Gridiron Dynasty - Rockne DII

[joannes3000]

Welcome to Nebraska-Omaha, Coach! We are thrilled to have you leading our program and we are sure that you can lead us to great success.

Dewitt Hays

President

University of Nebraska at Omaha

Jackie Marshall

Athletic Director

University of Nebraska at Omaha

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There are a few significant differences between DIII and DII. Many argue that DII is the easiest division to coach at for the reasons that I will quickly outline.

The first one is the increased budget you receive for each open scholarship. At DIII you receive 3k per open scholarship, while at DII you receive double that - 6k. Funny thing is, it doesn't cost double to get the attention of a recruit. What this eventually leads to good recruiters getting better. Perfect example: at DIII last year I saved 10k, while at my other DII team I saved over 30k.

The second difference is that while there are far more sim teams (read: easier wins) throughout DII, there are also generally better coaches as well, which tends to balance out over the course of a season. DIII is generally packed with coaches. This also ties in with the difference in recruiting because with such fewer coaches and bigger budgets, a lot of recruiting battles tend to happen.

The third difference is the overall increase in player abilities. At DIII, player ratings are generally so low that you only look for primary (core) ratings. At DII, overall ratings start to increase enough that secondary attributes start to come into play. For example, when I recruit DIII RBs I only care about Elusiveness, Strength, and Speed. At DII I start caring about Athleticism and Technique a lot more.

[joannes3000]

We have 17 open scholarships on our reigning CC/playoff squad, with needs all across the board. We're looking to fill at least one open position at every slot except K/P. We have relatively big holes to fill (numbers wise) at DB, OL, and WR, where we will be looking to sign 3 players at each position. The only area that concerns me is OL since I think that is one of the key positions (DL and RB being the other two).

We have plenty of talent returning which will greatly help ease the transition of the new recruits. About the only area we're looking to upgrade from a talent standpoint is at DB. The rest of our recruits will provide depth next season and the talent we're seeing right now could crack the starting lineup in two years.

Recruiting kicks off this afternoon (7.11) and my next update will be on the recruiting trail.

[joannes3000]

Signing Day saw us land 16 commitments with 17 open scholarships to give. I found it somewhat difficult being thrust into a good program because the handful of battles that I had, I was surely the team with the least amount of carryover money (zero). My coaching record, along with our school's recent success, helped a lot during battles but it was still a bit of an uphill battle.

One thing to note is a slight change in the type of recruits I went after. Having a successful team, I started looking more toward guys with high work ethic and average/above average abilities. I figure that these guys won't be asked to contribute for at least two years, so I want to maximize growth in those two years. Onward with the class of Season 30.

QB Roy Rogers - Rogers grades average across the board in game instinct, technique, and strength, with above average speed and athleticism. His good work ethic should have him more than ready to be an above-average starter by his JR year.

RB Edward Gregory - Gregory defines our new evaluation strategy. Gregory grades average in speed and elusiveness and slighly below average in strength. He is off the chart in terms of work ethic, however, and he should be a stud by the time he starts taking major reps as a JR.

TE James Ramos - Ramos grades average in blocking and hands, while grading above average in speed, technique, and work ethic. He's a little low on strength so he will be more of a receiving threat, but as he bulks up, Ramos should be a versatile weapon.

WR Richard Johnson - Johnson grades average in speed, hands, elusiveness, and technique. His above average grades in athleticism and work ethic make him yet another intriguing offensive prospect.

WR George Smith - Smith grades above average in speed, hands, and elusiveness, while grading average in technique. His work ethic is phenomenal, giving him all the signs of a deep threat.

OL Paul Major - Major grades above average in strength and average in blocking and technique. He's also freakishly athletic for an OL, with average work ethic. He could be anchoring the line by next season.

OL Frank Amos - Amos is the mirror opposite of Major, grading average in strength and technique, while grading above average in blocking. Amos is also a freak athlete for an OL, so I will be keeping a watchful eye on how our running game develops behind Amos and Major.

OL Harold Stephens - Stephens grades slightly above average in strength and blocking, while grading above average in technique. Throw in some solid work ethic and you have all the makings for yet another monster on the OL.

