The Valparaiso Beacons Fan Zone Forum

I know less about football than just about anyone else on this board but here is my prediction for 2013:  6-5

Paul

Quote from: 78crusader on July 27, 2013, 09:38:21 AMI know less about football than just about anyone else on this board but here is my prediction for 2013: 6-5 Paul

Dude, keep drinking that Brown and Gold Koolaid

2-9, being optimistic

Another football season, another poll. 

We have a favorable schedule this year, with a team we should have beat last year (St. Joe), a team we did beat (Campbell), a team new to football (Mercer), and a Div II team we should beat (William Jewell).  This team should be 4-2 after the Mercer game. 

Massey has us winning 4 games, and not very competitive in the remaining games:

http://www.masseyratings.com/team.php?t=8361&s=199231 (http://www.masseyratings.com/team.php?t=8361&s=199231)

Quote from: 78crusader on July 27, 2013, 09:38:21 AMI know less about football than just about anyone else on this board but here is my prediction for 2013:  6-5

At first glance I thought this was crazy.  After looking at the schedule, we should win at least four games.  If Carlson's team has improved, and we get a little lucky, we might win two more.

I'm going with 5-6:

http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1519.0 (http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1519.0)

I spoke with a freshman player coming to Valpo from the Houston area.  He is flying in Saturday August 3 with practice starting August 4.  The players are firedup and remember, something like 30 of them stayed at Valpo all summer to lift and train.  Who knows how that will translate to the field but we will have a starting quarterback who is a junior which is something we haven't had in a long time.

I say that we win 4 games this year.  I don't see a D-2 team as a slam dunk win however.  I am picking us to beat St. Joe's, Campbell, Mercer, and one of the remaining conference teams in a surprise win (not sure which team it will be). 

I like our QB.  I wish that they threw the ball deeper at times.  We have thrown the WR screen pass much too often over the last few seasons.

William Jewell was 2-9 last year and lost to St. Joe's 45-65.  While no team is a slam dunk for Valpo, I think a reinvigorated Campbell under Minter is more of a challenge.  But once past UND (and healthy I hope) they could run a string of 3 in a row and be 3-1 going into Marist. These kids have never won more than 1 in a row, so with three under their belt the confidence and determination could be sky high.  That could mean a win in Poughkeepsie (or a close loss).  Then comes Mercer and a possible win to go 4-2.  At that point it's anybody's guess as to who else might provide a win for us, but I'm thinking we win 4 in 2013 (but play tough in most losses and lose close ones to MSU and Drake).

I think winning two to five games is realistic if they use a balanced attack and Jake Hutson rushes for 1000 yards.  I don't think any of them will be easy though!  I've read several topics on here and many people seem pleased with our quarterback play.  I did some comparing to other teams in the PFL and our quarterback play is well below average.  The average for QB's in the conference is 16 TD's, 8 Interceptions and 16yards rushing per game.  The last two years we have thrown as many interceptions as we have touchdowns.  I don't think we should be complacent at the QB spot, We need major improvement.  Hopefully new Coach Evans will help with the QB play.

You have to take into account that we don't throw the ball down the field, so Hoffman is very unlikely to have many TD passes.  Everything has been a screen or a draw for the most part.  This isn't David Macchi's Air Raid offense from when I was in school  :)

We either have someone who mis-hit one of the voting buttons, or they really voted for 9 or more wins!  Very optimistic!  Way to be positive!

Quote from: valpotx on July 30, 2013, 09:51:31 AMYou have to take into account that we don't throw the ball down the field, so Hoffman is very unlikely to have many TD passes. Everything has been a screen or a draw for the most part. This isn't David Macchi's Air Raid offense from when I was in school :)

If we don't throw the ball down the field then we should never have as many interceptions as touchdowns.  All I'm saying is just because we have the starter returning doesn't mean he should automatically be given the job. If the QB play was above average or even average ok, but we are not even average.  Bring on some competition at all positions!

willy, too often when throwing the WR screen passes, it would right into the kind of traffic that could tip the ball and a defensive player would receive the tip, leading to some of those interceptions. Also, due to underthrowing the receiver, often the ball was picked off. Some of our issues were due to youth in the positions, not so much because the QB was bad. Also, some of the coaching decisions about what play to call ended up being so repetitive that the defensive coordinator might already be one play ahead of us before we were even thinking two plays ahead.

Valpo is picked for tenth place in the PFL according to the new Coaches poll.  Ahead of only two schools Stetson and Mercer who have football for the first time in forty years.  If the coaches are right it will be a two win season.  Not enough progress to keep this regime around for another year.  Coach retention is a huge problem!  This year alone we have four new coaches, half the staff is new.

Some VERY good news on the kicking front.  An All-Stater has picked Valpo!

http://www.thedcregister.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11934:newman-opts-for-valparaiso-lburg-all-state-kicker-sees-opportunity&catid=87:lawrenceburg-high-school&Itemid=134 (http://www.thedcregister.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11934:newman-opts-for-valparaiso-lburg-all-state-kicker-sees-opportunity&catid=87:lawrenceburg-high-school&Itemid=134)

http://seilocalsports.com/football/32594/ (http://seilocalsports.com/football/32594/)

History has shown that Kickers/Punters don't need to play at the FBS level to advance in their career.  As long as they get their opportunities, a 50+ yard kick is a 50+ yard kick, regardles of competition  :).

Quote from: valporun on July 30, 2013, 03:08:44 PM
willy, too often when throwing the WR screen passes, it would right into the kind of traffic that could tip the ball and a defensive player would receive the tip, leading to some of those interceptions. Also, due to underthrowing the receiver, often the ball was picked off. Some of our issues were due to youth in the positions, not so much because the QB was bad. Also, some of the coaching decisions about what play to call ended up being so repetitive that the defensive coordinator might already be one play ahead of us before we were even thinking two plays ahead.

I'm with Willy on this. The Valpo offense doesn't call for plays--it's based on formations + decisions. In other words, all those quick tosses to receivers at the line of scrimmage are as a result of a QB read and a QB decision. Watch how teams defend us and you'll see they back their DB's off to entice our QB to throw that pass--it's the safe toss. However, the defense knows it's coming and can react quickly, allowing us a whopping -1 to +2 yards. The interceptions typically took place downfield, not on the quick tosses. One way to break us out of this rut is to develop the mid-level pass. When mids work, the defense will shift. One big factor is the line giving the QB a half second more to see mid routes on both sides and the tight end release. Keep up the quick toss and the occasional long ball, though, and TD count will remain low, yards to completion ratio remains low, and (sadly) the defense can direct more attention to stopping the run. Just one man's opinion, though...

Quote from: willy on July 31, 2013, 10:50:41 AM
Valpo is picked for tenth place in the PFL according to the new Coaches poll.  Ahead of only two schools Stetson and Mercer who have football for the first time in forty years.  If the coaches are right it will be a two win season.  Not enough progress to keep this regime around for another year.  Coach retention is a huge problem!  This year alone we have four new coaches, half the staff is new.

Coaching changes can go either way--create confusion because of new expectations or create energy because something has changed. Let's hope for the latter. Heard of some off-season hard luck; the tall QB with the big arm had knee surgery (Stahl), and a big hitting d-lineman had shoulder surgery (Broshar). Let's hope we stay healthy the rest of the year.

The 2013-14 Roster is posted on the FB web site.

http://www.valpoathletics.com/football/roster/ (http://www.valpoathletics.com/football/roster/)

As close as I can count there are 112 names of which 35 are incoming freshmen.  It includes the recently signed All-State kicker from Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Some nice qulifications for kids from some FB happy states (OH, FL, TX).  Let's hope these young kids come in and push the veterans. 

