Week 1 (2011) - Conference by Conference Breakdown

[Trapped in CA]

Those refs were all over the place, calling the game extremely tight a times, and letting anything go at other times. Twice UNI was called for three separate penalties on one play. ISU had a player ejected for throwing a punch. Yet, even though ISU had 8 penalties, not one holding call. Strange considering that the ISU QB was running for is life most of the evening & ISU playing 3 or 4 backup offensive lineman at times.

UNI has plenty to work on, that's for certain. The penalties situation is a grey area in my mind.

[LDopaPDX]

I'd love to see one of these tough-schedulin' Patriot teaams come to Cheney and get beat by about 8 TDs. I'm still laughing at your stupid post. Rhode Island, Yale, and Albany !!!!

The better PL programs play solid schedules. Look at them if you don't believe me.

You do realize that URI was 4-4 in the CAA last year and figures to be pretty good this year given the number of returning starters? Yale is always a contender in the IL and Albany is one of the top NEC programs. Please learn about FCS as a whole.

Wow. You still can't grasp it... You're trying to compare a .500 team in Rhode Island with FBS, including mostly BCS teams? That's what is so absurd, the Patriot's toughest games are against slightly-better-than-average FCS squads, while the Big Sky is out there going almost FBS across the board.

If you can't see a difference in that, it really shows how wrong you are.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

The better PL programs play solid schedules. Look at them if you don't believe me.

You do realize that URI was 4-4 in the CAA last year and figures to be pretty good this year given the number of returning starters? Yale is always a contender in the IL and Albany is one of the top NEC programs. Please learn about FCS as a whole.

Wow. You still can't grasp it... You're trying to compare a .500 team in Rhode Island with FBS, including mostly BCS teams? That's what is so absurd, the Patriot's toughest games are against slightly-better-than-average FCS squads, while the Big Sky is out there going almost FBS across the board.

If you can't see a difference in that, it really shows how wrong you are.

PL teams don't schedule FBS games because they don't need the money like most other FCS schools do. In terms of FCS scheduling the PL teams get plenty of attractive OOC games.

[AZGrizFan]

Wow. You still can't grasp it... You're trying to compare a .500 team in Rhode Island with FBS, including mostly BCS teams? That's what is so absurd, the Patriot's toughest games are against slightly-better-than-average FCS squads, while the Big Sky is out there going almost FBS across the board.

If you can't see a difference in that, it really shows how wrong you are.

PL teams don't schedule FBS games because they don't need the money like most other FCS schools do. In terms of FCS scheduling the PL teams get plenty of attractive OOC games.

And why is that, do you suppose?

[LDopaPDX]

Wow. You still can't grasp it... You're trying to compare a .500 team in Rhode Island with FBS, including mostly BCS teams? That's what is so absurd, the Patriot's toughest games are against slightly-better-than-average FCS squads, while the Big Sky is out there going almost FBS across the board.

If you can't see a difference in that, it really shows how wrong you are.

PL teams don't schedule FBS games because they don't need the money like most other FCS schools do. In terms of FCS scheduling the PL teams get plenty of attractive OOC games.

But now you're moving the cheese from my point, which was to look at how different and more difficult the Big Sky is scheduling... especially versus the Patriot, which is scheduling weak. You've almost come full circle into now admitting that, yes, the Patriot is scheduling weak but don't havea reason not to.

[AZGrizFan]

PL teams don't schedule FBS games because they don't need the money like most other FCS schools do. In terms of FCS scheduling the PL teams get plenty of attractive OOC games.

But now you're moving the cheese from my point, which was to look at how different and more difficult the Big Sky is scheduling... especially versus the Patriot, which is scheduling weak. You've almost come full circle into now admitting that, yes, the Patriot is scheduling weak but don't havea reason not to.

Dopa, it's the same reason the Griz only do it every 4-5 years....we don't depend on that revenue stream like most FCS teams do.

[LDopaPDX]

But now you're moving the cheese from my point, which was to look at how different and more difficult the Big Sky is scheduling... especially versus the Patriot, which is scheduling weak. You've almost come full circle into now admitting that, yes, the Patriot is scheduling weak but don't havea reason not to.

Dopa, it's the same reason the Griz only do it every 4-5 years....we don't depend on that revenue stream like most FCS teams do.

I'm with you... I get the dynamics. But MOST Big Sky teams do it; Eastern plays a WAC opponent and a Pac-12 opponent on the road next year (and I'm not a fan of it). But my point was that you see this in the Big Sky, and you don't see it in the Patriot. Therefore, there is a HUGE difference between how the two conferences schedule... one schedules tough, the other very weak.