OL George Lewis - Lewis grades slightly above average in strength and average in blocking and technique. He has the least amount of work ethic of the group, and honestly, he was a fallback option. I had hoped to land a 3rd WR, but when it came down to it, Lewis was a better prospect overall than any of the leftover WR recuits. He'll be redshirted for sure and will be more than serviceable in the future.

DL Glen McGill - McGill grades above average in strength, technique, and work ethic while grading average in tackling. He has phenomenal elusiveness to make him a prime pass rushing prospect.

DL John Rubio - Rubio grades above average in strength and work ethic, while grading average in tackling and technique. Much like our OL recruits, he is also an athletic freak.

LB Dale Cantrell - Cantrell grades above average in game instinct, tackling, technique, and work ethic while grading average in speed. He looks like a bit of a liability in open space with his lack of speed, but I think he's smart enough to be in place before a play develops.

LB William Morgan - Morgan grades above average in speed, strength, tackling, and technique while grading average in work ethic and game instinct. Morgan is also incredibly athletic, so I'll be interested to see who makes more big plays - the smarter Cantrell or the athletic Morgan.

LB Chris Brown - Brown was a DB in high school but he signed on to be a LB for us. He grades above average at speed and average at strength, tackling, and game instinct. He has excellent work ethic and will be redshirted. He could be a gamebreaker by the time he is called on to be a full time starter by his JR year.

DB Ben Brandt - Brandt grades above average in speed, hands, game instinct, and technique, while having average work ethic. He looks to be a prototype safety, especially with his excellent tackling ability, but has the makings for an excellent corner also.

DB Joe Winters - Winters grades above average in speed and game instinct, while grading average in hands and technique. He has great work ethic, so he should develop nicely as a cover corner.

DB Charles "Chuck" Norris - one of my cheapest recruits turns out to be one of my blue chippers. Chuck grades above average in speed, hands, and technique while grading average in game instinct and work ethic. He's also athletically gifted due to his martial arts background. With his skillset, Norris could easily find himself as our nickel CB as a freshman.

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Overall I'm very pleased with our class. Our needs at DL weren't adequately addressed but that can be resolved with next year's class. Our DB and OL should be solid for years to come, and our skill offensive players and LBs should be studs by the time they're called on to start.

[shug94]

I love that you have Chuck Norris.

I have just started this game too, but the Hoops Dynasty version of it.

I have been assigned DIII Tufts. Pretty excited about it, in the Wooden world - I think.

Don't start until July 28th.

I think I will be looking to maximise work ethic and perimeter skills.

Any hints for the College Hoops equivalent.

[drzachary]

Quote:

---

I love that you have Chuck Norris.

I have just started this game too, but the Hoops Dynasty version of it.

I have been assigned DIII Tufts. Pretty excited about it, in the Wooden world - I think.

Don't start until July 28th.

I think I will be looking to maximise work ethic and perimeter skills.

Any hints for the College Hoops equivalent.

---

Oy, I played Hoops Dynasty for so long. I'm out of it now though. What do you want to know?

[shug94]

Which kind of guys should I recruit? High work ethic is what I am leaning towards.

Also, I want a team with a bunch of chuckers on the perimeter and some awesome rebounders inside. How many options are there offensively? Do I just choose up-tempo, or can I specify plays and stuff?

Anything in general that you found worked well?

[drzachary]

Quote:

---

Which kind of guys should I recruit? High work ethic is what I am leaning towards.

Also, I want a team with a bunch of chuckers on the perimeter and some awesome rebounders inside. How many options are there offensively? Do I just choose up-tempo, or can I specify plays and stuff?

Anything in general that you found worked well?

---

Well, the most success I ever had was a system that is considered glitchy by some (but not all, or not even a majority): the dreaded "-5."

When you set a defense, you pick a 'sag' level from -5 to +5. 0 is a normal distribution, -5 is everyone in the paint defending, and +5 is everyone concentrating on the perimeter (it's probably not THAT extreme.)

Especially at the Div-III/II levels, teams seem to rely on paint play to score, so -5 is really successful, if a bit cheesy. Some people think the simulator is absolutely broken.

Work ethic is tremendously important. The best way to be a continual competitor is to balance your classes so that you always have 3-4 incoming frosh and you always have 3-4 seniors. You can do this by recruiting juco/transfer players each year.

