Gridiron Dynasty - University of Puget Sound

[joannes3000]

5/18/2007 at McMurry 42-7 w

5/19/2007 Howard Payne 14-56 w

5/20/2007 at Mississippi 20-14 w

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The first of two tune-up games for CMH went well. McMurry was staring at a 35-0 deficit at halftime and didn't threaten in teh second half. Our ground game led the way with 370 yards and 3 scores with the passing game adding 143 yards and 3 more.

The second tune-up game had similar results. We showcased our passing attack a little more this game to give Mississippi something to worry about, going for 292 yards and 4 scores throug the air while showcasing our potent running game with 235 yards and 4 more scores.

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Finally, Judgement Day. The first half was an absolute defensive struggle. Mississippi's first possession was abruptly ended when we forced a fumble in the redzone, only to return the favor by throwing a pick at roughly midfield. We exchanged TDs to start the 2nd quarter with the only difference being a botched XP by us.

The second half started with another forced fumble which was wasted with a missed FG. At this point I was starting to give our kicker the business on the sideline. Mississippi then went on a demoralizing 9 minute TD drive toward the end of the quarter.

The 4th quarter began with us stalling at midfield. Facing 4th and 14, not to mention a run attack that's been eating up clock, we went for it. Perhaps a bit stunned by the decision, the opposing defense had a breakdown in coverage and we made them pay. TE Marvin Munoz was wide open for a 25 yard completion. The drive resulted in a TD and another missed kick. The ESPN Gameday crew got a good sound clip of me chewing out our kicker.

The defense got a huge stop on the next possession putting us in the driver's seat, down 2 points with 8 minutes to go. Facing 4th and 6 from our 37, it was no surprise that we went for it. The play went to 3rd down RB Jonathan Owens and he made his one catch a 14 yarder for the first down. From there we didn't even see 3rd down, marching into the endzone for the go-ahead score. I didn't even bother sending our kicker out, and we made good on the 2 pt conversion.

The final 4 minutes of the game defined the grittiness of our defense. 14 sraight running plays put Mississippi on our 23 with 3 seconds left and the game on the line. We were tired and we looked to be beaten. A very questionable pass (3 attempts all game) led to a Joseph Smith INT to end the game.

The game ball went to all 22 members of the defense that suited up for the game . Senior DB Darrell Perry, lost after the 4th game of the season with what looks to be a career-ending injury, was seen talking to SO Joseph Smith moments before the clinching INT.

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The dust has settled and CMH stands at the top of the South Division. We are clearly in control of our destiny, and have a favorable schedule for the remainder of the regular season. Of the 4 remaining games, three are at home with the lone away game at Austin. A win there will clinch our second trip to the CC with what looks to be a rematch against ETB.

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With last year's win total having been eclipsed it's safe to say that our decision to get back to the drawing board during the offseason has proved to be a success. There's talk of a contract extension at the conclusion of the season, and the AD seems to want to get things wrapped up quickly.

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5/21/2007 Texas Lutheran

5/22/2007 at Austin

5/23/2007 Mary Hardin-Baylor

5/24/2007 California Lutheran

[joannes3000]

5/21/2007 Texas Lutheran 10-31 w

5/22/2007 at Austin 34-28 w

5/23/2007 Mary Hardin-Baylor 27-42 w

5/24/2007 California Lutheran 17-44 w

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On paper, Texas Lutheran has one of the better teams in the ASC. champ is a questionable coach, however, and his 6-7 record shows that. He had enough talent to keep the game respectable plus he held us without a rushing TD for only the second time all season.

The final road game of the regular season was nearly as exciting as the game against Mississippi. We were down 28-10 going into the 4th quarter but we were in the redzone. In the first 5 minutes of the final frame, we scored a rushing TD, picked off a pass for a TD, and picked off another pass leading to a FG and a 27-28 score. 2 minutes later we picked off yet another pass which led to the game winning TD.

Mary Hardin-Baylor did little to stop us in the first half and we coasted in the second. The running game put up 247 yards and 3 scores while the passing game added 145 yards and 2 scores.

