FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[consultant]

In a post game interview, Coach DuBose commented that he was "extremely proud" of his football team.  However, he did go on to say that his defense didn't play well.....so much for keeping Miss. College out of the endzone all night.   

[coachhaack]

Congrats to the TU Tigers on a strong home opener.  Bryant looked poised, and Chris Baer looked quicker and shiftier than ever.  I couldn't get the web-cast to work until halftime, but from what I could tell the first half was all TU, and the young defensive secondary got some valuable experience that Coach Inco and the other defensive coaches will use well in the film room tomorrow. 

I know that there is no way an Inco-coached defense stays young and inexperienced for a whole season.  I miss you all and hope to come home soon.  Congrats to other SCAC winners on the day.

[TigerDad]

coachhaack ... got your voice mail today ... glad you were able to catch the game on webcast.  Yes, the Tigers looked very good today, especially in the first half.  Solid start for the TU offense and the defense is coming along.  Stay safe!

A special thanks to Dr. Ralph Turner for pitching in on the webcast ... great to meet you and glad you made the trip to S.A.  Don't be a stranger!  Good luck to McMurry in the rest of the season ... you have some fine athletes who will do well this year!

[Tex]

My favorite play of tonight's TU/McM game was the first TD when Chris Baer met up with a defender standing between Baer and the end zone.  THe defender looked like he was anticipating a move, but Baer just bowled him over.  Hard nosed running.  I'm not sure how many rushing yards we had tonight but the team looked good. 

Photos and news story already up on the newspaper's site...  http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/local_colleges/Trinity_scores_in_bunches_to_handle_McMurry.html

[Ralph Turner]

Thanks all around...

Just got back home.

Wow!  It is 20 degrees cooler in north Texas.  Almost needed a sweater! 

[frank_ezelle]

Box score for Millsaps-MC game:  http://www.millsaps.edu/athletic/football/MCF08-01.HTM

Millsaps Story:  http://www.millsaps.edu/athletic/football/090608story.shtml

Story in local newspaper:  http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080907/SPORTS030105/809070376/1085

[Ralph Turner]

Modestly presented, Frank.

Congratulations and +1! 

[Ralph Turner]

Historymajor, it was good to see you again.  Had a great time with you and the production crew of PAWS.

AD Bob King, your hospitality to the McMurry "tribe" was greatly appreciated. Your opening Mabee for our "friends and alumni" gathering was wonderful. That was a great venue for us to meet, greet and eat!

LTGray, Tex and Papa Baer...it was great to put a face with the names.

All in all, it was a good weekend in a great in environment...

And E M Stevens is not as bad as Bonzo "word-painted" it.   (Bonzo has a great gift for writing.       )

[Major_Fan]

In a post game interview, Coach DuBose commented that he was "extremely proud" of his football team.  However, he did go on to say that his defense didn't play well.....so much for keeping Miss. College out of the endzone all night.   

Joseph looked solid through the air and on his feet.  The defense did miss about 4 picks they should've had.  Oh, and we did keep them out of the end zone all night.  MC got just two field goals.

[Ron Boerger]

Finally online - having moved to Austin, we won't have connectivity until mid-week.  Sitting at a Waterloo Ice House.

Saints help us all (except Millsaps fans, of course) if MC truly is better than anyone in the SCAC    Very impressive showing from the Majors. 

The only ASC/SCAC score in the Austin paper was the TU-McM score and of course no writeups.  There's one thing I'll miss about the Dallas area, they'd have all the scores and a writeup every so often.  Yes, when I can get online D3football is the place to go!

Very nice showing by Mr. Bryant for TU - definitely did not expect to see 48 points on the board for the home side.  Also good to see 100+ yds rushing from Mr. Baer. 

[Tex]

Ralph, nice to meet you as well.  You threw me off for a second after the game.  I saw the gentlemen with the maroon shirt calling out to me, on the home side.  It took me a second to figure it out!  Then I saw the McMurry logo on the shirt and it all fell into place. 

