FB: American Southwest Conference

[D3fanboy]

Here is the game writeup from the Tyler paper:  https://tylerpaper.com/sports/texas-college-goes-to-2-0-with-big-win/article_0b393eec-6e40-11ef-b53a-3f23d1f7ee8e.html

The game was called for "lack of sportsmanship" with 5:05 remaining in the fourth quarter.

I'm shocked that the "school" where you're encouraged to complete one course a month by working a couple of hours two days a week, and the "program" you could try out for as long as you brought 20 dollars cash to the field, would have their first "football" game end this way.

Shocked, I tell you.

In all seriousness: If this is how those games are going to go, it should not be played. I would hate for a player to get hurt in something so blatantly ridiculous as this.

If UMHB is smart, they'd bail on this. If they can't, I hope they run the ball on every play, and use every second of the play clock. Fewer plays means fewer injury opportunities.

it's the TX college Bishop Sycamore.  Johnny Melvin ain't much better.  What a schedule

[Etchglow]

Just figured I'd add a link to this morning's press conference article here, especially as it doesn't appear UMHB will be doing a coaches show on the radio this season. Thought he addressed most of the concerns pretty well...now it's about learning from Saturday and using it to move forwards, especially with Whitewater coming up in just over two weeks.

https://truetothecru.com/2024/09/10/3-takeaways-from-larry-harmons-presser-week-2/

No coach's show is disappointing... HSU, HPU, and ETBU all live stream coach's shows and have video available via their website or YouTube. First no road broadcasts, now no coach's show lol.

Agreed on the coaches show. Just because a radio station might not want to put it together doesn't necessarily prevent the school from running that. In fact, I think it's far more common in D2 and D3 for the school to run that via YouTube, as opposed to it being done by a radio station. And on YouTube, there's a good chance it would get even more listeners because people can listen to it on their own time, rather than having to tune in live. 

I mean, YouTube accounts are free... And they already have a Webcam because I've seen him on zoom. Obs is free, I can guarantee there are kids on campus who can set it up to live stream...

[IC798891]

Beating a pretend club team 100-0 by way of 3rd qtr forfeit probably does more harm than good to everyone involved, not to mention it's the worst possible perception for any casual fans that plan to go to our home opener... what a joke

This is what I never understood: How can this possibly benefit UMHB to play an opponent this outclassed? Where does the improvement come from? Like, do the coaches and players honestly believe they're going to be better off the Sunday after this game?

I actually will probably tune in out of morbid curiosity

[Ron Boerger]

Recognize the only ASC team *not* playing Westgate is HSU.  HPU plays them Oct. 5, ETBU Oct. 19 (Homecoming, no less).  With the need to schedule 4 non-conference games, some of which fall when most everyone else is in the midst of their conference schedules, options are limited.  I don't think there is a coach in the conference that is doing this because they want to play a glorified scrimmage.  The option is a second bye week - who knows, maybe that would have been a better choice but teams should be able to get their entire rosters on the field.

And there have been plenty of reports that some D3 schools simply won't schedule some of the ASC 4.     

[IC798891]

This is not about teams ducking the ASC 4 or scheduling conflicts.

Westgate Christian is not a legitimate college. They are a member of The National Bible College Association, which is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. It's just a bad look, and given that the last game ended because of poor sportsmanship, it's a dangerous one as well.

FWIW, I think we're really underselling that point: I remember IC and Salisbury playing a game that had 10 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, three personal fouls and a coach ejection. It still got finished.

For the WC game to have been so out of hand that the officials just say "Nah, that's enough?" and just call it tells me this went beyond a little trash talk/after the whistle shoving into something they felt could not be controlled. Trying to frame this as anything else is just dumb.

[crufootball]

Beating a pretend club team 100-0 by way of 3rd qtr forfeit probably does more harm than good to everyone involved, not to mention it's the worst possible perception for any casual fans that plan to go to our home opener... what a joke

This is what I never understood: How can this possibly benefit UMHB to play an opponent this outclassed? Where does the improvement come from? Like, do the coaches and players honestly believe they're going to be better off the Sunday after this game?

We have beat teams 91-7, 84-13, 84-6, 83-19, and 82-0 so the casual UMHB fan is more than used to seeing a beat down. What good did those games do us, well the year we won 91-7 we won the Stagg Bowl, 84-6 we won the Stagg Bowl so I am guessing we can find some value out of playing actual games against teams that had no chance to beat us.
 

FWIW, I think we're really underselling that point: I remember IC and Salisbury playing a game that had 10 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, three personal fouls and a coach ejection. It still got finished.

For the WC game to have been so out of hand that the officials just say "Nah, that's enough?" and just call it tells me this went beyond a little trash talk/after the whistle shoving into something they felt could not be controlled. Trying to frame this as anything else is just dumb.

Obviously, the game did get out of hand, what is not obvious is who was driving that, was it Texas College or Westgate I don't know. You seem to be assuming it was Westgate but I could also assume it was Texas College who has had some rough years, and got a bit full of themselves for finally getting to beat down on a team and I hope we wouldn't do that.

No matter what I would bet my last dollar that most of our guys would rather be playing the local high school team rather than playing against ourselves.