California Lutheran was close going into the 4th quarter, only down 2 points, but our team has been taking care of business late in the game all season long. 21 points in the final frame provided the final margin of victory. The rushing game went for 239 yards and 2 scores and the passing game showed it can't be ignored with 259 yards and 4 scores.

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The CC pits us against ETB for a second time this season. With the CC being at a neutral site, we will lose some of the advantage that we had during our first meeting which was a home game. ETB has two key OL questionable for the game, however, along with their #2 WR being out for the game. This give us somewhat of an advantage, but we know we're in for a classic battle against coach fastec's squad.

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Having put the wraps on the 3rd undefeated regular season in CMH history. A win in the CC could give us the 2nd 12-0 record going into playoff seedings ever for the school. And while we are still 2 victories away from tying the mark of 15 wins I set during my first season at CMH, this is a more accomplished season.

An undefeated regular season in our conference is no easy task, and we overcame the 5th winningest program during OOC when we defeated Averett. A CC win should put us no worse than a #2 seed going into the playoffs.

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5/25/2007 at East Texas Baptist

[AHF]

Fantastic season so far! Keep it up!

[gsuteke]

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Fantastic season so far! Keep it up!

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you so missed your calling.....

a life coach.

[AHF]

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Fantastic season so far! Keep it up!

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you so missed your calling.....

a life coach.

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I enjoy following his seasons vicariously. He came into this one making a significant change on both sides of the ball so this is good stuff for him.

[joannes3000]

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Fantastic season so far! Keep it up!

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you so missed your calling.....

a life coach.

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I enjoy following his seasons vicariously. He came into this one making a significant change on both sides of the ball so this is good stuff for him.

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For a while I thought that it was getting pointless for me to update this thread. Then as I read through the old posts I was able to see what I was thinking; what works and what doesn't work. I'm still enjoying the fact that I'm literally a stone's throw away from where I started from day 1. I run the same offensive formations in NDB and Trips. I finally made the change to the 4-4, and I've always run Nickel. Then again, I've learned some very useful details in game planning that have made a significant difference. This season the game started to slow down for me, and I think that means I'm rounding the corner.

[joannes3000]

5/25/2007 at East Texas Baptist 15-34 l

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What the hell happened? This the same ETB team that we beat by 10 points earlier in the season. My first thought was that the CC was played at a neutral site, removing the home-field advantage that I had. The sim is known to favor the home team too much.

Speculation aside, I think it was due to the fact that ETB came up with a game plan to stop our passing game. Last time we went off for 300 yards and 2 scores. This time we only had 129 yards and 1 score. Not that we lean on the passing game nearly as much as the running game, but our team was incredibly balanced this year. We ran the ball roughly 200 more times than we passed, but we only averaged roughly 200 more yards on the ground. That said, our balance came from attacking weaknesses - if you can't stop us on the ground we'll run it 60 times, but if you can stop us on the ground we can pass it just as effectively. I give all the credit to ETB. In handing us our first loss of the season they held us to 250 combined yards and 2 scores.

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The loss dropped us from what would've been a #1 or #2 seed to a #3 seed for the DIII playoffs. Our first round matches us against Chapman, who we played three seasons ago during the regular season and beat. They have an upper hand on paper, but I feel like I have the upper hand as a coach. The score at halftime reflects this, with us being ahead 10-0.

Our defense has limited them so far to 125 total yards and we've forced two picks so far. Our offense has been sporadic on the ground so far, but we've been murdering them through the air, completing 13/19 for 139 and 1 TD. The second half should play favorably into our hands, with them needing to catch up. They leaned heavily on their running game until now, and for good reason, but our defense has stepped up so far and forced them out of their offensive game plan. We'll see how the rest of the game unfolds.

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5/26/2007 Chapman 0-10 H

[joannes3000]

5/26/2007 Chapman 13-31 w

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Well, we shook off the first half jitters of being back in the playoffs and came away with a strong win at home. That 10 point cushion quickly went away, as Chapman drove the length of the field on their first possession for a TD. Our next possession featured a key 3rd and 8 conversion, which kept our very own TD drive alive.

