2011 Missouri Valley Football Discussion

[alvin kayak]

What is going to happen to the Great West Conference now that South Dakota is coming here?

[alvin kayak]

AZGrizFan wrote:
clenz wrote:
So, Michael Metzinger doesn't see UNI winning the conference with Rennie running the pistol? "I don't see them winning a title running Tirrell Rennie out of the pistol"

I believe UNI won the conference last season running the pistol with Rennie.

Metzinger sounds EXACTLY like JBB.
I don't know if you read it or just my quoted part...BUT

He has the defending conference champs, that return 20 starters, finishing third.

UNI is a really, really good team. I don't really understand how Lehigh ended up beating them other than Lehigh was under-rated by everyone -- even myself. Especially a road game in the UNI arena.

[alvin kayak]

It's not that @#!*% hard to maintain a 2.0 GPA if you put any **** effort in at **** all.

For the first 3 years of my undergrad I drank 5 nights a week (on average) and still pulled a GPA over 3.2

Exactly, they are not putting in any **** effort at all.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

AZGrizFan wrote:
clenz wrote:
So, Michael Metzinger doesn't see UNI winning the conference with Rennie running the pistol? "I don't see them winning a title running Tirrell Rennie out of the pistol"

I believe UNI won the conference last season running the pistol with Rennie.

Metzinger sounds EXACTLY like JBB.
I don't know if you read it or just my quoted part...BUT

He has the defending conference champs, that return 20 starters, finishing third.

UNI is a really, really good team. I don't really understand how Lehigh ended up beating them other than Lehigh was under-rated by everyone -- even myself. Especially a road game in the UNI arena.

The PL has had success against the GWFC/MVFC. Lehigh ended up being a pretty darn good team last year and figures to be even better this season.

People seem to forget on here that Lehigh was a fixture in the Top 10. It wasn't that long ago....

Anyone remember when the Hawks went into Macomb and crushed Edge Hartwell and the Leathernecks 37-7?

[clenz]

UNI is a really, really good team. I don't really understand how Lehigh ended up beating them other than Lehigh was under-rated by everyone -- even myself. Especially a road game in the UNI arena.

The PL has had success against the GWFC/MVFC. Lehigh ended up being a pretty darn good team last year and figures to be even better this season.

People seem to forget on here that Lehigh was a fixture in the Top 10. It wasn't that long ago....

Anyone remember when the Hawks went into Macomb and crushed Edge Hartwell and the Leathernecks 37-7?

I talked all kinds of shit about Lehigh before the game, but I came away from that game 1000000000000% impressed with Lehigh.

They are very high on my list for this season.

[alvin kayak]

Yeah, Lehigh's got a really good WR and some good LB's. I see them winning the PL again and maybe winning a game or two in the playoffs depending on the opponents and home/away status.

[SDHornet]

What is going to happen to the Great West Conference now that South Dakota is coming here?

The Big Sky commissioner has had the great idea of adopting all the left over and homeless GWC programs into the BSC. It's a brilliant move that will now allow the BSC to span from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Plains.

[alvin kayak]

I get why there is BCS expansion talk. But why there is a need at the FCS level? I don't see size as the be-all-and-end-all.

[SDHornet]

I get why there is BCS expansion talk. But why there is a need at the FCS level? I don't see size as the be-all-and-end-all.

It's not. The additions are terrible moves. I think it was a preemptive move against a WAC raid. However the schools that were added weren't going anywhere so the additions to the BSC make absolutely no sense as it will increase travel costs and split conference revenue among more mouths to feed.

[alvin kayak]

Not to mention that the teams themselves aren't going to be finishing in 1st or 2nd place typically. I see the Montana schools and E. Washington as being good for a long time. EWU especially with the new red field.

[JBB]

I agree the teams they added are average to terrible.

[JBB]

The PL has had success against the GWFC/MVFC. Lehigh ended up being a pretty darn good team last year and figures to be even better this season.

People seem to forget on here that Lehigh was a fixture in the Top 10. It wasn't that long ago....

Anyone remember when the Hawks went into Macomb and crushed Edge Hartwell and the Leathernecks 37-7?

I talked all kinds of **** about Lehigh before the game, but I came away from that game 1000000000000% impressed with Lehigh.

They are very high on my list for this season.

You didnt sound any different before the Lehigh game than you did before any other game. You were dismissive, disrespectful, mocking, unknowledgeable, abusive to their fans and generally disagreeable and, as usual, you had no idea what was even going on.

[rebla 49er]

I think the MVC is a conference with a lot of room for continual growth, particularly because of the high numbers of Big Ten players looking to transfer down for academic reasons or lack of playing time. As a result, you might see a situation where the top half of the league can really compete with Big Ten teams on a consistent basis and beat the Minnesota's and Indiana's and so-forth. Maybe the top half of the league is S. Illinois, W. Illinois, UNI, NDSU, and Illinois State. At least that's where I'd draw the line.

