#oc: richard wilkins

[thelittlestspider]

🧭 and 🌃 for the horror ask game, if you don't mind.

🧭 - what would your character do if they got lost in another dimension/world/universe/timeline? do they try to go home? do they even want to?

olivia, georgia, and andromeda actually end up in a place called the Labyrinth Museum, which is this museum that showcases weird or macabre works of art. it's basically endless and it's protected by some kind of creature.

anyway lol so basically they end up trapped in the museum for 300 years, running from this monster that we don't ever fully see. and it was one of the most traumatizing events in their lives. but eventually they do get rescued by the blackwood cast when they accidentally portal in there.

there's also a plot point where somehow the gang ends up accidentally going to an alternate universe or timeline where zombies have almost wiped out humanity, and they find this girl named ryan who's one of the last people left and they take her with them.

🌃 - what would your character do if they were trapped in a labyrinthine city that's alive?

i think sort of like the haunted house question, the city would sort of warp and change around the occupants to try win their love, and if unable to they would like drive them to madness or eat them or something. so going from that:

odile - i think odile wouldn't immediately see it was alive, but she would feel uneasy for reasons she couldn't explain. then when she realizes it's alive she'd probably be freaked out by it. if it's malevolent she'd probably kill it or die trying, if it's cool she'd probably try to figure out some way to like compromise and see if there's some kind of way people and animals could live with it symbiotically. because the city's sort of like a lonely animal that's been abandoned.

angelica - angelica would probably feel sorry for it and try to help it and go mad in the process.

marianne - marianne would probably wander through it like a ghost or become part of it.

bernadette - bernadette would just be like, "i'm out" and die. which i feel like is what most of us would do lol.

francine - francine would probably try to like reason with it and would eventually go mad because it wouldn't let her escape.

starla - oh starla would probably try to kill it with bombs or something.

[thebiggestpartypooper]

Don't ask how or where A.L got it.. you can even say its a.. mystery on how they got it-

Well, hello again, MCF community of Tumblr! It's been over a week since I've posted. Not to worry though- my motivation tank is slowly filling up again. While that happens, have some random content.

MCF Ocs! Will explain their stories in detail some other time, but for now:

Christianne Reiner-Wilkins: Child of the Master Detective, apprentice of Alister damn Dalimar. Very sarcastic and tough. (They/Them pronouns)

Emilie Bernard: one of Christiannes besties, bird watcher and foreigner from the US or even America on a holiday in Britain.. and has a name similar to Emily.. or even Emma? Thats a bit strange.. oh well.

Here's Charles, Richard, and The Archivist as Mii's in quirky poses. Why? Because I can.

Last but not least.. err.. well, you heard what he said folks!

[affablyevilshowdown]

Large Bracket Round 1

Large Bracket

No. No! Unless…

Patrick Bateman               (American Psycho)

Tyler Durden                      (Fight Club)

<3<                                      (Homestuck?)

Hedonist Lit

Lestat de Lioncourt          (Interview with a Vampire)

Dorian Gray                       (The Picture Of Dorian Gray)

Virtually the same person. I guess?

Discord                (My Little Pony (Friendship is Magic Gen 4))

Q                           (Star Trek)

The Doctor vs The Master 1

The Master (Delgado)     (Doctor Who)

Dr. Griffin                           (The Invisible Man)

The Doctor vs The Master 2

The Master (Crispy)         (Doctor Who)

Doc Scratch                       (Homestuck)

The Doctor vs The Master 3 (Animal Kin Edition)

The Master (Ainley)         (Doctor Who)

Doc Ock                              (Into the Spiderverse)

The Doctor vs The Master 4

The Master (Simm)          (Doctor Who)

Dr. Evil                                (Austin Powers)

The Doctor vs The Master 5

The Master (Missy)          (Doctor Who)

Heinz Doofenshmirtz       (Phineas and Ferb)

The Doctor vs The Master 6

The Master (Dhawan)     (Doctor Who)

Dr. Facilier                         (The Princess and the Frog)

This is so tremendously unfair, but hey it's the two inspirations of my favorite OC

Bill Cipher            (Gravity Falls)

Solf J Kimblee     (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Dracula was on Buffy the Vampire slayer too

Spike                     (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Dracula                (Dracula)

Entitled White Lady- Names (Since we don't have a Karen)

Helen the Distortion        (The Magnus Archives)

Lauren Mallard                 (Welcome to Nightvale)

Jennifer Check                  (Jennifer's Body)

Actual Entitled White Ladies

The Handler                       (Umbrella Academy)

Cruella De Vile                  (101 Dalmatians)

Fairy Godmother              (Shrek 2)

Fight your shadow lego self

Lego Joker           (The Lego Batman Movie)

Joker                    (Batman (2005))

*Heard over the speaker system, when you are about to have a bad time*

The Narrator      (The Stanley Parable)

Cave Johnson     (Portal)

Style Icons

Misa Amane                                     (Death Note)

Her Imperious Condescension     (Homestuck)

Nui Harime                                       (Kill la kill)

Dads

Hunson Abadeer                              (Adventure Time)

Asgore Dreemur                              (Undertale)

Mayor Richard Wilkins III             (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Can do so much better than their ex

Harley Quinn      (Birds of Prey)

Spinel                   (Stephen Universe)

An image of the self

Kevin                                                  (Welcome to Nightvale)

Frankenstein’s Creature                (Frankenstein)

Double Trouble                                (She Ra)

Entitled Creeps

Nevel Papperman             (iCarly)

Killgrave                              (Jessica Jones)

Lil Gideon                           (Gravity Falls)

Scorpion tails >:3

Tyrian Callows   (RWBY)

Scorpia                 (She Ra)

Shaped

Big Jack Horner  (Puss in Boots: The last wish)

Eggman               (Sonic)

Wheatley             (Portal)

#girlboss

GLaDOS               (Portal)

Monika                (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Jesters

Marx                     (Kirby)

Rouxls Kaard      (Deltarune)

Second career as highschool staff

Yzma                    (The Emperor’s New Groove)

Baron Draxum    (Rise Of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Just a child, no, No Ignore the destruction and the carnage. this is a baby

The Collector                    (The Owl House)

Flowey the Flower           (Undertale)

Creates an empire with his "children"

Horde Prime                                                                  (She Ra)

John Gaius, Emperor Undying, Necrolord Prime   (The Locked Tomb)

Soft and fluffy, Soft and fluffy. Sharp and pointy! Soft and fluffy..

Kyubey                (Madoka Magica)

Monokuma         (Danganronpa)

In another world they're just an ordinary hero, and honestly that's worse

Gentle Criminal                 (My Hero Academia)

Megamind                          (Megamind)

Goro Akechi                       (Persona 5)

Fairy tale vibes

Rumpelstiltskin   (Once Upon a Time)

Salem                   (RWBY)

Space bois!

HAL9000                             (2001: A Space Odyssey)

Marvin the Martian         (Looney tunes)

Love and Anxiety is stored in the them

Spamton              (Deltarune)

Navy Ruby           (Stephen Universe)

Jinx                       (Arcane)

One says "you're gonna die" because of how good his food is, and the other you're gonna die and become food..

Lalo Salamanca                 (Better Call Saul)

Hannibal Lecter                (Hannibal/Silence of the Lambs)

Kira ;)

Yoshikage Kira   (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)

Light Yagami      (Death Note)

Radio Adjacent/Death Adjacent

Alastor                 (Hazbin Hotel)

Dusknoir              (Pokémon)

Their crime is basically just being a capitalist

Mr. Grizz              (Splatoon)

Varrick                 (Legend of Korra)

Elias Bouchard   (The Magnus Archives)

Wizards

Merasmus          (Team Fortress 2)

Magolor              (Kirby)

Death gods

Hades    (Hercules)

Ryuk      (Death Note)

Abstract Fears

Michael Distortion           (The Magnus Archives)

Other Mother                   (Coraline)

Godzilla                               (Godzilla)

Royalty

King Boo                             (Luigi's Mansion games)

Queen                                 (Deltarune)

Prince Humperdinck        (The Princess Bride)

The absence of the thing they're addicted to causes Problems

Gamzee Makara               (Homestuck)

Bender                                (Futurama)

I'm calling them both pirates

Long John Silver                (Treasure Island)

Khan Noonien Singh        (Star Trek)

Mobsters?

