2006-2007 NCAA College Football I-AA Discussion

[wade moore]

I think I've tried to get talk going before on this and maybe a couple of others were interested, so I thought I'd try again.

I'm becoming more and more of a fan of I-AA football as I follow my W&M Tribe on the road more, etc. So, I'd love to have a thread for other I-AA fans (if there are any, I think Dark Cloud may follow some of the midwest schools) out there to discuss various things.

So, here it is.

[wade moore]

First Item from me...

I-AA.org has released their first Payton (equivelent to the Heisman for I-A) and Buchanan (DPOY) watch lists:

"Payton Watch" Candidates (Aug. 23)
David Ball, WR, New Hampshire
Alonzo Coleman, RB, Hampton
Omar Cuff, RB, Delaware
Clifton Dawson, RB, Harvard
Jerome Felton, FB, Furman
Jon Grant, QB, UC Davis
Josh Greco, QB, Eastern Kentucky
Clay Green, RB, Jacksonville State
James Noble, RB, Cal Poly
Justin Rascati, QB, James Madison
Kevin Richardson, RB, Appalachian State
Laurent Robinson, WR, Illinois State
Eric Sanders, QB, UNI
Ricky Santos, QB, New Hampshire
Jordan Scott, RB, Colgate
Arkee Whitlock, RB, Southern Illinois

"Buchanan Watch" Candidates (Aug. 23)
Tory Collins, DT, Northwestern State
Zak DeOssie, LB, Brown
Justin Durant, LB, Hampton
Keldrick Holman, S, Stephen F. Austin
Codera Jackson, CB, Youngstown State
Martin Jackson, DE, Alcorn State
Tyler Knight, LB, Mississippi Valley State
Tony LeZotte, S, James Madison
John Mohring, LB, Georgia Southern
Mike Murphy, DE, Montana
Marques Murrell, DE, Appalachian State
Chad Nkang, LB, Elon
Clint Sellers, LB, Eastern Illinois
Kyle Shotwell, LB, Cal Poly
Cameron Siskowic, LB, Illinois State
Pago Togafau, LB, Idaho State
http://www.i-aa.org/images/pixel_clear.gif
There are quite a few guys that I have seen multiple times because they play in the Atlantic-10 (arguably the strongest conference in I-AA, even without my bias).

Of the guys I see, I give Rascati and Santos the edge right now. Probably with the edge towards Santos. UNH has a VERY high-powered passing game, as you can see from having a WR and their QB on the top list. I personally think WR Ball is overrated, but having him on the ballot with Santos could take votes away.

Edit: Oh, and just realized this from the article:

New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos headlines a group of five players who appeared on last year's Walter Payton Award Watch and return in this year's initial pool of 16 Payton candidates. Santos finished in second place in last year's voting in a season where he threw for 3,797 yards and 39 touchdowns in leading the Wildcats to an 11-2 record and a trip to the I-AA quarterfinals.

So Santos was even 2nd last year in voting.

[Klinglerware]

Well, for one thing, 1-AA is now called the "NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision".

Completely cosmetic if you ask me, but hey, there it is...

[rkmsuf]

Go UNH!

[wade moore]

Well, for one thing, 1-AA is now called the "NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision".

Completely cosmetic if you ask me, but hey, there it is...

I know, I just intentionally ignore that because I think it is absolutely stupid.

[wade moore]

Go UNH!

We don't play in the regular season this year. Too bad after the ass-whoopin' we delivered last year ;).

[rkmsuf]

We don't play in the regular season this year. Too bad after the ass-whoopin' we delivered last year ;).

Basteges denied UNH a perfect regular season.

At Northwestern game 1 this year should be fun.

[illinifan999]

There's a lot of talk on campus about Arkee Whitlock, a lot of people think he's going to have an extraordinary year.

[digamma]

I've seen Clifton Dawson play a number of times. He transferred to Harvard from Northwestern. He needs just over 1,000 yards to become the Ivy League career rushing leader. He can also become the first Ivy running back to rush for 1,000 yards in all four of his college seasons and the first Ivy rusher to be named first team all Ivy all four years.

According to Harvard coach Tim Murphy, Dawson has the speed and rushing ability to play in the NFL, but at his size he needs to become a better receiver to fit in as a typical third down back in the league.

[wade moore]

I've seen Clifton Dawson play a number of times. He transferred to Harvard from Northwestern. He needs just over 1,000 yards to become the Ivy League career rushing leader. He can also become the first Ivy running back to rush for 1,000 yards in all four of his college seasons and the first Ivy rusher to be named first team all Ivy all four years.

According to Harvard coach Tim Murphy, Dawson has the speed and rushing ability to play in the NFL, but at his size he needs to become a better receiver to fit in as a typical third down back in the league.

A Harvard fan? The whole deal where the Ivy league does not participate in the playoffs drives me crazy. Any opinion on it?

[digamma]

A Harvard fan? The whole deal where the Ivy league does not participate in the playoffs drives me crazy. Any opinion on it?

Hate it. As do almost all followers of Ivy athletics. Almost every year the athletic directors vote unanimously to play in the play-offs for the upcoming season and the school presidents vote unanimously not to play. The presidents win.

It's really too bad--Penn and Harvard have had teams in the last five to seven years that could have made some noise on the national level.

[Klinglerware]

Hate it. As do almost all followers of Ivy athletics. Almost every year the athletic directors vote unanimously to play in the play-offs for the upcoming season and the school presidents vote unanimously not to play. The presidents win.

It's really too bad--Penn and Harvard have had teams in the last five to seven years that could have made some noise on the national level.

Agreed. The Ivy Presidents are really the only hold-outs here, most everyone wants playoff participation.

