FB: USA South Athletic Conference

[MRMIKESMITH]

3 weeks left and here are my predictions/candidates for OPOTY, DPOTY, OROTY, and DROTY.  I don't know that any one of these picks is a lock at this point.

OPOTY candidates:
Landon Cotney QB Huntingdon.  True dual threat.  Averages 150 yards passing per game to go with 8 TDs and 97 yards rushing per game to go along with 11 TDs
Bryce Jackson QB Averett.  330 yards passing per game and 20 TDs
Jarrod Mosby WR Averett.  D3Football team of the week once.  110 yards receiving per game and 10 TDs and add in jut over 20 yards in the return game
There is not a running back that warrants inclusion on the list in my opinion.

DPOTY candidates:
Steffon Canady LB Brevard.  Twice D3Football team of the week.  9.5 sacks, 15 TFL, 4 FF, 2 FR, and 50 total tackles
Jerome Bass DL Brevard.  6 sacks, 16.5TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT and 49 total tackles
Casey Peppers LB Huntingdon.  3.5 sacks, 6.5 TFL, 1 FR, and 62 total tackles
Tucker Spence LB Huntingdon.  7.5 sacks, 11 TFL, 1 FF and 42 total tackles
Jason Siaosi LB SOVA.  2 sacks, 5 TFL, 2 FF, 2 INT, and 84 total tackles
Dante Anderson DB Brevard.  2.5 sacks, 4 TFL, 1 FF, 2 INT, and 55 total tackles.
Joc Pledger was a pre-season All-American and one time D3Football team of the week.  His stats don't stick out but that could be because no one is willing to throw his way.

OROTY candidates (I did my best to identify FR worthy based on stats and OROTW):
Trevon Crank RB NCWC.  72 rushes, 417 yards rushing, and 4 TDs in only 4 games
Tyler Coleman QB LaGrange.  65% comp, 499 passing yards, and 5 TDs in 3 games (played in a 4th but only threw 2 passes)
LJ Flint WR LaGrange.  14 receptions, 335 receiving yards, 3 TDs
Shawn Watlington RB Averett.  61 carries, 333 yards rushing, and 2 TDs.  Add in 15 receptions for for 120 yards

DROTY candidates (I did my best to identify FR worthy based on stats and DROTW):
Max Steele LB Greensboro.  67 total tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 FR, and 1 INT
Cameron Grady DB LaGrange.  5 INT, 2 PBU, .5 TFL, and 22 total tackles
Jaden Jones DL LaGrange.  6 sacks, 11 TFL, 1 FF, and 40 total tackles
Jamarcus Dunn LB Maryville.  39 total tackles, 3 TFL, and 2 FF
DeIrvin Grate DB Methodist.  2 INT, 9 PBU, 1 TFL, and 19 total tackles


Ill take Cotney for OPOTY, Canady for DPOTY, Crank for OROTY, and Steele for DPOTY

Good work here WHR...by any chance would you know is the team that has been playing the most underclassman?

[Wild Horse Rider]

FAN,

This is harder to determine this year than normally.  With the extra year because of COVID I'm not sure who is a SR or a super SR but I did try and take a look.  I based a lot of this on stats.  I didn't dig into each box score to determine OL starters so I skipped them except for Methodist since I know who started there.

Averett- QB is a JR and most of the backfield will be back.  Lots of SRs at WR and on D
Brevard- QB is a SO and most of the backfield will be back.  There is a mix at WR but graduation will hit the D hard
Greensboro- Lots of upperclassmen on O.  D is filled with underclassmen.
Huntingdon- QB is a JR and most of the O and D standouts are JRs and SOs
LaGrange- QB is a JR and most of their standouts on O & D are SOs and FRs
Maryville- QB is a SR and most WRs are upperclassmen.  RBs are underclassmen.  D is filled with uperclassmen
Methodist- QB is a SO and RBs are a JR and SO.  WRs are a SR, JR, SO, & FR.  The defense is a good mix of old and young.  OL starts 3 JRs, a SO, and a FR.  All told I believe only 3-4 major contributors will be gone with graduation
NCWC- They are the youngest team in the conference
SOVA- SR QB and a mix at the offensive skill positions.  The D is relatively young.  They are hard to peg with folks going on their missions.

