--- title: Outmatched on Paper Means Nothing Once the Ball Is Kicked Off description: "Eleven Vikings doing their jobs, four quarters, one belief. Our team meal message: don't prove everybody wrong, prove each other right on Friday night." image: https://valpovikingsqbc.org/hubfs/2026-valpo-captains-sb-riley-game.jpg --- [![qbc-wht-lettering](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/hs-fs/hubfs/logos/qbc-wht-lettering.png?width=800&height=265&name=qbc-wht-lettering.png "qbc-wht-lettering")](https://valpovikingsqbc.org) [![qbc-logoweb](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/hs-fs/hubfs/logos/qbc-logoweb.png?width=800&height=265&name=qbc-logoweb.png "qbc-logoweb")](https://valpovikingsqbc.org) - About Us - [Meet The Coaches](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/meet-the-coaches) - [QBC Board Members](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/qbc-board-members) - [Blog](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog) - Get Involved - [Membership](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/memberships) - [Golf Outing Sponsorship](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/golf-outing) - [Opportunities](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/opportunities) - Calendar/Tickets - [Coaches Calendar](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coaches-calendar) - [QBC Calendar & Ticket Link](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/calendar) - [Donate](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/donate) - [Blog](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog) # Coach's Corner & QBC Blog Your Destination For All Things Valpo HS Football [Subscribe](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/outmatched-on-paper-means-nothing-once-the-ball-is-kicked-off#subscribe) [Coaching Staff](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/tag/coaching-staff), [Weekly](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/tag/weekly)   |   12 Min Read # Outmatched on Paper Means Nothing Once the Ball Is Kicked Off ![Picture of Coach Bill Marshall](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/hubfs/coach-marshall-headshot.jpg) [Written by Coach Bill Marshall](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/author/coach-marshall) Outmatched on Paper Means Nothing Once the Ball Is Kicked Off 6:30 So I got a message for you today. Yes, unfortunately I am your speaker, but I do have a message for you. I think it's very informative and probably very important to the degree of what you're about to face. All right. So it goes like this: ![Valparaiso Vikings kicker driving the ball off the tee on a night kickoff](https://photos.smugmug.com/Sports/VHS-Football/VHS-Football-Homecoming-92724/i-s6tHCvQ/0/MVZQzsHGg3hX7CDpW55JDQTDVM3vDp8r7vL5qRngG/M/DSC_2378-3-M.jpg) Football history is filled with games that supposedly had already been decided before they were ever played. We talked about that on Monday. One team had more talent, more size, more speed, more recruits. More stars beside their names. Everybody looked at the matchups and said the same exact thing: they don't have a chance. And then the ball was kicked off. Being outmatched on paper means nothing once the ball is kicked off. Recent football history gives us two great examples: Vanderbilt over number one Alabama in 2024, and Northern Illinois over number five Notre Dame, also in 2024. ## Vanderbilt 40, Alabama 35: They Never Backed Down ![Valparaiso Vikings lineman driving through a block at the line of scrimmage](https://photos.smugmug.com/Sports/VHS-Football/VHS-Football-Homecoming-92724/i-JnG4HqG/0/LmGG3DLP4dkz5WSkZcJ596ckmmcg2bw7SZnQJncsQ/M/DSC_2447-3-M.jpg) Vanderbilt, for example, had never beaten an AP number one team before in the history of college football, and then controlled the ball for 42 minutes and converted 12 out of 18 third down conversions against Alabama. They had lost a staggering 60 straight games to top five opponents. 40 years had passed. Since that they had beaten Alabama, no one—and I repeat, no one—expected Vanderbilt to win. But Vanderbilt didn't care what everybody expected. They took the opening kickoff, believing they belonged to be on the same field. They played physical. They protected the football. They stayed disciplined. They converted third downs. They kept Alabama's offense standing on the sideline, and most importantly, they never backed down. When the fourth quarter ended, the scoreboard said Vanderbilt 40, Alabama 35. Not because Vanderbilt suddenly had more five-star recruits, not because they magically became bigger or faster, but because for four quarters they just played better football. ## Northern Illinois 16, Notre Dame 14: The Name on the Jersey Didn't Matter That same year, Northern Illinois walked into Notre Dame Stadium to play the number five team in the country. Notre Dame had the bigger name. They have a twenty million dollar NIL collective just for football. The bigger program, the bigger expectations. Northern Illinois walked in and won sixteen to fourteen. It wasn't magic. It wasn't luck. And it sure wasn't because somebody suddenly decided that they were in fact more talented. They believed they played together. They didn't care about the name on the other team's jersey. They didn't care about the rankings. They didn't care about the predictions. They didn't care about what somebody sitting in the stands thought was supposed to happen. ## The