Quote from: VUdad on August 03, 2013, 08:13:13 AM

Quote from: valporun on July 30, 2013, 03:08:44 PMwilly, too often when throwing the WR screen passes, it would right into the kind of traffic that could tip the ball and a defensive player would receive the tip, leading to some of those interceptions. Also, due to underthrowing the receiver, often the ball was picked off. Some of our issues were due to youth in the positions, not so much because the QB was bad. Also, some of the coaching decisions about what play to call ended up being so repetitive that the defensive coordinator might already be one play ahead of us before we were even thinking two plays ahead.

I'm with Willy on this. The Valpo offense doesn't call for plays--it's based on formations + decisions. In other words, all those quick tosses to receivers at the line of scrimmage are as a result of a QB read and a QB decision. Watch how teams defend us and you'll see they back their DB's off to entice our QB to throw that pass--it's the safe toss. However, the defense knows it's coming and can react quickly, allowing us a whopping -1 to +2 yards. The interceptions typically took place downfield, not on the quick tosses. One way to break us out of this rut is to develop the mid-level pass. When mids work, the defense will shift. One big factor is the line giving the QB a half second more to see mid routes on both sides and the tight end release. Keep up the quick toss and the occasional long ball, though, and TD count will remain low, yards to completion ratio remains low, and (sadly) the defense can direct more attention to stopping the run. Just one man's opinion, though...

You hit the nail on the head VUdad!  Our completion percentage will always be high and the TD's low because we always check down to the easy throw.  Teams we play will Squat thier corner in the flats and we consistently throw there for little to no gain.  When I played our coaches motto was we will give them the two yard completion and rally to the ball.  we are throwing the ball exactly where the defense wants us to, advantage defense!

Quote from: VUdad on August 03, 2013, 08:28:11 AM

Quote from: willy on July 31, 2013, 10:50:41 AMValpo is picked for tenth place in the PFL according to the new Coaches poll. Ahead of only two schools Stetson and Mercer who have football for the first time in forty years. If the coaches are right it will be a two win season. Not enough progress to keep this regime around for another year. Coach retention is a huge problem! This year alone we have four new coaches, half the staff is new.

Coaching changes can go either way--create confusion because of new expectations or create energy because something has changed. Let's hope for the latter. Heard of some off-season hard luck; a quick/strong DB decided not to return (Graham), the tall QB with the big arm had knee surgery (Stahl), and a big hitting linebacker had shoulder surgery (not sure of name). Let's hope we stay healthy the rest of the year.

I'm a big believer in continuity and team chemistry.  In Carlsons four years 13 coaches have left the program.  In my oppinion this should be a huge red flag to the university and addressed immediately.  It might not be Carlson's fault, Maybe the university has not comitted the resources necessary to keeping a quality staff? The kids see the coaches leaving the team and has me wondering as a player what they are thinking?

Quote from: willy on August 03, 2013, 12:13:29 PM

Quote from: VUdad on August 03, 2013, 08:28:11 AM

Quote from: willy on July 31, 2013, 10:50:41 AMValpo is picked for tenth place in the PFL according to the new Coaches poll. Ahead of only two schools Stetson and Mercer who have football for the first time in forty years. If the coaches are right it will be a two win season. Not enough progress to keep this regime around for another year. Coach retention is a huge problem! This year alone we have four new coaches, half the staff is new.

Coaching changes can go either way--create confusion because of new expectations or create energy because something has changed. Let's hope for the latter. Heard of some off-season hard luck; a quick/strong DB decided not to return (Graham), the tall QB with the big arm had knee surgery (Stahl), and a big hitting linebacker had shoulder surgery (not sure of name). Let's hope we stay healthy the rest of the year.

I'm a big believer in continuity and team chemistry. In Carlsons four years 13 coaches have left the program. In my oppinion this should be a huge red flag to the university and addressed immediately. It might not be Carlson's fault, Maybe the university has not comitted the resources necessary to keeping a quality staff? The kids see the coaches leaving the team and has me wondering as a player what they are thinking?

OK, this is a very good, objective observation compared to all the positive, over-optimisitic  info being presented by the valpo website and others. The frequent coaching transfer is a very bad indicator, no matter what excuses exist.   If coaches keep bailing out and 1-to-2 win seasons continue, we have a holistic systematic problem that cannot be traced to just Carlson (don't get me wrong, he has nice inspirational quotes but he has not met expectations).  Perhaps Valpo is not a decent school to coach football, perhaps the facilities are below par.  Perhaps football needs to get scraped if these issues are not addressed soon.

Lane Kiffin may be looking next year...and he will take a paycut.

Looking at the roster it appears this years incoming Freshmen class has some pretty good size!  Several kids 265 pounds and up.  Football sucess starts up front with good linemen on both sides of the ball.  If anyone gets a chance to see a practice in person, let us know how they look.

Quote from: willy on August 06, 2013, 08:54:29 AM
Looking at the roster it appears this years incoming Freshmen class has some pretty good size!  Several kids 265 pounds and up.  Football sucess starts up front with good linemen on both sides of the ball.  If anyone gets a chance to see a practice in person, let us know how they look.

I hope that several of the freshmen are on the two-deep roster come 29 August.  If not, it could be a long season.

A nice video from our opening opponent, North Dakota: (wait through a couple of pictures and then you can click on "opening drive"

http://www.undsports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13500&SPID=6399&SPSID=58640 (http://www.undsports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13500&SPID=6399&SPSID=58640)

Quote from: vu72 on August 12, 2013, 08:22:16 AM
A nice video from our opening opponent, North Dakota: (wait through a couple of pictures and then you can click on "opening drive"

http://www.undsports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13500&SPID=6399&SPSID=58640 (http://www.undsports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13500&SPID=6399&SPSID=58640)

Life doesn't seem that hard in Four Thousand Prongs.

Cool approach to keeping fans involved.

Is anyone going to the scrimage?

I attended the Brown & Gold scrimmage and took photographs. The play was pretty ragged at times, but it was good to see the players in uniform, and they all seemed pleased to participate in a game-like situation. I also enjoyed taking sports photos again. There were a few fine highlights, including an amazing one-handed catch and an acrobatic fingertip catch on a couple of passes, both of which are among my pictures.

The day was sunny with a temperature about 80 degrees, so the water spouts on the sideline were the most popular spots much of the time. Below are a sample of my pictures, but I have 20 images archived in a set at Valpo Sports Photography I invite you to check out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/96208998@N05/sets/72157635113004999/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/96208998@N05/sets/72157635113004999/)
 

(http://i39.tinypic.com/2dlniiq.jpg)

(http://i44.tinypic.com/n1c5f5.jpg)

(http://i43.tinypic.com/t7eq13.jpg)

(http://i39.tinypic.com/2wc0e2s.jpg)

Great shots Pal. Glad they have finally gone to a game-like scrimmage approach.  The old O vs. D concept was confusing and, I'm sorry, but for me it didn't really simulate a game-like feeling.  From a player perspective, this format at least puts a game-like experience under the kids belts.  With the  previous format the first game experience was the first game.  But 33 - 0 is not a usual preseason score.  Might have been the way the teams were structured.  Maybe #1 O and #1 D versus #2 O & D. Be nice if they published the stats.  Would like to know who did what.