We entered the 4th quarter with that same 10 point lead and possession of the ball. We scored another TD in the first 2 minutes, forced a punt, and scored another TD for a 24 point lead halfway through the quarter. Chapman managed a late TD before we ran off the final 5 minutes of the game.

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Our second round game matches us up against #6 ranked Lakeland, a perrenial playoff and CC team from Wisconsin. For all the coach's regular season success, however, he's never made it out of the 2nd round. That keeps me hopeful for an upset because we are the major underdog going in. It's an away game, for starters. Lakeland also has a very strong team on paper. Lastly, they went undefeated and were CCs again, but I'm their first test of the season.

At the half, we're down a TD but I'm feeling positive. Both offenses are around the 150-160 yard mark at the half, with my defense doing a much better job stopping his superior offense. I fully expect to engineer a 2nd half comeback and overall upset on the strength of what my team has shown so far and the fact that he has very little depth offensively, which makes me feel confident that I just need to overcome his defense. We've already survived the best that Lakeland could muster, while they're about to see the depth of CMH in the 2nd half.

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5/27/2007 at #6 Lakeland 7-14 H

[joannes3000]

5/27/2007 at #6 Lakeland 28-17 w

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Mission accomplished! Lakeland opened the 2nd half scoring with a FG, but that was the end of the scoring for them. Our second half adjustment on offense showed, going for a TD on our first possession and following up with the go-ahead TD after the defense stifled Lakeland.

The 4th quarter opened with a missed Lakeland FG, followed by the defense forcing a pick. Our offense then delivered the backbreaking TD drive, leaving the home crowd stunned in silence.

TV crews caught myself and our offensive coordinator smiling ear-to-ear on the sidelines as we seemed completely unstoppable in the second half. The running game only produced 45 yards but managed a TD. Our passing game led the way with 322 yards and 3 scores.

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Next on tap is East Region #1 seed Carnegie Mellon, led by coach z32fanatic. This is yet another powerhouse team, led by another accomplished regular season coach. The playoffs are a different story, however, and again we look to have the edge in that department. Until this season, Carnegie Mellon hasn't advanced past the 2nd round of the playoffs, often getting bumped out in the opening round. The home team must be sweating bullets after watching us dismantle Lakeland and the fact that they're the heavy favorite tonight. The pressure's all on them.

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5/28/2007 at #3 Carnegie Mellon

[joannes3000]

5/28/2007 at #3 Carnegie Mellon 14-28 l

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Well the clock finally struck midnight for our team against Carnegie Mellon. Our offense couldn't do enough in the 2nd half to overcome the 14 point deficit at halftime. The third quarter began with a promising drive that stalled at the opponent's 32 yard line. The defense provided a turnover on Carnegie's first possession, but our offense went 3 and out. A TD late in the quarter put the deficit at 21 points entering the 4th quarter.

Our offense got on track to start the 4th by scoring a TD and our defense had a stop, giving us the ball back with 8 minutes, down 14 points. Another promising drive ended, this time with an INT at Carnegie's 15 yard line), essentially putting a wrap on the game and the season. To make things a little more promising (read: agonizing), our defense provided another stop and the last play of the game saw us driving into the redzone.

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So where do we go from here? The first step of course is the recruiting trail. Next week (6.6) kicks off recruiting and we've got 9 graduating seniors and 3 scholarships to rescind, leaving us 12 open scholarships. The majority of our losses will be on the defensive side, with three LBs and 3 DBs leaving. Of those we lose defensive co-captains George Davis (LB, 84 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF, 6 INTs, 20 PDs) and Darrell Perry (DB, 9 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 INTs, 6 PDs).

If you recall, Perry had what seemed to be a season/career ending injury 4 games into his senior season. In a fitting show of his attitude, Perry beat the odds and after missing the majority of the regular season (8 games), he was able to play in all 4 of our playoff games.

Our offense remains largely intact, and our #11 recruiting class will be seniors next year, looking to make a lot of noise come playoff time. The senior RBs, led by Jerry Horn (1981 yards, 5.7 YPC, 13 TDs) look to set the pace with the loss of graduating QB Kenneth Parker (3154 yards, 32 TD, 12 INTs).

