Mining For Gold: A NCAA 14 UTEP Dynasty

[letsgocavs99]

Mining For Gold: An NCAA 14 UTEP Dynasty

Kugler Steps Down, Miners Hire James Price

After a disappointing 2-10 season, Sean Kugler has stepped down as the head football coach of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Miners. In his place they have hired former Texas and Texas A&M QB/WR coach, James Price. This is Price's first head coaching job and will look to get UTEP on the right track. The Miners love his innovation on offense and will look to have a dynamic passing game this year.

The Rundown

Platform: PS3
Roster: http://www.operationsports.com/forum...aa-14-ps3.html
Mode: Coach Mode
Sliders: Not sure, I'll edit this when I find good coach mode sliders.
Quarter Length: 8 Minutes
Offensive Playbook: UTEP Default (For Now)
Defensive Playbook: 4-3 Multiple
Scheduling: No FCS schools

Recruiting Rules (This is From Pocket Scout in the House Rules Thread)

LIMITS
Leaving Seniors +2
I can only have two more players on my board at any time than I have leaving my program. If I have 15 seniors I can only have a 17 players on my board and I can only sign 17 that season as well. This will help to keep from stacking my roster to easily and flushing out the bad players. If the computer adds players to the class they will be deleted, only the players that I sign will be allowed on the team.

No Scouting (Other than Pre-Season)
I can not scout any of the prospects that are on my board. Recruiting is to easy for me because I can easily find the best of what I can get to sign with my program without any issue and get those guys on campus. To combat this I will not scout any prospects. Once a kid commits to my program I can then scout him to see what I've got, those Gems and Busts titles are now going to carry a lot more meaning and impact since I will be stuck with these kids. This does add a "kid at Christmas morning" feel to when I get the message that a kid has signed with my program because then I get to go and find out what I really just signed. --I am adding that I can scout in the preseason, the CPU does it for you anyway and a least will know a little bit about the guys I'm going after.

REGIONAL RESTRICTIONS
Pipelines
After playing 5 seasons I have noticed the new recruiting setup for NCAA 2014 gives you the ability to recruit Nationally very easy. In real life your pipelines and home state are very important to recruiting and few programs easily recruit nationally. To bring this game back better in line with real life I am implementing the following.
Note: Coastal/Border school defined as any school within 170 miles of the border or coast line.
Local (1*) I can only recruit my home state and pipelines.
Close to Home (2* and 3*) I can only recruit my home state, pipelines and states that are within a 200 mile radius of my campus. 350 miles if coastal\US border school.
Regional (4*) I can only recruit my home state, pipelines and states that are within a 400 mile radius of my campus. 600 miles if coastal\US border school.
National (5* and 6*) No distance limitations but all other interest restrictions and limits still apply.

Five Outsiders
I can recruit five guys who are outside of my regionally restricted area. This will allow me to try and build new pipelines but with it only being three players a year it will take multiple years to establish those pipelines.

INTEREST RESTRICTIONS
Ranked in Recruits Top 10
I must be in a recruits Top 10 to be able to recruit them. I look at this as these are players that my coaching staff has been recruiting since their sophomore and junior year in high school. We have already identified these kids as who we want in our program and now we are just narrowing down who we are going to bring on campus.
Five Outsiders
The five players who are considered my three outsiders do not have the "be in their Top 10 restriction", but I can only recruit players who are no more than 1* higher than my teams current prestige.
In State
I can recruit any players in my schools home state (there is no "be in their Top 10 restriction" and no star restrictions).


Team Rules
I am going to have a few rules to keep this fun and interesting

1. Before every season I will cut the player with the lowest awareness for "academic reasons"
2. I may not try to persuade any players wishing to transfer from Idaho, however I may try to persuade players to stay from the NFL draft if they are under 95 overall.
3. Every 4th game a random player will infract a team rule and be out for either a quarter, half, or game.
4. Every other game I will have a random starter or player that plays meaningful minutes get injured. Injuries don't happen enough by themselves, so I will do a process that will be described later. Severity of injuries goes: Questionable (Loses 5 attribute points to a few important stats) out for 1 game, out for 2-5 games, and out for the season.

To do injuries I'll do a simple string of chances. First, I'll flip a coin; heads is offense and tails is defense. Next I'll get 2 dice and roll. Every position has a #, and then I'll roll one die to determine how bad the injury is. 1 will be no injury, 2 will be questionable, 3 and 4 out for 1 game, 5 out for 2-5 games and 6 is out for season. If I roll 5 I'll do another die roll to see how many games they are out.

