Big Sky Conference Women's Basketball Standings. Plus an ocelot

It's January 10th, and boy oh boy was it an eventful day. Caesar crosses the Rubicon, Napoleon annuls his marriage to Josephine, and John Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil. Oh and funnily enough, the League of Nations holds its first session and ratifies the Treaty of Versailles...on the same day, 26 years later, the United Nations hold ITS first ever session.

But that's kid stuff in the face of the awe-inspiring might that is Big Sky Women's Basketball and the Race for Wooden Trophy Glory! Portland State continues to roll, Eastern Washington is a surprising 9-6 (3-0), Idaho State keeps to the sacred and divinely-inspired tenets of bludgeoning teams to death and sacrificing the survivors, and Montana under Darth Selvig is struggling in the wake of losing Mandy Morales and Sonya Rogers (only 2-2 so far, 7-9 overall). As for the rest, here are the standings!

Eastern Washington (3-0) 9-6 W3

Portland State (3-0) 9-7 W3

Idaho State (3-1) 8-9 W2

Montana (2-2) 7-9 L2

Northern Colorado (1-2) 8-8 L2

Northern Arizona (1-2) 3-13 W1

Montana State (1-3) 8-9 L3

Weber State (1-3) 7-10 L1

Sacramento State (0-2) 4-10 W1

So here we have the Eagles in the lead, having beaten Montana, MSU, and Sacramento State. Portland State, the other unbeaten, has defeated those same schools with that Vince Young impersonator, Claire Faucher (pronounced Fo-shay for those not familiar with Les Langue Francaise). Idaho State is in 3rd, having played 4 Conference games with 3 wins (over NAU, Northern Colorado and Montana State in overtime) and the lone loss to Montana (only account of a late run by a freshman on UM's roster. I forget her name, and am too lazy to look it up). Montana, the dominating force of the conference since the Fall of Numenor and the founding of the Kingdoms in Exile, has struggled mightily this year. Mandy Morales, the warrior from hell, has moved on to basketball in Greece (appropriately enough) and Sonya Rogers has also graduated. Darth Selvig is going to be entering a rebuilding year in conference play; they finished non-conference with a 7-9 record. It was only a few seasons ago they cracked the Top 25 in the country. Norther Colorado is next at 5th in conference and hopes to regain some composure after their defeat at Idaho State. UNC is sporting a 1-2 record in conference play with the win coming against NAU. Speaking of which, they are tied for 5th (6th in the official standings) with an identical 1-2 record. The lone victory was against a faltering Weber State. NAU finished non-conference with a 3-13 record, which was painful to say the least. Montana State comes in at 7th, with a 1-3 record and a 20-point win over Weber State. Weber State comes in at 8th, with a 1-3 record and their only win vs Northern Colorado. On a sidenote, they beat BYU in 2 overtimes, which is awesome (because BYU=Sauron). And bringing up the wagon train is Sacramento State, who has no wins as of yet (and it hopefully won't be ISU).

So far the conference race has been fun to watch and it will get even better as the season rolls on. And hopefully it will end with ISU clutching the Wooden Trophy after beating opponents senseless by bludgeoning and pounding them to a pulp and earning the praise and blessing of the Big Sky Trophy God! Go Bengals! For Defense and the Munger Way!


OCELOTS! AWWWAAAHHH!

By the way, have a random picture of an ocelot. They're cute. It's like the unofficial mascot of my blog. Cute, mysterious and totally random.

On the Move Up for Montana and FCS Football all dramatic like

The silent ruins of a once proud FCS program, forgotten by time

Urban Meyer once said, "If you're staying where you're at, you're regressing, not progressing."

There has been a lot of talk on whether Montana should move up when the NCAA removes the moratorium on teams moving up in 2011. It's a subject that has been beaten, brutalized, and savagely ripped up into tiny tiny pieces over the years. However, this year is special. With the failing of several FCS programs and their imminent axing, along with several programs like Idaho State and Northern Arizona who are running the risks of going the same way, plus several of the FCS' best programs planning on moving up immediately after the moratorim has been lifted and others planning on moving up in the very near future, the debate on the move for Montana has gotten bigger and has taken on more meaning.

Egriz has a thread debating where Montana would be in 5 years. Many have said that the Griz will likely be competing for bowl games in FBS play, and while expressing distaste for the idea, it seems some of Griz Nation is accepting its inevitibility. And they, sadly, are correct in my opinion and from what I'm seeing.

