FB: American Southwest Conference

[etbualum]

are the guys in the endzone using anything other than their voice?

[Ron Boerger]

I'm not defending the rule, only observing that it exists.

I have seen some of the end zone crews banging on stuff (barrels, etc). 

[etbualum]

I know at the trinity playoff game a few years ago barrells were not allowed because of the artificial noise maker rule.  I was thinking maybe them telling the groups to quiet down was a compromise allowing kids to have noise makers but not impacting the gameplay.  Just a thought.

[Weak Safety]

If you can get a play off with the trains going by at Jackson Field in Alpine, you shouldn't have any problem with a bunch of guys banging on trash cans! 

[roocru]

Well, It's time for the report I promised after watching my 'Roos play 

IMHO, I think you can sum up the 'Roos problem in three words, "Little Team Speed".  As I thought from watching the scores and looking at the statistics, the defense probably executes well enough to win or at least be in more games, even though they are a little undersized up front.  However the offense has to rely on execution because they have no breakway backs or deep threats at receiver.  This allows other teams to play the run and short passing game.  When AC executes very well, they move the ball.  If they have any mishaps (penalties, sacks, etc.) it is hard for them to keep a drive going.  When they cannot keep drives going the defense is on the field too much and eventually even wears down to a Mississippi College that is also struggling on offense.  Time and time again in the second half, AC barely missed making a play in the secondary that led to a continuation of a MC drive. 

I know the team was very dissapointed after this weeks game. You guys that are reading this board, keep up your work ethic, continue to work hard and come to every practice as your coaches told me you were doing and remember the ultimate lessons you are learning in this great sport of football will stand you in great stead as fathers, husbands and leaders in your community.  And .....you never know, as evidenced the past two weeks in the D3 world, upsets do happen!

Congratulations to MC on their win.  They came back from and 11-0 deficit to win the game.

[roocru]

Part two of my report,

Ralph et. al,

I talked to several of my sources at AC.  Look for AC to play two ASC teams next year as well as one independent.  I do not feel it is right for me to divulge the teams before they are officially announced.  They are looking at only playing nine games next year to ease into the expenses of additional travel in the SCAC by all sports.  It appears that the substantial additional expenses have already been approved by the Regents.  According to my sources, the extra money is being thought of as marketing.  As I reported earlier, they are trying to use this exposure in other parts of the country to hopefully attract more students of the type most likely to attend an SCAC school.  Also, the teams we will be playing are many of the same teams other alumni and myself remember playing before the old TIAA and the forming of the ASC.  It is hoped that this familiarity with those schools might increase the base of giving for some alumni who will have more to relate to.   There is even a new sports logo to herald the change to the SCAC.

Over and over again the message was given to me that all athletics is important to the powers that be and they hope this move will benefit the athletic teams as well as increase the enrollment opportunities for the college in general.  Look for AC to pick up a second independent team in their second year of SCAC membership.

I was also told several times that AC has enjoyed its relationships with the other ASC schools but have felt for a while that the SCAC was a better fit for their philosophy.  They have their own niche in the schools of Texas and it is closest to Trinity of all the schools they currently play.

In closing, let me add that while I applaud the move to the SCAC, I do feel that there are still some changes that need to be made to support the coaching staff and the recruiting process.  We have to make the playing field more level, wherever we are, to really get competitive with the upper echelon of any conference.

[Ralph Turner]

roocru, thanks for the AC report.  The problem with an indepedent is the cost of the travel to reach the independent.

Huntingdon? -- Montgomery AL and getting tougher every year.
Colorado College?  -- C Springs, another airline flight or 16 hour bus ride.
SAGU? -- Mission and Vision of the SCAC vs the ASC vs. an NAIA scholarship school?
Westminster MO? -- Saint Louis area team, but very beatable.

There are no indepedents near here.

As fro increasing enrollment opportunites, is AC consdiering increasing the class size?  I understand that some coaches cannot get their recruits enrolled because the classes have filled.  Would they build more dormitories?  Very limited housing options in Sherman!

