Inside the numbers: The Citadel’s 2016 run/pass tendencies, 4th-down decision-making, and more (including coin toss data!)

Posted on July 2, 2017 by Sandlapper Spike

In the past, I have written about tendencies in playcalling by the then-coach of the Bulldogs, Mike Houston (and his offensive coordinator, Brent Thompson, who took over as The Citadel’s head coach last season). I compared statistics over a rolling three-year period. Last year, for example, included numbers from Kevin Higgins’ last season in charge and the two years Houston helmed the program.

Now I’m going to take a look at what Thompson did in his first year running the show, and contrast those statistics with those from the 2015 and 2016 seasons for the Bulldogs (with a few exceptions where I don’t have readily available data for the previous campaigns).

My focus in this post will be on the following:

  • down-and-distance run/pass tendencies (for The Citadel and its opponents)
  • yards per play numbers (offense and defense, rushing and passing)
  • certain defensive passing stats (including sacks, hurries, and passes defensed)
  • success in the “red zone” (defined as scoring or preventing touchdowns)
  • plays from scrimmage of 20 yards or more (“big” plays)
  • fourth-down decision-making (for The Citadel and its opponents)
  • situational punting (i.e. punting from inside the opponents’ 40-yard line)
  • the coin toss (of course)

—

I have another post that focuses on assorted “advanced stats”, including success rate, explosiveness, field position, finishing drives, and turnovers — the “five factors” of college football. In that post, I’m also listing some stats related to success on first down and third down, some of which are particularly illuminating with regards to The Citadel.

I decided to split those numbers into a separate post for reasons of clarity, and because I didn’t want this post to rival War and Peace for length. It might be best to read what is to come in sections; I can’t imagine getting through all this in one sitting. I certainly didn’t write it all at once.

—

Most of the statistics that follow are based on conference play, and only conference play. It’s easier and fairer to compare numbers in that way. The bottom line for The Citadel is that its on-field success or failure will be judged on how it does in the Southern Conference, not against Newberry, Presbyterian, or Clemson (this year’s non-league slate).

The conference schedules over the last three years looked like this:

  • The Citadel played seven games in 2014 versus SoCon opposition. The teams in the league that year: Wofford, Western Carolina, Chattanooga, Mercer, Furman, Samford, and VMI.
  • The Bulldogs played seven games in 2015 against SoCon teams. The conference schools competing on the gridiron that year were the same as in 2014: Western Carolina, Wofford, Samford, Furman, Mercer, VMI, and Chattanooga.
  • The Citadel played eight games in 2016 versus Southern Conference opponents. The league schools last year: Mercer, Furman, Western Carolina, Chattanooga, Wofford, East Tennessee State, Samford, and VMI (the additional opponent being ETSU).

—

As I did last year, I’ve put most of the conference-only numbers on a spreadsheet. It may be headache-inducing (there are nine different sub-sheets), but the stats are all there. Individual game statistics in each category are included.

I am reasonably confident in the overall accuracy of the statistics, though I am far from infallible. It would have been much easier if the SoCon had league-only online football statistics, but it doesn’t. C’est la vie.

If someone wants to look at the 2015 stats as well, here is last year’s spreadsheet: Link

—

Some definitions:

– 2nd-and-short: 3 yards or less for a first down
– 2nd-and-medium: 4 to 6 yards for a first down
– 2nd-and-long: 7+ yards for a first down
– 3rd-and-short: 2 yards or less for a first down
– 3rd-and-medium: 3 to 4 yards for a first down
– 3rd-and-long: 5+ yards for a first down

The first number that will follow each down-and-distance category will be the percentage of time The Citadel ran the ball in that situation in 2016. Next to that, in parenthesis, is the run percentage for The Citadel in 2015, and that will be followed by the Bulldogs’ run percentage for that situation in 2014 (which will be in brackets).

For example, when it came to running the ball on first down, the numbers looked like this:

– 1st-and-10 (or goal to go): 86.0% (89.1%) [88.9%]

Thus, The Citadel ran the ball on first down 86.0% of the time last year, while the Bulldogs ran the ball in that situation 89.1% of the time in 2015. The Citadel ran the ball 88.9% of the time on first down during its 2014 campaign.

Overall, the Bulldogs ran the ball 85.6% of the time in 2016, after rushing 86.5% of the time on its 2015 plays from scrimmage, and on 84.3% of all offensive plays in 2014.

Here are the rest of the down-and-distance categories (in terms of rush percentage):

– 2nd-and-short: 94.1% (89.2%) [84.0%]
– 2nd-and-medium: 96.1% (89.8%) [90.2%]
– 2nd-and-long: 83.8% (89.2%) [82.2%]
– 3rd-and-short: 100% (93.1%) [95.5%]
– 3rd-and-medium: 88.5% (82.4%) [90.3%]
– 3rd-and-long: 68.1% (66.0%) [57.4%]

It should be noted that there were a few called pass plays that turned into runs. However, if the result of a play was a sack, that counted as a passing down even if a pass wasn’t thrown. Of course, The Citadel’s offense only suffered one sack all season in league play (at VMI, for six yards).

  • Yes, The Citadel ran the ball on all 28 third-and-short situations in SoCon action last year. In 2015, the Bulldogs ran 27 out of 29 times on third-and-short.
  • The Citadel threw the ball a bit more often on first down against East Tennessee State and VMI. The Bulldogs passed slightly more than normal on second-and-long versus Wofford.
  • Against Chattanooga, The Citadel faced a third-and-long on eleven occasions, but only passed once in that situation (it fell incomplete).
  • After attempting only four passes on second-in-short in conference action in both 2014 and 2015, the Bulldogs only aired it out twice in that situation last season. Both were incomplete. That means over the last three years, The Citadel is 4-10 passing on second-and-short, for 108 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.

—

I’m going to alternate between offensive and defensive statistics in this post. I hope that doesn’t prove too confusing. In this section, therefore, I’m listing what The Citadel’s conference opponents did in down-and-distance situations (but just for the 2016 season). This is information I had not previously compiled, but I thought might prove interesting to a few folks out there.

Overall, league opponents rushed on 49.7% of their plays against The Citadel last year. On first down, conference foes rushed 56.2% of the time. Here are the rest of the down-and-distance categories (in terms of rush percentage):

– 2nd-and-short: 75.9%
– 2nd-and-medium: 47.9%
– 2nd-and-long: 44.8%
– 3rd-and-short: 66.7%
– 3rd-and-medium: 36.4%
– 3rd-and-long: 27.3%

There was quite a bit of variance in these numbers.

Samford, for example, passed on 75% of its plays. The only down-and-distance category in which SU ran more than it passed against The Citadel was on 3rd-and-short. Conversely, Wofford threw the ball just seven times in 65 offensive plays from scrimmage.

All four of The Citadel’s home opponents passed the ball (or attempted to pass) more than they ran it. On the other hand, three of the Bulldogs’ road opponents rushed more than passed (Western Carolina was the exception).

—

  • The Citadel’s offense in 2014 in SoCon action: 75.4 plays per game, 11.0 possessions per game
  • The Citadel’s offense in 2015 in SoCon action: 70.7 plays per game, 11.9 possessions per game
  • The Citadel’s offense in 2016 in SoCon action: 72.1 plays per game, 11.4 possessions per game

*Overtime possessions are not included in any of the conference-only statistics, for the sake of consistency (and avoiding statistical sample size issues).

**I don’t count a drive as an actual possession when it consists solely of a defensive TD via a return, or when it is a defensive turnover that ends the half or game. I also don’t count a drive as a possession when the offensive team does not attempt to move the ball forward (such as a kneel-down situation). That’s how I interpret the statistic, regardless of how it may be listed in a game summary.

Last season, The Citadel had a time of possession edge in SoCon play of over seven minutes (33:41 – 26:19), an increase of almost three minutes from 2015 (32:13 – 27:47), and a two-minute edge over 2014 (32:40 – 27:20).

The Citadel held the ball longer than its opponents on average in three of the four quarters (the second quarter was the exception). The Bulldogs won the TOP battle in the fourth quarter in every game except one (at Wofford).

Nationally (counting all games), the Bulldogs finished second in total time of possession per contest, just behind San Diego (which won the Pioneer League and made the round of 16 in the FCS playoffs).

—

  • The Citadel’s defense in 2015 SoCon play: 65.7 plays per game, 12.0 possessions per game
  • The Citadel’s defense in 2016 Socon play: 57.6 plays per game, 11.4 possessions per game

Against Western Carolina, the Bulldogs’ D was only on the field for 44 plays from scrimmage. The Citadel controlled the ball in a similar fashion versus Chattanooga, only facing 47 offensive plays by the Mocs.

Wofford’s 65 offensive plays from scrimmage (in regulation) were the most run against the Bulldogs’ defense last season, just one more than the 64 by Samford’s offense — perhaps a bit curious, given the diametrically opposite styles of those two teams.

—

Note: while NCAA statistical records count sack yardage against rushing totals, the NFL considers sack yardage as passing yardage lost. I take the NFL’s position on this, so all conference statistics included in this post count sack yardage against passing stats.

  • The Citadel’s offense in 2014 in SoCon games: 5.56 yards per play, including 5.35 yards per rush and 6.8 yards per pass attempt
  • The Citadel’s offense in 2015 in SoCon games: 6.09 yards per play, including 5.57 yards per rush and 9.7 yards per pass attempt
  • The Citadel’s offense in 2016 in SoCon games: 5.58 yards per play, including 5.28 yards per rush and 7.4 yards per pass attempt

The numbers were not as good as the season before, though they do match up well with the 2014 season. While the rushing yards per play may have been down, that wasn’t really the issue.

– 2015 passing for The Citadel in seven conference games: 63 pass attempts for 609 yards (three interceptions)

– 2016 passing for The Citadel in eight conference games: 83 pass attempts for 615 yards (two interceptions)

Twenty more pass attempts, just six more yards receiving. That has to improve in 2017.

—

In this post, I’m also going to take a look at The Citadel’s per-play stats from a national perspective (all of FCS, and including all games, not just conference play). I’ll throw in some statistics from a few FBS teams as well (concentrating on teams of local interest and schools that run the triple option).

The Bulldogs’ offense was just 52nd nationally in yards per play, with a 5.53 average (all games). Sam Houston State’s 7.17 yards per play topped FCS. Samford and Chattanooga were 1-2 in the SoCon.

Western Kentucky led FBS in yards per play, with a 7.65 average. Other FBS teams of interest: Oklahoma (2nd), New Mexico (8th), Navy (11th), Clemson (34th), Air Force (tied for 47th), Army (59th), South Carolina (109th), Rutgers (128th and last).

However, The Citadel’s overall rate of 5.37 yards per rush was 10th-best in FCS (and led the SoCon).

The top two FCS teams in yards per rush were both Big South squads — Charleston Southern (6.02 yards per rush) and Kennesaw State (5.91 yards per rush). Others worth mentioning: Cal Poly (3rd), North Dakota State (4th), James Madison (5th), Gardner-Webb (17th), Chattanooga (21st), Wofford (24th), Western Carolina (38th), Mercer (52nd), Towson (53rd), Lehigh (59th), Furman (60th), Elon (69th), South Carolina State (74th), Samford (87th), ETSU (103rd), VMI (112th out of 122 teams).

New Mexico’s offense led FBS in yards per rush, at 6.61. Navy was 6th, Alabama 8th, Army 12th, Georgia Tech 16th, Air Force 41st, Clemson 73rd, South Carolina 107th, and Texas State 128th and last. That statistical category, and thus the subsequent rankings, counts yardage lost from sacks in its totals, however (this is true for both the FBS and FCS offensive and defensive national statistics/rankings).

—

  • The Citadel’s defense in 2014 in SoCon action: 7.02 yards per play, including 5.69 yards per rush and 9.1 yards per pass attempt
  • The Citadel’s defense in 2015 in SoCon action: 5.07 yards per play, including 3.69 yards per rush and 6.7 yards per pass attempt
  • The Citadel’s defense in 2016 in SoCon action: 4.94 yards per play, including 4.61 yards per rush and 5.3 yards per pass attempt

While yards per rush for opponents was up almost a full yard over 2015, the pass defense more than made up for it. The highlight may have been the game at Western Carolina; once sacks are taken into consideration, the Bulldogs allowed less than one yard per pass attempt in Cullowhee (30 pass attempts/sacks, 26 net yards passing).

—

Nationally in FCS, The Citadel was 49th in defensive yards per play (5.34). Stony Brook (4.18) was tops nationally. Also in the top 10: Jacksonville State (2nd), Charleston Southern (6th), Wofford (7th), and Chattanooga (9th). Western Carolina finished in the bottom 10.

To the shock of nobody, Alabama led all of D-1 in defensive yards per play (3.99). The rest of the FBS top 5 in that category included Michigan, Ohio State, Washington, and Clemson. Others of note: Army (25th, a major reason for its winning season), South Carolina (59th), Air Force (72nd), New Mexico (105th), Navy (109th), and Rice (128th and last).

The Citadel was 53rd in FCS in the national defensive yards/rush category (at 4.15, actually better than its league stats). Central Arkansas (2.29) led the nation, with Colgate, Princeton, Jacksonville State, and Stony Brook rounding out the top 5. Wofford was 9th, Chattanooga 21st, South Carolina State 25th, Charleston Southern 27th, Mercer 38th, Towson 49th, James Madison 51st, Samford 55th, Furman 81st, VMI 84th, ETSU 87th, Liberty 107th, Elon 108th, Western Carolina 115th, and Presbyterian 117th (out of 122 teams).

I think knowing how league (and non-league) opponents rate in this category is instructive, not just in terms of comparing defenses, but in comparing them to how they might succeed (or fail) against The Citadel’s run-heavy offense. Of course, these were last year’s statistics; programs obviously change from year to year.

Alabama only allowed opponents an average of 2.01 yards per rush, far and away the best in FBS (Houston was 2nd, at 2.91). Air Force was 15th, Clemson 24th, Army 34th, Navy 77th, Georgia Tech 86th, New Mexico 88th, and South Carolina 92nd.

California was 128th and last, at 6.15 yards allowed per rush. In related news, Cal now has a new head coach who was formerly a defensive coordinator.

Counting all games, The Citadel allowed 6.9 yards per pass attempt, 52nd nationally in FCS. Before you think “well, take the UNC game away and the average would go way down”, keep in mind that the team that averaged the most yards per pass attempt versus The Citadel last season was…North Greenville (9.9 yards per attempt). That is what happens when your opponent throws two TD passes of 90+ yards.

San Diego ranked first in this particular category (5.31). The teams in the SoCon were ranked as follows: Chattanooga (14th), Wofford (16th), Samford (77th), VMI (85th), East Tennessee State (91st), Mercer (115th), Western Carolina (116th), Furman (117th).

Presbyterian, which travels to Johnson Hagood Stadium in 2017, was 121st overall, only ahead of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Ohio State, Michigan, and Clemson ranked 1-2-3 in yards per pass attempt (defense) in FBS. South Carolina tied for 30th, while Navy was in the bottom 10. Rice was last, just as it was in yards per play.

—

  • The Citadel’s offensive Red Zone touchdown rate in SoCon action, 2014: 66.7%
  • The Citadel’s offensive Red Zone touchdown rate in SoCon action, 2015: 56.3%
  • The Citadel’s offensive Red Zone touchdown rate in SoCon action, 2016: 64.5%

The 2016 campaign proved to be slightly better for the Bulldogs’ offense in this area than in the previous season, though it should be noted the 2015 squad had one more opportunity in the red zone during conference play (32 to 31) despite playing one fewer league game.

The national FCS leader in this category was Idaho State, at 84.6%. When all games are taken into account, The Citadel ranked only 97th (out of 122 FCS teams). The Bulldogs did not fare nearly as well in offensive red zone TD rate outside of league play, only converting 5 of 14 red zone chances into touchdowns in those contests. Thus, the season rate was just 52.1% (though that total includes two “kneel downs” in the red zone that I did not count in the Bulldogs’ league stats).

I think The Citadel should have a goal of converting at least 75% of its red zone opportunities into touchdowns, something that was done by only ten FCS teams last season.

National champion James Madison finished 14th overall in the category, with a 73.1% red zone TD rate. You will probably not be surprised to learn that the Dukes led all of FCS in red zone opportunities. Part of the reason for that is because JMU played 15 games; on the other hand, the Dukes’ 93 trips to the red zone were 22 more than any other team. James Madison had 44 rushing TDs from the red zone, which may be even more impressive.

The top 3 SoCon teams in red zone TD rate were Furman, Samford, and Chattanooga (with the Paladins pacing the league at 72.1%, 17th nationally).

Incidentally, three of the top ten teams in red zone TD% in FBS last year were triple-option teams — Navy, Army, and New Mexico (the Midshipmen led FBS with a 79.7% TD conversion rate).

—

  • The Citadel’s defensive Red Zone touchdown rate in SoCon action, 2014: 60.0%
  • The Citadel’s defensive Red Zone touchdown rate in SoCon action, 2015: 52.2%
  • The Citadel’s defensive Red Zone touchdown rate in SoCon action, 2016: 66.7%

This is one of the very few defensive stats that wasn’t outstanding. However, it is also true the Bulldogs faced fewer trips inside the 20 by their opponents in 2016 than in 2015 (35 to 30) while playing one more conference game (mirroring The Citadel’s offense to a certain extent).