Better Team Can Beat the More Talented Collection ![Valparaiso Vikings offense set at the line of scrimmage with the quarterback under center](https://photos.smugmug.com/Sports/VHS-Football/VHS-Football-Homecoming-92724/i-LWTkZWv/0/NHDK7Gs3H6sj8dZjVnP2spRQTJzZjFqHwgx3VzL2Z/M/DSC_2824-M.jpg) They understood something that I want every one of you to understand tonight: the better team can beat the more talented collection. Eleven men doing their jobs—not ten, but eleven—the defensive lineman taking on a double team so somebody else can make the tackle. The receiver blocking when he knows the ball is not coming to him. The offensive lineman finishing a block when no one in the stadium will even know his name. The linebacker fitting the right gap. The defensive back trusting his help. The offensive lineman finishing a block, and then from there the running back protecting the football. The quarterback making the smart decision instead of trying to be a hero. The guy on the kickoff sprinting fifty yards just to force the returner into one of his teammates, who is then going to make the tackle. Those things aren't glamorous, but those things win football games, and that's how underdogs become unforgettable. Nobody remembers what everyone thought about Vanderbilt before they played Alabama. They just remember forty to thirty-five. Nobody remembers what Northern Illinois was supposed to have happened to them, but they remembered sixteen to fourteen. Because once that ball is kicked, everybody else's opinions don't matter. ## They Still Have to Play Us for Four Quarters ![Several Valparaiso Vikings defenders converging to make a gang tackle](https://photos.smugmug.com/Sports/VHS-Football/VHS-Football-Homecoming-92724/i-nMxHTkv/0/Lj9js5QPSjSXJTk7SCZScKQgWSCqh9GhTH5VhbZj5/M/DSC_2616-M.jpg) Tomorrow there may be people who believe the other team is better than us. Good, let them. Make them think they are bigger. Make them think they are faster. Let them believe that as they inch themselves closer to that trap, because they still have to play us, the collective us. They have to play us for four quarters. They have to deal with our. Physicality in our type of football, our discipline, our preparation, our effort, our toughness, and most importantly, our belief in the group that is sitting in this room. ## Don't Prove Everybody Wrong. Prove Each Other Right. Don't go out there tomorrow trying to prove everybody wrong. That's not what this is about. Go out there and prove each other right. Prove that every practice mattered, every sprint mattered, every lift mattered, every meeting mattered. Every time you were tired, but you kept going. It matters. Every time a teammate needed you and you showed up for them, on the field and off. That matters. ## When Adversity Comes: Next Play ![Two Valparaiso Vikings players embracing to celebrate a big play](https://photos.smugmug.com/Sports/VHS-Football/VHS-Football-Homecoming-92724/i-Kcj8gB8/0/MtSwsFKVgjZF2MFTd5C6gPBwztwvkXv6LP3B4Hw93/M/DSC_4214-M.jpg) When adversity comes tomorrow night, trust me, it will. Look around that huddle. Those are the brothers. Nobody panics. No pointing fingers. Nobody starts trying to win the game by themselves. We get tighter. Next play. Do your job again. Next play. Do your job again, again and again and again until eventually they look across the line of scrimmage and realize something they weren't expecting. We aren't going away. ## History Only Remembers Who Did That's when doubt starts to creep into their minds. That's when the favorite of the ball game starts looking at the clock. That's when pressure. Changes sidelines. That's when an upset stops feeling impossible, because suddenly they're going to realize that they're in a damn football game. History doesn't ask who's supposed to win. History only remembers who did.   *Photos courtesy of [Palmer Photography](https://palmerphotography.smugmug.com/Sports/VHS-Football).* Topics:   [Coaching Staff](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/tag/coaching-staff), [Weekly](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/tag/weekly) ### Get Notified About our Next Article! - - - - [mailto:?subject=Outmatched%20on%20Paper%20Means%20Nothing%20Once%20the%20Ball%20Is%20Kicked%20Off&body=Outmatched%20on%20Paper%20Means%20Nothing%20Once%20the%20Ball%20Is%20Kicked%20Off%20https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/outmatched-on-paper-means-nothing-once-the-ball-is-kicked-off](mailto:?subject=Outmatched%20on%20Paper%20Means%20Nothing%20Once%20the%20Ball%20Is%20Kicked%20Off&body=Outmatched%20on%20Paper%20Means%20Nothing%20Once%20the%20Ball%20Is%20Kicked%20Off%20https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/outmatched-on-paper-means-nothing-once-the-ball-is-kicked-off) ## Related Articles [Weekly](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/tag/weekly) ### [Town Pride: Allen Pinkett on Brotherhood and Rivalry Week](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/town-pride-allen-pinkett-on-brotherhood-and-rivalry-week) I'm going to turn it over to Coach Bernardi, who helped go ahead and reserve our speaker for tonight. I guarantee many of you don't know him, but I know some parents, specifically those that are ... [![Picture of Allen Pinkett](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/hubfs/Allen-Pinkett.png) Allen Pinkett](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/author/allen-pinkett) [Coaching