PFL ANNOUNCES 2013 SCHEDULE

[VULB#62]

Here's the Valpo schedule.  Looks pretty decent.  We don't play any of the really strong teams until late in the season and open at home against Campbell.  With Marist and newbie Mercer there is a possibility of three wins early to build confidence. Morehead lost all their good offensive players to graduation so maybe they could be a win too.  The last four on the other hand.......

VALPARAISO
Sept. 28: Campbell 
Oct. 5: at Marist 
Oct. 12: at Mercer 
Oct. 19: Morehead State 
Oct. 26: at Drake 
Nov. 2: San Diego   
Nov. 9: at Butler 
Nov. 16: Dayton 

We dodged Jacksonville again.

Now that the PFL piece is out, it would be nice to see the first three games scheduled for 2013.  Betting YSU is gone, replaced by maybe U of North Dakota and could be switching out Duquesne for some other NEC school (Robert Morris?). Might be going back to St. Joe's again but might also try another ILL/IND D-II.  Here they are:
Illinois
Quincy
Indiana
Indianapolis
St. Joseph's (Ind.)

[setshot]

May have to drive over to Macon (around 2 hrs.) to see the Crusaders play Mercer. However,if the haven't won at least two games by then f---it!. Carlson's last stand?

[usc4valpo]

Why would Mercer be a gimme?  Haven;t they been planning this team and their facilities pretty well?

I am surprised Carlson did not get the boot, and I think the university needs to held accountable on explaining what their vision is.  They have been rather quiet.

[KL31NY]

All road games non-conference? If so, what does everyone think of only having four home games this season?

[bbtds]

Here's the Valpo schedule.  Looks pretty decent.  We don't play any of the really strong teams until late in the season and open at home against Campbell.  With Marist and newbie Mercer there is a possibility of three wins early to build confidence. Morehead lost all their good offensive players to graduation so maybe they could be a win too.

And with the results we have gotten from Dale Carlson so far all 4 could very easily be losses. What exactly did you see this past season that makes you think Valpo will win even one of these games? Yes, to a team such as Butler or Dayton, this is a decent first 4 games but to a team that has won 2 games in 2 seasons it's still a tough schedule. Just not as tough as the 2012 season.

[IndyValpo]

Sometimes you just shake your head.....no non-conference home games and three road games against scholarship teams is just stupid. WE NEED TO SCHEDULE WINS.  We need to be looking at low level D3 and bad NAIA teams.   More than anything else we need some confidence going into a very favorable early conference season.  Instead we'll have 3 games of getting our heads bashed in.  If some day we improve, we improve our schedule but not now!

Someone with a clue please help us.

[VULB#62]

.......Off topic I believe the first 3 games next year are @St Josephs @North Dakota and @Wagner (New York)...Conference Champ and I believe winners of two games in the playoffs.

If Laura's info is correct (haven't seen an "official" Valpo release), the UND game is a guarantee game so it's definitely got to be an away game. If St. Joe's is on the schedule, it too would be an away game cuz they were at Brown Field in 2012.  Then we have Wagner.  If past scheduling patterns persist, we go there first and they return the visit.  So, if these are the 2013 OOC games, it looks like a 4 game home season is in the cards.   

I know Wagner very well.  I grew up in the NY metro area.  My ex graduated from there, and I was in attendance when Valpo visited Wagner in football in 1971 and tied 14-14.  We beat them the next year at Valpo 34-18.

Here's some background: 
School -- Lutheran heritage but now pretty much non-denominational.  2000 undergrads.  $64.4 mil. endowment.  Located on Staten Island in NYC.  D-I in all sports except FB (D-IAA in football - NEC)
Football -- Long history of football.  Dick Kotite former Giants TE and the Philly Eagles HFC is a graduate.  2012 NEC champs and went to the second round of the FCS tourney after they beat Colgate from the Patriot League. Lost there to Eastern Washington.  They beat Duquesne of the NEC 23-17  (who smashed us 45-17).  Lost their first 3 games before running the table to get to the FCS tourney.  Included in the three losses was a 7-3 loss to FBS Florida Atlantic. 