The Citadel’s defense had slightly better numbers when all games are considered; for the complete season, the Bulldogs’ D had a red zone TD rate of 58.3%, tied for 42nd nationally. Another group of Bulldogs, the bunch from Samford, also tied for 42nd overall. That was the best mark among SoCon teams (again, including league and non-league contests in the totals).

As mentioned above, Furman’s offense did a good job converting red zone chances into touchdowns last year. Unfortunately for the Paladins, the same was not true on defense. Furman’s D allowed opponents to score touchdowns in the red zone on 27 of 34 opportunities in 2016, the worse mark (by percentage) in the country.

Grambling State led FCS in the category, with an impressive defensive red zone TD rate of 34.4%. LSU’s defense was the standard-bearer for FBS, with an amazing rate of just 24.3%.

—

  • The Citadel’s offensive 3rd-down conversion rate in SoCon play, 2014: 46.3%
  • The Citadel’s offensive 3rd-down conversion rate in SoCon play, 2015: 50.0%
  • The Citadel’s offensive 3rd-down conversion rate in SoCon play, 2016: 50.4%

In all games last season (not just conference action), the Bulldogs had an offensive 3rd-down conversion rate of 47.7%, which led the SoCon and was ninth nationally. Cal Poly, another triple option playoff team, was the overall leader in that category at 53.6%.

Other FCS teams of interest: James Madison (4th overall), North Dakota State (12th), Mercer (17th), Wofford (31st), Gardner-Webb (34th), Charleston Southern (39th), East Tennessee State (44th), Furman (45th), Chattanooga (47th), Western Carolina (50th), Towson (54th), Liberty (77th), Samford (78th), VMI (94th), South Carolina State (109th), Presbyterian (118th).

Navy led FBS in offensive 3rd-down conversion rate, at 54.5%. P.J. Fleck’s Western Michigan squad was second overall. Air Force was 6th, Clemson 8th, Army 10th, New Mexico 19th, Georgia Tech 51st (and won nine games despite that), South Carolina 109th, and Tulane 128th and last.

—

  • The Citadel’s defensive 3rd-down conversion rate in SoCon action, 2014: 41.5%
  • The Citadel’s defensive 3rd-down conversion rate in SoCon action, 2015: 33.7%
  • The Citadel’s defensive 3rd-down conversion rate in SoCon action, 2016: 33.3%

The Bulldogs had even better stats in this category when non-league contests are included. The all-games rate of 30.1% ranked 9th nationally in FCS, and led the Southern Conference.

That isn’t a typo, by the way. The Citadel finished 9th overall in both offensive and defensive 3rd-down conversion rate. That helps you tilt the playing field, which helps you win games.

Jacksonville State led FCS in defensive 3rd-down conversion rate. Montana, Grambling State, Campbell, and Columbia were the other teams in the top 5. South Carolina State was 20th, Chattanooga 25th, James Madison 26th, Presbyterian 30th, Liberty 37th, VMI 45th, ETSU 51st, Charleston Southern 61st, Furman 81st, Mercer 85th, Gardner-Webb 88th, Wofford 95th, Samford 100th, Elon 105th, Towson 119th, and Western Carolina 122nd (last).

Michigan led FBS in defensive 3rd-down conversion rate, at 21.0%. Clemson ranked 4th, Alabama 8th, Army 46th, South Carolina 95th, Air Force 102nd, Georgia Tech 126th, and Navy 128th.

The Midshipmen managed to lead FBS in offensive 3rd-down conversion rate (54.5%, as mentioned above) while finishing last in defensive 3rd-down conversion rate (53.5%). There were a lot of successful drives in Navy games last season.

—

  • The Citadel’s defense in 2014 in SoCon action: 8 sacks, 14 passes defensed in 176 pass attempts (8.0% PD)
  • The Citadel’s defense in 2015 in SoCon action: 20 sacks, 33 passes defensed in 212 pass attempts (15.6% PD)
  • The Citadel’s defense in 2016 in SoCon action: 21 sacks, 29 passes defensed in 211 pass attempts (13.7% PD)

Passes defensed is a statistic that combines pass breakups with interceptions.

Also of interest: the Bulldogs have increased their “hurries” totals in league play from eleven (2014) to seventeen (2015) to twenty-one last season. That helps create a little more havoc.

The Citadel averaged 2.63 sacks per game in conference play. Taking all games into account, the Bulldogs averaged 2.33 sacks per contest, which tied for 36th nationally. Grambling State averaged 3.42 sacks per game to lead FCS.

Chattanooga ranked 12th overall (2.92 sacks per game). Other sack rankings among SoCon teams: Samford (47th), Wofford (48th), Mercer (49th), VMI (tied for 102nd), ETSU (also tied for 102nd), Furman (115th), Western Carolina (122nd and last).

Florida State led FBS teams in sacks per game (3.92). Apparently the ACC Atlantic was a sackfest, because three other teams in that division (Boston College, Clemson, and Wake Forest) finished in the top 11. South Carolina tied for 97th, while East Carolina finished 128th and last in the category.

—

Big plays! Big plays! Big plays! Big plays!

Just for clarification, I am defining “big plays” as offensive plays from scrimmage resulting in gains of 20+ yards, regardless of whether or not they are rushing or passing plays.

  • The Citadel’s offensive plays from scrimmage resulting in gains of 20 or more yards, 2015: 30 (19 rushing, 11 passing)
  • The Citadel’s offensive plays from scrimmage resulting in gains of 20 or more yards, 2016: 26 (15 rushing, 11 passing)

In 2015, 20 of the 30 big plays by the Bulldogs’ offense in conference play either resulted in touchdowns or led to touchdowns on the same drive. Last season, that was the case for 19 of the 26 long gainers.

That is an average of 3.25 big plays per game in league matchups. For all games, the Bulldogs averaged 3.58 big plays per game (seven such plays against North Greenville helped the average).

Just as a comparison to the offenses of a few other SoCon outfits:

– Wofford averaged 3.36 big plays from scrimmage per game (counting all 14 of its contests)

– Chattanooga averaged 4.62 big plays from scrimmage per game (counting all 13 of its contests)

– Furman averaged 4.27 big plays from scrimmage per game (counting all 11 of its contests)

– Mercer averaged 3.45 big plays from scrimmage per game (counting all 11 of its contests)

– Samford averaged 5.00 big plays from scrimmage per game (counting all 12 of its contests)

—

  • Plays from scrimmage of 20 yards or more allowed by The Citadel’s defense, 2014: 47 (21 rushing, 26 passing)
  • Plays from scrimmage of 20 yards or more allowed by The Citadel’s defense, 2015: 23 (9 rushing, 14 passing)
  • Plays from scrimmage of 20 yards or more allowed by The Citadel’s defense, 2016: 28 (9 rushing, 19 passing)

In 2015, 14 of the 23 big plays allowed by the Bulldogs either resulted in TDs or led to them on the same drive. Last year, 18 of 28 long gainers given up led directly or indirectly to touchdowns.

I want to reiterate that the last two sections are about offensive plays from scrimmage in league action. Obviously, the defense can produce a “big play” of its own (like Jonathan King’s 54-yard sack/strip/fumble return for a TD against VMI), and the same is true for the special teams units (such as DeAndre Schoultz’s critical 81-yard punt return for a touchdown versus Gardner-Webb).

—

  • The Citadel’s offense on 4th down in league play in 2014: 12 for 20 (60.0%)
  • The Citadel’s offense on 4th down in league play in 2015: 3 for 8 (37.5%)
  • The Citadel’s offense on 4th down in league play in 2016: 8 for 16 (50.0%)

—

  • The Citadel’s defense on 4th down in league play in 2015: 8 for 13 converted against (61.5%)
  • The Citadel’s defense on 4th down in league play in 2016: 5 for 9 converted against (55.6%)

The 4th-down conversion rate for all SoCon teams (counting both conference and non-conference games) in 2016 was 54.5%, so the Bulldogs were basically league average on both sides of the ball. Ideally, The Citadel would be better than average on both offense and defense on 4th-down attempts.

—

Bumbling rumbling stumbling fumbling…

When evaluating fumble stats, keep in mind that recovering them is usually a 50-50 proposition (which makes perfect sense, if you think about it). There isn’t really much to evaluate beyond that, other than if a team is really loose with the football.

  • The Citadel’s offensive fumbles in SoCon action, 2014: 10 (lost 6)
  • The Citadel’s offensive fumbles in SoCon action, 2015: 12 (lost 8)
  • The Citadel’s offensive fumbles in SoCon action, 2016: 12 (lost 5)

For all games, the Bulldogs fumbled 22 times, losing 10 of those.

Please note that the official statistical record does not include a fumble against Mercer, which the Bulldogs recovered. That was apparently the result of an error by Mercer’s stats crew. (Hey, it happens.)

—

  • The Citadel’s defensive forced fumbles in SoCon action, 2014: 14 (recovered 7)
  • The Citadel’s defensive forced fumbles in SoCon action, 2015: 8 (recovered 7)
  • The Citadel’s defensive forced fumbles in SoCon action, 2016: 13 (recovered 8)

The Bulldogs only forced two fumbles in non-conference play, recovering neither.

—

  • Penalties enforced against The Citadel in SoCon action, 2014: 37
  • Penalties enforced against The Citadel in SoCon action, 2015: 42
  • Penalties enforced against The Citadel in SoCon action, 2016: 45

Well, at least the average number of penalties per game went down last year. However, penalty yardage per game went up over eight yards per contest, which is somewhat worrisome.

—

  • Penalties enforced against The Citadel’s opponents in SoCon action, 2014: 22
  • Penalties enforced against The Citadel’s opponents in SoCon action, 2015: 29
  • Penalties enforced against The Citadel’s opponents in SoCon action, 2016: 33

Penalty yardage against the Bulldogs’ opponents went up about 4 1/2 yards per game from 2015 to 2016.

—

  • Punts by The Citadel while in opposing territory in 2014, SoCon action: 6 (in seven games)
  • Punts by The Citadel while in opposing territory in 2015, SoCon action: 6 (in seven games)
  • Punts by The Citadel while in opposing territory in 2016, SoCon action: 1 (in eight games)

I almost didn’t bother adding this category to my spreadsheet, thanks to Brent Thompson. The coach only ordered one punt in opposing territory last season. That came on the opening drive of the game against Western Carolina, on a 4th-and-3 from the Catamounts’ 38-yard line.

In retrospect, it was a curious move, but it more or less worked out. Will Vanvick’s punt was downed on the WCU 3-yard line, and Western Carolina proceeded to go 3-and-out.

This year, I also checked to see how many times opponents punted while in Bulldog territory. As it happens, that only happened one time as well.

Late in the first half, Mercer faced a 4th-and-18 from The Citadel’s 43-yard line. Bobby Lamb elected to punt, which was eminently sensible. The ball was downed on the Bulldogs’ 3-yard line; The Citadel picked up one first down, ran three more plays, and then the half ended.

—

Let’s talk about 4th down…

Defining some terms (courtesy of Football Outsiders):

– Deep Zone: from a team’s own goal line to its 20-yard line
– Back Zone: from a team’s own 21-yard line to its 39-yard line
– Mid Zone: from a team’s own 40-yard line to its opponent’s 40-yard line
– Front Zone: from an opponent’s 39-yard line to the opponent’s 21-yard line
– Red Zone: from an opponent’s 20-yard line to the opponent’s goal line

Just as I did last season, on the spreadsheet I’ve categorized every fourth down situation The Citadel’s offense had in conference play (see the “4th down decisions” tab).

The Citadel punted all 18 teams it faced 4th down in the Deep Zone or the Back Zone.

In the Mid Zone, the Bulldogs punted 12 times and went for the first down 3 other times, successfully converting twice (the unsuccessful attempt came against Samford).

The Citadel didn’t have the mojo working in the Front Zone, at least on 4th down. The Bulldogs went for the first down 10 times in the Mid Zone, but only picked it up 4 times. Admittedly, one of those successful conversions was a key 34-yard TD run versus Wofford.

There were four field goal attempts from that zone, only one of which was made. As noted above, The Citadel also had one punt in this area.

The Bulldogs had five 4th-down situations in the Red Zone. Four times, The Citadel elected to attempt a field goal (all were successful). The other 4th-down play in the Red Zone resulted in a 17-yard TD run for Jonathan Dorogy against VMI.

Over the last three seasons, The Citadel has had 17 4th-down situations in the Red Zone during SoCon regulation play. Dorogy’s touchdown run is the only time the Bulldogs picked up a first down.

—

This season, I also tabulated what the Bulldogs’ league opponents did on 4th down against The Citadel.

In the Deep and Back zones, conference opponents punted all 27 times they faced 4th down versus the Bulldogs.

In the Mid Zone, The Citadel’s opposition punted 12 times on 4th and went for a first down on five other occasions. All five attempts to keep the drive alive were successful (two of them were by VMI).

Opponents were 5 for 9 on field goal attempts in the Front Zone (two of the four missed were by Furman). Chattanooga went for a first down on 4th down twice, and went 1-for-2. VMI was 0-for-1 trying for a first down from this distance.

In the Red Zone, opponents were 1-2 trying to pick up a first down, and 3 for 4 on field goal tries.

—

Two seasons ago, The Citadel began what appeared to be a policy of deferring the option to the second half every time it won the coin toss. The Bulldogs won the coin toss 4 times in SoCon play in 2015, and deferred on each occasion.

Last year, The Citadel won the coin toss 6 times in 8 league games, going 3-1 both at home and on the road, a tribute to a consistent skill set. In five of the six games in which the Bulldogs won the toss, they deferred, just as they had done in 2015.

The exception was at Western Carolina, where The Citadel elected to receive after winning the toss. I’m not sure what to make of that.

There are two possibilities: one, that the box score mistakenly credited The Citadel for winning the coin toss when in fact the Catamounts actually won it (and deferred); or, for some specific reason related solely to that game, Brent Thompson decided he wanted the ball first.

I wouldn’t mind if someone asked the coach that very question some time. Of course, he may not remember.

—

As a reminder, this is the first of two statistically-oriented posts I’m making about the previous football season, with an eye to the upcoming campaign. Here is the link to the other one: Link

—

The season is getting closer. Aren’t you glad?

Filed under: Football, The Citadel | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The 2016 FCS Playoffs — a review of the bracket

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Sandlapper Spike

The Bracket

—

Links of interest:

– The Citadel’s playoff path: a bye, then a familiar foe

– Lehigh football snubbed of home playoff game

– New Hampshire makes field for 13th straight year

– Albany left out of playoffs; coach calls exclusion “a sham”

– Wofford earns playoff bid

– Charleston Southern disappointed not to host playoff game

– After being disappointed in the seeding, Sam Houston State coach: “It is what it is”

– South Dakota State gets seed

– Youngstown State in playoffs after a ten-year absence

– “Samford shouldn’t even be in the tournament, let’s just get it straight”

– North Carolina A&T makes playoff, but coach says “we’re still pretty down around here”

– Chattanooga makes playoff field

– Cal Poly gets bid, will host San Diego

– Preview article on NCAA.com

—

First, let’s correct an error in that last article I linked above, the one posted on the NCAA’s own website:

Some other teams that will miss out on postseason action as a whole include Montana, Western Illinois and North Carolina Central, who all lost steam down the stretch and were defeated in Week 12.

North Carolina Central won on Week 12, defeating North Carolina A&T 42-21. The Eagles aren’t missing out on postseason action, either — North Carolina Central is going to the Celebration Bowl instead of the FCS playoffs, while the team that lost to the Eagles (North Carolina A&T) got a bid as an at-large team.

—

I also linked a “handicapping the field” article from the Bison Media Zone. Media members in North Dakota do not think Samford should have made the field.

Of course, being a resident of the Flickertail State isn’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to FCS expertise. In this particular preview, the writer referred to Charleston Southern as the “Mocs”.

I also think he has his guns pointed in the wrong direction when it comes to the exclusion of Albany. I tend to agree that Albany should have been in the tournament, but he failed to identify the most obvious beneficiary of the Great Danes’ absence — New Hampshire.

The two teams played in the same league (the CAA) and finished with the same overall record (7-4). Albany beat FBS Buffalo (admittedly, not the best FBS squad in world history). More to the point, the Great Danes won at New Hampshire.

The Wildcats also managed to lose to Ivy League cellar-dweller Dartmouth, and had no real standout victory. Albany’s worst loss was to Delaware, which strikes me as considerably more acceptable than losing to Dartmouth.

Albany head coach Greg Gattuso called the snub of his team “a sham” on Twitter. He had other comments:

I guess, if I had a question for the (selection) committee, it would be, what in (New Hampshire’s) body of work would be better than ours?

I just think the resume was better. Oh, by the way, we beat them head-to-head at their field. Remember us beating them at their field two weeks ago?

 

One criteria they might say is conference record. But to me, it’s a skewed point when (New Hampshire) didn’t play the second- and third-place teams. They didn’t play Richmond, they didn’t play Villanova. To me, conference schedule when you don’t play everybody should be thrown out (in picking the tournament).