[Mvemjsunpx]

Edit required; it was the Pioneers, not Red Foxes, who gained only 32 rushing and gave up two long TD passes.

Fixed.

[Mvemjsunpx]

I agree that the Big Sky schedules tougher than the Patriot League overall, but keep in mind that the PL doesn't play non-DIs.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

I agree that the Big Sky schedules tougher than the Patriot League overall, but keep in mind that the PL doesn't play non-DIs.

I don't see how one can say the PL schedules are weak because they don't play FBS teams. That's a pretty ridiculous statement imo. They play plenty of quality FCS non-conference games.

[SeattleGriz]

But now you're moving the cheese from my point, which was to look at how different and more difficult the Big Sky is scheduling... especially versus the Patriot, which is scheduling weak. You've almost come full circle into now admitting that, yes, the Patriot is scheduling weak but don't havea reason not to.

Dopa, it's the same reason the Griz only do it every 4-5 years....we don't depend on that revenue stream like most FCS teams do.

That and I bet they have a lot more OOC to choose from. Griz get SUU, Cal Poly, Davis regularly, and now two are joining the conference.

[SDHornet]

PL teams don't schedule FBS games because they don't need the money like most other FCS schools do. In terms of FCS scheduling the PL teams get plenty of attractive OOC games.

And why is that, do you suppose?

I’ll take “they don’t offer a full slate of fb schollies,” for a thousand.

[AZGrizFan]

And why is that, do you suppose?

I’ll take “they don’t offer a full slate of fb schollies,” for a thousand.

DING

[AZGrizFan]

Dopa, it's the same reason the Griz only do it every 4-5 years....we don't depend on that revenue stream like most FCS teams do.

That and I bet they have a lot more OOC to choose from. Griz get SUU, Cal Poly, Davis regularly, and now two are joining the conference.

Correction, all THREE of those are joining the conference.

[SDHornet]

I’ll take “they don’t offer a full slate of fb schollies,” for a thousand.

DING

So the check is in the mail?

[danefan]

And why is that, do you suppose?

I’ll take “they don’t offer a full slate of fb schollies,” for a thousand.

Could also be because they each have endowments larger than the entire Big Sky combined? Obvious hyperbole, but you get the point.

[SDHornet]

I’ll take “they don’t offer a full slate of fb schollies,” for a thousand.

Could also be because they each have endowments larger than the entire Big Sky combined? Obvious hyperbole, but you get the point.

There is nothing wrong with not scheduling FBS games if you don’t need the money. But don’t tout the programs the PL teams are facing OOC as world beaters.

[danefan]

Could also be because they each have endowments larger than the entire Big Sky combined? Obvious hyperbole, but you get the point.

There is nothing wrong with not scheduling FBS games if you don’t need the money. But don’t tout the programs the PL teams are facing OOC as world beaters.

Oh I agree. But just because Lehigh plays Monmouth and Montana plays Tennessee doesn't mean Montana is a better team than Lehigh. Playing a tough schedule and losing doesn't really do much for me. Playing an FBS team close shows something but any team can get blown out.

[SDHornet]

There is nothing wrong with not scheduling FBS games if you don’t need the money. But don’t tout the programs the PL teams are facing OOC as world beaters.

Oh I agree. But just because Lehigh plays Monmouth and Montana plays Tennessee doesn't mean Montana is a better team than Lehigh. Playing a tough schedule and losing doesn't really do much for me. Playing an FBS team close shows something but any team can get blown out.

No arguments here.

[Grizalltheway]

I’ll take “they don’t offer a full slate of fb schollies,” for a thousand.

Could also be because they each have endowments larger than the entire Big Sky combined? Obvious hyperbole, but you get the point.

Way to turn this into an endowment-measuring contest.

[Mvemjsunpx]

Great West

UCD 14-48 ASU
CP 21-49 SDSU
SUU 28-29 SDKST
DRAKE 0-16 UND
SDK 20-37 AF

• NConf Record: 1-4
  Overall: 1-4
  
  vs. FCS: 1-1
  Overall: 1-1
  
  
  Best Performance: North Dakota 16, Drake 0 - The Sioux commit no turnovers in smothering a Pioneer League contender.
  
  Worst Performance: Southern Utah 28, South Dakota St. 29 - Brad Sorenson throws for 340 yards and 3 TDs, but also throws 3 picks in a disappointing Thunderbird loss.
  
