Charleston Southern worst team in FCS this year?

[CSUBUCDAD]

If you saw them play you would quickly come to the same conclusion I did and that is they would more than likely beat over half the FCS teams in the country.

I'm sorry dude, but a D1 team should NEVER lose to a D3 team no matter how good they are.

If that is your view, then you are ill informed about college football in general young man.

[CoastalFan2005]

I'm sorry dude, but a D1 team should NEVER lose to a D3 team no matter how good they are.

If that is your view, then you are ill informed about college football in general young man.

I'm well-informed enough to know that CSU losing to a D3 team is an embarrassment no matter what spin you want to put on it.

[BJuice]

OK. Going into this year, I had hoped at this point in the season my Charleston Southern Buccaneers would be 3-2. I totally expected big losses at Central Florida and Florida State. I expected wins at Jacksonville, home against Norfolk State, and home this weekend against Wesley. We could have beaten Jacksonville with a better first-half performance. We were never in the game against Norfolk State or Wesley. Norfolk State is very good. They beat a very good 22nd ranked SC State team at home Saturday. Based on what I saw, I expect Norfolk State to make the FCS playoffs this year. Wesley is also very good...more on that in a minute.

I have been going to football games at Charleston Southern since 1994. I graduated from there in 1998. I have seen good games and very bad games. I enjoyed the success of the 1995 Big South Championship season. I have suffered through many blowouts and many terrible seasons prior to Head Coach Jay Mills' arrival. I am a season ticket holder. I have a personal investment, deep love, and a deep desire to see Charleston Southern succeed.

What I saw Saturday was very painful. What I've seen the past two Saturdays has been very painful. It is what it is, and right now I believe we are staring an 0-11 season right in the face. I've seen a Charleston Southern team with no passion, no intensity, no toughness. I've seen a Charleston Southern team that could not compete in either game. They could not execute and looked completely overmatched and outplayed in every area. Knowing now what I know about Norfolk State, I can accept the fact that we got beat. I think Norfolk Sate could beat EVERY team in the Big South. We still should have comepted better. HOWEVER, I cannot accept the fact that we got beat by Wesley College. I agree, an FCS school CANNOT lose to a Div.III, non-scholarship program. I don't care how good that Div. II program is. The loss isn't even the most disturbing thing. The most disturbing thing is the lack of intensity, passion, and execution. It was very obvious looking at the two sidelines on Saturday which team was truly a team. It was not Charleston Southern. Wesley came in and punked the Charleston Southern Buccaneers. The Wesley College team linked arm-in-arm before every kickoff and swayed back and forth. They were very vocal on the sidelines and in our players' faces every chance they got. They were geeked up and ready to play. What did our team do? Instead of rising up, fighting back, and being tough, they shriveled up turtled and got thoroughly beat like a drum.

Every game I hear that we are young. Well, ok. We've played five games. Four games before this Saturday. Two against FBS teams. Youth can no longer be an excuse. Why are we young? What happened to our upperclassmen? Where did they go? Until now, we always heard that the classes we spread pretty evenly to avoid this type of situation.

I've also heard that even though we are young, we are talented, possibly as talented as we've ever been. Where is it? It hasn't been on display in either of the past home games the past two weeks. Even in defeat, talent is evident. With the exception of a few, there has been no talent on display. We've have been soundly beaten two weeks in a row. This week to a DIV III, NON-SCHOLARSHIP team.

Execution has been awful. Too many dropped passes. I think we had about 7 passes tipped or batted down at the line of scrimmage this past Saturday (again, against a D-III, non-scholarship team). Too many missed tackles.

This year and last year concern me. We have regressed to a poor level. I never though I'd see it get this low. I can understand an occasional down season at maybe 5-6 or 4-7. Not 3-8 followed by what looks like 0-11.

The good thing is that we have a week off to re-group, practice, prepare, and focus on becoming a team and improving physical and mental toughness. We have the whole conference schedule ahead of us. We can still win the Big South Conference Championship. It is likely? No. Is it possible? Yes. With hard work, difficult self-examination, and extensive preparation.