Gustavo Fring                    (Breaking Bad)

Wilson Fisk/Kingpin         (Daredevil (Netflix))

Listen, I don't know how long it would take to actually fit these three into a category that makes sense, I'm just glad I technically only have one strict Miscellaneous vote (actually there are 6)

Oogie Boogie                    (The Nightmare before Christmas)

Roman Torchwick            (RWBY)

Medic                                  (Team Fortress 2)

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, November 14, Part I

Tom: You okay? Buffy: (drops the piece of glass and exhales) Yeah. I was... just thinking. Richard: To my Argentinean junk bonds that just matured into double digits! Tom: Uh, to maturity. Buffy: What the hell. I'm tired of being mature.

~~Buffy Episode #17: "Reptile Boy"~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Laws of Hospitality (Xander, T, multiple xovers) by madimpossibledreamer

Santa Spike (Buffy/Spike, T) by veronyxk84

Walk in the Valley (Willow, T, Phantom xover) by madimpossibledreamer

Retrograde (Drusilla/Spike, E) by SomeKindOfADeviant

Can We Keep him (Buffy/Spike, E) by desicat

Lethal love out of this world Ch. 1/6 by Buffyargent

keep the fire burning (Jenny, Enyos, T) by The_Eclectic_Bookworm

Tabula Rasa: Missing Scene (Buffy/Spike, unrated) by elysianholly

[Chaptered Fiction]

Vamp for Rent 9/18 (Spike/Xander, M) by forsaken2003

second chances they don't ever matter Ch. 4 (Buffy/Faith, T) by Evil_irish_batman

the slayer's brat kid sister Ch.4 (Buffy/Spike, Dawn, T) by InvisiblePinkToast

One Day You'll Know Ch. 1-5/5 (COMPLETE) (Buffy/Spike, M) by HaleKent

surrender your power Ch. 9/15 (Buffy/Faith, E) by paperwasp

Come Undone Ch. 31/31 (COMPLETE) (Buffy/Angel, M) by BuildMeUpButtercup_x

The right kind of wrong CH. 14 (Buffy/Giles, E) by DancingAngel0013

Heart Don't Lie Ch. 21/25 (Buffy/Spike, E) by NautiBitz

hit rewind Ch. 16 (Buffy/Spike, M) by untiljanuary

Crash and Burn CH. 21/35 (Buffy/Spike, E) by NautiBitz

New York CH. 14/43 (Giles/Xander, M) by drsquidlove

Goodbye to Everything That I Knew Ch. 7 (Buffy/Spike, M) by My_Barbaric_Yawp

Blood and Chaos CH. 52 (OC, Ensemble, M) by Aetheron, quote_Amy_unquote (Sannah_banana)

Stepping on Butterflies CH. 12/22 (Buffy/Angel, T) by melodys_muse

Love Letters To Spike CH. 1 (Buffy/Spike, G) by CecyTheRomanticist

The Mayor Dates, Chapter 1 (Joyce/Mayor Wilkins, G) by Desicat

Rules of Engagement , Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, E) by all_choseny

One Girl in All the World, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, G) by violettathepiratequeen

The Plunge, Chapter 6-7 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Harlow Turner

Walk It Back, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, G) by violettathepiratequeen

Now where did I leave that universe? Ch. 1 (Dawn, M, multiple xovers) by LaraBr

What do you mean I'm Magical Nobility? Ch. 32 (Xander, M, Harry Potter xover) by KnightofTempest

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Buffy & Angel by kairosimperative

Artwork:Spike by juicysnoop

Artwork:Spike by isevery0nehereverystoned

Artwork:Buffy & Willow by buffyandwillow

Artwork:Willow by pzyii

[Reviews & Recaps]

The thing I always forget about Bad Girls before I rewatch it is just how ridiculously plot heavy it is. by coraniaid

Buffy s5 e10 by pinksparkl

PODCAST: Episode 3 - Aquafortis and Quicksilver (The Witch) by The Sunnydale Diaries

PODCAST: BTVS 503 - The Replacement by Another Buffy Podcast

[Community Announcements]

Signups closed/Initial pinch hits by [personal profile] buffyversesecretsanta

Panfandom Hanukkah Bingo by hanukkahbingo

[northern-writer]

Solid Ground: Main Characters

Diana Jackson

Age: 29

Job Role: Forensic Consultant ~ To AC-12.

Nickname(s): Di (Most People); Sunshine (Steve) & Lady Di (Anyone taking the Piss.)

Info: Born in the North. Ex-Boyfriend is an arsehole (that’s what Steve says, anyway.) Has been friends with Steve for at least 6/7 years. Professional, kind, considered a delight to be around - but on the flip side, is extremely stubborn, a bit of a firecracker (she’s a Scorpio lads) and loyal to her colleagues/friends at AC-12. Probably always had feelings for Steve. Is most definitely not H, as she couldn’t keep a secret THAT big. Doesn’t drink or smoke. Can’t use guns - more like, refuses to. Distrusts Dot from day one.

Steve Arnott

Age: 35

Job Role: Detective Sergeant ~ AC-12 (Not quite a DI yet.)

Nickname(s): Steven (Diana); Mate (Kate) & Sweetheart (Angry!Diana.)

Info: Southerner through and through. Extremely protective of Diana, even though he knows she can handle herself. Gentle, a little moody and a hard worker. Feels like he has to make Diana proud - but constantly let’s her down (struggled to keep it in his pants a couple of times.) Probably always had feelings for Diana. Favourite part of the day is having lunch with Diana. Is most certainly not H. Can be read like an open book. Calls everyone “mate.” Knows that he’ll always have Diana’s support - regardless of what happens.

Richard Wilkins

Age: 33

Job Role: Crime Scene Investigator.

Nickname(s): Rich (Most people) & Knob (Steve.)

Info: Diana’s rather clingy ex-boyfriend. Cheated on her with a friend. Saying that - Is good at his job. A scientific mind. Has a mutual dislike with Steve. Became secretive towards the end of their relationship - series 2/3. Is he H? Maybe, maybe not. Still occasionally works alongside Diana. Knows Jill Bigalow a little too well.

Kate Fleming

Age: 34

Job Role: Detective Inspector ~ Murder Investigation Team (Fmr. AC-12.)

Nickname(s): Mate (Steve) & Kay (Diana.)

Info: Nottingham born and bred. Separated from Mark. An amazing mum to Josh. Treats Diana like the sister she never had. Proud, considerate and one the best undercover officers going. Also calls everyone “mate.” Could be H, but don’t think she is. Extremely secretive at times. Loyal to those around her - gets her into tricky situations at times. Never misses the chance to have a glass of wine with Diana.

Matthew “Dot” Cottan

Age: 39

Job Role: Detective Inspector ~ AC-12 (Fmr. AC-9/TO-20.)

Nickname(s): Dot (Everyone); Slenderman (Diana) & The Caddy (To all those who know...)

Info: A Blackpool native. Joins AC-12 in series 2. Just one of the ‘lads.’ Doing his best to hide who he really is. Initially fancies Diana, but that turns to contempt. Arrogant, a little slimy and highly competent. Always has an eye on everyone. A thorn in Steve’s side. Obviously H - well, one of them.

Ted Hastings

Age: 55

Job Role: Superintendent ~ AC-12.

Nickname(s): The Gaffer (Steve); Boss (Everyone) & Cap (Diana.)

Info: Northern Irish. The Boss. Nobody messes with Ted. He’s after one thing, and one thing only - Bent Coppers. Father figure vibes. Protective of Diana. Secretly ships her with Steve - possibly has a bet going with someone in the office. Has some issues. Anger issues. Separated from his wife. Once thought to be H, but he’s not. Would do anything for his AC-12.

[fiveslays-moved]

if you could have any buffy characters, who would you like to see?

oh !!!  hmm.   are we talking from the main scoobies   ??  because if so,   cordelia is a favorite.   i rarely see any of her.   outside the scooby gang,  i know me and @wickedlehane are selfishly wanting a richard wilkins to write out that mayor & faith dynamic,   we don’t care if it’s on a multi we’re reeking of desperation ajsdhk.   i’d also like to see more of anya,   kendra young   (there’s multi’s with her but honestly in general she’s so vastly underrated and we always need more diversity and more love for her solo blog or multi).   i’d also,   again,   selfishly,    like to see a robin.   i’ve been wanting to build on faith and robin’s relationship so asdh   ummm  drusilla,   angelus,   darla,   dawn,   joyce,   harmony,   the trio,   glory,   and last but not least...   any of the potential slayers   +   activated slayers !!    you could either choose a canon potential or make an oc.   ocs are very much welcomed here my friend.   and heck if you feel like making a faith,   make a faith !

if you’re gonna make a blog,   ANY character will be welcomed.   we’re such a super chilled posse i promise.   <3

[spooky-dumbasses]

All of my muses!