[guinzone]

Great news on the YSU front. YSU's defense absolutely dominated the high-powered YSU offense yesterday in 200 play scrimmage.

Article:
http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/aug/14/welcome-back/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I saw about the last 35-40 minutes of the scrimmage and the defense looks vastly improved from last year. My main worry is not the defense anymore, but our O-Line. We lost one back-up O-Linemen for the entire year with an ankle tendon tear and tibia fracture. Two others were injured but will be just fine before the Michigan State game. Due to our lack of depth, we moved one true freshmen DL to the OL and are playing a redshirt freshman OL with the first team, although he was a 3-star recruit out of Youngstown Cardinal Mooney with major offers, he was NOT expected to start this year.

So anyways looks like the YSU defense will be vastly improved, but the key to YSU's success may be the health of our OL. If they get injured, we will be in a world of trouble. We have a ton of great running backs, but even I don't know if they will be able to do as well if we are playing our 2nd team OL this year.

I left excited, just hopeful our OL can heal up!

[MSUBear42]

MSU had their first scrimmage saturday...

Saturday’s 100-play intrasquad scrimmage at Plaster Field had a little bit of everything. Long pass completions, solid running, great defense, consistency from the veterans, and some amazing freshman efforts were all on display in the two-hour session.

The scrimmage brought to a close the second week of fall camp and the second of four two-a-day practices. The Bears also had a 90-minute morning practice that focused heavily on special teams work.

On Saturday night, the freshmen stole the show. Running backs Ryan Heaston (Cordova, Tenn.) and Maddy Johnson (Webb City) both turned heads with solid play. Heaston rushed 12 times for 75 yards, including a 42-yard run from scrimmage on his first touch of the night. He also had five receptions for 23 yards. Johnson had three pass receptions for 19 yards and gathered a team-high 14 carries for 15 total yards, including a key fourth-and-one touchdown run with the first team.

Freshman QB Kierra Harris (Texarkana, Ark.) was 7-for-11 through the air for 111 yards, including a sensational 52-yard touchdown strike to fellow freshman Eric Christophel (Nixa, Mo.). Harris also had 10 carries for 52 yards at QB with four touches of nine yards or more.

Redshirt freshman Julian Burton (Cordova, Tenn.) matched Heaston with a team-high five catches and led the Bears with 101 receiving yards. He had grabs of 69 and 25 yards and narrowly missed a touchdown.

Fellow freshman Bernard Thomas (Blue Springs, Mo.) had the game’s only interception, taking a Mitchell Jenkins pass back 52 yards late in the night.

“I thought our young players played really well on both sides of the ball,” Head coach Terry Allen said. “I was pleased with Kierra Harris and Ryan Heaston. Bernard Thomas had an interception. It was a really good first scrimmage, and from a learning curve standpoint, we know the things we need to start working on.”

Starters Cadarrius Dotson (WR, Memphis, Tenn.) and Chris Douglas (RB, Lawrenceville, Ga.) sat out to nurse nagging injuries, but regular Stephen Johnston (Mansfield, Texas) had four carries for 25 yards, and all-conference WR Jermaine Saffold (Grandview, Mo.) was one of nine receivers to collect a reception, with one grab for 12 yards.

Offensive coordinator Rob Christophel was modestly proud of his son’s 52-yard touchdown reception, but said Eric’s catch was one of example of the athleticism in this year’s freshman class.

“I like our speed on offense,” Christophel said. “Our receivers are all working hard and we’re seeing some really good things from our young guys.”

Christophel also said that even though there is no QB controversy in camp this fall, the battle for the No. 2 spot got a shot in the arm tonight with Harris’ solid effort.

“Mitch (Jenkins) is showing good poise and it’s easy to forget he’s just a redshirt freshman who’s still learning,” Christophel said. ” He has a good attitude and is working hard. I’m pleased with Harris tonight, especially being a true freshman. There is a learning curve, but he is really picking up our offense very quickly.”

“Right now there is a good battle between Kierra and Mitch for that No. 2 spot.”

Christophel said that starter Trevor Wooden was impressive too, throwing for 110 yards on just 9 completions, but he will continue to develop at a key spot in the offensive scheme.

“Trevor is a steadying force, and did some great things tonight,” Christophel explained. “He continues to get better, and getting a lot of snaps tonight will help us get there.”

On the defensive side, D.J. Vokolek’s unit broke up eight passes, got an interception from cornerback Thomas, got a fumble recovery from Darius Blow (OLB, Grandview, Mo.), and collected six sacks, including two from Martin Montgomery (DE, Pine Bluff, Ark.)

