FB: American Southwest Conference

[Ralph Turner]

Neal for Gagliardi?  Good player but couldnt win the big game.

How come Kubiak is not a finalist?

TX2OK, I am not picking on you, but rather using your post to provide some information to new lurkers and readers who are not familiar with the Gagliardi.

The Gagliardi is not like the Heisman.  Rather the Gagliardi is more like the outstanding example of a student in a Division III school who happens to be a very good football player.  With 230 football teams with about 20-25 starters per team, that is nearly 5000 players from which you are selecting the cream of the cream of the cream.  Just being a finalist is an incredible honor!

[CruAlum39]

Bill--

I hear through the grapevine that their defense is quite not as talented as they were when we faced them in 2004, but they do a good job of covering that up by blitzing themselves into plays, showing different sets and stemming around on the front line and in the secondary.  When a defense does that they can really help themselves, or they can really hurt themselves.  It just depends on whether UMHB can catch them in a bad blitz and capatalize.

Offensively I think they are a little more balanced than in 2004.  The were a heavy passing team then, but I think they concentrate on the run a little more now.

From what I heard of the CNU game, their defense blitzed and stemmed right, coming up with turnovers and they were able to take advantage of momentum swings and shorter field position early.  I know they did not have much offense in the second half and their defense came together to pull it out.  Like I said, this is what I heard or read, I was obviously not there so I'm not sure how accurate that is.

And just one more thing-- I'm not picking sides on this because I was not at the HSU/UMHB game.  I don't know if a timeout was called or not, etc.  However, the 3 second rule interpretation that Bill and umhb8904 eluded to is there for a reason. 

If a player does not promptly leave the huddle once it breaks, it is not fair to the offense.  Imagine being a quarterback, coming to the line to make your calls and read the defense, and they have 8 men in the box, and are playing a cov. 2 shell behind it (thats 12 men).  Then all of the sudden, just before you snap the ball, a corner runs off the field and all of the sudden the defense moves to a cov. 3 or man-free defense.  Not very fair to the offense. 

I'm not saying that either team was trying to do this when they got the flag, because I'm sure they weren't.  It was a mistake.  But if that rule was not in place, it would give the defense an unfair advantage.

I'm not beating a dead horse, just giving insight as to why the rule should be there.

[Kelly Boggs]

CruAlum39,

Good insight... good information. Thanks.

All the best in the second round of the playoffs.

[Rick Akins]

I like that the Gagliardi is DIFFERENT  than the Heisman.  It is a tremendous honor just to be one of the ten finalists.  Congrats to Jordan Neal in repesenting HSU and the ASC.  WHAT AN HONOR FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY AND SCHOOL.  And of course all of us ASC people (especially  a West Texas boy like me) are pleased for him.

[Ron Boerger]

Congratulations to Jordan Neal on being named a Gagliardi finalist - he is the only representative from the South Region. 

[BVHawk]

Congrats to Mary Hardni-Baylor on their victory this past weekend.  Good luck vs Washington & Jefferson in round 2!

[Kelly Boggs]

I second the congrats to Neal. From all I have ever heard, he sounds very deserving of the nomination.

[billybaroo]

Way to go Jordan Neal. Not taking anything away from him but I also wanted to say congrats to Josh Kubiak on being only the 2nd player in the history of the ASC to be named the ASC Defensive player of the year 2 years in a row. Lets go Cru take care of business on Saturday and lets get a rematch with Wesley.

[minni]

Gotta give a atta boy to J Neezy (J Neal).  Thats two Cowboys in three years for the Galardi Trophy, the other being the all-american Cowboy Lance Moore.  Jordan would have loved to have won "the big game" but i promise his life will go on even though he didnt win it.  Honestly we would have loved to win it for everyone but himself, and I think that is what makes him the Galardi Trophy top three.  Jordan is an other people first kind of guy.  If you dont know him personally, you are missing out.  HSU is losing not only a great althlete but also a great leader.  Big shoes for whoever steps in.

[Josh Bowerman]

I believe HSU's Corbett Boone was also a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy in either 1999 or 2000--but it may have been the Melberger and I might have the year wrong.

[Bill McCabe]

When will the all-american teams be released?  Who do we expect to be named all-american from the ASC?  I'll start with a hard one, Kubiak at safety.

[minni]

Here is another hard one Jordan Neal, I would also say either M. Carillio or W. Galusha at receiver.

[minni]

Throw J Knox in at O-Line.

[Bill McCabe]

I would think Freeman and one of the d linemen from UMHB would have to be considered.

[minni]

the only two teams with deserving names???