•The Prophet (Legion of the Black)

•Capricorn (American Satan)

•Johnny Faust (American Satan)

•Lily Mayflower (American Satan)

•Ricky Rollins (American Satan)

•Leo Donovan (American Satan)

•The Deviant (Legion of the Black)

•Richard Wilkins (OC) (Face Claim to come) (America Satan)

•Cronsin (OC) (Face Claim to come) (American Satan)

•Julie (OC) (American Satan) (Face claim to come)

•The Mystic (Legion of the Black)

•Zelkin (OC) (Face Claim to come)

•Sesshie (Satyr) (OC) (Face Claim to come)

•Kup (Transformers)

•Sʜᴇʟʟ Oᴠᴇʀʟᴏʀᴅ (Blood Bank)

•Cʀᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅsᴛᴀʀ (Warriors)

•Fʀᴏᴅᴏ Bᴀɢɢɪɴs (Lord of the Rings)

•Launchpad McQuack (DuckTales)

•Cory Matthews (Boy Meets World/Girl Meets World)

•Nostrand "Creature" Crane (The Unheavenly Creatures)

•The Deviant (Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones/Legion of the Black)

•Theon "Reek" Greyjoy (Game of Thrones)

•Tender Heart Bear (Care Bears)

•Pidge Gunderson (Voltron)

•Green Lion (Voltron)

•Sentry the Defiant (The Amory Wars)

•Eᴍɪʟʏ-ᴡɪᴛʜ-ᴀ-ʏ (Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls)

•ᴅᴇᴀɴ ᴡɪɴᴄʜᴇsᴛᴇʀ (Supernatural)

•ᴋɪᴏɴ (Lion Guard)

•Ambellina (The Amory Wars)

•Bumblebee (Knightverse Transformers)

•Buddha (Air Buddies movies)

•Arya Stark (Game of Thrones)

•Negan (The Walking Dead)

•Nymeria (Game of Thrones)

•Brandon Stark I (Game of Thrones)

•Bran Stark II (Game of Thrones)

•Summer (Game of Thrones)

•Dɪᴘᴘᴇʀ Pɪɴᴇs (Gravity Falls)

•Kʏʟᴏ Rᴇɴ (Star Wars)

•Pᴀᴠɪᴄʜɪ “Pᴀᴠɪ” Lᴀʀɢᴏ (Repo! The Genetic Opera)

•Tʜᴏʀɪɴ Oᴀᴋᴇɴsʜɪᴇʟᴅ (The Hobbit)

•Sᴀᴘʜɪʀᴀ (Eragon)

•Eʟᴘʜᴀʙᴀ Tʜʀᴏᴘᴘ (Wicked (book + musical)

•Cᴇᴄɪʟ Gᴇʀsʜᴡɪɴ Pᴀʟᴍᴇʀ (Welcome to Night Vale)

•Sᴄᴏᴏᴛᴀʟᴏᴏ (My Little Pony)

•Gᴀᴅᴢᴏᴏᴋs (The Last Dragon Chronicles)

•Cʏɴᴅᴇʀʜᴇᴀʀᴛ (ᴏᴄ) (Pokemon)

•Wɪʟʟᴏᴡ Rᴏsᴇɴʙᴇʀɢ (Buffy)

•ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ ᴘᴏɪsᴏɴ (The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys)

•ᴡɪɴsᴛᴏɴ (ᴏᴠᴇʀᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ)

•ᴋᴏᴠᴜ (Lion King II)

•ɴᴜᴋᴀ (Lion King II)

•sɪᴍʙᴀ (Lion King II)

•ᴊᴀsᴘᴇʀ (sᴛᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀsᴇ)

•ʟᴜᴄɪᴇɴ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅᴍᴀʀᴄʜ (Dream Daddy)

•ʀᴏʙᴇʀᴛ sᴍᴀʟʟ (Dream Daddy)

•Lucifer (Devil's Carnival)

•Flower (Meerkat Manor)

•Kenai (Brother Bear)

•ᴀʟɪᴄᴇ ᴄᴜʟʟᴇɴ (Twilight)

•ᴊᴀsᴘᴇʀ ʜᴀʟᴇ (Twilight)

•Lone Wanderer (named Atlas) (Fallout 3)

•Klaus Hargreeves "N°4" (Umbrella Academy)

•Lotor (Voltron)

•Three Dog (Fallout 3)

•Painted Doll (The Devil's Carnival)

•The Ghost (The Ghost of Ohio)

•Felicity (Felidae)

•Judy Hopps (Zootopia)

•Jayfeather (Warriors)

•Jay's Wing (Warriors)

•Leomon (Digimon)

•Renamon (Digimon)

•Bucky Barnes (MCU)

•Non-canon Priest (OC named Spencer) (The Exorcist)

•Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street)

•Graverobber (Repo! The Genetic Opera)

•GENtern (Name to come) (Repo! The Genetic Opera)

•Pennywise the Dancing Clown (IT (2017)

•ᴘᴇʀᴇɢʀɪɴ "ᴘɪᴘᴘɪɴ" ᴛᴏᴏᴋ (Lord of the Rings)

•Ozpin (RWBY)

•Ruby (RWBY)

•Yang (RWBY)

•Jareth the Goblin King (Labyrinth)

•Jᴀᴄᴋ ᴛʜᴇ Wᴏʟғ

•Bᴀʀɴ Oᴡʟ

•Vᴇʟᴏᴄɪʀᴀᴘᴛᴏʀ

•Fᴀɴᴄʏ Rᴀᴛ

•Polar Bear (named Lono)

•Aʟᴏʟᴀɴ Nɪɴᴇᴛᴀɪʟs

•Hᴏᴜɴᴅᴏᴏᴍ

•Aʀᴄᴀɴɪɴᴇ

[ao3feed-btvs]

Ripper, The Vampire Slayer

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2NH2h0T

by CantSpeakFae

"Into every generation a slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number."

Except, this time, she is a he. And you can call him "Ripper".

Words: 3641, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Inverted Hellmouth

Fandoms: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: Ripper Giles - Character, Randall, Deirdre Page, Xander Harris, Willow Rosenberg, Chanterelle, Doyle, Richard Wilkins, William Pratt, Kendra Young, Elizabeth Giles (OC)

Relationships: Ripper Giles/Randall

Additional Tags: Role Reversal, Ripper is the Slayer, Sunnydale has been flipped upside down, Disturbing Themes, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Psychological Torture, Implied/Referenced Torture, Past Torture, Internalized Homophobia, Catholic Character, Graphic descriptions of violence, Sort of written in a 4th person P.O.V, Ripper is an idiot but we love him anyway, Slayers gonna Slay, Randall is a soft boy and we appreciate him in this house, Mental Health Issues, Plot twists abound

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2NH2h0T

[junker-town]

Arizona State’s Todd Graham can build coaches, but what about a program?

The Sun Devils themselves aren’t as impressive as Graham’s coaching tree.

This preview originally published May 25 and has since been updated.

Some guys are great facilitators.

Hayden Fry took Iowa to 14 bowls and engineered two top-10 finishes but is known for a coaching tree that features Bill Snyder, Barry Alvarez, and a wide array of Stoopses.

Hal Mumme took Kentucky to back-to-back bowls for the first time in 15 years but is remembered for his air raid disciples: Mike Leach, Dana Holgorsen, etc.

Former Miami and North Carolina head coach Butch Davis hired a host of future head coaches — Chuck Pagano, Greg Schiano, Rob Chudzinski, Randy Shannon, Mario Cristobal, Curtis Johnson, Everett Withers — but oversaw just one top-10 finish and one NFL playoff bid himself.

Mike Bellotti won 116 games with three top-10 finishes at Oregon, but his coaching tree shows he might have been better at prepping others than helping himself. He hired Washington’s Chris Petersen as his receivers coach, he named future Tampa Bay Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter as his offensive coordinator in 1996, and he brought in a New Hampshire assistant named Chip Kelly in 2007.

Graham has had a fine career for himself. The 52-year-old has been a head coach for 11 seasons, and while he had the reputation of a mover — his first four seasons took place at four different schools — he has won 88 games, generated three ranked finishes, and won at least 10 games five times. He has had only three losing seasons.

