FB: Southern Athletic Association

[Ron Boerger]

That's good to hear. Birmingham Southern being good is good for the SAA as a whole. I do have to wonder about their running back depth. John Lewis is going to be hard to replace.

Nearly all of our RB production transferred out with Lewis and Grayson Stacey leaving.  However, we do have a couple RB's transferring in that should be able to fill those spots.  Replacing Jon Lewis is nearly impossible, but we should be fine.

LOL remember when a guy named Robert Shufford left and everyone wondered how B-SC would replace him?  Never seems to be a problem for the Panthers, aka RBU of the SAA!

[BSCpanthers]

That's good to hear. Birmingham Southern being good is good for the SAA as a whole. I do have to wonder about their running back depth. John Lewis is going to be hard to replace.

Nearly all of our RB production transferred out with Lewis and Grayson Stacey leaving.  However, we do have a couple RB's transferring in that should be able to fill those spots.  Replacing Jon Lewis is nearly impossible, but we should be fine.

LOL remember when a guy named Robert Shufford left and everyone wondered how B-SC would replace him?  Never seems to be a problem for the Panthers, aka RBU of the SAA!

We don't rebuild, we reload.   

[FLALTX]

Yes, obviously. Could throw TN in there as well but it was only a year.

[jekelish]

That's good to hear. Birmingham Southern being good is good for the SAA as a whole. I do have to wonder about their running back depth. John Lewis is going to be hard to replace.

Nearly all of our RB production transferred out with Lewis and Grayson Stacey leaving.  However, we do have a couple RB's transferring in that should be able to fill those spots.  Replacing Jon Lewis is nearly impossible, but we should be fine.

With Stacey following TJW to Austin College, for those who were not aware.

[BSCpanthers]

That's good to hear. Birmingham Southern being good is good for the SAA as a whole. I do have to wonder about their running back depth. John Lewis is going to be hard to replace.

Nearly all of our RB production transferred out with Lewis and Grayson Stacey leaving.  However, we do have a couple RB's transferring in that should be able to fill those spots.  Replacing Jon Lewis is nearly impossible, but we should be fine.

With Stacey following TJW to Austin College, for those who were not aware.

Indeed he did.  His family had moved to Texas during the season last year, so the move made sense for him.  Will be wishing him the best this coming season.

[rjtiger]

Sewanee's new freshman class is up on the website.  New staff brought in 30+ kids which is a big class for Sewanee.  The Sophomore's lost 7 of 20 kids.  So they are going to be young.  I loved the old staff, great guys and really understood D3 just couldn't get it done on the field.  This new staff seems more intense (D1 attitude), it will be interesting to see if it pays dividends.  YSR

https://sewaneetigers.com/sports/football/roster?view=2

[BSCpanthers]

Sewanee's new freshman class is up on the website.  New staff brought in 30+ kids which is a big class for Sewanee.  The Sophomore's lost 7 of 20 kids.  So they are going to be young.  I loved the old staff, great guys and really understood D3 just couldn't get it done on the field.  This new staff seems more intense (D1 attitude), it will be interesting to see if it pays dividends.  YSR

https://sewaneetigers.com/sports/football/roster?view=2

It'll take a couple years before you see real results at Sewanee. If they can get the administration behind the program, it should be able to thrive, but currently it's just a shell.  Beautiful campus, program with SEC history and still has the original stadium as part of the current stadium.  In the end, $120k for an education just so you can play football is steep.  Need to find a way around that. 

[awadelewis]

Sewanee's new freshman class is up on the website.  New staff brought in 30+ kids which is a big class for Sewanee.  The Sophomore's lost 7 of 20 kids.  So they are going to be young.  I loved the old staff, great guys and really understood D3 just couldn't get it done on the field.  This new staff seems more intense (D1 attitude), it will be interesting to see if it pays dividends.  YSR

https://sewaneetigers.com/sports/football/roster?view=2

Welcome and YSR!   Coach Rundle and company were good people but they had pretty much lost the thread on the program.   The intensity that Coach McCollum and company have brought to the program is something I've not seen on the Mountain in about two decades.   When you talk to Coach Mac it reminds one a lot of both Shirley Majors and Horace Moore.    I'm looking forward to the opener with Maryville to see how that intensity translates to the field and I've got some hope we'll see a lot of  improvement out of the program this season.