[Seawolf97]

I really hope you dont go 0-11 or 1-10 , that could be disaster for your program. Hang in there

[ODUsmitty]

Bjuice-

Nice post. As an ODU fan, we have become pretty spoiled with our ability (and our admin's commitment) to compete and have regular and consistent success in our athletics. As a result, we have developed a great fanbase with tremendous support.

I think what gets forgotten is that those schools that do not spend or recruit or prioritize athletics as much also have great fans that live and die (emotionally) with the success of their teams. It must really suck to have a prolonged dry spell for a team and program that have several consecutive down years.

Good luck and hope you get that win this year. And if your coach is the problem, don't let the door hit him where the good Lord split him.........This ODU fan will be rooting for you guys.

[BJuice]

And if your coach is the problem, don't let the door hit him where the good Lord split him.........This ODU fan will be rooting for you guys.

Thanks. I don't think Coach Mills is the problem, and I don't believe a change needs to be made at the top. He is a great man and has done great things for our school and our program. He is a very good coach. I hope he stays at CSU for many more years. I believe there are still bright days ahead for CSU under Coach Mills' leadership. We just broke ground on a new athletic center at our football facility this weekend. He has changed the culture and raised expectations for this program.

I do believe some sort of changes are in order. Preparation. Game plan. Execution. Mental toughness. Physical toughness. Attention to detail.

This season can still be successful. The open week has come at the perfect time. The season will one of two ways from here. It will improve and we will get see one or more victories, or we will go O'fer for the season.

[Ibanez]

OK. Going into this year, I had hoped at this point in the season my Charleston Southern Buccaneers would be 3-2. I totally expected big losses at Central Florida and Florida State. I expected wins at Jacksonville, home against Norfolk State, and home this weekend against Wesley. We could have beaten Jacksonville with a better first-half performance. We were never in the game against Norfolk State or Wesley. Norfolk State is very good. They beat a very good 22nd ranked SC State team at home Saturday. Based on what I saw, I expect Norfolk State to make the FCS playoffs this year. Wesley is also very good...more on that in a minute.

I have been going to football games at Charleston Southern since 1994. I graduated from there in 1998. I have seen good games and very bad games. I enjoyed the success of the 1995 Big South Championship season. I have suffered through many blowouts and many terrible seasons prior to Head Coach Jay Mills' arrival. I am a season ticket holder. I have a personal investment, deep love, and a deep desire to see Charleston Southern succeed.

What I saw Saturday was very painful. What I've seen the past two Saturdays has been very painful. It is what it is, and right now I believe we are staring an 0-11 season right in the face. I've seen a Charleston Southern team with no passion, no intensity, no toughness. I've seen a Charleston Southern team that could not compete in either game. They could not execute and looked completely overmatched and outplayed in every area. Knowing now what I know about Norfolk State, I can accept the fact that we got beat. I think Norfolk Sate could beat EVERY team in the Big South. We still should have comepted better. HOWEVER, I cannot accept the fact that we got beat by Wesley College. I agree, an FCS school CANNOT lose to a Div.III, non-scholarship program. I don't care how good that Div. II program is. The loss isn't even the most disturbing thing. The most disturbing thing is the lack of intensity, passion, and execution. It was very obvious looking at the two sidelines on Saturday which team was truly a team. It was not Charleston Southern. Wesley came in and punked the Charleston Southern Buccaneers. The Wesley College team linked arm-in-arm before every kickoff and swayed back and forth. They were very vocal on the sidelines and in our players' faces every chance they got. They were geeked up and ready to play. What did our team do? Instead of rising up, fighting back, and being tough, they shriveled up turtled and got thoroughly beat like a drum.

Every game I hear that we are young. Well, ok. We've played five games. Four games before this Saturday. Two against FBS teams. Youth can no longer be an excuse. Why are we young? What happened to our upperclassmen? Where did they go? Until now, we always heard that the classes we spread pretty evenly to avoid this type of situation.

