Good luck to the CRU this season, they definately look national title calibre.

As for Sul Ross, it was their best outing against UMHB in ten years, and, like I said, the offensive and defensive lines were the deal breakers this weekend.

I do feel sorry for Sully, because they do have an up-n-coming program, but because of several strong factors they'll never be able to compete year-in-year-out with programs like UMHB or HSU.  The first of those factors is the booster base.  Sul Ross boosters aren't a particularly affluent bunch, nor are they numerous, and it shows in the amenities at SRSU (as anyone who's been to Jackson Field can attest to).  Hopefully, a younger generation used to winning and having deeper pockets will strive to change this in years to come.

Secondly, the school has to appoint people to positions that expect production.  Coach Steve Wright is one of those people.  AD Kay Whitley is most assuredly not.  She only attends the most mandatory of football functions, and almost seems to go out of her way to display her apathy towards football (and men's sports in general).  In the last four years, Sully has gone from a 0-10 program to a 6-4 program, and could very possibly go 9-1 or 8-2 this year.  But I don't know if the AD could possibly care less.  Which is dumb, because football (especially successful football) is a cash-cow.  But you can't argue with someone more concerned with Title IX statutes than winning championships.

Third is raw distance.  It takes a lot to talk a competetive player into going to a school a hundred miles from nowhere, in a town a mile wide with little to do on a saturday night.  If they're any good, some other school has to look better just due to proximity to civilization.


It's all a viscious circle, as a program can't pay the coaches if no one's winning, but no one will win if there aren't quality players, but no good players will come if there's nothing offered, and nothing is offered if no one's winning.

Quote from: used2b on September 15, 2007, 10:37:05 AM
SRDAD,
     I sure think it would be great for SRSU to pull the upset, but I'm going to have to go with UMHB by plenty. However, if SRSU can play their game, and as always, no turnovers, they may make a run here.
-In my deelings with Coach Wright, he was always extremely cordial in conversation. He was always very upbeat and attached to that SRSU program. I think he is the right man for the job out there, as that job will take a "special type( one who is a little bit unconventional) of animal." It would help if the AD there would get out of the way and pour some  $ into the program. Wright doesn't have the $ to hire even a half sized fully paid D3 staff. At least, the last time that I knew, these were the circumstances out there.

While a Sully upset is far-fetched, this is easily the best chance they've had in five years to do it.  They've finally got some upperclassman leadership and offensive threats who put up numbers.  WR Brown is averaging over 100 yards a game, RB Barber is doing almost that, and QB Davidson finally has the recievers to make him a legitimate weapon.  He's already has over 600 passing yards after two games, and he only played in about six series last week, with almost zero playing time in the second half to keep him healthy for the CRU.

The SRSU defensive and offensive line is where this one will come down.  The defense gave up way too many rush yards to a poor team last week, but this week will see the return of Big Gideon and Chris Vela, two veteran inside threats that will hopefully add some beef to the middle (and with Gideon, especially his corner).  The O-line is thick, but young and inexperienced.  Having only one vet left from the 2005 season (when the line was at its biggest, averaging about 305), this year's unit is talented but needs a couple seasons of weight training and fundamentals work before they can be called fully gelled.  Davidson got sacked three times last week on blitzes, so hopefully the Lobo line can see where the obvious work needs to be done.

There's every reason to believe that this game will be a high scoring affair, as last time the Sully first string played the whole game they nearly racked up 700 yards of offense against a TLU team that held a pre-season rank over SRSU.  Last week's NAIA game would have had Sully over sixty if the first team had ever taken the field after the halfway point.  That all said, MHBU is ranked fifteenth nationally in offense, and they have every reason in the world to believe that this afternoon should be a repeat of last week's showing.  I give the CRU the edge, but I don't think, barring injury, zebra incursions, or major events, that SRSU will keep the spread too distant. 

Since they're playing in Belton, I say CRU 52, Sully 35.

Quote from: Bill McCabe on October 09, 2006, 05:06:40 PM
What's up with ETBU?  Anyone seen them play?

They have plenty of talent.  Unfortunately the team (and student body, and community) are at odds with the head coach, Harris.  Most people I talk to really want to see him gone.



BTW, I work in Marshall, with lots of ETBU students and alums.

For those who haven't read the scores just yet:

Sully over ETBU, 17-16.


A lot of folks are going to blame the missed PAT for the loss (but I swear it wasn't the kicker's fault, I saw a hand on it, blame the upback), but Sully was first and less than 10 on three occasions, and only managed to put up 3 points for those three series combined.  The score wasn't quite as indicative of the game's real ebb and flow.

If anything, the Sul Ross coaches may have been too conservative, trying to coast two quarters on a ten-point lead.


Whatever the reality, it's an upset for the Tigers.

Quote from: Bill McCabe on September 17, 2006, 08:03:45 AMIt also looks like UMHB has gotten their act together.  Congratulations.

That game was a sham.  Not that Sul Ross was going to ever win it, but at least the referees could have just let the two teams play.  Between the spurious "roughing" calls and SR's best reciever getting thrown out of the game in the first series, it's almost as if the league refs have some kind of directive or vendetta against the Lobos, which I can't fathom, because the best record they've had in ten years is 3-7.

It's the first conference game for SR since the Lousiana College game, where the refs again acted like they were paid off.  I don't get why so many malicious calls are made against such a thoroughly underperforming team.