Thanks, fans, it's all you
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Truthfully, if you don’t believe me look no further than the Post Patterns message board on this Web site or my e-mail inbox. The posters on the SCAC and ASC message boards know quite a bit more about their schools and conferences than I do (or ever will). The people that email me are also
I don’t read them regularly but I will admit to perusing them on occasion after I write Around the South, just to get an idea if the column is being read. I like that the people on the boards are honest. When I was trying to get my feet under me in the first few weeks of the season, they were clamoring for Ron Boerger to come back. (I don’t blame them. Ron was the boss.) Now that I’m a little more comfortable there’s a little less hate.
More importantly, you can get a lot of leads from the message boards. Nothing from a message board can ever be a source but it can provide something to research, Last week it was posted on the boards that former Trinity star Jerheme Urban had signed with the Dallas Cowboys. I play golf with ESPN’s Ed Werder (gratuitous name drop), who covers the Cowboys, and he didn’t know that Urban had signed. I researched it and lo and behold, Urban had signed with the practice squad. So, thanks for that news tip, folks.
I also got this e-mail from a Centre alum last week.
I may be blinded by my own loyalty, but keep an eye on Trinity at Centre this week. Centre is 15-3 in the last four seasons at home, and it is really the only chance they have to beat the Tigers, because for some reason that trip to San Antonio always turns into a massacre. Centre has to find some offense to have a chance, but if their defense keeps them in it you never know. It's also Homecoming in Danville so the atmosphere should be pretty good.
Boy was he on the money as Trinity squeaked out a 17-10 win in Kentucky. Trinity scored all of their points in the first half but Centre’s offense couldn’t overcome the Black Flag, which allowed less than 20 points for the fifth time this season.
With a little bit more Centre offense, maybe the Colonels pull of the upset. The e-mailer was right on the money.
After reading the boards for the last seven days I have developed a couple of thoughts from what I read: People were wrong about the Millsaps defense. More than a couple of posters thought I had jumped the gun in heaping praise on the Majors considering where they were ranked statistically. It was a valid argument but one that the Majors won convincingly with their 31-7 throttling of DePauw on Saturday.
I’ve been trading e-mails with a Millsaps player and here are his thoughts on the game:
Our defense, as I said they would, played a key role in the win and the offense had an easy time feeding off of their momentum. We didn't have the numbers that we usually have, but we were clicking on all cylinders… It was a great win and we will remain focused on the task at hand, Sewanee, Rhodes, then Trinity. I appreciate the recognition and look forward to staying in touch throughout the rest of the season.
This is a team that has it going on right now. They have offense and they have defense. Heck, they even scored on a fake field goal. But most of all they have confidence. They need not overlook Sewanee this weekend before they face the roughest part of their schedule (at Rhodes on Nov. 4, vs. Trinity on Nov. 11).
As for me, I am completely enthralled with what is going on in the SCAC. Feed me all of your thoughts on the SCAC playoff race at chris.allman@d3football.com because I just can’t get enough of it.
Big-time battle in Belton
The eyes of D3 Nation are on Belton again this weekend as the second-ranked UW-W Warhawks are in town to take on the sixth-ranked UMHB Crusaders. UW-W was the 2005 runner-up in the Stagg Bowl (lost 35-28 to Mount Union) while UMHB lost in the 2004 national finals (28-21 to Linfield).
The big news is obviously that Warhawk running back Justin Beaver will miss another game with a broken collarbone. Last week against UW-Platteville still had 182 yards rushing (116 from Travis Reuland) without their star. But instead of trying to replace Beaver, they just decided to throw it.
Quarterback Justin Jacobs was 26-for-37 for 342 yards and five touchdowns last week and if he and receiver Derek Stanley can get vertical in the passing game then they are the favorite.
I thought that would be how Hardin-Simmons would beat UMHB, stretching the field. They didn’t and UMHB ran away with the game. But I keep having visions of the UMHB/Wesley playoff game last year, when the Wolverines aired it out and dealt the Cru a second-round defeat.
UMHB Sports Information Director Jon Wallin sent some great stats about UMHB’s endurance late in games. The Crusaders have outscored opponents 128-27 in the second half and 62-12 in the fourth quarter. They are just wearing teams out with relentless pressure on defense and serious clock control on offense.
Keep in mind that UMHB still hasn’t allowed a rushing touchdown this year and you have yourself a pretty good matchup. I think that if UW-W can run effectively early on and set up some sort of play-action they will have success down the field late in the game. I think UMHB has to keep the Warhawks offense off the field and get to the quarterback when he’s on the field. Jacobs fumbled three times last Saturday and was also picked off once.
My prediction? Come on, you know I don’t have one.
Gage-ing the Roos future
Congratulation is in order for Austin College, which won its first SCAC game 44-20 over Sewanee. The Roos won that game just like Ronnie Gage won a pair of Texas state championships -- running the football. Austin had 349 yards of rushing offense and outgained Sewanee 418-275 in the overall yardage category. Ross Hasten had 109 yards rushing and Ryan Cowley almost broke the century mark with 90 yards and a score.