FCS football is a losing proposition, a fading realm reminiscient of older times of a more informal, freer society of ragtag regional powers scrapping happily amongst each other in a quest of establishing dominance that used to characterize FBS football before the rise of the 24/7 News Era. Programs that cannot bring in the gold are becoming mere pages in a dusty history book long since forgotten. Hofstra and Northeastern have dropped their programs entirely and after the firing of Jerry Glanville, Portland State said in a press release that "if we don't get this hire right, it may be the last football hire we ever make." My very own Idaho State football team is on the edge of being axed. Northern Arizona is wondering if they should also cut football due to the chronic budget shortfalls plaguing Arizona. Sacramento State is also pondering the move to ax their program as well, due to the major fail that is the California economy. Meanwhile, the best and most recognizable programs of the FCS, Appalachian State, Texas State, Montana and James Madison and a few others are looking at the 2011 date with an ever bulging eye. Major stadium upgrades are being looked at and being constructed, and other details being mulled over as well. Not that they will for sure move up but it is a distinct possibility. These teams along with a few others constitute the top, very elite half of the FCS. The rest of the FCS is losing money; in most cases many programs are bleeding money out of a major wound.

Montana finds itself in a unique situation, and that's not necessarily a good thing. Missoula is a grand football citadel in a state that's sparsley populated, with few population centers that barely match up to dynamic Boise or Salt Lake City. This isolation will make it a hard sell for the Griz to get into a conference; indeed if the FCS will last long enough for the Griz to get settled. Adding to this is that Montana is in a conference that is slowly fading and withering to nothing; their empty stadiums an echo of what once was. Outside of the state of Montana, there is no interest in any of the Big Sky schools save for a small minority of diehards who will go down with those ships. And unlike their bretheren east of the Mississippi, who compromise a good 90% of the FCS' best teams, Montana is the one and only top program in the FCS West. There will be no competition for the Grizzlies whatsoever, no matter how many teams are brought up from Division II football.

Although Montana enjoys playing for national championships in a playoff system, in the long run Montana will be doomed to a long, empty decline to irrelevance and eventual fading away if they stay in the FCS. There simply is no future with the decline and fading away of the FCS, never mind the dying of the Big Sky Conference.

Elrond Half-Elven elaborates on this (paraphrased and worked around to fit this thing):



"If Montana remains in the FCS after this moratorium is lifted, you will still be a winning program. If your enemies in the CAA have moved on or have been defeated and you are crowned champions and all that you hope for comes true you will still have to taste the bitterness of the inevitability of collapse. Whether by the swords of the few remaining programs east of the Mississippi River or the slow decay of time, your program will die. And there will be no comfort for you, no comfort to ease the pain of its passing. Montana will come to death an image of the splendor of the Lords of Big Sky programs and FCS teams in glory undimmed before the breaking of the FCS. But you, Montana...you will linger on in darkness and in doubt as nightfall in winter that comes without a star. Here you will dwell bound to your grief and Montana State under the fading ruins of FCS stadiums until all the world is changed and the long years of your life are utterly spent."

Big Sky Conference Standings as of Meow

Greetings! We're nearing the end of the Year 2009 and so far, the conference race is heating up already! Already one team (Montana State if you can believe it) has 2 Conference wins! It's incredible, I know! These are your Big Sky Conference standings as of meow!

Montana State 2-0 (7-5) Losing streak at 1

Stuff: MSU is the surprise of the conference right now standing with 2 conference wins and the lead over a surprisingly 7-6 Weber State. Perhaps the black magic that the Bobcats used last year in the Conference Tournament of Wooden Trophy Glory was only a sign of things to come. More likely, MSU will hopefully falter and order will be restored in the conference when Weber steps up to the plate. Key Wins: Northern Colorado, Northern Arizona, UC Santa-Barbara

Weber State 1-0 (7-6) Losing Streak at 1

Stuff: Weber State is aiming to roll through the conference after a surprising 7-6 start to the season. The Wildcats are hoping to establish hegemony once more over the Big Sky Conference and erase the memory of an OOC slump (losing to BYU and USU...gahhhh...). An OOC slump that has also seen some inconsistency, like winning by a mere 3 points over Montana Tech while beating Utah by 7, all the while losing to the same UC Santa Barbara team that lost big to Montana State. And adding insult to injury, lost to the Aggies of Utah State twice, once in Ogden by 6 and then again in the Gossner Foods Classic (seriously? That's a tournament?) by 8. And having to endure the ridicule of Utahns of the more angry type. Key Wins: Utah, Sacramento State

