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12/1/14
Texags wrote the following assessment, "With all that said, Spavital was clearly learning on the job this fall in his first year as an offensive coordinator; doing so against the likes of John Chavis, Kirby Smart, Doug Wommack, Dave Steckel and Ellis Johnson is a tall order. "

I, and many thousands of football knowledgeable Aggies completely disagree. The problem with our offense is that Spavital was NOT learning on the job. He repeated the same failures over and over and over again.

This appears to be his thought process: Averaging less than 1 yd per attempt on first down runs? Let's run up the middle on first down again. And again. And yet again. Over 90% of the time Spavital ran on first down. Defense moves their safeties to outside the hashes? Let's throw a wide screen behind the line of scrimmage. Misdirection or play action plays? Apparently doesn't know what they are. Vertical passes? Stops throwing them as they are too successful. Let's run the big back around the edge and the little one up the middle. Averaging less than 2yds a rush? Let's do it again - it worked in practice. Need to run to milk the clock? Let's throw low percentage passes to the sidelines for incompletions and stop the clock.

The SEC is NOT for learning on the job. And it certainly isn't for those who have proved incapable of learning on the job.

Do the right thing - fire Spavital or demote him from OC. It's not kiddie time in the SEC West.

12/1/14
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Just out of curiosity, who would you have in mind as a replacement for Spavital?

Phil Montgomery. He'd jump at the chance to be the Aggie OC. The man can call an offense.

12/1/14
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Rojo,

Why do you think Phil Montgomery would "jump at the chance" to be our OC??

He and Briles have coached together for years

The time to make a run at him was last year

But....... we didn't

Inside information. He doesn't want to be Baylor's Head a Coach should Briles leave (sees it as the kiss of death for his career). And he doesn't want to follow Briles to his next job as he wants to stay in Texas. Loved the idea of Briles being Texas' HC and following him there. So, he wants to move out of the shadow and remain in Texas. Hmmmm.

12/1/14
Muschamp has a great defensive mind. He loves a challenge. He is intense. He makes great schemes, game plans, and adjustments. Everything you want in a DC. I can see him come here for 2-3 years, build a great defense, and then move on to take Charlie's' place in Austin when that dumpster fire is over.

12/2/14
Let's add in the first down runs from the two losses that were conveniently skipped over:

Ole Miss: 5,2,0,1,-5,1,1,2,0,-1,0. Average yardage gained on first down rushes: 0.54 yards

Alabama: -1,1,4,-3,4. Average yardage gained on first down rushes: 1 yd.

So, let's do a recap in losing game order:

Ole Miss: Average of 0.54 yards
Alabama: Average of 1 yard
Knock off the single long run in the Mizzou game: Average of 3.25 yards
Knock off the single long run in LSU game: Average of 2 yards

Now, look at how many lost yards and gains of 2 yards or less there were on first down runs.

Now - that's some play calling on first down. Spavital is incompetent.

12/7/14
The buck stops at the OC. Offense regressed with every game. If Spavital had any decency he would resign. He is clearly in over his head -- as even your post demonstrates.

Quite frankly, I don't think he understands the fundamental aspects of play calling and adjusting to defenses. Again, the SEC West is not the place for a greenhorn to coach. This isn't UH.

or, is this UH?

12/11/14
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Tulsa makes it officially official. Baylor OC Philip Montgomery is its new head coach.

As I posted two weeks ago - I had inside information that he wanted to move out from beneath Briiles' shadow and stay in Texas (I guess Tulsa is as close as he could get).

In my opinion, Sumlin keeping Spavital as OC and refusing to offer Coach Montgomery (who was making it known he would accept) will come back to haunt Sumlin as he fires Spavital after another year of "not learning on the job".

Texas A&M isn't the UH, and the SEC isn't the C-USA. When the manager of a 7-11 gets promoted to manage an H.E.B. - he has to make the adjustments to scale and speed or go back to selling Big Gulps.

Huge, huge miss.


12/14/14
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vander:

what "big time program" would hire him if he has success with us?

"which ones wouldn't" , is the better question. How can he NOT be successful? The "D" in our Defense stands for "Dead". He is one of the greatest defensive minds in college football. The SEC West is the *BEST* conference in all of college football. Win here, and you can win anywhere.

The Spirit of Aggieland. The 12th Man, the SEC West, 103,000 fans at every home game. He has coached at Kyle Field when we played VATech and there were only 84,000 Aggies in a sold out Kyle Field. The most watched conference on TV. Texas country living with a nice ranch and some horses. A home in Traditions. Financial security. The legacy of coaching at two schools. He has paid his dues and done everything he can do for VA Tech. He leaves with honor as an honorable man.

He's signing on the line.

12/14/14
Bud Foster flight

12/15/14
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Know one except the head coach,the administrators and the candidate(s) know what is going on regarding a new DC...Lucci is speculating and guessing as is everyone else.."sources" are sketchy; reports are guesses...
Let's ratchet down the guessing and unfounded comments, makes us look like idiots until the facts come in...I will probably be banned by staff for telling the truth and confronting the "wizard" of knowledge...

see ya!

I know exactly who it is. There is one last thing they are working through before they have an agreement.

12/15/14
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I know exactly who it is. There is one last thing they are working through before they have an agreement.