[IC798891]

You seem to be assuming it was Westgate but I could also assume it was Texas College who has had some rough years, and got a bit full of themselves for finally getting to beat down on a team and I hope we wouldn't do that.

I'm not assuming anything. It takes two to tango, and the most logical conclusion is that both teams had their fair share of blame.

But I do think it's obvious that WC is the "school" and the "student-athletes" with nothing to lose in scenarios like this. Why put your team in position to get goaded into a fight that could result in an injury or suspension just to blow someone out 105-0?

[Mavchamp]

And there have been plenty of reports that some D3 schools simply won't schedule some of the ASC 4. 

I'd be interested in knowing the reasons.

Is it the same reasons most of the ASC bolted to the SCAC?  Same reasons the SCAC doesn't plan to invite any of the ASC 4 to join the SCAC?

I can somewhat understand the reluctance of scheduling HSU and UMHB considering their domination.  But HPU and ETBU can't claim such domination.  In fact..they are very middle of the road.

So it can't be just about football domination.

Ideological?  I can't imagine all this being about tailgating and alcohol/alcohol sales at sporting events.  So it has to be other ideologies.

It's all so.... cryptic and clandestine and borderline nefarious. 

Maybe I'm completely off base....but it certainly feels intentionally exclusionary. 

[Etchglow]

Recognize the only ASC team *not* playing Westgate is HSU.  HPU plays them Oct. 5, ETBU Oct. 19 (Homecoming, no less).  With the need to schedule 4 non-conference games, some of which fall when most everyone else is in the midst of their conference schedules, options are limited.  I don't think there is a coach in the conference that is doing this because they want to play a glorified scrimmage.  The option is a second bye week - who knows, maybe that would have been a better choice but teams should be able to get their entire rosters on the field.

And there have been plenty of reports that some D3 schools simply won't schedule some of the ASC 4.   

Fwiw according to UMHB's game notes HSU played them in the preseason and beat them 93-7.

[baddog]

Westgate was a scrimmage for HSU. As Westgate will be for UMHB.

[crufootball]

You seem to be assuming it was Westgate but I could also assume it was Texas College who has had some rough years, and got a bit full of themselves for finally getting to beat down on a team and I hope we wouldn't do that.

I'm not assuming anything. It takes two to tango, and the most logical conclusion is that both teams had their fair share of blame.

But I do think it's obvious that WC is the "school" and the "student-athletes" with nothing to lose in scenarios like this. Why put your team in position to get goaded into a fight that could result in an injury or suspension just to blow someone out 105-0?

The same reason we played Bethel, the same reason we will play UWW and John Melvin, to get us better prepared for ASC play. We all understand that this isn't the best situation but as I said before I can guarantee our student-athletes would rather play Westgate and John Melvin over only getting to play 8 games which appeared to be other option we had.

[IC798891]

Bethel and UWW are actual accredited universities with a legitimate NCAA intercollegiate athletic department, and a legitimate Division 3 football program.

Westgate Christian is a pseudo college with a glorified rec team tangentially attached to it.

You're welcome to labor under the delusion that they're the same thing. All you care about is winning, so that's the justification you'll use.

Like I said, I legitimately just hope no one gets hurt playing this avoidable game against a fake team.

[CNU85]

The Bethel team they played is NAIA. But that doesn't change your point.

[crufootball]

Bethel and UWW are actual accredited universities with a legitimate NCAA intercollegiate athletic department, and a legitimate Division 3 football program.

Westgate Christian is a pseudo college with a glorified rec team tangentially attached to it.

You're welcome to labor under the delusion that they're the same thing. All you care about is winning, so that's the justification you'll use.

Like I said, I legitimately just hope no one gets hurt playing this avoidable game against a fake team.

Never did I compare the academic prowess of any of those colleges and also I don't only care about winning. I care about the current members of the UMHB football team getting to play in the maximum amount of games that the NCAA allows. They had nothing to do with making the schedule or even the possible reasons of why we have had such difficulties finding someone to play us.

Lastly as I have mentioned to you before I welcome you to share your concerns with the athletic department of Ithaca and hopefully they will be moved to schedule us next year.

[D3fanboy]

And there have been plenty of reports that some D3 schools simply won't schedule some of the ASC 4. 

I'd be interested in knowing the reasons.

Is it the same reasons most of the ASC bolted to the SCAC?  Same reasons the SCAC doesn't plan to invite any of the ASC 4 to join the SCAC?

I can somewhat understand the reluctance of scheduling HSU and UMHB considering their domination.  But HPU and ETBU can't claim such domination.  In fact..they are very middle of the road.

So it can't be just about football domination.

Ideological?  I can't imagine all this being about tailgating and alcohol/alcohol sales at sporting events.  So it has to be other ideologies.

It's all so.... cryptic and clandestine and borderline nefarious. 

Maybe I'm completely off base....but it certainly feels intentionally exclusionary. 

wrong! everybody is scared to play UMHB!!  have you heard about all the D1 transfers that have "played" at 3 other colleges prior?  they are going to dominate everyone!!!  #whyD3

I'd drive my own Subaru down to Belton to watch D3FB's top program