Portland State 1-0 (5-7) Losing Streak at 3

Stuff: Portland State, the reigning Champion of the Big Sky Trophy God Tournament and current holder of two awe-inspiring Wooden Trophies, is hoping to snap a 3-game losing streak. The Vikings are dealing with the loss of Ken Bone *swoon* and are coping better than many thought, with wins over Pepperdine and Eastern Washington. They did, however, suffer a pancing by U-DUB!!!, 111-55 (ouch). The Vikings look to enter January on a positive note and hope to continue their quest for a three-peat (although that is unlikely to happen).

Northern Colorado 1-1 (10-3) Win Streak at 1

Stuff: The surprise team and technically the best team in the conference right now, the Bears are on a roll. After enduring a few down years after transitioning into the Big Sky Conference, the Bears are looking to capitalize on a 10-3 season (thus far). Northern Colorado is hoping to finish the OOC schedule strong, and it is likely they will enter January with a 12-3 record. Out of all the teams, the Bears are looking the most legit after taking Oklahoma (yes, the Sooners) all the way to the final seconds, losing 80-79 (you read that right...not even kidding you). The only blemish is a loss to Montana State, a loss UNC will be sure to avenge in their January 31st matchup in Greeley. Look for the Bears to assert domination early and often starting the January. Key Wins: Impressive resume at the moment for the Bears, so this isn't really necessary.

Montana 1-1 (10-4) Win Streak at 4

Stuff: The Grizzlies, by merit of their 10-4 OOC record (second only to Northern Colorado), rank as second best overall. They are on a hot streak right now with a 4-game win streak. The Grizzlies are looking to roll right on into January with an 11-3 record complete with another conference win over Idaho State on New Year's Eve Day. Montana has also beaten Oregon convincingly, the same Ducks team that beat Idaho State a few nights ago. The Griz, in fact, have played a few good teams in Oregon, Boise State, and Fresno State...and have won all those matchups. Montana has not lost by disgusting margins and was a point away from beating Colorado State in Fort Collins. A very dangerous team that will enter January demanding the same respect/hate/adoration/we-hate-your-damn-guts-leave-now that the football team garners on a weekly/yearly basis. Montana must watch out for Idaho State, even if that seems silly because ISU has had Montana's number for the past 2 seasons, in Pocatello AND in Missoula. Like the ISU-Montana football game, never count it as an automatic win for the Boys in Maroon and Silver. Key Wins: Boise State, Fresno State, Oregon (2 of those teams have beaten ISU; BSU and Fresno State)

Sacramento State 1-1 (6-8) Losing Streak at 1

Stuff: The Hornets are 6-8 overall and it looks like it will be another disappointing but fun-filled, parodied season with Brian Katz in Sacramento, while they adjust to all his playcalling penchants (such as writing them on in big black letters on white glossy paperboard...the tool of champions). The Hornets have one conference win, and it was against *dramatic pause*...Idaho State! (64-63). The Hornets may or may not improve, but outside of Sacramento, Cheney and Pocatello, nobody's watching. Key Wins: Idaho State, Oregon State

Eastern Washington 0-1 (4-9) Losing Streak at 4

Stuff: The Eagles are struggling and are hoping to snap a 4-game skid before the month ends, and Sacramento State is their only chance. The Eags have lost to just about every big team they have played; however it is only Coach Kirk Earlywine's third year (barely) so more time will be needed. The Eagles will probably be confined to a Snuggie at season's end. Key Wins: Whitman, Walla Walla (giggle)

Northern Arizona 0-2 (4-7) Losing Streak at 1

Stuff: NAU is entering what appears to be a depressing season with our good friend Mike Adras once more. What was once a mighty physical, imposing team is now...well, not Lumberjacks, that's for sure. NAU has two conference losses and hopes to rebound in January when conference starts up fo' reals. Don't expect much from the boys over in Flagstaff this year, except a navy blue and yellow Snuggie. Key Wins: UC-Riverside, Air Force (really?!)