#1 tip for recruiting: stay within 100 miles at Div-III, and save some of your money towards the end, when Div-II-projected players that had no love 'drop down.'

As far as how customizable the game is... well, you can't pick plays per se.

You pick an offense, a tempo, and some situational choices (if losing with 5 minutes left, change the 3-pt shot frequency, for example.) You also set your 'distro' which is the amount of shots you want each player to take... whicj is something of a hot button issue, as it doesn't always translate well. You also set doubleteams.

What off/def are you thinking of running? I had a lot of success with motion/zone, especially with good passing big men. If you want to run fastbreak OR press, make sure your guys have tons of stamina, because it will never work otherwise. If you want to run fastbreak AND press, get ready for some losing seasons... it never worked for me at div-iii or div-ii.

Another good tip for recruiting: ATH/SPD are tremendously important.. they affect the quality of every other area of play, and a bad score can be crippling.

In terms of how scores increase w/ practice throughout the season: put no more than 20 minutes in any single practice area, as there will be a point of diminishing returns after that. Don't bother ever trying to increase a score that is below 10 (in fact, don't recruit people with those scores unless it is something fairly pointless, like BLK for a point guard or PER for a center.)

One personal quirk: I always had good success with a three guard offense, as long as I had above-average rebounding at the 1/2!

Here's my 10 seasons of play (including my first few seasons in which I was CLUELESS!) Most recent is at the top. Colorado Christian is a Div-II school, York is Div-III:

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Season 12: Colorado Christian

19-12 (overall)/11-5 (conf), RPI: 28

Regular Season Conference Champion

National Tournament At-large Bid

National Tournament - Elite 8

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Season 11: Colorado Christian

18-10 (overall)/12-4 (conf), RPI: 62

Regular Season Conference Champion

National Tournament At-large Bid

National Tournament - 1st Round

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Season 10: Colorado Christian

19-12 (overall)/9-7 (conf), RPI: 59

Postseason Invitational - 3rd Round

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Season 9: Colorado Christian

12-16 (overall)/5-11 (conf), RPI: 111

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Season 8: York (PA)

23-9 (overall)/12-4 (conf), RPI: 5

Regular Season Conference Champion

National Tournament At-large Bid

National Tournament - Final Four

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Season 7: York (PA)

22-10 (overall)/12-4 (conf), RPI: 31

Regular Season Conference Champion

Conference Tournament Champion

National Tournament - Sweet 16

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Season 6: York (PA)

12-15 (overall)/6-10 (conf), RPI: 288

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Season 5: York (PA)

19-9 (overall)/8-8 (conf), RPI: 108

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Season 4: York (PA)

12-15 (overall)/6-10 (conf), RPI: 210

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Season 3: York (PA)

9-19 (overall)/7-9 (conf), RPI: 296

[joannes3000]

There's a bit of change regarding recruit rankings, namely paranoid will no longer be the one providing them, so I can't compare how I've done historically from this point forward. That said, this season's class garnered the #21 recruiting class. I'm very happy with that ranking, especially given the size of the class we signed. Humboldt State had the best class in the conference, pulling down the #7 overall, and Minnesota State had the #17 class. Not to shabby, given Humboldt's superior location advantage (only DII school in CA) and Minnesota State's tenured (4 years) coach. I'm hoping to only be here for 3 seasons before moving up, and this class is a very good foundation to build on for that time frame. Also, here's a link to my conference preview.

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Exhibition games came and went with little fanfare, and more importantly no injuries. OOC games kick off tomorrow night and I can't wait to see how our team does now that it's got a full compliment of players. Looking forward to the season, we have a home game against Minnesota State, which will likely determine who goes to the CC on our side of the division. We face powerhouse Humboldt State on the road, however, which I see as the one major test we will have in the regular season.

