball terms. See if this continues…

Special Teams letter-grade:

Unit Rankings:

1. VT O?
2. Marshall O?
3. VT D?
4. Marshall D?
5. Any of these could move up/down one ranking… tho’ that is what the stats early on say, so…

X-factor(s):

• motive: hmmmmmm, maaaan, hard to say here… tho’ Eye’ll answer it thus instead… why would 1 up against o down Marshall NOT be up for big, bad, A.c.c. VeeTee? EDGE=them.
• weather:
• health/off-field: A pretty August healthy VeeTee sure got Vandy dinged up; and, Strol’ is out. (Qb1 and Rb1 will play). Marshall has NO injuries listed. Nadda. None. Nil. Edge=them, (big too).

• penalties: Huff will puff and blow your yellow laundry line down. He runs a right New River ship. And we have been suspect since Cobra-Ky’ took over. Very. EDGE=them.
• intangibles: Nine players on Marshall’s roster are from Virginia… The Herd added 45 new players and six new assistant coaches in the offseason. Homecoming and some sorting out let to do. Tho’ they are in better fighting nick being 1-nil compared to us. EDGE=them.
• fatigue: N/A. (both on 1 week rest).

Lord Haw-Haw …or… Tokyo Rose?
…inpowerHERment 1o1.

 

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of  Takana who could b’lo’ @Tech=

the takeaway:

…the takeaway here is…

…whether or not to be too taken with what just oh so upsetting happened over @Vandy, or not?

Was it only one game? We take them one at a time?

---

---

Or, was it something rong again; or, at least something is not yet fixed?

Mea culpa… that is some difficult Applied Sports Psychology clinical calculus indeed. In spades even.

Nevertheless, we will keep digging to extend the Holden Hall (MINE) metaphor all the more.

And as Eye’ve been want to say before… VeeTee needs this one just like a dead man needs a coffin.

(Or, …maybe, more?)

⚰️🦃⚰️

***

xxx’s & ooo’s

formulae here favors

Game Ball or mag·num o·pus:

Has *the* Don Trumped himself or is old-man Joe out-FOX’ed and plum Tuckered, out? BeRock O’biden his time? Kamala the non-Ugandan non-Giant?

Now that your fascist blood is big pumpin’… the polytrix of Fight Club here rate about

WWI: “The Great War”…

Trench Warefare favors…

permutations:

1. Δ1=6o% chance that VeeTee is jus’ plum better; and prolly plum deeper to boot. Gobblers crow by 2-4 scores.
2. Δ2=3o% chance that this one is closer for longer than most can stand to admit. Tech Triumphs by 1.5 or so scores.
3. Δ3=1o% however, that something is actually broken. As in what you iceburg see(s). R.M.S. Titanic lounger rejoice; then, bundled up!

#ChallangeA.c.c.epted… there are 1,440 minutes in a day and we gonna need at least fiddy here… maybe mo’ if we are not all ’24 dat?

the optics…

Here are some things to focus on during what we hope to be 2-1 or the next 12Q’s of ‘ball b4 arm-punching contest otherwise known as: Rutgers.

• coaching: the verb huh? Granted. (Where is my O&M plan-b, or, c, d, e?)
• Tho’ how ’bout balling: the verb too? As in: O&M in-Ring I’s and Q’s? (or, dum’ jocks?) There are some not-so-bright bulbs hinting(s) here is all Eye can ghost right now…
• Leading:(s): both prepping and half-timing (Staff) and on-field or sidelines (ballers).
• Culturing: is it tenting and rising to the sometimes bumpy Prices Fork road or is it sagging and wilting?
• Droning: 4.o G.P.A. @V.P.I. NO trouble stories. Tho’ he has a streety almost temperamental side to him in addition to being (seemingly): straight-laced. Let us see how our noble or ignoble Qb1 Cobra-Ky’ leader does, now?

…now… Eye write all of ^^^dat^^^ regarding the #1 MOST experience returning D-1 football team in all of the 134 D-1 team’s, land.

i.e., that should n-e-v-e-r ever be the 1st-best or furthest right-tailed Experience Curve happening.

That should ALL been straightened out loooong ago…

💯

the skinny…

• Herd βeta O=111th. (Nothing Strenght of Schedule punishing scored well here; so D-1aa be it).
• Herd βeta D=46th! (Herd made NO Stony in their shoes MisQ’s. VERY efficient so far).
• Tech βeta O=5oth!?! (tho’ 1o3rd in rushing O).
• Tech βeta D=75th. (scored badly in: efficiency and negative drives (inflicted)).

