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should Valpo bench Appel after that game. We are talking 5 INTs, which is simply unacceptable

No. Two were very ill advised throws into heavy coverage, but two were tipped at the line.  Perhaps those were his fault also but you see those in the pro game all the time.

Nice Torch article on the Access College program.

http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_2172a282-4e5e-11ee-9112-cbfd4ee6e5eb.html

I appreciate explanations above about the need to play a money game to bring $$$ into a cash-starved athletics department. And I realize that teams at every level schedule gimme games, which also means that there's an opponent on the receiving end of that rout.

But building a winning program also includes avoiding beat-down losses, because it stinks for morale and there are very few lessons to be learned other than understanding that you were totally outclassed.

VU had to pump itself up to be ready for a team like Youngstown State, and that showed in their first half performance. But obviously Youngstown reckoned at halftime that they weren't going to blow this game, and the second half was what we might've expected with this matchup.

Next game is not a gimme, to be sure, but a winnable one against a team in a lower division. Our emerging star quarterback tosses 5 interceptions and we lose by 2.

So, after being run over by a ranked FCS full scholarship opponent and losing to a beatable NAIA opponent, you're really not sure what kind of a team you have two games into the season, and doubts may be forming. It doesn't mean the season is lost, but it's not a great place to be psychologically.

David, if it makes more sense, consider 2003, the last time we won the PFL Championship and were quarterbacked by Hall of Famer David Macchi. That year, we opened the season playing FCS Murray State--no doubt, for a buy game.  We lost that one 34-0.

The acceptance rate is one thing but my guess is that students of lower quality just aren't applying as the perception is "it's private and hard" so I won't bother.  The incoming class had a average GPA of 3.72.

This was the worst Appel has played in a Valpo uniform.  The OL is a serious problem, though there were plays where the commentators were very complimentary for opening up big holes.  Just a weird games, though perhaps we were playing against a team as good as any in the Pioneer, who knows.

Wow. Incredible generosity.

Was it a letter to select alumni rather than a news release?  That would make sense I suppose.

No, I'm far from a "select" alumni!  It was an article included in the "Career & Alumni Network Newsletter".  If you aren't getting it I'd contact the alumni office. https://alumni.valpo.edu/s/1347/21/home.aspx

Indeed a huge loss.  I don't see a news release on the website.  I think they funded the Welcome Center and at least one of the faculty chairs. 

This from the announcement:

They made gifts
to endow multiple University chairs, including The Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg
Chair in Religion and the Arts, in Lutheran Music, in Christian Ethics, in the Law
School (repurposed to now support the Lutheran Summer Music Program), and in
French Language and Culture.
Their generosity funded the Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Welcome Center at the
south entrance of campus, and their dedication and drive were instrumental in
creating the Kade-Duesenberg German House and Cultural Center and the
Valparaiso University Center for the Arts. In supporting capital projects, their hope
was for the facilities to assist the public positioning of the University and draw
attention to its Lutheran heritage.
For more than 60 years, Richard and Phyllis served as a driving force in the growth
and success of Valparaiso University. They served as co-chairs of the "Three Goals,
One Promise" capital campaign, which exceeded its goal of $75 million and Honorary
Co-Chairs of Forever Valpo: The Campaign for Our Future, which raised more than
$302 million.

I just saw the notice from the University announcing his death.  He and his wife were among a small handful of the most generous and influential alumni and was a long standing member of the Board until 2006. May he rest in peace.

That puts the average student debt principal at around $32,000 covering a four-year degree program.

Some perspective here.  Let's assume for a moment that David's conclusion of a total student debt of $32,000 is correct.  If so, if you apply a fairly typical 4.5% interest rate and a 10 year payment option (there are longer options), the monthly payment is $330 a month.  Not insignificant.  About half of the typical young person's first car payment.

However, is it too much when analyzing the life long value of a Valpo education?  Getting a BSN or Masters from Nursing, getting a CPA, CFA or CFP from Business, or getting an engineering degree?  How about the slam dunk nature of getting into a graduate or medical school if you are a Christ College grad?

Yes, if puts a burden on a young person that one entering into a trade won't have, but over a lifetime, I doubt the numbers from the various college options versus the non-college choices would be even be close.

The players want to try against these teams as well.  Sure, on the surface one might think--Why would you want to get your butt kicked--but then there is the first half where guys start to think that they "belong".  And coaches would add that the players need to know that if we win the PFL that these type of teams are who we will be facing.