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Non-Conference Play

7/21/2007 Western New Mexico

7/22/2007 at West Alabama

Conference Play

7/23/2007 at St. Cloud State

[shug94]

thanks for the advice.

slightly unrelated, here is my whatifsports exhibition season nba team. I won my league. With The Human Highlight Reel leading the way:

Name GP GS Min Pts FG% 3Pt% FT% OReb Reb Ast TO Stl Blk PF

90-91 Dominique Wilkins 10 10 36.6 24.9 46.7 25.7 80.6 2.4 10.4 3.7 3.0 1.6 1.1 3.0

90-91 Kenny Smith 10 10 36.1 18.5 53.7 29.4 85.7 0.4 2.7 7.0 2.3 1.7 0.2 1.5

96-97 Reggie Miller 10 10 35.6 19.7 49.6 47.5 96.8 0.9 5.6 3.0 1.9 1.3 0.8 2.7

77-78 Bill Walton 10 10 29.4 13.2 48.0 25.0 82.9 1.6 10.2 4.1 3.0 0.4 2.1 2.7

95-96 Charles Oakley 10 10 25.2 10.5 60.6 0 71.4 2.5 6.9 2.0 1.3 1.1 0.5 2.5

98-99 Marcus Camby 10 0 19.0 5.5 57.1 0 41.2 2.1 5.5 0.3 1.1 0.7 2.2 3.0

96-97 Steve Nash 10 0 11.7 2.6 30.0 16.7 58.3 0.2 1.2 2.1 1.2 0.1 0.4 1.2

03-04 Rasheed Wallace 10 0 11.4 3.8 33.3 18.8 70.0 0.2 2.0 0.4 1.3 0.2 1.0 1.9

05-06 Darko Milicic 10 0 9.4 1.6 35.0 0 33.3 0.2 1.4 0.9 0.4 0.2 1.1 0.8

04-05 Kareem Rush 10 0 9.3 4.6 48.6 23.1 90.0 0.1 1.8 0.9 0.5 0.4 0.0 1.0

05-06 Ron Artest 10 0 8.7 4.4 46.2 30.0 50.0 0.5 1.6 0.5 0.8 0.1 0.1 0.5

00-01 Quentin Richardson 10 0 7.4 2.9 37.5 30.0 50.0 0.7 1.6 0.9 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.5

TOTALS 10 112.2 48.2 33.0 76.5 11.8 50.9 25.8 17.2 7.9 9.5 21.3

OPPONENTS 10 107.2 44.7 33.9 79.5 14.7 51.5 25.9 16.8 8.2 8.7 22.0

[joannes3000]

Thought I'd throw this out here since I've got a few more days before I post the results of the first three games from Nebraska-Omaha.

My other DII team, Wayne State, reached a bit of a milestone this season. Unlike my other teams, I decided to make Wayne State an all-passing team and we just completed the first full season of having zero RBs on the team and doing nothing but throwing the ball all game. Check out these ending stats after 16 games:

QB J. Grant - 295/522 56.5%, 4515 yards, 33/7 TD/INT

QB N. Higgins - 187/338 55.3%, 2889 yards, 30/8 TD/INT

WR C. Russell - 85 rec, 1558 yards, 10 TD

WR K. Edwards - 67 rec, 1019 yards, 7 TD

WR W. Sheridan - 83 rec, 1262 yards, 8 TD

WR J. Fernandez - 74 rec, 1155 yards, 12 TD

WR S. Hutchinson - 38 rec, 494 yards, 11 TD

WR L. Patterson - 22 rec, 261 yards, 8 TD

TE E. Jenkins - 114 rec, 1570 yards, 10 TD

TE L. McCall - 36 rec, 538 yards, 8 TD

We had 5 1000+ yard receivers, with two topping the 1500 yard plateau. We also had 4 receivers with 10 or more TD receptions. As a team, we completed 547/988 55.4%, 8301 yards, 80/17 TD/INT! The crazy thing is we weren't even close to setting records for the world. The closest we got was within 8 receptions (122) of the 10th most of all-time.

Of this offensive group we lose QB Grant and WR Fernandez to graduation. The rest of the gang will be back for another season of our air-raid offense, headlined by TE E. Jenkins, who was a 1st team All-American as a FR!

[joannes3000]

7/21/2007 Western New Mexico 10-45 w

7/22/2007 at West Alabama 52-13 w

Conference Play

7/23/2007 at St. Cloud State 79-6 w

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The transition from CMH to UNO has been successful thus far, although it's very early in the season. Our offense is clicking behind the powerful running of Charles Napier. Our defense has been good also, surrendering only 2 TDs in the first 3 games.