Is that last thing figuring out who they can hire and figuring out contract terms and getting it reviewed and signed?

Funny, but nope. My understanding is that the last thing being negotiated is the makeup of position coaches on the defense. Who stays and who will be replaced. I do not know the particulars about who the new DC wants to keep (apparently - he does want to keep one or more current position coaches) or who he wants to replace (again -- he does want to bring in someone with him) -- only that is the last hurdle for a done deal.

Now, before someone trashes me -- remember, I was the one that posted those north zone seats close to the students on the second deck had blocked views of the field and were unusable -- only to have TPTB come back and say, "wrong, wrong, wrong - there are no view obstructions." Of course, those seats were empty for all games this year due to blocked views of the field.....

12/18/14
Its Foster. Guaranteed.

12/19/14
Bud Foster.

That's all folks. No need for throwing more names out there.

12/22/14
Famous last words......

"BLACKSBURG Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock said he's "confident" defensive coordinator Bud Foster will be with the Hokies next season and indicated the school could have an announcement on that topic in the coming days." (Richmond.com)

As they say, "COULD of, would of, should of -- but didn't, and won't."

Bud Foster. Book it.

12/27/14
Yes, VT is his home - he has been there so many years. Yes, the AD showed him some respect by being proactive in a contract extension. It is not the words people say that are the most important - it is the ones they DO NOT SAY. For examples, in Foster's case, he did not say:

"I am looking forward to my next few years at VT", or "I am grateful for the contract I signed", or "I am glad Frank is healthy again so we can coach together next year", or "Virginia Tech is where I belong, it's my home, I'll be back on the sidelines for the forsee able future."

Instead, he implicitly said in a classy and loyal way, "Thank you, I love this place, time to move on, Aggieland here I come to make a new home and new memories coaching in the SEC."

After all - he is young enough to become the next Aggie HC. VT apparently wants little beamer.....

12/27/14
Response by mfbarnes82: Puff Puff Pass.......

12/27/14
Or, as is my case, I have faith in my friends in low places. Now, for the shocker: my friends in low places - I have them *BOTH* at A&M and at VT. My friends at both campuses told me the same exact information many weeks ago.

He gone. He coming.

Foster hasn't signed anything with anyone at this point.

12/27/14
Response by mfbarnes82: Gonna need a twelve step program to get some of these addicts to let it go....

12/27/14
He's a great coach. Their loss. Utah will go the way of Tceh after they fired Leach.

12/27/14
I've been all in on Foster since I heard from my low friends at VT and confirmed it with a low friend at A&M. It's been about 4-5 weeks now. I have no motive or bias here. Just playing the cards I have seen.

12/28/14
I only have info on Foster and that he wanted to bring staff with him. I assumed staff from VT as no names were forth coming (understandably given the context).

12/28/14
Sumlin bought new sunglasses to wear when he announces the new DC.
They are FosterGrants.
just sayin....

12/28/14
You mean like the name of the DC four weeks ahead of announcement? Or a playful reminder when it's a few days away?

12/29/14
The envelope please....Texas A&M's new Defensive Coordinator is.....
.....John Chavis according to my low friend here in College Station. That Sumlin -- he did the Curley Shuffle to my sources. The paperwork is in. Signed.
How about that one folks!

12/29/14
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Is rojo reliable?
You can look at it this way: I have to wash some folk's cars as I was all in on Foster based on friends in low places. Then the Curley Shuffle happened...
Sumlin. Master at the game.

12/30/14
I love a plan when it comes together. A&M - National Championship. Book it!

12/30/14
I do have a pool at my home.....

12/31/14
Folks - don't sweat the fact that Chavis is coming to A&M.

For four weeks my low friend at Texas A&M was assuring me that the target was Foster and things had to be worked out. At VT - all thought Foster was leaving for A&M as Foster balked at signing a new contract. My two friends there were convinced Foster was leaving for A&M based on what they had seen.

For four long weeks Sumlin had everyone focused on what turned out to be "Plan B".

Then came a phone call from my low friend in College Station Monday night telling me about the "Curley Shuffle" - and that the real target was Chavis -- and the deal was done. My friend apologized, tongue-in-cheek, for the Curley Shuffle routine.

Folks -- the deal is done. Given the four weeks of "radio silence" and Sumlin's Curley Shuffle -- no way that phone call would have happened Monday night by my friend if Chavis wasn't a done deal.

I am amazed how they kept this under lock and key so long.

It's time to celebrate! The Chief is coming and the rest, is, history in the making.

12/31/14
Yes, I was told about the hire by a good friend I describe as "a friend in low places" who called me Monday night at approximately 10:00pm. No need for a lock once the key has been turned (e.g. the deal done), no?

12/31/14
I guess the best evidence of the phone call is the post I put up here after I got off the phone stating it was Chavis -- wherein I did a complete 180 degree from a previous post pushing Foster.

In any event -- I didn't mean this to be about that phone call - this is about the *fact* Chavis is going to be an Aggie. Time to celebrate!

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Cliff notes?

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In my opinion, Sumlin keeping Spavital as OC and refusing to offer Coach Montgomery (who was making it known he would accept) will come back to haunt Sumlin as he fires Spavital after another year of "not learning on the job".

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