NOTE:  Currently, the NEC limits the number of athletic scholarships in football to 34 scholarships in an equivalency approach (i.e., the 34 scholarships can be divided among an unlimited number of football student-athletes). They are trending up to a limit of 40 by 2013. The scholarship limit applies to athletically related aid only. Institutions are permitted to provide a combination of athletic aid and need based aid/merit aid up to the FCS limit of 63 equivalencies.

With this OOC schedule the only hope for a win is St. Joe's.

[VULB#62]

From the UND athletic site -- Valpo @ UND Wednesday 8/28/13

Background:

School:  11,953 undergrads. $140 mil endowment. Located in Grand Forks ND.  D-I in all sports (except FB - D-IAA) and full member of the Big Sky Conference.

Football: 8th in the Big Sky FB Conference (out of 13 schools). 2012 5 wins and 6 losses. Lost to FBS San Diego State 49-41.  Play indoors in the Alerus Center (12,283 seats).  Home record is 57-10.

NOTE:  Rumors persist that the Big Sky will go FBS by 2014.

[VULB#62]

From the St. Joe's Athletic web site:  Valpo @ St. Joe's 9/7/13 12:00 Noon.

There are 10 days between UND and St. Joe's.  That's favorable.  And so it looks like "Wagner or whomever" will be on either the 14th or the 21st.  That would leave an open weekend to lick wounds on one of those two weekends prior to starting the PFL schedule.  One would hope that "Wagner or whomever" is a home game.  Otherwise the 4 game home schedule and seven road trips is a reality.  Guess we'll just have to stay tuned until either Wagner or Valpo posts their 2013 schedule.

[milanmiracle]

Carlson still has the Davidson game posted on the blog. Beyond embarassing. Take the blog off rather than quitting on it. This whole story is just so sad. Poor coaching, poor leadership, poor planning ...just poor. .........Off topic I believe the first 3 games next year are @St Josephs @North Dakota and @Wagner (New York)...Conference Champ and I believe winners of two games in the playoffs.

Yep, quitting on the blog is pretty rediculous. It's hard to take his little motivational speeches seriously when he can't even man up and finish the season blog.

No out of conference home games, and two of them sure losses. I'll give him the Campbell win, but if they lose the St. Joe game again, another 1 win season is on order.

[historyman]

All road games non-conference? If so, what does everyone think of only having four home games this season?

It would be one less game that I hope to see a better performance from Valpo only to see the team play even worse than the week before which most fans would believe was impossible yet somehow the Crusaders find a way to accomplish.

[VULB#62]

I've been sitting here waiting for a response along that line.  Knew it was coming. Finally got it.  Thx H-man.   

[usc4valpo]

You know, Valpo football is a very interesting story on futility.  I am suprised it has not recevied national attention.

[valporun]

usc, it hasn't received national attention because it's non-scholarship, and not a premiere football school.

[usc4valpo]

Columbia and Prairie View did when they were down like this.  In Sagarin, Valpo has been 246, 246, and 245 the past 3 years.  That is consistent futility.

[valporun]

Didn't they both go about 5-6 years without a win though? We only went 2 years...

[FloridaFootball]

The Wagner game is at Valpo. 

[usc4valpo]

yes run you are correct.

[crusadermoe]

Actually Valpo's futility did draw a national story.   I can't remember the magazine though     Will try to find it.    They put a good spin on it -Valpo's guys were hardworking dedicated good students.   

[crusadermoe]

Found the article      Painful and embarrassing.......especially after 2 more equally bad years and no action taken.
http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/Valparaiso-Crusaders-football-presses-on-in-face-of-huge-adversity-090111

[VULB#62]

The Wagner game is at Valpo.

Thanks Florida.  That completes the picture.  (Bet you were hoping for a game against Stetson).