With that being said I would pick Huntington as the frontrunner in 2022 with Methodist a close second.  The next tier is Brevard, Averett, NCWC, and Maryville.  Then there is SOVA and LaGrange in the next group with Greensboro at the tail end.

[MRMIKESMITH]

FAN,

This is harder to determine this year than normally.  With the extra year because of COVID I'm not sure who is a SR or a super SR but I did try and take a look.  I based a lot of this on stats.  I didn't dig into each box score to determine OL starters so I skipped them except for Methodist since I know who started there.

Averett- QB is a JR and most of the backfield will be back.  Lots of SRs at WR and on D
Brevard- QB is a SO and most of the backfield will be back.  There is a mix at WR but graduation will hit the D hard
Greensboro- Lots of upperclassmen on O.  D is filled with underclassmen.
Huntingdon- QB is a JR and most of the O and D standouts are JRs and SOs
LaGrange- QB is a JR and most of their standouts on O & D are SOs and FRs
Maryville- QB is a SR and most WRs are upperclassmen.  RBs are underclassmen.  D is filled with uperclassmen
Methodist- QB is a SO and RBs are a JR and SO.  WRs are a SR, JR, SO, & FR.  The defense is a good mix of old and young.  OL starts 3 JRs, a SO, and a FR.  All told I believe only 3-4 major contributors will be gone with graduation
NCWC- They are the youngest team in the conference
SOVA- SR QB and a mix at the offensive skill positions.  The D is relatively young.  They are hard to peg with folks going on their missions.

With that being said I would pick Huntington as the frontrunner in 2022 with Methodist a close second.  The next tier is Brevard, Averett, NCWC, and Maryville.  Then there is SOVA and LaGrange in the next group with Greensboro at the tail end.

Awesome breakdown. With the changes/movement of teams and cancellations. I know Salisbury was scheduled to play Averett and Brevard at some point. I'm not sure if that's the case anymore going forward.

[jknezek]

The first Regional Ranking (Listing) is out. Reminder, the change this year is the "Rankings" for the first week are in alphabetical order, not in an actual ranking:

Region 3           
   Birmingham-Southern
   Centre   
   Hardin-Simmons   
   Mary Hardin-Baylor   
   Randolph-Macon   
   Trinity (Texas)   
   Washington & Lee

whole story here: https://d3football.com/playoffs/2021/first-regional-ranking

[Hawks88]

For most of the first half it was, I think, the best we've played this season. I checked the total yardage at one point and it was something like 384-38. Then we kind of eased up and they got the TD drive at the end of the half and weren't as sharp in the second half and had more of a battle than I really wanted. Hats off the Maryville to keep fighting like they did.
Feels good to get the AQ nailed down before going to Lagrange next week. Hope we play well and finish the regular season strong. Still hoping that BSC can get an at-large bid to give us a chance to give a better showing than last time and keep us off a plane the first round.

Go Hawks!

[BSCpanthers]

I'd be alright with a rematch, at your house again.  If we aren't playing each other, it'll be a long trip to Texas and/or Virginia.  I'm holding out hope we get the at large, we have done all we can do, short of winning the conference. 

Congrats to you guys!!! 

[Hawks88]

I'm pretty sure a rematch would be at your place.

[BSCpanthers]

Bring y'all's party to us, I'm sure my tailgate would be open for some drinks and food.

[DGPugh]

Hawks 88
I might drive over to LaGrange. Their campus is close to the farm . I will never forget when you and I were accused of be-smirching them. Ive actually been on this board since 2006 or 7. But when I retired the first time, I changed emails and such, so i That be-smirchment we were involved with (im trying not to laugh) was over LaGrange...

I like Murrval, they are fun, their campus is nice, and the area is beautiful. i enjoyed the back and forth with B-Southern and hope they do well.............but not LaGrange. I remember the year after the 'be-smirching (again... trying not to laugh). I was driving through LaGrange to see some horse, and I got dog cussed by a feller at a drive through fried chicken place cause i had a Huntingdon sticker on my truck. I laughed at him, which made it worse.