The presidents' reasoning:
- the 1-aa playoff coincides with reading period and finals at most league schools

The alleged additional real reason:
- Harvard and Yale fear that playoff participation will dilute "The Game"

[gottimd]

http://www.siue.edu/~sblythe/img/blue_hen.gif

Go Fightin' Blue Hens....the ass kickin' chickens!

[Klinglerware]

A Harvard fan? The whole deal where the Ivy league does not participate in the playoffs drives me crazy. Any opinion on it?

One general issue here is that, if they ever join the playoff system, the Ivy League will want an autobid (especially considering that the slightly lower-ranked Patriot has one). The Great West also may soon have a legitimate case for an autobid. I wonder who will lose out if these issues ever come to a head?

[BishopMVP]

In the wacky world that is 1-AA football, UMass (Preseason #10) has as good a shot as any other Top 20 team to win it all. When a Delaware fan (probably the most obnoxious in 1-AA) asked what UMass would do differently to even make the playoffs this year, the answer was "Not mail in their last 2 games." Which seems about right.

Last year the defense carried us (#1 nationally in scoring defense), especially as we started a freshman QB and our top 3 RB's were injured at times. They lose 5 starters there, including a couple who might make practice squads in the NFL (S Shannon James in particular) but they have experienced back-ups. Combined with an improved offense should be more than enough to make the playoffs.

3 other notes - we play William & Mary in about a month up here, and we added (really, really nice) field turf this year, a huge improvement over the mud bowl conditions of the past couple years. Also, my HS (I played the other futbol) played against Santos his/my senior year. He ran the option, never pitched, and we only had about 3 players who could bring him down. My friend who played MLB ended up with 33 tackles and we lost 29-27 on a missed 2-pt conversion. He was getting recruited by Penn St, but as a Safety, so he went to UNH to play QB. Shockingly, he's also a huge asshole.

[BishopMVP]

One general issue here is that, if they ever join the playoff system, the Ivy League will want an autobid (especially considering that the slightly lower-ranked Patriot has one). The Great West also may soon have a legitimate case for an autobid. I wonder who will lose out if these issues ever come to a head?The NCAA could always just expand the field like in other sports (basketball, lacrosse) but they do have a complex about 1-AA football because of all the pressure put on 1-A to go to a playoff.

Not sure how interesting this is, but Harvard's captain was kicked off the team last month for breaking into his girlfriends dorm and assaulting her. A regular Florida State up there. (Hi Noop!)

[Klinglerware]

Not sure how interesting this is, but Harvard's captain was kicked off the team last month for breaking into his girlfriends dorm and assaulting her. A regular Florida State up there. (Hi Noop!)

Yes, Harvard is having disciplinary issues this year--aside from Thomas (the team captain) several other players have been suspended for varying lengths of time during the upcoming season due to various infractions.

Still, it probably won't make too much of a difference, as Harvard has been attracting a lot of talent lately, and they are still one of the preseason favorites for the Ivy title.

We'll see if Brown can defend it's crown without Hartigan. Brown has a senior QB in DiGiacomo, but he hasn't really been asked to carry the offense due to Hartigan. We probably won't see the tremendous passing production we saw during the late 90s, but hopefully the offense will be a little more balanced this year.

[Klinglerware]

The NCAA could always just expand the field like in other sports (basketball, lacrosse) but they do have a complex about 1-AA football because of all the pressure put on 1-A to go to a playoff.



It almost seems as though the NCAA wants the 1-AA playoof system to be as dysfunctional as possible (the home-field bidding, wacky autobid and seeding rules, the de-facto cutting out of half the 1-AA conference membership from participation, etc). It's like the NCAA wants to say, "look at what a travesty the 1-AA playoff system is, therfore playoffs can't possibly work at the 1-A level".

[wade moore]

This thing already has more steam than I thought it would! We now have 4 A-10 fans here from 4 different schools.. that tells me two things... First, the A-10 has quality football... Second, East Coast bias baby!

Anyway, UMass does look to improve.. I think next year is more their year though.. I'm thinking next year should be an interesting battle between UMass, W&M, and Richmond in the inaugural season of the CAA Conference... Some of the teop teams in the league lose some key players (just look at the Payton list for reference) while these three schools will have QB's and other skill players that will be in their 3rd and 4th years starting.



On the Ivy issue. Yes, they would need an automatic bid. The fact that the Fitzpatrick lead Harvard team didn't get to compete for the championship is a crime. There is already talk about expanding the playoff field from 12 to 18 and giving some bye weeks. I imagine if the Ivy finally said they wanted in it would really strengthen that argument and in fact may be the only thing to really make it happen.

The crock about it interfering with school is just stupid. Yes, it's in december, but it really only goes into finals if you are in the last couple of rounds, and that's going to happen to an individual school at most once every few years.


oh and, BOO BLUE HENS!


Bishop - W&M, UMass, and JMU all had field turf put in this season. I'm kind of sad that W&M put it in because many thought we had one of the nicest natural turf fields in I-AA. But, I can understand why they did it. On the other hand, JMU getting rid of that TERRIBLE field they had is a blessing.

[wade moore]

It almost seems as though the NCAA wants the 1-AA playoof system to be as dysfunctional as possible (the home-field bidding, wacky autobid and seeding rules, the de-facto cutting out of half the 1-AA conference membership from participation, etc). It's like the NCAA wants to say, "look at what a travesty the 1-AA playoff system is, therfore playoffs can't possibly work at the 1-A level".

Yet I-AA still has a champion that earned it.

[rkmsuf]

UNH is 2!

But if they beat Northwestern...booyeah!