Here is the write up:

http://www.valpoathletics.com/football/news/2013-14/12840/brown-vs-gold-game-a-success/ (http://www.valpoathletics.com/football/news/2013-14/12840/brown-vs-gold-game-a-success/)

Brown vs. Gold Game a Success


Requires Adobe Flash
Saturday, August 17, 2013

Parents and fans got their first look at the 2013 Crusaders Saturday afternoon at Brown Field in the Brown vs. Gold game. Though the Brown squad came away with a 33-0 victory, the final score remains an afterthought compared to the opportunity to see what individuals can do in a game setting.

"I was pleased with the way the guys responded. Overall, the guys that we thought could play stepped up, and we had some players on the Gold team - especially defensively - do some good things," head coach Dale Carlson said afterwards.

Four quarterbacks (Ryan Gorski, Ben Lehman, Trae Hoeske, and Eric Hoffman) cycled in and out as each received several series with both sides. Junior tight end Kent Warren made a few acrobatic catches, while wide receiver Fred Gladney also hauled in a number of passes and contributed with considerable yards after the catch.

With some success in the air, the running game opened up nicely. Freshman running back Denzell Conway burst through a number of holes. Sophomore Brandon Hall scampered in for a touchdown run as the 5'9'' 215-pound back powered through tackles to find the end zone.

Carlson felt the scrimmage served its purpose in providing a showcase with which to evaluate players and dictate playing time.

"All in all, it looked like we came out pretty healthy. Now, it's time to get ready for North Dakota," Carlson concluded.

The Crusaders open their season Thursday, August 29th in Grand Forks versus the University of North Dakota. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm CT.


----------------

Looks like the RB spot is wide open. 

Does anyone know of any video streaming for the game at Grand Forks?

Quote from: VULB#62 on August 03, 2013, 09:11:21 AM

The 2013-14 Roster is posted on the FB web site.

http://www.valpoathletics.com/football/roster/ (http://www.valpoathletics.com/football/roster/)

As close as I can count there are 112 names of which 35 are incoming freshmen.  It includes the recently signed All-State kicker from Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Some nice qulifications for kids from some FB happy states (OH, FL, TX).  Let's hope these young kids come in and push the veterans. 

Good to see such enthusiasm in returning players.  Would like to see the two-deep roster to get an idea of where this team is compared to last season.

From the roster, I noticed that three jersey numbers are not used.  Is there a reason for not using 17, 53, or 77?  Does anyone know any stories of retired numbers?

Quote from: bbtds on August 19, 2013, 10:53:14 AM
Does anyone know of any video streaming for the game at Grand Forks?

Yes, the game will be on the net.  I think you can get a 24 hour pass for $9.95

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Midco Sports Network (MidcoSN) announced today its 2013-14 live broadcast schedule, which will feature at least 42 University of North Dakota home games. Thirty-six of the 42 games will be produced in high definition, making them the first HD home broadcasts in UND Athletics history and offering fans a first-class viewing experience.

MidcoSN's live broadcast lineup includes all seven of UND's home football games and 18 men's hockey games, as well as select volleyball, women's hockey and men's and women's basketball home games.

UND fans will also enjoy extensive original programming on MidcoSN, including UND Insider Weekly, Through These Doors, UND Sports Extra and the new North Dakota Hockey with Dave Hakstol, the latter two which are produced by MidcoSN.

"This year's partnership with Midco Sports Network means our fans will enjoy high definition for nearly our entire broadcast package, a year earlier than previously envisioned, and our fans will see even more original UND Athletics programming this year," said UND Athletics Director Brian Faison.

"Midco Sports network is pleased to continue its partnership with University of North Dakota," said Mark Powell, Vice President of Business Solutions for Midcontinent Communications. "UND Athletics is a staple of the network's development and growth. We are pleased to bring several games in quality, high definition during the 2013 -2014 season and look forward to producing original programs every week with UND Sports Extra and our new show, North Dakota Hockey with Dave Hakstol."

Hosted by UND television voice Dan Hammer, UND Sports Extra offers a weekly round-up of UND Athletics, including highlights, features and in-studio appearances by UND coaches. UND Insider Weekly (formerly UNDsports.TV) offers fans a behind-the-scenes look at the world of UND Athletics, featuring popular segments such as Pro-Tips, Not My Job and the Insider Roundtable. Now in its third season, the acclaimed web series Through These Doors makes its television debut in 2013-14 and takes fans inside UND's men's hockey program with 24/7-style coverage.

New in 2013-14 is North Dakota Hockey with Dave Hakstol, a weekly review and preview of UND men's hockey action, featuring head coach Dave Hakstol in studio with host Dan Hammer.

UND Sports Extra will air every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Central, followed by North Dakota Hockey with Dave Hakstol at 7:30. Both programs will re-air every Friday as part of a UND-heavy programming block that also includes UND Insider Weekly (5:30 p.m.) and Through These Doors (6:30 p.m.).

Faison also indicated that UND Athletics will continue to seek additional options for national broadcast distribution rights for all sports. CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) currently serves as the exclusive national broadcast partner for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), the new home of UND men's hockey.

CBSSN will broadcast an NCHC-high six UND games in 2013-14, including home games against Colorado College (Jan. 10) and Miami (Feb. 14), as well as road games at Miami (Oct. 18), Western Michigan (Dec. 6), Denver (Jan. 24) and St. Cloud State (Feb. 28).

UND on Midco Sports Network in 2013-14:

Date   Sport   Opponent   Time   
Aug. 29   FB   Valparaiso   7:00 pm   

Quote from: covufan on August 19, 2013, 10:54:03 AMFrom the roster, I noticed that three jersey numbers are not used.  Is there a reason for not using 17, 53, or 77?  Does anyone know any stories of retired numbers?

#17 was DB Kevin Ferguson was has been on the roster for a couple of years but was dropped from the roster recently.  Similarly #77 was redshirt freshman OL Joesph Anger.  #53 has not had anyone this year but has in past seasons.  We had two recruits that apparently did not show up (Gunnar Wolfe LB and Eric Swope DL) who may have been that number.   

A few other names have dropped as well, redshirt freshman LB Carlos Hunter, freshman DB Johnathan Mangellizzi and freshman QB Cory Springsgut who was not listed among our recruits but came and appears to have left.

The big name who has disappeared is 2 year starting safety Dylan Storm.  Does anyone know that story?

Storm quit the team. He was not listed as a starter when he quit. The safety position will be a strength with Alex Grask and Cody Cotton as starters.

Free streaming of the game  is available on the Big Sky website if you register.

The unbalanced score from the recent scrimmage happened because the Brown team included all the #1 & 2 players, with 3s & 4s on Gold. The two new RBs made the best impressions--Hall and Conway. Hall is a tank who can cut well, Conway is very fast. The QB Hoffman started to (finally) throw the ball downfield, which opens up the run--which buys time for the QB to throw, and on and on. If that can become habit, the offense will make the long-awaited turnaround. Solid group of athletic receivers, but the returning RBs (Hutson and Baker) are injured, so we're lean in that area. The kicking game is wobbly; two PATs missed. Punting didn't look much better--watch out for those areas to be our Achilles heels this year. For the QBs, Hoffman looked solid. The O line appeared to be improved. The defensive line has some real promise, and size. LBs stuck tackles better than in the past and pursued plays well, and the DBs showed strong speed. Still need better coverage decisions, though, to avoid those costly big plays that have killed us in previous years. And a decent showing in the stands.

The all-state kicker missed PATs?  How long is Hutson out?

Figured the score was a result of loading one side over the other.  Hope Baker and Hutson don't have serious injuries.  Baker has been waiting so long and Hutson is a key RB.

Quote from: VU75 on August 19, 2013, 07:32:49 PM
Free streaming of the game  is available on the Big Sky website if you register.