Team rule infractions is same thing with the die, 1 and 2 is out for a quarter, 3 and 4 is out for half, and 5 and 6 is out for game.

__________________________________________________ ___________
I'll be the first to admit I'm horrible at keeping dynasties going. However, I actually feel I can keep this one going. I'm not too busy now and won't be until this spring. I should be able to post enough to keep my interest but not too much so I'll get burnt out. Expect posts maybe 4 times a week.
__________________________________________________ ___________

Let's get into why I picked UTEP, first of all my criteria for picking a team was simple. I wanted a bad team to build up. That team needed some decent jerseys and a cool stadium. I love UTEP's jersey combinations in this game and the Sun Bowl stadium is great. Also I've been messing around in coach mode the past couple weeks and it's pretty fun. So, I decided to use it in a dynasty. NCAA 14 is a pretty easy game so I hope coach mode will give me a challenge. I don't expect to get this started for a few days, so expect a few preseason articles before training camp starts along with the spring game.

I have a lot of interesting ideas I want to try out, so the first season will be a lot of testing until I find something I like. I hope you all enjoy this.

[letsgocavs99]

Season Previews

2014

Spoiler

2014 Season Preview

Hey y'all, how are you doing today? It's a mighty fine day here in El Paso, Texas, where UTEP football is about to get under way. The team has been through practices this week and I'm going to let you know my thoughts on our team. Let's start going position by position.

Quarterbacks
(RS Sr) Jameill Showers, (So) Mack Leftwich, (RS So) Garrett Simpson

No doubt who the starter is here, Showers is the best player on this team. The dual threat uses his legs and arm to make plays all over the field. In case he gets hurt, the team will look to backup, Mack Leftwich. The 5'10" QB has goo accuracy and should be serviceable in short time periods.

Running Backs

HB: (RS Sr) Nathan Jeffery, (So) Aaron Jones, (Jr) Jeremiah Laufasa, (Jr) Autrey Golden

Coach price told me at practice yesterday that they will be looking to run some sort of a running back by committee. Jeffery and Jones should see a bulk of the work. Jones is a speedy elusive back while Jeffery is a 3rd down back. He's the better receiver and pass blocker.

FB: (So) Darrin Laufasa, (RS Sr) Josh Bell

Darrin Laufasa, brother of Jeremiah Laufasa, will be your starter here. He is a do it all FB and will look to be heavily involved in the offense this year,

Recievers

WR: (RS Sr) Jarrad Shaw, (RS Sr) Ian Hamilton, (Jr) Cole Freytag, (RS So) Brandon Moss

It looks like Shaw and Hamilton will be getting most of the targets. Hamilton uses his 6'5" frame to get jump balls and Shaw uses his great catching and route running to get open. There doesn't seem to be any burners here, so I wouldn't be surprised to see HB Audrey Golden (95 speed) in a few packages.

TE: (RS Sr) Eric Tomlinson, (RS Sr) Katrae Ford, (RS Fr) Cole Rogers

I've seen a lot of 2 TE sets so far through camp and practices. Tomlinson is a great blocker, but doesn't have great hands. However Ford is able to stretch the field and has some great hands. I'm very interested about Rogers, the freshman is the fastest TE we have and looks to have a bright future.

Offensive Line


LT: (RS Sr) Jerel Watkins LG: (RS Fr) Will Hernandez C: (RS Jr) Eric Lee RG: (RS Sr) Kyle Brown RT: (RS So) Christian Harper

The offensive line looks pretty strong. Jerel Watkins anchors the group with his great pass blocking. The weakness here seems to be the freshman Will Hernandez. He is inexperienced and just needs some time.

Defensive Line

DE: (RS Jr) Roy Harris, (RS Sr) Cooper Brock, (RS So) Silas Firstly, (So) Nick Usher, (RS Fr) Luke Elsner

The defensive ends are pretty balanced. So far Harris and Firstly seem to be starting. However Coach Price has said that he is looking into rotating them often so they can all be fresh.

DT: (Sr) Maurice Chavis, (So) Geno Bresolin, (RS Jr) Alex Villarreal, (RS Jr) Vince Czerniewski, (RS So) Devante Richardson
The defensive tackles will be very similar to the defensive ends. Coach Price is looking to get the DT’s roted a lot, also they are wanting to run a multiple defense so expect lots of different fronts. Chavis is the #1, and Bresolin and Villarreal are splitting time behind him.