EM Stevens was rocking last night.  I wasn't expecting a 48 either, but was seriously hoping we'd get up by enough to allow the 2nd string to make it into the game.  And, they finally did.  Had we not given up that TD pass right before halftime, it might have happened sooner.  But that gave McMurry a shot of "mo" as they headed into the half.  No quit in McMurry.

THere were a few skills players McMurry have that are going to give some of their conference opponents issues.  The tall receiver has got serious jump.  (and a bit of that Michael Irving ability to create separation).  The RB was greased lightning.  Had the QB been able to draw in a bit more accuracy, they score more points for sure. 

By the way, Ralph, what is y'all's mascot anyway?  It wasn't in the program. 

[Ralph Turner]

Ralph, nice to meet you as well.  You threw me off for a second after the game.  I saw the gentlemen with the maroon shirt calling out to me, on the home side.  It took me a second to figure it out!  Then I saw the McMurry logo on the shirt and it all fell into place. 

EM Stevens was rocking last night.  I wasn't expecting a 48 either, but was seriously hoping we'd get up by enough to allow the 2nd string to make it into the game.  And, they finally did.  Had we not given up that TD pass right before halftime, it might have happened sooner.  But that gave McMurry a shot of "mo" as they headed into the half.  No quit in McMurry.

THere were a few skills players McMurry have that are going to give some of their conference opponents issues.  The tall receiver has got serious jump.  (and a bit of that Michael Irving ability to create separation).  The RB was greased lightning.  Had the QB been able to draw in a bit more accuracy, they score more points for sure. 

By the way, Ralph, what is y'all's mascot anyway?  It wasn't in the program. 

We failed in all appeals to the NCAA regarding our nickname "Indians".  We have had no mascot for about a decade in deference to sensibilities on depictions of native Americans.

The NCAA found no incidents where there was a hostile environment towards native Americans by McMurry's use of Indians as a team nickname.  Nor could the NCAA find any evidence of behavior outside the guidelines.   However, the NCAA stated that it was uncertain that no hostile environment might not arise in an NCAA contest and used that as a basis to reject our appeals.

The McMurry Board of Trustees looked at our heritage, reflected upon our sense of "cherish [ing] our traditions", including 58 consecutive years of the Cultural Outreach, Tipi Village (Please click to read the D3football.com Daily Dose), recognized our diversity (#3 in US News & WR) in the West Region and decided that we would forgo any nicknames and mascots.

Our athletics teams are simply the McMurry Football Team, the McMurry Women's Basketball Team, etc.

I was speaking to a 1965 San Antonio alum about the process at the McMurry pre-game social function.  She was happy that the Board did not adopt another nickname..."Once an Indian, Always an Indian".

Thanks for asking, and thanks to Trinity for being great hosts. 

[golden_dome]

Saints help us all (except Millsaps fans, of course) if MC truly is better than anyone in the SCAC    Very impressive showing from the Majors. 

Ron,
  This is just my opinion, but this year's Mississippi College team is not the same as the last two years and I'm not sure this year's loss says anything about the previous teams. I know Coach Dubose took a lot of shots this week for his comments, but the last few years the MS College team was comparable to anyone in the SCAC. This year's Choctaw team is different. The starting lineup yesterday had 3 new wr's, 2 new rb's, 2 new cb's, 2 new safeties, and a new mlb. And those 10 positions last year were filled with 7 All-ASC players, one of which is on the Green Bay Packers practice squad. Just no way to tell what the new players will do this year, I'm hoping it is a similiar situation to Millsaps two years ago when we beat them 52-28 to start the season and they went on to win the SCAC.

