FCS this weekend
- Thread starter #cruncher
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gl--I took EW when it was +3'--on their home field-should be a good game--Ill st looked good vs UNI last week
UNH O-line to be tested
Although the University of New Hampshire has faced some talented defensive fronts this season, the Wildcats haven?t seen anything like what the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will bring to the table Friday night.
At least that?s how UNH coach Sean McDonnell sees it.
?I think they are fueled by a great defense, starting with their front four,? McDonnell said. ?This team, physically, is as close to Toledo as we have played, and there are some spots where they?re better than Toledo.?
Toledo put the only blemish on UNH?s record this season. Since dropping a 54-20 decision to Toledo in their opener, the top-seeded Wildcats (11-1) have won a program-record 11 games in a row entering tonight?s FCS quarterfinal-round game against eighth-seeded Chattanooga (10-3). The Wildcats and Mocs will meet at Cowell Stadium in a contest that will be televised by ESPN2. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
McDonnell said Chattanooga?s defensive line is deeper and more talented than any other defensive line UNH has played against this year.
?Yup,? he said. ?Better than Stony Brook. Stony Brook had two, I think these guys have three or four. They have a backup (Derrick Lott) who?s one of their better defensive linemen. This is the best defensive line that we?ve seen.?
Senior defensive end Davis Tull is the best of the bunch. Tull is the Southern Conference?s all-time sack leader (37) and has been named the Southern Conference?s Defensive Player of the Year three times. He?s the first Southern Conference player to win that award three times since Appalachian State linebacker Dexter Coakley, a player UNH faced in the 1994 FCS playoffs.
?Ooooh,? McDonnell said when he was asked about Tull. ?Physical. Strong. Explosive. Dynamic pass rusher. Elastic ? all those things. This kid can go through you because he has great hips and explosiveness. He?s got speed to get on the edge and beat you on the outside rush. We?re going to have to be very, very good at our tackle position this week. (Austin) Heter and (Rob) Bowman ? those guys are going to have to play games.
?Russ (Chattanooga coach Russ Huesman) was a really good defensive coordinator at William & Mary, and a really good defensive coordinator at Richmond, and when he was at both of those places they were conference champions. His defense is a reflection of him. It?s a very stout, physical defense that runs to the ball. A lot of basic stuff. They?re not going to be gimmicky. They?re going to play downhill on you.?
Both UNH and Chattanooga received a first-round bye. The Wildcats, who have qualified for the playoffs in each of the last 11 seasons, advanced by beating Fordham 44-19 Saturday. Chattanooga moved on with a 35-14 victory over Indiana State. It was Chattanooga?s first playoff game since 1984, when it lost to Arkansas State in the first round.
Friday's game will be the first time the programs have met on the field, and the winner will face either fifth-seeded Illinois State (11-1) or fourth-seeded Eastern Washington (11-2) in next weekend?s semifinals. If UNH advances, next weekend?s game will be played in Durham.
?This is a (UNH) team that is not only good this year, but one that is traditionally good,? Huesman said. ?To go to the playoffs 11 years in a row, to win as many games as they have won, to be ranked for as long as they?ve been ranked, is a credit to their head coach Sean McDonnell and their staff.
?They do a remarkable job of recruiting, of getting the right people ? people buying into their system. I have always been amazed with New Hampshire and how they do it. They are well-coached, and they have really good players. This will be a huge, huge task for us.?
Seven of the eight seeded teams in this year?s playoffs have reached the quarterfinals. ? UNH has an 11-15 record in the FCS playoffs. ? UNH has a 1-3 postseason record against teams from the Southern Conference. The Wildcats beat Georgia Southern (2004), and lost to Wofford (2012), Appalachian State (1994) and Samford (1991). ? UNH has won its last 13 home games. ? Huesman is in his sixth season as Chattanooga?s head coach. He played high school football at Cincinnati?s Moeller High School under Gerry Faust, who was later hired to be Notre Dame?s head coach.
Although the University of New Hampshire has faced some talented defensive fronts this season, the Wildcats haven?t seen anything like what the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will bring to the table Friday night.
At least that?s how UNH coach Sean McDonnell sees it.
?I think they are fueled by a great defense, starting with their front four,? McDonnell said. ?This team, physically, is as close to Toledo as we have played, and there are some spots where they?re better than Toledo.?
