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Official Non-FBS Thread
- Thread starter Bison
- Start date
BerkeleyBuff
Well-Known Member
Amazing game. While I imagine everyone knows it, North Dakota State has won 9 of the last 11 national championships and knocked Montana out of the playoffs last year. The matchup could not have been bigger. NDSU scored with just a minute left in the game to take it to OT. Montana won in double OT by intercepting NDSU's two-point attempt.
Storylines of the game: Stadium was packed and insane; registered at 118 decibels at one point - NDSU had 6 false starts. On Montana's side, a missed FG and a missed extra point felt like they might be the difference, but one player - who returned both a kickoff and a punt for a TD last week - returned another punt for a TD this week, scored a receiving TD in overtime, and threw the ball on a trick play for the 2-pt conversion in OT.
Storylines of the game: Stadium was packed and insane; registered at 118 decibels at one point - NDSU had 6 false starts. On Montana's side, a missed FG and a missed extra point felt like they might be the difference, but one player - who returned both a kickoff and a punt for a TD last week - returned another punt for a TD this week, scored a receiving TD in overtime, and threw the ball on a trick play for the 2-pt conversion in OT.
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My good friend is a Montana alum and was at the game and sent me some videos of the crazy ending in the stadium. Sent me a pic he took of the stadium today with lights still on celebrating the win.
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That's a great pic
BerkeleyBuff
Well-Known Member
That is badass
No posts lately...must be some bummed out Griz fans since the Jacks repeated as FCS champs.
herosports.com
This article talks about how the local kids are helping their teams into the FCS title game. I still love college football but not where it is headed and the great thing is that if you liked college football pre-NIL, it seems like FCS and D2 could be your answer. The Big Sky and MVFC are two good conferences to follow. Yes being a native of Colorado gives you the feeling that you want to support Northern Colorado but don't limit yourself to a football program that has forgotten how to win.
Standout Montana, SDSU Players Repping Home States In FCS Championship
Only three states have been represented in the last three FCS title games, including Sunday's: Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
herosports.com
This article talks about how the local kids are helping their teams into the FCS title game. I still love college football but not where it is headed and the great thing is that if you liked college football pre-NIL, it seems like FCS and D2 could be your answer. The Big Sky and MVFC are two good conferences to follow. Yes being a native of Colorado gives you the feeling that you want to support Northern Colorado but don't limit yourself to a football program that has forgotten how to win.
No posts lately...must be some bummed out Griz fans since the Jacks repeated as FCS champs.
Standout Montana, SDSU Players Repping Home States In FCS Championship
Only three states have been represented in the last three FCS title games, including Sunday's: Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
This article talks about how the local kids are helping their teams into the FCS title game. I still love college football but not where it is headed and the great thing is that if you liked college football pre-NIL, it seems like FCS and D2 could be your answer. The Big Sky and MVFC are two good conferences to follow. Yes being a native of Colorado gives you the feeling that you want to support Northern Colorado but don't limit yourself to a football program that has forgotten how to win.
Love the Griz but they brought a pocket knife to a gun fight.
No posts lately...must be some bummed out Griz fans since the Jacks repeated as FCS champs.
Standout Montana, SDSU Players Repping Home States In FCS Championship
Only three states have been represented in the last three FCS title games, including Sunday's: Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
This article talks about how the local kids are helping their teams into the FCS title game. I still love college football but not where it is headed and the great thing is that if you liked college football pre-NIL, it seems like FCS and D2 could be your answer. The Big Sky and MVFC are two good conferences to follow. Yes being a native of Colorado gives you the feeling that you want to support Northern Colorado but don't limit yourself to a football program that has forgotten how to win.
Playing that game opposite the NFL was probably the stupidest thing the NCAA has done this year. Good news is, the NCAA has 358 days to get do even more stupid things!
BerkeleyBuff
Well-Known Member
Great season, rough game
I think it's time for some FCS and D2 news and I'll kick things off with the FCS playoffs.
www.montanasports.com
There will be 16 teams seeded in the 24 team FCS playoff up from 8. Top 8 teams will still get byes and the next 8 will host playoff games as long as they provide "a minimum bid". The bottom 8 will be placed as regionally as possible in those games against the 9-16 seeds. Then it will be the lowest seed versus the #1 seed and so forth on.
The FCS playoffs are worth paying attention to because if the $ is very good for the FBS playoffs and it expands from 12 teams, this is how you do a 24 team tourney.