Western New Mexico got the first taste of our running game. We ran for 337 yards and 5 TDs, with two RBs going for 100+. Our passing game added 205 more yards and another TD.

West Alabama got run over also, although we showcased our passing attack a little more since it was a road game. We still ran for 375 and 5, while passing for 226 and 2.

Conference play opened against a sim team in St. Cloud State and it showed on the scoreboard. We came out passing a little more in the 1st half and then ran it down their throats in the 2nd. We ran for 478 and 8, with Napier going for 242. We also passed for 149 and 3.

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The next three games bring only one human coach (Augustana) so we shouldn't have any problems starting the season 6-0. That will put me at 99 career wins in Rockne, with number 100 likely to come against Western Oregon in week 7. Lastly, although it's early, we've garnered a top 10 ranking in both polls. Prior to the game against St. Cloud State we were #5 in the country but we dropped to #9/#8 afterwards.

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7/24/2007 at Augustana

7/25/2007 Central Washington

7/26/2007 at South Dakota

[joannes3000]

7/24/2007 at Augustana 56-17 w

7/25/2007 Central Washington 3-70 w

7/26/2007 at South Dakota 76-3 w

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Augustana was our first taste of conference coaching, plus it was a road game. We ran for 155/2 and passed for 449/6.

We headed home for the first time in 3 games and gave the home crowd a fireworks show against sim Central Washington. We ran for 468/5 and passed for 194/5.

Back on the road against yet another sim team in South Dakota. We ran for 457/8 (on the road!) and passed for 158/3.

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We are roughly halfway into the season and the back end of our schedule brings the teams we've been looking forward to. We are currently tied for first in our division with Minnesota State at 6-0. In the other division, powerhouse Humboldt State is also at 6-0.

Minnesota State is coached by a HOFer, but it's a home game for us and my OL should have their way with their DL. This game will be a good indicator of not only where my team stands on a national level, but where I stand as a coach.

Humboldt State hadn't lost a conference game in 8 years until last year, when they lost to our team. They are an absolute monster, with 5 National Titles in that span. The new coach is well-seasoned, but let's just say that if it weren't an away game, I'd be making plans for a CC parade already.

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With such an easy schedule so far, my offensive and defensive production has been skewed. We've already put up 2270 yards of rushing and 33 TDs, averaging 8 YPC. Our passing game has produced 1381 yards, 20 TDs, and ZERO INTs. Defensively we're holding teams to 1.9 YPC on the ground, having given up only 310 yards and 1 TD so far. Through the air we've allowed 1092 yards and 3 TD, while picking off 5.

**Our 63 PPG is good for 5th nationally.

**Our 54.3 PPG scoring margin is good for 6th nationally.

**Our 378 YPG on the ground is good for 8th nationally.

**Norman Burrell's 17 TD passes is tied for 6th nationally.

**Charles Napier's 1121 rushing yards is 4th nationally.

**Charles Napier's 15 rushing TDs is tied for 8th nationally.

**Mark Williams' 77 tackles is 3rd nationally.

**Michael Willis' 6 sacks is first nationally.

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The next three games bring two human coaches, with the game against Minnesota State likely to determine who goes to the CC from our division. The ESPN Gameday crew will be on hand for that match-up and the campus is already abuzz with talk about a possible undefeated regular season and a deep playoff run. In a recent interview I reminded the local TV station of what I said to the players, coaching staff, students, and fans from around the area when I accepted the HC job - if I can expect my team to listen to me and do things my way, they can expect to be highly successful.

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7/27/2007 at Western Oregon

7/28/2007 Minnesota State

7/29/2007 North Dakota State

[joannes3000]

7/27/2007 at Western Oregon 51-22 w

7/28/2007 Minnesota State 31-28 l

7/29/2007 North Dakota State 0-62 w

7/30/2007 at South Dakota State 59-0 w

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Western Oregon was down 30-0 at the half and didn't pose a threat in the 2nd half. We ran for 325/6 and passed for 186/1.

It's still upsetting to read the 4th quarter box score against Minnesota State. We had a meltdown of nuclear proportions that saw a 15 point lead vanish in 11 minutes, leaving us with a 3 point loss. We ran for 185/1 and passed for 242/3.

