FB: American Southwest Conference

[Josh Bowerman]

I think Mount Union would schedule anyone that would accept. Not many Top 10 teams are willing to open their season against a team that's won 99 of its past 102 games.

I think HSU has an open schedule spot in 2008.......that would be a fun home and home!

[Pat Coleman]

Mount Union has St. John Fisher in 2008 and 2009.

[Bill McCabe]

Pat, perhaps they will meet again this year.

[Josh Bowerman]

Well, that's a good-looking non-conference matchup, too.  I dunno, as a HSU fan, I kinda like playing home and home against Linfield.  Maybe the two schools will be able to re-up for two more years.

[Josh Bowerman]

I thought I'd take a few minutes to tell everybody about my trip to Chicago this past weekend--football-wise, that is.  That is, nobody wants to hear about all the tax code minutiae from my conference, I'm sure! 

On to Wheaton-Hope observations...

*  Thanks to Brett Marhanka, the Wheaton SID for hosting me, first off.  Second, I enjoyed meeting and visiting with Chris Fossum's father.  Chris is a senior wide reciever for the Thunder, and was named CCIW Offensive Player of the Week this week after recording three catches for 73 yards and 2 touchdowns.

*  For those that don't know, Wheaton is one of several D3 schools in located in the Chicago suburbs.  Their most famous alumnus is the Rev. Billy Graham, and have a student body size of around 2,500--give or take a bit.  Wheaton has a beautiful campus, though I was a bit disappointed that the hardwood trees hadn't started to change color much yet.  I really miss that about the northern climes, and I can only imagine how pretty Wheaton's campus is when the trees explode in color.

*  This game was the first home game of the season for the Thunder, and the stands were filled pretty much to capacity.  Though the Wheaton  cheerleading squad tried their best, they were usurped in the sideline entertainment category by what I can only assume was the Wheaton Men's Swim Team.  Their antics, coupled with the PA announcer's description of the bratwurst at the snack bar as "exestential concession cuisine" really helped positively add to the environment.  One thing I did note was that fans of both teams rooted for their squad, and not against the other team.  I think that's something we Texans kinda get carried away with at times.

*  On the field, the game was relatively close for the first several possessions.  Wheaton had a new starter in at the QB position, as their first team QB went down the week before with a very serious head injury.  Though he had been hospitalized for much of the previous week, he had been released and was on the sidelines with his teammates Saturday night--a very encouraging sign for this young man, indeed.

*  Wheaton has an outstanding defensive end, Andy Studebaker, who Pat tells me is a legitimate candidate for National Defensive Player of the Year.  Andy is a good ball player, too--though I'd still vote for Jarvis Thrasher, if I could.  Studebaker could easily start and excel at any ASC or SCAC school, though.

*  Overall, the team speed on both sides of the ball is not quite up to the level that we're used to seeing here in the South.  That's not to say that these athletes are slow, but rather that they're just not sprinter-fast.  The Hope side tended to be a bit undersized at some positions, as well, though the Dutch also have an outstanding defensive lineman in Matt Rugenstein.  Overall, I think the offensive lines at ASC schools are noticeably taller and heavier than the guys on both of these teams--but they matched up well size-wise against each other.

*  The Wheaton football stadium sits too close to the railroad tracks.  I think I counded about 50 trains that went by, in the first half alone!   

Anyway, just some brief observations from my trip.  It's always nice to be able to take in some great DIII action from other parts of the country, and I enjoyed my short stay at Wheaton immensely.  Here's looking forward to the next road trip!

[wildcat11]

Well, that's a good-looking non-conference matchup, too.  I dunno, as a HSU fan, I kinda like playing home and home against Linfield.  Maybe the two schools will be able to re-up for two more years.

Josh,

I agree and hope the schools will give it another 2 year deal.  I'm sure both schools are looking at the cost of the trip but it was a real treat to go to another part of the country and see two excellent D3 programs get after it. 

Good luck the rest of the way.

[Pat Coleman]

*  Wheaton has an outstanding defensive end, Andy Studebaker, who Pat tells me is a legitimate candidate for National Defensive Player of the Year.  Andy is a good ball player, too--though I'd still vote for Jarvis Thrasher, if I could.  Studebaker could easily start and excel at any ASC or SCAC school, though.

I don't think Thrasher is eligible for defensive player of the year.

[Josh Bowerman]

Well, shoot.  O'Hare was O'Hare last night, and I didn't get back until 1 a.m. this morning.  (Sigh)   

I suppose I should clarify by suggesting that I'd likely vote for Jarrell Freeman for the award, if I had a vote.  Of course, the way Thrasher killed HSU on offense last year, maybe he should get some votes both ways!      

