eGriz
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Joined: 27 Mar 2002
Posts: 3620
Location: Missoula, Montana
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The stories are in order as they appear in this content area:
UM's Ochs cleared to play next season (Missoulian).
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2003 another banner year for I-AA football (Otto Fad, CSTV).
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Helena's Herrin going to Carroll (Independent Record).
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UM's Ochs cleared to play next season
By JON KASPER of the Missoulian
Craig Ochs is free to continue his career as a Montana Grizzly.
Montana football coach Bobby Hauck and Montana athletic director Wayne Hogan both confirmed Tuesday that the Big Sky Conference presidents have approved another season of eligibility for the quarterback.
Ochs, who is preparing for his wedding back home in Boulder, Colo., has not returned messages left by the Missoulian. Hauck said he has talked with Ochs, and said the quarterback told him he will return for the 2004 season.
"He said he had more fun playing this year than he had in a long, long time,'' Hauck said. "He enjoyed the fall. He's excited to come back and play.''
Ochs was seeking a medical redshirt to compensate for the 2001 season when he suffered a season-ending concussion at Colorado. Ochs announced his plans to transfer to Montana shortly after suffering the concussion - which occurred in the second game - and withdrawing from Colorado.
"My hope initially was the right thing would be done and the kid would get another chance,'' Hauck said. "I'm excited for him and I'm excited for our team.''
The Big Sky Conference faculty reps gave their approval to another season, but the presidents also needed to put their stamp on it, something Hogan said was accomplished right around Christmas.
"It's a done deal,'' Hogan said.
Ochs became Montana's starting quarterback midway through the season after recovering from an ankle injury sustained in preseason practice. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder threw for 1,612 yards and nine touchdowns. Ochs is expected to be the Grizzlies' starting quarterback in 2004.
Kyle Samson, who was Montana's option quarterback this past season, announced his intentions to transfer to Montana State-Northern in Havre, where his father Mark recently accepted the head coaching position. Kyle's brother Marc, a senior at Helena Capital, is also headed to Northern to play for his father.
Hauck said he wasn't surprised by Samson's decision to leave.
"I actually visited with his dad a week before,'' Hauck said. "It wasn't a big shock. Kyle and Marc really had a good time playing together and playing for their dad in high school. I think it will be a lot of fun for them to get coached by their dad.''
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2004 Grizzly Schedule
Sept 4 Maine
Sept 11 Hofstra
Sept 18 at Sam Houston State
Sept 25 OPEN
Oct 2 at Weber State
Oct 9 Idaho State (Homecoming)
Oct 16 at Eastern Washington
Oct 23 at Cal Poly
Oct 30 at Portland State
Nov 6 Northern Arizona
Nov 13 Sacramento State
Nov 20 Montana State (104th Meeting)
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2003 another banner year for I-AA football
By Otto Fad, CSTV
December 29, 2003 - 2003 was an extraordinary season in I-AA football. One season after unsung Western Kentucky made an improbable run to the 2002 title, the 2003 I-AA tournament included more new playoff teams than any tourney since 1991. Even with the new faces, the '03 crown went to one of the traditional powers, Delaware.
Underdogs and Big Dogs
America loves an underdog. We cheer when the little guy, the poor guy, the smart guy, the old guy, or the new guy overcomes all obstacles and basks in the afterglow of victory.
The 2003 I-AA season had no shortage of underdogs, whatever your criteria for "underdog."
"Little guys" Bethune-Cookman, Colgate, and Wofford made lots of playoff noise.
"New guys" Florida Atlantic, Jacksonville State, North Carolina A&T, and Southern Illinois were playoff entrants. For FAU and JSU, it was their first time ever in the I-AA tournament. NCA&T made it behind a first-year head coach (George Small), and SIU made it for the first time in 20 years.
Then there are the "big dogs" like Delaware, Georgia Southern, McNeese State, Montana, and Youngstown State. It's bigger news when these guys miss a playoff berth than when they make the field.
The flagship programs also function as our Dallas Cowboys or New York Yankees. They have advantages that should make them the scourge of their foes. Local rivalries are probably still the most important element in building and maintaining interest in college football, but you also need programs of national renown, especially in I-AA.
Some would call an underdog-rich tournament field "wide open." Another word that comes to mind is "chaotic."