The Sports Network Preseason Top 25
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. Appalachian State (68) 2,306
2. New Hampshire (14) 2,153
3. Montana (5) 1,954
4. Northern Iowa (3) 1,936
5. Furman (1) 1,928
6. Cal Poly (3) 1,846
7. Youngstown State 1,446
8. James Madison 1,338
9. Illinois State 1,297
10. Massachusetts 1,170
11. McNeese State 1,006
12. Georgia Southern 967
13. Hampton 939
14. Eastern Illinois 865
15. Richmond 835
16. Delaware 815
17. Southern Illinois 809
18. Texas State 770
19. North Dakota State 713
20. Eastern Kentucky 709
21. UC Davis 576
22. Montana State 550
23. Grambling State 511
24. Nicholls State 378
25. Coastal Carolina 356

[wade moore]

3 A-10 teams in the top 10 and 5 in the top 25, incredible.

[PilotMan]

NDSU all the way. Go Bison!

[ice4277]

Any I-AA's have a good shot at beating I-A's in non-conference games this year?

[Izulde]

How is Princeton looking?

[wade moore]

Any I-AA's have a good shot at beating I-A's in non-conference games this year?

I'd argue that New Hampshire has a shot at Northwestern...

I'll be at the W&M at Maryland game Saturday... We've had a good shot against Marshall and UNC the last two years, but I think they run away with this one..

I'll have to dig into the other schedules to see if there are any others.

[Wolfpack]

We get to play Appy State on Saturday in Raleigh. I'm pretty sure we're still decently favored, especially as it will be the opening night of the newly expanded Carter-Finley Stadium and the crowd should be quite pumped for it.

[wade moore]

We get to play Appy State on Saturday in Raleigh. I'm pretty sure we're still decently favored, especially as it will be the opening night of the newly expanded Carter-Finley Stadium and the crowd should be quite pumped for it.

I don't know a ton about this years Appy State team, but they are a perrannual contendor in the I-AA, so I would imagine if some breaks go their way they'd have a shot.

[Klinglerware]

How is Princeton looking?

They are losing a lot of key players from last year, but they do get to play Brown, Harvard, and Penn at home. The Ivy League being as unpredictable as it is, that translates into anywhere from a 3 to a 7 win season...

[PilotMan]

Any I-AA's have a good shot at beating I-A's in non-conference games this year?

I think that NDSU has a resonable shot at beating Ball State when it plays them as their first IA opponent in Sept. I will be in Muncie for that one with a buddy of mine. Their October game against Minnesota? Not a chance in hell.

[illinifan999]

Any I-AA's have a good shot at beating I-A's in non-conference games this year?

I think SIU has a pretty decent shot of beating Indiana.

[stevew]

7. Youngstown State 1,446

Go Penguins!

[LloydLungs]

Any I-AA's have a good shot at beating I-A's in non-conference games this year?

Southeastern Louisiana gets a crack at former coach Hal Mumme's New Mexico State Aggies tomorrow night. Since NMSU was 0-12 last year you never know. SELA has a decent team from an excellent conference but is not a I-AA power.

[wade moore]

I saw Three I-AA upsets on the scoreboard:

Richmond 13
Duke 0

Montana State 19
Colorado 10

Portland St. 17
New Mexico 6


You have to consider the Montana St. game to be the biggest upset.



As for my Tribe, they played respectably against Maryland and it was a very fun game to watch. I think our QB could really have a breakout year.

[Butter]

Can't believe Colorado lost by 9 at home!

Also, noticed Jacksonville State almost upset Furman in Greenville, SC... is Furman just not that good this year, or just rusty?

[RedKingGold]

Meh, Villanova sucks.

That's my current alma mater (for graduate school, college = King's College = a little tiny D-III school)

That's all I have to say about Division I-AA/

[JonInMiddleGA]

Also, noticed Jacksonville State almost upset Furman in Greenville, SC... is Furman just not that good this year, or just rusty?

I think it may be as much a case of Jax State sort of (nearly) having Furman's number. It took a TD on the final play of the game for Furman to win the season opener last year. Or maybe JSU is just a little more motivated after losing to them 49-7 in the 2004 playoffs.

Plus, JSU isn't a terrible team. Although they were 6-5 last year, they lost their first three games (FU, UTC, UAB) by a total of 12 points,

[wade moore]

Can't believe Colorado lost by 9 at home!

Also, noticed Jacksonville State almost upset Furman in Greenville, SC... is Furman just not that good this year, or just rusty?

http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?p=1238458#post1238458



Meh, Villanova sucks.

That's my current alma mater (for graduate school, college = King's College = a little tiny D-III school)

That's all I have to say about Division I-AA/



Wow, another A-10er...

Actually, Villanova I think is looking to improve this year and next with some young talent, aren't they?

[wade moore]

Well, for one thing, 1-AA is now called the "NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision".

Completely cosmetic if you ask me, but hey, there it is...

In my defense, ESPN is still referring to them as I-AA on their website ;).

[Klinglerware]

In my defense, ESPN is still referring to them as I-AA on their website ;).

Technically, the change isn't effective until December. But with that being said, who cares? I agree with you that the new name is essentially meaningless.

[wade moore]

Technically, the change isn't effective until December. But with that being said, who cares? I agree with you that the new name is essentially meaningless.

This reminds me of a building on campus that was known as "Tercenteniary Hall" (sp?) because it was completed in the school's 300th year. Everyone called it T-Hall. In my Sophomore year it was bought by someone to be named, but everyone from my class and earlier refused to call it the new name and it was always T-Hall to us.

[Easy Mac]

Can't believe Colorado lost by 9 at home!

Also, noticed Jacksonville State almost upset Furman in Greenville, SC... is Furman just not that good this year, or just rusty?

As the resident FU alum (unless sjshaw comes back), we're really not that good. We're ranked highly, but that's mainly on reputation. Losing Ingle Martin really hurt, and Ronaldo Grey is just inexperienced at QB. It always takes the team a while to get into the swing of things, and even then there are more nail biters than is necessary. Should be an interesting year in the SoCon, with Georgia Southern trying a whole new offense.