  Most Surprising Result: Southern Utah 28, South Dakota St. 29 - Why did the T-Birds gamble on a game-winning 2PC try when they had all the momentum in an important game?

Ivy League

(no games)


SWAC

PVAMU 14-63 BCOOK (in Orlando, FL)
LANG 19-12 UAPB
SU 7-33 TSU
AAMU 20-21 HAMP
ALST 41-9 MVSU
CONCAL 2-42 JSU
GRAM 21-14 ALCORN

• NConf Record: 2-5
  Overall: 2-5
  
  vs. FCS: 1-2
  Overall: 1-2
  
  
  Best Performance: Grambling 21, Alcorn St. 14 - The Tigers shutout the Braves on 3rd. down (0/10) and register a key SWAC win.
  
  Worst Performance: Arkansas-Pine Bluff 12, (NAIA) Langston 19 - The Golden Lions fall to 17-20-4 all-time versus the NAIA Lions.
  
  Most Surprising Result: Prairie View A&M 14, Bethune-Cookman 63 - Either the Wildcats are really, really good, or the Panthers are taking a post-Henry Frazier nosedive.

Pioneer League

USD 42-40 AZUSA
DRAKE 0-16 UND
FRNKLN 49-35 VALPO
ALBION 17-31 BUT
DAY 19-13 RMU
MARIST 20-7 SACHRT
DVDSN 14-40 GTOWN
CAMP 14-41 ODU
JU 9-31 CIT
KCU 0-67 MHEAD

• NConf Record: 5-5
  Overall: 5-5
  
  vs. FCS: 2-4
  Overall: 2-4
  
  
  Best Performance: Dayton 19, Robert Morris 13 - The Flyers sack Jeff Sinclair 8 times in winning what could have been last year's Gridiron Classic.
  
  Worst Performance: Valparaiso 35, (DIII) Franklin 49 - The Crusaders show marked improvement after last year's 42-7 beatdown at the hands of the DIII Grizzlies.
  
  Most Surprising Result: Jacksonville 9, The Citadel 31 - If the Dolphins are indeed the best the Pioneer League has, the conference could be in for a painful season.

Independents

NSUOK 3-31 UTSA
CLKATL 7-41 GSU

• Non-Ind. Record: 2-0
  Overall: 2-0
  
  vs. FCS: 0-0
  Overall: 0-0
  
  
  Best Performance: Georgia St. 41, (DII) Clark Atlanta 7 - The Panthers beat down their patsy by slightly more than UTSA, so they get best performance this week.
  
  Worst Performance: (none)
  
  Most Surprising Result: Texas-San Antonio 31, (DII) Northeastern St. 3 - Well… the Roadrunners are playing football, that's new. Aside from that, nothing about this game was surprising.

[OL FU]

Nice to see this thread again.

Socon - I agree with all the comments as to best, worst and most surprising and that goes even after my next comment. I think people gave Jacksonville a little too much credit. Not bashing the PFL but typically they aren't close to competitive with any one in the power conferences ( I am sure someone will now show me an example of where I am wrong, but remember I said typically). I remember when USD was the PFL darling a few years back and didn't make an exactly stellar showing at UC Davis which I believe was a 6-5 team that year in the Great West.

[catdaddy2402]

An interesting thing to note is the difference in scheduling shown by the conferences. Look at the level of difficulty the Big Sky schedules compared to everyone else... Nearly everyone in the Big Sky went in tough (NoCo and Portland State excluded), while the rest of the conferences listed only had a couple of teams play up.

Wonder if that has something to do with the lack of FCS programs out west compared to the east? Quite a few FCS vs FCS OOC matchups in the east.

[danefan]

Nice to see this thread again.

Socon - I agree with all the comments as to best, worst and most surprising and that goes even after my next comment. I think people gave Jacksonville a little too much credit. Not bashing the PFL but typically they aren't close to competitive with any one in the power conferences ( I am sure someone will now show me an example of where I am wrong, but remember I said typically). I remember when USD was the PFL darling a few years back and didn't make an exactly stellar showing at UC Davis which I believe was a 6-5 team that year in the Great West.

I never bought in on Jacksonville. They got smacked around hard the year they won the Pioneer and had to come to Albany for the Gridiron Classic.

Dayton on the other hand usually puts a very good team together. They've got an academic recruiting advantage in the Midwest and they take advantage of it. They ave put some teams together that could compete in the playoffs. I think that's true this year as well.