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We approach the offseason much calmer than we did last year. Part of it is because we'll be building upon the foundation we set this year, compared to worrying about the new systems that we were installing offensively and defensively. Part of it is because despite the wholesale changes we made during last offseason, we still managed an overachieving 15 win playoff campaign.

The CMH faithful are looking positively toward the future and there doesn't seem to be as many doubters this time around. When I first took over we won games only on talent. This time around, and the playoffs are indicative of this fact, we were able to win games only on game planning. Once those two aspects combine in the upcoming seasons it is going to be a very difficult combination to stop.

[joannes3000]

With only a modest 10 open scholarships, we're in an interesting position. On the one hand, I can afford to be picky because there are so few openings. On the other hand, since recruit money is partially determined by the number of open scholarships, we are operating on a bit of a limited budget. Our conference did gain $5500 in additional recruiting money because we had three teams in the playoffs, with ETB making it to the National Semifinals.

On to the recruits. This upcoming season won't see too many new faces, with maybe one or two seeing significant playing time. On the offensive side of the ball we're looking for 4 players: 1 QB, 2 WR, and 1 OL. Defensively we've got a few more openings, targeting 3 DBs, 2 LBs, and 1 DL. Some of the defensive recruits will play in the rotation a little more, but for the most part the recruits will be expected to simply digest the playbook and make use of training time, while providing the occasional breather for our starters.

As per WCAA rules, I can't comment on specific players but I can talk a little bit about our prospective recruits. Let me preface by saying this much: In the past few seasons CMH had slipped a bit in the eyes of most CA recruits, and for good reason. Our sensational start was followed up by back-to-back lackluster campaigns. As a result we fell drastically behind the other CA schools in the area, namely Chapman and Pomona-Pitzer. Chapman is on it's 3rd coach in the past three seasons and that has the team in a bit of a tailspin. Pomona-Pitzer is on it's 2nd coach in 3 seasons also, although the current coach is a very accomplished one.

Last season's deep playoff run has us back on the map with many local recruits and that is absolutely critical in our area of southern CA. From the responses we've been getting from a lot of the local kids, they seem to share the same positive vision that we have for CMH. From as close as Montclair (3 miles) to as far as Fair Oaks (371 miles), we have had success in drawing the attention of recruits. Signing Day kicks off on the 8th and we're in good position to have all 10 scholarships filled as soon as players can sign letters of intent. If things go as expected, we could have a stud class, headlined by some bluechippers on both sides of the ball.

[joannes3000]

With little fanfare and little drama, the start of signing day was also the end of singing day for CMH. We offered scholarships to our 10 primary targets and all 10 signed letters of intent within hours of each other. To boot, we ended with a massive surplus of recruiting money which will help greatly with next year's huge recruiting class.

Without further ado, I'm proud to introduce the class of Season 29:

DB Edward Nelson - in what seems to be a down year for DB recruits, we were happy to land Nelson. He grades average with his speed, game instinct, and hands, with above average technique, strength, tackling, and work ethic. In two years he should be a solid contributer to the rotation from either S position.

DB Mark Case - Case carries an excellent grade at speed, strength, and tackling. He also brings average game instinct, technique, and work ethic. His hands are lacking, but his speed, technique, and game instinct will make him a candidate to be a shutdown CB. He should push for immediate time in the playing rotation as a FR.

DB Mario Davis - Davis brings above average speed and game instinct along with average hands and technique. His work ethic is phenomenal, which should put him in the running with Case to see who develops as our shutdown corner first.

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DL Rodney Lawrence - our lone DL recruit grades above average with his strength and tackling, with excellent speed to boot. His technique is only average, but with his plus work ethic he should be a quality pass-rusher before long.

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LB Clyde Taylor - Taylor grades above average at speed, game instinct, hands, and technique while grading slightly below average at athleticism. He also grades excellent at strength and tackling. The only thing keeping him from having an immediate impact will be learning our defense.

