FB: American Southwest Conference

[Ralph Turner]

Now I have seen everything, Hardin-Simmons loses and they move in the Top-25 by five spots to #16.

By the way not saying they aren't that good, just surprised.

Respect for UMHB!

I greatly respect these D3 voters because they give weight to the quality programs. 

Here is my analysis of last week's top 25.

#13 Millsaps got 251 votes.  #21 HSU got 173 votes.  That is 9 teams separated by 78 votes.  In a "perfect Top 25",  there should be 4 teams 75 votes apart.  The voters have those 9 teams really clustered in Week #4.  There are not enough games to give a good handle as to who is how good.

This week "#13 Millsaps with 251 votes" became "#12" at 315 votes".  A perfect #12 is 300 votes in the Perfect Top 25.  That solid game versus a well-respected DePauw gave much credibility to the Majors

HSU cleared up some of the doubt that existed in the middle of the Top 25.  They moved from "#21 at 173 votes" to "#16 at 238 votes".  238 votes in Week #4 gets you #15.  HSU jumped Redlands, Salisbury, Trinity, St John Fisher and St John's MN.  (238 votes in the Perfect Top 25 is just better than the perfect #17 at 225 votes.)

If you look at the top of the poll, there was almost no movement in the vote totals.  MUC, UWW, UMHB and Capital barely changed vote totals.

Just as Ron said! 

[hsucowboyfan]

Now I have seen everything, Hardin-Simmons loses and they move in the Top-25 by five spots to #16.

By the way not saying they aren't that good, just surprised.

as a cru fan...u should be proud to think that even if a team loses to you they move up...that says a lot about both teams and programs. very impressed with the voting this week...says a lot about how knowledgeable they really are!! Lets go cowboys and keep moving up the poll....you'll see umhb again!!

[Ralph Turner]

IN this week's Top 25, we know that MUC received 21 votes for first and 4 votes for 2nd.

(21 votes for #1)(25 points for #1) + (4 votes for #2)(24 points for #2) =
525 + 96 = 621 points.

I will bet that UMHB got this vote total.

(21 votes for #3)(23 points for #3) + (4 votes for #2)(24 points for #2) =
483 + 96 = 579 points.

I think that UWW got this vote total.

(4 votes for #1)(25 points for #1) + (15 votes for #2)(24 points for #2) + (4 votes for #3)(23 points for #3) + (2 votes for #4)(22 points for #4) =
100 + 360 + 92 + 44 = 596 points.

Just guessing... 

Or a friend suggests this combination for UMHB

(5 votes for #2)(24 points for #2) + (19 votes for #3)(23 points for #3) + (1 vote for #4)(22 votes for #4) =

(5)(24) + (19)(23) + (1)(22) = 579
120      +    437     +      22 = 579

Curiouser and curiouser... 

[Bill McCabe]

Based on Saturday's game, if UMHB is #3, it only makes sense that HSU should move up in the polls. 

[minni]

Now I have seen everything, Hardin-Simmons loses and they move in the Top-25 by five spots to #16.

By the way not saying they aren't that good, just surprised.

I have seen it all from the Cru fans now.  Bitching and moaning because we lose to yall by two points and we move up in the polls.  Yessir I haven't really seen many HSU fans complain about calls or anything else really.  Was the spot bad?  I dont know I wasnt on the field hard to see from the angle I was sitting at.  Did I agree with it, heck no I am an HSU fan.  But we did it to ourselves.  The defense stepped up in the second half and made several stops in a row and the offense does nothing with it.  HSU only has themsleves to blame.  Why we come out in the first quarter with the wind and run the ball 5 times in a row is crazy to me.  the bread and butter for HSU is passing.  Why we do that just amazes me but again I am in the stands now and not in the pads.  But when we get the ball in the 4th quarter I dont know if it is the second or third play but we pass and make a long touchdown.  I saw a heck of a lot of encouraging things Saturday afternoon and I can not wait for November now.  I am now an HSU and UMHB fan, I am wanting this rematch.

And I forget who it was wanting the picture of the HSU players and families after the game, I hope you get one.  But I will make sure to have my camera ready in November when we come there again and it will be me taking a picture of you, your fans and players and ill be happy to mail you a poster sized picture if you will get me your address!!!!

Oh and I am going to go out on a limb and I'll even go to Vegas on this one, MATT FIELDS WILL BE PERFECT THE REST OF THE YEAR!!!!!

[used2b]

Congrats to the Cru for a narrow win. I am very glad to see that someone else in the conference is back to challenge. That said, good job HSU. I also wouldn't mind seeing a rematch. Anyone for a rematch? Say mid-late November. I think it'd be in order this year more so than any other.? 

[yessir]

I'm all for a rematch in November...but I think there's still 6 games on the schedule and anything can happen as we've seen in the past for both teams. Via ETBU, HPU, and TLU for HSU. I say let's not talk about a rematch until both teams win out. I am concerned with UMHB's injuries right now. Only 4 weeks into the season and were already deep into our RB lineup, specially with 11 more weeks to go if they make another run. As far as HSU fans already talking about playing late in November....i'm not real sure anyone in this conference has clinched a playoff berth yet...As it looks now ETBU and UMHB are the only ones actually in the running for the Automatic bid. The rest is up to the committee and we all know how that goes. 

[used2b]

good call, yessir

[minni]

Like I said before I am an HSU and UMHB fan.  I can speculate all i want to and talk about rematch all I want to on here I am not playing.  And as far as schedule goes UMHB still has ETBU and HPU as well.  HSU could still win the ASC crown.