Someone mentioned a former Buffs RB is joining Coach Chev's Northeastern State football team as a graduate assistant...I think we need to follow the Northeastern State football program this upcoming season to see how Coach Chev is doing. It's going to be a challenge since NSU is a D2 independent this upcoming season and their 2024 schedule is not out yet.
isubengals.com
Year two of the Cody Hawkins regime in Poctaello. Got some tough road games to Oregon State, North Dakota, Weber State, and EWU but they host Montana State and Idaho. Are they a FCS playoff team? Probably not this year because year two can be brutal for new coaching staffs but maybe next year.
uncbears.com
This is a good year to take off from UNC football...that schedule appears to be a killer and it's year two of the Ed Lamb regime.
herosports.com
Curious about which FCS players got drafted in the NFL draft?
herosports.com
Both North Dakota schools looks like they could really benefit from NIL at the FCS level.
A true tournament: FCS playoffs evolving with new 16-seed format
The playoffs will take on a different look with a new seeding format that aims to mitigate the regionalization of matchups that has become commonplace.
www.montanasports.com
There will be 16 teams seeded in the 24 team FCS playoff up from 8. Top 8 teams will still get byes and the next 8 will host playoff games as long as they provide "a minimum bid". The bottom 8 will be placed as regionally as possible in those games against the 9-16 seeds. Then it will be the lowest seed versus the #1 seed and so forth on.
The FCS playoffs are worth paying attention to because if the $ is very good for the FBS playoffs and it expands from 12 teams, this is how you do a 24 team tourney.
Someone mentioned a former Buffs RB is joining Coach Chev's Northeastern State football team as a graduate assistant...I think we need to follow the Northeastern State football program this upcoming season to see how Coach Chev is doing. It's going to be a challenge since NSU is a D2 independent this upcoming season and their 2024 schedule is not out yet.
2024 Football Schedule - Idaho State University Athletics
The official 2024 Football schedule for the Idaho State University Bengals
isubengals.com
Year two of the Cody Hawkins regime in Poctaello. Got some tough road games to Oregon State, North Dakota, Weber State, and EWU but they host Montana State and Idaho. Are they a FCS playoff team? Probably not this year because year two can be brutal for new coaching staffs but maybe next year.
2024 Football Schedule - University of Northern Colorado Athletics
The official 2024 Football schedule for the University of Northern Colorado Bears
uncbears.com
This is a good year to take off from UNC football...that schedule appears to be a killer and it's year two of the Ed Lamb regime.
FCS Players Selected In The 2024 NFL Draft
Check out the running list of FCS players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Last year saw 11 selections from the FCS.
herosports.com
Curious about which FCS players got drafted in the NFL draft?
FCS Daily Dose: UND & NDSU Now Have 3 Ways To "Pay" Athletes
The two FCS teams in North Dakota are showing their continued commitment and investment in athletics success.
herosports.com
Both North Dakota schools looks like they could really benefit from NIL at the FCS level.
2024 FCS Jersey Countdown: The Best Returning Player For Each Number
Leading up to Week 0 games on Aug. 24, HERO Sports will name the best returning FCS player by jersey number, 99-0.
herosports.com
Hero Sports already doing the jersey countdown to zero week (August 24th).
2024 Football Schedule - Northeastern State University Athletics
The official 2024 Football schedule for the Northeastern State University River Hawks
goriverhawksgo.com
Finally see the 2024 Northeastern State football schedule. Still feels like a MIAA schedule although NSU is an independent team this year.
Saw a random tweet and had to share it here:
Montana schools going against the Dakota schools would be a sight to behold. Idaho and USU aren't far from those Montana schools and I think Wyoming would fit in nicely in that region. Nevada used to be in the Big Sky Conference so it would be a homecoming for them as well.
I'm not sure how Hawaii and SJSU fit into that conference though but I'd watch this conference for sure.
Montana schools going against the Dakota schools would be a sight to behold. Idaho and USU aren't far from those Montana schools and I think Wyoming would fit in nicely in that region. Nevada used to be in the Big Sky Conference so it would be a homecoming for them as well.
I'm not sure how Hawaii and SJSU fit into that conference though but I'd watch this conference for sure.
BerkeleyBuff
Well-Known Member
Many Montana fans have long hoped for a "Snow Belt" conference of the Montana schools, the Dakota schools, plus a few others (Idaho, Weber, etc).
You're missing CSU.