LB Eddie Gunn - Gunn grades average at athleticism, strength, and technique while grading above average at speed, hands, tackling, and game instinct. He is a bit overshadowed by Taylor, but not by much.

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OL James Castaneda - grades average at blocking. For DIAA. He is off the chart at DIII. His technique is only average, however, and his strength is slightly below average. Once he polishes those aspects of his game, and with his above average work ethic I like the chances, he will be dominating opposing linemen for years.

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QB Paul Warner - Warner is another highly ranked offensive recruit of ours. He grades above average in strength and game instinct, with excellent technique. On top of all that, he has excellent work ethic so he will get even better. With two established QBs ahead of him, we might try to sneak a redshirt on him for an added year of growth.

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WR Luis Walker - Walker checks in with above average hands and elusiveness, with an excellent grade at technique. He is just below average at speed, but his excellent work ethic will bring that up in no time at all. He will be an immediate contributor to our passing attack.

WR Calvin Barron - Barron has plenty of speed to spare to Walker. He grades excellent there and at technique, with above average hands and elusiveness. Barron will be a certifiable deep threat during his tenure at CMH.

[joannes3000]

For those that are interested, here's a link to the conference thread that I post my conference preview in:

Link

Credit goes to a former NWC coach (jrlenart) that let me use the files he put together to generate the data.

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Looks like another promising season for the CMH faithful. With a new coach at the helm of ETB, that greatly increases our chances of bringing home a CC this season. Our only regular season loss last season came at the hands of coach fastec's ETB squad in the CC and incoming coach taylor8 has some big shoes to fill.

He seems to have at least the recruiting part of the game down, having secured what seems to be a top 25 recruiting class. It remains to be seen if he will be able to translate the wealth of talent he inherited with good game planning, however.

[AHF]

Looks like you should have a hell of a defensive backfield!

Also, it looks like you will have a tough road ahead in terms of the talent edge for ETB the next few years. That school must have more money to spend in recruiting based on its history or something?

[joannes3000]

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Looks like you should have a hell of a defensive backfield!

Also, it looks like you will have a tough road ahead in terms of the talent edge for ETB the next few years. That school must have more money to spend in recruiting based on its history or something?

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Yeah, our secondary should be pretty hard to throw against. The conference preview lists two of my guys as 1st teamers and we have the depth to capitalize on that advantage. It'll be interesting come playoff time when I start to run into teams that have more dynamic run or pass offenses because during the season we usually only get tested by ETB.

Speaking of ETB, success breeds success. fastec built a top team and taylor8 had the advantage of maximum recruit vision (45 wins in a 3 year span). When you add the fact that only the top teams in all of DIII typically accomplish that, you start to see where the benefits are top-heavy: more visible recruits and less competition for those recruits. Being in TX only makes the deal that much sweeter. We'll get there eventually, as we should have a sranglehold on CA recruiting within 3 years if we continue our winning ways.

[joannes3000]

Recruiting brought us the #35 class in paranoid's rankings, which is about where I expected us to wind up. We filled positional needs with some quality guys and didn't recruit any slouches across the board. Our class core rating was a respectable 39.74, with the #1 class having a core of 44.4. Paranoid ranked WR Calvin Barron as our #1 recruit, giving him a core of 41.4.

Overall, the ASC had several highly touted classes, including the #3 overall class by ETB. I'm starting to think that taylor8 is an alias for a more accomplised coach and we'll see as the season progresses. Other top classes were Mississippi (10), Texas Lutheran (19), Sul Ross State (22), CMH (35), and McMurry (50). That gives our conference 5 helmet classes (top 40) and 6 in the top 50 overall.

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Non-Conference Play

6/16/2007 Illinois Wesleyan

6/17/2007 Hampden-Sydney

Conference Play

6/18/2007 California Lutheran

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Non-conference play doesn't bring us a challenge like we had last season with Averett. Illinois Wesleyan has averaged 6.75 wins and 6.25 losses the past 4 seasons and doesn't pose a threat. Hampden-Sydney was on our schedule two seasons ago and they played a part in our heartbreaking 8-5 season. Revenge is on our minds for that game. The CMH faithful are ready to get this season going and with three straight home games we have all the makings of a fast 3-0 start out of the gate.