Lo.FM (Long-field Management©)

• Marshall is a nifty 26th-best in 1st-down O | whereas VeeTee is a delicate-looking 87th-best in 1st-down D.
• VeeTee is a moderate 71st best in 1st-down O | whereas Marshall is a reasonable 47th best in 1st-down D.
• Marshall is a centrist 65th best in 3rd-down O | whereas VeeTee is a user-friendly 97th best in 3rd-down D allowed.
• VeeTee is a decent 46th best in 3rd-down O | whereas Marshall is a nearly solid 43rd best in 3rd-down D allowed.

Lo.FM Analysis:
Hard to spin this one in Tech’s favor… and yet just 8-days ago you’d called me: a: ‘pot stirrer’ for (now) accurately stating so. However, Eye can say that our D has mo’ work to do than our O does in Lo.FM terms. That, and we’d better not let the Herd dictate the chain gang to us on the very first: “HIKE”. EDGE=Marshall by at least a little bit+++.

TTT (Time To Throw©)

• The Hokie O has allowed a sieve-like 115th most sacks allowed (so far) | whilst the Herd D has inflicted a near brutal 18th most Qbs sacked (so far)!
• The Herd O has gone pass-pro’ decently enuff at 42nd most sacks allowed (so far) | whilst the Hokie D has tallied an okay enuff 51st most Qbs sacks inflicted (so far).
• The Hokie O has gasket’ed a downright leaky looking 108th most T.F.L. (tackles for a loss) allowed (so far) | whilst the Herd D has read and reacted a bit mo’ at the 79th most T.F.L. inflicted (so far).
• The Herd O has sandbagged with a near zero (8th best or just one) T.F.L. allowed (so far) | whilst the Hokie D has moved well upfield with the 47th most T.F.L. inflicted (so far).

TTT Analysis:
Sacks favor both D’s though the Gobbler O is nearly F’n up here at the 6o-minute marker. The Thundering run-shapes are shipshape year-to-date and yet the Gobbler’s front wall has been stoned hear early on. Same as above… how can you (credibly) take Tech here? That, and this one could really upset the Lo.FM itself. EDGE=Marshall by even higher than Lo.FM above.

3-game splits, H/A,

Our handy dandy friend, the so-called: Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is merely

Triangle Theory says…

…D. All of the above says…

#STFU b.street!!!

…this is only game no.2, you obtuse!

the call…

the sportlight…

…here in the sportlight… we tell you rightfully forthwith… now would be a good damn time.

As this weekend sees a very large hosting of ’25 (and beyond) recruits.
Getting twerked by the t.Herd would T-hurt a whole damn lot for it… and for years down the road.

N.ot F.or L.ong or N.obody I.licits L.e$$… this is a near must-have gentleman.

i.e., this one is mucho bigger (strategically) than the need to just dismount the o-nil fence❗️

Marshall Projected S&P+: 1ooth.
Marshall Projected S&P wins: 5.2 W’s.

♥  ♣  ♦ ∪

Understand… Marshall knows winning. Not epiclly, tho’ winning mo’ often than not.
Brent Pry on the other hand has now sunk to: .4oo overall.
These VeeTee ballers @VeeTee are: .4375 overall.

Whereas Marshall ballers are: .6122 overall.

Do you see what Eye mean(s)… yet(s)?

–oOo–

I mean… Marshall (to their credit) is nearly 1.5 seasons to the good’er than we are over these Saturday evenin’ competiants cumulative careers’.
Socking, n’est-ce pas? (

Understand as well… the Sun Belt has a belt you in the face kinda sparky/salty rep attached to it ¦ as opposed to the All Charmin Conference still trying to wipe itself, out.

IF/when this one stays closer for longer than expected— who do you inheritance think knows what(s) to do(s) when the O&M chips get big-n-blue? Eye type that ’cause I can tell you this… Eye’ma mo’ O&M D concerned… and that makes me wonder out loud where this one will (ultimately) be Totaled.

The Closer:

…so, and all dat to say… is VeeTee the worse team?
(prolly) not.

Is VeeTee, however, the healthier team?
No.

Therefore, ergo, to Whit… is VeeTee the more available team❔
Ask 8 PM how that tastes…

Although, I can tell all of you this little right now…
…this one is ALL about VeeTee. (Not Marshall).

Dat… and start=finish here.

Do not let this upstart team hang around and gain confidence…

Make no misQ on dat.
💯

🙏>>>🏈

upset Index=33%

#JustSayKnow

#wimps!

Virginia Tech=37, Marshall=27

“LETS GO!“

Please support the VT F.C.A.!

“HOKIES!“

bourbonstreet**