Here's the (almost) final Valpo 2013 Football Schedule:

VALPARAISO
August 28: @ North Dakota
September 7: @ St.Joe's
September 14: Wagner or Bye
September 21: Bye or Wagner
Sept. 28: Campbell 
Oct. 5: @ Marist 
Oct. 12: @ Mercer 
Oct. 19: Morehead State 
Oct. 26: @ Drake 
Nov. 2: San Diego   
Nov. 9: @ Butler 
Nov. 16: Dayton 

With that a known quantity, there remain TWO UNKNOWNS heading into next fall over which to ruminate low these many months ((presented in my priority order): 

(1a)  A restructuring of the defensive system. And improved coaching on the defense side of the ball to allow the team to stay in games.  Case in Point is next year's NEC opponent who went to the second round of the FCS.  Their average victory margin was PLUS 4.92 points a game with their biggest loss by 21 and their biggest win by 30.  And even against Eastern Washington in round 2, a veteran Big Sky team, they only lost 29-19.  Looking at the same stats for Valpo: Average victory margin MINUS 26.8; biggest loss by 59 (next was 52); biggest (only) win by 20.
(1b)  Mistake Elimination: Improved coaching that drills discipline, control and accountability to eliminate costly mistakes and turnovers
(1c)  Rushing. The realization by the coaches that they have a a talented back to feature and a running game that needs to be crafted and woven firmly into every game plan. Also the realization that to effectively run the spread the QB must also be a rushing threat (see Lancaster and Butler films to support that) and travel to Texas A&M or Kansas State to learn how to make it happen.
(2)  Difference makers. Add a few mature difference makers in the 2013 recruiting class.  Recruit some JC talent and attract some transfers to bolster the kids who are already on campus who show up every day for offseason work and are dedicated to playing football. Two or three immediate starters to offset losses to graduation and to add talent beyond that on both sides of the ball can have a dramatic impact.  CAVEAT:  If 1a-1c are not forthcoming, 2 is rendered moot.

[IndyValpo]

With that a known quantity, there remain TWO UNKNOWNS heading into next fall over which to ruminate low these many months ((presented in my priority order): 

(1a)  A restructuring of the defensive system. And improved coaching on the defense side of the ball to allow the team to stay in games.  Case in Point is next year's NEC opponent who went to the second round of the FCS.  Their average victory margin was PLUS 4.92 points a game with their biggest loss by 21 and their biggest win by 30.  And even against Eastern Washington in round 2, a veteran Big Sky team, they only lost 29-19.  Looking at the same stats for Valpo: Average victory margin MINUS 26.8; biggest loss by 59 (next was 52); biggest (only) win by 20.
(1b)  Mistake Elimination: Improved coaching that drills discipline, control and accountability to eliminate costly mistakes and turnovers
(1c)  Rushing. The realization by the coaches that they have a a talented back to feature and a running game that needs to be crafted and woven firmly into every game plan. Also the realization that to effectively run the spread the QB must also be a rushing threat (see Lancaster and Butler films to support that) and travel to Texas A&M or Kansas State to learn how to make it happen.
(2)  Difference makers. Add a few mature difference makers in the 2013 recruiting class.  Recruit some JC talent and attract some transfers to bolster the kids who are already on campus who show up every day for offseason work and are dedicated to playing football. Two or three immediate starters to offset losses to graduation and to add talent beyond that on both sides of the ball can have a dramatic impact.  CAVEAT:  If 1a-1c are not forthcoming, 2 is rendered moot.

(1a) We must find some DL with size.  With the exception of Collins, who graduates, our linemen are undersized.  I agree some JC help here would be nice.
(1c) Agree and with Cook back we will theoretically have 5 starters back on the OL.
(2) Of course we need to add players just about everywhere except WR. DL with size, a K being two high priorities.  We almost need to retain players.  This team can not afford to have 15-20 players leave.

Has anyone heard of any players leaving?

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Moe, thank you so much for posting that.  It really was excellently written, and it puts a human face to all of the stats and (mostly dreadful) numbers.

Fight on, Valpo.  We'll get there one day.

[IndyValpo]

Found the article      Painful and embarrassing.......especially after 2 more equally bad years and no action taken.
http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/Valparaiso-Crusaders-football-presses-on-in-face-of-huge-adversity-090111

I remember that article, well done.  Interestingly, the writer knew (2 years ago) that this team needed wins yet we continue to schedule unwinnable games.

[crusadermoe]

Point really well taken.   I think I've harped on the "morale" issue caused by early bad losses a few times.      It can't feel good knowing you are being "fed to the lions" for cash when you are already shelling out big tuition money without earning any bucks by playing FB.