   Having said that, Millsaps played a great game against MC yesterday. I think that is the best Millsaps team I have seen. I wasn't sure how good they would be up front on both sides because of losses from last year's team, but they were OK there. They beat you at the skill positions which are about as good as you're going to find in DIII, they've been together several years and have great chemistry. Juan Joseph had a great game running and passing, the kid has a good arm but you forget he can run. Besides Mary Hardin-Baylor, I would probably give them the nod against any other ASC teams, unless HSU is back to a top 10 team again. UMHB is just in another league. Millsaps is probably in the top 10-20 range nationally in my opinion, and they are probably very close to top 10

   Right now, I think Millsaps has a great chance to run the table. I wouldn't be surprised to see them run roughshod through the SCAC, and that includes their trip to Trinity. Joseph is a great player and is working with skill people who have been with him a few years. Coach Dubose has another solid defense and they have a great system. It will be very hard for anyone to beat the Majors this season in the regular season considering what I saw last night compared to the last couple seasons. Good luck the rest of the way.

[Major Rev]

Good to be back on the board!  I'm looking for another great year in the South Region!

Just had to pick up on some of the particulars in Chris Brooks' comments after watching these two fine teams in action Saturday night in an electric Backyard Brawl atmosphere.  It was SRO!

MC's 52-28 win two years ago was scary for Major fans as the passing defense simply wasn't there, and it took two more non-conference games to get the system working before the Majors ran the table in the conference schedule.  I truly think this Choctaw team will get in the film room and will have the chance to straighten out some of their issues before they begin their march into Texas.  While they didn't look "green", the Choctaws passing D was definitely overmatched by the experience of the Millsaps offense, despite questions along the O-line.  One significant new feature was freshman 6-2, 315 lb. Oliver Galicki who moves well for his size and will mature quickly.  I saw a couple of times when he was "taking instruction" from older linemen.  If he can listen and learn, he should become a dominating force in a year or so.  While Joseph was pressured a bit more than last year, he appeared more mobile than in previous years and also played with a calm head and super decision making.  The experience of receivers McCarty, Savage, and Epps was ever-apparent.  Add Menist, Milazzo, Perreira, Galatas, etc., and this offense looks simply FORMIDABLE again - possibly top 10 in production.
And while Millsaps has been known as an offense that "uses the pass to set up the next pass", they seemed committed to trying to do more with the run.

Their were a lot of changes on defense, but this defense looked not only ready, but hungry to prove themselves.  Swapping from a 3-4 to a 4-3 through the night, a lot of players saw action along the line and just behind it all through the game, not just in the fourth quarter.  Anderson and Dale gave consistent pressure, along with new blood on the line, though the MC QB was well-protected.  The Majors played it pretty conservatively I thought, not often commiting to the blitz.  This may have been because of confidence in what was behind them.  I thought a particular high spot was in the defensive backfield, this week recognized in the naming of DB Michael Sims to the TOTW.  The Majors held a good quarterback (Schaffer) in check without apparently dropping any assignments as no receiver ever simply "got loose".  Defensive backs were step-for-step with MC all night, defending 13 passes and picking 2.  This continued to be true deep into the roster.  This defense may once again be high in the passing efficiency defense statistics.  It will be interesting to see how this team fares against a more balanced attack like Trinity's (all miracles aside) as they're forced to cover more of the field.

Special teams showed no surprises on either side, though Millsaps appeared to have come out just a bit ahead on KO coverage.  Kruse kicked well on his two field goals, but neither was very long.  The Millsaps kickers hit the ball deep on all kickoffs but had no FG attempts.  MC's punter was good, but Millsap's Larrimore was consistent as well.

Some questions about changes in the coaching staff were also answered, as Coach Dubose seems to have replaced OC Shannon Dawson very competently.  The Majors were very effective in conversions all night.

Millsaps is showing signs of establishing a strong tradition.  Season tickets have been in high enough demand that they have gotten more "pricey".  (I'd be interested in knowing what that's like at a MHB or UW-Whitewater.)  And while this team will not draw 10K for its games, support is VERY strong.  We''ll have to see what happens post-Joseph!

[Ralph Turner]

One more observation about my trip to SAT...

you know when you have crossed the cultural boundary when the big flashing mall marquis proclaims

"Super MERCA2",

and the message makes sense when you read that as "MERCADOS".