I think Gattuso has a very legitimate argument.

New Hampshire had been in the playoffs in each of the previous 12 seasons; perhaps the committee just felt comfortable sticking them in the field. Maybe there is an unwritten rule that UNH has to be in the tournament.

Once New Hampshire was picked, the committee then got the chance to pair the Wildcats with Lehigh, and gave New Hampshire a home game in the first round. UNH’s average home attendance is 11,108, so it could be assumed its host bid (in terms of a cash guarantee) was quite good.

Albany’s average home attendance this season was 5,928. Could the committee have been thinking about the potential monetary difference if it came down to Lehigh-Albany or Lehigh-UNH? I’m sure the official answer is “No”, but cynics may have some doubts.

—

In related news, during an interview on a North Dakota radio show, selection committee chairman Brian Hutchinson referenced North Carolina A&T’s “bid offer” as a point in its favor.

I think he probably misspoke — after all, North Carolina A&T isn’t even hosting a first-round game — but what his comment really illustrates is that money is never far from the mind of the committee when selecting, bracketing, and seeding teams. That is unfortunate.

—

The committee apparently had no choice but to pair San Diego and Cal Poly against each other in the first round, despite the fact the two schools have already played this season. From the NCAA’s “Pre-Championship Manual“:

5. Regular season non-conference match-ups in the first round of the championship should be avoided, provided it does not create an additional flight(s).

6. Teams from the same conference will not be paired for first-round games (except for teams from the same conference that did not play against each other during the regular season; such teams may play each other in the first round);

7. Once the first-round pairings have been determined, there will be no adjustments to the bracket (e.g., a seeded team may play a conference opponent that advanced out of the first round).

If Cal Poly and USD had been in the same league, the rematch would have been avoided — but since they’re not, they had to be matched up, because not doing so would have created two extra flights.

That is because Poly and USD were less than 400 miles from each other, but more than 400 miles away from every other unseeded team. Here is the rule on busing/flights:

During the championship, institutions that are playing within 400 miles (one way) of their campus will be required to travel to that site via bus. Institutions traveling more than 400 miles (one way) to their game will be approved for air travel to that site.

I think it’s absurd that the “allow one more flight” stipulation only applies if teams are in the same conference, but that’s the rule, and the committee had no other option. The rule needs to be changed.

—

Of course, when it comes to bracketing, the committee tends to take the path of least resistance anyway. This is the second year in a row there has been a regular-season rematch in the first round.

Last year, the Patriot League champion (Colgate) played at New Hampshire, with the winner facing James Madison. Colgate and UNH had already met during the 2015 regular season.

Naturally, this year the Patriot League champion (Lehigh) will again play at New Hampshire, with the winner again facing James Madison…

—

The manual has this to say about awarding host sites:

3. If the minimum financial guarantees are met, the committee will award the playoff sites to the higher seeded teams.

4. When determining host institutions for playoff games when both teams are unseeded, criteria shall apply as follows: (1) quality of facility, (2) revenue potential plus estimated net receipts, (3) attendance history and potential, (4) team’s performance (i.e., conference place finish, head-to-head results and number of Division I opponents), and (5) student-athlete well-being (e.g., travel and missed class time).

This is not exactly breaking news, but it does explain one aspect of hosting that apparently bothered Charleston Southern coach Jamey Chadwell:

…Chadwell expressed disappointment about having to go on the road, but said getting a playoff opportunity was the ultimate goal.

“It’s disappointing. I don’t know all of the details, but you would think a conference champion would get more favor in the bidding process,” Chadwell said.

As it happens, conference champions don’t get more favor in the bidding process — unless they are matched up against teams in their own league in the first round (which would only occur if the two teams had not met during the regular season).

Charleston Southern hosted last year, but that was because it was a seed and met a minimum financial guarantee. This season, the Buccaneers were unseeded and paired with Wofford.

The decision to hold the game in Spartanburg probably came down to Wofford offering a better financial package, but Charleston Southern fans should be concerned about “quality of facility” being a more significant criterion for hosting than “revenue potential”.

Attendance history is also a factor. Below is the average home attendance for the 16 unseeded teams in the field:

  • North Carolina A&T: 14,472
  • Youngstown State: 14,353
  • New Hampshire: 11,108
  • Illinois State: 10,156
  • Chattanooga: 9,494
  • Central Arkansas: 8,767
  • Weber State: 8,734
  • Richmond: 8,700
  • Cal Poly: 8,413
  • Wofford: 7,625
  • Lehigh: 6,527
  • Villanova: 6,153
  • Samford: 5,897
  • Charleston Southern: 2,712
  • San Diego: 2,405
  • St. Francis (PA): 1,617

Attendance affects both a potential bid by a school, and the committee’s evaluation of its revenue potential.

Only two of the eight first-round matchups are hosted by teams that had lower average home attendance than their opponents. Richmond is hosting North Carolina A&T, and Central Arkansas is hosting Illinois State.

The second of those involves two schools with fairly close numbers in terms of attendance, but the other matchup has a much wider differential. Either North Carolina A&T wasn’t particularly interested in hosting, or Richmond put in a major league bid.

—

I’m disappointed that for the FCS playoffs, there is yet again a mini-South Carolina bracket in what is supposed to be a national tournament.

This is the second year in a row The Citadel and Charleston Southern have both been bracketed in this fashion, and it is a lame, lame move by Brian Hutchinson and his committee for the second year in a row.

Bulldogs quarterback Dominique Allen:

It’d be nice to face somebody else, somebody besides teams we play all the time.

Linebacker Tevin Floyd of The Citadel:

We have histories with both [Wofford and Charleston Southern], so I think we just wanted to experience something new.

Head coach Brent Thompson of The Citadel:

When it’s the playoffs, you look for some different opponents. You want to get some people to travel in and maybe work outside (the norm) a little bit. But it is what it is, and we have to win the state of South Carolina at this point.

Floyd also said he was happy to be playing at Johnson Hagood Stadium, and Allen referenced a “fun” matchup with either potential opponent, but the point is clear.

I also don’t understand why the committee couldn’t have swapped the Charleston Southern-Wofford pairing and the North Carolina A&T-Richmond pairing in order to avoid a potential second-round rematch.

In other words, the CSU-Wofford winner could have been matched up against North Dakota, while the survivor of N.C. A&T-Richmond played The Citadel (instead of the other way around, as the committee arranged things).

—

If the committee seeded all the teams, 1 through 24, it would be possible to have a balanced, fair tournament. Instead, bracketing decisions are made explicitly for geographic reasons, and they lead to inequities.

Weber State and Cal Poly both were 7-4 overall; Weber State was 6-2 in the Big Sky, while the Mustangs were 5-3. Now, due to unbalanced league schedules, Cal Poly played a slightly tougher slate than the Wildcats (and it also had a good non-conference win over South Dakota State). On the other hand, Weber State beat Cal Poly during the season.

You could argue that if every team in the tournament were seeded, Cal Poly might deserve a slightly higher seed than Weber State. If so, both teams would probably be seeded in the 17-20 range.

If that happened, each would play first-round road games against similarly-rated opponents. Instead, we have the current geographical setup and the “400 miles” bus/flight cutoff point.

Thus, Cal Poly plays a home game against San Diego of the non-scholarship Pioneer League, a team the Mustangs already defeated earlier this season 38-16. Meanwhile, Weber State travels almost 1,800 miles to play at Chattanooga, a solid SoCon squad that acquitted itself well last week against Alabama.

The decision to make Lehigh travel to New Hampshire also seems problematic to me; if anything, it should be the other way around. Again, however, cash is king in this tournament — though a few folks in Las Vegas are apparently putting their hard-earned money on Lehigh (which is a 4 1/2 point favorite despite having to go on the road).

—

Final “toughest schedule” numbers from the NCAA for Jacksonville State, James Madison, Sam Houston State, and The Citadel:

  • The Citadel: 19th
  • James Madison: 57th
  • Jacksonville State: 80th
  • Sam Houston State: 102nd

All four finished undefeated against non-FBS competition. SHSU, which was 11-0, did not play an FBS opponent, while the other three schools were all 10-1, with each losing to an FBS team from a power conference.

The committee decided to give Jacksonville State the highest seed out of this group. Did it help Jacksonville State that it made the finals last year? Probably. Did it help Jacksonville State that its director of athletics was on the committee? It couldn’t have hurt.

What it means is that if The Citadel is fortunate enough to advance to the quarterfinals, and its opponent is Jacksonville State, the Bulldogs will be the road team. It is not evident why that should be the case.

—

Another seeding oddity, in my opinion, was North Dakota being the #7 seed and South Dakota State being the #8. I’m not sure why the Jackrabbits would have been behind UND.

Because the committee seeded those teams in that way, SDSU has a potential rematch with North Dakota State in the quarterfinals. I don’t have a problem with regular-season rematches once teams advance to the quarterfinals, but it seems to me the committee had an easy opportunity to avoid that situation, and in a perfectly justifiable way.

—

Per at least one source that deals in such matters, here are the lines for the eight first-round games, as of Tuesday afternoon:

  • Wofford is a 1.5-point favorite over Charleston Southern, over/under of 51.5
  • Chattanooga is a 15-point favorite over Weber State, over/under of 51.5
  • Lehigh is a 4.5-point favorite at New Hampshire, over/under of 63.5
  • Richmond is a 13-point favorite over North Carolina A&T, over/under of 53.5
  • Illinois State is a 1.5-point favorite at Central Arkansas, over/under of 49.5
  • Youngstown State is an 8.5-point favorite over Samford, over/under of 50.5
  • Cal Poly is a 12.5-point favorite over San Diego, over/under of 65.5
  • Villanova is a 14.5-point favorite over St. Francis (PA), over/under of 37.5

As you can see, there are two road favorites (Lehigh and Illinois State).

—

Massey Ratings predicted scores for this Saturday:

  • Wofford 26, Charleston Southern 24
  • Chattanooga 31, Weber State 19
  • Lehigh 33, New Hampshire 28
  • Richmond 36, North Carolina A&T 24
  • Central Arkansas 23, Illinois State 21
  • Youngstown State 28, Samford 20
  • Cal Poly 35, San Diego 29
  • Villanova 21, St. Francis (PA) 7

—

I’m not pleased with how the tournament was constructed. However, there is nothing that can be done about it, at least not for this season. All eyes will now be following the action on the gridiron.

If you’re in the field, you have a chance. That’s the bottom line.

Filed under: Football | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

2016 Football, Game 10: The Citadel vs. VMI

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Sandlapper Spike

The Citadel vs. VMI, to be played on Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium in Lexington, Virginia, with kickoff at 1:30 pm ET on Saturday, November 12. The game will not be televised.

The contest will be streamed on ESPN3.com, with Wade Branner providing play-by-play and Dave Harding supplying the analysis.

The game can be heard on radio via the various affiliates of The Citadel Sports Network. WQNT-1450 AM [audio link], originating in Charleston, will be the flagship station. 

Mike Legg (the “Voice of the Bulldogs”) will call the action alongside analyst Lee Glaze.

It is also possible to listen to the action with a smartphone, using a TuneIn Radio application.

—

Links of interest:

– Game notes for The Citadel and VMI

– SoCon weekly release

– Brent Thompson’s 11/8 press conference, including comments from Cody Clark and Tyler Renew (video)

– Brent Thompson’s 11/9 radio show (video)

– FCS Coaches’ Poll

– STATS FCS Poll

– NCAA FCS selection committee rankings for November 10

– Sure, we can relive that Cam Jackson run again

– VMI’s new starting quarterback tries to lead Keydets to an upset of the Bulldogs

– Highlights of VMI’s game against Bucknell (video)

– Get well, Mike Groshon

—

The second week of preliminary rankings by the FCS selection committee resulted in a few changes, but by and large those adjustments did not really affect The Citadel.

Week 2  Rank School Previous (Week 1)
1 Jacksonville State 1
2 Eastern Washington 3
3 North Dakota State 4
4 James Madison 5
5 Sam Houston State 2
6 The Citadel 6
7 Chattanooga 8
8 Richmond 7
9 Central Arkansas 10
10 North Dakota NR

The biggest news was Sam Houston State dropping from #2 to #5. The Bearkats are one of two undefeated FCS teams, with The Citadel being the other. However, SHSU’s strength of schedule is weak when compared to all but one of the other top eight teams (we’ll get to the exception in a moment).

Last week, North Dakota State fans (and media members) complained vociferously after Sam Houston State was ranked ahead of the Bison. They had a point.

It is impossible to know whether or not certain members of the selection committee were influenced by the noise emanating from Fargo. I could make a good guess, though.

Of course, NDSU didn’t get everything it wanted. North Dakota State is still ranked behind Eastern Washington and Jacksonville State. The latter school’s #1 ranking continues to be a bit puzzling.

Schedule strength of the top 10 teams through last week’s games (incidentally, Samford is 2nd overall in this category):

  • Jacksonville State (schedule strength of 101st out of 124 FCS teams)
  • Eastern Washington (tied for 12th)
  • North Dakota State (3rd)
  • James Madison (35th)
  • Sam Houston State (89th)
  • The Citadel (tied for 12th)
  • Chattanooga (34th)
  • Richmond (37th)
  • Central Arkansas (82nd)
  • North Dakota (38th)

Jacksonville State is 8-1. The one defeat came at LSU, so nobody is saying that JSU should be penalized severely for its loss. However, the Gamecocks don’t play in a very strong league, and don’t have the non-conference schedule heft to match that of Eastern Washington and North Dakota State — and both of those schools also play in tougher conferences while maintaining identical 8-1 records.

Of course, some observers would note that one difference between the three schools is that Jacksonville State’s director of athletics is on the selection committee.

The Citadel is undefeated, has a significantly better strength of schedule, and also has a win over another team in the top 10 of the rankings. However, not only are the Bulldogs behind Jacksonville State, they are ranked below Sam Houston State as well. There is no legitimate reason for that to be the case.

In my opinion, The Citadel should currently be ranked in the top 4. Eastern Washington and North Dakota State should be 1-2 in some order, followed by James Madison and The Citadel in the 3-4 spots. However, unless JSU and SHSU lose, the Bulldogs are not likely to pass either one of them (particularly Jacksonville State).

This effectively means The Citadel’s seeding “ceiling” is probably #5. The difference between being seeded #5 instead of #4 could be the difference between playing at home or on the road in a potential quarterfinal game.

That would be unfortunate for The Citadel.

—

Earlier this week, SB Nation’s “Football Study Hall” site posted a report on tempo at the FBS level. It’s a very interesting and well-considered piece.

After I read it, I decided to take a look at pace of play in FCS. Basically, I took stats from 122 teams (for practical reasons, I didn’t include “transitional” schools Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word), and determined how quickly FCS teams have run offensive plays so far in 2016. Here are the top 20 squads:

Team (Conference) Time between plays (seconds)
Stephen F. Austin (Southland) 19.49872
Eastern Kentucky (OVC) 19.68576
Samford (Southern) 20.29769
South Dakota (MVFC) 20.86083
Sam Houston State (Southland) 21.5656
Murray State (OVC) 21.80123
Eastern Washington (Big Sky) 22.09565
Southern Utah (Big Sky) 22.11938
Southern Illinois (MVFC) 22.12278
Indiana State (MVFC) 22.34259
Dartmouth (Ivy League) 22.52891
Western Carolina (Southern) 22.53821
Eastern Illinois (OVC) 22.7168
Sacramento State (Big Sky) 22.78134
Morehead State (Pioneer) 23.02286
Montana (Big Sky) 23.18182
Marist (Pioneer) 23.25649
Princeton (Ivy League) 23.31231
Columbia (Ivy League) 23.37113
VMI (Southern) 23.48567

Stephen F. Austin’s pace is faster than all but three teams in FBS: Missouri (which is absurdly fast), Baylor, and California.

These are the 20 “slowest” teams, with Wofford taking more time between plays than any other team in FCS (only Stanford and Georgia Tech are slower at the FBS level):

Team (conference) Time between plays (seconds)
Florida A&M (Mid-Eastern) 28.66306
Youngstown State (MVFC) 28.76508
Jacksonville (Pioneer) 28.82095
Mississippi Valley St. (Southwestern) 28.88979
Robert Morris (Northeast) 29.07609
North Dakota (Big Sky) 29.10984
Presbyterian (Big South) 29.31664
San Diego (Pioneer) 29.42857
Albany (NY) (Colonial) 29.43738
Stony Brook (Colonial) 29.46168
Chattanooga (Southern) 29.56397
Tennessee Tech (OVC) 29.77833
Texas Southern (Southwestern) 30.02473
Tennessee State (OVC) 30.05179
Charleston Southern (Big South) 30.076
North Dakota State (MVFC) 30.33216
Saint Francis (PA) (Northeast) 30.35612
Delaware (Colonial) 30.87125
Wofford (Southern) 30.90445

 

In my FCS Playoffs primer, I mentioned this comment from the chairman of the selection committee, Brian Hutchinson, when asked by an interviewer about “Sam Houston State’s value to the committee”:

The value of Sam Houston State is that they are an 8-0 team right now [that] is averaging close to 60 points per game and close to 600 yards of [total] offense. That’s the value that people see.