That tweet was with the assumption that CSU joined the 2PAC and what you saw was the MWC backfilling. It’s questionable about leaving AFA in the MWC but it does make sense given AFA’s Oly sports performance in the MWC.
Wyoming is also borderline FCS when you look at the size of the student body but they should do very well in that new MWC.
What won’t change is csu sucking.
'I don't know how you'd stop it': How a D-II coach is reimagining defensive plays
The triple option, but for defense? Kevin May has designed a defensive scheme so player friendly that anyone could have success doing it.
This is why you would want to watch D2 or FCS football because something new could find its way to the FBS ranks in about a decade if not less. This could be the triple option of defense where you simply plug in players.
Video on why UNC football sucks and it falls on the UNC administration for why Bears football is at where they are today. Moving up a classification without a funding plan is a recipe for disaster regardless of the level. That is what Idaho did when they moved up with Boise State to FBS. FWIW, UNC has about the same number of students as Idaho and a move back down to D2 is not going to realistically happen because UNC has almost double the student population of Mines & CSU Pueblo.
Now how would you fix the problem? If UNC was to quit the Big Sky Conference, the options out there aren't good as you would have the United Athletic Conference which is a football only conference for the WAC and ASUN conferences where UNC would be a WAC member for all sports. The other option is the Missouri Valley Football Conference which means UNC's other sports would go to the Summit where the former D2 NCC rivals are at in the Dakota schools and Nebraska Omaha.
I have noticed some posters saying money is the issue and yes that was an issue from 2005 to about 2014. Since then, the Bears have spent more than the FCS median save for several seasons.
If CU becomes more successful in football in the Big 12 after moving back from the Pac-12, that might be a sign that UNC needs to go to the Summit and strap on their helmets and deal with the brutal MVFC. The Bears have a home and home with South Dakota for 2025 & 2026 so we will see how they stack up with a MVFC team. They do get a taste of the WAC with Abilene Christian and to a degree Stephen F Austion (who has since moved back to the Southland). Maybe that would be the best path forward?
They will get destroyed in any lower tier D1 conference except for maybe the Pioneer Conference. I've had many players I coached in HS lately 1) choose a local D2 program over UNC and 2) tell me about preseason scrimmages where they absolutely destroyed UNC. In fact, 3 seasons ago CSU-Pueblo was beating them something like 40-7 and the UNC coaches ended the scrimmage prematurely. And it wasn't even one of CSUP's better teams. At this point they probably finish 4th in the RMAC. Without a sugar daddy coming in and dropping something like $30M+ on them, they're pretty much fvcked for the foreseeable future.
Agreed. UNC administration is just not up to par and I don't think they have done anything with the old Labatory school since it was shuttered. I played some athletic contests against that school back in high school and even went to that school back then. They could easily build a new track and field stadium to the west of that building and remove the track and field lanes from the football stadium. They are even too cheap to install lights at the football stadium which would help them out if they somehow had the opportunity to host a playoff game.
And lower tier FCS conference that sponsors football...there really isn't one out west and that is part of the problem. Pioneer is a non-scholarship conference so I doubt the Bears join that one. UNC did help establish the Great West Football Conference and jumped when they got the invite from the Big Sky Conference. Maybe they should have tried to stay with NDSU & SDSU and build up that conference.
UNC is just stuck at where they are right now.
As for that sugar daddy, that might happen if the Monforts sell the Rockies...which might never happen.
The support isn't great but they don't need a sugar daddy to get there. I do know the Montfort's throw a lot of money at athletics (at least for men's basketball).
There are a lot of great D2 players in Colorado. However, after CU, CSU, Air Force, and Wyoming pick over the top level local talent, they are stuck in a bad spot locally. McCaffrey tried to hit the portal hard, which he did, but he was a complete idiot in every facet. I'd hit the portal hard with FBS players as its impossible to recruit HS at their level in Colorado.
Finding the right coach will change a lot but there is a ceiling with the lack of support.
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The brutal combo of school location, constant losing, zero support (student, community and alumni) and horrible facilities make the program a hard sell to legitimate coaches and players. UNC is going nowhere for the next decade at least.
