FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[JT2]

Here is Sam Mills A Football Life. He was as a good as any MLB that ever played. He and Vinny were teammates at Montclair and on the USFL Stars and won a USFL championship together. Vinny was an OLB.

https://www.panthers.com/video/watch-sam-mills-a-football-life-19578866

[MRMIKESMITH]

I've been away both mentally and physically for a while. My Dad was suffering from Agent Orange related dementia and parkison's. He passed in January. Thankfully, he's no longer suffering, and he's probably playing 36 holes every day with his Dad, Mom, and Sister. I'm glad he avoided the end stages of Lewy Body Dementia, and that God took him in his sleep on a recent January night. This next Fall football season will be really strange without him. We spent so much time around football... either me playing, us reffing together, or tailgating to pro and college games. I started playing football at 10, and have been around football ever since. That would be 44 years with some kind of football every Fall. The worst was COVID in 2020, which took the DIII college game away. We never tailgated together again after 2019.

Anyway, I am so glad that Sam Mills finally made the Pro HOF. A man I knew, as I watched him train with my neighbor Vince DeMarinis for the new USFL that was just starting up. He completely deserves this honor. Just a great guy, who took time to teach me some techniques on defense that I used in HS.

Hey Pat, do you have my Sam Mills article archived somewhere from 2005 when Montclair had a night in his honor. It's probably on one of my old computers in storage. I remember it was raining and that Montclair was playing Kean. It was low scoring too... like 3-0 or 6-0 Montclair winning... very sloppy and wet game.

I'm gonna try to make it to the HOF inductions in August. I told his family in 05, that I'd go if could.

Sorry for your loss JT! Prayers to you and the family! I loss my father in 2019 after he had a massive stroke. I use to confide in him all the time. I now spend most of my time around DIII football more than ever now, which helps keep my mind off of things but also positive reminders of our conversations that my father and I had surround DIII football.

[bleedpurple]

I've been away both mentally and physically for a while. My Dad was suffering from Agent Orange related dementia and parkison's. He passed in January. Thankfully, he's no longer suffering, and he's probably playing 36 holes every day with his Dad, Mom, and Sister. I'm glad he avoided the end stages of Lewy Body Dementia, and that God took him in his sleep on a recent January night. This next Fall football season will be really strange without him. We spent so much time around football... either me playing, us reffing together, or tailgating to pro and college games. I started playing football at 10, and have been around football ever since. That would be 44 years with some kind of football every Fall. The worst was COVID in 2020, which took the DIII college game away. We never tailgated together again after 2019.

Anyway, I am so glad that Sam Mills finally made the Pro HOF. A man I knew, as I watched him train with my neighbor Vince DeMarinis for the new USFL that was just starting up. He completely deserves this honor. Just a great guy, who took time to teach me some techniques on defense that I used in HS.

Hey Pat, do you have my Sam Mills article archived somewhere from 2005 when Montclair had a night in his honor. It's probably on one of my old computers in storage. I remember it was raining and that Montclair was playing Kean. It was low scoring too... like 3-0 or 6-0 Montclair winning... very sloppy and wet game.

I'm gonna try to make it to the HOF inductions in August. I told his family in 05, that I'd go if could.

Very sorry for your loss JT. Praying for God to comfort you, your family, and all who love your dad. Very cool that you knew Sam Mills. Incredible player!

[MRMIKESMITH]

Okay NJAC, it's time to forget the Wesley's and Frostburg's of the world and step the game up. CC is rising and has two teams that are considerably top 10 in the nation. This agreement is not for the faint hearted. You want to be the best, you have to beat the best and the CC is the best currently in R2 and R1. I'm excited for this because I'm sure the coaches discussed with the commissioner and although it may have been for financial purposes, I think for some coaches it was competitive base. 


https://njacsports.com/news/2022/3/7/football-njac-centennial-football-alliance.aspx

[MRMIKESMITH]

Had to take a stab at the "When in Rome, do as the Roman's do" take. Here is the statistical Data for past 5 National Champions compared to Salisbury in "()".
UMHB - Total Offense - #15 (#34), Total Defense - #11 (#32), Rushing Offense - #26 (#3), Passing Offense #44 (#227), 3rd Down Pct #3 (#8), 3rd Down Pct defense - #13 (#47)
NCC - Total Offense - #2 (#24), Total Defense - #51 (#30), Rushing Offense - #24 (#2), Passing Offense #14 (#225), 3rd Down Pct #6 (#32), 3rd Down Pct defense - #40 (#26)
UMHB - Total Offense - #34 (#106), Total Defense - #11 (#32), Rushing Offense - #26 (#1), Passing Offense #126 (#248), 3rd Down Pct #25 (#87), 3rd Down Pct defense - #12 (#9)
Mount - Total Offense - #15 (#149), Total Defense - #6 (#23), Rushing Offense - #32 (#8), Passing Offense #64 (#239), 3rd Down Pct #18 (#84), 3rd Down Pct defense - #22 (#30)
UMHB - Total Offense - #27 (#31), Total Defense - #22 (#49), Rushing Offense - #19 (#2), Passing Offense #102 (#232), 3rd Down Pct #17 (#35), 3rd Down Pct defense - #26 (#81)