I've also heard that even though we are young, we are talented, possibly as talented as we've ever been. Where is it? It hasn't been on display in either of the past home games the past two weeks. Even in defeat, talent is evident. With the exception of a few, there has been no talent on display. We've have been soundly beaten two weeks in a row. This week to a DIV III, NON-SCHOLARSHIP team.

Execution has been awful. Too many dropped passes. I think we had about 7 passes tipped or batted down at the line of scrimmage this past Saturday (again, against a D-III, non-scholarship team). Too many missed tackles.

This year and last year concern me. We have regressed to a poor level. I never though I'd see it get this low. I can understand an occasional down season at maybe 5-6 or 4-7. Not 3-8 followed by what looks like 0-11.

The good thing is that we have a week off to re-group, practice, prepare, and focus on becoming a team and improving physical and mental toughness. We have the whole conference schedule ahead of us. We can still win the Big South Conference Championship. It is likely? No. Is it possible? Yes. With hard work, difficult self-examination, and extensive preparation.

Great post! I agree with you 100%. CSU can still do it, but your players have to gut check and commit themselves.

[Appaholic]

Why? Did Western Carolina move out of FCS this year?....

[henfan]

Chuck South isn't the only FCS team that Wesley could handle. They have consistently been one of the best FB programs in the country for several years, albeit at the D-III level. Talent's talent though, boys.

[CSUBUCDAD]

Chuck South isn't the only FCS team that Wesley could handle. They have consistently been one of the best FB programs in the country for several years, albeit at the D-III level. Talent's talent though, boys.

You are exactly right Hen. I saw athletes on that team that could be playing FBS ball somewhere. Why are they at Wesley? My guess would be that since they do not give athletic schollies they gave them academic schollies and they knew they could play right away instead of riding the pine for a year or two. Like I said I think they could beat half or more of the FCS teams this year.

[bluehenbillk]

Wesley has talent - wouldn't be a stretch to call them the 2nd best team in the state of Delaware. They've been a top-5 or top-10 D3 team for at least a decade now.

No surprise to see that kind of team handle an FCS team. Seriously, how do you think Mount Union & Wisc-Whitewater would do against unranked FCS teams? They'd beat half of them I'm sure...

[dgreenwell3]

Wesley has talent - wouldn't be a stretch to call them the 2nd best team in the state of Delaware. They've been a top-5 or top-10 D3 team for at least a decade now.

No surprise to see that kind of team handle an FCS team. Seriously, how do you think Mount Union & Wisc-Whitewater would do against unranked FCS teams? They'd beat half of them I'm sure...

Half of them is a nice number to those unranked FCS teams. Those teams find serious talent out of nowhere...(a la Colts wide receiver Pierre Garcon.

[Ivytalk]

Wesley has talent - wouldn't be a stretch to call them the 2nd best team in the state of Delaware. They've been a top-5 or top-10 D3 team for at least a decade now.

No surprise to see that kind of team handle an FCS team. Seriously, how do you think Mount Union & Wisc-Whitewater would do against unranked FCS teams? They'd beat half of them I'm sure...

Wesley has actually lost a DIII game already this year: a 31-28 upset at the hands of Kean (N.J.). The Chuck South win will boost Wesley's national ranking right back up there.

[henfan]

Wesley has actually lost a DIII game already this year: a 31-28 upset at the hands of Kean (N.J.). The Chuck South win will bost Wesley's national ranking right back up there.

Yeah, the Keane loss dropped Wesley from 3 to 15. It's was an inexcusable loss for them; one of their worst regular season losses in several years.

Wesley has sent a couple guys to the pros in recent years- Bryan Robinson and Larry Beavers. They get the kids that fall through the cracks of D-I, some of the undersized, under-recruited HS players. Mike Drass is a heck of a coach.

FCS schools should stay away from scheduling Wesley in the future.