I got a chance to talk to Gage before the season started and he knew that rebuilding this program would be difficult. I commend him and his squad on their win.
Individual standouts from Week 8
The SCAC had some of the usual standouts on offense and a few new ones on defense.
Millsaps quarterback Juan Joseph won the SCAC Offensive Player of the Week award for the fourth time after throwing for 243 yards on 28 completions in Millsaps win. That’s a school-record for completions in a game.
Joseph is a lock for the Offensive Player of the Year in the SCAC unless he gets hurt and DePauw’s Jeremiah Marks keeps having a good year. Joseph leads the conference in passing yards, passing yards per game, touchdown passes, total offense and total offense per game. Marks is currently the league’s leading rushing at just over 113 yards per game.
Adam Blandford of Centre had 131 yards rushing and a touchdown in their 17-10 loss to Trinity. Blandford missed some time earlier in the year but has rushed for 407 yards since returning.
Defensively, Millsaps' Marcus Harris was the star of the week. The sophomore defensive back had two interceptions and five solo tackles in their win, one of many bright spots on a defense that is has righted the ship for the Majors.
Centre’s Jeremy Ware had a season-high ten tackles and an interception against Trinity.
In the ASC, Hardin-Simmons’ offense put up big numbers and they were led by running back Quinton Jones’ 174 yards. Jordan Neal threw for 265 and Wil Galusha had 107 yards receiving.
Sul Ross’s Leon Mosby had 134 yards receiving and a touchdown and T.J. Barber ran for 116 yards and two scores. Also deserving of mention is the Sul Ross crowd, who turned out to the tune of 3,800 on Saturday. Good for them because their players deserve it.
Poll Position
It’s pretty much the same old same old in the polls this week. After all my whining in past columns about the SCAC getting no respect, they didn’t do a whole lot to make me look good last week.
I was begging for DePauw to get some love and they lost. The week before, I wanted someone, anyone, to vote for Rhodes and then they lost to DePauw. As much as I love Millsaps right now I can’t in my right mind vote for a 4-3 team in the national polls.
Trinity continues to be the SCAC’s lone rep at No. 24 in the D3football.com poll. They’re No. 19 in the AFCA poll.
We do have one unfamiliar face in the national rankings, though.
In the most recent edition of the Football Gazette national ranking the Sul Ross State Lobos are ranked No. 39. And not a minute too soon. I got an e-mail from Lobos coach Steve Wright this week and despite their recent success he is keeping a level head, like any good coach does. He said he’s excited for his players and also pointed out that this is Sully’s longest conference win streak since 1983.
Did you guys realize how young the Sul Ross offense is? Quarterback Austin Davidson and running back T.J. Barber are juniors, their offensive line is one junior and five sophomores and their top six receivers are freshmen. I hope recruiting continues to be good to Wright because it can’t be easy getting kids to come to Alpine. I played basketball for a year at an ASC school and then watched Sul Ross for three more years and I had no idea where Alpine was. I thought it was near Tyler, Texas, but it turns out I was only 687 miles off.
Sul Ross plays Hardin-Simmons in Abilene this weekend and from there we’ll get an idea if they are going to enter into the tip-top echelon of ASC teams. Of course, they also need to hope the NCAA doesn’t come in and inform them that their mascot is an insult to gray wolves.
In other polling news, UMHB is No. 6 in the D3football.com rankings, No. 9 in the AFCA rankings. HSU is No. 8 on D3football.com and No. 13 by the AFCA’s voting.
As for as my opinion on the Region’s Top 5 teams:
5. Millsaps
4. Sul Ross State
3. Trinity
2. Hardin-Simmons
1. Mary Hardin-Baylor
There might be some disagreement with my No. 5 selection and outside of Alpine people might think I’m crazy for putting Sul Ross on the list. I might have said that I couldn’t put a 4-3 team in the national rankings but I’m sure as heck voting for them in my regional ranking.
My poll will likely look much different next week. If UMHB beats UW-Whitewater then they stay a solid No. 1. But what if they lose? Does HSU move up to the top spot if they beat Sul Ross? How can they? They lost 28-16 to UMHB but will have only one loss compared to two for the Cru. What if Sul Ross State wins and UMHB loses? Would Sully be No. 1 in the region? What if Rhodes beats Trinity? Does Rhodes enter the poll? But Rhodes lost to DePauw, who lost to Millsaps.
See if you follow this. If UMHB gets pasted by UW-W, Hardin Simmons loses, Trinity loses and Centre beats Millsaps you could see the Lobos on the top spot. But how? They lost 45-2 to UMHB.
So many questions awaiting so many answers in what will be a phenomenal weekend for football in the South. Give me your thoughts at chris.allman@d3football.com.