Are you sure that the online streaming is free? There's seem to be a purchase option that will pop up about 10 to 15 minutes before game time.

This is what it said when I clicked on the Valparaiso at North Dakota event which was the first line on the broadcast schedule:


This event may be viewed beginning 10 minutes prior to start time.
Once we have tested the audio and video, and there are no issues, the event becomes "Live".

This generally occurs 10-15 minutes before the scheduled start time. At this time, you will be able to purchase a single event pass. Thank you for joining us here at America One Sports.

http://www.americaonesports.com/upcoming_events.asp?q=v&value=bigsky (http://www.americaonesports.com/upcoming_events.asp?q=v&value=bigsky)

Hutson will play in week one. The All-state kicker did miss two PATs, but he has been solid in practice and should be very dependable. Agreed that Hoffman looked very good in the Brown and Gold game, as did the offensive line.

Quote from: bbtds on August 20, 2013, 03:39:56 AM

Quote from: VU75 on August 19, 2013, 07:32:49 PMFree streaming of the game  is available on the Big Sky website if you register.

Are you sure that the online streaming is free? There's seem to be a purchase option that will pop up about 10 to 15 minutes before game time. This is what it said when I clicked on the Valparaiso at North Dakota event which was the first line on the broadcast schedule:

This event may be viewed beginning 10 minutes prior to start time. Once we have tested the audio and video, and there are no issues, the event becomes "Live". This generally occurs 10-15 minutes before the scheduled start time. At this time, you will be able to purchase a single event pass. Thank you for joining us here at America One Sports. http://www.americaonesports.com/upcoming_events.asp?q=v&value=bigsky (http://www.americaonesports.com/upcoming_events.asp?q=v&value=bigsky)

There is an explanation of how Big Sky Conference TV works and it does say if you register it is free. I guess we'll find out in a little over a week.

Welcome to Big Sky TV.

Click Here to Go to the Big Sky TV Home Page to View Events (http://www.americaonesports.com/bigsky.asp)

The Big Sky Conference has teamed with America One (formerly B2 Networks)  to bring you this season's action. Fans can enjoy all football, volleyball, men's and women's basketball games played in Big Sky venues for free.

Big Sky TV will bring fans more than 400 live events during the 2012-13 campaign.To view a day-by-day Big Sky Conference schedule, please click on the Big Sky channel link below. In order to view games, fans will need to create an account with a username and password. Accounts created last season WILL WORK this season.
Watching a Live Event
Ten minutes prior to the beginning of an event, a green box will appear above toy's scheduled events. When the green box appears, click on the "Click Here to Watch the Event now" and follow the online directions to watch your selection.The boxes will appear on the Big Sky. Fans can log-in or register for an account 10 minutes before an event begins live.
For more viewing tips

americaone.com (http://www.b2tv.com/)

Big Sky TV Schedule (http://www.b2livetv.com/upcoming_events.asp?q=v&value=bigsky)
Customer Support (http://www.b2support.com/)
Make sure to download
Adobe Flash (http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/)
Octoshape (http://octoshape.com/?page=get_octo/get_octo)

Big Sky TV is free.  All the teams simply upload their local production through the AmericaOne site to provide it free for all the fans.  You have to go sign up through the Big Sky TV link.

I suggest you do it sometime soon and test it out because you need to download an Octagon file to see the video.  Even after that it can get kind of weird when logging in.  Sign up, log in and try and watch something on there to make sure you are good to go!

Quote from: VUdad on August 19, 2013, 11:27:36 PMThe unbalanced score from the recent scrimmage happened because the Brown team included all the #1 & 2 players, with 3s & 4s on Gold. The two new RBs made the best impressions--Hall and Conway. Hall is a tank who can cut well, Conway is very fast. The QB Hoffman started to (finally) throw the ball downfield, which opens up the run--which buys time for the QB to throw, and on and on. If that can become habit, the offense will make the long-awaited turnaround. Solid group of athletic receivers, but the returning RBs (Hutson and Baker) are injured, so we're lean in that area. The kicking game is wobbly; two PATs missed. Punting didn't look much better--watch out for those areas to be our Achilles heels this year. For the QBs, Hoffman looked solid. The O line appeared to be improved. The defensive line has some real promise, and size. LBs stuck tackles better than in the past and pursued plays well, and the DBs showed strong speed. Still need better coverage decisions, though, to avoid those costly big plays that have killed us in previous years. And a decent showing in the stands.

I also attended the game but came away unsure what to think about this years team.  With the 1 and 2's playing the 3 and 4's talent evaluation is nearly impossible.  I think the team would have benefitted from a more balanced team split than the offense walking up and down the field and the defense playing a limited play selection offense because of youth and inexperience.

I remember trying to get Big Sky's streaming boondoggle working for their conference tourney (basketball) and it took an unreasonable amount of time to get it set up and working.

Quote from: willy on August 21, 2013, 09:53:03 AMThe unbalanced score from the recent scrimmage happened because the Brown team included all the #1 & 2 players, with 3s & 4s on Gold. The two new RBs made the best impressions--Hall and Conway. Hall is a tank who can cut well, Conway is very fast. The QB Hoffman started to (finally) throw the ball downfield, which opens up the run--which buys time for the QB to throw, and on and on. If that can become habit, the offense will make the long-awaited turnaround. Solid group of athletic receivers, but the returning RBs (Hutson and Baker) are injured, so we're lean in that area. The kicking game is wobbly; two PATs missed. Punting didn't look much better--watch out for those areas to be our Achilles heels this year. For the QBs, Hoffman looked solid. The O line appeared to be improved. The defensive line has some real promise, and size. LBs stuck tackles better than in the past and pursued plays well, and the DBs showed strong speed. Still need better coverage decisions, though, to avoid those costly big plays that have killed us in previous years. And a decent showing in the stands.

Are you guys running the same offense as the past few years?  I have seen some highlights and it looks like a shotgun-spread type of look with 3-4 receivers?  Didn't know if they changed because with all the new additions to the offensive staff.

That has been correct over the last few years, so it is probably true for this year as well.  Honestly, you won't see us much on offense throughout the game  :)

The word coming out of media day is that we have added some additional solid running backs so perhaps (and that is a big perhaps!) we will see an attempt to run the ball in hopes that it will allow more down field throws and not require all the quick hits we've employed over the last few years.  We'll know shortly... ???

A tidbit from one of Coach Carlson's quotes or Tweets indicated that with a new OC that the offense has seen some new "adjustments" (my word, not his). Still probably will be in the Pistol, but there are different versions of that around the country so the flavor may have changed.

Quote from: willy on August 21, 2013, 09:53:03 AMI also attended the game but came away unsure what to think about this years team.  With the 1 and 2's playing the 3 and 4's talent evaluation is nearly impossible.  I think the team would have benefitted from a more balanced team split than the offense walking up and down the field and the defense playing a limited play selection offense because of youth and inexperience.

I was not there, but was thinking the same thing.  I'm not a coach, but I would have put in the 3rd or 4th O-Line with the 1st team backfield for some series.  Likewise switch out D-Line, linebackers and secondary to see how well the defense or offense adjusts.