[wade moore]

Should be an interesting year in the SoCon, with Georgia Southern trying a sane offense.

Fixed that for ya.

[Sublime 2]

Go UNH!

UNH alum?

[LoneStarGirl]

I graduated from Mississippi Valley State and I would be suprised if they won 2 or more games. But Tyler Knight is a hell of a football player and it would be awesome for Valley to get some sort of recognition for one of their players.

[Sublime 2]

UNH 34 - Northwestern 17

Nice to see being a New Hampshire kid!

[Jas_lov]

Well, my 4th ranked Northern Iowa Panthers were upset today by DII North Dakota! UNI took a 3 point lead with 1:30 to play, but North Dakota got the game winning TD with about a minute left to go. It was a terrible loss at home to a DII school. Certainly dissapointing. Well, at least Iowa was able to pull one through without Drew Tate.

[Easy Mac]

Fixed that for ya.
If it aint broke, don't fix it, and it looks like the fix done broke.

Elsewhere, my FU won again, looking lethargic through the first half only to sneak out another win. App State beat up James Madison, showing it should be a two horse race for the SoCon title. Georgia Southern lost to Central Connecticut State... ok, because that would have happened before. Wofford lost to Coastal Carolina, which I'm sure that will cause the Chanticleer alum to bang on the SoCon door some more. Seriously, you're a second rate school, as your loss to Elon showed last week. Elon lost to Townson this week... seriously. Chattanooga looks set to lose to Memphis. And finally, The Shitadel lost to intra-city rival Charleston Southern. Honestly, this could be the greatest week in Charleston sports talk radio history. I love it.

[wade moore]

If it aint broke, don't fix it, and it looks like the fix done broke.

Elsewhere, my FU won again, looking lethargic through the first half only to sneak out another win. App State beat up James Madison, showing it should be a two horse race for the SoCon title. Georgia Southern lost to Central Connecticut State... ok, because that would have happened before. Wofford lost to Coastal Carolina, which I'm sure that will cause the Chanticleer alum to bang on the SoCon door some more. Seriously, you're a second rate school, as your loss to Elon showed last week. Elon lost to Townson this week... seriously. Chattanooga looks set to lose to Memphis. And finally, The Shitadel lost to intra-city rival Charleston Southern. Honestly, this could be the greatest week in Charleston sports talk radio history. I love it.

The JMU game makes me happy, shows that may have taken another step back this season.

The New Hampshire win was huge, but not all that surprising.

[ScottVib]

Big Victory for Central Connecticut State over 6-Time National champ Georgia Southern today. The NEC is starting to be a bit of a pain in the rear to the autobid conferences.

[wade moore]

Big Victory for Central Connecticut State over 6-Time National champ Georgia Southern today. The NEC is starting to be a bit of a pain in the rear to the autobid conferences.

It's looking more and more like it may be more of a discredit to Georgia Southern than a credit to CCS. No disrespect, but Georgia Southern just doesn't seem to look like the same team with their new system.

[ScottVib]

It's looking more and more like it may be more of a discredit to Georgia Southern than a credit to CCS. No disrespect, but Georgia Southern just doesn't seem to look like the same team with their new system.

That's the spin I've seen, but to give a more usual analogy this is essentially a 1AAA team beating a 1AA team. It was Georgia Southern's first game with the new coach, an offseason of turmoil, capped with the death of one of the schools earlier football coaches this week. Despit that it was in the end it was a game Georgia Southern had no business losing, but only lead for approximately 2 minutes of game time (they scored on the last play of the first half, but gave up the lead 2:13 into the 3rd quarter), in Statesboro. Georgia Southern did win the battle of yardage 324 - 280, although Central beat them while trying only 8 passes.

CCSU gives scholarships now, but doesn't even award half of the maximum allowable scholarships. Georgia Southern of course offers a full alotment of scholarships.

[Klinglerware]

Hmm... along with Monmouth's win against Fordham, it does seem that the NEC with it's new scholarship allowances may give the other eastern 1-AAs something to think about...

[ScottVib]

Last year CCSU ended up biting Colgate 24-22 on the road. While Albany beat Lehigh in week one and ended up losing to Fordham 9-7.

[wade moore]

Last year CCSU ended up biting the defending (at the time) runners up in 1AA Colgate 24-22 on the road. While Albany beat Lehigh in week one and ended up losing to Fordham 9-7.

I'm confused, last year the reigning I-AA Runner up was Montana who lost to James Madison.

[ScottVib]

My bad... they beat Colgate, who was in the 2003 game. I was off a year going back.

[wade moore]

My bad... they beat Colgate, who was in the 2003 game. I was off a year going back.


Gotcha, guess I could have looked that up ;)...

Either way, definately a sign that your program is up.

I personally really worry about the A-10 now.. Two teams upset I-A teams this year... A couple of others came close...

[Butter]

The New Hampshire win was huge, but not all that surprising.

Are you high?

[wade moore]

I'd argue that New Hampshire has a shot at Northwestern...

I'll be at the W&M at Maryland game Saturday... We've had a good shot against Marshall and UNC the last two years, but I think they run away with this one..

I'll have to dig into the other schedules to see if there are any others.

Are you high?

Nope. As you can see, I called it two weeks ago.

New Hampshire is the #2 ranked team in I-AA (I'll have to check, they could be #1 now). THey have a VERY high powered offense with a QB AND a WR on the list for the Payton award.

So no, not high.

