2018 Football Non-Game Thread

[valpofb16]

According to sportsratings who ranks all divisions

San Diego: 172
Drake: 296
Dayton: 320
Butler: 335
Valparaiso: 346
Jacksonville: 406
Marist: 430
Stetson: 480
Morehead St: 496
Davidson: 508

FWIW
Youngstown: 81
Montana: 129
Duquesne:209
Campbell: 340
Truman St: 342
Trinity INTL: 609

[usc4valpo]

How will Valpo match up with the Bison in the playoffs?

[VULB#62]

According to sportsratings who ranks all divisions

San Diego: 172
Drake: 296
Dayton: 320
Butler: 335
Valparaiso: 346
Jacksonville: 406
Marist: 430
Stetson: 480
Morehead St: 496
Davidson: 508

FWIW
Youngstown: 81
Montana: 129
Duquesne:209
Campbell: 340
Truman St: 342
Trinity INTL: 609

Three years ago we would have been maybe 507.

[valpofb16]

Agreed, the more I see Truman in rankings the more I am realizing that it is far from a guaranteed win.

Duquesne might be a tad overrated i've seen their conference valued differently throughout.

Youngstown will be much better than Montana last year

our OOC games are much more difficult this year

[usc4valpo]

I am getting fired up to see Valpo play in the FargoDome.

[VUGrad1314]

San Diego makes College Sports Madness list of top FCS Programs at #28.

http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/16462

[VULB#62]

I am getting fired up to see Valpo play in the FargoDome.

No, you're not 

[VUGrad1314]

Valpo nonconference opponent Youngstown State checks in at #27. What's amazing about that is that despite their lofty overall ranking, the Penguins project as only the sixth best team in the MVFC. Given that the occupants of the FargoDome own and run that conference and FCS Football in general I don't know if anyone is terribly excited to face them on their home turf.

http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/16465

[vu72]

685 pounds!

https://twitter.com/i/status/1017835538403995648

[vu72]

Media Day!

http://valpoathletics.com/football/news/2018-19/18345/video-valpo-football-media-day-2018/

[JD24]

Thought it interesting that Coach mentioned only the two QBs and one is being moved along cautiously and typically it seems Coach likes to play 2 QBs during the non-conference schedule.

[VU2014]

Navarro transferred to U of I

https://twitter.com/BarstoolILL/status/1032385838145986567

[JD24]

That's been mentioned more than once over a period of multiple months.

[VULB#62]

Hope the kid sticks at UofI as a walk-on. Tough row to hoe though.  As a xfer he won't see the game field except from the stands or in sweats on the sideline.

[JD24]

Hope the kid sticks at UofI as a walk-on. Tough row to hoe though.  As a xfer he won't see the game field except from the stands or in sweats on the sideline.

Interesting that there are 3 players from Naperville on the roster. One is a WR who attended the same school as Navarro although I don't think they would have attended at the same time since the other WR redshirted at least one season. The other attended a different school but is the QB who threw the pass in the video he posted.

[valpofb16]

Opponents

Week 0:

Duquesne 15, UMass 63

[vu72]

Opponents

Week 0:

Duquesne 15, UMass 63

The Massachusetts offense racked up 572 yards of offense and scored nine touchdowns to win easily, 63-15.

[usc4valpo]

Should be a win against Duquesne as long as they don't overdose on Pierogies and Primanti's....UMass is no NDSU.

[VULB#62]

Remember that UMass is FBS with 85 scholarships. They are not good FBS, but they are FBS. I wouldn't read anything into this score (unless Duquesne lost some players to injury).

[vu72]

Remember that UMass is FBS with 85 scholarships. They are not good FBS, but they are FBS. I wouldn't read anything into this score (unless Duquesne lost some players to injury).

U Mass finished last year ranked #119 in the Sagarins, while Duquesne finished #177 and Valpo #236.  It should be a competitive game but I wouldn't expect anything close to an easy win.

[VULB#62]

Saturday's game marked Duquesne's second matchup with an FBS opponent after facing Buffalo in 2014 and is the first of two contests against FBS foes this season as the Dukes will also travel to Hawaii on Sept. 22.

DU starts a fromer FBS QB (transfer fro FAU)  ....

...... and a preseason FCS A-A RB.
Enters junior campaign in 2018 ranked eighth in school history with 2,329 rushing yards
- Has 23 career rushing touchdowns through two seasons
- Has recorded 13 100-yard rushing performances in two seasons

[usc4valpo]

Teams like NDSU, SDSU and Northern Iowa would destroy UMass. guys, we need to think bigger and  no be cautious to raise expectations.

[JD24]

Teams like NDSU, SDSU and Northern Iowa would destroy UMass. guys, we need to think bigger and  no be cautious to raise expectations.

That's right. They would destroy UMass and are rated accordingly. That has little to do with the fact that, at the same time, the Dukes are more highly rated than any PFL team save San Diego and rightfully so. UMass' rating difference from Duquense is larger than Duqense's is over Valpo. SDSU's rating is much larger over UMass than UMass' over Duquense. So while stating that SDSU would crush UMass is probably accurate, concluding that because UMass beat up on the Dukes means Valpo even wins vs. Dukes makes little sense.

Keep in mind Coach Cecchini's own words in cautioning that the team will not have the luxury of sneaking up on people this season.

[VULB#62]

Teams like NDSU, SDSU and Northern Iowa would destroy UMass. guys, we need to think bigger and  no be cautious to raise expectations.

That's right. They would destroy UMass and are rated accordingly. That has little to do with the fact that, at the same time, the Dukes are more highly rated than any PFL team save San Diego and rightfully so. UMass' rating difference from Duquense is larger than Duqense's is over Valpo. SDSU's rating is much larger over UMass than UMass' over Duquense. So while stating that SDSU would crush UMass is probably accurate, concluding that because UMass beat up on the Dukes means Valpo even wins vs. Dukes makes little sense.

Keep in mind Coach Cecchini's own words in cautioning that the team will not have the luxury of sneaking up on people this season.

They?  NDSU, I would agree. Forget about the others. UMass was an FCS national champion and was a runner up a couple of times as well. And this UMass program now is head and shoulders above that previous level. Don't be deceived. There is s difference between FBS  and FCS.

Having said that, forget the darn UMass score. Duquesne is gonna be one tough game and we are underdogs. Then we go into the YSU grinder. And Jimmy might not even play vs. Duquesne  or YSU (I know I wouldn't play him if he wasn't 100%). As JD 24 said about Cecchini's statement:  we ain't sneaking up on no one.

Upside, we'll have two game tapes to their last year's tape.

[valpofb16]

FWIW Youngstown St leading pass rusher Justus Reed has torn his ACL and will miss the season