To the UND Guy:

Quote from: UND Guy on August 21, 2013, 10:52:40 AM

Quote from: willy on August 21, 2013, 09:53:03 AMThe unbalanced score from the recent scrimmage happened because the Brown team included all the #1 & 2 players, with 3s & 4s on Gold. The two new RBs made the best impressions--Hall and Conway. Hall is a tank who can cut well, Conway is very fast. The QB Hoffman started to (finally) throw the ball downfield, which opens up the run--which buys time for the QB to throw, and on and on. If that can become habit, the offense will make the long-awaited turnaround. Solid group of athletic receivers, but the returning RBs (Hutson and Baker) are injured, so we're lean in that area. The kicking game is wobbly; two PATs missed. Punting didn't look much better--watch out for those areas to be our Achilles heels this year. For the QBs, Hoffman looked solid. The O line appeared to be improved. The defensive line has some real promise, and size. LBs stuck tackles better than in the past and pursued plays well, and the DBs showed strong speed. Still need better coverage decisions, though, to avoid those costly big plays that have killed us in previous years. And a decent showing in the stands.

Are you guys running the same offense as the past few years?  I have seen some highlights and it looks like a shotgun-spread type of look with 3-4 receivers?  Didn't know if they changed because with all the new additions to the offensive staff.

Our offense sets seem to remain unchanged year to year. The play executed, though, depends a lot on the read made by the QB. For that reason, the offense can change quite a bit. And for that reason, it hasn't changed a lot in the past couple years. if the game rhythm changes though, the reads should change. Giving the ball to Hutson more would change the predictability. Letting the new RB Hall carry it when Hutson is out and the defense thinks "pass" will change the rhythm too. If our defense doesn't give up as many long plays, keeps their offense on the field longer, and doesn't allow a huge score gap to exist at the end of the first quarter, the rhythm changes. You read it here first...

OK, one more day to get your votes in for 2013 Football season projections!

Voting is over.  How many want to change their vote?

I am still good with my 3-4 wins prediction.  We haven't ever played well against the scholarship or Ivy League programs, even when we had good teams.  I remember getting blown out by Yale at the Yale Bowl when I was in school, which I believe was one of the years we won the PFL.

Just did some quick math...the winning percentage under this staff is......6%.  :o Enough said.

Quote from: milanmiracle on September 03, 2013, 11:16:04 AM
Just did some quick math...the winning percentage under this staff is......6%.  :o Enough said.

To get to where Stacy Adams was after 4 seasons, wait this staff can't get there - they would need 12 more wins this season!  To get to Adams' record after five seasons (after which he was fired), Carlson would need to win 13 more games over this season and next year.  Tough to do.

To get to where Tom Horne was after five years (winning percentage wise), Carlson needs to win 9 more games over this year and next.  To do that we can't give up long scoring plays from scrimage or every time we kick or punt the ball. 

:o Enough said.

You have to take into account that Adams' record should reflect the first 1-2 seasons of Carlson's Valpo career as well.  We were definitely getting worse with him at the helm, which led to the state we are in now.

I just looked up some facts from the record book.  Over the last 14 years and three coaches, Valpo has played scholarship teams 8 times with an average result of losing 58-5, including losses
to Tenn Tech 62-10 in 2002, Murray State 34-0 in 2003 (when we last won the PFL), ND State 52-0, SD State 69-6, Western Illinois 45-0, YSU 77-13 and 59-0, and of course North Dakota 69-10.

The combined record over those 14 seasons is 41-104--to date.

I can live with mediocrity--say, 5-6 but not 1-10.  Of bigger concern is not the beatings administered by the bigger schools, it is much more important.  How have we done against BUTLER ?!!  Beat Butler and the season is a success--period.  So, let's take a look at the results:  In 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2007 we won!  That's 4-9 with this season's game to come. Of as much importance are the scores.  If we lose 25-21 like in 2003, that's one thing.  If we lose 48-0 like in 2010, that is quite another.  Over Carlson's first three seasons we averaged losing to Butler 49-10!!  Humiliating.

I am now firmly on board to fire the entire football staff if we aren't at least competitive with Butler this year and, win at least 4 games.  Enough is enough.   :'(

Agree! Too bad it wasn't done last year. Of note,Sagarin has VU listed at 246. More positive is the fact that our beloved Clemson Tigers are ranked 4/5 by AP and USA TODAY. USC is just behind at 6/6. GO COCKS! :thumbsup:

We've actually played a lot more scholarship teams in the last 14 years. My friend 72 is pointing out the top teams we've played, but St. Joe's, Duquesne, Marian and a few others have had scholarship players.

Quote from: chef on September 03, 2013, 03:04:06 PM
We've actually played a lot more scholarship teams in the last 14 years. My friend 72 is pointing out the top teams we've played, but St. Joe's, Duquesne, Marian and a few others have had scholarship players.

Great point chef. I was focused on the "big boys" not D2s or partial teams.  Way over my pay grade!

One other point to make when comparing coaches records - Dale has clearly had the toughest scheduling for two reasons. First off, when Tom coached there were many years that we played 5 PFL games and 5 non-conference. Among the 5 non-conference games were at least 3 teams that were either DIII or sub-par NAIA schools. Stacy had 4 non-conference games many years and they also consisted of many poor football schools. Dale has not had a single Wisconsin Lutheran, Concordia, Kalamazoo or Aurora on the schedule. Truth is if you look back at the last 30 plus years, it's been a real struggle for Valpo football. Outside of 2000 and 2003, the majority of wins came against pretty poor football teams.

Quote from: chef on September 03, 2013, 09:23:31 PM
One other point to make when comparing coaches records - Dale has clearly had the toughest scheduling for two reasons. First off, when Tom coached there were many years that we played 5 PFL games and 5 non-conference. Among the 5 non-conference games were at least 3 teams that were either DIII or sub-par NAIA schools. Stacy had 4 non-conference games many years and they also consisted of many poor football schools. Dale has not had a single Wisconsin Lutheran, Concordia, Kalamazoo or Aurora on the schedule. Truth is if you look back at the last 30 plus years, it's been a real struggle for Valpo football. Outside of 2000 and 2003, the majority of wins came against pretty poor football teams.

Fair enough, but, remember our record against Butler is still 4-9 over the last 13 and most recently the losses have been an embarrassment.  Just sayin...

Believe it or not, Valpo lost 13 straight times to Butler from 1981 - 1993, and then beat them 7 straight years. A lot of our success over Butler correlated with their program going down the tubes. Credit to Butler for really turning things around in recent years. The Valpo hierarchy sees how the Bulldogs have turned their program around and strives to do the same.

Wittenberg,a D111 school is playing at Butler this weekend. A pre-season top 10 pick, the tigers should maul the bulldogs. Sure hope so. One of my kids is a Witt grad (class of '83) so there is much family interest in the game. GO TIGERS! :thumbsup:

Quote from: chef on September 03, 2013, 09:23:31 PMOne other point to make when comparing coaches records - Dale has clearly had the toughest scheduling for two reasons. First off, when Tom coached there were many years that we played 5 PFL games and 5 non-conference. Among the 5 non-conference games were at least 3 teams that were either DIII or sub-par NAIA schools. Stacy had 4 non-conference games many years and they also consisted of many poor football schools. Dale has not had a single Wisconsin Lutheran, Concordia, Kalamazoo or Aurora on the schedule. Truth is if you look back at the last 30 plus years, it's been a real struggle for Valpo football. Outside of 2000 and 2003, the majority of wins came against pretty poor football teams.

OK what are the two reasons?  The fact that he has has had a tougher schedule is in fact true and an indictment of an apparent cluelessness to our level of talent. When you are as down as we are you schedule some wins. Think about this, if Stetson wins this weekend they will have accomplished in two games what we have done in 3+ years.  Partly because they scheduled victories.  Why does IU play Indiana State? 