At some point, however, he might become more known for the coaches he hired than for the games he won.

At Rice, he hired Major Applewhite (now head man at Houston) as his offensive coordinator and David Beaty (Kansas’ head coach) as his receivers coach.

At Tulsa, he brought in Gus Malzahn as offensive co-coordinator, and after Malzahn left, he brought in future SMU head coach Chad Morris. Malzahn just lured Graham’s 2016 offensive coordinator, Chip Lindsey, to Auburn.

Memphis head coach Mike Norvell spent nine years under Graham, moving from Tulsa grad assistant to Pitt offensive co-coordinator to Arizona State coordinator. Norvell brought Chip Long, Graham’s tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator, to Memphis as offensive coordinator. The pairing worked well enough that Long became Notre Dame’s OC after one season.

Jay Norvell joined Graham’s staff in 2016 before landing the Nevada job.

That’s six current college head coaches, plus likely future head men like Long and Lindsey. Graham’s newest offensive coordinator, former Alabama receivers coach Billy Napier, is regarded as quite the up-and-comer, too. Graham has former head coaches like Phil Bennett and Dave Christensen on the staff as well.

This is one hell of a coaching tree, one that will continue to blossom. And Graham’s barely been a head coach for a decade! Working under Graham means learning strong organizational principles and a system based on speed and aggression. With those basics, you can go in a lot of directions.

Of course, if you earn the reputation of molding exciting assistants, your reward is ... having to hire a lot more of them.

Two of Graham’s three losing seasons, by the way, happened in the last two years. From 20-7 in 2013-14, ASU has fallen to 11-14 since. The Sun Devils have regressed in almost perfectly linear fashion:

S&P+: eighth in 2013, 25th in 2014, 49th in 2015, 83rd in 2016

Offensive S&P+: 13th in 2013, 24th in 2014, 26th in 2015, 56th in 2016

Defensive S&P+: 15th in 2013, 41st in 2014, 81st in 2015, 114th in 2016

The offense has fallen, and the defense has vanished. The former can be explained in part by assistant coaching turnover; the latter, though, is a bit of an indictment — Graham, a former defensive coordinator himself, hasn’t lost a ton of defensive assistants. He’s either made the wrong hires or hasn’t recruited the right guys.

The ASU offense should be exciting in 2017; leading rusher Demario Richard, leading receiver N’Keal Harry, and flex guy Kalen Ballage (last year’s No. 2 rusher and No. 3 receiver) return, as do six linemen with starting experience. Three exciting transfers become eligible, and Graham and Napier have a pool of four semi-experienced quarterbacks. A return to the Off. S&P+ top 30 is conceivable.

The defense, however, could determine Graham’s fate. Coaches rarely survive three consecutive years of regression. The Sun Devils return lots of juniors and seniors on D, including attackers like end JoJo Wicker and linebacker DJ Calhoun, and Graham brought in Bennett, a seasoned coordinator. The good news is that a fourth straight year of defensive regression is nearly impossible.

2016 in review

2016 ASU statistical profile.

Graham squads are fast, confident, and assertive. His 2016 ASU team was flawed from the start, but against lesser competition, that didn’t matter too much. When the schedule got more difficult, however, the Sun Devils had no answers.

First 4 games (4-0): Avg. percentile performance: 61% (~top 50) | Avg. yards per play: Opp 6.6, ASU 6.3 (minus-0.3) | Avg. score: ASU 49, Opp 34 (plus-15)

Next 4 games (1-3): Avg. percentile performance: 39% (~top 80) | Avg. yards per play: Opp 6.3, ASU 4.0 (minus-2.3) | Avg. score: Opp 35, ASU 23 (minus-12)

Last 4 games (0-4): Avg. percentile performance: 17% (~top 105) | Avg. yards per play: Opp 8.4, ASU 5.1 (minus-3.3) | Avg. score: Opp 51, ASU 29 (minus-22)

Even early in the year, during tight wins over teams like UTSA and Cal, the defense was giving up a scary number of big plays. When the competition improved, the big plays became deadly. IsoPPP measures the magnitude of an offense’s successful plays, and ASU ranked 128th out of 128 FBS teams in IsoPPP allowed. If the Sun Devils weren’t creating havoc, they were getting gashed.

Meanwhile, quarterback Manny Wilkins dealt with ailments and was replaced by a couple different freshman quarterbacks. The run game vanished, which put far too much pressure on the QB of the week.

This is all a very bad combination, and after semi-respectable results — a 41-20 loss to USC, a 23-20 win over UCLA, a 37-32 loss to Wazzu — ASU imploded. This was a really bad team in November. Some shuffling on the coaching staff was warranted.

Offense

Full advanced stats glossary.

Despite his defensive background, Graham’s teams have been far more likely to excel on offense than defense through the years. Of his 11 offenses, six have ranked 26th or better in Off. S&P+, and only two have ranked outside of the top 60.

The Sun Devils ranked 56th in 2016, dragged down by Wilkins’ injury issues. When he was healthy, ASU was still limited by an iffy run game, but the passing game was at least dangerous. Freshmen Dillon Sterling-Cole and Brady White (combined: 51 percent completion rate, 4.8 percent INT rate, 3 TDs to 5 INTs, 5.5 yards per pass attempt including sacks) simply weren’t ready.

Wilkins: 63% completion rate, 2.9% INT rate, 6.1 yards per pass attempt (including sacks)

Sterling-Cole & White: 51% completion rate, 4.8% INT rate, 5.5 yards per pass attempt

The backup situation will likely be in better shape, at least. White, a former blue-chipper, and Sterling-Cole are both back, but Wilkins is also getting pushed hard by Alabama transfer Blake Barnett, who worked with Napier in Tuscaloosa. Barnett began 2016 as Bama’s starter but was quickly usurped by Jalen Hurts. In a small sample, he took a ton of sacks and hit on some really big passes.

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Blake Barnett

Whoever wins the QB job will have a potentially awesome receiving corps. ASU does have to replace its two most efficient receivers — slot men Tim White and Frederick Gammage — but in Harry, Ballage, and slot receiver Jalen Harvey, the Sun Devils have three players who combined for 123 catches and 1,458 yards.

Harry, a former blue-chipper, held his own as a freshman No. 1, and Ballage combined an early 100-yard rushing game (137 yards, seven touchdowns against Texas Tech) with two late 100-yard receiving games (combined: 13 catches, 223 yards against Oregon and Utah). Meanwhile, senior Cameron Smith caught 41 passes in 2014 but has struggled to stay on the field the last two years. [Update: Smith has since transferred to Notre Dame.]

Joining the veterans are two exciting transfers. Sophomores Ryan Newsome (Texas) and John Humphrey (Oklahoma) are custom-built slot receivers with high ceilings. If either can replace White’s efficiency, and the winner of the QB battle can stay on the field, the passing game should hum.

The run game, though? A line that helped ASU rank 15th in power success rate and 21st in stuff rate is experienced despite the loss of two-year starting left tackle Evan Goodman. But neither Ballage nor leading rusher Demario Richard were even slightly efficient against defenses less awful than Texas Tech’s. Richard gained at least five yards on just 29 percent of his carries (the national average is about 40 percent), Ballage 28 percent.

ASU rarely moved backwards but still ranked 107th in rushing success rate. Returning everyone involved doesn’t automatically help those numbers.

Cole Elsasser-USA TODAY Sports

Kalen Ballage

Defense

The offense obviously has some question marks, but the raw components, plus Graham’s history, suggest improvement. Graham’s defense, however, has lost the benefit of the doubt. ASU showed the downside of aggression last fall, ranking a not-awful 67th in success rate and 45th in havoc rate but giving up an almost impossible number of big plays.

I mean, damn:

ASU allowed 3.7 gains of 30-plus per game (125th in FBS), 1.8 rushes of 20-plus (86th), and 12.5 passes of 10-plus (127th). To account for that, you better have the best efficiency numbers in the country. The Sun Devils did not.

A little bit of new blood could help. Graham brought in Michael Slater as line coach after the Beaty assistant engineered a massive turnaround on the Kansas D-line in 2016.

More significantly, he hired Bennett, Art Briles’ former coordinator at Baylor. Setting aside any moral issues you might (justifiably) have with former Briles assistants so quickly finding new work, this move makes sense. Bennett crafted a defense that served as a strong complement to the mach-speed Baylor offense.