As I said in that post, I hope no committee members will actually use total offense as a criterion of any real significance. Part of my concern has to do with schedule strength, of course, but style of play is also a factor.

Sam Houston State leads FCS in total offense. As you can see above, SHSU is also the 5th-fastest offense in the division, in terms of pace of play.

I think it would be more than a little ridiculous to use total offense as a marker for comparing the Bearkats to teams like Chattanooga (19th in total offense, but the 9th “slowest” team) or The Citadel (23rd in total offense, and in the bottom third in pace of play, at 27.33 seconds between plays). The latter two teams shouldn’t have their style of play held against them by a committee member who is overly impressed by raw statistics.

While I’ve got this information handy, here are pace of play rankings for the nine SoCon squads, plus a few other teams:

  • Stephen F. Austin (1st out of 122)
  • Samford (3rd)
  • Sam Houston State (5th)
  • Eastern Washington (7th)
  • Western Carolina (12th)
  • VMI (20th)
  • Mercer (27th)
  • James Madison (37th)
  • Lehigh (41st)
  • Harvard (44th)
  • Liberty (47th)
  • Kennesaw State (71st)
  • The Citadel (84th)
  • Gardner-Webb (87th)
  • East Tennessee State (91st)
  • Furman (95th)
  • Presbyterian (110th)
  • Chattanooga (114th)
  • Charleston Southern (118th)
  • North Dakota State (119th)
  • St. Francis [PA] (120th)
  • Delaware (121st)
  • Wofford (122nd)

—

Friday is Founders Day at VMI:

The VMI Corps of Cadets will commemorate Founders Day this Friday with a parade featuring a 17-gun salute executed by the Cadet Battery to honor VMI’s founders and the nation’s veterans.

The anniversary, which marks 177 years since 23 VMI cadets relieved the state militia and converted the state arsenal into the Institute, will also see the dedication of the recently renovated Cormack and Cocke halls at 10 and 11 a.m., respectively.

There will also be a parade at 10:30 am on Saturday.

If you’re going to the game, be sure you’re up to speed on the parking situation.

—

Scott Wachenheim is in his second year as VMI’s head coach. His team is 3-6 this season, 1-5 in SoCon play. That qualifies as improvement for the Keydets’ football program, given that VMI had won two games in each of the last five years.

The Keydets opened the 2016 season by dropping a 47-24 decision at Akron. VMI’s defense allowed 576 yards of total offense, but the Keydets stayed in the game, putting together two drives of 90+ yards to pull within two points as the third quarter ended.

Akron scored 21 fourth-quarter points to ice the contest. However, it was a very respectable showing by VMI against an FBS opponent.

VMI’s next game was a 17-13 victory at Morehead State. While the Keydets’ loss to Akron was encouraging, the win over the Eagles (which play football in the non-scholarship Pioneer League) was not. VMI’s offense was sluggish, but the defense kept Morehead State at bay, allowing the fewest points to a Keydets opponent in four seasons.

A third straight road game resulted in a triple overtime victory, 23-17 over Bucknell. The Keydets did not give up any points in the three OT sessions.

It was the first time VMI had won back-to-back games since 2005, and (unbelievably) the first time the program had won consecutive road games since the last game of the 1981 season and the first game of the 1982 campaign.

Back in Lexington, another overtime affair did not go the Keydets’ way. Mercer edged VMI 33-30 in a game reportedly marred by poor SoCon officiating (very surprising, I know). VMI trailed 21-7 at halftime before making a comeback, taking the lead with just 32 seconds remaining in regulation. The Keydets could not hold the lead, and then lost in OT.

VMI rebounded from that setback with a 37-7 home victory over East Tennessee State. Al Cobb threw three TD passes, and the Keydets rushed for 233 yards.

Since that game, VMI has lost four straight contests. The first of those defeats was a 55-21 loss at Samford. SU quarterback Devlin Hodges threw for 435 yards and 5 TDs, and VMI also got victimized by a pick-6.

Chattanooga then beat the Keydets 30-13. UTC rushed for 297 yards despite Derrick Craine missing the game with an injury. One of VMI’s two TDs was a 79-yard bomb from Al Cobb to Javeon Lara.

VMI returned home, but was beaten in Lexington 24-10 by Furman. The loss was a costly one for the Keydets, as Cobb suffered a shoulder injury.

Last week, VMI lost 32-29 at Western Carolina. The Keydets should have won the game, but basically handed the victory to the Catamounts with a series of miscues. Among other things:

  • VMI fumbled the opening kickoff, which was returned by WCU for a touchdown
  • The Keydets had four kicks blocked (two field goal attempts, two PATs)
  • VMI threw three interceptions
  • Western Carolina scored with 54 seconds to play on a 53-yard pass

—

Statistics of note for VMI:

VMI Opp
Points/game 22.7 28.7
Rushing yardage 1056 1487
Yards/rush 3.2 4.3
Rush TDs 16 10
Passing yardage 2266 2501
Comp-Att-Int 208-330-12 210-334-6
Average/pass att 6.9 7.5
Passing TDs 11 22
Total offense 3322 3988
Total plays 663 682
Yards/play 5.0 5.8
Fumbles/lost 7/3 11/6
Penalties-pen yds 35-318 75-681
Pen yards/game 35.3 75.7
Net punt average 34.6 34.3
Time of poss/game 28:50 31:10
3rd-down conv 47/143 48/138
3rd-down conv % 32.9% 34.8%
Sacks by-yards 13-91 23-122
Red Zone TD% (22-35) 63% (23-36) 64%
  • VMI is 2nd nationally in fewest penalties per game
  • The Keydets are 84th in FCS in scoring defense and 63rd in rushing defense
  • VMI is 29th in defensive third down conversion rate
  • The Keydets are 85th in time of possession
  • VMI is 28th in passing offense

—

Statistics of consequence for The Citadel:

The Citadel Opp
Points/game 30.8 18.7
Rushing yardage 3366 1129
Yards/rush 5.6 4.1
Rush TDs 29 12
Passing yardage 540 1645
Comp-Att-Int 33-82-2 140-246-8
Average/pass att 6.6 6.7
Passing TDs 4 8
Total offense 3906 2774
Total plays 685 524
Yards/play 5.7 5.3
Fumbles/lost 15/6 12/7
Penalties-pen yds 43-449 38-358
Pen yards/game 49.9 39.8
Net punt average 37.3 36.6
Time of poss/game 34:37:00 25:22:00
3rd-down conv 75/151 35/110
3rd-down conv % 49.7% 31.8%
Sacks by-yards 25-165 0-0
Red Zone TD% (22-39) 56% (12-20) 60%
  • The Citadel leads the nation in rushing offense (374.0 yards/game) and is seventh in average yards/rush
  • The Bulldogs are 9th in offensive third down conversion rate
  • The Citadel is third nationally in time of possession
  • The Bulldogs are 13th in fewest penalties per game
  • The Citadel is 21st in the country in turnover margin
  • The Bulldogs are 15th nationally in defensive third down conversion rate

—

VMI throws the ball on 49.8% of its offensive plays from scrimmage, with 68.2% of the Keydets’ total yards coming via the air. The Keydets operate out of the spread.

Al Cobb was the preseason choice as the SoCon’s all-conference quarterback. Cobb was injured against Furman and did not play last week versus Western Carolina.

Will he play on Saturday? Cobb is not listed on the two-deep. According to an article in The Roanoke Times, he may be available.

The starter, though, will be redshirt freshman Austin Coulling (6’4″, 200 lbs.). Coulling, a native of Salem, Virginia, has played in five games this season, starting against WCU last Saturday.

For the season, he is completing 56.9% of his passes, averaging 7.5 yards per attempt, with two touchdown passes and six interceptions.

Coulling does not lack for confidence:

After hours of watching video, Coulling said he thinks there are some areas in The Citadel defense that the offense can exploit.

“There are opportunities there for us to take,” Coulling said. “As a team, if we come out with the same energy we came out with last week and execute more efficiently than we did last week and have the same running game as we had last week, I mean, anything can happen. … We can come out on top.”

Daz Palmer (5’10”, 175 lbs.) is a freshman from Norfolk who is leading the Keydets in rushing. He is averaging 4.5 yards per carry, with 3 rushing TDs. Palmer also has 12 receptions this season.

Wide receiver Aaron Sanders (6’2″, 190 lbs.) was a preseason all-league pick. He has 62 receptions so far this year, with two TDs. Sanders had 7 catches last year versus The Citadel; in fact, Sanders has had 7 receptions in each of his last two games against the Bulldogs (including a 165-yard receiving performance in 2014).

Fellow wideout Dane Forlines (5’10”, 190 lbs.) made the all-conference team last year as a return specialist. Forlines is a dangerous punt returner, averaging 12.9 yards last season and 9.3 yards this year in that discipline. He is second on the team in receptions, with 47 catches and one TD.

Starting tight end Ryan Swingle (6’3″, 232 lbs.) has 30 receptions and four touchdown catches this season. The former quarterback is also the holder on placekicks, and VMI is not afraid to take advantage of his versatility. He threw a 50-yard pass on a trick play against Mercer.

VMI’s projected starting offensive line averages 6’3″, 279 lbs. According to the two-deep, the offensive tackles will be flipped for the game against The Citadel.

Fifth-year senior Iyan Roseborough (6’3″, 335 lbs.) has played right tackle this season for the Keydets, but is listed as the left tackle on this week’s depth chart. Roseborough is a native of Jenkinsville, South Carolina, and graduated from Fairfield Central High School.

Redshirt freshman Cole Brummit (6’4″, 250 lbs.) made his first career start against Western Carolina at left tackle. He is listed as the right tackle this week.

—

VMI’s defense normally lines up in a 3-4. In last season’s contest, the Keydets were generally effective at bottling up The Citadel’s triple option attack. After Cam Jackson broke loose for a 68-yard TD on the Bulldogs’ fourth play from scrimmage, VMI did not allow another offensive TD.

The Keydets’ D is led by two active inside linebackers. Ryan Francis (6’1″, 205 lbs.) is a redshirt junior from Knoxville who had 15 tackles versus The Citadel in last year’s matchup. Allan Cratsenberg (6’3″, 220 lbs.) is a junior from Natrona, Pennsylvania; he had 11 stops against the Bulldogs in last season’s game.

The two are currently tied for the team lead in tackles, with 94 each. They have combined for 21 tackles for loss, including eight sacks.

Francis is the main pass rusher, with six of those sacks; he also has two fumble recoveries. Against Mercer, Francis also threw a pass out of a fake punt formation; it was intercepted.

Another linebacker, Alijah Robinson (6’0″, 205 lbs.) is third on the team in tackes, with 58. Robinson also has two sacks.

Cornerback Riuq Trotman (5’9″ 155 lbs.) is a sophomore from Virginia Beach who leads the Keydets in interceptions, with three.

—

Dillon Christopher (6’2″, 200 lbs.) is in his fourth year as a placekicker for the Keydets. He has shared kicking duties with freshman Reed King (5’9″, 150 lbs.).

Regardless of the kicker, VMI has had major problems in the kicking game this season, with nine blocked kicks — five field goal attempts, and four PAT tries.

Christopher does have a strong leg, which he employs on kickoffs.

VMI’s punter is redshirt sophomore Bill Hogan (6’1″, 225 lbs.), who can also play linebacker. He has had one punt blocked this season. Hogan was the punter for VMI when the Keydets played The Citadel last season, and did a solid job.

Jake Keith (5’10”, 190 lbs.), a freshman from Blacksburg, is the long snapper.

—

Odds and ends:

– The weather forecast for Saturday in Lexington, Virginia, per the National Weather Service: sunny, with a high of 52 degrees. The projected low on Saturday night is 27 degrees.

– Per one source that deals in such matters, The Citadel is an 18-point favorite over VMI, with an over/under of 47.5.

– Other lines involving SoCon teams: Chattanooga is a 7.5-point favorite over Wofford; Samford is a 15.5-point favorite against Mercer; Furman is a 6.5-point favorite over Western Carolina; and East Tennessee State is a 24-point favorite against Cumberland.

Gardner-Webb (now 4-6) is off this week, presumably celebrating its stunning victory at Charleston Southern last Saturday. North Carolina (7-3) was upset by Duke 28-27 on Thursday night.

– Massey Ratings: The Citadel is ranked 4th in FCS (moving up one spot from last week, the second consecutive week the Bulldogs have crept up one position). VMI is ranked 69th.

Massey projects The Citadel to have a 93% chance of winning, with a predicted final score of The Citadel 34, VMI 13.

Other FCS rankings in Massey of note: Chattanooga (8th), Samford (12th), Wofford (19th), Mercer (41st), Gardner-Webb (46th), Furman (47th), Western Carolina (64th), East Tennessee State (82nd).

The top ten in Massey’s rankings, in order: North Dakota State, Eastern Washington, Jacksonville State, The Citadel, Central Arkansas, South Dakota State, Youngstown State, Chattanooga, Sam Houston State, and Northern Iowa.

– VMI’s game notes roster includes 69 natives of Virginia. Other states represented on the squad: Tennessee (9), North Carolina (4), Pennsylvania (4), Georgia (3), Alabama (2), and one each from West Virginia, Louisiana, New York, Michigan, Texas, Maryland, and South Carolina.

– The Citadel’s geographic roster breakdown (per the school’s website) is as follows: South Carolina (47 players), Georgia (23), Florida (9), North Carolina (7), Alabama (4), Pennsylvania (4), Texas (4), and one each from Louisiana, Maryland, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nevada, and West Virginia.

– VMI concludes its season next week at Wofford.

– FBS opponents for VMI in future seasons include Toledo and Old Dominion in 2018; Army in 2019; and North Carolina State in 2023.

– On The Citadel’s two-deep this week, Evan McField is listed as the #2 B-back, with Isiaha Smith not listed on the depth chart. That is the only change from last week’s two-deep.

– Game notes factoid of the week: The Citadel has rushed for at least 400 yards in five games this season, tying the school’s single-season record. Those five games: North Greenville (559 yards, the most by an FCS school in a game so far in 2016), Western Carolina (513), Samford (463), East Tennessee State (427), and Gardner-Webb (419).

– With its victory over Samford on Saturday, The Citadel won its fifth consecutive Homecoming game. The Bulldogs won their fifth straight Parents’ Day game earlier in the season when they defeated Chattanooga.

The ten consecutive “celebration” victories are a modern-day school record. The Citadel had never won eight straight such games prior to the current run.

– The original cost of the Silver Shako (which was created in 1976) was $532.72.

– More than 40 players (and a few coaches) from VMI’s 1981 team will be honored at halftime of Saturday’s game. That Keydets squad beat Army and Virginia Tech, finishing with a 6-3-1 record. VMI has not had a winning season since that year.

—

On his radio show, Brent Thompson was asked about resting starters, trying to avoid injuries, etc., given that The Citadel has clinched a playoff spot. Thompson’s response:

It’s a loser’s mentality, there’s no doubt about that. You don’t go out there worrying about which guys are going to get hurt and who’s going to do this, and who’s going to do that. We’re going to go out there and play the game, and play the game to win. There’s a game on our schedule, it’s assigned to us, and we’re going to…go out there and give it our best. It doesn’t really matter who it is, whether it’s this week or next week…we’re going to try to play it, and try to play it to win it. If there are injuries…that’s part of the game and we can’t concern ourselves with that.

Thompson also noted that the offense did not play well against VMI last season, and wants to see improvement this year.

—

The coach also mentioned the importance of getting a bye for the FCS playoffs. If the Bulldogs want to seriously contend for the national title, they almost certainly need to be a seeded team, and receive the bye that goes with that designation.

A loss to VMI would almost certainly end The Citadel’s chance at a bye. Conversely, the game against North Carolina in two weeks will probably not be a factor in The Citadel’s postseason placement, unless the Bulldogs perform well in that contest.

—

The Citadel has been a member of the Southern Conference since 1936. In all that time, the football team has never finished undefeated in league play.

Along with the outright SoCon title, and a tenth straight victory, the opportunity to finish undefeated in the conference would be reason enough for the Bulldogs to want this game very badly. They don’t really need another reason, however.

This is the Military Classic of the South.

It will be a fierce contest. VMI will come ready to play on Saturday. The Citadel must respond in kind, and with even greater ferocity.

The coveted Silver Shako is at stake, the greatest trophy in all of sports.

The Bulldogs have to do whatever it takes to keep it, and bring it back to Charleston, where it belongs.

Filed under: Football, The Citadel | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

The FCS playoffs — a primer

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Sandlapper Spike

The purpose of this post is to explain some of the ins and outs of the FCS playoffs, particularly for people who may not be familiar with the basics of postseason play. I’m also going to delve into a few other aspects of the playoffs (including the way the teams are selected, seeded, and bracketed), some of which I believe are problematic.

—

The tournament has expanded over the years, from a four-team setup in 1978 to today’s 24-team field. The current format has been in place since 2013.

Of the 24 teams that make the field, 10 will be conference champions that automatically qualify for the tournament. As of November 7, two teams have already qualified for the 2016 tourney — Lehigh (from the Patriot League) and The Citadel (from the Southern Conference).

