FB: USA South Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

85 -- It was a memorable series.

Scottie Doug, the Maryville TN fan, posted these hyperlinks concerning D3 football.  The writer is Marcus Fitzsimmons at The (Maryville TN) Daily Times.

(On the occasions that I have read this paper, I think that they do a very good job of covering D3 in their part of the country, especially Maryville TN and the GSAC.)

This four-part series covers squad size, the economics of D3 vs D1, ...

Going big: D-III football coaches make decisions on team size

Dollars & directions: D-III and D-I schools travel different paths

Commentary...I think that Mr Fitzsimmons is using publicly stated numbers on football expenses, but the cost allocations may not necessarily reflect the discount rate that athletes receive from their respective institutions.

Thanks, scottiedoug!  +1K 

[SU97]

What's this talk about D4?

CNU85:  head over to the "General Division III Issues" board under "Future of Division III".  There's a lot of good stuff from the spring/summer - if you're into some "light reading" and have 35 hours to spare.  Some of it is actually quite interesting.  It covered a lot of questions for me.

[PrideSportBBallGuy]

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.

What's this talk about D4?

I think that answers your question.

[PrideSportBBallGuy]

Also Torrey Lowe and Rod Hill both got awards this week, the offensive and special teams player of the week.  Good Job Guys!!!

[SU97]

The game was painful to watch being at Shentel Stadium in Winchester Saturday night. The offence was shut out again as the Hornets scored its only points from an interception. Something drastically needs to be done on the offence and I don't mean the players. I honestly belive the team can stack up with most teams but they are just being out coached right now. We all know all the Hornets do is run, run, run, and run up the middle. Opposing coaches are stacking the defense up on the line and stopping everything. Take a look at the game notes and you will see every 1st down starts with a run and 99% of the time it's up the middle. Barnes plays this 1950's style of offence and its killing them. The kids are playing with heart and giving the team everything they have. We have a QB that can throw the ball deep but is never given the opportunity to air it out and go for it. The defense for the most part is doing enough to win the games. They did play at the end like they gave up or most likely ran out of gas but its really come down to coach Barnes and his inability or stubbornness to change his play calling. Something needs to change.
Here is the Winchester Stars article on the game. http://www.winchesterstar.com/article_details.php?ArticleID=1148
"If last week was a step forward, then Saturday night was a full-blown backpedal. Albright College routed Shenandoah University 30-7 in front of a crowd of 2,073 at Shentel Stadium. It was a defeat the Hornets attributed to listlessness, but perhaps even more accurately, they attributed it to their inability to make enough critical plays."By Robert Niedzwiecki
The Winchester Star

Well Uncle Jessie, here are my thoughts on Saturday's game at Shentel Stadium:

Great Crowd...
Great Atmosphere...
Great Parking situation since I left in the third quarter because of "listlessness".

[batteredbard]

I expect Greensboro and Maryville to be a pretty good game. It went to OT last year after Greensboro surrendered a 16-0 lead at the half.
I didn't make it to the game, having to listen on WBCR's broadcast but I do remember it was agonizingly slow. The teams combined for 29 penalties (MC 12-67, GC  17-196).

The tree issue at Honaker: Personally I think if alums approached the College about possibly raising some money for a Letterman Park in that area it might open some avenues in future seasons. It is a great place to watch from and in a buy a parking permit fundraising world it might work, might not.

How to play Huntingdon: Effort. You could see the Hawks had the potential but couldn't ever bring it to bare. My impression, which HC fans may find misguided, was that if you kept fighting, working, blocking past about three seconds into a play they wilted. MC's quick stuff got gobbled up but delays and longer developing plays were effective. On defense contain the qb first, then defend the receivers.

Three games in, I do believe LaGrange will get its first win this year. They have too many athletes ready to do it to be denied all season (just don't know who it might be). I think HC is better than they showed Saturday and Centre I think can rebound for a good year if they will play with in themselves rather than trying to do too much. Too much uncontrolled effort was a waste and the Colonels are much smarter than that.

And when the day arrives that conference games are available for video download on this board no one will see me on a Sunday because it will be three straight games that day to see the ones I couldn't watch in person.

[CNU85]

85 -- It was a memorable series.

Scottie Doug, the Maryville TN fan, posted these hyperlinks concerning D3 football.  The writer is Marcus Fitzsimmons at The (Maryville TN) Daily Times.

(On the occasions that I have read this paper, I think that they do a very good job of covering D3 in their part of the country, especially Maryville TN and the GSAC.)

This four-part series covers squad size, the economics of D3 vs D1, ...