The basics of the Bennett defense — an imposing defensive line anchored by a seasoned, swarming secondary — sound a lot like the basics of the defense Keith Patterson spent the last few years trying and failing to maintain in Tempe. (Patterson remains on staff as linebackers coach.)

Slater could have some fun with JoJo Wicker and Tashon Smallwood up front. The two combined for 20 tackles for loss and five sacks, and backup Renell Wren contributed six and 1.5, respectively. Linebackers DJ Calhoun and Koron Crump, meanwhile, combined for 22 and 13.5. That’s a lot of returning havoc, and Bennett should know how to use some of those pieces.

Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

JoJo Wicker

Of course, havoc wasn’t the problem last year — breakdowns were. And the state of the secondary doesn’t automatically lead one to believe they will be solved. A more effectively aggressive front seven can produce aggrieved, mistake-prone QBs, but when the QBs get the passes off, they’ll be throwing into the teeth of a secondary that must replace half of its top four cornerbacks, plus safety Armand Perry, who just retired with injury issues.

The returnees are experienced; there just might not be enough of them. Safeties Marcus Ball and Chad Adams and corners Kareem Orr [update: Orr’s transferred to UT-Chattanooga] and Maurice Chandler are all either juniors and seniors and combined for 22 percent of ASU’s tackles last year. But they created almost no disruption — ASU was ninth in the country in LB havoc rate but 127th in DB havoc rate — and gave up at least four touchdown passes four times last year.

Opponents completed 64 percent of their passes and produced a 156.9 passer rating; ASU basically turned every opposing passer into USC’s Sam Darnold (161.1). And while Graham is not averse to signing JUCOs, he’s going to be relying on younger players to provide an energy boost in the back — four-star redshirt freshman Chase Lucas, for instance, finished the spring as a starting corner.

As goes the ASU pass defense, so goes ASU. The havoc recipe was all wrong in 2016, and that cannot continue.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Koron Crump

Special Teams

It could have been a lot worse for ASU last year; if not for the No. 4 special teams unit in the country, the Sun Devils could have gone lost at least a couple more games. They did, after all, go 2-1 in one-possession finishes.

Unfortunately, the primary reason for ranking fourth in Special Teams S&P+ was Zane Gonzalez, and he’s gone. Gonzalez went 13-for-15 on field goals over 40 yards and booted three-quarters of his kickoffs for touchbacks, setting a bar that his successor might not come anywhere close to clearing.

Tim White’s punt returns were the next reason for ASU’s strong special teams ratings; he’s also gone. This unit is almost completely starting over.

2017 outlook

2017 Schedule & Projection Factors

Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 31-Aug New Mexico State 124 21.8 90% 9-Sep San Diego State 52 1.9 54% 16-Sep at Texas Tech 66 -1.4 47% 23-Sep Oregon 23 -5.9 37% 30-Sep at Stanford 12 -17.7 15% 14-Oct Washington 13 -12.3 24% 21-Oct at Utah 45 -4.2 40% 28-Oct USC 7 -16.1 18% 4-Nov Colorado 50 1.7 54% 11-Nov at UCLA 34 -6.6 35% 18-Nov at Oregon State 54 -2.8 44% 25-Nov Arizona 68 4.2 60%

Projected S&P+ Rk 58 Proj. Off. / Def. Rk 31 / 85 Projected wins 5.2 Five-Year S&P+ Rk 7.2 (38) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 38 / 30 2016 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* -4 / 2.0 2016 TO Luck/Game -2.5 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 71% (72%, 70%) 2016 Second-order wins (difference) 3.6 (1.4)

Even as the wins have vanished, ASU has continued to look like a Graham team: aggressive, fast, and willing to risk a few explosions to create some of their own. But the combination of injuries and poor pass defense created a disaster against just about any team with a pulse last fall.

Naturally, after three years of regression, S&P+ has stopped believing in the Sun Devils. They are projected to improve, but only to 58th, and with a brutal North slate that includes Stanford and Washington but misses Cal and Washington State, 58th isn’t good enough to guarantee a bowl.

Like Arizona and most of the Pac-12, though, ASU’s fate will be determined by tossups. Including non-conference games against SDSU and Texas Tech, the Sun Devils are looking at eight games with win probability between 35 and 60 percent. They had one likely win and three likely losses, so they’ll have to win a majority of the tight games to make sure their bowl drought ends at just one year.

At least Graham’s latest round of hires looks strong. His new offensive coordinator and defensive line coach are up-and-comers, and he brought in a potentially valuable old hand to save a flagging defense. ASU should show enough progress to keep Graham in Tempe for another year, but it might take until 2018 for everything to click again.

Team preview stats

All power conference preview data to date.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Monday, July 27 - Tuesday, July 28

MAYOR: Hello Faith. If you're watching this tape, it can only mean one thing. I'm dead. And our noble campaign to bring order to the town of Sunnydale has failed. Utterly and completely. But on the other hand, heck, maybe we won. And right now, I'm on some jumbo monitor in the Richard Wilkins museum surrounded by a bunch of kids sitting Indian style and looking up at my face filled with fear and wonder. (Laughs) "Hi kids!" (Faith smiles) But the realist in me tends to doubt it. Now, Faith, as I record this message you're sleeping. And the doctors tell me you might never wake up. I don't believe that. Sooner or later you will wake up, and when you do, you'll find the world has gone and changed on you. I wish I could make the world a better place for you to wake up in. But, tough as it is to accept, we both have to understand that even my power to protect and watch over you has its limits. See, the hard pill to swallow is that once I'm gone, your days are just plain numbered. Now, I know, you're a smart and capable young woman in charge of her own life, but the problem, Faith, is that there won't be a place in the world for you anymore. By now I bet you're feeling very much alone. But you're never alone. You'll always have me. (Picks up box) And you'll always have this. Go ahead. Open the box. (Faith takes box from the case and looks at it.) Don't worry. It's not gonna bite. That's my job. (Laughs) Go ahead. Open it. (She does so) Surprise! You won't find these in any gumball machine! See, when you've been around as long as I have, you make friends. And some of them forge neat little gizmos. Just like the one you're holding right now. And here's the good news. Just because it's over for my Faith, doesn't mean she can't go out with a bang.

~~This Year's Girl (Season 4)~~

The Sunnydale Herald is currently looking for MOAR EDITORS! Contributing to the Herald is a great way to get your Buffy on! For more information, send us an ask (on Tumblr) or post a reply to this post (on Livejournal or Dreamwidth)! You can also message Rahirah directly.

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Standing Against the Forces of Darkness by aaronlisa

Path of Sorrows (Buffy, Xander, T, Devil May Cry xover) by madimpossibledreamer

Thursdays (Willow/Angel, T) by Ladyfae (Ladysaille)

Return to the Fray (Giles, G, Torchwood xover) by Unfeathered

Rough and Ready (Giles, E, Torchwood xover) by Unfeathered

There and Back Again (Buffy, Giles, G, LotR xover) by Whedonista93

Save Us (Ethan/Giles, unrated, MCU xover) by Whedonista93

Double Date (Buffy/Spike, Angel/Cordelia, T) by klutzy_girl

Whedonverse Savage Love (Multiple Pairings, M) by LondonKdS

At Midnight (Giles, Andrew, M) by LondonKdS

Bad, Bad, Bad Boys and Dangerous Girls (Buffy/Spike, T) by Anya_Mae

Misgivings (Willow/Angel, T) by Ladyfae (Ladysaille)

i want to kiss your lips (Buffy/Faith, M) by toyhdgehog

The Magic of Tupperware (Spike/reader, unrated) by prose-for-hire

[Chaptered Fiction]

Torchwood Aftershock: Halloween 8 & 9 & 10 &11 (Spike/Xander, T, Torchwood xover) by madimpossibledreamer

Collide Ch 1-6/6 (COMPLETE) by Whedonista93

Fireflies Ch. 1/? (Giles/Ethan, T) by YourlocalBi0hazard

Soul Swap Ch. 1 (Buffy/SPike, T) by ZombieLieutenant

Once More with Folklore Ch. 1-16/16 (COMPLETE) (Multiple characters & pairings, T) by Astral_Bees

Invasion of the Space Vixens CH. 1 (Willow/Faith, Buffy, T, multiple xovers) by steeleye

Spellbound I: Learning to Fly Ch. 1-2/50 (Willow/Tara, Buffy/Riley, Xander/Anya, M) by

A sunny day in DC Ch. 13 (Xander, T, DCU xover) by dogbertcarroll

And The Hits Just Keep On Coming Ch. 2 (Xander, M, multiple xovers) by Greywizard