While there are 10 automatic qualifiers, there are actually 13 FCS conferences. Three of those leagues do not have auto-bids to the FCS playoffs.

The Ivy League does not participate in the playoffs, so none of its schools will send a team to the tournament.

The other two conferences without automatic bids are the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Those two leagues send their respective champions to the “Celebration Bowl”, a separate post-season event.

However, SWAC and MEAC schools are eligible to receive at-large bids. In other words, if a team that does not win one of those leagues is deemed by the selection committee to be one of the 14 best at-large candidates, it may compete in the FCS playoffs. While that scenario would normally be unlikely, this season might provide just such a situation, thanks to two teams in the MEAC that are each having fine seasons.

North Carolina A&T is currently ranked 9th in the FCS Coaches’ Poll, with a record of 8-1 that includes a victory over an FBS opponent (Kent State). The Aggies’ only loss so far this season was to Tulsa.

Meanwhile, North Carolina Central is 7-2, with both losses to FBS schools. The two schools will play in two weeks for the MEAC title. I don’t believe North Carolina Central would receive an at-large bid at 8-3, but if North Carolina A&T were to lose to the Eagles, a 9-2 Aggies squad could be a viable at-large candidate.

The leagues that send automatic qualifiers to the playoffs:

  • Big Sky Conference
  • Big South Conference
  • Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)
  • Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC)
  • Northeast Conference (NEC)
  • Ohio Valley Conference (OVC)
  • Patriot League
  • Pioneer Football League
  • Southern Conference (SoCon)
  • Southland Conference

—

Here is this year’s tournament schedule:

  • Bracket announcement: Sunday, November 20, 2016 at 11:00 am (televised on ESPNU)
  • First round: Saturday, November 26, 2016 — eight games at campus sites (this is the Saturday after Thanksgiving)
  • Second round: Saturday, December 3, 2016 — eight games at campus sites (seeded teams will host in this round after getting a bye in the first round)
  • Quarterfinals: Friday, December 9, 2016 or Saturday, December 10, 2016 — four games at campus sites (higher-seeded team hosts)
  • Semifinals: Friday, December 16, 2016 or Saturday, December 17, 2016 — two games at campus sites (higher-seeded team hosts)
  • National Championship: Saturday, January 7, 2017 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas (kickoff at noon EST)

—

The FCS selection committee selects the 14 best at-large teams to join the 10 automatic qualifiers, and then ranks the top 8 teams.

The teams ranked in the top 8 are seeded, and also receive first-round byes. The remaining 16 teams are then bracketed and play first-round games.

It is important to understand that, unlike the NCAA basketball tournament, not every team is seeded. In fact, two-thirds of the field is not seeded. That is done on purpose, in order to allow the committee to make pairings “according to geographical proximity“.

Historically, that has resulted in the committee putting together what might be called a bracket of convenience, routinely pairing teams in first- and second-round matchups that have already played each other during the regular season, and/or in recent tourneys. This has been a source of frustration for many fans over the years, because the event is supposed to be a national tournament; after all, it is referred to by the NCAA as the Division I “National Championship”. However, it is rarely treated like one by the powers that be.

A good example of the “regionalization” of the FCS playoffs came last year. For the 2015 tournament, the selection committee set up multiple potential second-round regular-season rematches. When the dust had cleared from the first-round games, five of the eight second-round matchups wound up being regular-season rematches (two of those were matchups between teams in the same league).

Most inexcusably, the committee set up a first-round regular-season rematch between Colgate and New Hampshire.

—

Five teams from the MVFC made the field last season (four at-large picks and the automatic qualifier, North Dakota State). All five were slotted on one side of the bracket. That did not sit well with the MVFC league commissioner:

Missouri Valley Football Conference commissioner Patty Viverito said she believes the Football Championship Subdivision playoff committee made “a conscious decision” to put five Valley teams in the same bracket…

Viverito said: “It seems to me the committee has enough latitude in how they break the quadrants up that they’d be able to put teams on opposite sides of the bracket fairly easily. I wasn’t in the room. I don’t know what challenges the committee faced when they came up with this. I can’t imagine it was just a horrible oversight and they didn’t realize they’d done it until the bracket was announced. I think it was a conscious decision. I just don’t know what went into the decision-making process.”

…Viverito called the committee’s pairings “the good, the bad and the ugly.” She said her league getting five teams in the playoff field “good.” She said the formulating of the bracket and the regionalization of it “bad.” And she [called] placing five Valley teams in the same bracket “ugly.”

The complaints from the MVFC led to a change for this year:

…the NCAA approved two FCS bracketing policies that should help spread out teams from the same conferences and also avoid rematches in the early rounds. The playoff committee will now be allowed to add a flight in the first or second rounds to avoid placing four or more teams from one conference in the same side of the bracket. The committee also has the license to avoid matchups in the first round for teams that played during the regular season in a non-conference game, providing that change doesn’t result in an additional charter flight.

That won’t change a lot, but it’s better than nothing. It primarily benefits larger leagues that regularly have three or more teams make the tournament (like the MVFC, CAA, and Big Sky).

For the SoCon and Big South, however, there is no mechanism to prevent the committee from doing what it seems to like doing most — namely, pairing two teams from each conference in a first-round matchup, with the winner playing a seeded team from one of the two leagues.

—

This year, the FCS selection committee decided to do something that I’m guessing a few of the committee members will wind up regretting.

The NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee will reveal the top-10 teams in rank order three times during the month of November.

The committee will be releasing the top-10 teams for the first time in history. The rankings will be announced as part of College Football Daily on ESPNU Nov. 3 and 10 at 4 p.m. (ET).

The final release will take place Nov. 15 at 10 p.m. (ET) on the ESPNU Championship Drive: Power Hour.

This move was officially made for reasons of transparency. However, if part of the idea for releasing a preliminary list was also to help promote the FCS playoffs, the first reveal (November 3) on “College Football Daily” was not a success.

Show anchor Brendan Fitzgerald and analyst Jason Sehorn knew next to nothing about the FCS (including how many teams actually make the playoffs). The entire segment lasted less than two minutes; the producer did not even bother to use recent video clips for a highlights package that accompanied the release of the rankings.

Clearly, the committee is taking a page from the College Football Playoff (CFP) and its weekly rankings. When it comes to the CFP, though, the weekly rankings release may not be the best thing to emulate.

—

Ten people make up the FCS selection committee. All are directors of athletics, representing schools from each of the ten leagues with automatic bids:

  • Brian Hutchinson, Morehead State — Pioneer League [chairman]
  • Chuck Burch, Gardner-Webb — Big South
  • Richard Johnson, Wofford — SoCon
  • Kyle Moats, Missouri State — MVFC
  • Nathan Pine, Holy Cross — Patriot League
  • Marty Scarano, New Hampshire — CAA
  • Paul Schlickmann, Central Connecticut State — NEC
  • Greg Seitz, Jacksonville State — OVC
  • Brad Teague, Central Arkansas — Southland
  • Jeff Tingey, Idaho State — Big Sky

One of the things I noticed about the committee is the dual-league nature of its chairman, Brian Hutchinson. Morehead State competes in football in the Pioneer League, which is the league he represents on this committee. However, in other sports Morehead State is a member of the OVC.

To me, that leads to a potential “optics” issue, namely the possible impression (almost certainly unfair, but still) that the OVC has two representatives on the committee — Hutchinson and Greg Seitz, the director of athletics at Jacksonville State.

When the first set of preliminary playoff rankings were released last week, the top-ranked team was, somewhat controversially…Jacksonville State.

—

Week 1 rankings:

Rank School
1 Jacksonville State
2 Sam Houston State
3 Eastern Washington
4 North Dakota State
5 James Madison
6 The Citadel
7 Richmond
8 Chattanooga
9 Charleston Southern
10 Central Arkansas

This will look a little different in Week 2. Charleston Southern will fall out of the top 10 after losing at home to Gardner-Webb, and so could Richmond (which lost at home to James Madison). However, how much change in the rankings is really possible? Is the committee already hamstringing itself on that front?

—

Brian Hutchinson gave two radio interviews after the rankings were released last week, both to stations in North Dakota. He should get some credit for agreeing to the interviews, because he is in the difficult position of having to speak for a committee. He may not even agree with all of the committee’s decisions, but he has to defend them anyway.

A few thoughts on his comments:

  • I got the distinct impression that the committee members weren’t prepared for a public rankings release
  • It’s conceivable that the rankings will wind up being close to valueless when it comes to the actual selection and seeding
  • Somewhat surprisingly, there is no established order of criteria when evaluating teams

Hutchinson was asked about the difference in seeding between two currently undefeated teams, Sam Houston State and The Citadel. One of the interviewers compared the two squads and noted that The Citadel had a better strength of schedule, including a win over another top-10 team (Chattanooga).

When asked about the “value of Sam Houston State to the committee”, Hutchinson said:

The value of Sam Houston State is that they are an 8-0 team right now [that] is averaging close to 60 points per game and close to 600 yards of [total] offense. That’s the value that people see.

I really hope that members of the selection committee aren’t using total offense as a criterion (particularly as a stand-alone benchmark) when comparing teams.

However, Hutchinson also added this:

The question about The Citadel as it relates [to Sam Houston State] is absolutely fair, though. They have a really good win over a conference opponent in Chattanooga. They’ve been undefeated. They have not yet played an FBS game, though I believe they have one the last week of the season.

So for all intents and purposes, the criteria the committee will get to evaluate them on will be done prior to the [game versus North Carolina]. Now should they win that game, obviously that would be a big feather in their cap. Should they lose it, I think most people if you look at it on paper would say they were supposed to [lose the game] — and so, that’s just how you evaluate those kinds of things.

—

The selection committee chairman was also asked if “there had been a lot of reaction around the country [to the preliminary rankings], or has it been isolated pockets like Cheney [Washington] or Fargo [North Dakota]?”

“It has been very isolated,” replied Hutchinson.

Those “isolated pockets” referenced in the interviewer’s query are the cities in which Eastern Washington and North Dakota State are located, of course. Fans of those schools are (justifiably, in my opinion) miffed that they were ranked 3-4 in the initial rankings, rather than 1-2. The committee seemed to ignore schedule strength and quality victories when ranking the teams.

The issue in question relates to potential seeding. The difference in being a 1 or 2 seed versus a 3 or 4 seed, for example, is this: if a seeded team keeps winning, it will host every game until it plays a higher-seeded team. Therefore, if a team is a 1 or 2 seed, it will host every game until the national title game (assuming that it continues to win). A 3 or 4 seed, however, might have to go on the road in the semifinals.

Obviously, that can be significant.

Each seeding “break” matters when it comes to hosting. For teams like James Madison and The Citadel, receiving a 1 or 2 seed may not be possible — but a 3 or 4 seed might be a realistic placement. The difference between being a 4 seed or a 5 seed could be the difference between playing a home game in the quarterfinals or going on the road. That matters.

—

There are two weeks left in the FCS regular season. A lot of things can (and will) change over the next two weeks.

One thing that won’t change, though, is the level of interest in the FCS playoffs from those who support teams still in the running for a spot in the field. That interest is intense, and will remain so until the bracket is revealed on November 20; it will then continue for fans of the 24 schools in the tournament.

It’s not often that people dream about making a trip to Frisco, Texas, but here we are…

Filed under: Football | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Game Review, 2016: Chattanooga

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Sandlapper Spike

The Citadel 22, Chattanooga 14.

Links of interest:

– Game story, The Post and Courier

– Photo gallery, The Post and Courier

– Game story, Chattanooga Times Free Press

– Game analysis, Chattanooga Times Free Press

– Video from WCSC-TV, including interviews with Brent Thompson, Dominique Allen, Cam Jackson, Dee Delaney, and Jonathan King

– Video from WCIV-TV

– Video from WCBD-TV

– Postgame comments from Russ Huesman

– Postgame comments from Mocs players Cedric Nettles, Nakevion Leslie, Keionta Davis, C.J. Board, and Alejandro Bennifield

– Game story, Southern Pigskin

– Box score

– The Citadel’s post-game notes

– Brent Thompson, crowdsurfer

– Game highlights

—

I want to start by pointing out something that is obvious, but yet may go overlooked. With its victory on Saturday, The Citadel clinched a winning season. That matters.

The Bulldogs had a winning season last year too, of course. The last time The Citadel had consecutive winning seasons on the gridiron? 1991-1992.

The Citadel actually had three straight winning campaigns from 1990 to 1992, but the latter two years were the last time the Bulldogs had put together back-to-back over-.500 seasons until yesterday’s achievement.

It has been a long time coming.

—

From the post-game notes package:

Brent Thompson is the 1st head coach in The Citadel history to begin his career 6-0 and has tied Harry O’Brien for the most wins by a first-year coach in program history

Harry O’Brien’s six-win season came exactly 100 years ago, in 1916. That was arguably the most impressive season on the gridiron by the Bulldogs in the thirty years prior to World War II, as The Citadel finished 6-1-1, including season-closing victories over Clemson (a game played in Orangeburg and won by the Bulldogs 3-0) and South Carolina (a 20-2 shellacking in Columbia).

The stylish O’Brien was a Swarthmore graduate who also coached basketball and baseball at The Citadel. O’Brien later coached hoops at Drexel, too.

—

Saturday’s contest was a very well-played football game between two good teams. The Citadel won the game, and deservedly so, but there was very little that separated the Bulldogs from the Mocs.

The key to the game, in my opinion, was The Citadel’s offense converting its first ten third-down conversion attempts of the game. It was an amazing run which seemed to violate the rules of probability, and that’s before taking into consideration the fact that Chattanooga had entered the game leading the nation in defensive third-down conversion rate (22%).

It led to The Citadel’s enormous time of possession advantage (39:31 – 20:29), which resulted in Chattanooga’s high-powered offense being kept off the field for extended periods of time. That kept the Bulldogs’ defense fresh, and probably affected UTC’s rhythm on offense as well. The Mocs only ran 47 offensive plays from scrimmage, while the Bulldogs had 81 — a huge differential.

—

UTC had the edge in yards gained per play, 6.3 to 4.3, a statistic that is a bit deceiving. Not counting C.J. Board’s 75-yard TD reception (though obviously it very much counted in the game), Chattanooga’s average yards per play drops to 4.6.

In the second half, the Mocs ran 27 plays and gained a total of 74 yards, an average of just 2.7 yards per play.

—

On the first play from scrimmage for The Citadel’s offense, Dominique Allen rushed for a 15-yard gain. The Citadel would run 80 more offensive plays after that, but none of them would result in a gain as long as Allen’s run — a near-remarkable oddity.

In a way, that note serves to highlight an outstanding effort by UTC’s defense in not allowing any big plays. However, it also accentuates the Bulldogs’ success in converting on third down. They had to regularly convert on third down in the game to have a chance to score, much less win.

—

One reason the Bulldogs were so successful on third down in the first half was they were able to get outside and turn the corner. Basically, the conversions came in two categories: 3rd-and-short plays were mostly keepers by Allen, while third-and-long efforts were pitches to an A-back (usually Cam Jackson). Here are The Citadel’s third-down conversions in the first half:

  • 3rd-and-6, Cam Jackson carries for 13 yards
  • 3rd-and-6, Cam Jackson carries for 13 yards (yes, the same distance/result, and in the same drive)
  • 3rd-and-8, Cam Jackson carries for 9 yards
  • 3rd-and-2, Isiaha Smith carries for 3 yards
  • 3rd-and-4, Cam Jackson carries for 7 yards
  • 3rd-and-3, Dominique Allen carries for 3 yards
  • 3rd-and-3, Dominique Allen carries for 11 yards
  • 3rd-and-3, Rod Johnson carries for 8 yards
  • 3rd-and-3, Dominique Allen carries for 5 yards
  • 3rd-and-6, Dominique Allen carries for 7 yards

In the second half, the Mocs clearly made an adjustment, and thus the pitch to the outside was not as successful for the Bulldogs. However, The Citadel appeared to throw in a couple of new wrinkles in the fourth quarter, which resulted in key first downs picked up on outside runs by Reggie Williams and Tyler Renew.

—

So, to sum up: The Citadel won despite completing just one pass (for seven yards), not having a single offensive play from scrimmage result in more than a 15-yard gain, and without forcing a turnover.

It wasn’t a fluke victory, though — far from it. Heck, The Citadel even survived the almost customary hosing by the SoCon officials, who in the third quarter managed to twice deny the Bulldogs a clear first down inside the UTC 10-yard line. (It’s one thing to spot a ball poorly, but to do it on consecutive plays takes a considerable amount of talent.)

—

I thought the fan support was excellent. It wasn’t quite the overflow crowd that some were expecting, but it was substantial enough, and a lot of the folks in the stands were really into the game.

There were a few who weren’t, but that’s always true. Why they have to leave their seats every 15 minutes, only to return 10 minutes later, I have no idea…

—

After the game, I was asked by a couple of people how big a win this was for The Citadel. Where does it rank on the all-time list?

My answer, basically: “It depends on the next four games.”