[joannes3000]

Non-Conference Play

6/16/2007 Illinois Wesleyan 20-55 w

6/17/2007 Hampden-Sydney 23-41 w

Conference Play

6/18/2007 California Lutheran 10-55 w

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We hit the ground running against Illinois Wesleyan. The running game put up 299 yards and 6 scores while the passing game put up 189 yards and 2 scores.

Hampden-Sydney did a little better in stopping our run game, but not enough to change the outcome of the game. We ran for 168 yards and 3 scores while passing for 173 yards and 3 scores as well.

Cal Lutheran was losing respectfully until the 4th quarter, where we put up 27 unanswered points for the final margin of victory. We weren't trying to run up the score intentionally, but our defense forced a lot of turnovers in the final frame. The run game put up 305 yards and 4 scores with the passing game pitching in 260 yards and 4 more scores.

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The start of the season couldn't have gone much smoother. 3 games, 3 easy wins. The only hitch so far is an injury to senior DB William Wilson, who is a starter in our nickel package. He will be out for a few more games and thankfully we have adequate depth.

We are currently averaging 6.5 YPC on the ground and have yet to throw an INT (9-0). Our defense is doing well, holding opponents to 3.3 YPC on the ground and we've picked off 8 passes to 4 passing TDs allowed.

The next three games don't bring much of a threat, with tonight's game against a sim team. We should continue to roll along in conference play and we'll hopefully be healthy when it's time to match up against some of the more competitive teams in the ASC.

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6/19/2007 at Howard Payne

6/20/2007 at Sul Ross State

6/21/2007 McMurry

[AHF]

If you get up big, can you rest starters to avoid injuries during the course of a game?

[joannes3000]

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If you get up big, can you rest starters to avoid injuries during the course of a game?

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You can change up your game plan and depth charts at halftime and before each game starts. I think it's more practical, though, to just set the effectiveness %s (fatigue level where a player subs out) relatively high to reduce the chance of injuries.

I'd rather lose a player to injury than lose a game because I underestimated a team or forgot to change my depth charts back before my next game.

[joannes3000]

6/19/2007 at Howard Payne 25-10 w

6/20/2007 at Sul Ross State 63-24 w

6/21/2007 McMurry 15-43 w

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The game against Howard Payne is a perfect example of what can happen if I underestimate a team. This is a sim team and they have provided the closest game to date. We must've forgotten something back at Claremont because something was missing when we got to Texas. The run game went for 239 yards and 3 scores while the passing game went for 186 yards and 1 score.

Our second road game of the season fared much better. The running game produced 221 yards and 4 scores, but the passing game absolutely wore them out to the tune of 472 yards and 5 scores.

We came home to the CMH faithful and showed a bit of jetlag. We stormed out to a 26-0 lead in the first half and struggled to seal the deal with second half scoring being 17-15 in our favor. The run game paced us as usual with 353 yards and 6 scores, while the passing attack added 193 yards but no TDs whatsoever.

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Having barely escaped a loss against the Payne Train, we had to showcase a little bit against SRS. The plan was to get people thinking about our passing game and the showing at SRS should make teams think twice against stacking the line. This is critical because our two rivalry games are on the road this year and we need all the help we can get to overcome home field advantage. With Mississippi currently ranked 7th and our team weighing in at #11, this year's matchup looks to be another classic in the making.

We are tied atop the south division with Mississippi at 6-0, with Austin trailing 5-1 and Texas Lutheran still in the hunt at 4-2. Our team is nearly healthy; just in time for a pivotal 3 game stretch.

Our rushing attack is still averaging a healthy 6.6 YPC (26 TD) and our passing game has thrown 15 TDs with one INT. Defensively we are still stuffing opponents, only allowing 3.1 YPC (5 TD) on the ground and having picked off 12 passes while surrendering only 7 TDs.

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6/22/2007 Texas Lutheran

6/23/2007 at #7 Mississippi

6/24/2007 Austin