Quote from: setshot on September 04, 2013, 07:51:18 AM
Wittenberg,a D111 school is playing at Butler this weekend. A pre-season top 10 pick, the tigers should maul the bulldogs. Sure hope so. One of my kids is a Witt grad (class of '83) so there is much family interest in the game. GO TIGERS! :thumbsup:

Interesting.  Wittenberg has always had a good program and Valpo is 2-5 all time against them.  Remember, the PFL is essentially D3 so it should be a good game.

Quote from: IndyValpo on September 04, 2013, 08:15:42 AMOK what are the two reasons? 

Valpo is currently playing less non-conference games than in the past, and the overall quality of non-conference opponent is better than in the past. I really don't think scheduling Wisconsin Lutheran and Concordia would help improve our program. You can argue it would be great to get a win or two in the non-conference. In the long run did scheduling those teams in the past improve the program. There's no evidence to support that.

chef, I feel that most of those games against Wisconsin Lutheran and Concordia were meant to bulk up Horne's record, and to give the players a confidence they couldn't hold on to long enough to build from. The schedules since Carlson came in have been tougher, and for some of these players, the schedules might  be tougher than the schedules they played in high school, where they played the same teams every season, whether good, subpar, or horrible. This might be the first real tough schedules some of these players have seen since they were in youth football just learning the game.

Quote from: chef on September 04, 2013, 10:52:08 AMI really don't think scheduling Wisconsin Lutheran and Concordia would help improve our program. You can argue it would be great to get a win or two in the non-conference. In the long run did scheduling those teams in the past improve the program. There's no evidence to support that.

Does a win improve the program?  I guess most people would say yes.  Does it solve our problems, of course not but it would be hard to argue that the current approach has improved the program. 

Why does North Dakota play us?  Why does Oregon play Nicholls State?  If the big boys are allowed a no brainer victory I do not see why we are not.  If nothing else it would have given Carlson a better record as he looks for his next job. 

Quote from: IndyValpo on September 04, 2013, 08:15:42 AMThink about this, if Stetson wins this weekend they will have accomplished in two games what we have done in 3+ years.  Partly because they scheduled victories.

Stetson beat Warner University 31-3. I'm not sure Valpo has the defense to beat anyone 31-3. Good thing we don't have to play Stetson this season.

EDIT: Warner was also playing it's inaugural football game so I'd say going in nobody knew who was favored. The game had to be postponed till Sunday due to heavy storms with lightning on Saturday night.

A win might give a program some confidence, but a win against a school like Wisconsin Lutheran or Concordia can lead to be a major case of regression, once you play a team like Drake, Jacksonville, Dayton, than it could to help a program grow and play good football regularly.

Quote from: historyman on September 04, 2013, 12:44:12 PMEDIT: Warner was also playing it's inaugural football game so I'd say going in nobody knew who was favored. The game had to be postponed till Sunday due to heavy storms with lightning on Saturday night.

They play Florida Tech this week, also in their first season.

Quote from: valporun on September 04, 2013, 12:53:17 PM
A win might give a program some confidence, but a win against a school like Wisconsin Lutheran or Concordia can lead to be a major case of regression, once you play a team like Drake, Jacksonville, Dayton, than it could to help a program grow and play good football regularly.

You're kidding, right. Why would 90% of D1 play a cupcake but if we did it we would regress.  You're kidding, right.

I'm not kidding, considering the pattern of VU playing a cupcake because 96% of the time, we do regress. The major FBS schools don't regress because they have the scholarship talent. We have your average joe that wants to play football and get an education too. If you don't want to believe me, IndyValpo, I'm not going to stop you, since you already don't agree with me.

Quote from: valporun on September 04, 2013, 01:31:01 PMI'm not kidding, considering the pattern of VU playing a cupcake because 96% of the time, we do regress

Example, please

Quote from: IndyValpo on September 04, 2013, 01:26:18 PM

Quote from: valporun on September 04, 2013, 12:53:17 PM
A win might give a program some confidence, but a win against a school like Wisconsin Lutheran or Concordia can lead to be a major case of regression, once you play a team like Drake, Jacksonville, Dayton, than it could to help a program grow and play good football regularly.

You're kidding, right. Why would 90% of D1 play a cupcake but if we did it we would regress.  You're kidding, right.

I guess I agree with Indy on this one. When we look back and compare records for various coaches, we never discuss strength of schedule.  Did we win or not?  Obviously the bigs want a few patsies on their schedule to help getting to 6 and gain a bowl bid.  In our case a win or two would very well help the kids gain some self respect versus giving up 87 points (oh yeah, that was to a conference opponent)

Quote from: vu72 on September 04, 2013, 02:00:47 PM

Quote from: IndyValpo on September 04, 2013, 01:26:18 PM

Quote from: valporun on September 04, 2013, 12:53:17 PMA win might give a program some confidence, but a win against a school like Wisconsin Lutheran or Concordia can lead to be a major case of regression, once you play a team like Drake, Jacksonville, Dayton, than it could to help a program grow and play good football regularly.

You're kidding, right. Why would 90% of D1 play a cupcake but if we did it we would regress.  You're kidding, right.

I guess I agree with Indy on this one. When we look back and compare records for various coaches, we never discuss strength of schedule.  Did we win or not?  Obviously the bigs want a few patsies on their schedule to help getting to 6 and gain a bowl bid.  In our case a win or two would very well help the kids gain some self respect versus giving up 87 points (oh yeah, that was to a conference opponent)

I have to agree with Indy and vu72. I think the biggest thing this current team needs is some victories.

Would we win more games in the PFL if we had Wisconsin Lutheran on the schedule instead of North Dakota? Would our program get better each year if we scheduled Wisconsin Lutheran instead on North Dakota? I don't think anybody knows the answer for sure, but the Valpo hierarchy would answer no to both questions.

Tough question:  Does a team gain more confidence playing a "lesser" opponnent and winning or going toe to toe with a "greater" opponent and losing (many times badly)?

My thought is that the answr lies between the two.  I believe we should be scheduling FSC scholarship schools; however, we should be doing it with a view towards realistic competition.  By that I mean, schedule the bottom dwellers of the FCS conferences, not the nationally ranked or even middle of these leagues.  The appeal is that we have a better chance of pulling an upset and the bottom dweller has a better chance of putting a W on their record while actually being forced to compete.  Either that or focus on the NEC, where they do have scholarships, but not at the level of the Big Sky and the MVFC.


Having said that, I realize that some contracts are written years in advance and even down teams this year could be champions three years from now when we would be due to play them.

Quote from: valporun on September 04, 2013, 10:56:54 AM
chef, I feel that most of those games against Wisconsin Lutheran and Concordia were meant to bulk up Horne's record, and to give the players a confidence they couldn't hold on to long enough to build from. The schedules since Carlson came in have been tougher, and for some of these players, the schedules might  be tougher than the schedules they played in high school, where they played the same teams every season, whether good, subpar, or horrible. This might be the first real tough schedules some of these players have seen since they were in youth football just learning the game.

I don't think the schedule was ever manipulated to 'bulk up' any coaches record.  In the early 1990's the NCAA made it mandatory that if you wanted to be Division I for basketball, you needed to be Division I for all sports.  Valpo, along with a few other like minded schools, developed the Pioneer Football League, with the teams being non-scholarship in principle.  The initial years were learning for all teams - how to schedule, whom to schedule, etc.  The Wis Lutheran and Concordia games were the same level that Valpo was playing for 2-3 decades before the PFL.  We still scheduled these teams, because that is who we were used to playing.  In comes Coach Carlson, with an increased PFL schedule (= less OOC games against less than Divsion I teams), an increased desire by Valpo and the PFL to play more Division I teams (leading up to the PFL auto bid to I-AA playoffs - I still can't use FCS easily), and a decreased level of talent on campus (presumably).  The schedule was just who we were able to get games with, especially with a limited travel radius for home and away series.