Linebackers

WLB: (Fr) David Hamm
At weak side linebacker (Will), David Hamm appears to be the starter. Jimmy Musgrave should be able to fill in periodically as well.

MLB: (RS Sr) Anthony Puente, (Jr) Jimmy Musgrave, (RS Jr) Matthew Heard
Puente is the star of this defense and starts at the Mike linebacker position. He is their best playmaker, tackler, and makes all of the adjustments. Jimmy Musgrave is a quality backup and should be fine when they run some 3-4 looks.

SLB: (RS Jr) Trey Brown, (RS Fr) Alvin Jones, (RS So) Cooper Foster
At the strong side linebacker position, or Sam, we have the other star of this defense, Trey Brown. Brown is an athletic playmaker who is a sure tackler. However, Alvin Jones is probably the most interesting player on this team. He’s an undersized 5’11” 215 lbs. athletic freak. He has superb speed, good coverage, and can rush the passer. Look for the Miners to get him involved a lot in their defense.

Secondary

CB: (RS Sr) Adrian James, (RS Jr) Ishmael Harrison, (RS Sr) Traun Roberson, (Jr) Kelvin Fisher Jr, (Sr) Damian Payne

The corners on this team are the big wild card. If James and Harrison play well, then the whole defense looks good, however if they don’t it will be a long day in the office for Coach Price. James looks to be the best all-around corner on this team. He’s the best tackler and best in man-to-man coverage. This team seems like a primarily man-to-man team, so I wonder how Price will adapt knowing he would rather run zone.

Safety: (So) Devin Cockrell, (RS So) Dashone Smith, (Sr) Jameel Irving, (RS So) Leon Hayes, (RS Sr) Wesley Miller

While there are no big hitters in the secondary, these safeties can cover. Irving seems to be the starter at strong safety which means he can use his 6’1” height to match up with receivers and backs too. The thing I assume Coach Price will do is blitz his linebacker often. These safeties are good in covergwe so he can afford to have one less back deep.

Special Teams

K: (So) Jay Mattox
P: (So) Mike Ruggles
Returner: Autrey Golden

Neither kicker has a very strong leg, however they are both accurate. That should be a big help in the name of field position. I’ve also gotten word Autrey Golden will return. He’s a speedster with great elusiveness.

I have received word that Price has given out the redshirt to 8 players. All 8 are freshman and have bright futures ahead.

Tyler Batson Fr WR
Sterling Napier Fr TE
Chris Jones Fr OT
Derron Gatewood Fr C
Christopher Misaalefua Fr OG
Joseph Kraemer Fr DE
Justen Tatum Fr MLB
Mookie Carlile Fr SS


Here is a look at the official depth chart

UTEP Miners- Name (Overall) Depth Chart - 2014
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	Jarrad Shaw (76)	Slot- Brandon Moss (68)	5-Marquis Teague
TE	Eric Tomlinson (70)	Katrae Ford (67)	Cole Rogers (65)
LT	Jerel Watkins (78)	Jerome Daniels (61)
LG	Will Hernandez (65)	Paulo Melendez (64)
C	Eric Lee (68)	Derek Elmendorff (66)
RG	Kyle Brown (68)	Derek Elmendorff (66)
RT	Christian Harper (66)	Chris Thomas (58)
WR	Ian Hamilton (74)	4-Cole Freytag (68)	Jaquan White (66)
QB	Jameill Showers (85)	Mack Leftwich (72)	Garrett Simpson (69)
FB	Darrin Laufasa (71)	Josh Bell (63)
HB	Nathan Jeffery (80)	Aaron Jones (78)	Jeremiah Laufasa (71)	Autrey Golden (71)
Base 4-3 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	Roy Harris (67)	Cooper Brock (66)
LDT	Maurice Chavis (71)	Devante Richardson (64)	Vince Czerniewski (62)
RDT	Alex Villarreal (69)	Geno Bresolin (66)	Dewan Edmonson (61)
RDE	Silas Firstley (69)	Nick Usher (68)	Luke Elsner (64)
WLB	David Hamm (68)	Jimmy Musgrave (70)
MLB	Anthony Puente (72)	Jimmy Musgrave (70)	Matthew Heard (65)
SLB	Trey Brown (72)	Alvin Jones (69)	Cooper Foster (64)
CB	Adrian James (71)	Nickel- Traun Roberson (68)	Kelvin Fisher Jr (65)
SS	Jameel Erving (68)	Wesley Miller (67)	Leon Hayes (67)	LaQuintus Dowell (67)
FS	Devin Cockrell (69)	Dashone Smith (67)
CB	Ishmael Harrison (70)	Dime- Damian Payne (66)	Nick Gathrite (65)
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	Jay Mattox (73)
P	Mike Ruggles (73)

Taking a look at our schedule, I think it seems decent. Some winnable games for sure.

