FB: USA South Athletic Conference

[Uncle Jessie]

Well sportsmanship should never end but I truly belive you have all right to question Barnes ineffective Wing T play calling. Plain and simple it just is not working. You write about the crowds at SU being polite. Every game I feel the crowd is just itching to cheer for something big. At times you can get a feeling of just how load the place can be. But its really hard for any fan to get his or her hands out of his pockets when each play is a run for 2-3 yards up the middle. I cannot explain how many times during a game a fan yells down to Barnes saying something about the play calling and to pass the ball more. It does not take a nuclear scientist to figure this out that the offense play calling the Hornets are doing right now is not the one for 2007. This is football 1951 we are watching.

[CNU85]

We need more football talk, conference games are starting this week and there is hardly any trash talking going on  

too funny...the way most USA South teams are playing...there'snot much room for trash talking.

[CNU85]

I'm new to D3 football, so answer me this -- at what point does sportsmanship end, and the fans have the right to voice their feelings about a team that appears to be in freefall?

You can voice your feelings without being "unsportsman-like". Just don't make personal attacks. Focus on the behavior, not the individual.

[Ron Boerger]

The other thing to keep in mind (as someone new to D3) is that the administration of some schools doesn't place the same emphasis on winning that we as fans do.  That is one reason (of many) that it's likely that D3 will be split into D3 and D4 in the near future.  Schools that treat sports more as just another student activity would fall into D4, those that are more competitive would stay in D3 (neither would allow scholarships). 

Bill, certainly you have the right to express your opinion and I'm not saying that your school is one of those that places little emphasis on winning.  By and large, though, the kind of wholesale jeering that you see in D1 wouldn't be welcomed anywhere in D3.   And, again, you don't know what kind of marching orders your administration is giving your athletic program.  If I was to express a concern, it would be there, but realize it might not do much good.   As '85 states, doing it in a constructive manner would be best.  It's also not easy to "recruit" student-athletes to D3. 

[CNU85]

What's this talk about D4?

[Old Ref]

Congrats to NCWC's  Bo Brown for Defensive player of the week. Well deserved.

It appears that the USAC team that finally puts it all together, offensively and defensively, will take it. The concern is, no one at this point has done that. Wide open for the taking. Should be interesting the rest of the way. The question remains, how has the non conference schedule affected certain teams. Attitude and character will have to step up now.

[ProudFightingScot]

This is the first D4 talk I have ever heard of.  How would one make a distinction between a school that considers a program serious or not?  By further dividing D3 that would mess up conferences and thus automatic Playoff bids do to conference sizes.  It would be a real slap in the face if you were told we don't think you are really serious about football so we are going to demote you to D4.  It is like the school is being sent to their room.  I highly doubt the players aren't serious about winning (Yes I realize it is the administration you were talking about Ron).  Plus, who would want to go play for a school who's labled not serious?  If D3 is hard enough to recruit for imagine D4.  It would just be a bad move all around if they would do that.

[Pat Coleman]

ProudFightingScot should read his own area newspaper -- Marcus Fitzimmons did a series in December that is one of the best explorations of the possible Division III split that I have read.

Bill -- if you're asking if it's OK to boo in Division III, I would say go ahead.

[CNU85]

Some useless info.

After 3 weeks of non conference football, here's a wrapup of the USA South:

7-14 overall with Maryville having the only winning record at 3-0; so rest of conference is 4-14. But, before you jump on the MC bandwagon...they're the only team that hasn't played either a ranked team, a team that has received votes, or a DII program.

Combined record of opponents (excluding DII and NAIA) 34-13.

Of the 21 games played....opponents included 2 DII programs, 1 NAIA, and 7 RANKED opponents with 2 other opponents receiving votes. That's 9 teams with votes and 2 DII schools....or slightly more than half the games.  Kudos for most schools playing a tough non-conference schedule.

Ranked teams include, from the latest week 3 poll, teams ranked #1,2,7,21,23 (twice), and 25.

CNU has played 3 ranked teams (#2,21, and 25).
AU has played #1 and a team receiving votes
FC has played #23
GC has played a DII
SU has played #23
MU has played a team with votes in the latest poll
NCW has played #7
Maryville has played teams that have a combined 2-7 record.

[Pat Coleman]

Guilford has one vote at the bottom of someone's ballot but that doesn't make that game any less meaningful than Maryville's win against Huntingdon.

[CNU85]

True. I was just looking at stuff.....that's why I started out saying it was "useless" info.

It's just fun stuff to look at - I'm a numbers/analytical geek! 

[CNU85]

This is the first D4 talk I have ever heard of.  How would one make a distinction between a school that considers a program serious or not?  By further dividing D3 that would mess up conferences and thus automatic Playoff bids do to conference sizes.  It would be a real slap in the face if you were told we don't think you are really serious about football so we are going to demote you to D4.  It is like the school is being sent to their room.  I highly doubt the players aren't serious about winning (Yes I realize it is the administration you were talking about Ron).  Plus, who would want to go play for a school who's labled not serious?  If D3 is hard enough to recruit for imagine D4.  It would just be a bad move all around if they would do that.

Those were my exact thoughts!

[CNU85]

ProudFightingScot should read his own area newspaper -- Marcus Fitzimmons did a series in December that is one of the best explorations of the possible Division III split that I have read.

Bill -- if you're asking if it's OK to boo in Division III, I would say go ahead.

What a memory. I have a hard time rememebring what I ate for dinner last night and you can pop out a date for an article in a Tenn. Newspaper. I'm impressed!!

oh - it was roast beef last night.

[CNU85]

I sent Mr. Fitsimmons an email asking him to point us in the right direction to see that story. It sounds interesting. Maybe Mt Union can go d4 and give the rest of the teams a chance!! 

[ProudFightingScot]

cool.  I was about to ask if you had a link to read the article.  I would like to hear an alternate opinion.  Marcus Fitsimmons does a great job covering the Scots and does his research well.  I must have missed that particular article though.  Maybe it will sway my opinion maybe not    But as it stands now still a bad move in my opinion (which really doesn't mean a lot when it comes down to it)  ha ha.  Thanks for the info when ya get it CNU.