[Toby Taff]

Like I said before I am an HSU and UMHB fan. 

Minni, I never thought I'd read these words from you.  I don't know what to say other than Nice.

As for the possibility of a rematch, I certainly would like to see one in November, but both teams have ETBU on the schedule yet, and we've seen HPU bite UMHB bite both teams in the past.  So both need to stay focused and win out.  No let downs this year.

Yessir, I'm worried about the injuries as well.  Never good to see the 4th string RB in game 4 because he has to be out there.  The temple paper said Hurst's injury was a "stinger" so maybe that's not a huge deal, but the injury to Pi'Dadro Davis looked like it could be bad.  I guess on the positive side the injuries mean game experience for people further down the depth chart which will be valuable in a possible playoff run and over the next couple of seasons, btu I'd sure prefer to see a healthy team with the 3rd and 4th strings getting game time because they can rather than because they must.

[minni]

I didn't think i'd ever say it myself but I dont think the best team won on Saturday.  Just my opinion which I am entitled to.

[yessir]

Like I said before I am an HSU and UMHB fan.  I can speculate all i want to and talk about rematch all I want to on here I am not playing.  And as far as schedule goes UMHB still has ETBU and HPU as well.  HSU could still win the ASC crown.

In my post I was referring to ETBU and HPU for UMHB, and TLU for HSU since those teams have caused problems with UMHB and HSU in the past. There's still alot of football to be played this year....What if ETBU wins out....then UMHB has a much better chance to get a Pool C bid than HSU....or it's a 3 way tie between the 3 teams and a hat chooses who goes. Once again I think UMHB would be in a better situation to get a Pool C bid due to their playoff history...just a thought....not one I want to think about but the season is still very young. I think UMHB needs to get healthy and start opening up their play book...they will need both to make a run in the post season.

[Ron Boerger]

AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE
FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
(Games of October 4, 2008)

CO-OFFENSIVE
Josh Saenz, QB, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
Mary Hardin-Baylor senior quarterback Josh Saenz (McAllen, TX / MHS) ran for a career-high 162 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 31 carries to guide a 20-18 win over fellow nationally-ranked Hardin-Simmons. Saenz, who also passed for 34 yards and helped UMHB control the ball for 39:15, had a 10-yard scoring scamper early in the fourth quarter to give the Cru a 20-6 lead.

Joel Waldon, QB, Sr., Texas Lutheran
Texas Lutheran senior quarterback Joel Waldon (San Antonio, TX / Converse Judson HS) accounted for all of the Bulldogs' four touchdowns - three passing, one rushing - in a 28-21 road win over Howard Payne. Waldon threw for 247 yards, including a 92-yard scoring toss - the longest in the ASC this season - to open the scoring and a 9-yard TD pass with 6:21 remaining to break a 21-21 tie and seal the victory.

DEFENSIVE
Matt Warnasch, S, Sr., Hardin-Simmons
Hardin-Simmons senior safety Matt Warnasch (Frisco, TX / FHS) had 23 tackles - the highest total by six in the ASC this season - and blocked a field goal attempt in a narrow loss to fellow nationally-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor. Warnasch had 14 solo take downs and his overall total of 23 had only been achieved by one other player in the nation entering the week.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Brandon Stephens, P, Sr., East Texas Baptist
East Texas Baptist senior punter Brandon Stephens (Willis Point, TX / WPHS) averaged 43.5 yards on six booms to help guide a 31-7 win over McMurry. Stephens, who had a long punt of 51 yards in the victory, currently leads the ASC with a 44.2 yard average on 18 punts and led the nation entering the week with a 44.58 average.

[Toby Taff]

I didn't think i'd ever say it myself but I dont think the best team won on Saturday.  Just my opinion which I am entitled to.

Watching the game saturday was strange for me because the UMHB team that played Saturday looked very different from the 2 games I had already seen.  In both of the other 2 games UMHb had thrown the football quite a bit.  Saturday there were only 6 official pass attempts (there was a 7th but a hold negated the play).  The Cru seemed intent on eating clock and keeping a potent HSU offense off the field.  I have also seen HSU play 3 games this year and I would say they played as they have every game I watched which concerns me.  The offense is potent and can strike very fast, but they keep leaving themselves in a position to have to come back.  They don't seem able to put teams away, and that I'll lay at the feet of the defense.  The 4th string running back for UMHB averaged 5.3 yds /carry on Saturday;  The starter (our 2nd string back) averaged 5.5;  The QB averaged 5.2; the 3rd string RB averaged 4.8, and the FB averaged 3.7 and the longest run of the game was 14 yds.  The D-line for HSU was better than that last year, and that has to improve.  The Defensive backfield is better than last year for HSU, but weren't really tested Saturday, so that's a hard read for me in a rematch.  I think if HSU wants to win a rematch, they'll have to find away to control the line of scrimmage consistently from the Defensive side and make UMHB try to score more quickly.  ANd I think for UMHB it will be imperative for the Dline to put Feaster on his Keister when he scrambles.  The D was all over him Saturday and he was only sacked one time.  He did an amazing job of escaping the pressure.  It was like trying to rab a greased pig and UMHB needs to figure out how to get a grip if there's a rematch.

[Ralph Turner]

Why not use the TLU and McM games to work on other areas of your game, i.e., passing?  You are not showing your hand.

I thought that it made perfect sense!