(Interesting question...is there an inverse relationship between fast-twitch muscle fibers and SAT scores?)

[roocru]

Ralph,

Definitely no correlation between the two   

However, if AC is able to get more competitive, they may lose fewer recruiting battles of the kids with both to Trinity.

[Bill McCabe]

Any thoughts on UMHB-HSU this weekend?  It seems like the Cru are playing very good defense and the offense, for whatever reason, is struggling.  I think it will come down to turnovers, whichever team wins that battle will probably win the game.  That's been the case the last few games between the two.  If it is a high scoring game, the edge goes to HSU.

[justin ollie]

Its true, its true we squeaked by with one today!!! 38-13. 

Justin Ollie was right!!!!

Whatever!!!!  We killed em.  Slow in the beginning but fixed and played well in the second half. 

Well I hope so.  Did you see ETBU??  I only saw HSU play once this season and it was against HPU.  HPU was absolutely terrible and I thought that because HPU hung with HSU for most of the game that ETBU would give HSU a close game. 

[evacuee]

I'm working in the Texas Tech Athletic Department while the Tulane student-athletes are in class here.  When the semester's over, I'm going back to New Orleans and I likely won't make it out here again, but I'm now getting ready for this year's biggest football weekend in west Texas.  For me anyway. 

People here are pretty fired up about Tech at UT.  Plans are already in place.  However, my plans have been in place for much longer, and they are to skip the Tech game, drive out to Abilene, and watch the Crusaders and Cowboys.  I played at Trinity so I'm familiar with both, and I can't wait!  I'm looking for four quarters of non-scholarship brutality...

[Toby Taff]

People here are pretty fired up about Tech at UT. Plans are already in place. However, my plans have been in place for much longer, and they are to skip the Tech game, drive out to Abilene, and watch the Crusaders and Cowboys. I played at Trinity so I'm familiar with both, and I can't wait! I'm looking for four quarters of non-scholarship brutality...

We welcome you in Abilene!  Two good things about Abilene: HSU has open wireless internet access so it is possible to monitor all important games.  2)  In the event one cannot pick up HSU's OpenRange, We also have Clearwire, a cell phone based broadband you can take anywhere in the city limits.

[dsc]

TU2698,

Welcome to Cowboys and Indians Country!!!

I hope you get what you are hoping for from the UMHB-HSU game.

Please give us a report/opinion next week.  If you have the opportunity, meet Coach Jimmie Keeling---a class act.

I also hope the weather is a little cooler...it was HOT for the ETBU/Homecoming game!

Does anyone know if D3 will be there covering the game?


Cowboys fan in Washington, DC!

[Pat Coleman]

I do not know Ron Boerger's plans -- I'll let him speak for himself. I will say Keith McMillan and I looked into this trip and priced it out but couldn't make it work. We're finding that with both of us working the same day job it makes it easy to travel on Saturdays as long as it's driving. If it involves flying, we can't both be out of work on Sunday, so it limits where we can go. We have to be back in D.C. by about noon Sunday, which leaves out almost any trip that involves changing planes.

[minni]

First of all TU2698 you and any HSU Fans attending the game are welcome to join us for a tailgate party.  It will be starting roughly around 11 (which I know is early for all you who get there at like 1:59 for a 2:00 kickoff) we will be doing Brisket and Ribs this weekend.  

My thoughts (or hopes) this weekend is a dominant HSU game.  As a fan (and former player) my mentality is to eliminate all playoff dreams for the Cru.  The players seem to have a different look in their eyes this week.  I realize it is Monday and we dont play till Saturday but many of the seniors seem to be ready to play.  Many at church on Sunday just looked at me and smiled and believe me what happened on Nov. 27 of last year has moved to the front of their brains.  A good week of practice and six weeks of warm up games, yea da boys will be ready to play @ 2:00 pm.  There has been a home curse the past couple years for both teams.  It would be nice to break that string this year.  

Good luck to the JV squads tonight as the Cowboys take on the CRU @ 6:00 in Abilene.