[OL FU]

No shame in losing to Wesley....they are consistently one of the best teams in Division III football with the likes of Mount Union, UW-Whitewater, and Mary Hardin Baylor. It just goes to show that even though they may be "D3" doesnt mean they cant compete with some of the teams here. I'd venture to say that the 4 D3 teams I named would give a few more FCS schools a run for their money. Not just lowly Charleston Southern.

Maybe against the non-scholly teams, but I'm not buying it Scholarship teams>non-scholarship teams. Your average FCS team would pound any division 3 team by 20 points. It's not the same as an FCS playing an FBS or D2, it's like an FBS team playing a D2 team; no excuse for any losses

Furman has had some down years but honestly losing to Jacksonville and to Welsy, ............................ I would hang my purple up for a couple of years

[alvin kayak]

Teams worse than Charleston Southern:

Marist
Valparaiso
Porter Gaud (High School)
Ohio State

Congratulations on moving up in the football world, Pirates!

[henfan]

Furman has had some down years but honestly losing to Jacksonville and to Welsy, ............................ I would hang my purple up for a couple of years

Yeah. That's almost as bad as Furman losing to Parsons College.

Dude, every school has it's embarrassing losses. (Wittenburg, cough, cough.) Sometimes the other team is just better than you, regardless of the level.

[Ibanez]

Teams worse than Charleston Southern:

Marist
Valparaiso
Porter Gaud (High School)
Ohio State

Congratulations on moving up in the football world, Pirates!

Porter Gaud is a High School dude. Add Bishop England, West Ashley and countless other high schools to that list. What about Academic Magnent since we're discussing Charleston area schools.

[Wedgebuster]

I would be willing to bet UNC could not win more than one game in the RMAC. They are that terrible.

[OL FU]

Furman has had some down years but honestly losing to Jacksonville and to Welsy, ............................ I would hang my purple up for a couple of years

Yeah. That's almost as bad as Furman losing to Parsons College.

Dude, every school has it's embarrassing losses. (Wittenburg, cough, cough.) Sometimes the other team is just better than you, regardless of the level.

Forgive me when did we lose to PArsons College and where the hell is Parsons College.

Dude, Bullshit We all have bad games certainly. Furman lost to Newberry the first year we went to the NC game. But Newberry wasn't non-scholly and we didn't lose to them two times in a row.

[alvin kayak]

Porter Gaud is a High School dude. Add Bishop England, West Ashley and countless other high schools to that list. What about Academic Magnent since we're discussing Charleston area schools.

It was a humorous jab with a dash of absurdity. I had thought that the inclusion of TOSU Bucks would have made it less than subtle. Nevertheless, I never want to anger the mods...So carry on!

[clenz]

I dont know about overall team but Western Carolina HANDS DOWN has the worst defense and the worst defensive coordinator in all of FCS.

Aren't you the one that told me to fuck off after I questioned how good you thought WCU was after the GT game?



Yep, I looked it was you.



Also, FWIW Wesley isn't even ranked in the top 5 of D3....not that they aren't a good team though.

[BJuice]

This is more proof if why I don't think the problem lies with Coach Mills. He is a great fit for our school. I have confidence in him and I think he has done and will continue to do a great job at Charleston Southern. I think in recent years he may have tried to take the CEO approach while expanding his staff and delegating responsibilities and duties. He may need to take over more control. I don't know. I am just speculating. I am not one to place blame, but obviously something might need to be tweeked.

He has taken CSU from a 1-11 mark in 2003 to a Big South Conference championship in 2005, and a school-record nine wins in 2006. He helped lead the Buccaneers to the nation’s second-longest winning streak at 14 games stretching over the 2005 and 2006 seasons, garnering their first national ranking in school history.

He was honored with the All-American Football Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, Mills was named the 2005 Big South Conference Coach of the Year, and the 2005 Buccaneers were named the "Team of the Year" by collegesports.com.

During his tenure at CSU, the Buccaneers have literally rewritten the record books offensively. Under his direction, CSU quarterback Collin Drafts became the school’s all-time leading passer and all-time leader in total offense in only three seasons.