Idaho State 0-1 (2-10) Losing Streak at 6

Stuff: For a team with 7 seniors and gobs of expectations and a slightly lighter schedule, ISU figured to be where Northern Colorado and the Montanas are right now: exercising dominance over the Big Sky. Instead, the Bengals are on a 6-game losing streak and lost to Sacramento State on the road where they were heavily favored to win (again). ISU MUST win against Montana Tech, a team that took Weber State to the brink and lost by 3. Then after that it's the Griz coming to Pocatello. ISU has history and O'Brien on their side, as the Bengals have remained that one team that has more or less owned the Grizzlies the past 3 seasons. ISU can hopefully rebound from this offseason and make a run for, dare I say, hosting the tournament (only 1 conference loss thus far). And if not, this will be the de facto anthem of Idaho State University for the year:
Key Wins: The only wins they have on the schedule. Hahaha

So this is what the season is at so far, updates to come later before the school year starts. Let the quest for Wooden Trophy Glory continue in earnest!

And READY THE SNUGGIES FOR THE LOSERS!!!

The Journey Begins Anew!

WHERE'S YOUR GOD NOW?!

The Journey for Wooden Trophy Glory begins anew with the rise of a new basketball season! Portland State earned the blessings of the Big Sky Trophy God last year with a victory over a shocking Montana State basketball team that somehow beat Tournament favorite Weber State. For the rest of the the Sky, the offseason was spent planning and recruiting while wearing the Cursed Snuggies, a punishment from the BSTG for their exemplary showings of Fail during the tournament.

But this year everything begins anew! The Trophy God, though cruel at times and always bizarre, is fair and unbiased. Let the fun, games and mayhem commence!

Retraction

In my post, "ISU Football, Adagio for Strings," I said that this football team was on the brink of collapse and was turning in, that they were not playing with any pride and that they were sick of the season, and had a severe lack of heart.

I retract that, and admit that post was written during the darkest period of the season.

The Bengals played #2 Montana last Saturday. The final score ended in an ISU win, Montana 12, ISU 10. The score is meaningless, because Montana in reality did not win. They lost. They lost in a humiliating fashion. Their vaunted receivers and runningbacks were stuffed time and time again, and our defense played out of their minds. They were absolutely insane. Running on pure heart, they dug deep inside their hearts and their souls and managed to pull out the greatest victory in years. Montana, a team supposed to win by 60 points and a team some say will win the National Championship, had no answer. ISU kept coming in waves, each wave stronger than the last. Montana only got the winning field goal on sheer luck. Micheal Wright and AJ Storms got a hand on the ball but it barely squeaked inside the goal post and Montana celebrated a win they did not actually get. Normally I do not claim moral victories because 99% of the time they are bullshit. I will make an exception for this.

This is ISU football. This is how ISU football is supposed to be, with players playing on heart and grit and not taking shit from anyone. This is the ISU football team we have seen slight glimpses of all season, with the goal line stand vs Oklahoma and the powerful defensive showing against ASU until the 4th Quarter.

Let's go and beat Portland State this Saturday and finish a bad season with 2 fun weeks of football.

ISU Football: Adagio For Strings

Looking back at my earlier post (and the only one, this semester has been completely hectic since I'm assuming a larger workload this time), it seems that everything I stated is coming to fruitition, and more.

This is a brief departure from my otherwise humorous stance...but it must be understood that this is a desperate situation.

ISU Football is becoming a failed state. We are collasping faster than our friends of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. ISU's average game attendence may be reported at 5,000 or so but there's no way. We're lucky to have about 1,000 left after the 3rd quarter.

We have suffered bad losses and they haven't even been close. Remember how I said that we live or die in October? Well, we're being driven to extinction. Central Washington was supposed to be our game, our time when we could finally get back on track after being body bags for Oklahoma, Arizona State and Weber State. Instead, we got humiliated by a Central Washington team, at home, and they were still playing very sloppy football. CWU could have droppped 40 or 50 points on us. October has been even crueler, with traditional doormat Northern Colorado beating us by 30 points and getting their first Big Sky road win. None of our games has even been close, with most of our losses being in the 20-30 point range. The players have given up entirely and the coaches don't seem to have a clue with what kind of team they want to build. Normally stuff like this doesn't bother me. It hurts but I get over it and am ready to face another week with determined resolve. However, the football team doesn't even care anymore. They are more concerned with getting the season over with and have lost almost all hope in themselves and in each other. We fall apart completely when the other team scores or makes a big play. That's all it takes.

