FB: Southern Athletic Association

[awadelewis]

Support from the administration and an AD that gets D3 is vital.  Trinity athletics were in the toilet before they hired the current AD in the early 90s.  The football program's decline from its most successful era started a few years after a new president that didn't support athletics took over.

That's the key I think, and why I'm anticipating the result of the AD search.   Our administration has often taken a "don't embarrass us too much" attitude towards football over the tenures of our last two VC/Presidents.

It's not like other sports at Sewanee struggle the same way, with basketball and a number of the Olympic sports consistently doing well year-to-year.   Recruiting has been an issue as we weren't seriously recruiting from the decent football-playing private and small high school programs in Chattanooga, Nashville, and Birmingham like we used to do 15-20 years ago.  Thought things might change a bit with Coach Rundle's hire but the results just haven't been there.

[Ron Boerger]

Week 8 games:

• Hendrix (1-6, 0-4 SAA) at #19 Trinity (6-0, 4-0), 12:00 CDT - probably another long day for the Warriors
• Rhodes (3-4, 2-2) at Centre (5-2, 2-2), 1:00 CDT - winner stays in the top half of the conference standings
• Sewanee (0-7, 0-4) at Millsaps (1-6, 1-3), 2:00 CDT - Tigers try again for first win on the season
• #22 Birmingham-Southern (7-0, 4-0) at Berry (5-2, 3-1), 4:00 CDT - Berry's last gasp at retaining their hold on the SAA[/b]

[crufootball]

Is Hendrix that down or just played the toughest SAA teams already and 2 good non conference teams?

[Ron Boerger]

Is Hendrix that down or just played the toughest SAA teams already and 2 good non conference teams?

Definitely a down year for them, lost by 35 to HPU and only close loss was to Rhodes.  Only W against Sewanee (in a non-conference game) which hasn't won a game in years.  Outscored 274-164, giving up over 450 yards/game while barely averaging 300 themselves.

[BSCpanthers]

Hendrix is playing with a freshman QB as well.  After winning the conference in the COVID season, definitely not what I had expected from them.  I'm sure they will get it back in line quickly and be back fighting for it all soon enough.

[dmhinv]

Hendrix is playing with a freshman QB as well.  After winning the conference in the COVID season, definitely not what I had expected from them.  I'm sure they will get it back in line quickly and be back fighting for it all soon enough.

Hendrix has lost 14 starters due to injury, including the #1 and #2 qb's.  Started in preseason and turned into an avalanche.  May have been somewhat of a down year due to the amount of seniors graduating, but the injury issue definitely magnified the w/l. 

Nice to see Trinity putting it all together.  Urban turning over the play calling duties and the QB play has been dramatic.  No more constant throwing deep and hoping.  WR and RB corps are solid.  Defense is playing lights out, lots of 4/5 year kids. 

TU juniors and seniors really benefitted from having a couple of off season strength and conditioning programs with 2x NFL S&C coach of the year Mike Clark.  Unfortunately, he left and returned to the NFL, but the results are on the field.  TU simply looks bigger, stronger and faster than their opponents.  He's impossible to replace, but the S&C program is in a very solid place. 

   

[Ron Boerger]

Hendrix is playing with a freshman QB as well.  After winning the conference in the COVID season, definitely not what I had expected from them.  I'm sure they will get it back in line quickly and be back fighting for it all soon enough.

Hendrix has lost 14 starters due to injury, including the #1 and #2 qb's.  Started in preseason and turned into an avalanche.  May have been somewhat of a down year due to the amount of seniors graduating, but the injury issue definitely magnified the w/l. 

Nice to see Trinity putting it all together.  Urban turning over the play calling duties and the QB play has been dramatic.  No more constant throwing deep and hoping.  WR and RB corps are solid.  Defense is playing lights out, lots of 4/5 year kids. 

TU juniors and seniors really benefitted from having a couple of off season strength and conditioning programs with 2x NFL S&C coach of the year Mike Clark.  Unfortunately, he left and returned to the NFL, but the results are on the field.  TU simply looks bigger, stronger and faster than their opponents.  He's impossible to replace, but the S&C program is in a very solid place. 

Solid first post - welcome, and thank you for the insights.  +k and hope to hear more from you.

[Ron Boerger]

One interesting tidbit regarding Hendrix and Trinity - no home team has won a game in the short history (4 games) between the two. 

[tigerguy]

Hendrix' lone score of the first half came off another special teams blunder for Trinity as their punt returner ran into another Tiger while fielding the punt only for it to bounce and hit him. Hendrix recovered and a nice fade route and throw made it 7-7 in the first. It's been all Trinity since then: 41-7 at the half. Tucker Horn with another dominant first half as he went 22-25 for 311 yards and 4 touchdowns. His day might be done at the half.

[Ron Boerger]

Horn has 311 yards passing without his top two receivers.  Hope they are back next week.

I think the streak of no home team winning in this series is over.

[tigerguy]

Horn has 311 yards passing without his top two receivers.  Hope they are back next week.

Are they hurt? Disciplinary? Commentators never said why they were out but openly noted just now that we "still hadn't seen [the two receivers] yet"

[Ron Boerger]

I see Bertness on the sideline in jeans and jersey, seems OK.  Have not seen Merrifield.

[tigerguy]

0-0 at the end of the first quarter in the Berry/BSC game as neither team has been able to get anything going. Shufford only has two carries for 9 yards.

[tigerguy]

Final in SA 62-13 Trinity. Hendrix put up some offense (at least statistically) against the Tiger defense today, but the majority of that came in the second half against the Tiger backups, who played almost he entire second half. Again some mishaps for the Tigers on special teams, with the muffed punt leading to a Hendrix score, a missed field goal, and a missed PAT. Again, can't have that against a good team. Tigers also had 7 penalties for 84 yards so penalties are still an issue for this team.

[tigerguy]

Huge stop by Berry defense just now. BSC had 4th and 1 from the Berry 2-yard line; BSC goes for it, and Shufford was stuffed literally 2-3 inches short of the first down marker. 7-3 BSC midway through the 3rd.