North Dakota State got to feel our wrath after the heart breaker the game before. We ran for 498/7 and passed for 80/2.

South Dakota State was nothing impressive, either, other than providing me with my 100th win in Rockne. We ran for 482/7 and passed for 67/1.

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The loss against Minnesota State killed our chances of a CC bid and left me dumbfounded. Granted, it was against a very seasoned coach but I honestly felt going into halftime with a 14-13 lead that we would seal the deal. Unfortunately we only played football for 49 minutes, and the final 11 minutes of the game were absolutely horrific. Our playoff hopes are still strong, with the only test left being a road game against powerhouse Humboldt State.

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7/31/2007 at #4 Humboldt State

8/1/2007 Western Washington

8/2/2007 North Dakota

[joannes3000]

7/31/2007 at #5 Humboldt State 18-45 l

8/1/2007 Western Washington 26-45 w

8/2/2007 North Dakota 0-56 w

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Ah, the humbling at Humboldt . The final score is very misleading as we were only down 10-14 at the half and then apparently didn't show up for the 2nd half of the game. We ran for 92/1 (that about sums it up) and passed for 227/1.

Western Washington was the last live fire we'd meet during the regular season. We were only up 21-10 at the half and up 24-17 going into the 4th. A 21 point onslaught in the final frame sealed the deal for us. We ran for 331/3 and passed for 156/3.

North Dakota was to be nothing more than a final home game for our outgoing seniors and a tune up for a playoff run. We ran for 402/6 and passed for 195/2.

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I feel like we our regular season was a bit of a letdown. The loss to Humboldt State was expected, but the home loss against Minnesota State took us down a notch. We ended the season ranked 19/23 in the Press/Coaches polls which is about where I think we performed throughout the season. We showed we weren't deserving of the top 10 billing we had for the first half of the season, dropping from #6 to #7 after the loss to Minnesota State.

Looking ahead, we should be a lock for the playoffs, with our two losses coming against top 25 teams and having beaten a top 25 team ourselves. Plus, with the sheer amount of sim teams that populate DII, you often see 3 loss teams make it to the dance. We finished a strong 11-2 and should make considerable noise in the playoffs. Another 2nd round playoff run like last year is a reasonable goal and a quarterfinal run isn't out of the picture with our team 100% healthy going into the post-season.

[AHF]

Do you think your opponent made adjustments at half-time that your team couldn't compete against? That is a brutal second half.

At least you got beat soundly instead of having to feel the frustration of one slipping away at the last minute, though.

Good luck in the playoffs.

[joannes3000]

Quote:

---

Do you think your opponent made adjustments at half-time that your team couldn't compete against? That is a brutal second half.

At least you got beat soundly instead of having to feel the frustration of one slipping away at the last minute, though.

Good luck in the playoffs.

---

I don't think it was adjustments. He came out running from trips in the 1st half but was limited by my base defense which covers trips with a nickel package geared against the pass. My opinion, which showed to be true in the 1st half, is that unless you have a CLEAR running advantage (stud RB, your OL is far superior to their DL) you aren't going to run out of trips very effectively unless you catch someone that defends it with a dime package.

I made no changes to my defense, expecting him to revert to passing out of trips and not worrying about him running out of trips. At some point, however, my team decided it was best to mail it in for the rest of the game and focus on the rest of the season. If anything, it was his aggressive defensive play calling that did us in. We had 3 TOs in the game and you can't afford that against a team like Humboldt.

[joannes3000]

8/4/2007 at #12 Central Oklahoma

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We landed the #6 seed in the West region for this season's playoffs, which is a blessing and a curse.

We match up very favorably against #3 seed Central Oklahoma, who I think got overrated due to them winning a CC. They are a run-heavy team, but their OL will have a hard time opening running lanes against our DL. We should have our way with them offensively, with our OL being slightly better than their DL and they only carry 6 DBs which can be exploited in the 2nd half if necessary.

The bad news is the remainder of the teams in our bracket. If we advance onto the 2nd round, we will likely get a rematch against... Humboldt State. We'll cross that bridge when we get there, and hopefully the neutral site of the game will make for a different ending than our last meeting. Also, the #1 seed in our division is powerhouse West Chester. Put it this way - they have won AT LEAST 14 games for 23 straight seasons. On paper, that puts arguably the two strongest teams in the same bracket as me.