Yeah, they are in a difficult spot. Taking a chance on a young coach who could turn things around and move on might be the best sell moving forward. Then rinse and repeat
FCS Football Rankings - Stats Perform FCS Top 25 | NCAA.com
Get updated NCAA Football FCS rankings from every source, including coaches and national polls.
www.ncaa.com
| RANKING | SCHOOL | 2023 RECORD | POINTS | 2023 FINAL RANKING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RANKING | SCHOOL | 2023 RECORD | POINTS | 2023 FINAL RANKING |
| 1 | South Dakota State (52) | 15-0 | 1396 | 1 |
| 2 | North Dakota State (3) | 11-4 | 1327 | 3 |
| 3 | Montana | 13-2 | 1285 | 2 |
| 4 | Montana State (1) | 8-4 | 1199 | 9 |
| 5 | South Dakota | 10-3 | 1155 | 4 |
| 6 | Villanova | 10-3 | 1151 | 6 |
| 7 | Idaho | 9-4 | 1021 | 8 |
| 8 | Sacramento State | 8-5 | 874 | 13 |
| 9 | Chattanooga | 8-5 | 868 | 14 |
| 10 | Southern Illinois | 8-5 | 832 | 12 |
| 11 | Central Arkansas | 7-4 | 724 | NR |
| 12 | Furman | 10-3 | 678 | 7 |
| 13 | Richmond | 9-4 | 625 | 15 |
| 14 | UIW | 8-2 | 605 | 22 |
| 15 | William & Mary | 6-5 | 546 | NR |
| 16 | UAlbany | 11-4 | 527 | 5 |
| 17 | Lafayette | 9-3 | 359 | 21 |
| 18 | UC Davis | 7-4 | 351 | 24 |
| 19 | Illinois State | 6-5 | 350 | NR |
| 20 | Western Carolina | 7-4 | 318 | 23 |
| 21 | Tarleton State | 8-3 | 302 | NR |
| 22 | Weber State | 6-5 | 268 | NR |
| 23 | Nicholls | 6-5 | 201 | NR |
| 24 | North Dakota | 7-5 | 197 | 16 |
| 25 | Youngstown State | 8-5 | 177 | 19 |
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Elon 174; UT Martin 169; Eastern Illinois 139; Mercer 98; Florida A&M 65; North Carolina Central 52; Austin Peay 51; Alabama State17; Holy Cross 17; Eastern Washington 14; Drake 8; Duquesne 8; Harvard 6; Samford 6; Northern Iowa 4
MVFC (7) and Big Sky (6) takes up half of the FCS preseason Top 25 rankings. Eight teams in the top 10. No disrespect to the other FCS conferences but the Big Sky and MVFC football conferences would be more than sufficient for me for FCS football.
The problem with this game is that NDSU (even with a new coach) has a proven identity. CU, albeit more talented, will still be trying to establish their’s.FCS Football Rankings - Stats Perform FCS Top 25 | NCAA.com
Get updated NCAA Football FCS rankings from every source, including coaches and national polls.
RANKING SCHOOL 2023 RECORD POINTS 2023 FINAL RANKING RANKING SCHOOL 2023 RECORD POINTS 2023 FINAL RANKING 1 South Dakota State (52) 15-0 1396 1 2 North Dakota State (3) 11-4 1327 3 3 Montana 13-2 1285 2 4 Montana State (1) 8-4 1199 9 5 South Dakota 10-3 1155 4 6 Villanova 10-3 1151 6 7 Idaho 9-4 1021 8 8 Sacramento State 8-5 874 13 9 Chattanooga 8-5 868 14 10 Southern Illinois 8-5 832 12 11 Central Arkansas 7-4 724 NR 12 Furman 10-3 678 7 13 Richmond 9-4 625 15 14 UIW 8-2 605 22 15 William & Mary 6-5 546 NR 16 UAlbany 11-4 527 5 17 Lafayette 9-3 359 21 18 UC Davis 7-4 351 24 19 Illinois State 6-5 350 NR 20 Western Carolina 7-4 318 23 21 Tarleton State 8-3 302 NR 22 Weber State 6-5 268 NR 23 Nicholls 6-5 201 NR 24 North Dakota 7-5 197 16 25 Youngstown State 8-5 177 19
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Elon 174; UT Martin 169; Eastern Illinois 139; Mercer 98; Florida A&M 65; North Carolina Central 52; Austin Peay 51; Alabama State17; Holy Cross 17; Eastern Washington 14; Drake 8; Duquesne 8; Harvard 6; Samford 6; Northern Iowa 4
MVFC (7) and Big Sky (6) takes up half of the FCS preseason Top 25 rankings. Eight teams in the top 10. No disrespect to the other FCS conferences but the Big Sky and MVFC football conferences would be more than sufficient for me for FCS football.
This game scares the crap out of me.
What is NDSU's proven identity?