NCAA officials might have some accounting terminology to describe such a situation. Let's face it, there are only a few I-AA communities where impressive post-season attendance is a given. A playoff meeting of two solid I-AA teams with a backdrop of 20,000 fans plays much better on TV than does a similar tilt before an intimate gathering of 3,000 or so. And of course, the former generates much greater revenue than the latter.
Despite their small size and new-host status, playoff games at Wofford and Bethune-Cookman drew well this year. That's encouraging, because both programs enjoy strong foundations and should be back for many more playoff runs.
Although the 2003 championship game was not compelling television viewing with Delaware's destruction of Colgate, it did communicate several positive messages about I-AA football to any casual fans that may have been watching.
In my opinion, the two most significant impressions - the ones that Joe Watercooler can relate to best - were the setting (nice stadium, decent crowd), and the match-up.
The match-up was an eloquent juxtaposition of the "Cinderella" (albeit an undefeated, 21-game-winning-streak "Cinderella") versus a powerful, tradition-rich Delaware team that was somewhat familiar to casual football fans.
Although Cinderella's carriage reverted to pumpkin form sometime early in the first half, at least Cinderella made it to the ball. That's not the case in I-A, and I'm not saying it should be, but it is another element of I-AA football that the average fan can enjoy.
Excellence by committee
Before going on, here's another reminder that despite the weeping and wailing, the gnashing of teeth in November, the I-AA Football Committee deserves some credit for seeding. Although the No. 1 seed McNeese State was upset by Northern Arizona in the opening round, three of the four seeded teams reached the semifinals. And the title game pitted No. 2 (Delaware) versus No. 4 (Colgate).
The transfer trade
Much has been said about Delaware's high-profile transfer stars Shawn Johnson and Andy Hall. They distinguished themselves and brought success and extra attention to their teammates, but there are still some purists who decry the practice of accepting transfer student-athletes from I-A programs.
These critics are the same sort of folks who would have questioned the need for electric light bulbs when candles and gas lamps worked just fine.
The basis of the burgeoning phenomenon is the one-time transfer exception wherein a football player may move from a I-A program to a I-AA program without having to sit-out a season. The way "the system" is set up, there just aren't a whole lot of advantages for I-AA coaches and institutions. Well, here's a big advantage, and it's getting bigger each season.
As long as an institution's prospective transfers are subject to the same character and academic criteria as other recruits, where's the downside? There are no guarantees in life, and that certainly includes any perceived right to playing time as a senior after spending three to four years toiling in a backup role.
Is it preferable to develop your own talent from the ranks of your high school recruits? Certainly, most coaches would argue. But to eschew the opportunity to bring in academically qualified student-athletes to improve your program is primetime shortsightedness, in my opinion.
That being said, it is incumbent upon I-AA coaching staffs to do their homework and determine whether potential transfers might adversely affect team chemistry or morale. Certainly when a I-A kid is not content at his present school, that should create a natural suspicion that he could just be a malcontent.
But as long as coaches exercise due diligence, there should be no policy to preclude accepting this after-market talent bonanza.
Not only are the numbers of transfers increasing, but the level of sophistication and awareness on the part of the transfers and their parents appears to be growing as well. It has been proven in some situations that a year or two in I-AA can improve a player's draft prospects.
Not all transfers are seeking to prove themselves to NFL scouts. There's an all-too-frequently manifested symptom of immaturity that I like to call a "Sun Belt mistake." That's where a high school star selects a non-BCS I-A school over a I-AA, mostly because they want to play I-A football, at least nominally. I use that term for any non-BCS I-A situation, not just for the Sun Belt.
While we cannot prevent every kid from making a "Sun Belt mistake," we can give those who did not choose wisely the first time around a second chance at enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime college football experience.
This practice is growing, as is the talent level of the transfers. Also growing is the interest in I-AA football. I-A fans and media may not become I-AA devotees when one of their own transfers, but at least there is an incremental increase in their awareness of I-AA football.
Already gone...
A number of quarterbacks have already transferred from I-A programs to I-AA institutions, or are currently in the process of doing so even before spring ball begins. Among them:
> Texas A&M's Dustin Long, a junior, is switching to Ron Randelman's Sam Houston State Bearkats.