[joannes3000]

8/4/2007 at #12 Central Oklahoma 21-0 H

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At the half we were absolutely crushing Central Oklahoma. Our offense was having our way as expected, and our defense was shutting them down as well. I went as far as to message a former ASC coach who lost to Central Oklahoma earlier in the season, saying that this beatdown will be compliments of an ASC alum. I should've kept my mouth shut.

The third quarter was a stalemate, with both teams scoring on our first possessions. Central Oklahoma was driving in the redzone to end the quarter, but hey, we're up 21 points!

Central Oklahoma makes good on their drive to end the 3rd by scoring early in the 4th. We punted to them with 9 minutes remaining and a 14 point lead. Central Oklahoma then drives 80 yards to score, narrowing our lead to 7 points with just under 3 minutes to play...

First and 10 from our 35 - holding

First and 20 from our 25 - 20 yard completion, holding

First and 30 from our 15 - incomplete pass

Second and 30 from our 15 - 6 yard completion

Third and 24 from our 21 - incomplete pass

Fourth and 24 from our 21 - 39 yard net punt

Central Oklahoma proceeds to drive 60 yards in 1:06 to send the game into overtime, making this the second 4th quarter meltdown for the season. We won the toss, stoned them on defense, and they missed a FG. On our offensive possession we threw a 10 yard TD to win the game.

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8/4/2007 at #12 Central Oklahoma 35-28 w

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What should've been an absolute yawner of a 2nd half turned into another Rolaids moment for unknown reasons. I'm hoping to find a way to work around things, as we are set to face Humboldt State for the 2nd time in 5 games. At this point I see two reasons for our woes:

1. Apparently I did something to upset the GD gods.

2. We are relatively young on defense, with 3 freshmen in the rotation at LB and DB.

Unfortunately I can't do much, other than hope that my guys continue to progress on defense and stop playing scared at the end of games.

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8/5/2007 at #5 Humboldt State

[joannes3000]

8/5/2007 at #5 Humboldt State 10-0

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Indications at halftime show that we're much better prepared in our rematch with Humboldt. Our defense played stout, allowing a FG attempt and forcing a punt. Meanwhile, our offense was steady with the ball, mixing the run and pass effectively. On top of the lead, we also get the ball to open the 3rd quarter. We'll see soon enough how our young bucks perform under pressure in the 2nd half.

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Humboldt forced a punt on our opening possession of the 3rd quarter and proceeded to run us over on their way to a TD. Nothing new here, other than their uncanny ability to run effectively out of trips. We had a chance to answer with a scoring drive of our own, but a key 3rd and 4 pass left us 1 yard short of a first down at their 35.

Humboldt took a 14-10 lead on their opening drive of the 4th quarter. We responded with a masterful 8 minute TD drive of our own, putting us ahead 17-14 with 2:44 to play.

Then in typical fashion, our young defense collapsed. Starting from their 31, Humboldt didn't as much sniff a 3rd down conversion on their way to the game-winning TD with 18 seconds to play.

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8/5/2007 at #5 Humboldt State 17-21 l

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Looking toward next year (sigh), we can only improve on defense as our freshmen have benefited from 15 games this season. We do lose 3 SR LBs, leaving us with 3 rising freshmen and a RS freshman. You better believe I think we may have more nail-biters next season. We only lose 1 DL and 1 DB, however, so the rest of our defense should be stout and hopefully can help mask our young LB corps.

Offensively we lose 7, including our starting QB, our #1 and #3 RBs, our #1 TE, and our #1 and #2 OL. Clearly our offense will be down a notch from this year's squad, but I'm far more comfortable with being able to coach an offense to overachieve than I am with being able to coach a defense to do the same.

I don't know that we'll be equipped to take down Minnesota State next year for a CC bid, but it could happen. They lose 8 offensive players, 7 defensive players, and both special teamers. Losing those 17 players can make a big difference, especially given the fact that some of them are key contributors on both sides of the ball. Humboldt loses 13 players (6/7/0) with plenty of returning talent to make them the team to beat again next season. With some good recruiting and good game planning, we could look to overtake Minnesota State as the top team in the East Division, but I will probably move up to DIAA before we have a chance to give Humboldt a run for their money.