Rebuilt Ch. 1 (Buffy, T) by batzulger

Lost In Confusion Ch. 16 (Buffy/Angel, T) by evilbuffyfan4eva

Moments that Make You: The Hero and The Princess Ch. 33 by myheadsgonenumb

Spike's Childe Ch. 2 (Angel, Spike, OC, T) by pizzafan123

Family Confidential 3: The Boy Ultimatum (Willow/Tara, T) by Laragh-WT-Wayhaught

Sea and fire and woman, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Ginger

Living Arrangements , Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, T) by ChryshCn

Do Not Read This Journal Ch. 93-97 (Buffy/Spike, E) by IvoryPetals

Distant thunder, Chapter 14 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Axell

Inside Man, Chapter (Buffy/Spike, E) by Holly

Princess Buffy's Choice, Chapter 10 - 11 (Buffy/Spike, T) by zarryspolo

Kindred, Chapter 30 (Buffy/Spike, E) by sweetprincipale

Dress My Body All in Flowers White, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, M) by othellia

Pictures of You, Chapter 62 (Buffy/Spike, E) by kats_meow

Dances in the Dark , Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, E) by DarkEternity96

Civilized monster, Chapter 37 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Axell

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Scoobies by artsying-ifer

Artwork:Giles and Xander sketches by flummoxedangel

Artwork:Willow & Tara by artsying-ifer

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M for The Master: Banner by nightshade

Video: Big Brewing Evil by Emma B

Video: Willow Has a Girlfriend Now by Periru3

Video: Buffy/Spike + Ben/Rey || Born To Die by hydesbride

Video: buffy & faith | you'd come back for me by burningveins

[Reviews & Recaps]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The High School Years Vol 3 Parental Parasite review (SPOILERS!!!) by numberonepapermaker32

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The High School Years Vol 2 Glutton for Punishment review (SPOILERS!!) by numberonepapermaker32

Buffy S3E8 ‘Lover’s Walk’ by pass-the-bechdel

PODCAST: Bring on The Night/Awakening by MM Podcast Network

PODCAST: Episode 58 - Sleeper / Never Leave Me (feat. Tami Anderson) by Conversations With Dead People

PUBLICATION: Storyteller – Episode 138 by Rewatching Buffy

PUBLICATION: Salvage – Episode 79 by Rewatching Buffy

[Community Announcements]

More Gilesy round-up from Summer of Giles by summer_of_giles

[Fandom Discussions]

Headcanons for genderfluid!Buffy I, II and III by nsft-headcanons

The scene in Buffy Season 6 where Tara tells Buffy that she didn’t come back wrong by blackkismet

Spike & Dru by

Screencaps by nightshade

What would this season look like with Cordelia instead of Spike by slayer730

Do Vampires Breathe or not?!? by themidnightwitch44

Ben & Glory by Anon

Been thinking about how Tara and Willow by protectgiles

Was Spike a Vampire Anomaly? by SpikeRocks

Reacting to Reactions! by Stoney

Which episode? by Synch

Overall power rankings of beings, good and bad, including the PTB, WR&H, etc. by Multiple Authors

I just watched the body for the first time by Ohm_B

Does Buffy consider Spike her boyfriend? by Dampsquid27

Would Andrew Wells have gone along with the rape of Katrina Silber? by buttercupcreamcup

And yet Buffy had to work at the Double Meat Palace...? by jennetters

A nice mirroring, Robin Wood/Daniel Hotlz by Senorpuddin

was the camera work on Angel the series shit quality on purpose? by number1angels

Why did the Slayer Organization backfire? by jdpm1991

Christophe Beck Appreciation Post by Garlicknottodaysatan

Just Noticed Something Interesting about Robin Wood by nondenomifan

Introducing The Body to someone who is loving the series by MiztheBigBad

What would really happen...? by Northman1987

Did any of the actors get to direct an episode of Buffy? by 2018WorldCup

Re-watching The Wish by SpazCrab

When and where did Spike bleach his hair? by Dampsquid27

Buffy Comics (2019 Run) by aofb031985

Bloody hell. Sodding, blimey, shagging, knickers, bollocks. by emperorwal

The Body by EverydayMoonlight

Drusilla by aninterpretivememory

When did Buffy find time to sleep or what patrolling hours did she keep in high school? by bornmedicated

Best male chararacter? by howyouspeak

Rewatch by anonlistens

Watching The Body after many years by Goulet231

A question about spike by tommymikaelson

Question about the finale by EdenH333

Hellmouth Theory by NebCam101

So Robin Wood... by sarabeara12345678910

Favorite "candy" episode by Nacknack26

Who would win in a fight, The Judge vs The Master vs Adam by SirOGU

So...what did the trio sing about during Once More With Feeling? by nachoquest

Why did Buffy still have her powers? by jdpm1991

What do you think went wrong with Riley? by TypicalPsychology6

This question caused a 3 hour long argument in my college dining hall back in the day by abby-normal-brain

Empty Places Scene by TypicalPsychology6

Spike’s chip by DeepBreath220

What do we know by now, about what the original outlines for S4 and S5 would have been? by jacoma89

Watching Angel by Jamieb1994

Spike's speech in "Touched" by figtoria

More prominent role in the Scooby Gang? Tara, Cordelia or Anya? by jdpm1991

I love Gina Torres, but what the fuck was this revisionist bullshit in Angel season 4 by Use_Her-Name

Just started season 4 by UndeadLibido

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

PODCAST: BUFFY CAST Q+A | TUES, JULY 28TH by Wizard World

PODCAST: by

PUBLICATION: Buffy The Vampire Slayer & Angel: Every Crossover Explained by Screen Rant

PUBLICATION: Angel: The ONE Thing The Spin-Off Did Better Than Buffy by Screen Rant

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Thursday, October 17

Drusilla: (runs her fingers over Xander's lips) Your face is a poem. (moans) I can read it. Xander: (terrified) Really? It doesn't say 'spare me' by any chance?

~~Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Shrinks and Memories (Faith & Richard Wilkins, G) by TornThorn

Veritas in Canticis (Angel, Spike, G) by TornThorn

The Big Moments (Connor, G) by jjscm

[Chaptered Fiction]

Go Razorbacks! Chapter 5 (crossover with Red Dawn, T) by steeleye

This Year's Enemies Chapter 8 (Faith/Buffy, T) by AliceLost

Lotus Chapter 71 (Tara/Willow, G) by Counterpunch

You are a part of me Chapter 2 (Giles/OC, G) by There_Once_Was_A_Girl

The one where Band Candy had Consequences Chapter 2 (Buffy&Joyce, Buffy&Giles, T) by There_Once_Was_A_Girl

The Devil's Gift Chapter 2 (Lucifer crossover, Buffy, Spike, not rated) by spikes_heart

Echoes Chapter 14 (Spike/Buffy, E) by HollyDB

A Matter Of Taste Chapter 13, Chapter 14 (Spike/Buffy, not rated) by wolf_shadoe

Eye of Eleos Chapter 49 (Spike/Buffy, T) by pfeifferpack

Ship of The Line – Effect 31 Chapter 2 (crossover with Star Trek and Mass Effect, FR18) by KnifeHand

Star Wars and Buffy are Non-Mixy Chapter 150 (crossover with Star Wars, Andrew, Buffy/Obi Wan, FR18) by Sharie

The Sunnydale Imp Chapter 57 (crossover with Whateley Academy, Scoobies, FR18) by bloodredtiger

Haloed Away Chapter 10 (crossover with Halo and Stargate SG-1, Buffy, FR21) by ShadowMaster

Siniath Faers, Cadu Ad Chapter 2 (crossover with Lord of the Rings and Fate Universe, FR21) by ShadowMaster

The Key to the Zeppo Chapter 7 (crossover with Harry Potter, Xander/Dawn/Multi, FR21) by redjacobson

Where the Forest Meets the Stars Chapter 17 (crossover with Stargate, Buffy, FR18) by Hermionetobe

[Images, Audio & Video]

Ink drawing: Inktober 16: “You’re alive because I saw you change” (Spike/Buffy, worksafe) by a-case-of-the-wiggins

Vid: Lana Del Rey - Kinda Outta Luck (Buffy) by softysugar

Vid: BUFFY TVS - dog days are over (hd) (multiple ships) by DEAN MORIARTY

Vid: Buffy e Angel (Bangel, NSFW) by Paola Recrosio

Vid (alternate opening credits): If Buffy The Vampire Slayer was a 90s Sitcom (ensemble) by Sunnydale Sunset