[wade moore]

Top 25 after this weekends games:


Team (First-place votes) Record Points Previous Rank
1. New Hampshire Wildcats (56) 1-0 2,513 2
2. Appalachian State Mountaineers (42) 1-1 2,469 1
3. Cal Poly Mustangs (1) 2-0 2,230 5
4. Furman Paladins 2-0 2,221 4
5. Montana Grizzlies 1-1 2,058 6
6. Youngstown State Penguins (1) 2-0 1,952 8
7. Illinois State Redbirds 1-1 1,901 7
8. Richmond Spiders 1-0 1,828 10
9. Massachusetts Minutemen 1-1 1,699 9
10. Hampton Pirates 2-0 1,469 14
11. Delaware Blue Hens 1-0 1,303 15
12. Northern Iowa Panthers 1-1 1,208 3
13. Portland State Vikings (3) 2-0 1,129 21
14. McNeese State Cowboys 1-1 1,101 16
15. James Madison Dukes 1-1 1,083 12
16. Southern Illinois Salukis 1-0 1,061 17
17. North Dakota State Bison 1-0 1,026 18
18. Eastern Illinois Panthers 1-1 799 20
19. Eastern Kentucky Colonels 1-1 688 23
20. Montana State Bobcats 1-1 670 11
21. UC Davis Aggies 1-1 653 19
22. Lafayette Leopards 2-0 476 25
23. Texas State Bobcats 1-1 390 22
24. Georgia Southern Eagles 0-1 328 13
25. Alabama A&M Bulldogs 2-0 207 NR

So yeah, UNH is #1, but only after beating Northwestern.

[Butter]

Nope. As you can see, I called it two weeks ago.

New Hampshire is the #2 ranked team in I-AA (I'll have to check, they could be #1 now). THey have a VERY high powered offense with a QB AND a WR on the list for the Payton award.

So no, not high.

I agree that you are not high. I should've called you high 2 weeks ago, when you made the prediction, though. I'm still surprised.

[wade moore]

I agree that you are not high. I should've called you high 2 weeks ago, when you made the prediction, though. I'm still surprised.

Ok, I can see the high 2 weeks ago more ;)...

I am surprised at how convincingly they won, but anyway... It's interesting to see how they fair the rest of the season, particularly in this conference. It seems that traditionally teams that upset I-A squads do not necessarily repeat that magic against other I-AA foes.

[BishopMVP]

We, UMass, outplayed Navy, but lost 21-20, mainly due to penalties (have been killing the team for years) and horrid offensive play-calling (been killing the team since Whipple left for Pittsburgh.)

So, on the bright side I feel we're as talented as any D-1AA team, but two of the three problems that killed us the last 2 years are still there (the other is collapsing after losing our first game against a 1-AA opponent, which hopefully won't re-appear.)

On another note, IMO, 2 of those 3 problems (penalties and poor discipline) point to some of the character trade-offs that UMass makes to be as talented as we are for 1-AA.

[wade moore]

We, UMass, outplayed Navy, but lost 21-20, mainly due to penalties (have been killing the team for years) and horrid offensive play-calling (been killing the team since Whipple left for Pittsburgh.)

So, on the bright side I feel we're as talented as any D-1AA team, but two of the three problems that killed us the last 2 years are still there (the other is collapsing after losing our first game against a 1-AA opponent, which hopefully won't re-appear.)

On another note, IMO, 2 of those 3 problems (penalties and poor discipline) point to some of the character trade-offs that UMass makes to be as talented as we are for 1-AA.

UMass does have a bit of a reputation on the A-10/CAA message boards I read for their less than outstanding citizens on their team. Interesting to hear it's not just conference rivals that say so.

[Klinglerware]

UMass does have a bit of a reputation on the A-10/CAA message boards I read for their less than outstanding citizens on their team. Interesting to hear it's not just conference rivals that say so.

I wonder how much of this is Whipple's legacy. Even during Whipple's tenure at Brown in the 90s, discipline was an issue. Looking back, while he is rightfully credited for turning the fortunes of the program around, his teams were known for more than their fair share of off-the-field headaches...

[rkmsuf]

Stoney Brook is going down!

Go UNH.

FYI their receiver Ball has a chance to break a bunch of Jerry Rice's records.

[wade moore]

Stoney Brook is going down!

Go UNH.

FYI their receiver Ball has a chance to break a bunch of Jerry Rice's records.

Which ones? I know Rich Musinski came within a game or two of breaking his consecutive games with a reception mark, but he broke tons of A-10 records for yardage, receptions, etc. but came nowhere close to Rice's I-AA records.

[rkmsuf]

Which ones? I know Rich Musinski came within a game or two of breaking his consecutive games with a reception mark, but he broke tons of A-10 records for yardage, receptions, etc. but came nowhere close to Rice's I-AA records.

David Ball needs 3 TDs to tie Jerry Rice's all time record of 50.

[illinifan999]

I think SIU has a pretty decent shot of beating Indiana.

35-28 SIU. Indiana's not the best 1-a team, but shit..one of the biggest wins in school history

[ScottVib]

The NEC strikes again, Albany knocks off Delaware (of the Atlantic-10).

[wade moore]

Yeah, that Deleware loss suprises me a bit, but I thought they may be dissapointing this year. The NEC is definately looking good.

In other news, the Tribe blew it against A-10 foe Maine 20-17.

[Easy Mac]

Damn you Furman, so close again. Freaking referees costing us another game. Point difference in our losses over the past 4 years:

2003: 11, 3, 1, 5, 1
2004: 3, 1, 1
2005: 20, 3, 6
2006: 3

So 8 losses in 4 years by a FG or less, 10 by a TD or less... of course, 9 wins in the past 4 years have been by 7 points or less... talk about being tortured by a team.


Vs. 1A teams recently

2006: 42-45 @ UNC
2004: 38-41 (OT) @ Pitt (Big East Champ)
2003: 17-28 @ Clemson
2001: 14-20 @ Wyoming
1999: 28-03 @ UNC

[PilotMan]

NDSU wins a great game against Ball State 29-24. I thought that they had a chance to do it. First 1A opponent in 50yrs, and on the road to boot. Sweet!

