FB: Upper Midwest Athletic Conference

[tbcfootball]

If Trinity and Principia combined, they still would have less players than half the teams in the conference.  If the schools combined, they'd still have the lowest enrollment with the conference.  Let's not forget that these teams are forced with the task of doing more with less and if I was a betting man, I'd put my money on Blackburn this week.  But that still doesn't mean that it's impossible for TBC to pull the game off.  Trinity has a lot of talent this year, just an extreme lack of depth.  They're starting 8 freshman on offense and 10 on defense...if they can retain all of those players and add another solid recruiting class, then Trinity will become more and more competitive over the next couple of years.  They now have a solid coaching staff for the first time since Coach Godding left for SAGU, and that's where it all starts. 

[Pat Coleman]

I'm sure you were embellishing for effect, but if you combined the enrollments of TBC and Principia they would be larger than Blackburn, larger than Crown, and the same size (within 10 students) of Maranatha Baptist and Westminster.

[tbcfootball]

I stand corrected Pat. 

[Ralph Turner]

I saw SAGU vs. SRSU.  Coach Godding is doing a good job of building that program.  A good test will be the SAGU-Huntingdon game later in the season.

SAGU is in a good position to grow.  The southern DFW suburbs are going nicely and have the right demographic mix for SAGU.  Those high schools play good football, too.  For that matter, there is more talent in Texas that has not considered football than you can imagine.  I detected some opprtunity to educate parents on the values of D3 football.  SAGU is still giving "Athletic" Scholarships.

If Coach Gooding can string 2-3 solid classes of upperclassmen, then he can build a program.  I was pleasantly suprised at the number of players that had turned out for football.

SAGU is an NAIA independent for football and a member of the Red River AC for other sports.  For SAGU to join D3, they would need to add one men's and 3 women's sports which wouldnot be hard.  If the NCAA increases the number of sports per enrollment, then SAGU would need to increase the commitment even more.

The school is adding another 300 beds for on campus enrollment.  The school should be growing over the next 10 years.  I wish it well.

[Southfan]

Who cares about SAGU?  This is the UMAC Page.  Keep the discussion focused on the teams in the conference.  And another thing about your precious SAGU, not a high quality program when you continue to throw the ball when its 49-13 at half-time.  Run the ball and run out the clock.  Quality coaching, Ralph, high quality

[Pat Coleman]

I'm sure SAGU thought that since it was gaining an average of FIFTEEN YARDS A CARRY on the ground, that it might have less success throwing the ball.

[Southfan]

Not the point, PAT!!!!!  HMMMMM, lets see keep the clock running or stop the clock with dropped balls and imcomplete passes.  Pat, a little lesson for you when your beating the tar out of your opponent, hurry up and run the clock out!

[Pat Coleman]

Thanks, man, I am aware of how the clock is run out. Merely wanted to point out to the rest of the posters the whole story -- running out the clock was guaranteed to put them in the end zone in about six snaps.

[AO]

Perhaps SAGU should have done what Northwestern and Principia did today.  Less than nine minutes into the game the score was 34-0 in favor of Northwestern which led to a 60-0 halftime lead for the Eagles.  The coaches discussed it at the half and they decided to go with a running clock for everything besides injuries and changing possesion.  The second half went much faster and principia was able to move the ball a bit and gain confidence against our second and third teams while the game did not get bogged down like it was in the first half.  Final Score 66-0.

Also around the UMAC, looks like Martin Luther is dominating Maranatha according to a 21-0 halftime score.  It's looking like the UMAC will get some W's today!

[Ralph Turner]

AO, thanks for the update on the Northwestern Principia game.  That makes sense.

I don't wish any ill will towards Principia, but I wanted to give props to Coach Godding, who is turning around the SAGU program, among his Upper Midwest friends.  SAGU has had more than its share of 66-something defeats.  It's nice to see someone turn around a program.

I will continue to watch the UMAC develop with favorable anticipation.  Good luck in the new configurations that are occurring in your part of the country, e.g. the IBFC, the Lake Michigan-NIIC merger, etc.

[Southfan]

It's kind of dead in here!  I was surprised to see that UM Morris lost to Westy this last weekend.  I looked at the stats and UM Morris had 0 yards rushing.  Don't know what that stat indicates; either UM Morris can't run the ball and the O-Line is struggling or Westy's defense is just that good?  I don't know but I'll be interesteed to see how Westy does this week.

[Southfan]

Here are my predictions for this weekend:

Rockford in a record setting win
Northwestern by +40
Trinity BC  NOTTT!!!!!
MLC by 21 pts
Blackburn squeeks by MBBC

[Pat Coleman]

Record-setting win? You're prediciting by 106 or more?

[cwm1276]

Rockford 82-12 Sets team offensive record 745 yards.   The rockford coach was just planning to play and get through the steps.  In the third quarter they were "praticing" a hurry-up offense for later this season.  Principia had many guys playing both sides with only 23-24 players on the team.  In the fourth quarter Rockford is still bringing in fresh players (freshmen and third string) and the Principia players were exhausted.

[Southfan]

Well I was 4 for 5 this week with the biggest upset coming at Blackburn.  Didn't think the Maranathanites had it in them.  Also was surprised by the MLC vs Westy score.  Thought MLC would put us some more points.  I hear the Rockford game was ugly.  I also hear that it could have been 106-0 but the starters didn't play the second half.  The big game this week will be the Rockford vs Westy game.  Whoever wins will win the South.