Artwork process video: Monstober Werewolves: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Oz by Amber Stone

Artwork process video: Drawing Buffy/Angel - Adam The Bio-Mechanical Demonoid by Snake Daemon Art

Digital art: "Nightmares" review card (The Master, Buffy, worksafe) by schrootdinger

[Reviews & Recaps]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) - Deep Dive by FilmJoy

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2 Review - The Sunnydale Review Episode 2 by Wicked Good Podcasts

Lex Chats | Buffy the Vampire Slayer S01 E04 REVIEW by LexChats

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 1x11 Out Of Mind Out Of Sight Review by Cooksters Movie Reviews

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 1x12 Prophecy Girl Review by Cooksters Movie Reviews

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 2x1 When She Was Bad Review by Cooksters Movie Reviews

Spoiler Corner 2.3 School Hard by Booze & Buffy

Hellmouth #1 by Willow from Buffy, Priceless, a thing of evil

BtVS rewatch: SEASON 6 (cont'd) by Stoney, StateOfSiege97

Lie to Me by Lacobus, Beneathyoubuffy

PODCAST: Still Pretty #94. Something Blue (S4.09)

[Recs]

Spuffy fic recs by flow, Priceless

Buffy and Angel Youtube reactions recced by Silver1, Priceless, vampmogs

Meta videos by The Costume Codex recced by Sosa lola, Priceless

[Community Announcements]

Fanfiction Discussion: A Ghost Of A Chance by sabershadowkat 26k starting 18th of October 2019

[Fandom Discussions]

[Re: There’s this quote that made me think of bangel] by we-pay-for-everything

In honor of Angel’s 20th anniversary, Happy Birthday to Us. by we-pay-for-everything

Season 3 shows that Spike was Overrated. by AngelBuffy and others

Restless - Angel as the dream guide? by BuffyForever329

How well would Gunn do against Angel in a fight? How well against non-chipped Spike? hosted by MikeB

Should TV BtVS have had Dawn dating? by multiple people

What's wrong with Robin Wood? by multiple people

What are some of your favorite and least favorite episodes [of AtS]? hosted by ThePledgeTyler300

Buffy/Angel relationship hosted by sylphe7

Intro, Lorne and Comics hosted by Tall-Guy

Can I watch Angel before buffy without feeling too bamboozled? - responses by multiple people

Damon Salvatore (TVD) vs Buffy Summers(BTVS)! Who wins? by Dman Da Man

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

Videos: New York Comic Con interviews and panel via MikeB

Event: Buffy: The Vampire Musical on October 30 and November 2 in London

[junker-town]

Arizona State’s Todd Graham can build coaches, but what about a program?

The Sun Devils themselves aren’t as impressive as Graham’s coaching tree.

Some guys are great facilitators.

Hayden Fry took Iowa to 14 bowls and engineered two top-10 finishes but is known for a coaching tree that features Bill Snyder, Barry Alvarez, and a wide array of Stoopses.

Hal Mumme took Kentucky to back-to-back bowls for the first time in 15 years but is remembered for his air raid disciples: Mike Leach, Dana Holgorsen, etc.

Former Miami and North Carolina head coach Butch Davis hired a host of future head coaches — Chuck Pagano, Greg Schiano, Rob Chudzinski, Randy Shannon, Mario Cristobal, Curtis Johnson, Everett Withers — but oversaw just one top-10 finish and one NFL playoff bid himself.

Mike Bellotti won 116 games with three top-10 finishes at Oregon, but his coaching tree shows he might have been better at prepping others than helping himself. He hired Washington’s Chris Petersen as his receivers coach, he named future Tampa Bay Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter as his offensive coordinator in 1996, and he brought in a New Hampshire assistant named Chip Kelly in 2007.

Graham has had a fine career for himself. The 52-year-old has been a head coach for 11 seasons, and while he had the reputation of a mover — his first four seasons took place at four different schools — he has won 88 games, generated three ranked finishes, and won at least 10 games five times. He has had only three losing seasons.

At some point, however, he might become more known for the coaches he hired than for the games he won.

At Rice, he hired Major Applewhite (now head man at Houston) as his offensive coordinator and David Beaty (Kansas’ head coach) as his receivers coach.

At Tulsa, he brought in Gus Malzahn as offensive co-coordinator, and after Malzahn left, he brought in future SMU head coach Chad Morris. Malzahn just lured Graham’s 2016 offensive coordinator, Chip Lindsey, to Auburn.

Memphis head coach Mike Norvell spent nine years under Graham, moving from Tulsa grad assistant to Pitt offensive co-coordinator to Arizona State coordinator. Norvell brought Chip Long, Graham’s tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator, to Memphis as offensive coordinator. The pairing worked well enough that Long became Notre Dame’s OC after one season.

Jay Norvell joined Graham’s staff in 2016 before landing the Nevada job.

That’s six current college head coaches, plus likely future head men like Long and Lindsey. Graham’s newest offensive coordinator, former Alabama receivers coach Billy Napier, is regarded as quite the up-and-comer, too. Graham has former head coaches like Phil Bennett and Dave Christensen on the staff as well.

This is one hell of a coaching tree, one that will continue to blossom. And Graham’s barely been a head coach for a decade! Working under Graham means learning strong organizational principles and a system based on speed and aggression. With those basics, you can go in a lot of directions.

Of course, if you earn the reputation of molding exciting assistants, your reward is ... having to hire a lot more of them.

Two of Graham’s three losing seasons, by the way, happened in the last two years. From 20-7 in 2013-14, ASU has fallen to 11-14 since. The Sun Devils have regressed in almost perfectly linear fashion:

S&P+: eighth in 2013, 25th in 2014, 49th in 2015, 83rd in 2016

Offensive S&P+: 13th in 2013, 24th in 2014, 26th in 2015, 56th in 2016

Defensive S&P+: 15th in 2013, 41st in 2014, 81st in 2015, 114th in 2016

The offense has fallen, and the defense has vanished. The former can be explained in part by assistant coaching turnover; the latter, though, is a bit of an indictment — Graham, a former defensive coordinator himself, hasn’t lost a ton of defensive assistants. He’s either made the wrong hires or hasn’t recruited the right guys.

The ASU offense should be exciting in 2017; leading rusher Demario Richard, leading receiver N’Keal Harry, and flex guy Kalen Ballage (last year’s No. 2 rusher and No. 3 receiver) return, as do six linemen with starting experience. Three exciting transfers become eligible, and Graham and Napier have a pool of four semi-experienced quarterbacks. A return to the Off. S&P+ top 30 is conceivable.

The defense, however, could determine Graham’s fate. Coaches rarely survive three consecutive years of regression. The Sun Devils return lots of juniors and seniors on D, including attackers like end JoJo Wicker and linebacker DJ Calhoun, and Graham brought in Bennett, a seasoned coordinator. The good news is that a fourth straight year of defensive regression is nearly impossible.

2016 in review

2016 ASU statistical profile.

Graham squads are fast, confident, and assertive. His 2016 ASU team was flawed from the start, but against lesser competition, that didn’t matter too much. When the schedule got more difficult, however, the Sun Devils had no answers.

First 4 games (4-0): Avg. percentile performance: 61% (~top 50) | Avg. yards per play: Opp 6.6, ASU 6.3 (minus-0.3) | Avg. score: ASU 49, Opp 34 (plus-15)

Next 4 games (1-3): Avg. percentile performance: 39% (~top 80) | Avg. yards per play: Opp 6.3, ASU 4.0 (minus-2.3) | Avg. score: Opp 35, ASU 23 (minus-12)

Last 4 games (0-4): Avg. percentile performance: 17% (~top 105) | Avg. yards per play: Opp 8.4, ASU 5.1 (minus-3.3) | Avg. score: Opp 51, ASU 29 (minus-22)

Even early in the year, during tight wins over teams like UTSA and Cal, the defense was giving up a scary number of big plays. When the competition improved, the big plays became deadly. IsoPPP measures the magnitude of an offense’s successful plays, and ASU ranked 128th out of 128 FBS teams in IsoPPP allowed. If the Sun Devils weren’t creating havoc, they were getting gashed.

Meanwhile, quarterback Manny Wilkins dealt with ailments and was replaced by a couple different freshman quarterbacks. The run game vanished, which put far too much pressure on the QB of the week.