[wade moore]

Congrats to NDSU!

David Ball, WR at New Hampshire, ties Jerry Rice's career I-AA TD mark (50) with 3 TD catches today in UNH's pummelling of Dartmouth.

[digamma]

Harvard may have ended the Ivy League race early yesterday with a 38-21 win over Brown, who was thought to be another league title competitor. Clifton Dawson now has 351 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns in two games.

[JonInMiddleGA]

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) -Jerome Felton had six rushing touchdowns to help lift Furman to a 42-7 win over Western Carolina in the Southern Conference season opener for both schools Saturday.

Felton ran 20 times for 102 yards in the first half to help Furman (3-1, 1-0 SoCon) build a 35-7 halftime lead. Felton finished off his performance with a 1-yard plunge on the first possession of the second half to make it 42-7.

The six touchdowns broke the previous school record of five held by William Gressette, who had five rushing touchdowns in 1915 against Presbyterian and again in 1916 against Erskine.

Cedrick Gipson had 70 yards on 11 carries for the Paladins, while Renaldo Gray was 4-of-7 in passing for 100 yards.

The win marked the 10th straight home win for Furman and the sixth straight victory over Western Carolina (2-1, 0-1 SoCon) in Greenville.

[Easy Mac]

Yeah, the game wasn't nearly as close as the score. Felton is a freaking beast. If he works on his blocking, there's no reason to think he couldn't be a successful fullback in the NFL (assuming NFL teams decide to use them again).

[wade moore]

Yeah, the game wasn't nearly as close as the score. Felton is a freaking beast. If he works on his blocking, there's no reason to think he couldn't be a successful fullback in the NFL (assuming NFL teams decide to use them again).

That name sounds SO familiar... did Felton transfer from a I-A school, or do i just recognize him from Furman?

[JonInMiddleGA]

That name sounds SO familiar... did Felton transfer from a I-A school, or do i just recognize him from Furman?

http://furmanpaladins.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/felton_jerome00.html

Probably just from Furman, or maybe you're thinking of current UGA b'ball coach Dennis Felton or even former SC b'ball coach George Felton.

[wade moore]

http://furmanpaladins.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/felton_jerome00.html

Probably just from Furman, or maybe you're thinking of current UGA b'ball coach Dennis Felton or even former SC b'ball coach George Felton.

I'm thinking it must be from Furman from my general reading of I-AA... just didn't stick more than name recognition.

[Klinglerware]

Harvard may have ended the Ivy League race early yesterday with a 38-21 win over Brown, who was thought to be another league title competitor. Clifton Dawson now has 351 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns in two games.

Yes, there doesn't look to be anybody else in the league that could challenge this year. As for Brown, Hartigan was a really big graduation loss. DiGiacomo will be okay, but he won't be spectacular...

[Klinglerware]

Dola -

Harvard's performance on the field is a testament to the sheer collection of talent they have, especially as the disciplinary issues continue to mount. Is Murphy losing his team?

http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2006/09/23/flop_show_at_harvard/

Keegan Toci, 21, a senior from Tucson, has asked Harvard officials to reinstate him after he was cut from the team for a solo skit in which he recited 20 reasons why the school's Division 1-AA football program would never rise to Division 1-A. A number of players were said to consider Toci's skit less offensive than other acts, including one suggesting that the team's All-Ivy running back, Clifton Dawson, performed oral sex on Harvard coach Tim Murphy.

Harvard players have long believed they enjoyed immunity from discipline for their performances on Skit Night, an irreverent, sometimes raunchy, ritual that was considered part of their social bonding during the run-up to the season opener. But this year's event ended like no other, with Murphy later announcing he would abolish the Skit Night tradition because of Toci's performance and a number of racy, off-color acts such as the one portraying Dawson and the coach.

After Murphy announced Toci's dismissal, he asked the 110-member team whether it supported his position. An uneasy silence ensued, then one player after another rose from his seat until about 20 stood in protest, with others apparently poised to follow, before Murphy abruptly ended the meeting and left the room, according to one witness.

[digamma]

Dola -

Harvard's performance on the field is a testament to the sheer collection of talent they have, especially as the disciplinary issues continue to mount. Is Murphy losing his team?

http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2006/09/23/flop_show_at_harvard/

Having several friends who played for Murphy, this is nothing new. At times, players were out at all times, before games or otherwise.

My senior year was Murphy's first Ivy League title. The team basically made a commitment to themselves (no thanks to coaching discipline or their respect for the coaching staff) to behave--and I guess they were rewarded for it.

That said, I'm much less concerned about misbehavior on skit night than I am about a linebacker beating the hell out of his girlfriend.

[Klinglerware]

That said, I'm much less concerned about misbehavior on skit night than I am about a linebacker beating the hell out of his girlfriend.

Agreed--skit night is not a big deal compared to some of the other transgressions. What I did find interesting though was the large percentage of players ready to call out Murphy on his decision to dismiss Toci (before Murphy ran out of that room)...

[Easy Mac]

I'm going to kill Bobby Lamb

[Easy Mac]

www.firebobbylamb.com is registered now. Strange, when I was at Furman, he came into the bookstore where I worked, and even then, 4 years ago, I had a strange urge to punch him in the face... that urge hasn't left. I'm tempted to drive to two hours to Coastal and punch him before he leaves the stadium.

[k0ruptr]

David Ball broke Jerry's record. Congrats to him

[wade moore]

David Ball broke Jerry's record. Congrats to him

Agreed.

I have to admit, the awful performance of my Tribe this season has made me not so good about posting in this thread. I'll try to improve that.

[PilotMan]

Well, things at the top were a little jumbled after New Hapshire's loss last week.

NDSU is still undefeated and ranked quite high, what a season it has been for them. It's just too bad that they can't qualify for the playoffs.