Toledo put the only blemish on UNH?s record this season. Since dropping a 54-20 decision to Toledo in their opener, the top-seeded Wildcats (11-1) have won a program-record 11 games in a row entering tonight?s FCS quarterfinal-round game against eighth-seeded Chattanooga (10-3). The Wildcats and Mocs will meet at Cowell Stadium in a contest that will be televised by ESPN2. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
McDonnell said Chattanooga?s defensive line is deeper and more talented than any other defensive line UNH has played against this year.
?Yup,? he said. ?Better than Stony Brook. Stony Brook had two, I think these guys have three or four. They have a backup (Derrick Lott) who?s one of their better defensive linemen. This is the best defensive line that we?ve seen.?
Senior defensive end Davis Tull is the best of the bunch. Tull is the Southern Conference?s all-time sack leader (37) and has been named the Southern Conference?s Defensive Player of the Year three times. He?s the first Southern Conference player to win that award three times since Appalachian State linebacker Dexter Coakley, a player UNH faced in the 1994 FCS playoffs.
?Ooooh,? McDonnell said when he was asked about Tull. ?Physical. Strong. Explosive. Dynamic pass rusher. Elastic ? all those things. This kid can go through you because he has great hips and explosiveness. He?s got speed to get on the edge and beat you on the outside rush. We?re going to have to be very, very good at our tackle position this week. (Austin) Heter and (Rob) Bowman ? those guys are going to have to play games.
?Russ (Chattanooga coach Russ Huesman) was a really good defensive coordinator at William & Mary, and a really good defensive coordinator at Richmond, and when he was at both of those places they were conference champions. His defense is a reflection of him. It?s a very stout, physical defense that runs to the ball. A lot of basic stuff. They?re not going to be gimmicky. They?re going to play downhill on you.?
Both UNH and Chattanooga received a first-round bye. The Wildcats, who have qualified for the playoffs in each of the last 11 seasons, advanced by beating Fordham 44-19 Saturday. Chattanooga moved on with a 35-14 victory over Indiana State. It was Chattanooga?s first playoff game since 1984, when it lost to Arkansas State in the first round.
Friday's game will be the first time the programs have met on the field, and the winner will face either fifth-seeded Illinois State (11-1) or fourth-seeded Eastern Washington (11-2) in next weekend?s semifinals. If UNH advances, next weekend?s game will be played in Durham.
?This is a (UNH) team that is not only good this year, but one that is traditionally good,? Huesman said. ?To go to the playoffs 11 years in a row, to win as many games as they have won, to be ranked for as long as they?ve been ranked, is a credit to their head coach Sean McDonnell and their staff.
?They do a remarkable job of recruiting, of getting the right people ? people buying into their system. I have always been amazed with New Hampshire and how they do it. They are well-coached, and they have really good players. This will be a huge, huge task for us.?
Seven of the eight seeded teams in this year?s playoffs have reached the quarterfinals. ? UNH has an 11-15 record in the FCS playoffs. ? UNH has a 1-3 postseason record against teams from the Southern Conference. The Wildcats beat Georgia Southern (2004), and lost to Wofford (2012), Appalachian State (1994) and Samford (1991). ? UNH has won its last 13 home games. ? Huesman is in his sixth season as Chattanooga?s head coach. He played high school football at Cincinnati?s Moeller High School under Gerry Faust, who was later hired to be Notre Dame?s head coach.
Mocs look ready for big, cold stage
The fans were few and far between who sent the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team off Thursday afternoon to New Hampshire for its FCS quarterfinal showdown with the Wildcats.
And UTC coach Russ Huesman wouldn't have it any other way.
"It would be great to have everyone come out to see us off if we reach the national championship game," he said before boarding a bus to the airport. "Until then, I want the players to think of this as just another ballgame."
It's not just another game, of course. It's for a spot in the national semifinals against the Eastern Washington/Illinois State winner. It's to take this long struggling football program to a place it's never been before, and on national TV (ESPN2) no less, though last week's second-round win over Indiana State already has made this the most successful postseason in program history.
Still, perhaps there's also something to keeping this playoff run as close to the regular season as possible, because the regular season was pretty good, especially those last six games, victories all, the last four by an average of 29 points.
And as it progressed, an 0-2 start becoming a 9-3 finish, both assistant coach Will Healy and Huesman began to notice a remarkable similarity to Richmond's 2008 national championship season.
Healy, a former Boyd-Buchanan star, was the backup quarterback for those Spiders, and Huesman was their defensive coordinator. Both would come to UTC the very next year.