The victory over Chattanooga won’t have a lot of meaning, historical or otherwise, if the Bulldogs don’t continue to win games. Beating UTC won’t matter nearly as much if the team loses two or three conference games down the stretch.

I mentioned this in my preview of the Chattanooga game, but it’s worth repeating: in 1992, Marshall and The Citadel played at Johnson Hagood Stadium in a top-10 matchup between SoCon teams undefeated in league play. Marshall won the game…but The Citadel wound up winning the conference title.

The win on Saturday afternoon was one step, a big one, but nevertheless just one step. As Cam Jackson pointed out in last week’s press conference, “Every conference game is just as important as the next.”

The next conference game is at Wofford. It’s just as important.

—

This week’s pictures are…well, they’re pictures.

—

Filed under: Football, The Citadel | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

During the 2016 season, what teams will the Bulldogs’ opponents play before (and after) facing The Citadel?

Posted on July 11, 2016 by Sandlapper Spike

That’s right, it’s time for the annual July topic. In this post, I take a look at football schedules, and note which teams The Citadel’s opponents face before and after playing the Bulldogs. Sometimes, of course, the answer is “bye”.

Let’s review…

September 1 (Thursday): The Citadel’s first game of the season is a road conference matchup with Mercer. The game will be played on Thursday night, the first time I can recall the Bulldogs not opening the season on a Saturday.

As the opener for both teams, obviously neither will have faced a prior opponent this year. Mercer’s last game was a 47-21 home loss to Samford to close out the 2015 campaign.

After playing The Citadel, the Bears will prepare for another triple option team — Georgia Tech. It will be the first time the schools have met on the gridiron since 1938 (and the first game for Mercer against an FBS opponent since it restarted its football program in 2013).

September 10: Furman makes the trip to Charleston to face the Bulldogs. The Paladins open their 2016 season on Friday night (September 2), travelling to East Lansing for a meeting with Michigan State (the first time Furman has ever played a Big 10 team in football).

The Paladins’ home opener is on September 17, versus Chattanooga. It is the only one of FU’s first four games that will take place in Greenville, as Furman will play at Coastal Carolina on September 24.

September 17: The Citadel makes the journey to Boiling Springs, North Carolina, for a Bulldogs-vs.-Bulldogs battle.

It will be Gardner-Webb’s only home game in the month of September. The Runnin’ Bulldogs open with road games at Elon and Western Carolina before playing The Citadel, and will venture into the world of the MAC on September 24 for a contest against Ohio.

September 24: This is the open week for The Citadel. I’ll be on vacation myself. No, that isn’t a coincidence.

October 1: The Bulldogs will be in Cullowhee on the first day of October, tangling with Western Carolina. Both teams will be coming off a bye week.

WCU plays East Tennessee State in Johnson City on September 17. The game against The Citadel will be the first of two straight home contests for the Catamounts, as they play Wofford on October 8.

Western Carolina has FBS bookends on its schedule this year. WCU opens its season with a game versus East Carolina. There will be plenty of purple in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium that night.

The Catamounts will conclude regular-season action with a trip to Columbia for an SEC-SoCon Challenge game against South Carolina. Will the local alt-weekly refer to the game as a “cupcake” matchup? I’m guessing it will not.

October 8: After almost a month away from Johnson Hagood Stadium, The Citadel returns home for a Parents’ Day game against North Greenville.

The Crusaders are at home on October 1, facing Mars Hill. After playing The Citadel, the next game for North Greenville is a road matchup versus Tusculum.

October 15: The Bulldogs play Chattanooga in Charleston on this date. The Mocs are at home for both their prior game (Mercer) and the contest that follows (VMI).

After playing eight SoCon games in nine weeks, Chattanooga finishes its regular season campaign with a non-conference clash against Alabama.

October 22: The Citadel faces Wofford in Spartanburg. The Terriers have a bye on October 15. The week following the game against the Bulldogs, Wofford hosts Mercer.

The Terriers open the season with two road games. Wofford plays Mississippi in the second of those contests.

October 29: The Bulldogs play East Tennessee State in the next-to-last home game of the season. The Buccaneers don’t have a bye the week before, but will get a couple of extra days of preparation, as ETSU hosts West Virginia Wesleyan on Thursday, October 20.

East Tennessee State is at Mercer the week following its trip to Johnson Hagood Stadium. ETSU finishes the season with two home games, against Cumberland (yes, the Cumberland of 222-0 fame) and Samford.

November 5: Samford is the Homecoming opponent for The Citadel this year. With the possible exception of Furman, none of the military college’s other opponents has a tougher task the week prior to facing The Citadel. Samford has a matchup at Mississippi State on October 29.

On November 12, Samford holds its own Homecoming game against Mercer.

November 12: The battle for the coveted Silver Shako resumes once again on November 12, this time in Lexington, Virginia. VMI plays at Western Carolina the week before, and concludes its regular season with a game at Wofford the week following this game.

November 19: There will be lots of light blue in Chapel Hill on November 19, as The Citadel comes to town to face North Carolina. The Tar Heels are at Duke on November 12, and have another rivalry game the following week, versus North Carolina State (with that game taking place on the Friday following Thanksgiving Day).

—

A couple of observations about the schedule:

– Mercer wound up as a de facto “travel partner” of sorts for The Citadel this season. The Bears play Chattanooga the week before the Bulldogs do. Following that, there are three consecutive weeks in which a team will play Mercer the week after playing The Citadel (those three squads being Wofford, East Tennessee State, and Samford).

– As far as “option preview” situations are concerned…

Western Carolina and VMI both face Wofford the week after playing The Citadel. Only two league teams (Samford and East Tennessee State) play Wofford before matchups with The Citadel; both play the Terriers several weeks before meeting the Bulldogs.

North Carolina will play Georgia Tech two weeks before hosting The Citadel in Chapel Hill. North Greenville has a meeting with Lenoir-Rhyne a few weeks before playing The Citadel, but L-R (which has a new head coach) is moving to a more balanced offense after several years running the triple option.

—

Football season is getting closer…

Filed under: Football, The Citadel | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

For Immediate Release: TSA Watch List for the Southern Conference (SoCon), Part 4 — Coach of the Year

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Sandlapper Spike

Today, TSA announced its watch lists for the 2016 SoCon Player of the Year and various associated positional honors, including quarterback, running back, offensive line, wide receiver, tight end, defensive line, linebacker, defensive secondary, kicker, punter, and long snapper. The watch lists will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of league teams. There will also be a watch list for the TSA SoCon Coach of the Year.

TSA is a member of the Global American College Football Awards Consortium (GACFAC), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. GACFAC is the standard-bearer for tradition-selection excellence.

The membership of TSA unveils the preseason watch lists in a series of four releases, one for offensive players, one for defensive players, one for special teams stalwarts, and one for coaches. All players listed are eligible for TSA’s SoCon Player of the Year, as well as honors for each of their respective positional categories.

Players not listed on any TSA watch list are ineligible for any post-season honors. However, TSA has a unique appeals process by which a player not on a watch list can be nominated for a special exemption. Any players granted such an exemption will be named to their respective TSA late-season watch lists for each positional category, and would become eligible for league player of the year as well.

Head coaches not listed on the TSA watch list are also ineligible for post-season honors. However, TSA’s unique appeals process for players also applies to any SoCon head coach not on the watch list.

Without further ado, here is the TSA watch list for the SoCon Coach of the Year for 2016. Congratulations to all the coaches who were selected.

(As noted earlier, other releases will feature the offensive, defensive, and special teams watch lists.)

Link to watch lists — offense

Link to watch lists — defense

Link to watch lists — special teams

Coaches

Bobby Lamb Mercer
Brent Thompson The Citadel
Bruce Fowler Furman
Carl Torbush ETSU
Chris Hatcher Samford
Mark Speir W. Carolina
Mike Ayers Wofford
Russ Huesman Chattanooga
S. Wachenheim VMI

Filed under: Football | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

For Immediate Release: TSA Watch List for the Southern Conference (SoCon), Part 3 — Special Teams

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Sandlapper Spike

Today, TSA announced its watch lists for the 2016 SoCon Player of the Year and various associated positional honors, including quarterback, running back, offensive line, wide receiver, tight end, defensive line, linebacker, defensive secondary, kicker, punter, and long snapper. The watch lists will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of league teams. There will also be a watch list for the TSA SoCon Coach of the Year.

TSA is a member of the Global American College Football Awards Consortium (GACFAC), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. GACFAC is the standard-bearer for tradition-selection excellence.

The membership of TSA unveils the preseason watch lists in a series of four releases, one for offensive players, one for defensive players, one for special teams stalwarts, and one for coaches. All players listed are eligible for TSA’s SoCon Player of the Year, as well as honors for each of their respective positional categories.

Players not listed on any TSA watch list are ineligible for any post-season honors. However, TSA has a unique appeals process by which a player not on a watch list can be nominated for a special exemption. Any players granted such an exemption will be named to their respective TSA late-season watch lists for each positional category, and would become eligible for league player of the year as well.

Without further ado, here are the TSA watch lists for the SoCon’s special teams standouts. Congratulations to all the players who were selected.

(As noted earlier, other releases will feature the offensive and defensive teams watch lists, and the TSA SoCon Coach of the Year Watch List.)

Link to watch list — offense

Link to watch list — defense

Link to watch list — Coach of the Year, Southern Conference

—

Long Snappers

Adam Mullins LS RSo. ETSU
Alec Hulmes LS SR Samford
C. Addertion LS RS SR W. Carolina
C. McDonough LS FR W. Carolina
Chase Zeegers LS FR Samford
Dustin Nickle LS RFr. ETSU
Emory Norred LS Jr. Chattanooga
Evan Vaughn LS Fr. Furman
Jackson Wetherby LS RS FR W. Carolina
Jake Keith LS Fr. VMI
John Garrett Abernathy LS JR Mercer
Lee Riley LS So. The Citadel
Lewis Freeman LS FR Samford
Patrick Keefe LS So. The Citadel
Ross Hammond LS So. Wofford
Steven Nixon LS FR Mercer
Tanner Dillard LS So. Chattanooga

Placekickers

Christian Stewart K FR WCU
Cody Clark K Sr. The Citadel
Cole Fisher K FR Mercer
Colin Brewer K Fr. Chattanooga
David Marvin K Jr. Wofford
Dillon Christopher K Sr. VMI
Grant Reynolds K FR Mercer
Henrique Ribeiro K Sr. Chattanooga
Jacob Godek K Fr. The Citadel
Jagger Lieb K SO Mercer
Jake Poczobut K Fr. ETSU
Jeremiah Norman K RFr. VMI
JJ Jerman K So. ETSU
Jody Purnell K FR Samford
Joe DeFatta K RSo. ETSU
Joe Difilippo K Fr. Furman
Jon Croft Hollingsworth K So. Furman
Landon Kunak K RFr. ETSU
Logan Howard K SO WCU
Luke Carter K R-Fr. Wofford
Luke Morris K FR Samford
Marion Watson K So. ETSU
Mark Holtgrave K FR Samford
Nathan Geis K FR Samford
Reece Everett K SO Samford
Reed King K Fr. VMI
Tommy Smith K So. VMI
Tyler Zielenske K JR Mercer
Warren Handrahan K JR Samford

Punters

Austin Barnard P SO Samford
Bill Hogan P RSo. VMI
Brian Sanders P Sr. Wofford
David Marvin P Jr. Wofford
Destry Barnwell P JR WCU
Ian Berryman P RS SO WCU
Jacob Godek P Fr. The Citadel
Jake Poczobut P Fr. ETSU
Joe DeFatta P RSo. ETSU
Jon Croft Hollingsworth P So. Furman
Luke Carter P R-Fr. Wofford
Reed King P Fr. VMI
Rob East P JR Mercer
Seth Hinton P Sr. VMI
Tommy Smith P So. VMI
Will Vanvick P Sr. The Citadel

Filed under: Football | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

For Immediate Release: TSA Watch List for the Southern Conference (SoCon), Part 2 — Defense

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Sandlapper Spike

Today, TSA announced its watch lists for the 2016 SoCon Player of the Year and various associated positional honors, including quarterback, running back, offensive line, wide receiver, tight end, defensive line, linebacker, defensive secondary, kicker, punter, and long snapper. The watch lists will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of league teams. There will also be a watch list for the TSA SoCon Coach of the Year.

TSA is a member of the Global American College Football Awards Consortium (GACFAC), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. GACFAC is the standard-bearer for tradition-selection excellence.

The membership of TSA unveils the preseason watch lists in a series of four releases, one for offensive players, one for defensive players, one for special teams stalwarts, and one for coaches. All players listed are eligible for TSA’s SoCon Player of the Year, as well as honors for each of their respective positional categories.

Players not listed on any TSA watch list are ineligible for any post-season honors. However, TSA has a unique appeals process by which a player not on a watch list can be nominated for a special exemption. Any players granted such an exemption will be named to their respective TSA late-season watch lists for each positional category, and would become eligible for league player of the year as well.

Without further ado, here are the TSA watch lists for the SoCon’s defensive positions. Congratulations to all the players who were selected.

(As noted earlier, other releases will feature the offensive and special teams watch lists, and the TSA SoCon Coach of the Year Watch List.)

Link to watch lists — offense

Link to watch lists — special teams

Link to watch list — Coach of the Year, Southern Conference

Defensive Linemen

A.J. Stokes DL Fr. The Citadel
Adam Wawrzynski DL R-Fr. The Citadel
Ahmad Gooden DL FR Samford
Alex Nolan DL Jr. Wofford
Alfred Brown DL FR Samford
Andre Newton DL FR Samford
Andrew Mayton DL RS JR Western Carolina
Anthony Eads DL FR Samford
Anthony Perella DL JR Mercer
Austin Barrett DL SO Mercer
Austin Rowan DL Fr. ETSU
Austin Wysor DL FR Mercer
Avery Worsham DL SR Western Carolina
Blake Jones DL FR Mercer
Boston Bryant DL Sr. Wofford
Brad Minter DL Jr. Furman
Brad Noble DL SR Samford
Bradley Carter DL So. The Citadel
Brandon Bourk DL Jr. Chattanooga
Brandon Curtis DL Jr. Wofford
Brandon Zamary DL So. Wofford
Brian Ross DL R-Jr. Furman
Caleb Hester DL So. The Citadel
Carew Alvarez DL So. Wofford
Chinedu Okonya DL R-Fr. Furman
Chris Boudreaux DL Sr. Wofford
Chris Bouyer DL So. ETSU
Chris Washington DL Fr. Furman
Cody Jones DL JR Mercer
Colt Jenkins DL RSo. ETSU
Connor Jackson DL R-Fr. Furman
D.J. Prather DL Jr. Chattanooga
Daniel Nash DL SR Western Carolina
DeAndre Thornton DL R-So. Furman
Destin Guillen DL FR Mercer
Devon Johnson DL RFr. ETSU
Dillon Vann DL Fr. Furman
Dorian Kithcart DL FR Mercer
Emeka Ikezu DL SO Samford
Ezavian Dunn DL JR Western Carolina
F. Charles DL RJr. ETSU
Fred Mooring DL SR Western Carolina
Hawk Schrider DL So. Chattanooga
Holden Edwards DL FR Western Carolina
Horace Roberts DL FR Samford
Hudson Brett DL FR Mercer
Ian Hayes DL Fr. Chattanooga
Isaiah Mack DL So. Chattanooga
J.C. Garvin DL RSr. VMI
Jake Helms DL FR Western Carolina
Jake Kingree DL JR Samford
Jalen Penn DL SO Mercer
Ja’Lon Williams DL R-Fr. The Citadel
James Stone DL Sr. Chattanooga
Jared Holloway DL JR Samford
Jarrod Richmond DL RFr. VMI
Jason Maduafokwa DL RFr. ETSU
Jay Gibbs DL RS FR Western Carolina
Jaylan Reid DL R-Fr. Furman
Joe Crochet DL Sr. The Citadel
Joe Dossett DL So. ETSU
Joe Pittman DL RFr. ETSU
John Mobley DL RSo. VMI
Jonah Tibbs DL Fr. Furman
Jonathan King DL Jr. The Citadel
Jordan Harris DL Fr. Furman
Jordan Hawkins DL Jr. Furman
Jose Casanova DL SR Samford
Joseph Randolph II DL Fr. The Citadel
Justin Foster DL FR Samford
Justin King DL Sr. Chattanooga
Justin Minick DL SR Samford
Keionta Davis DL Sr. Chattanooga
Kelly Brooks DL JR Mercer
Ken Allen DL So. The Citadel
Kevin Graham DL So. The Citadel
Khayyan Edwards DL Fr. Chattanooga
Marvin Davis DL JR Mercer
Matt DeGraffinreed DL RS SR Western Carolina
Mikel Horton DL Fr. Wofford
Miles Brown DL So. Wofford
Mitchell Smith DL JR Samford
Myreon Bennett DL RS FR Western Carolina
Nasir Player DL RFr. ETSU
Nick Collins DL JR Mercer
Noah Dawkins DL So. The Citadel
Olajuwon Pinkelton DL Fr. ETSU
Robbie Armstrong DL Fr. Wofford
R. Donaldson DL JR Samford
Royce Turnbull DL RJr. ETSU
Ryan Clark DL Fr. VMI
Sam Parker DL Sr. The Citadel
Seth Mallory DL RSr. VMI
Shavon Henderson DL RSo. VMI
Sheldon Kinard DL RS JR Western Carolina
Steven Cornellier DL Jr. Wofford
T.J. Warren DL R-Jr. Furman
Tahjai Watt DL RS JR Western Carolina
Tashion Singleton DL GS Western Carolina
Taylor Reynolds DL Jr. Chattanooga
Telvin Jones DL Fr. Chattanooga
Terrell Woods DL JR Samford
Thad Mangum DL R-Fr. Wofford
Thad Stevenson-Panchisin DL RFr. VMI
Toney Benson DL Jr. Wofford
Tony Zaffore DL So. Chattanooga
Travis Johnson DL Jr. The Citadel
Tra’von Ricketts DL RS FR Western Carolina
Tremond Ferrell DL So. ETSU
Tre’Von White DL So. The Citadel
T. Jachimowicz DL Jr. Chattanooga
Tunde Ayinla DL JR Mercer
Tyler Junius DL JR Western Carolina
Tyler Vaughn DL Jr. Wofford
Vantrel McMillan DL Sr. Chattanooga
Xavier Forrest DL SO Samford
Xavier Greenfield DL Jr. VMI
Zachary Greene DL RS SO Western Carolina
Zack Baker DL RSo. VMI
Zack Lockhart DL Fr. VMI

