The Resurrection of Sonoma State

[Cheese2121]

Absolutely fantastic stuff here my friend. The storylines and depth you are adding is really top notch. It has a very nice organic feel to it.

I like the conference realignment a lot of the Big12. I have always been more of a fan of the traditional Big12 look and think the expansion with Fresno State feels very realistic. Also nice to open another out of conference opponent for you.

The roster is looking very strong and you guys look poised to make a run deep this season. I am looking forward to seeing kickoff here soon!

[moose141]

I love the inclusion of Fresno State to the conference. It does double duty for you of beefing up the reality because no doubt teams like yourself on the West Coast would be hard pressed to stay in the Big XII with the travel that was being forced upon them, plus it frees up a non-conference game on the schedule with Fresno becoming a conference game so you can get creative with some fun non-conference opponents that you may have been wanting to play!

The media guide preview was fantastic. Schedule wise, other than TCU and Texas and of course the Fresno rivalry, the schedule seems very winnable. You could be making another Big XII title run again this year, although of course that's a big if, especially if TCU has the big man who ruined you with what was it 8 sacks last season?

Overall, the team looks much improved and really stacked offensively! Houston will really be the key to making the offense tick, but he's got a ton of weapons with 2 top backs, unreal talent and speed at receiver, and a pretty solid starting offensive line as well. This could be a big redemption year for you! Or if nothing else, it'll be a big stepping stone year as you don't have a ton of seniors so you should be able to retool for both this year and next year at being a real contender.

It should be interesting to see how the "investigation" plays out, haha, I lik ehow you are punishing yourself for breaking your own house rules. I'll have to make sure I do the same to myself if I ever try and cheat the system as well haha.

[SilverBullet19]

Quote: Originally Posted by jpfine

Cannot wait for 2024!!

Same here man! I feel like it's been ages since I actually got on the sticks, the opener could be rough lol.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cheese2121

Absolutely fantastic stuff here my friend. The storylines and depth you are adding is really top notch. It has a very nice organic feel to it. I like the conference realignment a lot of the Big12. I have always been more of a fan of the traditional Big12 look and think the expansion with Fresno State feels very realistic. Also nice to open another out of conference opponent for you. The roster is looking very strong and you guys look poised to make a run deep this season. I am looking forward to seeing kickoff here soon!

Thank you for the kind words Cheese. I'm glad it has a sense of realism to it, that's always big for me.

I'm excited to get Fresno State into this and really open up things out of conference. I've always preferred 4 OOC games to 3, it's just more of a chance to explore the nation and the teams it has to offer.

I agree the roster is solid, I think our best ever. QB is still a bit of a question mark, but if Houston shows up to play we can win any game. I can't wait to get going! I should get the season opener in this week, absolutely stoked!

Thanks for checking in brother!

Quote: Originally Posted by moose141

I love the inclusion of Fresno State to the conference. It does double duty for you of beefing up the reality because no doubt teams like yourself on the West Coast would be hard pressed to stay in the Big XII with the travel that was being forced upon them, plus it frees up a non-conference game on the schedule with Fresno becoming a conference game so you can get creative with some fun non-conference opponents that you may have been wanting to play! The media guide preview was fantastic. Schedule wise, other than TCU and Texas and of course the Fresno rivalry, the schedule seems very winnable. You could be making another Big XII title run again this year, although of course that's a big if, especially if TCU has the big man who ruined you with what was it 8 sacks last season? Overall, the team looks much improved and really stacked offensively! Houston will really be the key to making the offense tick, but he's got a ton of weapons with 2 top backs, unreal talent and speed at receiver, and a pretty solid starting offensive line as well. This could be a big redemption year for you! Or if nothing else, it'll be a big stepping stone year as you don't have a ton of seniors so you should be able to retool for both this year and next year at being a real contender. It should be interesting to see how the "investigation" plays out, haha, I lik ehow you are punishing yourself for breaking your own house rules. I'll have to make sure I do the same to myself if I ever try and cheat the system as well haha.

Thank you Moose, it seems the Fresno State move is well accepted and thought of as a realistic choice. I'm glad to see you guys like it! I'm also glad to hear you enjoy the media guide, you guys really make this more enjoyable for me with the feedback and insight.

As I said to Cheese, I'm excited to add another OOC game and start exploring some other regions before conference play. I'm thinking it's time we start some SEC battles! I haven't done a neutral site season kickoff in ages either, may be time to revamp that idea.

TCU and Texas are tough, but with JKit's sliders, anyone can be. TCU lost that DT (Allen, I think?) that murdered Bishop lol. Nonetheless, they're still strong. I've always had trouble against the 4-2-5 too, so that's a key factor. Everyone can fight, but they are definitely the biggest battles on the way to a Big 12 title game.

As you said, the key to the whole season is how Houston performs. We can always lean on Sonora and Kalama, but we need the passing game. It cost us wins last year and we can't have it happen again.

I'm glad the investigation is going over well too! I'll have another update or two before the findings. I truly didn't intend to break any house rules, it was just oversights on my part. I'll be making a poll or something on the main NCAA page so people can offer feedback on what punishment, if any, should be handed down.

Thanks for checking in!

[SilverBullet19]

Begin 2024 Season

Changes for 2024:

-Fatigue back to OFF

[SilverBullet19]

Series History
This is the fourth meeting between Sonoma State and Arizona State, and the Seawolves own each of the previous three victories. Last year, the Sun Devils gave the Seawolves a run for their money in the hot desert air. Sonoma State had to claw back for a victory on their final drive. This time, the game is in Wine Country, and the last meeting here was very one sided in favor of Sonoma State. The owners of the nation’s longest home winning streak will certainly look to continue that to start off 2024.

What to Watch For
The biggest question mark for this season is how the Seawolves passing game will work out. Brice Houston has once again won the starting spot, and seems to be doing everything right. It should be interesting to see how he handles the pressure of a real game though. If he can manage, look for a highlight reel of catches from Dietrich Highland and Damien Myers. A.C. Sonora and Alika Kalama should easily handle running the rock against a less than stellar Sun Devil defense.

Arizona State is young, and vulnerable. The Seawolves defensive front that features Myron Broussard should wreak havoc in the backfield. Look for the Sun Devils to rely on the option, as they have for the past half decade. If the new linebacking crew at Sonoma State can’t handle it, they should move the ball well. Marcus Terrell is not the strongest passer, and the Sun Devil receivers are overmatched. If they get behind and need to pass, it could just go from bad to worse.

Keys to Victory

Sonoma State
Offense: Get a balanced attack, get Houston in a rhythm
Defense: Play assignment football to shut down the option

Arizona State
Offense: Run the option, focus on efficiency and dominate time of possession
Defense: Use exotic blitzes and change up schemes often to keep the offense guessing


Scouting Report

[jpfine]

It'd be great to get a huge win against Arizona State. Love the coaching comparison, btw.

[SilverBullet19]

Quote: Originally Posted by jpfine

It'd be great to get a huge win against Arizona State. Love the coaching comparison, btw.

We're 3-0 all time against them, so I really hope to make it 4-0! Glad you like the comparison. They have gotten consistently better since their coach took over. I hope to have the game posted today!

[moose141]

The only way I could see ASU giving you even a bit of trouble is if they somehow are able to ground and pound you and grind out a low scoring win. They don't have much to write home about on offense other than a great running back, but their defense is fairly solid and will have to have the best game of their lives if they want to knock off Sonoma. Should be a pretty comfortable win for you! *knock on wood*