THE IUP Football Thread

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Bagent is back but like 38 of his senior buddies are gone. They just signed 40 freshmen. They'll be good but I'd be shocked if anywhere near as good.

Shep and a couple others were loaded up with older players last year. That is hard to replace in one off-season.

IUP went through its youth movement last year.

That's no excuse for some of their performances, however. Not making the playoffs was a travesty. Losing at home to a meatball was the worst loss I've ever seen at Miller in 30+ years. They deserved it, mind you.

Last year had a couple highs, a couple lows, but all in all I'd call it a disaster. Nothing worse than wasted talent.

[EyeoftheHawk]

Yep, it would be a gauntlet every year and we'd probably only get one team or 2 in every year if the round robin was to happen. If IUP just took care of business against Edinboro they would have been in and would have had a strong shot at winning the region. IUP's variable last year was probably the biggest in the entire country. Could have been 5-5 (comeback against WCU and the Kutztown game) or they easily could have been 10-1 and region champs. From an outsiders perspective, I just think they need 2 guys per side of the ball that will hold the whole team accountable. Usually you can tell when watching a game who the alpha/leader is on the field. For Shepherd it was clearly Chrys Lane and Ricky Robinson on D and then Tyson on offense with RT Joey Fisher. I wasn't glued to watching IUP all season, but they didn't seem to have that type of guy on the field on either side. Damon Lloyd I thought was that type of guy in years past for them.

All the best teams have those guys, otherwise you underachieve. Shepherd's teams in 2008 and 2009 didn't have the leaders and record reflected it. Tyson's first year in 2018, I thought leadership was poor then too. 7-3 no playoffs.

[IUPalum]

You're right that it's not every year. But IUP played all five of them last year.

[Ram040506]

You're right that it's not every year. But IUP played all five of them last year.

Yep, it would be a gauntlet every year and we'd probably only get one team or 2 in every year if the round robin was to happen. If IUP just took care of business against Edinboro they would have been in and would have had a strong shot at winning the region. IUP's variable last year was probably the biggest in the entire country. Could have been 5-5 (comeback against WCU and the Kutztown game) or they easily could have been 10-1 and region champs. From an outsiders perspective, I just think they need 2 guys per side of the ball that will hold the whole team accountable. Usually you can tell when watching a game who the alpha/leader is on the field. For Shepherd it was clearly Chrys Lane and Ricky Robinson on D and then Tyson on offense with RT Joey Fisher. I wasn't glued to watching IUP all season, but they didn't seem to have that type of guy on the field on either side. Damon Lloyd I thought was that type of guy in years past for them.

All the best teams have those guys, otherwise you underachieve. Shepherd's teams in 2008 and 2009 didn't have the leaders and record reflected it. Tyson's first year in 2018, I thought leadership was poor then too. 7-3 no playoffs.

[Matt Burglund]

That is a big advantage for the PSAC that IUP/Rock/Cal/Shep/WCU/Kutz don't have to play each other every year come playoff selection time.

You're right that it's not every year. But IUP played all five of them last year.

[Ram040506]

I'd suspect the talent is there, but at the same time, the other teams in the GMAC - particularly Findlay and Tiffin, though you could also add Ohio Dominican to that list - had to have known that they needed to step up their game to be at Ashland's level.

Yea, GMAC is a tough league. I think its the top conference in our Region top to bottom to be honest. If they added more teams and their top teams didn't have to play a round robin every year, they'd probably get more playoff births. That is a big advantage for the PSAC that IUP/Rock/Cal/Shep/WCU/Kutz don't have to play each other every year come playoff selection time.

[ctrabs74]

Yea, I've actually been somewhat surprised they haven't taken that next step in the last few seasons. I thought they would step right in as the top team in the GMAC.

I'd suspect the talent is there, but at the same time, the other teams in the GMAC - particularly Findlay and Tiffin, though you could also add Ohio Dominican to that list - had to have known that they needed to step up their game to be at Ashland's level.

[Ram040506]

They're private, but they were typically the second or third best athletic department in the GLIAC (behind GV and Ferris). They're definitely committed to being among the best D2 programs in the country, despite a relatively smaller enrollment from the other "superpowers" of D2.

Yea, I've actually been somewhat surprised they haven't taken that next step in the last few seasons. I thought they would step right in as the top team in the GMAC.

[ctrabs74]

Private school similar to Gannon and Mercy? I get that concept, I thought they were public in Ohio.

They're private, but they were typically the second or third best athletic department in the GLIAC (behind GV and Ferris). They're definitely committed to being among the best D2 programs in the country, despite a relatively smaller enrollment from the other "superpowers" of D2.

[Fightingscot82]

Private school similar to Gannon and Mercy? I get that concept, I thought they were public in Ohio.

Nope Ashland is private. All of Ohio's public schools are D1 except Central State and Shawnee State. Central is D2 but all other D2 schools in Ohio are private.

[Ram040506]

"Fully funded" = being allowed to discount up to 36 full scholarships.

Private school similar to Gannon and Mercy? I get that concept, I thought they were public in Ohio.

[Fightingscot82]

If both teams perform to expectations, could be a rematch in November/December. Ashland is set up to be the big dog in Region 1, facilities are top notch and I think I've read they are fully funded. We'll see if they get there.

"Fully funded" = being allowed to discount up to 36 full scholarships.

[Ram040506]

Ashland at IUP in 2023 and 2025; IUP at Ashland 2024 and 2026.

https://iupathletics.com/news/2022/2...g-in-2023.aspx

If both teams perform to expectations, could be a rematch in November/December. Ashland is set up to be the big dog in Region 1, facilities are top notch and I think I've read they are fully funded. We'll see if they get there.

[ctrabs74]

That's good news. I haven't read the release - I assume 2 home, 2 away? Just need to lock up a 22 OOC game.

Ashland at IUP in 2023 and 2025; IUP at Ashland 2024 and 2026.

https://iupathletics.com/news/2022/2...g-in-2023.aspx

[EyeoftheHawk]

I can still see the walk-off winning FG from 48 yards in the '17 opener. That was quite a moment.

That would have been good from 56.

That whole game was a great atmosphere. It was at night. Just sayin'

One of the best memories in recent years. IUP looked bad at the start of that one but somehow found a way. The odd thing was the kid struggled to make kicks after that. Kickers are a strange lot.