Linebackers

Aaron Harris LB FR Samford
Alec Happel LB FR Samford
Alijah Robinson LB Sr. VMI
Allan Cratsenberg LB Jr. VMI
Andrew Birkmire LB FR Western Carolina
Austin Chapman LB SO Samford
Austin Gatewood LB RSo. ETSU
Austin Howard LB Fr. ETSU
Austin Mosier LB RFr. ETSU
Bill Hogan LB RSo. VMI
Billy Hinton LB So. Wofford
Blake Bockrath LB Fr. ETSU
Brad Lipscomb LB RSr. VMI
Brandon Brown LB Fr. Wofford
Brian Lipscomb LB RSo. VMI
Byron Johnson LB Jr. Furman
Caleb Lindsey LB Sr. VMI
Campbell Jackson LB R-Fr. Wofford
Carl Rider LB R-Jr. Furman
Carter McManes LB SO Samford
Chris Seaborn LB JR Western Carolina
Cj Kleckley LB JR Mercer
Clark Dupree LB FR Samford
Cody Bennett LB So. Chattanooga
Cody Floyd LB So. The Citadel
Cody Peregoy LB RFr. VMI
C. Cunningham LB RS SR Western Carolina
Colton Clemons LB Jr. Wofford
Colton Lakes LB Fr. ETSU
Connor Riddle LB Fr. VMI
Corey Lockett LB JR Mercer
Cory Carter LB FR Samford
Dale Warren LB Jr. Chattanooga
D’Andre Belton LB RS SO Western Carolina
Daniel Riddle LB RS JR Western Carolina
Darnell Ashton LB Sr. VMI
Daryl Vining LB Jr. Wofford
Datavious Wilson LB Fr. Wofford
Deion Pierre LB SO Samford
Denzel Wright LB Fr. The Citadel
Derek Slaughter LB SR Samford
Derek Wilson LB RFr. VMI
Devin Davidson LB JR Mercer
Dillon Woodruff LB R-So. Furman
D. Perryman LB Fr. Furman
D. Copeland LB Sr. The Citadel
Dorsett Johnson LB FR Samford
Dru Seabrook LB Fr. Furman
Dylan Weigel LB RSo. ETSU
Dylan Young LB Jr. Wofford
Elliott Brewster LB Fr. VMI
Emory McKenzie LB Fr. Furman
Garrett Hicks LB R-Fr. Wofford
Gregory Pappas LB Jr. The Citadel
Isaiah Buehler LB FR Mercer
Israel Battle LB Jr. The Citadel
J.C. Coy LB Fr. VMI
Jack Raines LB FR Mercer
Jacob Powell LB R-Fr. Furman
Jake Brooks LB FR Mercer
Jake Massey LB FR Samford
J. Donahue LB RFr. VMI
JD Griffin LB Fr. ETSU
Jeremy Samuels LB Fr. The Citadel
Jerod Walls LB RS FR Western Carolina
Jerry Langan LB Jr. Furman
Jireh Wilson LB Fr. Wofford
John Patterson LB Jr. Wofford
Jonathan Baker LB Fr. VMI
Jonathan Mooney LB JR Samford
Jonathan Ward LB FR Mercer
Jordan Thomas LB R-Fr. The Citadel
Josh Bennett LB JR Mercer
Josh Killett LB SR Samford
Justin Cooper LB SR Samford
Kahlil Mitchell LB So. ETSU
Kendall White LB JR Western Carolina
K. Wilson LB Fr. Chattanooga
Kuony Deng LB Fr. VMI
Kyle Trammell LB SO Mercer
Kyle Vails LB RS JR Western Carolina
Kyle Williams LB SO Mercer
Lee Bennett LB SO Mercer
Lincoln Stewart LB Sr. Wofford
Luke Davis LB Fr. Chattanooga
Michael Bean LB Fr. Chattanooga
Michael Minder LB RS FR Western Carolina
M. Rainwater LB JR Mercer
Michael Roach LB Jr. Wofford
Michael Wagner LB JR Mercer
Mitchell Chancey LB SO Western Carolina
Myles Pierce LB Jr. The Citadel
Najee Lawrence LB Fr. VMI
Nakevion Leslie LB Sr. Chattanooga
Nathan Sanders LB So. Wofford
Neil Monaghan LB So. Wofford
Phil Davis LB R-Fr. The Citadel
P. Whitehead LB Fr. ETSU
Quinlan Washington LB So. The Citadel
Raleigh Webb LB Fr. The Citadel
River Boruff LB RSo. ETSU
Russell Hubbs LB So. The Citadel
Ryan Francis LB RJr. VMI
Shaheed Salmon LB SO Samford
Spencer Brien LB RSo. ETSU
T.J. Jenkins LB Jr. Chattanooga
Terrance Morris LB Jr. Wofford
Tevin Floyd LB Sr. The Citadel
Tim Whatley LB So. Chattanooga
Tonne Osaigbovo LB JR Samford
Tony Richardson LB Jr. VMI
Tosin Aguebor LB JR Mercer
Tradd Deaver LB R-Fr. The Citadel
Travonte’ Easley LB FR Mercer
Trey Nelson LB Jr. The Citadel
Trey Quillin LB RSo. ETSU
Tripp Patterson LB JR Mercer
Troy Barden LB RJr. VMI
Tyler Fedison LB RFr. VMI
Tyler Queen LB FR Samford
Tyler Voyles LB Fr. Furman
Tyler Ward LB JR Mercer
Tyreik Lyles LB So. Wofford
Tyson Dickson LB SR Western Carolina
Weston Rountree LB So. Wofford
Will Coneway LB FR Mercer
Za’Von Whitaker LB R-Fr. The Citadel

Defensive Backs

A.J. Newman Jr. DB JR WCU
Aaquil Annoor DB Fr. Furman
Aaron Avant DB JR Mercer
Adekunle Olusanya DB R-So. Furman
Adrian King DB Fr. Chattanooga
Alex Avant DB SR Mercer
Alex Burch DB Fr. Furman
Alex Keys DB RSr. VMI
Alonzo Francois DB RSo. ETSU
A. Heyward DB RFr. ETSU
Andy Nichols DB JR Mercer
A. Simpson DB FR Samford
Aron Spann III DB So. The Citadel
Ben Roberts DB Jr. The Citadel
Bobby Gibbs DB RS SO WCU
B. Meccariello DB R-Fr. Furman
Bradley Lythgoe DB Fr. VMI
Brandon Coney DB FR Mercer
Brandon Gurley DB FR Mercer
Bryan Okeh DB Fr. Furman
Bryce Suber DB RFr. ETSU
Bryce Wilson DB RS FR WCU
C.J. Fritz DB So. Chattanooga
C.J. Toomer DB SO Samford
Carl Cunningham Jr. DB So. The Citadel
Cedric Nettles DB Sr. Chattanooga
C. Steverson DB Fr. The Citadel
Charlie Jackson DB RFr. ETSU
Chaz Claunch DB SO Samford
Chris Armfield DB Sr. Wofford
Chris Howard DB RFr. ETSU
C. Gibson DB RFr. ETSU
Christian Stark DB FR Samford
C. Waddell DB Fr. VMI
Cody Brooks DB JR Samford
Cole Higbie DB Jr. Wofford
Curt Nixon DB R-Fr. The Citadel
Curtis Roach DB FR WCU
D.J. Williams DB Fr. Chattanooga
Damian Jones DB RSr. VMI
Daren Ardis DB Jr. ETSU
Darron Paschal DB Fr. Wofford
Dee Delaney DB Jr. The Citadel
D. Cortner DB FR WCU
Devin Watson DB So. Wofford
D. Redwood DB Fr. Wofford
D. Williams DB So. ETSU
D. Lemon DB So. Wofford
Donovan Franks DB R-So. Furman
E. Stawowczyk DB RSo. VMI
Emerson Brooks DB FR Samford
Eric Jackson DB FR Mercer
Fred Payne DB SR WCU
G. Sutherland DB RSo. VMI
George Gbesee DB R-Fr. Wofford
Graham Massey DB So. Wofford
Greg Sanders DB Jr. VMI
Jabari Scruggs DB JR Mercer
Jack Jones DB RSo. ETSU
Jackson Trawick DB Jr. ETSU
Jacob Finerty DB RS FR WCU
Jacque Evangelister DB Fr. Furman
Jaleel Green DB Sr. Wofford
J. Williams DB Jr. Wofford
J. Milliken DB R-Jr. Furman
J. Blount DB JR Samford
Jamond Glass DB FR Samford
Jarek Taylor DB FR Samford
J. Williams DB Fr. ETSU
Jaylon Harden DB Fr. Furman
Jeremy James DB SO Mercer
Jeremy Lewis DB Fr. ETSU
Jevon Gooden DB Jr. ETSU
J. Robinson DB FR Mercer
Joe Farrar DB R-Fr. Furman
John Brannon III DB FR WCU
John Patrick DB Fr. Furman
JoJo Tillery DB So. Wofford
Jon Strozyk DB RJr. VMI
Jordan Willis DB Fr. Furman
Josh Kimberlin DB SR Samford
K.J. Roper DB Fr. Chattanooga
Kaelin Snead DB Fr. VMI
Kailik Williams DB Jr. The Citadel
Kaleb Tucker DB Fr. VMI
Karee Carter DB So. VMI
Kavajae Ellis DB Fr. Furman
Keanu James DB So. ETSU
Keion Crossen DB JR WCU
Kevin Ferguson DB RFr. ETSU
Khafari Buffalo DB R-Fr. The Citadel
L. Bailey DB SO Mercer
Lendell Arnold DB JR Mercer
Le’Vonte Larry DB Fr. Chattanooga
Lucas Webb DB Jr. Chattanooga
Luke Cuneo DB R-Fr. Furman
Luke Stokes DB FR Samford
M. Herrington DB Fr. ETSU
Malik Diggs DB Sr. The Citadel
Malik Rivera DB So. Wofford
Marvin Tillman DB SO WCU
Mason Alstatt DB Fr. Wofford
Matt Azemar DB SO Samford
M. Nicholson DB Sr. VMI
Michael Murphy DB FR WCU
M. Sarafianos DB Jr. Wofford
M. Williams DB RSo. VMI
Mike Gray DB JR Mercer
Mikey White DB SO WCU
Montrell Pardue DB So. Chattanooga
Nathan Peeples DB So. The Citadel
Nevin Harton DB JR Mercer
Nick Barton DB FR Samford
Nick Miller DB Jr. Furman
Nick Payne DB Fr. ETSU
Nick Ward DB Jr. Wofford
Omari Williams DB SO Samford
Patrick Wells DB Fr. Furman
Paul Hunter DB Jr. ETSU
Pete Reed DB RJr. VMI
Phil Barrett DB Fr. The Citadel
Quandarius Weems DB Fr. Furman
Richard Hayes III DB Jr. Furman
R. Charles DB FR Samford
Ryan Powers DB Sr. ETSU
Ryan White DB SO Samford
Sam Pettway DB SO Samford
Scott Frazier DB RJr. VMI
Sean Dumas DB Fr. The Citadel
Sean McMahan DB Fr. Chattanooga
Sean Rusnak DB R-Fr. Furman
Sebastian Hicks DB JR Mercer
Shamon Elliott DB FR WCU
Shane Samuels DB RS JR WCU
Shy Phillips DB Jr. The Citadel
Stephen Gibbs DB FR Samford
Stephen Houzah DB FR Mercer
Stuart Smith DB R-Fr. Furman
S. Brown DB JR Mercer
Tae Davis DB Jr. Chattanooga
Tavian Lott DB Sr. ETSU
Tavon Lawson DB Jr. Chattanooga
Thomas Brown DB R-Jr. Furman
T. DeGrange DB FR Samford
Tony Mitchell DB Fr. ETSU
Tony Welch DB RSo. ETSU
T. Winton DB RSo. ETSU
Tra Hardy DB JR WCU
Trevor Wright DB Jr. Chattanooga
Trey Gowan DB Fr. ETSU
Trey Morgan DB SR WCU
Trey Robinson DB Jr. Furman
Tyler Jackson DB R-Fr. The Citadel
Tyriuq Trotman DB So. VMI
Tyus Carter DB Jr. The Citadel
Ulysses Strawter DB Fr. Wofford
Uzoma Kpaduwa DB RFr. VMI
Zach Jackson DB JR Mercer

Filed under: Football | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

For Immediate Release: TSA Watch List for the Southern Conference (SoCon), Part 1 — Offense

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Sandlapper Spike

Today, TSA announced its watch lists for the 2016 SoCon Player of the Year and various associated positional honors, including quarterback, running back, offensive line, wide receiver, tight end, defensive line, linebacker, defensive secondary, kicker, punter, and long snapper. The watch lists will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of league teams. There will also be a watch list for the TSA SoCon Coach of the Year.

TSA is a member of the Global American College Football Awards Consortium (GACFAC), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. GACFAC is the standard-bearer for tradition-selection excellence.

The membership of TSA unveils the preseason watch lists in a series of four releases, one for offensive players, one for defensive players, one for special teams stalwarts, and one for coaches. All players listed are eligible for TSA’s SoCon Player of the Year, as well as honors for each of their respective positional categories.

Players not listed on any TSA watch list are ineligible for any post-season honors. However, TSA has a unique appeals process by which a player not on a watch list can be nominated for a special exemption. Any players granted such an exemption will be named to their respective TSA late-season watch lists for each positional category, and would become eligible for league player of the year as well.

Without further ado, here are the TSA watch lists for the SoCon’s offensive positions. Congratulations to all the players selected.

(As noted earlier, other releases will feature the defensive and special teams watch lists, and the TSA SoCon Coach of the Year Watch List.)

