FB: American Southwest Conference

[Stephen1452]

Thomas,
Coaching will only carry a team as far as the ability of the players to carry out plays perfectly.  Coaches do not carry a team to the national championship, only dedicated players who believe in a dream and won't stop until they accomplish it. Coaches are very important, but I feel the talent of a team is comprised of the talent of each individual player. The coaches take that talen and perfect it as much as possible.

[Thomas]

Have you ever saw talent in D3 that dominant.  I haven't.  I understand your point to a certain extent.  If a team brings in a coach with strong assistants that he takes care of them (assistants) and the kids feel like they are being taken care of, it will spread confidence through a team.  Then when they graduate, become coaches, they will encourage there players to go to school there.  Instead of saying you do not want to go there to my old school.  I just never saw that much talent difference in a HPU and HSU or HSU and MCM in the the late 90's.    I only saw a difference in coaching.  I only saw a confidence issue.   I know by bringing in better asssistant coaches it will contuine to spread throughout the confernce. 

[CruAlum39]

Thomas,
     I agree and disagree with you on this point.  I think we both know and understand that it takes both good coaching and talent for a team to dominate a conference or division.  However, in the past there has been a difference in the talent level in DIII football, at least in the ASC.  I played for UMHB from         2000-2004 and am convinced that while we have a great coaching staff, (I think the best you could ask for) i am still convinced that we won a lot of our games in conference because we out-athleted the other team.  We were bigger, stronger, and faster as a whole than the Austin Colleges', Sul Ross', McMurrys' and even TLU's.  However, this talent level is changing in the conference and becoming more evenly dispersed as of late.  I think part of this is due to the success that the ASC has had in the past couple years in the playoffs with ETBU going 3 rounds deep in 2003, HSU almost always securing a playoff spot for a long time running, and UMHB's run to the national championship last year.  Our conference is becoming more widely known and we are starting to get more and more transfers and overall better DIII football players to the teams of our conference.

Just my .02, please reply with your thoughts...

GO CRU!!!!!  GO KNIGHTS!!!!!

[Thomas]

After, '98 when all the newer schools opened up, it changed where kids had the option to go to school.  The talent spread.  Now it is spreading out more evenly. I think schools realize it is a porfitable to bring kids in to pay for school, through finacial aid , etc.  That is why you want kids you need excellent coaches.  that has chaged.   I think UMHB has a nice campus for a smaller school and I also think it is the perfect location in the state.  The university can get talent from several good players from the local towns and cities because of there location.  They can stay close to home.  Some of the best high school districts in the state are in that area.  Thus is my opinion, they will continue to be a power for years to come.   I know if they were open when I was younger, I would have played there.   I think they sometimes play down to there competition.  i will guarantee this, within the next few years they will get stronger.  It is like business what is the key to sucess, location.  The other schools will improve but it will be harder for them to compete, location.  I think HSU will still be strong with west texas kids, but they will miss out on the speed of Houston, killeen , dallas kids.  It will hurt them.  I do not think Saturday's loss was a fluck.  UMHB will eventually be a tarleton, because of location and will be that much better.   AS far as D! athletes, it is the second tear, if they were that good would they have left a D1 program , probably not.  YOu have to get in wher you fit in.  This is a soild confernece, and if you can play you can get an NFL shot.

[Bill McCabe]

Thomas, you make several good points about UMHB.  I also think they are in an ideal location.  They have access to many areas and they have an excellent coaching staff.

[Ralph Turner]

The question is how much UMHB wants to put into the athletic program.

If its plan is now getting to be the size of Incarnate Word,  St Edwards, St Mary's, ACU and Tarleton, then does it wish to become D2?

[Toby Taff]

Ralph.

I've talked to the VP in charge of athletics at UMHB, Ben Shipp.  He's the former Baseball coach and knows the benefits of good recruiting with a scholarship program.  He took his team to the NAIA World series and finished 2d behind Lewis and Clark.  From what he has said, there are no plans for the football team to be a scholarship program.  The whole move to D3 was to allow football, bring in more guys, and make the school more academically respectable.  I can't see them making the move to D2.

[bcal]

HSU and UMBH set at the top of the ASC.  4 teams are tied for third place.  This weekend's games will help sort out the standings.

HSU and UMBH has been the class of the ASC for several years and this season is no exception.  Both are rated in the top 25 for DIII national rankings.  The quality of play around the ASC would appear generally improved. 

McMurry University has a challange before them in the next three contest which finish out the season.  McM has HSU this weekend and it has been how many years that the cowboys have won.  The last time McM challanged HSU was in 1999.  This speaks to the quality of the teams that HSU continues to put on the field.  The Indian then go to Belton to met UMBH and then close the regular season in Abilene aganist an improved ETBU. 

The McMurry players and the coaching staff know each other and know what they can do.  The task before them is not easy, but I think they will give more than just a good effort in these last games.  These next three games will either make a great season or a good season. 

Kudos to ETBU, TLU, HPU for their improved records.

[crualum04]

Somebody give crumalum39 some karma points.  Great posts 39.

[Stephen1452]

Ralph,

The plan right now is for UMHB to grow to about 3500 undergrad students. Once we have that many students we will stay at that number. The school will not get any bigger. Therefore, I do not see the cru moving to D2 any time soon.

[Bill McCabe]

I understand that UMHB is busting at the seams with students.  It is becoming a very popular destination for college students.  I believe the football team and its success is helping somewhat with the increased enrollment.

[Toby Taff]

Bill,

It is definitely growing.  When I started school there in 89 I'm not sure there were 1500 students, and probably less than 500 on campus.  Only four dorms back then.  When my wife graduated in 94 there were 5 girls dorms and 1 guys dorm.  Now you can add to the dorms two sets of apartments and new apt buildings being added. 

I think that the football team adds to the growth, but my hats tipped to Dr. Bawcom, he has done a great job with adminstration and the school has flourished academically, financially, and athletically.

[Bill McCabe]

mhb8904, I think you are right on.  Several schools have added football to help with male enrollment.  Take a look at TLU and I would think ETBU might be the same.

[CruGuy]

The five year plan they developed last spring planned to hold enrollment at 2800 at UMHB but they've already acted against several things in the 5 year plan...I see UMHB having an enrollment of at least 31/3200 in 2010.

[cnu85]

Just wanted to drop in an send a Welcome to ny MHB fans who might be making the trip east next year. CNU likes the tough teams fo the non conference part of the schedule. It's making all the teams in the USASAC pick it up  little.

Hopefully CNU will have something left for you. Here's there non conference, first 3 weeks of the season:

Week 1 - @ Rowan
Week 2 - Home opener against MHB
Week 3 - @ Salisbury

What a schedule. Many of the teams in the conf. have fairly new football teams. CNU is only in it's 5th year, with it's first 4 seasons ending in the playoffs. We just played a 2nd yr team in NC Weslyan - they'll be a top 25 team in a few short years.

Anyway - come on over. I know Texas is a hotbed of talent and we also take pride in our area code 757 boys.

If you need some questions answered about the area, it's players, the game next year, travel, things to do, etc...let me know, I'll help in any way I can. Natives from here even say "y'all", so you will fell at home!