This sets up the big NDSU-UM game this week at the Metrodome. It is the first time that these two midwest teams have played in a long, long time. No way that NDSU wins this game, but they have the team to be able to keep it close, but attendance is supposed to push 50k, and I can't see them being able to be ready for that. According to Sagarin's power ratings MIN should be about a 10 point favorite.

The Great West also has a good matchup in SDSU - Cal Poly. SDSU isn't in the top 25, but they have been close, and Cal Poly is one of the top teams in the nation. That should be good game.

[wade moore]

Are you saying they can't qualify for the playoffs because of their mascot? If so, I believe they just can't HOST the playoffs. I'm pretty versed on the subject since W&M was under the same sanctions until they just decided to change their logo.

Anyway. I'm headed to Harrisonburg, VA where we face our bitter rival the #9 JMU Dukes that crushed former #1 New Hampshire last weekend.

As the rankings play out, it is looking more and more like you would expect with Appy State, Montana, NDSU, and a handful of A-10 teams in the top of the rankings.

[PilotMan]

No, NDSU are the Bison, and UND are the Sioux. The Sioux were our hated rivals, but we left them in DII three years ago(and they are top 5 this year in DII.) NDSU isn't playoff eligible because they are in the 3rd year of transition from DII. They will be eligible next year though, I think.

[wade moore]

No, NDSU are the Bison, and UND are the Sioux. The Sioux were our hated rivals, but we left them in DII three years ago(and they are top 5 this year in DII.) NDSU isn't playoff eligible because they are in the 3rd year of transition from DII. They will be eligible next year though, I think.

Gotcha, I always get those two mixed up ;)

[BishopMVP]

New Hampshire lost again today, 36-35 to Northeastern, which takes some of the luster off the game vs. UMass on Nov. 4.

Currently, we're on fire and absolutely destroying teams. 48-7 over Stony Brook, 48-7 over W&M, 35-0 @Towson, now 41-16 over URI. We haven't played any good teams (Towson's starting QB was out), but we're doing as well as can be expected against decent teams. Coen has come into his own at QB (leading the nation in passing efficiency last I checked), while Baylark continues to be one of the best backs in 1-AA (235 and 2 TD's today). We also got a couple players back from injury and suspension at WR and DB to shore up those areas.

I legitimately think UMass is the best 1-AA team in the country right now, and could even beat half of the 1-A teams (we were 50th in Sagarin after last week.) Oh, how I wish we could play UConn this year.

[Easy Mac]

FU won 28-22 in OT against Chattanooga. On homecoming. I want to kick Bobby Lamb in the balls.

[PilotMan]

Damn, NDSU beat Minnesota all over the field. Out gained, outplayed, owned the ball. Unfortunately, they couldn't get into the endzone. One turnover was a pick at the 20 of MIN, the next was a lost fumble on the punt following the turnover, that let MIN get the ball at the 18. NDSU lead 6-3 at the half. Later, they had a TD called back because of a clipping penalty, and had to settle for a FG. The kicker missed s 25 yard try. In the end, MIN blocked a 42 yard attempt as time ran out. The final score was 10-9. NDSU truely should have won this game. The Metrodome was filled, over 62000. What a game, damn if we would have won it.

I can't believe that Northeastern beat New Hampshire. That is an upset.

I would still put NDSU against any team in IAA, they are having one hell of a year.

[digamma]

Princeton 31
Harvard 28

Combined with the GT loss, that makes tonight's recipe...heavy booze.

[wade moore]

New Hampshire lost again today, 36-35 to Northeastern, which takes some of the luster off the game vs. UMass on Nov. 4.

Currently, we're on fire and absolutely destroying teams. 48-7 over Stony Brook, 48-7 over W&M, 35-0 @Towson, now 41-16 over URI. We haven't played any good teams (Towson's starting QB was out), but we're doing as well as can be expected against decent teams. Coen has come into his own at QB (leading the nation in passing efficiency last I checked), while Baylark continues to be one of the best backs in 1-AA (235 and 2 TD's today). We also got a couple players back from injury and suspension at WR and DB to shore up those areas.

I legitimately think UMass is the best 1-AA team in the country right now, and could even beat half of the 1-A teams (we were 50th in Sagarin after last week.) Oh, how I wish we could play UConn this year.

Looks like Maine be the toughest team you guys face before the playoffs.

[BishopMVP]

UMass beats Northeastern 7-0 in a monsoon... a good 3-4 inches of water on the field.

App St up 14-7 at halftime on Furman in a battle of #1 vs. #3

[BishopMVP]

Looks like Maine be the toughest team you guys face before the playoffs.Deflected extra point got us out of our stadium with a 10-9 win and the A-10 title... we played pretty poorly against Hofstra too despite the win, but hopefully they're just playing lackluster since they knew they were in the playoffs and we didn't peak too soon. Lafayette might be a good 6-5 team, but I'm not too worried about them.... 2nd round rematch with UNH could be a problem if UMass doesn't step it up.

Umm, NDSU got screwed by the NCAA rules, they're clearly more deserving than about every at-large team from 5 on. And here's hoping Montana loses in the first two rounds so we don't have to go out there.

#16 Coastal Carolina (9-2) at No. #1 Appalachian St. (10-1), 3:30 PM on ESPN-U
#9 Furman (8-3) at #8 Montana State (7-4)

#12 Illinois State (8-3) at #5 Eastern Illinois (8-4)
#13 James Madison (9-2) at # 4 Youngstown State (9-2), 7:30 PM on ESPN2

#14 Lafayette (6-5) at #3 Massachusetts (10-1), 12 PM on CN8
#11 New Hampshire (8-3) at #6 Hampton VA (10-1) 12 PM

#10 Tennessee-Martin (9-2) at #7 Southern Illinois (8-3)
#15 McNeese State (7-4) at #2 Montana (10-1)

[wade moore]

Deflected extra point got us out of our stadium with a 10-9 win and the A-10 title... we played pretty poorly against Hofstra too despite the win, but hopefully they're just playing lackluster since they knew they were in the playoffs and we didn't peak too soon. Lafayette might be a good 6-5 team, but I'm not too worried about them.... 2nd round rematch with UNH could be a problem if UMass doesn't step it up.