[alvin kayak]

Like all Missouri teams, there is a lot of speed for the Burrs. How could they finish last?

[houndawg]

AZGrizFan wrote:
clenz wrote:
So, Michael Metzinger doesn't see UNI winning the conference with Rennie running the pistol? "I don't see them winning a title running Tirrell Rennie out of the pistol"

I believe UNI won the conference last season running the pistol with Rennie.

Metzinger sounds EXACTLY like JBB.
I don't know if you read it or just my quoted part...BUT

He has the defending conference champs, that return 20 starters, finishing third.

UNI is a really, really good team. I don't really understand how Lehigh ended up beating them other than Lehigh was under-rated by everyone -- even myself. Especially a road game in the UNI arena.

Very talented but very young, that's why. And Lehigh was underrated too.

[houndawg]

Great news on the YSU front. YSU's defense absolutely dominated the high-powered YSU offense yesterday in 200 play scrimmage.

Article:
http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/aug/14/welcome-back/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I saw about the last 35-40 minutes of the scrimmage and the defense looks vastly improved from last year. My main worry is not the defense anymore, but our O-Line. We lost one back-up O-Linemen for the entire year with an ankle tendon tear and tibia fracture. Two others were injured but will be just fine before the Michigan State game. Due to our lack of depth, we moved one true freshmen DL to the OL and are playing a redshirt freshman OL with the first team, although he was a 3-star recruit out of Youngstown Cardinal Mooney with major offers, he was NOT expected to start this year.

So anyways looks like the YSU defense will be vastly improved, but the key to YSU's success may be the health of our OL. If they get injured, we will be in a world of trouble. We have a ton of great running backs, but even I don't know if they will be able to do as well if we are playing our 2nd team OL this year.

I left excited, just hopeful our OL can heal up!

That should be a red flag and an indicator that all those stud RBs are going to have to earn their yards the hard way...

[guinzone]

Great news on the YSU front. YSU's defense absolutely dominated the high-powered YSU offense yesterday in 200 play scrimmage.

Article:
http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/aug/14/welcome-back/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I saw about the last 35-40 minutes of the scrimmage and the defense looks vastly improved from last year. My main worry is not the defense anymore, but our O-Line. We lost one back-up O-Linemen for the entire year with an ankle tendon tear and tibia fracture. Two others were injured but will be just fine before the Michigan State game. Due to our lack of depth, we moved one true freshmen DL to the OL and are playing a redshirt freshman OL with the first team, although he was a 3-star recruit out of Youngstown Cardinal Mooney with major offers, he was NOT expected to start this year.

So anyways looks like the YSU defense will be vastly improved, but the key to YSU's success may be the health of our OL. If they get injured, we will be in a world of trouble. We have a ton of great running backs, but even I don't know if they will be able to do as well if we are playing our 2nd team OL this year.

I left excited, just hopeful our OL can heal up!

That should be a red flag and an indicator that all those stud RBs are going to have to earn their yards the hard way...

There is no denying that. Last year's OL was decent in the eyes of Coach Wolford, who was previously the Offensive Line coach at South Carolina before becoming YSU's coach. This year his worry is depth, although our line is mammoth and should be up there with NDSU's monster line....

Potential starters:
-Andrew Radakovich: 6'6" 325 pounds
-Lamar Mady: 6'3" 315 pounds
-Mark Pratt: 6'3" 320 pounds
-Chris Elkins: 6'4" 285 pounds
-D.J. Main: 6'6" 310 pounds or Erid Franklin: 6'7" 340 pounds

OL averaging between 311 and 317 pounds on the year. Radakovich has 1st team MVFC abilities, while Mady and Pratt are talented JUCOs. Elkins started as a true freshmen last year at the end of the year. Main started the first seven last year before breaking his leg.

So again it will come down to the health of the OL. They are very big, but with only 9 or 10 on the roster, injuries must be at a minimum.

[MSUBear42]

WIU +1 @ SHSU
ILSU +3 @ EIU
Mich St +26 vs. YSU
Penn St +42 vs. INSU
Arkansas +35 vs. MO St
Iowa St +8 vs. UNI
NDSU +16 vs. Lafayette
SIU +13 @ SEMO

[Thumper 76]

WIU +1 @ SHSU
ILSU +3 @ EIU
Mich St +26 vs. YSU
Penn St +42 vs. INSU
Arkansas +35 vs. MO St
Iowa St +8 vs. UNI
NDSU +16 vs. Lafayette
SIU +13 @ SEMO

whats the line for SDSU's game?

[alvin kayak]

whats the line for SDSU's game?

+20 inches of snow

[lakesbison]

SDSU +18 pheasants