This is all a very bad combination, and after semi-respectable results — a 41-20 loss to USC, a 23-20 win over UCLA, a 37-32 loss to Wazzu — ASU imploded. This was a really bad team in November. Some shuffling on the coaching staff was warranted.

Offense

Full advanced stats glossary.

Despite his defensive background, Graham’s teams have been far more likely to excel on offense than defense through the years. Of his 11 offenses, six have ranked 26th or better in Off. S&P+, and only two have ranked outside of the top 60.

The Sun Devils ranked 56th in 2016, dragged down by Wilkins’ injury issues. When he was healthy, ASU was still limited by an iffy run game, but the passing game was at least dangerous. Freshmen Dillon Sterling-Cole and Brady White (combined: 51 percent completion rate, 4.8 percent INT rate, 3 TDs to 5 INTs, 5.5 yards per pass attempt including sacks) simply weren’t ready.

Wilkins: 63% completion rate, 2.9% INT rate, 6.1 yards per pass attempt (including sacks)

Sterling-Cole & White: 51% completion rate, 4.8% INT rate, 5.5 yards per pass attempt

The backup situation will likely be in better shape, at least. White, a former blue-chipper, and Sterling-Cole are both back, but Wilkins is also getting pushed hard by Alabama transfer Blake Barnett, who worked with Napier in Tuscaloosa. Barnett began 2016 as Bama’s starter but was quickly usurped by Jalen Hurts. In a small sample, he took a ton of sacks and hit on some really big passes.

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Blake Barnett

Whoever wins the QB job will have a potentially awesome receiving corps. ASU does have to replace its two most efficient receivers — slot men Tim White and Frederick Gammage — but in Harry, Ballage, and slot receiver Jalen Harvey, the Sun Devils have three players who combined for 123 catches and 1,458 yards.

Harry, a former blue-chipper, held his own as a freshman No. 1, and Ballage combined an early 100-yard rushing game (137 yards, seven touchdowns against Texas Tech) with two late 100-yard receiving games (combined: 13 catches, 223 yards against Oregon and Utah). Meanwhile, senior Cameron Smith caught 41 passes in 2014 but has struggled to stay on the field the last two years.

Joining the veterans are two exciting transfers. Sophomores Ryan Newsome (Texas) and John Humphrey (Oklahoma) are custom-built slot receivers with high ceilings. If either can replace White’s efficiency, and the winner of the QB battle can stay on the field, the passing game should hum.

The run game, though? A line that helped ASU rank 15th in power success rate and 21st in stuff rate is experienced despite the loss of two-year starting left tackle Evan Goodman. But neither Ballage nor leading rusher Demario Richard were even slightly efficient against defenses less awful than Texas Tech’s. Richard gained at least five yards on just 29 percent of his carries (the national average is about 40 percent), Ballage 28 percent.

ASU rarely moved backwards but still ranked 107th in rushing success rate. Returning everyone involved doesn’t automatically help those numbers.

Cole Elsasser-USA TODAY Sports

Kalen Ballage

Defense

The offense obviously has some question marks, but the raw components, plus Graham’s history, suggest improvement. Graham’s defense, however, has lost the benefit of the doubt. ASU showed the downside of aggression last fall, ranking a not-awful 67th in success rate and 45th in havoc rate but giving up an almost impossible number of big plays.

I mean, damn:

ASU allowed 3.7 gains of 30-plus per game (125th in FBS), 1.8 rushes of 20-plus (86th), and 12.5 passes of 10-plus (127th). To account for that, you better have the best efficiency numbers in the country. The Sun Devils did not.

A little bit of new blood could help. Graham brought in Michael Slater as line coach after the Beaty assistant engineered a massive turnaround on the Kansas D-line in 2016.

More significantly, he hired Bennett, Art Briles’ former coordinator at Baylor. Setting aside any moral issues you might (justifiably) have with former Briles assistants so quickly finding new work, this move makes sense. Bennett crafted a defense that served as a strong complement to the mach-speed Baylor offense.

The basics of the Bennett defense — an imposing defensive line anchored by a seasoned, swarming secondary — sound a lot like the basics of the defense Keith Patterson spent the last few years trying and failing to maintain in Tempe. (Patterson remains on staff as linebackers coach.)

Slater could have some fun with JoJo Wicker and Tashon Smallwood up front. The two combined for 20 tackles for loss and five sacks, and backup Renell Wren contributed six and 1.5, respectively. Linebackers DJ Calhoun and Koron Crump, meanwhile, combined for 22 and 13.5. That’s a lot of returning havoc, and Bennett should know how to use some of those pieces.

Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

JoJo Wicker

Of course, havoc wasn’t the problem last year — breakdowns were. And the state of the secondary doesn’t automatically lead one to believe they will be solved. A more effectively aggressive front seven can produce aggrieved, mistake-prone QBs, but when the QBs get the passes off, they’ll be throwing into the teeth of a secondary that must replace half of its top four cornerbacks, plus safety Armand Perry, who just retired with injury issues.

The returnees are experienced; there just might not be enough of them. Safeties Marcus Ball and Chad Adams and corners Kareem Orr and Maurice Chandler are all either juniors and seniors and combined for 22 percent of ASU’s tackles last year. But they created almost no disruption — ASU was ninth in the country in LB havoc rate but 127th in DB havoc rate — and gave up at least four touchdown passes four times last year.

Opponents completed 64 percent of their passes and produced a 156.9 passer rating; ASU basically turned every opposing passer into USC’s Sam Darnold (161.1). And while Graham is not averse to signing JUCOs, he’s going to be relying on younger players to provide an energy boost in the back — four-star redshirt freshman Chase Lucas, for instance, finished the spring as a starting corner.

As goes the ASU pass defense, so goes ASU. The havoc recipe was all wrong in 2016, and that cannot continue.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Koron Crump

Special Teams

It could have been a lot worse for ASU last year; if not for the No. 4 special teams unit in the country, the Sun Devils could have gone lost at least a couple more games. They did, after all, go 2-1 in one-possession finishes.

Unfortunately, the primary reason for ranking fourth in Special Teams S&P+ was Zane Gonzalez, and he’s gone. Gonzalez went 13-for-15 on field goals over 40 yards and booted three-quarters of his kickoffs for touchbacks, setting a bar that his successor might not come anywhere close to clearing.

Tim White’s punt returns were the next reason for ASU’s strong special teams ratings; he’s also gone. This unit is almost completely starting over.

2017 outlook

2017 Schedule & Projection Factors

Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 31-Aug New Mexico State 124 21.8 90% 9-Sep San Diego State 52 1.9 54% 16-Sep at Texas Tech 66 -1.4 47% 23-Sep Oregon 23 -5.9 37% 30-Sep at Stanford 12 -17.7 15% 14-Oct Washington 13 -12.3 24% 21-Oct at Utah 45 -4.2 40% 28-Oct USC 7 -16.1 18% 4-Nov Colorado 50 1.7 54% 11-Nov at UCLA 34 -6.6 35% 18-Nov at Oregon State 54 -2.8 44% 25-Nov Arizona 68 4.2 60%

Projected S&P+ Rk 58 Proj. Off. / Def. Rk 31 / 85 Projected wins 5.2 Five-Year S&P+ Rk 7.2 (38) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 38 / 30 2016 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* -4 / 2.0 2016 TO Luck/Game -2.5 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 71% (72%, 70%) 2016 Second-order wins (difference) 3.6 (1.4)

Even as the wins have vanished, ASU has continued to look like a Graham team: aggressive, fast, and willing to risk a few explosions to create some of their own. But the combination of injuries and poor pass defense created a disaster against just about any team with a pulse last fall.

Naturally, after three years of regression, S&P+ has stopped believing in the Sun Devils. They are projected to improve, but only to 58th, and with a brutal North slate that includes Stanford and Washington but misses Cal and Washington State, 58th isn’t good enough to guarantee a bowl.

Like Arizona and most of the Pac-12, though, ASU’s fate will be determined by tossups. Including non-conference games against SDSU and Texas Tech, the Sun Devils are looking at eight games with win probability between 35 and 60 percent. They had one likely win and three likely losses, so they’ll have to win a majority of the tight games to make sure their bowl drought ends at just one year.

At least Graham’s latest round of hires looks strong. His new offensive coordinator and defensive line coach are up-and-comers, and he brought in a potentially valuable old hand to save a flagging defense. ASU should show enough progress to keep Graham in Tempe for another year, but it might take until 2018 for everything to click again.

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