"I've thought about that a lot," Healy said. "At Richmond we were 4-3 and down to having to win the rest of our games to make the playoffs. Every game became a playoff game: Win or go home.
"This team was 3-3 (after losing at Tennessee) and a little bit in the same boat. We had to win out to know we had a playoff bid, and that's what we did."
Huesman felt the same.
"Even before the season started I saw comparisons between this team and that one," he said. "Same look. Same makeup. Great defense, playmakers on offense, lots of experience. And that's what I envisioned when I got here. I wanted to build a team that played like that one."
Much like those Spiders, the Mocs' road is tough. New Hampshire is the overall No. 1 seed. Upset the Wildcats in below-freezing temperatures tonight at 8, and a cross-country trip to Eastern Washington would be on tap for next week if the other semifinal's seeding holds. If not, UTC likely would travel to Illinois State, though Chattanooga could bid to host.
But even the cold shouldn't unnerve the Mocs as much as it might have had they not destroyed Western Carolina 51-0 in Cullowhee, N.C., on Nov. 1, the temperature never rising above 36 degrees as snowflakes danced in the howling wind.
"I think it's huge," Huesman said of that preparation. "I was nervous going into that game. We hadn't played in cold weather all season. I could just see 56 guys huddled around a sideline heater the whole game. But the weather was never a factor. We got off to a fast start and kept going. As a coach, the wind worries you the most. It's probably going to be a few degrees colder than at Western, but there's not supposed to be much wind."
Wideout and punt returner Tommy Hudson also believes that Western win could help tonight.
"Very similar," Hudson said. "Maybe a little colder this time. But the wind is what makes it tough."
What won't be tough on Hudson is performing in front of the ESPN2 cameras.
"Not at all," he said. "I love playing on a big stage. The whole country can watch. It'll be fun."
UTC athletic department marketing director Jeff Wilcox hoped to make it a fun trip for whatever boosters could reach the Granite State. He and his wife, Lisa, were married in Rye, N.H., and he scheduled a pregame dinner for supporters at Portsmouth's River House Restaurant, which has been chosen for having the "Best Chowder in New England" three years running.
Not that Wilcox is necessarily recommending the chowder.
"You can't go wrong," he said, "with the lobster."
Alas, the Mocs won't be sampling any lobster tails with drawn butter.
"We'll probably have a buffet tonight," Huesman said of Thursday's dinner at the hotel. "Fried chicken and stuff. Then a regular pregame meal on Friday. NCAA allows you $130 per diem, including your hotel. You can eat pretty well, but probably not lobster."
UTC booster Chip O'Neal didn't care what food awaited him as he prepared to board the team's charter 737 from Wilson Aviation.
"This is pretty emotional," said the 52-year-old manufacturing rep. "I've been going to UTC games for 38 years, since I was 14. It's been a long road. I just hope they can all the way to Frisco (Texas) for the national championship game."
Healy believes the Mocs are showing all the right signs for such a run.
"As much as anything, your kids have to want to play another week with each other," he said. "And our guys have shown that. This is a really close team. And once you get to the final eight, there's no telling what will happen."
As Huesman and a friend waited for the boarding line to shrink at Wilson Aviation, someone mentioned to the friend that he might want to consider getting in line.
"I think I'm OK as long as I'm with Coach," he said in reply. "I don't think they're going anywhere without him."
Not the flight crew. And not the football program Huesman returned to six years ago with the goal of guiding his alma mater to an opportunity such as this.
The fans were few and far between who sent the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team off Thursday afternoon to New Hampshire for its FCS quarterfinal showdown with the Wildcats.
And UTC coach Russ Huesman wouldn't have it any other way.
"It would be great to have everyone come out to see us off if we reach the national championship game," he said before boarding a bus to the airport. "Until then, I want the players to think of this as just another ballgame."
It's not just another game, of course. It's for a spot in the national semifinals against the Eastern Washington/Illinois State winner. It's to take this long struggling football program to a place it's never been before, and on national TV (ESPN2) no less, though last week's second-round win over Indiana State already has made this the most successful postseason in program history.
Still, perhaps there's also something to keeping this playoff run as close to the regular season as possible, because the regular season was pretty good, especially those last six games, victories all, the last four by an average of 29 points.
And as it progressed, an 0-2 start becoming a 9-3 finish, both assistant coach Will Healy and Huesman began to notice a remarkable similarity to Richmond's 2008 national championship season.