[used2b]

Josh Bowerman,
      Good comments and insight on your visit to Wheaton. It is exciting to see someone who is just a real involved fan with Div. 3 football.
- I am surprised those O-lines up there were not more physically dominant in size and play. I had always heard they may be better than those down south?

[hsucowboyfan]

Josh Bowerman,
      Good comments and insight on your visit to Wheaton. It is exciting to see someone who is just a real involved fan with Div. 3 football.
- I am surprised those O-lines up there were not more physically dominant in size and play. I had always heard they may be better than those down south?

well used2b you must have heard wrong!!!

[Josh Bowerman]

I think it's more the difference between a lot of the the OL/DL guys on the top-tier ASC/SCAC schools being 6-1/6-3 and between 275-300 lbs. versus those guys being closer to 6-0 tall and 250-275.  Not a huge difference, but visually noticeable in my mind.

I also wouldn't extend that observation to more than just these two teams--I've seen enough of the WIAC schools play over the years to know those guys generally have great size on the OL/DL.

[Josh Bowerman]

well used2b you must have heard wrong!!!

Was that really necessary?

[hsucowboyfan]

Was that really necessary?
[/quote]

Oh, well let me ask for your forgivness Josh!! He really must have heard wrong. On top of that you guys especially, if anybody should know that size doesn't always matter in d3.  If your an athlete your an athlete regardless of height and weight.  Josh knox was maybe 5'10'', possibly shorter and he won the remmington award last year for the best center in division 3 football.  Size doesn't express dominance, although most of the time it does help.  Another example, have you seen the oline from mcmurry.  They are absolutly huge.....but are not very good.  Sorry McMurry .  From my first hand experience, not word of mouth, the oline's in the WIAC are  bigger than most of the olines in the ASC, but again that doesn't mean they are better or more physically dominate in their play.  Good luck cowboys this weekend.  Take care of buisness!!!! 

[proudmcmdad]

I have been out of touch this week as my company decided that D3football is a really bad site so I can't look at it at work and I noticed several comments that I need to put my 2 cents on.

One of the reasons that MHB and HSU are the quality teams in the conference is that they play the top talent in D3.  You don't get better by playing teams you can beat and that play the same type of game as your conference.  If you are a bad team, you don't notice the improvement, if you are already a good team that is how you get better.  Also, it takes a committment from the administration and alumni of the school to spend the money to get them to far away places.  D3 football is not a revenue neutral activity, with the majority of the fans being students and family that get in free.  McM is starting to make those committments with the new field and stadium improvements, but need to garner more financial support if the football team is to succeed.

Another reason that MHB and HSU are the quality teams in the conference is that they have quality coaches that have been at the program for a long time, establishing a program that becomes a "plug and play" as others have mentioned. HSU is having problems this year but that is not because the coach got studid or became a bad coach all of a sudden.  And heck yeah I hope McM takes advantage this season and beats the tar out of them, heck I will take a 1 point win.  MHB needs to build their own stadium instead of using the local high school field.

Mississippi College has a leg up on improvement in that they were once a D1(?) division team with a great stadium and workout facility.  A win this week will go a long way in making them a viable contender for the elite of the conference.

TLU was the team many of us ASC supporters thought would be the next contender for the top but the multiple coaching changes over the last couple of years has taken them back several steps. 

Every team in the conference will benefit if we can get more teams in the upper level of D3 football instead of the Big 2 and then everyone else.

[proudmcmdad]

Now for the McM questions.

Coach Gray will be great for the program if the administration and alumni will let the team and the coach grow over time.  Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will the McM football team become a winner overnight.  Gray is young, energetic, a great coach and individual and relates well with his players.  He brought in the largest recruiting class in many years, but now has to keep them for the next 4 years which is really tough when you are losing.  The players and their parents have got to "Believe" (McM motto for the year) and stay with the program and establish a foundation that the team can build on.  He got a real exciting QB that has 2 years of eligibility which will help jump start the program.

I am sure the alumni and alumni want to be's (me being one of them) will be hit up by McM's #1 alumni, this board's very own Ralph Turner.  Ralph was named to chair a fundraising campaign for the university.  He did almost ruin the alumni magazine, being that his picture was on the front cover with a full page picture later in the magazine. In spite of his picture on the front cover, I hope the McM faithful step up and make the financial committment that will help the university which will also help the football program.