[joannes3000]

Let me preface by saying that I think I overdosed a little on GD last season. I ran two teams in Rockne (my own, and my brother's), one team in Camp (my own, different account), and one team in Leahy (my own). Of the 4 teams I ran, all of them made the playoffs, with two of them (DIII Rockne, DII Leahy) winning their CC. Cumulatively I went 53-8 so I can't complain about that.

However, I just got done recruiting for three teams and I completely forgot to game plan for my CC game in Leahy, leaving me down a TD at halftime. I'm all but certain I'll roll to victory in the 2nd half now that I actually looked at my game plan, which will mark the 3rd consecutive CC I've won in that conference.

I had originally intended to move up to DIAA after this season in Leahy, but the more I look at it, the more I want to stay and further build my dynasty there. We'll see.

Anyhoo...

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Recruiting for Nebraska-Omaha wraps up at midnight tonight and our recruiting class has been complete for a few days now.

QB Thomas Hoffman - Hoffman grades average at Game Instinct, Technique, and Strength, with above average Work Ethic. Hoffman will benefit from being 3rd in the depth chart and having at least two seasons before he's called on to do much more than hand the ball off to our RBs.

RB Roberto Walker - Walker was our most expensive, and most prized, recruit. He is one of three prized in-state recruits that we secured. He grades above average at Elusiveness and excellent at Strength. His Speed and Athleticism are only average, as is his Work Ethic, but his combination of ELU and STR will make him a beast from the start.

RB Michael Chavez - Chavez is the yang to Walker's ying, and the second of three touted in-state recruits we landed. He grades above average at Elusiveness and Speed, while grading average at Strength, Athleticism, and Work Ethic. His average STR will limit his production but he will be more than serviceable as he gets more time in the weight room.

WR Scott Hardy - Hardy is another blue chipper that fits in perfectly with our offensive style. He grades excellent at Hands, above average at Speed, Athleticism, and Elusiveness, and average at Technique and Work Ethic. He will be a star in our Trips package as a prototype possession WR.

WR Bernard Franklin - Franklin was a secondary option after losing a long battle for another WR, but he still grades above average in Hands and average in Elusiveness, Speed, and Technique. He has above average Work Ethic, so he could still develop into an above average WR.

TE Harry Stewart - Stewart is a do-it-all kind of TE, grading above average in Blocking, Speed, and Technique, while grading average in Strength. His average Work Ethic ensures that he will continue to develop as a solid TE in our system.

OL Anthony Johnson - Johnson is the last of three home-grown talents that we refused to let leave the state. He grades above average in Blocking and Strength, while grading average in Technique. He has below average Work Ethic, but other than that, he is fully capable of cracking the starting 5 as a freshman.

DL Dennis Macdonald - Macdonald grades above average in Strength and Athleticism while grading average in Tackling and Technique. He has slightly below average Work Ethic, which will likely make him a sub by his JR year. He is an immediate upgrade in the short-term, however.

DL John Keith - Keith grades average in Tackling, Strength, and Technique, while grading above average in Athleticism. He also has below average Work Ethic, so he will play a similar role as his line mate Macdonald in that his impact will decline as the years progress.

LB Richard Taylor - Taylor is a prototype run stuffer, grading excellent in Tackling, above average in Strength and Game Instinct, average in Speed and Hands, but below average in Technique. His below average Work Ethic also doesn't bode well for his future, but his phenomenal Tackling all but ensures him a key role in our 4-4 defense.

LB Travis Brooks - Brooks played DB in high school but he will be converted to LB. Brooks is a lighter version of Taylor with higher Work Ethic. He grades above average in Hands, average in Strength, Tackling, Elusiveness, and Game Instinct, while grading slightly below average in Speed and Technique. His above average Work Ethic will go a long way to making him a pretty well-rounded LB by his SO season.

DB Douglas Dickinson - Dickinson was also a fallback option after a losing battle for another DB. He grades above average in Speed, but only average in Athleticism, Elusiveness, Technique, and Game Instinct, while grading below average in Hands. He has average Work Ethic, however, so he can at least develop into a decent player in our DB rotation.