FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Ralph Turner]

Just that kid,

Thanks for the post.  I know about the quality of Mississippi JuCo's.  That is why I asked.

There just aren't any NAIA's (except Belhaven) that are within the travel budget of a JV team.

For instance, Millsaps 2011 JV sample schedule:

Miss College 2 games, Belhaven 2 games, LaCollege 2 games, and I don't think that they have a JV.

You need at least 2-4 more games to fill out the schedule...maybe JuCo's

Does anyone else have any ideas?

[MajorAlum80]

I would agree with Frank.  I do not think that DuBose was playing to lose.  Putting the reserves in to garner experience in true game situations (read not a blow out) when their effort and performance means something will pay huge dividends down the road.  I truely doubt the Coach intended it to wind up getting as close as it did, but when presented with the situation as it was  he elected to allow his second and third squads to show their mettle and possibly salvage a win or get a big goal line stop on their own rather than being rescued by the "cavalry".  I think that that would have been priceless to the team as a whole and the downside risk ( a non-conference loss to a pseudorival) was noiminal.

I wouldn't say that the risk was nominal.  From what everyone says, this loss really did some damage to our chances to host a playoff game, should we win out (which I believe we will). 

As someone who played football, I can only wonder how I would react had this happened in a rivalry game.  I wonder how the players feel about it. 

[evacuee]

I read a lot of it, and I just still can't believe he consciously benched his starters.  Presuming it was a legitimate bench clearing, I can't believe that all Millsaps fans aren't outraged.  I think the ones who try to justify it are just so excited about this year that they can't dream of questioning the savior.  It's not like he's Bear Bryant and y'all are Tide fans.  He's been just barely farther with Millsaps than the legendary Ron Jurney. 

If I were one of the guys who built that lead, I would have to be quite upset. 

[Ron Boerger]

It was very frustrating however because the consequences of the facts described herein is that the Majors are 0-1 rather than 1-0 and likely eliminates the remote possibility of the SCAC sending more than one team to the playoffs --- think about it.

Not quite.   A 9-1 Trinity with a loss only to Millsaps would also be very likely to get a Pool C bid.   Same for a 9-1 DePauw with only a single conference loss (though I think that somewhat less likely). 

[consultant]

I was skeptical last year with the 'just wait and see" mantra of Coach DuBose.  But I waited, and darn if I didn't see.

But I am simply OUTRAGED by Thursday's result.  I certainly support Coach DuBose and what he is doing, but I do question his decision on Thursday.  If he was teaching a lesson to his starters and team, then so be it.  Playing 74 players in a football game is remarkably UNBELIEVABLE. 

I question whether the starters were barking in DuBose's ear to put them back in when things were spiraling out of control. 

[wabashcpa]

Millsaps had better run the table in the conference to eliminate any doubt about playoff positioning.  Of course, that may have been Coach DuBose's thought process - to make the playoffs, we're going to have to win the conference, because it's highly unlikely more than one SCAC team gets in (at least, that's what recent history suggests).  I would expect once the conference games start, the bench emptying will cease, unless they're up by a bundle.

[DPU92]

I can see both sides of this argument, but the bottom line is you MUST play to win and get your younger guys experience some other way. 

Ralph already brought this up, but at DePauw we played 3-5 JV games.  2 against Wabash, 1 against Butler University (D IAA) and 1 against Franklin and/or Rose Hulman and/or Anderson.  I realize it is easier for us since there were so many DIII schools close to us.

Sometimes we would change the schedule around, cancel games due to injuries or schedule more games.  It really gave guys (myslef included) something to look forword to.

[frank_ezelle]

Let me point out that the Millsaps players began the 2006 season being totally embarrassed by MC in the first game and then losing winable games to Louisiana College and Huntingdon.  Go back to the posts one year ago and you can read all about how Coach DuBose was putting in a completely new defensive package that would be an improvement in the long run but a step back in the short term.  If you think that was just BS, then look at the numbers:

Average pts scored against Millsaps in first three games by MC, LC and Huntingdon = 42.7
Average pts scored against Millsaps by SCAC opponents = 11

Personally, I don't mind that Millsaps took 3 straight losses in 2006, including an embarrassing loss to MC, to work on a plan that gave them an SCAC Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Playoffs.  I applaud Coach DuBose for doing what it took in 2006 to win a championship, even if it meant that he started his Millsaps head coaching career with some losses.

There's no doubt in my mind that what Millsaps did Thursday night is something that will give them a better chance of winning the SCAC.  I'm sure Coach DuBose weighed all the factors that everyone has brought up about at-large bids, home playoff games vs. road playoff games, play to win, what would the players feel, etc, and I'm confident that he did the right thing to achieve the goals that he was trying to accomplish in the game.

For all you Millsaps fans who are upset with the loss, let me point out the following.  If a man as competitive as Coach DuBose lets a sure victory slip away then you can be certain that he was accomplishing things more important than securing a win over a local rival.  As for bragging rights, who really has the bragging rights when a 26-6 score between the 1st teams was erased by 3 quick touchdowns against the subs?  Don't focus on the loss, focus on the thought of a Millsaps team in 2007 that will be much improved because they will have the depth that the 2006 team lacked.  It's going to be a great season.

[Tex]

Frank, I have no dog in this hunt.  I have no favorite team in DIII.

You are certainly in your rights to give your coach the benefit of the doubt, but man, I gotta say, you're preaching to deaf ears.

I gotta figure coach just figured it wouldn't end up an L.  He gave his guys a chance to pull it out, but he must have waited to long or something.

Sounds like a bone-head coaching move to me. 

[evacuee]

Does anyone have anything but the score from ETBU?  I can't find anything!!!!!!!

[Ralph Turner]

Austin College 35, SWAGU 21.  Final from the AC website.

[Tex]

Does anyone have anything but the score from ETBU?  I can't find anything!!!!!!!

http://www.etbu.edu/Current+Athletic+News/sports_item.htm?SportsID=1306

[Tex]

http://www.trinity.edu/departments/athletics/Football/Statistics/etbu-tu.htm

[Just_that_kid]

I think the ones who try to justify it are just so excited about this year that they can't dream of questioning the savior.  It's not like he's Bear Bryant and y'all are Tide fans.  He's been just barely farther with Millsaps than the legendary Ron Jurney. 

If I were one of the guys who built that lead, I would have to be quite upset. 

Someone sure had their "hater-aid" this morning. November 12th, 2005.. Trinity beats Millsaps (2-7) 41-0. Novermeber 11th, 2006.. Millsaps beats Trinity (nationally ranked) 34-12. Millsaps went from a 2-7 doormat, to 7-4 and thumping big bad Trinity. That speaks for itself.
You're right. He isn't Bear Bryant, and we're not (not all of us) Tide fans. We're Millsaps fans, and he's our coach!
If you were one of the guys who built the lead, then you'd surely have to right to be upset, but since you're not, let the people who did build that lead worry about that.

Frank: You don't need to "preach" to deaf ears. Let the majors talk for you!! I see both sides of the story, and your points are right on!

[Just_that_kid]

P.S.  Why do I keep getting negative karma? How do I even get bad karma? I've been nice! What gives?