And all the while this is happening, the program continues to suck up scholarships that could be better used by a winning soccer team so they are able to retain players and become a stable program and eventually a consistent contender for the Big Sky's bid to the NCAA Touranment. Volleyball continues to get better and they compete with a lot of heart every game, even in losing efforts. Track and field retains its national reputation of being a respected program. None of these solid programs get any help from the athletic department; it seems that the department prefers to continue giving all the support to a football program that is hemorrhaging players and fan support.

A fan should always give his/her support no matter what, through the dark times and the light, the rainy days and the sunny days. This is no mere rainstorm we have entered. We have entered a hurricane the likes of which we may not survive to see the end of. It'd be one thing if the team showed some heart, but none do other than a very precious few. This is one of the biggest killers for a fan. When the team finally gives in to their doubts and refuses to budge further because they are completely listless and frustrated from their efforts (or lack thereof). This drives even the best fans away, and it is doing so to Yours Truly.

Divisions run deep in this team, although out of what little respect I have left I will refrain from greatly deliniating on who said what. The players are no longer responding to the coaches; the coaches have failed to motivate the players and the players seem to lack unity. This is what I see from watching them play and occasionally seeing some practices, this is what I sense from them on a daily basis.

We were at a crucial juncture this season and now we have crossed the Rubicon and in a very bad, haphazard way.

Whatever the outcome of this terrible season is, there is one thing for certain. The final song that plays on November 14th against Portland State won't be the ISU Alma Mater. It will be Adagio For Strings.

Football Preview For 2009 (this is long so bear with me)

Let's try not to end up like this man and HIS empire

Pictured above is the Archduke himself, Franz Ferdinand. He was the heir to the Habsburg Throne of Austria-Hungary. 4 years after his death on June 28th, 1914, Austria-Hungary ceased to exist after many years of steady decline. 91 years after the demise of that empire, Idaho State's football program is seemingly heading down the same path of non-existence. Replacing France, Italy, Britain and Czarist Russia are Oklahoma, Arizona State, Weber State and Montana. A powerful host of enemies that might serve as the fatal knockout blow to ISU Bengal football. ISU is currently sporting a 6-28 record since 2006 and is in dire straits (with the terrible economy and a fuming population in Pocatello). Like Austria-Hungary, ISU has not done anything of real value since 1982 (the last time we were in the playoffs). The Big Sky Championship earlier this decade was shared with Montana and Montana State; ISU was 1 game away from the playoffs. Since that high of 8-4, ISU has declined slowly to become the laughing stock of the Big Sky. And this year will be the biggest test; this season will test the resolve and heart of this team. So let's look at this team's challenges this year and what needs to be done (in my opinion) to not become another Austria-Hungary (sans countless ethnic divisions, of course).

9/5 @ Arizona State--This game sees ISU taking on another PAC-10 opponent, this time a program with some actual tradition. Corvallis has nothing on the wacky atmosphere at Tempe, the old site of the Fiesta Bowl. The Sun Devils are coached by Dennis Erickson, who is a bit of a journeyman (but knows how to build winners; he won a title with Miami and actually built Idaho into a good program back in the 80's). ISU actually has a bit of experience with him; the Bengals played against his Vandals team back in 2006 and lost by 3 (on several questionable calls, no doubt an attempt by I-U to save some dignity). However almost all those players are gone. Not that it matters. ASU will most likely get a good warm-up and roll over ISU (and the best punching bag in recent memory, Rudy Carpenter, is gone. Seriously, you could sack that guy all you wanted and he just kept coming back for more).

9/12 @ Oklahoma--I pointed this out in an earlier post. The only thing ISU can do in this game is hope to decleat Sam Bradford and REALLY ruin the Sooners' season. Actually, ISU can do a few things in this game. Big 12 defenses are nothing to be afraid of, because all of them seem to like watching the offense light up the scoreboards. The past few years have seen the Sooners put up (pardon the French) in-fucking-credible offensive numbers, the kind you see in basketball games and NCAA Football video games. ISU should put a few touchdowns on Oklahoma, but don't expect anything here. It's going to be worse than Tannenberg. And we're the Russian Army playing right into the Imperial German army's entrenched defensive positions.

9/19 @ Weber State--As if this month of September isn't rough enough, Franz Ferdinand's ghost is leading us straight to the defending conference champion's lair in Ogden. Weber State has almost everyone back from last year and considering the numbers Weber State put up on us, that's not a pleasant prospect. ISU can put up a fight, provided the first two games didn't totally wreck our football team (like the way Alexsei Brusilov wrecked the Austro-Hungarians with the Brusilov Offensives). It's going to be very difficult, but ISU can pull off an incredible upset and make this a rivalry.