Another poster mentioned that Carlson's first few years should be somewhat credited to Stacey Adams.  I somewhat disagree.  In Adams' five seasons, the team gave up 40 or more points in 20 games, including only twice in his final (1 and 10) season.  Carlson's teams have given up 40 or more points in 22 games in his first three seasons.  The Carlson system appears to be: give the opponents 45 points, then hope and pray they let us score more!

With two games to go last season, I posted the records of Horne, Adams and Carlson, with respect to less than Division I, PFL, and overall:

Coach   < Div I      PFL     Overall
Horne   36-41-1   28-51   67-101-1
Adams     9-8       6-31    15-40
Carlson    0-4       2-20     2-29
         
Horne – minus first 3 years   34-18   28-47   65-74

Horne's first three years mirror that of Carlson, with the caveat that Horne arguably inherited a worse team.  Adams' last team was -223 for Points For/Against difference, with Carlson's following teams at -414, -323, and -294 respectively.  Koch's last year was -396, with Horne's first three years at -331, -273 and -169 respectively.  Horne's teams were getting better, but the record wasn't showing it yet.  Carlson's teams don't appear to be getting better, and in my mind he needs to win 4 or 5 games this year to continue. 

Bottom line - the schedule is somewhat tougher now than 20 years ago.  We need to be competitive in the PFL, which we have not been since 1997 thru 2000 and 2003.  The Valpo PFL records from those 5 seasons should be the norm. 

Quote from: IndyValpo on September 04, 2013, 08:15:42 AM

Quote from: chef on September 03, 2013, 09:23:31 PMOne other point to make when comparing coaches records - Dale has clearly had the toughest scheduling for two reasons. First off, when Tom coached there were many years that we played 5 PFL games and 5 non-conference. Among the 5 non-conference games were at least 3 teams that were either DIII or sub-par NAIA schools. Stacy had 4 non-conference games many years and they also consisted of many poor football schools. Dale has not had a single Wisconsin Lutheran, Concordia, Kalamazoo or Aurora on the schedule. Truth is if you look back at the last 30 plus years, it's been a real struggle for Valpo football. Outside of 2000 and 2003, the majority of wins came against pretty poor football teams.

OK what are the two reasons? The fact that he has has had a tougher schedule is in fact true and an indictment of an apparent cluelessness to our level of talent. When you are as down as we are you schedule some wins. Think about this, if Stetson wins this weekend they will have accomplished in two games what we have done in 3+ years. Partly because they scheduled victories. Why does IU play Indiana State?

In reality, wouldn't you consider William Jewell as a cupcake and a gimme win?  I will not include St. Joe as one - they have partial scholarship players.

Quote from: VULB#62 on September 04, 2013, 06:15:00 PMTough question: Does a team gain more confidence beating a "lesser" opponnent and winning or going toe to toe with a "greater" opponent and losing (many times badly)? My thought is that the answr lies between the two. I believe we should be scheduling FSC scholarship schools; however, we should be doing it with a view towards realistic competition. By that I mean, schedule the bottom dwellers of the FCS conferences, not the nationally ranked or even middle of these leagues. The appeal is tht we have a better cahnmce of pulling an upset and the bottom dweller has a better chance of putting a W on their record while actually being forced to compete. Either that or focus on the NEC, where they do have scholarships, but not at the level of the Big Sky and the MVFC. Having said that, I realize that some contracts are written years in advance and even down teams this year could be champions three years from now when we would be due to play them.

Please note:  we face FCS scholarship schools also to grab a nice payout.  Remember, a reason Valpo has football is to bring in 100 young men to enroll there.  At $40k a pop, that's $4M revenue (minus academic scholarships).

Quote from: usc4valpo on September 04, 2013, 08:28:05 PM

Quote from: VULB#62 on September 04, 2013, 06:15:00 PMTough question: Does a team gain more confidence beating a "lesser" opponnent and winning or going toe to toe with a "greater" opponent and losing (many times badly)? My thought is that the answr lies between the two. I believe we should be scheduling FSC scholarship schools; however, we should be doing it with a view towards realistic competition. By that I mean, schedule the bottom dwellers of the FCS conferences, not the nationally ranked or even middle of these leagues. The appeal is tht we have a better cahnmce of pulling an upset and the bottom dweller has a better chance of putting a W on their record while actually being forced to compete. Either that or focus on the NEC, where they do have scholarships, but not at the level of the Big Sky and the MVFC. Having said that, I realize that some contracts are written years in advance and even down teams this year could be champions three years from now when we would be due to play them.

Please note:  we face FCS scholarship schools also to grab a nice payout.  Remember, a reason Valpo has football is to bring in 100 young men to enroll there.  At $40k a pop, that's $4M revenue (minus academic scholarships).

I don't really think you intended to offer an excuse for poor play via getting guys on campus paying 40k, did you?  I doubt it.  The reality is that all PFL teams have the same situation and benefit from having men on campus.  As an example, Butler has now slid to 40/60 male to female ratio.  Clearly having the football team and its members is a plus for a variety of reasons.  However, for whatever reason, we seem to be attracting the top students who aren't such great football players.  Or, is it something else??  :crazy:

William Jewell is a NCAA DII school. They were a longtime NAIA school, but now compete in the GLVC with St. Joe's. The game this Saturday should be competitive as should the game against William Jewell. The top teams in the PFL have faired well in recent years against middle of the road DII schools. I'm not saying we're a top PFL team, but when I looked at the schedule months ago I thought we'd have a shot versus St. Joe's and William Jewell and I still feel that way.

Quote from: vu72 on September 04, 2013, 08:42:31 PM

Quote from: usc4valpo on September 04, 2013, 08:28:05 PM

Quote from: VULB#62 on September 04, 2013, 06:15:00 PMTough question: Does a team gain more confidence beating a "lesser" opponnent and winning or going toe to toe with a "greater" opponent and losing (many times badly)? My thought is that the answr lies between the two. I believe we should be scheduling FSC scholarship schools; however, we should be doing it with a view towards realistic competition. By that I mean, schedule the bottom dwellers of the FCS conferences, not the nationally ranked or even middle of these leagues. The appeal is tht we have a better cahnmce of pulling an upset and the bottom dweller has a better chance of putting a W on their record while actually being forced to compete. Either that or focus on the NEC, where they do have scholarships, but not at the level of the Big Sky and the MVFC. Having said that, I realize that some contracts are written years in advance and even down teams this year could be champions three years from now when we would be due to play them.

Please note: we face FCS scholarship schools also to grab a nice payout. Remember, a reason Valpo has football is to bring in 100 young men to enroll there. At $40k a pop, that's $4M revenue (minus academic scholarships).

I don't really think you intended to offer an excuse for poor play via getting guys on campus paying 40k, did you? I doubt it. The reality is that all PFL teams have the same situation and benefit from having men on campus. As an example, Butler has now slid to 40/60 male to female ratio. Clearly having the football team and its members is a plus for a variety of reasons. However, for whatever reason, we seem to be attracting the top students who aren't such great football players. Or, is it something else?? :crazy:

chef:  If you have read my previous posts for  which  have I taken critique to being too critical , there is no way I treat this is an excuse to a very bad situation.  I have just come to the conclusion that Valpo has football  to  bring in revenue.  It is all I can really conclude on this.  At this time, the university does not care about the success of this football program, other than to bring in students.  As long as players pay their way to play, they are pleased.  I see it similar right now to the Astros making a $90M profit for a team that is 45 games under .500.  If they really care, changes would have been made.

