W&M Fans Question

[bluehenbillk]

Reading some info on your CAAZone Board about a slew of injuries, especially at the QB position. Are you guys going to have to throw a 3rd stringer into his 1st collegiate action at UNH this weekend?? Man, FBS games can sometimes suck. UD has had to deal with Navy & their cut blocking for years, but losing your top 2 QB's & maybe your best RB....

Any details confirmed??

[GoneTribal]

nothing confirmed as of yet bhb. Callahan went out the third play of the game or so wwith what appeared to be a re-injury of his shoulder. Paulus was injured on the last play of the game, not sure how serious or exactly what it was (but it was his throwing arm).

We had a number of guys come out of the game, but at this point it is nothing more than speculation as to what is going on. Could have been due to injury or due to a coaching decision to pull anyone once they got tweaked.

[siuham]

Exact reason I can't believe App has Florida scheduled so late in the year.

[clenz]

Is there actually any scientific proof players are more likely to get hurt during FBS games? I would find it hard to believe

[T-Dog]

Exact reason I can't believe App has Florida scheduled so late in the year.

I honestly think it won't be a problem because we're virtually a lock for a first round bye. Unless we lose out final three games and some teams go on hot streaks, we'll have a week off after the Florida game.

Plus I don't believe the whole "playing FBS teams puts you at risk for injuries" myth. If your timid and don't play the game hard, then yes there's a good chance for injuries. Our worst game when it came to injuries in the last few years was not any of the FBS games but rather JMU in 2008. We had four guys go down for the season in that game and six others for at least a week.

I'm rooting like hell for Florida to win their next two games. They'll make the SEC Championship and after beating South Carolina to make it, they'll be looking ahead to Florida State and the Georgia Dome. If they don't make it, they'll be pissed off against us.

[siuham]

It's not necessarily true that your team is more likely to get injured in an FBS game..especially when most FCS-FBS games end up being against MAC teams that are no better than most FCS teams...but when you get into the power BCS conferences, and especially a program like Florida...you can't tell me that as a whole those guys aren't going to be faster and hitting harder than playing someone like Eastern Kentucky for an OOC game late.

I had been thinking the above prior to the W&M game against UNC, it just seems risky for App, that's all. There's just as likely a chance that absolutely nothing bad comes of it but I'd be concerned if my team was headed to the playoffs and about to face the biggest team of the year in a game that means nothing to the next month of competition.

[T-Dog]

We heard the same thing when we played NC State, LSU both times, Kansas and of course Michigan. JMU heard the same thing going to play VaTech (BTW, App plays VT next year).

We've taken on some of the biggest, fastest BCS teams in recent years and we've been fine.

[Tribe4SF]

The theme for this year's Tribe team has become "next man up". The number of guys who've been replaced by someone who has stepped in and done the job has become too long to list. The situation after UNC was fueled to some extent by speculation, and rumors...some from the UNC radio crew who reported among other things that Callahan had a broken collarbone, with no real basis for that diagnosis.

You never really know how good your depth is until it gets tested as the season wears on. The quality of depth for W&M has been something of a surprise, and it's been great to watch the team continue to improve despite all the shuffling. The only guy on the OL who has started every game at the same position is center Jamie Pagliaro, yet that group has gotten better every week.

Won't surprise me if a couple more redshirts are pulled as we go forward. The two so far have worked out well. George Beerhalter has become a regular at DT, and Airek Green switched from safety to LB and is now part of the rotation. Hate to see redshirts forfeited this late in the season, but with a real shot for a playoff run, it may be necessary.

[siuham]

We heard the same thing when we played NC State, LSU both times, Kansas and of course Michigan. JMU heard the same thing going to play VaTech (BTW, App plays VT next year).

We've taken on some of the biggest, fastest BCS teams in recent years and we've been fine.

I think you're missing my point...

All the above were played at the beginning of the season, it's a different game later in the season. JMU beat Va Tech early on. Since then Va Tech's torn through the ACC and JMU has fallen on their face.

I think there are injuries that happen early season just from lack of conditioning preparation and late season that come from wear and tear, exacerbated by the size and speed differential of your opponent.

It's just a conjecture, and like I said, nothing could come of it, but what would you say if Presley got hurt in the Florida game and you were without your starting QB headed into the playoffs?

[T-Dog]

I'd say we'd be fine with Jamal Jackson as our QB. It makes little difference if Presley gets hurt at Florida, at GSU or versus Wofford.

The first time we played LSU was in November 2005 the week before we faced WCU with the conference title on the line. Our starters played the entire game and only one player went down with serious injury (which I recall was a rolled ankle having more to do with the LSU grass). We're fortunate to have a quality two-deep so our guys won't as tired in the 4th quarter as one might think.

[ChickenMan]

Is there actually any scientific proof players are more likely to get hurt during FBS games? I would find it hard to believe

Over the years it seems that UD has lost more key players to season ending injuries in the West Chester game as opposed to any CAA opponent.

[Tribe4SF]

Is there actually any scientific proof players are more likely to get hurt during FBS games? I would find it hard to believe

Over the years it seems that UD has lost more key players to season ending injuries in the West Chester game as opposed to any CAA opponent.

Tribe has lost more players historically in the VMI game than we have to FBS games.

[JSU02]

Is there actually any scientific proof players are more likely to get hurt during FBS games? I would find it hard to believe

There is no such proof. A columnist at JSU's local paper wrote an article during last years football season about how FCS schools shouldn't play FBS school because of the injuries they would endure. However, after both the FSU game, and Ole Miss game, JSU actually walked away with fewer injuries than their BCS opponents, yet he failed to readdress the issue...

[clenz]

Is there actually any scientific proof players are more likely to get hurt during FBS games? I would find it hard to believe

Over the years it seems that UD has lost more key players to season ending injuries in the West Chester game as opposed to any CAA opponent.

This would help my points.

West Chester likely isn't taken seriously by your players, they don't play "as hard" as they would for any other game. When you play tentative those things happen.

Same for FBS games. If the team goes in and plays hard, like they would for their FCS rivals they will be fine. If they go play scared and not to get hurt, they'll get hurt.

[TribeFanInNC]

Comments from Coach Jimmye Laycock's media conference call today:

QB Mike Callahan (shoulder) will not play vs UNH
QB Michael Paulus is "doubtful". The specifics of his injury were not discussed, but I saw him walk off the field at UNC after the game with a trainer holding up his throwing hand.
RB Jonathan Grimes (head injury): "I have no idea on his status right now."

On QB Brent Caprio: "I would anticipate Caprio will practice today [Monday]." Coach Laycock went on to say that he had not gotten a lot of reps in during the season, but he was pretty good at signalling in plays from the sideline.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

Hogwash. Everybody knows the most injuries occur in the Elon game.

[jd of de]

Comments from Coach Jimmye Laycock's media conference call today:

QB Mike Callahan (shoulder) will not play vs UNH
QB Michael Paulus is "doubtful". The specifics of his injury were not discussed, but I saw him walk off the field at UNC after the game with a trainer holding up his throwing hand.
RB Jonathan Grimes (head injury): "I have no idea on his status right now."

On QB Brent Caprio: "I would anticipate Caprio will practice today [Monday]." Coach Laycock went on to say that he had not gotten a lot of reps in during the season, but he was pretty good at signalling in plays from the sideline.

That was one expensive game at UNC