> Florida sophomore Ingle Martin has decided to transfer to Bobby Lamb's Furman Paladins.
> Bennett Swygert, a redshirt freshman at South Carolina, is headed to Western Carolina.
> Another soon-to-be former Gamecock, Aryhel Freeman is en route to South Carolina State, where he will have three years of eligibility remaining. Freeman was unhappy with a position switch, and wants to play quarterback.
> East Carolina's Paul Troth will spend his senior season at Liberty.
> Jordan Borowicz is going a slightly more traditional route, leaving Santa Rosa Junior College to transfer to Illinois State.
> Unconfirmed reports from west coast newspapers say that UCLA quarterback John Sciarra will leave the team after the Silicon Valley Bowl, to spend his last two years of eligibility at Delaware.
Another high-profile quarterback hoping to play in I-AA is Adrian McPherson, who ran afoul of the rules at Florida State. Currently, McPherson is enrolled at Tennessee State, awaiting word on his eligibility. ... Elsewhere, Fresno State tailback James Cummings announced he is transferring to Sacramento State, where he will have two years of eligibility remaining.
On his move to SCSU, new Bulldog Aryhel Freeman told the Orangeburg Times & Democrat: "A lot of guys get lax coming down a level ... they think they can just come down and really just dominate the league and feel kind of arrogant. I'm not going to do that because I know they're players all over the country no matter what level you play at. I've just got to come in with a high intensity level and hope things will work out."
Rating high
In the first Sagarin computer ratings published after the conclusion of the I-AA championships, Delaware ranked No. 43 in Division I Football (I-A and I-AA). The Fightin' Blue Hens rated higher than 75 I-A programs (64 percent of I-A), including 14 bowl teams.
Delaware rated above 47 of 54 non-BCS I-A teams. So, despite playing with 22 fewer scholarships and a smaller coaching staff, the Hens ranked above 87% of the teams in the Sun Belt, MAC, Conference USA, WAC, and Mountain West. UD topped every team in the Sun Belt and at present barely trails only Southern Miss in C-USA.
Other I-AA entrants in the Sagarin Top 100 include Western Illinois (No. 78), Southern Illinois (No. 79), Colgate (No. 80), Northern Iowa (No. 81), Montana (No. 82), Western Kentucky (No. 86), Massachusetts (No. 89), Penn (No. 92), Wofford (No. 96), and Northern Arizona (No. 97).
Fifty-seven I-AA teams rank above the lowest-ranked I-A, Louisiana-Monroe (No. 174). That's over 46 percent of all teams in I-AA, and approximately 60% of scholarship-level I-AA programs.
The Sagarin ratings will not be finalized until after the bowl games.
My Top Ten
Rank Team Last
1 Delaware 2
2 Wofford 3
3 Colgate 7
4 W. Illinois 10
5 N. Iowa 4
6 S. Illinois 8
7 McNeese St 1
8 UMass 5
9 Montana 6
10 Lehigh NR
Great gates
2003 was another great season at the turnstiles for I-AA football. Yale, which averaged 23,578 in home games, led the way. Next was Montana (22,469) and I-A-bound FAMU (21,323).
In the 15-20,000 range were Southern (19,732), Delaware (18,895), The Citadel (16,759), North Carolina A&T (16,066), Youngstown State (16,004), McNeese State (15,986), and Georgia Southern (15,793).
The five-figure group was a large one, led by Appalachian State's average of 14,661. They were joined by Texas Southern (13,681), Princeton (13,656), Norfolk State (13,460), Western Illinois (12,904), Tennessee State (12,699), Northern Iowa (12,080), Pennsylvania (12,073), Grambling (11,987), South Carolina State (11,960), Montana State (11,892), Alcorn State (11,439), Alabama A&M (11,139), Harvard (11,110), Furman (11,074), Alabama State (11,039), Eastern Kentucky (11,020), Northwestern State (10,707), Lehigh (10,683), Texas State (10,508), Jacksonville State (10,303), James Madison (10,242), and Western Kentucky (10,124).
Meanwhile on the realignment front, 11 I-A schools averaged less than 15,000 - one of the new I-A standards set for implementation next year. The lowest was Buffalo, with an announced average home count of 9,414. Thirty-seven I-AA programs bettered that mark.