He is recognized nationally as a top offensive mind, having operated highly successful passing offenses at Harvard and Boise State University prior to becoming CSU’s head coach.

He served as the Crimson’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for seven seasons, leading the school to high national rankings for total offense and establishing numerous school records. In 2001, Harvard committed the fewest turnovers of any Division I-AA school and ranked 11th nationally in total offense. In 2000, Harvard set school records for passing yards (2,885) and total yards (4,679). During those two seasons, eight offensive players earned All Ivy League honors.

After serving three seasons as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame, one year under former South Carolina head coach Lou Holtz, Mills was named quarterbacks and passing game coordinator at Boise State. Mills helped guide Boise State to a pair of NCAA Division I-AA playoff appearances, including a berth in the national semifinal game in 1990. Boise State was ranked second nationally in total offense in 1987.

Mills’ experience as a head coach came at the University of Minnesota Morris, where he helped lead the program from NAIA status to NCAA Division II status in 1993.

[OL FU]

This is more proof if why I don't think the problem lies with Coach Mills. He is a great fit for our school. I have confidence in him and I think he has done and will continue to do a great job at Charleston Southern. I think in recent years he may have tried to take the CEO approach while expanding his staff and delegating responsibilities and duties. He may need to take over more control. I don't know. I am just speculating. I am not one to place blame, but obviously something might need to be tweeked.

He has taken CSU from a 1-11 mark in 2003 to a Big South Conference championship in 2005, and a school-record nine wins in 2006. He helped lead the Buccaneers to the nation’s second-longest winning streak at 14 games stretching over the 2005 and 2006 seasons, garnering their first national ranking in school history.

He was honored with the All-American Football Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, Mills was named the 2005 Big South Conference Coach of the Year, and the 2005 Buccaneers were named the "Team of the Year" by collegesports.com.

During his tenure at CSU, the Buccaneers have literally rewritten the record books offensively. Under his direction, CSU quarterback Collin Drafts became the school’s all-time leading passer and all-time leader in total offense in only three seasons.

He is recognized nationally as a top offensive mind, having operated highly successful passing offenses at Harvard and Boise State University prior to becoming CSU’s head coach.

He served as the Crimson’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for seven seasons, leading the school to high national rankings for total offense and establishing numerous school records. In 2001, Harvard committed the fewest turnovers of any Division I-AA school and ranked 11th nationally in total offense. In 2000, Harvard set school records for passing yards (2,885) and total yards (4,679). During those two seasons, eight offensive players earned All Ivy League honors.

After serving three seasons as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame, one year under former South Carolina head coach Lou Holtz, Mills was named quarterbacks and passing game coordinator at Boise State. Mills helped guide Boise State to a pair of NCAA Division I-AA playoff appearances, including a berth in the national semifinal game in 1990. Boise State was ranked second nationally in total offense in 1987.

Mills’ experience as a head coach came at the University of Minnesota Morris, where he helped lead the program from NAIA status to NCAA Division II status in 1993.

I am not really picking on Charleston Southern. I know it is hard to believe, but I really believe football is a small part of supporting a college. My comments above were more tongue in cheek than anything. I may be wrong about this but South Carolina has a multitude of D1 programs for a small population state. One has to wonder how much wealth there is to go around. One of my head scratchers when PC went D1.

Here is to a better future.

[henfan]

Forgive me when did we lose to PArsons College and where the hell is Parsons College.

Dude, Bullshit We all have bad games certainly. Furman lost to Newberry the first year we went to the NC game. But Newberry wasn't non-scholly and we didn't lose to them two times in a row.

You'll need to look up the Parsons College loss or ask one of the older Furple fans who would remember it.

Non-scholarship, scholarship, D-II, D-III- sometimes they're just labels. There are schools who attract talented kids with creative aid packages. Sometimes those teams are more talented and better coached than schools who offer athletically-related scholarships. It happens.

That said, Chuck South obviously has issues.