[Ron Boerger]

It'll take a couple years before you see real results at Sewanee. If they can get the administration behind the program, it should be able to thrive, but currently it's just a shell.  Beautiful campus, program with SEC history and still has the original stadium as part of the current stadium.  In the end, $120k for an education just so you can play football is steep.  Need to find a way around that. 

tbh you could say same about almost all the SAA/affilated colleges.  But it's nice to have a chance to win as many as you lose while you're putting out that kind of cash (if you do, given the generous discount rate and financial aid/scholarships if you can get admitted in the first place).

Also, "D1 attitudes" at a very much #whyd3 school don't work much of the time.  There's a fine balance that D1-first type coaches can find difficult to grasp.   

Welcome and YSR!   Coach Rundle and company were good people but they had pretty much lost the thread on the program.   The intensity that Coach McCollum and company have brought to the program is something I've not seen on the Mountain in about two decades.   When you talk to Coach Mac it reminds one a lot of both Shirley Majors and Horace Moore.    I'm looking forward to the opener with Maryville to see how that intensity translates to the field and I've got some hope we'll see a lot of  improvement out of the program this season.

I hope you're right and I'm wrong.  The long-suffering players, fans, and supporters deserve better on the Mountain.

[awadelewis]

It'll take a couple years before you see real results at Sewanee. If they can get the administration behind the program, it should be able to thrive, but currently it's just a shell.  Beautiful campus, program with SEC history and still has the original stadium as part of the current stadium.  In the end, $120k for an education just so you can play football is steep.  Need to find a way around that.

There's been a bit of attitude change in our administration in recent times that may make a  difference.   A new Vice-Chancellor who has deep connections to the University, combined with an AD who understands winning at the D3 level that also has that deep connection is going to provide a lot more support than what we've seen in the past.     Previous VCs and AD always treated football with a "just not embarrass us" mindset and would have never taken the risk of hiring an experienced D1 coach to run the program.     

[Riley Zayas]

Also, "D1 attitudes" at a very much #whyd3 school don't work much of the time.  There's a fine balance that D1-first type coaches can find difficult to grasp.   

Totally agree. Calvin seems to have taken a similar route with hiring a D1 coach to lead their football program. But it is definitely a good reminder that open-minded coaches coming from D1 can adapt and find success in D3 pretty quickly (with the right institutional support). Pete Fredenburg went from serving as the DC at LSU and Baylor to building UMHB's program from scratch. And getting them to the Stagg Bowl in their 6th season.

[Ron Boerger]

Also, "D1 attitudes" at a very much #whyd3 school don't work much of the time.  There's a fine balance that D1-first type coaches can find difficult to grasp.   

Totally agree. Calvin seems to have taken a similar route with hiring a D1 coach to lead their football program. But it is definitely a good reminder that open-minded coaches coming from D1 can adapt and find success in D3 pretty quickly (with the right institutional support). Pete Fredenburg went from serving as the DC at LSU and Baylor to building UMHB's program from scratch. And getting them to the Stagg Bowl in their 6th season.

And there was this guy by the name of Mike DuBose that went from HC at Alabama to Millsaps (a few years after getting cashiered) and totally turned that program around.

[Ralph Turner]

...and Hal Mumme, who led McMurry to a 1-point loss to UMHB in regular season then playoff win over Trinity and loss to UMHB in round 2.

[Ron Boerger]

[heavily edited because I'm apparently an idiot]

The D3football.com preseason Top 25 is out.  Region 6 3 schools:

3. UMHB - 533
4. Trinity - 511
6. St. Johns - 495
7. Linfield - 434
8. HSU - 397
14. Bethel - 278

(RV, "36") BSC - 11
(RV, "37") HPU - 6

Man -  5 3 of the top 8 and 2 of the top 4 are from Region 6 3.   Of course, North Central and Mount Union are 1/2 with almost all the first place votes going to the defending champion and the rest to UMU. 

[BSCpanthers]

The D3football.com preseason Top 25 is out.  Region 6 schools:

3. UMHB - 533
4. Trinity - 511
6. St. Johns - 495
7. Linfield - 434
8. HSU - 397
14. Bethel - 278

(RV, "36") BSC - 11
(RV, "37") HPU - 6

Man - 5 of the top 8 are from Region 6.   Of course, North Central and Mount Union are 1/2 with almost all the first place votes going to the defending champion and the rest to UMU.

After BSC's last game of the season, surprised we received any votes.