9/26 vs CWU--Coach Zamberlin's old haunt and gig comes to Pocatello, where ISU can do 1 of 2 things. The Bengals could win this and go 3-0 all-time against CWU and get some morale back, or totally blow it in front of a dangerously small crowd and potentially derail the season. This would also make October a matter of life-or-death. ISU wins this one, but should be on guard because CWU is a good D-2 team and has the potential of being another North Dakota.

10/03 vs Eastern Washington--ISU should put up a very good fight here. EWU is on NCAA probation and despite having key players back, this season is probably going to be worthless to the Eagles. ISU played EWU very tough last year in Cheney; almost pulling off an upset but losing late in the 4th quarter. I say ISU wins this but it will take some serious effort.

10/10 @ Sacramento State--CSUS is angrier than the Romanian minorities in Transylvania. ISU's lone win last year was this game in a dramatic overtime victory on a 16 yard run on 3rd down by Kenyon Blue. ISU should also win this game and hopefully in regulation.

10/17 vs Northern Colorado--ISU wins this, because NC, even with their win in Greeley last year, is still adjusting to the Big Sky (hence the 8th place rankings). This is big for ISU because a win here plus hopeful wins over CSUS, EWU, and CWU would get 4 wins (and God willing a win over Weber nets us 5). ISU could realistically be sporting a 4-3 record by this time (we can pray), but a 3-4 record wouldn't be a disaster either (but not as good as we want it to be).

10/24 @ NAU--ISU HAS to win this game. NAU has had some great run defenses and very good athletes but has not been able to capitalize on this (they somehow squander it every year. It could make a grown man cry sometimes). ISU's record in the J. Walkup Skydome isn't the best but this is crucial and a must-win for the Bengals.

10/31 @ MSU--Montana State/Idaho State games have usually been pretty good. If it weren't for horrible play calling all season, ISU could very well have taken it to MSU, and 2 years ago ISU played MSU very tough in Bozeman before bowing out. This is another must-win for ISU and hopefully the Bengals can pull off some trickery for the treat of getting a win in Bozeman and close out October on a good note (if the month has been bad) or a great note (if ISU runs the table and become worldbeaters).

11/7 vs Montana--Ahhhhh! Hell Day! ISU-Montana games, for reasons more mysterious than Earle Bruce's firing, have been very close, hotly contested games. Montana, although ranked #1 in the conference polls and the runner-up for D-1AA, has lost a LOT of personnel, and in key positions too. The eternal optimist in me says, by the Grace of God and Imperial Germany, we win in a barnburner. This is ISU's best chance for the upset of the decade (because Montana, we all know, will be ranked in November. No question).

11/14 vs Portland State--The Elvis Guy returns to Pocatello to try and avenge the incredible collapse of the 2007 season, where PSU had the lead and the Bengal defense forced fumbles left and right to return them for TD's and the 38-30 win. This game is winnable because it's at home and ISU, provided they conquer October, could end the season at a 5-7 or a 6-6 record. (we all want a 7-5 but I don't see that happening. Of course if it does, I'm going to be damned euphoric).

So ISU, judging by the schedule, will most likely live or die in October. September has one winnable game, a potential upset, and two complete slaughterings. November only has 2 games because of the lack of a bye week this season. ISU should be much better this season with a desperately needed overhaul on offense and a new, kick-ass mentality on defense. Look for the Bengals to run the ball a little more and to actually--GASP!!!--pass downfield more. Russell Hill has the experience in the system and 2 years under his belt but the masses are clamoring for Kyle Blum, who has athleticism and a rocket-powered arm (Russell Hill has the potential of being a Rudy Carpenter. That is, somebody who has been playing for 4-5 years and never gets anything accomplished other than being a defense's favorite target). The defense should be more aggressive with the 4-3 and hopefully we'll see some blitzes ala' Hutier tactics. ISU cannot afford to nosedive into catastrophe. Support is already at dangerous levels and the discontent is very audible, if not downright abrasive. Another horrible season and we'll be hearing the calls for axing the program to save money and dignity. In these financially uncertain times, it's a distinct possibility.


This is what we should aim for. Don't go for the book, think like a Prussian!