Average - Total Offense - #19 (#69), Total Defense - #20 (#33), Rushing Offense - #25 (#3), Passing Offense #70 (#234), 3rd Down Pct #14 (#49), 3rd Down Pct defense - #23 (#39)

In comparing Salisbury to the most recent national champions, the gleaming statistic is Salisbury heavily relies on running ball, while consistently being in the Top 1 percentile in that stat category, but falls at the very bottom in the passing category. This is obvious as Salisbury runs the flexbone offense heavily relying on the triple option play, while our national champion counter on average are in the Top 10% in running and Top 30% in passing. Defensively Salisbury total defense on average falls below the average for our national champions, only once being higher than the national champion (NCC). In terms of being able to convert on 3rd down, Salisbury offensively falls within the Top 20% on converting 3rd downs, but on average our national champions are in the 1% on converting 3rd downs. As far as getting off the field, championship teams are in the top 10 percentile in getting off the field. Salisbury has only once in the last 5 years, had a defense that could get off the field like the championship counterparts.

I think for Salisbury to get to that level, it's going to take getting some better players here and there, but from coaching perspective and looking only at the aforementioned statistics, Salisbury is going to have to have once in lifetime offense like 2019 NCC that offensively was Top 10% in both rushing and passing. Or a top defense that is in the Top 10% like the 4 out of the past 5 national champions and defense that can get off the field.  UMHB in 2 of it's 3 most recent championships dominated the defensive categories, while offensively being just outside the top 10%, rushing was top 5%, while passing didn't fall below the Top 50%.  Salisbury has to rethink its passing scheme, although it may take them from being consistently in the Top 1% rushing, but it will take them to the next level and increase the 3rd down conversion rate on the 3rd and long situations. Defensively, they are better than average falling in the Top 15%, but championship defenses are Top 9% on average with the exception of the NCC 2019 team that was Top 22%. Salisbury in 2019 actually stacked quite well to the National Champion, but fell way short in the passing category and 3rd down conversion category, which leads to me to say that in this era you have to be above average in either passing and/or running, while dominating one or the other. Defensively, you have to dominate the rushing category, the national championship were top 10 in both stopping the run and pass, which the exception of NCC in 2019, but they were better than average.

[MRMIKESMITH]

Appears that William Patterson will be in search for a new HC. HC Dustin Johnson is taking a position with Villanova as there Defensive Back Coach.

https://twitter.com/NovaFbRecruit/status/1501902461866491909?s=20&t=xhsXEcp2dLzQuNqMTDO-Hg

[MRMIKESMITH]

What does Albright, Stevenson, WNE, and Ave Maria (https://avemariagyrenes.com/sports/football/schedule) have in common?

[MRMIKESMITH]

The CC has put out their schedule for both 2023 and 2024. Non-Conference matchups for the CC/NJAC are:

2023
Salisbury - @Muhlenberg, Johns Hopkins, McDaniel
Rowan - Ursinus, Johns Hopkins, and McDaniel
TCNJ - Muhlenberg, Gettysburg, and F&M
CNU - Johns Hopkins, Dickinson, and Gettysburg
Montclair State - Gettysburg, F&M, and Muhlenberg
William Patterson - Dickinson, McDaniel, and Ursinus
Kean - Dickinson, Ursinus, and F&M

My initial observations is that Salisbury playing both Muhlenberg, Johns Hopkins, and possibly another Top 10 R3/R6 team in 2023 will give them one of the toughest schedules in the country. Granted this was an arranged schedule by the conferences based on some previous year's record. I think Salisbury really is trying to take the next step. 2023 will be a difficult year as I think that's when Salisbury will possibly have a new starter at QB. I'm hoping Salisbury can make a jump similar to UW-W did in the early 2000s and not the drop that Franklin had. I know administration has a lot to do with getting talent into the doors, but I think it's going to take more that just talent to make that jump. There is going to be some internal things that need to be done. Yet, if Salisbury could go through that non-conference schedule unscathed, I will put the balance attack narrative to rest for a while. If I was a betting man, I'd say put the over/under at 3.5 and choose the under based upon historical performances against top teams.