Going big: D-III football coaches make decisions on team size

Dollars & directions: D-III and D-I schools travel different paths

Commentary...I think that Mr Fitzsimmons is using publicly stated numbers on football expenses, but the cost allocations may not necessarily reflect the discount rate that athletes receive from their respective institutions.

Thanks, scottiedoug!  +1K 

Thanks Pat! Listening to Podcast now (The MNF guys really suck!). You guys do a good job with it!

[ProudFightingScot]

yeah thanks Pat your awesome...

[Uncle Jessie]

I hope you all get a chance to read Ryan Tipps around the region this week.  Here is a cut out from it about the Hornet team.
"And considering that Shenandoah went 3-17 the past two seasons and is 0-2 so far this year, the fans were still there. They craved it. They cheered and shouted for the Hornets. And this enthusiasm makes it all the more difficult that the team is going through some rough years. The spectators know this. But the Hornet team will be buried beneath its style of play until changes are forced upon it. With those facilities and those types of fans, all those involved deserve better." Great article Ryan.

More and more fans and visitors are starting to be more out spoken about Barnes and his Wing T play calling. It just is not working. They were dead last in the league in points scored the last two years. 103 scored in 2005 and just 62 points all of last year. This year  they have scored 12 points of offence in 3 games. Ryan wrote it best. The Hornet fans deserve better.

[batteredbard]

I really liked Ryan's trip and was incredibly jealous. Sounded like the perfect weekend to me.
The down side is he saw two USAC teams lose.

Perhaps we should make a board tailgating pact? Agree that whoever gets the bid and wherever they go as many folks who post here as can meet up and tailgate for the first round game. It seems like it would be highly entertaining for everyone involved.

I know we've beaten this conference thing to death but I had an interesting email that started a new train of thought  on the subject. If Huntingdon and LaGrange are the geographic outcasts for USAC membership  where else could they go for a new conf home (assuming they keep football with current ties for 08)? Is the ASC or SCAC even have need or interest? Or is the USAC, as weird as it sounds, geographically and philosophically closer than any other conference option out there?

[Uncle Jessie]

Here are the game notes for SU/Ferrum this Saturday.
http://www.d3sports.com/post/index.php?action=post;topic=4562.0;num_replies=4824

[Ralph Turner]

Great post, Bard.

Bard, I don't think that the SCAC wants 2 schools that do not have Phi Beta Kappa chapters, such as Huntingdon and LaGrange, or endowments that are quite a bit shy of 7-figures.  They are a comfortable 12 schools, 8 of which are in the Associated Colleges of the South.

The University of Dallas has a PBK Chapter, great academic reputation, favorable location and a potential travel partner (Austin College), but a paltry endowment, no football and marginally acceptable athletic facilities. (I think that LaGrange has better facilities.)

The "geographical center" of the ASC-East is just a little north of ETBU in Marshall, TX.  I don't think that LaGrange or Huntingdon would be invited to join the ASC.

The best hope for the GSAC is for Randy Lambert to take all GSAC schools into the USA South.  He should be able to swing that from the reputation that has preceded him on these boards.  After all, those schools left the NAIA and the NCCAA to join the GSAC and Division III.  It is now time for him to take the GSAC into the USA South. 

[PrideSportBBallGuy]

Ok, we need to make this board active with USASouth talk. What does everyone expect this weekend? What will be the big surprises this weekend?

[CNU85]

I hope you all get a chance to read Ryan Tipps around the region this week.  Here is a cut out from it about the Hornet team.
"And considering that Shenandoah went 3-17 the past two seasons and is 0-2 so far this year, the fans were still there. They craved it. They cheered and shouted for the Hornets. And this enthusiasm makes it all the more difficult that the team is going through some rough years. The spectators know this. But the Hornet team will be buried beneath its style of play until changes are forced upon it. With those facilities and those types of fans, all those involved deserve better." Great article Ryan.

More and more fans and visitors are starting to be more out spoken about Barnes and his Wing T play calling. It just is not working. They were dead last in the league in points scored the last two years. 103 scored in 2005 and just 62 points all of last year. This year  they have scored 12 points of offence in 3 games. Ryan wrote it best. The Hornet fans deserve better.

I have had the pleasure of attending a game at Shentel...and this was before the upgrades. What a nice place and nice fans.....they do deserve better. Ryan's ATR transcends teams and conferences......it is what d3 is all about.....for a few seconds t made me an SU fan! Great job Mr. Tipps!!

[CNU85]

Ok, we need to make this board active with USASouth talk. What does everyone expect this weekend? What will be the big surprises this weekend?

I predict CNU will not lose this weekend!