I so very much want us to stay focused and beat LaGrange, a group i would never speak poorly of
Go Hawks, keep the faith

[Wild Horse Rider]

Congratulations to Huntingdon on winning the AQ.  Methodist is guaranteed a second place finish at the worst (even a loss this weekend and a Brevard win would result in a tie and Methodist owns the head to head).  This weekend I believe Maryville will handle Greensboro which will finish the Pride's season at 0-10.  Huntingdon should make short work of LaGrange on the road.  I believe the two most interesting games in North Carolina.  Averett goes to the mountains to play Brevard.  The Tornados hang their hat on their defense but Methodist had success through the air against them.  Averett likes to sling the rock.  I believe home field will be enough to push Brevard to the win.  NCWC comes to Fayetteville for Senior day.  Methodist has too much offense for the Bishops to overcome and I'll take the home team as well.  This would be the first season of at least 7+ wins for Methodist since 2013 and I believe if the Guilford game would have been played it would have been 8 wins. 

If I am correct with my winners the final conference standings will be:

1. Huntingdon (preseason picked to finish 1st)
2. Methodist (preseason picked to finish 3rd)
3. Brevard (preseason picked to finish 2nd)
T4. Averett (preseason picked to finish 4th)
T4. NCWC (preseason picked to finish 6th)
T4. Maryville (preseason picked to finish 4th)
7. LaGrange (preseason picked to finish 7th)
8. SOVA (preseason picked to finish 8th)
9. Greensboro (preseason picked to finish 9th)

[Wild Horse Rider]

On a very hopeful note for Methodist a win this weekend will make the SO QB's record 15-9 since 2019.  I know QB wins are a terrible stat because there is so much more to a win but that guy is typically important.  I don't know how the record books will look at the spring season but he will likely own all of the all-time records for Methodist and most in the conference.  As of right now it stands like this:

Attempts- MU Record 1,118 (Reber), Conference Record 1,356 (Throndset Greensboro), Bullins currently 789 (2nd in MU history)
Completions- MU Record 663 (Reber), Conference Record 787 (Throndset Greensboro), Bullins currently 479 (2nd in MU history)
TDs- MU and Conference Record 81 (Reber), Bullins currently 46 (2nd in MU history)
Yards- MU Record 8,868 (Reber), Conference Record 9,231 (Blair LaGrange), Bullins currently 5,573 (2nd in MU history)
Total Offense MU and Conference Record 10,324 (Reber), Bullins currently 5,457 (3rd in MU history)

If you just look at the averages and assume 20 more games Bullins will own every conference record except for the total offense.  It is very likely that he will improve in all categories as he gets older including his rushing abilities and could pass Reber there as well.  As I stated earlier wins by a QB are sometimes a silly thing to look at but Bullins will likely finish on top in MU there as well.  The previous best was Roncketti (22 wins and a .564 win %), Reber (22 wins and a .55 win %), and if you assume .500 records the next two seasons (hopefully much higher) then Bullins would have 25 wins and a .609 win %.

[Hawks88]

So with the bus ride radius now being 600 instead of 500 I did a quick check for Huntingdon possibilities;
Rose-Hulman - 549
Mt St Jospeh - 561
Greenville - 576

A few others now in range are Hanover, Franklin, Ferrum, Averett(since they are moving to ODAC), ETBU. Could be others that I didn't think to check

[jknezek]

So with the bus ride radius now being 600 instead of 500 I did a quick check for Huntingdon possibilities;
Rose-Hulman - 549
Mt St Jospeh - 561
Greenville - 576

A few others now in range are Hanover, Franklin, Ferrum, Averett(since they are moving to ODAC), ETBU. Could be others that I didn't think to check

636 between W&L and Huntingdon unfortunately. Birmingham Southern is now 559 away from W&L. Not that I think any of those 3 teams gets a home game, but it is interesting for the future.

[Hawks88]

Good job by the Hawks yesterday going over to Lagrange and taking care of business. It was a good start with a couple of early scores but then slacked for a bit and let them hang around. A couple of scores in the second helped to pull away and two big plays early in the third pretty much iced it and we were able to get the starters off the field in the 4th and play the young guys.
On to the playoffs. Staying in Alabama? Flight to Texas? Flight to Oregon? Something else? Of course my vote is to stay in Alabama this round but we'll see.

Go Hawks!

[BSCpanthers]

I'm hoping you guys stay in Alabama, but not in Montgomery. 

I would expect a much better game the second time around, and y'all will give us our home game we were supposed to have last season.