Another observation is McDaniel being on the schedule as the 3rd OOC game, which leaves one game remaining to schedule and initially I thought Stevenson would be a two-year deal, but with a possible trip to R3/R6 in 2023, that may be subject to change or subject to Salisbury actually following through to go to R3/R6 in 2023. 

[CNU85]

What does Albright, Stevenson, WNE, and Ave Maria have in common?

I give.....??

[MRMIKESMITH]

What does Albright, Stevenson, WNE, and Ave Maria have in common?

I give.....??

A Common opponent in that of Salisbury for 2022.

[CNU85]

What does Albright, Stevenson, WNE, and Ave Maria have in common?

I give.....??

A Common opponent in that of Salisbury for 2022.

Oh duh....hahaha! I'm slow!

[RowanPhan]

I've been away both mentally and physically for a while. My Dad was suffering from Agent Orange related dementia and parkison's. He passed in January. Thankfully, he's no longer suffering, and he's probably playing 36 holes every day with his Dad, Mom, and Sister. I'm glad he avoided the end stages of Lewy Body Dementia, and that God took him in his sleep on a recent January night. This next Fall football season will be really strange without him. We spent so much time around football... either me playing, us reffing together, or tailgating to pro and college games. I started playing football at 10, and have been around football ever since. That would be 44 years with some kind of football every Fall. The worst was COVID in 2020, which took the DIII college game away. We never tailgated together again after 2019.

Anyway, I am so glad that Sam Mills finally made the Pro HOF. A man I knew, as I watched him train with my neighbor Vince DeMarinis for the new USFL that was just starting up. He completely deserves this honor. Just a great guy, who took time to teach me some techniques on defense that I used in HS.

Hey Pat, do you have my Sam Mills article archived somewhere from 2005 when Montclair had a night in his honor. It's probably on one of my old computers in storage. I remember it was raining and that Montclair was playing Kean. It was low scoring too... like 3-0 or 6-0 Montclair winning... very sloppy and wet game.

I'm gonna try to make it to the HOF inductions in August. I told his family in 05, that I'd go if could.

Sorry for your loss JT! Prayers to you and the family!

[MRMIKESMITH]

I watched a good amount of the BIG33 game between PA and MD H.S. All-Stars and I'd have to say, I was very impressed with the PA Coaches and Players. The PA team were very professional in what they were doing. On the MD roster, there were players committed to both Salisbury (K/P) and Mount Union (LB). The kicker/Punter is definitely a big need for Salisbury, however was disappointed to see Mount come snagged a mutl-sport (basketball and football) athlete from Baltimore under everyone noise that heavily recruits the DMV. Can't blame the young man with the selection tho.

[Ron Boerger]

Rowan re-published a Philadelphia Business Journal story saying they are looking to expand from 23,000 to 40,000 students, grow endowment from $340M to $1B, spend $500M on capital projects over the next 5-6 years, and work with a private developer to build a 5-7K seat arena that the developer would own but allow Rowan to hold campus events such as basketball and graduation.

And you don't need a basketball arena that large unless you're thinking about D1 - which the article also says is being explored.

"That's something that takes effort, it takes resources, it takes partnership, but we certainly believe that we deserve it," [Rowan President Ali] Houshmand told the Business Journal in an interview. "We are good enough, we are large enough and we believe that we should be moving in that direction. How long will it take? I don't know, but we have every intention of pursuing it."

[jmcozenlaw]

Rowan re-published a Philadelphia Business Journal story saying they are looking to expand from 23,000 to 40,000 students, grow endowment from $340M to $1B, spend $500M on capital projects over the next 5-6 years, and work with a private developer to build a 5-7K seat arena that the developer would own but allow Rowan to hold campus events such as basketball and graduation.

And you don't need a basketball arena that large unless you're thinking about D1 - which the article also says is being explored.

"That's something that takes effort, it takes resources, it takes partnership, but we certainly believe that we deserve it," [Rowan President Ali] Houshmand told the Business Journal in an interview. "We are good enough, we are large enough and we believe that we should be moving in that direction. How long will it take? I don't know, but we have every intention of pursuing it."

On the higher end of that 5-7K range.........their on-campus arena would dwarf those at St. Joe's, LaSalle, Drexel..........and would be close to those at Penn (Palestra), Villanova and Temple.

Rowan has much bigger aspirations than hanging around the D3 ranks..........but if for some reason they do, they should be national contenders in many sports given the size, facilities and the much less expensive cost to attend vs. the typical D3 private school.

The old Glassboro State wouldn't recognize this place! Thank you Henry Rowan!!!