Staff](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/tag/coaching-staff) [Weekly](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/tag/weekly) ### [More Than Words: The Ultimate Sacrifice on the Eve of Patriot Night](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/more-than-words-the-ultimate-sacrifice-on-the-eve-of-patriot-night) Our theme of this week has been sacrifice. I think very fitting as you go ahead and look at we're on the eve of Patriot Night and everything that it truly has become. We will have two flyovers ... [![Picture of Coach Bill Marshall](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/hubfs/coach-marshall-headshot.jpg) Coach Bill Marshall](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/author/coach-marshall) [Coaching Staff](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/tag/coaching-staff) [QBC](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/tag/qbc) ### [Heart When It's Hard: What Your Teammates Will Actually Remember](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/heart-when-its-hard-what-your-teammates-will-actually-remember) So Coach Marshall asked me to speak on Sunday and I said, yes, and I thought what is a topic that maybe can hit with you. And maybe we can find a way to use it to our advantage. We all know last week ... [![Picture of Coach Sam Bernardi](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/hubfs/coach-bernardy-headshot-2.jpg) Coach Sam Bernardi](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/author/coach-sam-bernardi) [![qbc-logoweb-wh](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/hs-fs/hubfs/qbc-logoweb-wh.png?width=250&height=83&name=qbc-logoweb-wh.png "qbc-logoweb-wh")](https://valpovikingsqbc.org) ##### Mailing Address Valparaiso Vikings Quarterback Club Inc. PO Box 2232 Valparaiso, IN 46385 ##### Connect - - - [mailto:communications@valpovikingsqbc.org](mailto:communications@valpovikingsqbc.org) ##### Website & Blog by: [![turner-marketing-services-logo-red-250px](https://valpovikingsqbc.org/hs-fs/hubfs/turner-marketing-services-logo-red-250px.png?width=200&height=78&name=turner-marketing-services-logo-red-250px.png)](https://turnermarketingservices.com/home?qbc) [Turner Marketing Services](https://turnermarketingservices.com?qbc) Copyright @2026 Valparaiso Vikings Quarterback Club Inc. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Coach Bill Marshall", "url" : "https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/author/coach-marshall" }, "dateModified" : "2026-09-25T14:23:21.089Z", "datePublished" : "2026-09-25T14:20:45.000Z", "headline" : "Outmatched on Paper Means Nothing Once the Ball Is Kicked Off", "image" : [ "https://valpovikingsqbc.org/hubfs/2026-valpo-captains-sb-riley-game.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://valpovikingsqbc.org/coachs-corner-and-qbc-blog/outmatched-on-paper-means-nothing-once-the-ball-is-kicked-off", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://valpovikingsqbc.org/hubfs/logos/valpo-vikings-qbc-logo.jpg" }, "name" : "Valparaiso Vikings Quarterback Club Inc" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://valpovikingsqbc.org/#org", "@type" : "Organization", "additionalType" : "https://schema.org/NGO", "address" : { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressCountry" : "US", "addressLocality" : "Valparaiso", "addressRegion" : "IN", "postalCode" : "46385", "streetAddress" : "PO Box 2232" }, "areaServed" : { "@type" : "AdministrativeArea", "name" : "Valparaiso, Indiana, United States" }, "contactPoint" : [ { "@type" : "ContactPoint", "contactType" : "General Inquiries", "email" : "communications@valpovikingsqbc.org" } ], "description" : "A 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to financially supporting the Valparaiso High School Vikings Football program through equipment, meals, scholarships, events, and more.", "image" : "https://valpovikingsqbc.org/hubfs/logos/valpo-vikings-qbc-logo-horizontal-1200.jpg", "logo" : "https://valpovikingsqbc.org/hubfs/logos/valpo-vikings-qbc-logo-1200.jpg", "makesOffer" : [ { "@type" : "Offer", "availability" : "https://schema.org/InStock", "category" : "Donation", "eligibleRegion" : { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "US" }, "url" : "https://valpovikingsqbc.org/donate" }, { "@type" : "Offer", "availability" : "https://schema.org/InStock", "category" : "Volunteer", "eligibleRegion" : { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "US" }, "url" : "https://valpovikingsqbc.org/opportunities" }, { "@type" : "Offer", "availability" : "https://schema.org/InStock", "category" : "Membership", "eligibleRegion" : { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "US" }, "name" : "Membership Dues", "url" : "https://valpovikingsqbc.org/memberships" } ], "name" : "Valparaiso Vikings Quarterback Club Inc.", "nonprofitStatus" : "https://schema.org/Nonprofit501c3", "potentialAction" : { "@type" : "DonateAction", "recipient" : { "@id" : "https://valpovikingsqbc.org/#org", "@type" : "Organization" }, "target" : { "@type" : "EntryPoint", "actionPlatform" : [ "https://schema.org/DesktopWebPlatform", "https://schema.org/MobileWebPlatform" ], "inLanguage" : "en-US", "url" : "https://valpovikingsqbc.org/donate" } }, "sameAs" : [ "https://www.instagram.com/valpo_viking_qbc/", "https://www.facebook.com/ValpoVikingsQBC", "https://www.linkedin.com/company/valparaiso-vikings-quarterback-club-inc/" ], "taxID" : "45-4915188", "url" : "https://valpovikingsqbc.org/" } ```