Link to watch lists — defense

Link to watch lists — special teams

Link to watch list — Coach of the Year, Southern Conference

Quarterbacks

Al Cobb QB RJr. VMI
Albert Mitchell QB SO Samford
A. Bennifield QB Jr. Chattanooga
Alex Matthews QB JR Samford
Austin Coulling QB RFr. VMI
Austin Herink QB RSo. ETSU
Avery Armstrong QB Fr. Furman
Bishop George QB Fr. VMI
Brad Butler QB Jr. Wofford
Brandon Goodson QB Jr. Wofford
Brandon Rainey QB Fr. The Citadel
Carson Barnett QB SR Samford
David Howerton QB Jr. Wofford
Devlin Hodges QB FR Samford
Dominique Allen QB Jr. The Citadel
Drew Pederson QB SO Samford
Duncan Hodges QB Fr. VMI
Dylan Wieger QB RFr. ETSU
Evan Jacks QB Sr. Wofford
Harris Roberts QB R-Fr. Furman
Jake Allen QB FR Mercer
Jake Paladino QB RFr. VMI
Jalen Lampkin QB So. The Citadel
Jes Sutherland QB FR Samford
Joe Newman QB Fr. Wofford
John Mitchell QB FR Mercer
John Russ QB JR Mercer
Jordan Black QB R-Fr. The Citadel
Kalen Whitlow QB RS FR Western Carolina
Logan Bailey QB Fr. The Citadel
Luke Manning QB So. ETSU
Michael Eubank QB SR Samford
Michael Haynes QB JR Mercer
Nick Sexton QB RSo. ETSU
Nolan Beasley QB FR Western Carolina
P.J. Blazejowski QB So. Furman
Reese Hannon QB R-Jr. Furman
Reese Vita QB Fr. Furman
Ryan Burger QB Fr. ETSU
Tanner Brumby QB FR Mercer
Tucker Genal QB R-Fr. Furman
Tyler Roberson QB Jr. Chattanooga
Tyrie Adams QB RS FR Western Carolina
Wes Holcombe QB JR Western Carolina
Xavier Johnson QB So. Chattanooga

Running Backs

Alex Lakes RB SO Mercer
Alex Ramsey RB Fr. VMI
Alex Trotter RB So. Chattanooga
Andre Stoddard RB So. Wofford
Andy Riazzi RB Fr. Wofford
Anthony Preston RB SO Samford
Antonio Wilcox RB So. Furman
Artevius Smith RB RFr. ETSU
Austin Hayworth RB RSo. ETSU
Blake Morgan RB Fr. Wofford
Brice Tucker RB RSo. VMI
C.J. Goodman Jr. RB RS SR Western Carolina
Caleb Brown RB JR Mercer
Cam Jackson RB Jr. The Citadel
Chase Nelson RB Jr. Wofford
Chris Martin RB Jr. Wofford
Chris Miller RB Fr. Chattanooga
Connell Young RB FR Western Carolina
Corey Holloway RB RS SO Western Carolina
Cory Colder RB RSo. ETSU
Darius Morehead RB Fr. Furman
David Abee RB FR Samford
David Pascoe RB So. The Citadel
Dazmine Palmer RB Fr. VMI
Denzel Williams RB JR Samford
Deon Sanders RB Fr. Furman
Derrick Craine RB Sr. Chattanooga
Detrez Newsome RB JR Western Carolina
Devin Carper RB Fr. VMI
D. Spencer RB FR Western Carolina
Donovan Ward RB R-Fr. The Citadel
D. Monroe RB Fr. ETSU
Donte Maxson RB FR Mercer
Ellis Pace RB So. Wofford
Evan McField RB So. The Citadel
Falon Lee RB RJr. ETSU
Frank D’Alonzo RB FR Samford
Grant Drakeford RB So. The Citadel
Haddon Hill RB RFr. ETSU
Hunter Marshall RB RJr. VMI
H. Windham RB Jr. Wofford
Isiaha Smith RB Jr. The Citadel
Jajuan Lankford RB RSo. ETSU
Jajuan Stinson RB RSo. ETSU
Jake Wilks RB JR Samford
James Foushee RB RS SO Western Carolina
J. Chapman RB Fr. Wofford
JeTarii Donald RB JR Mercer
Jonathan Dorogy RB Jr. The Citadel
Jordan Williams RB R-Fr. The Citadel
Justin Curry RB FR Samford
Kealand Dirks RB R-Fr. Furman
K’rondis Larry RB SO Samford
Kyle Nalls RB So. Chattanooga
Kyle Vardo RB RJr. VMI
Lennox McAfee RB So. Wofford
Lorenzo Long RB Sr. Wofford
Luke Childress RB Jr. Wofford
Mason Dermott RB So. VMI
Matt Fox RB RFr. ETSU
Matt Thompson RB RFr. ETSU
Nate Pylant RB FR Mercer
Nick Colvin RB Sr. Wofford
Noah Mitchell RB R-Fr. Furman
Ostin McPherson RB Fr. Wofford
Payton Usher RB JR Mercer
Quan Myers RB So. VMI
Reggie Williams RB Jr. The Citadel
Richardre Bagley RB Jr. Chattanooga
Ridge Gibson RB R-Fr. Furman
Rod Johnson RB So. The Citadel
Roland Adams RB FR Samford
Skyler Matheson RB RS FR Western Carolina
Spencer Alverson RB R-Fr. Wofford
Stanley Robinson RB SR Samford
Tee Mitchell RB SO Mercer
Tony Drew RB RSo. ETSU
Triston Luke RB Fr. Furman
Tyain Smith RB Fr. VMI
Tyler Renew RB Sr. The Citadel
Will Gay RB Sr. Wofford

Wide Receivers

Aaron Sanders WR Sr. VMI
Adam Mitchell WR RFr. ETSU
Alec Mini WR Fr. VMI
A’lencio Graham WR R-Fr. Furman
Alex Johnson WR FR Western Carolina
Alphonso Stewart WR Jr. Chattanooga
Andrej Suttles WR R-Jr. Furman
Andrew Askew WR FR Western Carolina
Andrew Harris WR FR Samford
Andy Schumpert WR So. Furman
A. Spagnoletti WR RFr. ETSU
Armani Helligar WR So. Wofford
Austyn Hennings WR R-Fr. Wofford
Avery Ward WR SO Mercer
Bailey Rogers WR Fr. Furman
Bingo Morton WR So. Chattanooga
Brad Swan Jr. WR RS FR Western Carolina
B. Lemmons WR R-Fr. Furman
Braxton Richburg WR Fr. ETSU
Bryce Motes WR Jr. Wofford
C.J. Board WR Sr. Chattanooga
Caleb Woody WR Fr. ETSU
Cameron Scott WR Sr. The Citadel
Camiel Grant WR FR Mercer
Chad Pritchard WR Sr. ETSU
Chad Scott WR R-Jr. Furman
Chandler Curtis WR SO Mercer
Charles Johnson WR RS FR Western Carolina
Cole Cleary WR So. Wofford
Cole Staton WR SO Mercer
[Disqualified] WR N/A N/A
Dalton Ponchillia WR RJr. ETSU
Dane Forlines WR Sr. VMI
Daquan Patten WR FR Western Carolina
Darius Harvey WR FR Samford
Darius Means WR RS SO Western Carolina
Darius Tenney WR SR Mercer
Darrian Johnson WR RSr. VMI
DeAndre Schoultz WR Sr. The Citadel
D. McQuarters WR So. Chattanooga
Dijon Profit WR Fr. The Citadel
D. Wright-Linton WR Fr. Furman
Dorian Lindsey WR Fr. Wofford
Drake Powell WR So. ETSU
D’Vante Penamon WR JR Mercer
Elijah Mathes WR Fr. ETSU
E. Obajimi WR JR Samford
Evan Jager WR R-Fr. Furman
Gavin Sinclair WR SR Samford
Hank Black WR RSo. ETSU
Hunter Jacobs WR RS JR Western Carolina
Hunter Wike WR RSo. ETSU
Isaiah Gilmore WR Fr. ETSU
Isaiah Parker WR So. VMI
Jack Shoulders WR RFr. ETSU
Jacob Robinson WR RS FR Western Carolina
Jade Maher WR RSo. VMI
James Huston WR FR Samford
James Stovall WR Jr. Chattanooga
Jarred Hill WR RS JR Western Carolina
Jason Hill WR R-Fr. Wofford
Javeon Lara WR Fr. VMI
Javian Ramson WR JR Samford
Jay Gavin WR Fr. VMI
JD Tuten WR R-So. Furman
Jeff Bowens WR SO Mercer
Joey Brown WR RSo. VMI
Jordan Marshall WR JR Mercer
Jordan Mathis WR RS SO Western Carolina
Jorian Jordan WR Sr. The Citadel
Josh Jones WR JR Mercer
Josh LeBlanc WR Fr. The Citadel
Jovany Aris WR RSo. ETSU
Justin Anderson WR SO Samford
Justin Johnson WR FR Mercer
Karel Hamilton WR JR Samford
Keith Coffee WR Fr. ETSU
Kelvin McKnight WR FR Samford
Kendrick Jackson WR Fr. VMI
Kobe Kelley WR So. ETSU
Kota Nix WR So. Chattanooga
Kyle Harrell WR RJr. VMI
Lavell Ellerbe WR FR Western Carolina
Logan McCarter WR R-So. Furman
Luke Hill WR FR Samford
Malik Styles WR RSo. ETSU
Marquise Irvin WR FR Mercer
Matt Blaser WR Fr. VMI
Matt Williams WR Fr. ETSU
Merrick Mullins WR So. ETSU
R.J. Taylor WR Jr. Wofford
Randall Emerson WR RS SO Western Carolina
Rashad Riley WR Fr. The Citadel
Riley Davis WR Sr. Chattanooga
Rohan Martin WR Fr. VMI
Rudder Brown WR Sr. The Citadel
Ryan Knapp WR JR Mercer
Seth Greer WR Jr. The Citadel
S. Robinson WR RS SR Western Carolina
Steffon Hill WR SR Western Carolina
Taylor Stout WR Sr. VMI
Terryon Robinson WR RS JR Western Carolina
Thomas Gordon WR Fr. Furman
Tony Francois WR RSo. ETSU
Tyler Mitchell WR RS FR Western Carolina
Tyran Reynolds WR RS SO Western Carolina
Vaquan Small WR FR Samford
Vincent Lowe WR Jr. ETSU
Wade Smith WR Fr. Furman
Wen Burnette WR FR Samford
Whit Miller WR So. The Citadel
Wil Young WR So. Chattanooga
Will Wampler WR RFr. VMI
William Ramsey WR RS JR Western Carolina
Xavier Borishade WR Sr. Chattanooga

Tight ends

Ajay Williams TE R-Fr. Furman
Aubry Payne TE FR Western Carolina
Austin Phillips TE FR Western Carolina
Bailey Lenoir TE So. Chattanooga
Ben Cottingham TE FR Samford
Bijan Sirleaf TE FR Samford
Bryce Miller TE Fr. Chattanooga
Chad Jacob TE RJr. VMI
Chance Towery TE SO Western Carolina
Chandler Gouger TE Jr. Wofford
Chase Fisher TE FR Western Carolina
Chase Westfall TE FR Mercer
Clarke Miller TE FR Samford
Derek Owings TE JR Mercer
Devon Schmitt TE JR Samford
Duncan Fletcher TE Jr. Furman
Dylan Dockery TE So. ETSU
Eli Grambling TE JR Mercer
Grant Radakovich TE JR Mercer
Justin Gilliam TE So. ETSU
Kevin Carson TE RSo. VMI
Kevin Mall TE R-Jr. Furman
Kevin Marion TE FR Samford
Malcolm Colvin TE Jr. Chattanooga
M. Helms Jr. TE RS SR Western Carolina
Myles Taylor TE RFr. ETSU
Nic Hayes TE Fr. VMI
Nick Karas TE R-Fr. Wofford
Parrish Nichols TE FR Samford
Patrick Dolan TE Fr. VMI
Paul Leveritt TE RSo. ETSU
Riley Gessner TE Fr. Furman
Robert Brown TE JR Mercer
Roderick Poag TE RS JR Western Carolina
Ryan Swingle TE RJr. VMI
Sam Walker TE FR Mercer
Spencer McCoy TE RS FR Western Carolina
Stephen Antonelli TE RSo. ETSU
T.J. Novotny TE Jr. Wofford
Tony Philpot TE SR Samford
Trey Peppers TE FR Mercer
Troy Forrest TE SO Samford
Tyler Sexton TE SR Western Carolina
Tyler Small TE SO Samford
Zander Royston TE RFr. VMI

Offensive Linemen

Aaron Gallagher OL Unknown VMI
Alex Hooper OL Jr. Chattanooga
Alex Rios OL Jr. ETSU
Andrew Lewis OL Sr. VMI
Andrew Miles OL RS SO Western Carolina
Andy Clements OL JR Samford
Andy Godwin OL Fr. Furman
Anton Wahrby OL Sr. Wofford
Antwan Johnson OL FR Samford
A. Bonheur OL JR Samford
Asley Haynes OL RSo. ETSU
Attorney Gallman OL R-Fr. The Citadel
Austin Jacobs OL RS JR Western Carolina
Avery White OL JR Mercer
Bailey Byrum OL FR Western Carolina
Baker Richardson OL FR Samford
Ben Blackmon OL RFr. ETSU
Bennett Eibel OL FR Samford
Blake Jeresaty OL Fr. Wofford
Bo Layton OL Fr. Furman
Bradley Hann OL RSr. VMI
Bradley Way OL Sr. Wofford
Branden Parker OL So. Chattanooga
Brandon Berridge OL RS JR Western Carolina
Brent Rathbone OL RSo. ETSU
Bret Niederreither OL JR Mercer
Brett Steverson OL SO Mercer
Caleb Yates OL SO Mercer
Cameron Parker OL Fr. ETSU
Chad Mitchell OL FR Mercer
Chase Smith OL RSo. VMI
Chase Stehling OL RS SO Western Carolina
Chris Breedlove OL Fr. Furman
Chris Wade OL R-Fr. Furman
Chuck Rouse OL Jr. Wofford
Cody Cornelius OL So. ETSU
Cody Wyatt OL Fr. Furman
Cole Brummit OL RFr. VMI
Connor James OL Fr. ETSU
Connor Rafferty OL SO Samford
Corey Levin OL Sr. Chattanooga
Critt Johnson OL Fr. VMI
Dalton Sullivan OL R-Fr. Wofford
David Raschen OL JR Mercer
David Ricard OL JR Mercer
Dawson Ellis OL FR Mercer
Dequan Miller OL Sr. Wofford
Drew McEntyre OL Fr. The Citadel
Eddie Gajardo OL Fr. ETSU
Ethan James OL SR Western Carolina
Evan Horst OL Fr. Furman
Garrett Curtis OL RFr. ETSU
Garrett Smith OL JR Mercer
George Grimwade OL FR Samford
Gordon Crozier OL JR Samford
Greg McCloud OL RSo. ETSU
G. Bromelow OL SR Samford
Hal Weaver OL SO Mercer
Harrison Monk OL R-Jr. Furman
H. Naumann OL SR Samford
Hugh McFaddin OL Jr. The Citadel
Hunter Townson OL Jr. Chattanooga
Isaiah Pinson OL Jr. The Citadel
I. Roseborough OL RSr. VMI
Jack Bryant OL R-Fr. Furman
Jack Lightsey OL JR Mercer
J. Buonamia OL Jr. Furman
Jacob Conrad OL Fr. Furman
Jacob Milam OL R-Fr. Wofford
Jacob Revis OL Jr. Chattanooga
Jared Braiman OL Fr. VMI
J. Jacon-Duffy OL So. Wofford
J. Bockhorst OL Fr. Furman
J. Bolds-Lockwood OL Jr. Wofford
Jordan Veal OL RSr. VMI
Josh Andre OL Fr. VMI
Josh Burger OL Fr. Wofford
Josh Cardiello OL Jr. Chattanooga
Justin Lott OL Jr. Wofford
Justus Basinger OL R-Fr. Wofford
Kaleb Spry OL RS SO Western Carolina
K. Cadwell OL So. Chattanooga
Kevin McConnell OL RFr. ETSU
Kirby Southard OL JR Mercer
Kyle Weaver OL Sr. The Citadel
Lakin McCall OL Fr. ETSU
Liam Ronan OL R-Fr. Wofford
Malcolm White OL Fr. Chattanooga
Mark Weakland OL Fr. The Citadel
Mason McNutt OL RFr. ETSU
Matt Brewer OL RSo. ETSU
Matt Milner OL RJr. VMI
Matt Pyke OL RSo. ETSU
Matthew Bair OL FR Western Carolina
Matthew Holland OL FR Samford
Matthew Pittarelli OL FR Samford
Matthew Schmidt OL So. Furman
Max Ford OL So. The Citadel
Michael Ralph OL R-Fr. Wofford
Michael Scates OL RSo. ETSU
Mike Jones OL Jr. Wofford
Mike Rentz OL So. The Citadel
Mitch Mathes OL FR Mercer
Mitch Payne OL JR Mercer
Myles Smith OL RFr. ETSU
Nathan Dalton OL RS SO Western Carolina
Nick Jeffreys OL Sr. The Citadel
Nick Taylor OL So. Wofford
Patrick Doucette OL RJr. VMI
Patrick McFall OL RSo. ETSU
P. Howard-Whitaker OL Fr. The Citadel
Reed Kroeber OL Fr. Furman
Reid Huddleston OL FR Samford
Robert Hatcher OL SO Samford
Ronnie Brooks OL Fr. Wofford
Roo Daniels OL Jr. Wofford
Ross Demmel OL So. Wofford
Royus Amos OL JR Samford
Ryan Bednar OL Sr. The Citadel
Ryan Hughes OL JR Samford
Sam Arrington OL JR Mercer
Sammy Hall OL RJr. ETSU
Sawaar Canady OL Fr. VMI
Sean Biette OL RS SO Western Carolina
Spencer Campbell OL RS FR Western Carolina
Stanley Smith OL FR Mercer
Stephen Miller OL RJr. VMI
Sydney Martin OL So. The Citadel
Tanner Poindexter OL RS JR Western Carolina
Taylor Helton OL Fr. Chattanooga
Terrell Bush OL So. Furman
T. Marchman OL SO Mercer
Thomas Pietro OL JR Mercer
Tim Coleman OL Fr. Furman
T. Harkleroad OL So. The Citadel
Truett Moss OL FR Mercer
Tyler Davis OL So. The Citadel
Tyler Kisling OL Fr. VMI
Tyler Martin OL Fr. Chattanooga
Tyler Thacker OL RFr. VMI
Walker Hays OL RJr. VMI
Walker Lanning OL RS FR Western Carolina
Wesley Carter OL SR Samford
Will Morris OL RFr. VMI
William Matney OL FR Samford
Wilson Heres OL SR Mercer
Wyatt Burnette OL FR Western Carolina
Zac Rice OL FR Mercer
Zac Saalweachter OL RS FR Western Carolina
Zach Weeks OL RS SO Western Carolina

Filed under: Football | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

« Previous Page — Next Page »