The more obvious reason is a LOT of money.  Particularly last year with the New Mexico State bonus game which brought is what? $400,000?  These funds don't go strictly back into football but rather support the entire athletic department.

I have no knowledge of international student mix but found a video put out by the office of international students, on Facebook, of interest.  This was an interview with a new student this fall, who is a Junior, transfer from Pakistan, who is majoring in Psychology.  Who knew?

Yes, I was overly exited based on a very strong first half.  Guilty as charged!  Having said that, if you take out a few, obvious miscues and look at the game play overall, I would take off a couple of TD's for them (busted 60 yard TD in the first quarter and the blocked punt (should probably include the muffed kick return as well) and you get YSU back to, say, 38, while we add one score for us being on the 1/2 line and getting nothing, so a final looking more like 38-17, as an indication of the overall performances of the two teams.

Lots of guys who had never played a college snap did very solid jobs. I expect a win v. Indiana Wesleyan

As long as it's not 86-7 or whatever from a decade+ ago I'm good , still gonna get ugly IMO. If we score 2+ touchdowns that's a "moral victory"
54-3 YSU

Good thing your were a swimmer and not a football talent analyst!

Observations:

We are one busted play from a tie at half.  YSU is suppose to be one of the best in the Football Valle

Mickey Appel will not finish his career at Valpo.

A fregging exciting game--SO FAR!!  Go Beacons!!

Pretty solid performance.  We'll know more when the Penquins play the Bucleyes next week!

Well, a picture on Facebook from the Office of International Students (or some such title) showed a picture of "new international students" in the Union lobby.  There were clearly over 200 present--that I tried to actually count.  200 X $45,000 tuition, room and meal plan, that's $9,000,000!  That, can cover a lot of discounting!

Someone asked above who was going to be raising the money.


I took a look at the athletics site... is Jake the only fundraiser currently in athletics?

Yes.

Major Addition:

http://www.valpoathletics.com/athletics/news/2023-24/22221/poindexter-joins-valpo-athletics-as-senior-associate-ad-for-student-athlete-welfare-and-compliance/

Here's a link to the full obituary

https://angelcrestinc.com/obituaries/william-r-koch/

I believe he and Bill Steinbrecher were teammates/classmates on the Cigar Bowl team.

The 2 deep lists a backup OL at 195 pounds. I assume this is a typo.

Nope.

There is a picture posted on Facebook of the "new international students". Easily over 200.

is far more attractive to an advertiser like Thrivent which is headquartered in Appleton, WI.

Pretty sure their headquarters are in Minneapolis.  They merged years ago with AAL which was headquartered in Appleton.

Although Cornell Boggs is the only current Valpo grad on the Board, he is the Chairman of same.

VU WSO rebounded from a 1-4 loss at Purdue with a 1-1 draw against Kentucky in Lexington.  Nice recovery ladies.

The Beacons are picked #2 in the MVC and are currently 2-1-1 with the last two games being played against FBS/P5 programs. John is not just fattening up his W-L record with cream puffs.  This is a challenging OOC schedule with only 3 home games and five on the road.

All the while being down a few starters!

I showed this promotion to my wife thinking she would consider it elitist at $1000 per person, but she remarked she'd be surprised if it's not regarded as sexist by some for its concentration on bourbon and cigars, stereotypically associated with exclusively male gatherings.

Always something to complain about as if there is something wrong with an all male gathering or at least one only attractive to males.

Big, though expected, NEWS!!

https://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/news/2023-24/22206/valpo-athletics-hall-of-famer-lubos-barton-returns-to-alma-mater-joins-mens-basketball-staff/?fbclid=IwAR0UV-oQIMCQQ-17pTkQARRL3ybDhcWAPQVF_h84YCrIfaAKVUD7vTVT8sU

I won't bother with the "crusader" comment.

Here is an article which only adds to the enrollment questions. The article says one thing and the attached information from the University says another.  Let's take the Universities numbers as fact:

Again, I presume these include both freshman and transfers which totals 779. I doubt Christ College students would be double counted. If you add another 200 grad students the numbers start to look much better.

https://valpo.life/article/valparaiso-university-welcomes-a-new-class-to-campus/

Oh, and the GPA of 3.72 is impressive as well!

There have always been a few faculty members at Valpo who have pushed for Valpo eliminating sports

I shouldn't even bother responding to such nonsense but I will...22% of our incoming freshman class are athletes.  None would be at Valpo if it weren't for sports and most wouldn't be at Valpo if it wasn't D1.