Healy, a former Boyd-Buchanan star, was the backup quarterback for those Spiders, and Huesman was their defensive coordinator. Both would come to UTC the very next year.
"I've thought about that a lot," Healy said. "At Richmond we were 4-3 and down to having to win the rest of our games to make the playoffs. Every game became a playoff game: Win or go home.
"This team was 3-3 (after losing at Tennessee) and a little bit in the same boat. We had to win out to know we had a playoff bid, and that's what we did."
Huesman felt the same.
"Even before the season started I saw comparisons between this team and that one," he said. "Same look. Same makeup. Great defense, playmakers on offense, lots of experience. And that's what I envisioned when I got here. I wanted to build a team that played like that one."
Much like those Spiders, the Mocs' road is tough. New Hampshire is the overall No. 1 seed. Upset the Wildcats in below-freezing temperatures tonight at 8, and a cross-country trip to Eastern Washington would be on tap for next week if the other semifinal's seeding holds. If not, UTC likely would travel to Illinois State, though Chattanooga could bid to host.
But even the cold shouldn't unnerve the Mocs as much as it might have had they not destroyed Western Carolina 51-0 in Cullowhee, N.C., on Nov. 1, the temperature never rising above 36 degrees as snowflakes danced in the howling wind.
"I think it's huge," Huesman said of that preparation. "I was nervous going into that game. We hadn't played in cold weather all season. I could just see 56 guys huddled around a sideline heater the whole game. But the weather was never a factor. We got off to a fast start and kept going. As a coach, the wind worries you the most. It's probably going to be a few degrees colder than at Western, but there's not supposed to be much wind."
Wideout and punt returner Tommy Hudson also believes that Western win could help tonight.
"Very similar," Hudson said. "Maybe a little colder this time. But the wind is what makes it tough."
What won't be tough on Hudson is performing in front of the ESPN2 cameras.
"Not at all," he said. "I love playing on a big stage. The whole country can watch. It'll be fun."
UTC athletic department marketing director Jeff Wilcox hoped to make it a fun trip for whatever boosters could reach the Granite State. He and his wife, Lisa, were married in Rye, N.H., and he scheduled a pregame dinner for supporters at Portsmouth's River House Restaurant, which has been chosen for having the "Best Chowder in New England" three years running.
Not that Wilcox is necessarily recommending the chowder.
"You can't go wrong," he said, "with the lobster."
Alas, the Mocs won't be sampling any lobster tails with drawn butter.
"We'll probably have a buffet tonight," Huesman said of Thursday's dinner at the hotel. "Fried chicken and stuff. Then a regular pregame meal on Friday. NCAA allows you $130 per diem, including your hotel. You can eat pretty well, but probably not lobster."
UTC booster Chip O'Neal didn't care what food awaited him as he prepared to board the team's charter 737 from Wilson Aviation.
"This is pretty emotional," said the 52-year-old manufacturing rep. "I've been going to UTC games for 38 years, since I was 14. It's been a long road. I just hope they can all the way to Frisco (Texas) for the national championship game."
Healy believes the Mocs are showing all the right signs for such a run.
"As much as anything, your kids have to want to play another week with each other," he said. "And our guys have shown that. This is a really close team. And once you get to the final eight, there's no telling what will happen."
As Huesman and a friend waited for the boarding line to shrink at Wilson Aviation, someone mentioned to the friend that he might want to consider getting in line.
"I think I'm OK as long as I'm with Coach," he said in reply. "I don't think they're going anywhere without him."
Not the flight crew. And not the football program Huesman returned to six years ago with the goal of guiding his alma mater to an opportunity such as this.
I've never played an FCS game before Hawkeye but thought I would give it a try. Maybe we both can cash. If I can't win no better person that you to.
Darn, seems like I never can wait long enough! I got Choo Choo by 6, so I jumped when I did. I'm too embarrassed to say I've got Illinois St by small DDigits. May be a real huge HFA in FCS or my numbers are really off.
The home field advantage out in Cheney on the red turf is pretty big, probably one of the bigger in FCS football. Should be a good game. EWU wants a fast track meet and runs into trouble when they match up versus a physical team who can run on them. If ILL St can be that team then they have a real shot.
I said several years ago, and it may not be correct, but it just seemed to me that some holdings calls could be missed because of those colored jerseys blending in with the turf.