I promise you the university cares about the success of the program. Why do you think Stacy Adams was fired? He brought in players (students). He was a hard working good employee who handle things with class. Nobody had a problem with Stacy as a person. However, he didn't win and clearly the program regressed during his years as head coach. Thus he was replaced. I haven't had a discussion with him about the subject, but I'm sure Dale Carlson knows he needs to win, or at least show clear improvement.

Quote from: setshot on September 04, 2013, 07:51:18 AM
Wittenberg,a D111 school is playing at Butler this weekend. A pre-season top 10 pick, the tigers should maul the bulldogs. Sure hope so. One of my kids is a Witt grad (class of '83) so there is much family interest in the game. GO TIGERS! :thumbsup:

Oh, maybe I need to cheer on the other Lutheran U against Butler.

Quote from: setshot on September 04, 2013, 07:51:18 AM
Wittenberg,a D111 school is playing at Butler this weekend. A pre-season top 10 pick, the tigers should maul the bulldogs. Sure hope so. One of my kids is a Witt grad (class of '83) so there is much family interest in the game. GO TIGERS! :thumbsup:

Butler will win by at least 14.

Quote from: bbtds on September 05, 2013, 05:11:55 PM

Quote from: setshot on September 04, 2013, 07:51:18 AM
Wittenberg,a D111 school is playing at Butler this weekend. A pre-season top 10 pick, the tigers should maul the bulldogs. Sure hope so. One of my kids is a Witt grad (class of '83) so there is much family interest in the game. GO TIGERS! :thumbsup:

Oh, maybe I need to cheer on the other Lutheran U against Butler.

You may be on to something.  I'm not sure Valpo or Butler is up to playing Wittenberg but why not explore the obvious Lutheran/Lutheran interest by playing better football programs like Capital, Augsburg, Concordia Morehead or maybe St. Olaf?  These schools play high level D3 and would give us a battle, no doubt.  At the same time we can  renew, effectively, the old basketball traditon of inviting three other Lutheran schools to campus so we could beat on them! If we made it a tradition of playing one Lutheran school on the football field, obviously we would host, as the D1.  We could call it the "Luther Cup" and award the annual trophy or inscribe  their name on the permanent trophy.  I like it!   ;D
[/b]

Quote from: chef on September 04, 2013, 05:29:00 PM
Would we win more games in the PFL if we had Wisconsin Lutheran on the schedule instead of North Dakota? Would our program get better each year if we scheduled Wisconsin Lutheran instead on North Dakota? I don't think anybody knows the answer for sure, but the Valpo hierarchy would answer no to both questions.

So here's the question...is the program better now? It's two Campbell wins away from being one of the worst teams in the HISTORY of D1 football. Having some of the scores roll across ESPN is downright damaging to the university. The worst debacle was vs. a conference opponent, and that can't necessarily be avoided (I still 100% blame Dale Carlson for letting that happen, but I digress). There are no positives by being crushed in public. The song "I think I can beat Mike Tyson" pops into my head...

I think you need to teach kids how to win, and that's not done by getting your brains beat in by vastly superior opponents.

Would Valpo face opponets like North Dakota and Youngstown State because of the experience of playing a higher tier FCS school, play in a bigger stadium and getting a nice payout?

Also, if Valpo is an FCS, shouldn't they at least stay a little competitive against teams like this?  For example, look at Dayton last weekend against Youngstown State, and San Diego against Cal Poly.

I agree these these guys need W's, maybe a true ham-and-egger, tomato can game would be good for them - in the shortterm.  But overall, if you an FCS team (scholarship or non-scholarship), you need to play that way.

Quote from: usc4valpo on September 06, 2013, 06:31:25 AMWould Valpo face opponets like North Dakota and Youngstown State because of the experience of playing a higher tier FCS school, play in a bigger stadium and getting a nice payout?

Also, if Valpo is an FCS, shouldn't they at least stay a little competitive against teams like this?  For example, look at Dayton last weekend against Youngstown State, and San Diego against Cal Poly.

I agree these these guys need W's, maybe a true ham-and-egger, tomato can game would be good for them - in the shortterm.  But overall, if you an FCS team (scholarship or non-scholarship), you need to play that way.

Crawl before you walk, walk before you run.  Being competitive against scholarship FCS programs is running.   Are we even crawling yet?

Well, it is crawl time tomorrow and next Saturday, and Valpo is facing backto back ham and egger Division II opponents, and as a Division I FCS team they should be at least competitive and possibly win.  If they look crappy after this, then all excuses need to be put to rest.  Hopefully, there will be some progress and some W's.

Very fair and true statement. Valpo needs to be competitive against middle of the road DII teams. Everybody understands that. Let's see what happens over the next 8 days.

Chef, thanks for keeping the conversation sane.

Quote from: FWalum on September 06, 2013, 03:42:02 PM
Chef, thanks for keeping the conversation sane.

As one of the posters on this forum who might get riled up a bit, I too appreciate Chef's sanity on most topics. Thanks!

Very good conclusion chef.

However, there is not high level of insanity was going on in this discussion.  Sure we have disagreement, and as humans beings we should.  We cannot always agree and sing and work together and have the great leader in Sidney Poitier building the chapel in the great movie "Lillies of the Field."  I agree totally with chef - these next 2 games are important in a lot of ways.  But I will disagree with chef that Valpo has insufficient committment to football and that they use it to bring in students and bring in needed revenue.  I am not sure why that is an insane comment.  What actions are being made in the adminisitration to support a FCS Division I non-scholarship football program? 

If Valpo loses the next two games the final solution to our problem should be:DROP FOOTBALL! :'(

Quote from: setshot on September 07, 2013, 09:57:58 AM
If Valpo loses the next two games the final solution to our problem should be:DROP FOOTBALL! :'(

The money grab is too much for Valpo to ever drop football, so let's just hope they wake up and smell the coffee. If Valpo can't win the next two games...well, you'll see how interested VU is about a competitive football team.

Quote from: bbtds] on September 05, 2013, 05:11:55 PM

Quote from: setshot on September 04, 2013, 07:51:18 AMWittenberg,a D111 school is playing at Butler this weekend. A pre-season top 10 pick, the tigers should maul the bulldogs. Sure hope so. One of my kids is a Witt grad (class of '83) so there is much family interest in the game. GO TIGERS! :thumbsup:

Oh, maybe I need to cheer on the other Lutheran U against Butler.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=332502086 (http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=332502086)


49-24 Butler over Wittenberg


I don't think Valpo will have much success against Butler in football this year.

Quote from: historyman on September 08, 2013, 12:20:56 PM

Quote from: bbtds] on September 05, 2013, 05:11:55 PM

Quote from: setshot on September 04, 2013, 07:51:18 AMWittenberg,a D111 school is playing at Butler this weekend. A pre-season top 10 pick, the tigers should maul the bulldogs. Sure hope so. One of my kids is a Witt grad (class of '83) so there is much family interest in the game. GO TIGERS! :thumbsup:

Oh, maybe I need to cheer on the other Lutheran U against Butler.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=332502086 (http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=332502086)


49-24 Butler over Wittenberg


I don't think Valpo will have much success against Butler in football this year.

Fixed it for you  ;D

So now what? Valpo was blasted by a FCS scholarship team and then lost to two middling D2 teams. While I don't think firing the coach in the middle of the season is a wise financial decision, I do wonder how you retain a coach who wins only 6% of the time. Decisions will have to be made at the end of the year. I think you'll see how committed Valpo is to winning football.