Week 1 . Bye
Week 2 (9/7). New Mexico
Week 3 (9/14). @New Mexico State
Week 4 (9/21). @UTSA
Week 5 (9/28). @ Colorado State
Week 6 (10/5). Louisiana Tech
Week 7. Bye
Week 8 (10/19). UAB
Week 9 (10/26). Rice
Week 10 (11/2). @ Texas A&M
Week 11 (11/9). @North Texas
Week 12 (11/16). @Western Kentucky
Week 13 (11/23). Old Dominion
Week 14 (11/30). @Middle Tennessee State

I think we could possibly go and from 2-10 to 6-6. There are plenty of winnable games on our schedule. Many games that could go either way. We will need to come out and play well in them if we want to be bowl eligible.

Now that we see how we compare to our opponents, let's see how we fair compared to our conference rivals.

Conference USA Pre-Season Standings

1. Louisiana Tech
2. Western Kentucky
3. Marshall
4. North Texas
5. Middle Tennessee State
6. UTEP
7. Rice
8. Florida Atlantic
9. Southern Miss
10. Florida International
11. UAB
12. UTSA
13. Old Dominion



Now that we see how we stack up in our conference, let's see how we stack up with the rest of the nation

Around The NCAA

Pre-Season Top 25 Rankings

1. Florida State
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. Oregon
5. Auburn
6. Ohio State
7. UCLA
8. Michigan State
9. South Carolina
10. Baylor
11. Stanford
12. Georgia
13. LSU
14. Wisconsin
15. USC
16. Clemson
17. Norte Dame
18. Arizona St
19. Ole Miss
20. Texas A&M
21. Kansas State
22. Nebraska
23. UNC
24. Texas
25. Washington
30. Miami
31. Florida
43. Michigan
67. Louisiana Tech
68. Western Kentucky
95. Marshall
100. North Texas
104. Middle Tennessee State
106. UTEP
108. Rice
110. Florida Atlantic
111. Southern Miss
114. Florida International
118. UAB
121. UTSA
125. Old Dominion

Heisman Watch - Updated: Aug 15, 2014
NAME	POS	SCHOOL		SEASON STATS
Jameis Winston	QB	Florida State
Todd Gurley III	HB	Georgia
Marcus Mariota	QB	Oregon
Amari Cooper	WR	Alabama
Brett Hundley	QB	UCLA

(Sorry no All Americans, stupid NCAA 14 takes the "old players" if you use a different roster and puts their old player in for Heisman/All Americans)


I'm really looking forward to this dynasty. Also if you didn't see my previous post, I'll be accepting 3 High School Seniors each year and will create them as recruits. If you would like to be a part of my dynasty, fill out this form

Name:
Position:
Height:
Weight:
City and State:
Jersey Number:
Special Equipment:
Skin Tone (Light, Medium, Dark):
3 Strengths:
3 Weaknesses:

I'll also say again if anyone makes graphics or can create nice looking templates for me to do my game write-ups or really anything, it would be greatly appreciated.

[letsgocavs99]

Reserved for season review

[letsgocavs99]

Recruiting Classes

2014-2015 Season

[letsgocavs99]

Awards and Accolades

2014-2015 Season

[letsgocavs99]

Bowl Games/Coach Statistics

Coaching Career

Record:
Winning %:
Top 25 Recruiting Classes:

Bowl History:

[letsgocavs99]

Okay you can all post now. I'm hoping this will be a fun dynasty. Also if anyone can get me some banners or graphics it would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[letsgocavs99]

I also am planning on making 3 recruits each season. So if you would like to be a recruit in this dynasty fill out this template.

Name:
Position:
Height:
Weight:
City and State:
Jersey Number:
Special Equipment:
Skin Tone (Light, Medium, Dark):
3 Strengths:
3 Weaknesses:

I will then track your progress throughout your college career. So if you want to be in my dynasty, submit a player. I'm working on the season preview so that should be up tomorrow. I really hope this turns out to be a fun dynasty that lasts for a long time.