Look who's streaking
With Colgate's title game defeat, the longest winning streak in Division I now belongs to Penn. The Quakers have claimed 16 straight victories. National champion Delaware sits next among I-AA programs with six straight, followed by Southern and Alcorn State, both with five consecutive wins. Finishing the season on a positive note were Weber State, Liberty, William & Mary, South Carolina State, and Eastern Kentucky, all closing their '03 campaigns with four-game win streaks.
At the other end of the prosperity spectrum is Savannah State, losers of 15 straight. Also regularly experiencing the agony of defeat were Siena (13), Holy Cross (10), Norfolk State (10), Cornell (9), Elon (8), and Charleston Southern (8).
Looking ahead
Delaware's dominant run to the national championship happened much quicker than most observers expected. Many who were familiar with the UD program anticipated a return to prominence under energetic head coach K.C. Keeler, but few predicted such extraordinary success less than two years (and only one recruiting class) into the "Keeler era" at his alma mater.
Keeler's accomplishment calls to mind similar situations at two other Division I institutions: Penn State and Eastern Kentucky.
EKU followed-up Hall-of-Famer Roy Kidd with youthful Colonel alumnus Danny Hope. In many ways, Hope's first season paralleled Keeler's. The Colonels finished strongly - winning their last four - and it appears that Coach Hope will have them back in the playoffs sooner rather than later.
At PSU, an agonizing situation lingers. Although it's admittedly a different scale, the comparisons to Delaware are plain enough that some in the Philadelphia media have recognized that Keeler just successfully performed the identical task that will be asked of Joe Paterno's successor.
Following a legend has to be one of the hardest things for a young coach to do. Doing it with grace and respect while maintaining a connection with the previous regime is even tougher. Keeler has done so, and it appears that Danny Hope is following suit. When the time comes, the powers that be in Happy Valley would be crazy not to consider both of these rising I-AA stars.
The Replacements
Last winter, I-AA lost three teams when St. John's, Fairfield, and Canisius each decided to eliminate their non-scholarship football programs. Then, when the institution's very existence was threatened, Morris Brown dropped the sport, too. I-AA's ranks took another hit with the announced departures of upstarts FAU and FIU, and longtime MEAC power FAMU, all headed to I-A.
But don't cry for I-AA, folks. The departing schools are more-than-adequately replaced by new I-AA programs arriving on several different tracks.
2003 was the first season of football at Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers bring a beautiful facility and a Myrtle Beach address to I-AA football.
Then there was the resumption of football at Southeastern Louisiana. Head coach Hal Mumme and defensive coordinator Woody Widenhofer helped fill the stands in Hammond, as the Golden Lions averaged almost 10,000 fans despite playing a veritable "Chinese menu" schedule.
Division II powers Northern Colorado and Cal-Davis brought established programs to the I-AA ranks, and like CCU and SLU, both enjoy greater fan and alumni support than FAU and FIU.
Also exciting is the addition of state schools North Dakota State and South Dakota State, two more former Division II stalwarts with strong followings. They bring I-AA into a region of the country which has heretofore been unrepresented in Division I. Although their sister schools UND and USD are not following suit, logic indicates that eventually both will be pressured into considering the move.
If the new I-A standards are enforced, UNC could be a sensible addition to the Big Sky along with Idaho. But for the time being, UNC, UCD, NDSU, and SDSU, along with Cal Poly, Southern Utah, and Saint Mary's are establishing a new I-AA football-only conference.
Back east, there are other Division II schools considering making the move to I-AA, and at least one I-AAA looking at the feasibility of starting a non-scholarship I-AA football program.
Thanks for reading and for supporting I-AA Football. Have a safe and happy New Year.
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Helena's Herrin going to Carroll
Helena Independent Record
Call it a city sweep for Carroll College head coach Mike Van Diest.
The coach of the two-time defending national NAIA champions announced Tuesday that Helena High running back Sean Herrin is joining the Saints' ranks.
Last week, the Saints got a commitment from Narles Layne, Capital's standout running back.
Herrin is a two-time all-conference selection and a three-year letterman in football and basketball for the Bengals. He's likely to garner a fourth letter in track in the spring. He's also earned three academic all-state honors.
"I've been watching him for two years," Van Diest said. "We love his speed, we love his attitude."
Source: Tom Griz Fan
January 1, 2004
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