Umm, NDSU got screwed by the NCAA rules, they're clearly more deserving than about every at-large team from 5 on. And here's hoping Montana loses in the first two rounds so we don't have to go out there.

I'm glad you bumped based on the I-A playoff thread...

NDSU got screwed, some think that PSU got screwed, but definitely I think some of the matchups and who has home games are complete crap.

How does James Madison travel to Youngstown State when they maybe should have had a home game and New Hampshire travels to Hampton? It just makes NO sense.

You guys had a stellar year, a stellar team, and one of the better defenses in I-AA if not the best. You have a VERY good shot to go all of the way.

[BishopMVP]

BTW - I would not be supportive of home games being deteremined the way they are in I-AA. I need to make a rant in the I-AA thread that we have going.
...
How does James Madison travel to Youngstown State when they maybe should have had a home game and New Hampshire travels to Hampton? It just makes NO sense.How does UMass end up the #3 seed despite being the easy #1 in the GPI rating that is supposed to be the best barometer of playoff seeding? (Answer: Montana will sell 20,000+ tickets, UMass will be lucky to get 8,000 this weekend with students home.) How did we end up playing at #5 Colgate in the first round when we were ranked 4th in the polls in 2003 and only had one 1-AA loss (51-48 at #1 Delaware?)

NDSU knew going into the season what the deal was, it's not like the committee screwed them there. PSU had 4 losses (albeit 2 to Top 25 teams), so I don't really think they deserved to make it, but Montana St. has 4 losses and they get a home game while Eastern Illinois has 4 losses and they're all the way up at #5 while JMU is #13? James Madison/YSU is good enough to be a semi-final match-up, and without question a quarterfinal match-up. (Speculation it was set up for TV reasons.) UNH will blow out the over-rated MEAC team, just like every other year.You guys had a stellar year, a stellar team, and one of the better defenses in I-AA if not the best. You have a VERY good shot to go all of the way.Thank you. I feel we have as good a shot as anyone, but after the opening round game, we'd possibly have to run a gauntlet of rematch vs. UNH, cross-country at Montana, then against Appalachian St, and the 1-AA playoffs always have a few big upsets (just look at our national title) so who knows. Should be fun.

[PilotMan]

On the NDSU front, yeah, they knew going in that they were not going to get to the playoffs, but imagine what would have happend if they hadn't had that FG blocked against Minnesota? They would have ended up as the #1 team in the nation and not made it to the playoffs. As it is ending up #2 was great, however I was hopeful that there was going to be some workaround to get them in. If this had happened at the DIA level there would have been a big hulabaloo. Harbaugh was squaking about his team(San Diego) not being able to get in, and they had a perfect season(10-0), but they played nobodies. NDSU played a rough, wide-open schedule with a lot of road games, they would have been the #2 seed with ease.

[Porscheboy16]

Current Blue Hen Grad student right here (also went for undergrad). They have really fallen off as of late.

-2003- Win Nat'l Championship
- 2004- Blow a 21 pt lead in the 4th Quarter of Playoff game
-2005 - Start 5-0, then lose 5 (or 6 ) straight
-2006 - 5-6 Record

[BishopMVP]

Thank you. I feel we have as good a shot as anyone, but after the opening round game, we'd possibly have to run a gauntlet of rematch vs. UNH, cross-country at Montana, then against Appalachian St, and the 1-AA playoffs always have a few big upsets (just look at our national title) so who knows. Should be fun.Woot!

Championship Game tonight 8PM on ESPN2. (UMass/Appalachian St.) Crowd will be heavily App St's favor, with them being much closer and students here at UMass (like me) in the middle of finals. Even though we haven't faced a team with as good a running game in a while, I still like our chances, because we did well against Navy's great rushing offense (also because we really haven't played great as a team since the 1st half @UNH 11/4, and if it all comes together we'll blow them off the field). However, from the half I saw, App St is more of a spread-option team running out of the shotgun than a triple-option team like Navy, and has a much, much better QB in Armanti Edwards. Luckily, our best Safety James Ihedigbo is great against the run, and he'll need to have a big game tonight. Also possibly of interest is that both the Hatchell brothers shouldn't be on a field at this point. One (the DL) has been playing with a torn ACL for over a month and the other (the LB) also tore ligaments (I'd guess ankle) against UNH. Another interesting thing is that 6 of our last 7 games we've won by 1 score or fewer, while App St hasn't played a close game since October.

[wade moore]

At Half, UMass is really having trouble dealing with this spread offense - in particular the speed of this freshman QB.

I'm hoping they come out better on defense in the second half, because right now they are just letting Appy St. set the pace and it's not working for UMass.

[wade moore]

:(...

Appy State is GOOD.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Looks like a lot more fun tonight than it was when I went to the I-AA title game there a few years ago. (Montana walloping Furman on a very very cold night)

[wade moore]

Looks like a lot more fun tonight than it was when I went to the I-AA title game there a few years ago. (Montana walloping Furman on a very very cold night)

Yeah, this game was closer than the score... Tied up to start the 4th, Appy St. pulls ahead early in the 4th by a TD.. then pulls away by scoring with under 2:00 left...

I didn't watch last year's game, but watched the year before when JMU beat Montana ... thank GOD they put in Field Turf, the field in that JMU game was an unmitigated disaster...

I hear the facilities are nice and the town is built pretty well fo rthis and supports the game pretty heavily.