THE IUP Football Thread

[Ram040506]

As stated in my original post, “it doesn’t matter.” He obviously just looked at the programs that have been the most consistent as of late and made some very loose predictions.

He mentioned 21 teams and IUP wasn’t one of them. My point is there was a time when no list of top 21 D2 football programs was written about, whether it be January or October, that IUP wasn’t on. Another historically proud program, Shepherd, is also nowhere to be found. I think a tough question for IUP fans, and maybe also Shepherd fans is, would you be more optimistic as a Kutztown, Slippery Rock, or Cal fan over the next five years?

I'll have to see another sub par year for the Rams to start worrying. Kutztown and Rock are rolling though, Cal is coming off a strong year, but I wouldn't say it's been a string of consistency. As long as Clements is at Kutztown, I'd be pretty optimistic. Same with Lutz at Rock. Great coaches who seem to be on a roll with recruiting.

[EyeoftheHawk]

I'll have to see another sub par year for the Rams to start worrying. Kutztown and Rock are rolling though, Cal is coming off a strong year, but I wouldn't say it's been a string of consistency. As long as Clements is at Kutztown, I'd be pretty optimistic. Same with Lutz at Rock. Great coaches who seem to be on a roll with recruiting.

I can’t imagine your team being down for long. Even though most have gone your way, we miss the big IUP vs Shepherd games.

[IUP24]

I'll have to see another sub par year for the Rams to start worrying. Kutztown and Rock are rolling though, Cal is coming off a strong year, but I wouldn't say it's been a string of consistency. As long as Clements is at Kutztown, I'd be pretty optimistic. Same with Lutz at Rock. Great coaches who seem to be on a roll with recruiting.

I remember a decade ago people predicting Cal's demise to be an afterthought and a bottom feeder. That never happened. I agree it hasn't been a string of consistency, but they've had some nice years when many people left that program for dead after Armenti was canned and after the whole Penn West thing.

[IUPalum]

I saw that as well. Basketball in particular seems to have giant swings in the polls and because of the number of games they play there’s almost always several teams that eventually find their way to #1 at some point, not to mention the ones that drop in and out of the top 25.

In D2 baseball, Cavadi had IUP a pre-season #7, but they’re off to a lovely 1-4 start. There’s a long way to go and northern teams typically start slow, but last season may have been a mirage.

Go back and look at how last years team started.

[EyeoftheHawk]

Go back and look at how last years team started.

The college baseball season is so long it mostly only matters how you’re playing come playoff time. You just need to get in as we saw from IUP last year. Slow starts for northern teams aren’t uncommon. At least IUP has the turf infield now and can get outside some. In my playing days that wasn’t an option and the field was behind the football stadium. There wasn’t even a turf football field to get reps on then. We spent the vast majority of practice time in Zink where it was hot as hell and the lighting sucked.

[Ram040506]

I remember a decade ago people predicting Cal's demise to be an afterthought and a bottom feeder. That never happened. I agree it hasn't been a string of consistency, but they've had some nice years when many people left that program for dead after Armenti was canned and after the whole Penn West thing.

Consistency was a bad choice of words, because they've been consistently good with Coach Dunn. He's 66-24 in 8 full seasons, which comes out to roughly 8-3 year to year. Even in their off year's, like in 2022 when they went 6-5, they choked a game with Shepherd (region champs), had that crazy penalty ending the game against IUP where they lost by 1 point (IUP was PSAC champs). They are always a tough out.

Back to the original question about optimism amongst the top teams, I think Slippery Rock is in great shape followed by IUP and then Cal (For the West). I still think year to year IUP's ceiling is just a touch higher than Cal's. In the East, Kutztown is a healthy step in front of Shepherd. You could make the argument that ESU should be ahead of Shepherd, I'm not quite there yet, but they have been very steady in their climb going 9-3 and 10-2 the last couple seasons. I was looking through West Chester's recruiting class, they have a bunch of big fellas coming in and the more I read about their coach, perhaps a change in leadership is what they needed in their program too. Coach Greco has a great track record of success as well. I think they are going to be heard from this season.

[Fightingscot82]

I remember a decade ago people predicting Cal's demise to be an afterthought and a bottom feeder. That never happened. I agree it hasn't been a string of consistency, but they've had some nice years when many people left that program for dead after Armenti was canned and after the whole Penn West thing.

There were a lot of unknowns with Cal. When Luckhardt retired and Kellar left, there were a lot of unknowns. Gary Dunn is a great coach with a strong staff so he's been able to weather the storm of uncertainty at Coal Center University.

[IUPalum]

The college baseball season is so long it mostly only matters how you’re playing come playoff time. You just need to get in as we saw from IUP last year. Slow starts for northern teams aren’t uncommon. At least IUP has the turf infield now and can get outside some. In my playing days that wasn’t an option and the field was behind the football stadium. There wasn’t even a turf football field to get reps on then. We spent the vast majority of practice time in Zink where it was hot as hell and the lighting sucked.

Exactly my point!

[iupgroundhog]

I read the IG article this morning about Frank Cignetti, Jr. returning. The article noted the offensive returnees and I did not see Massey's name. Is he not back?

[EyeoftheHawk]

I read the IG article this morning about Frank Cignetti, Jr. returning. The article noted the offensive returnees and I did not see Massey's name. Is he not back?

Massey was listed in the article. You may have just missed it.

[iupgroundhog]

Massey was listed in the article. You may have just missed it.

Ok, I see it now. That's a relief.

[iupgroundhog]

When does Spring practice begin?

[iupgroundhog]

Holy crap! Now last year's baseball season "may have been a mirage." You are an eternal pessimist.

Ok, so I might have to eat my words. I see IUP is now 2-9 on the young season and just got swept in a 3 game series against Shepherd, without scoring a run.

Or, maybe not. Is this point of the season like Spring training? IUP has 40 players on the roster and it looks like they are all getting onto the field. I see a lot of familiar names on the roster but a lot of new ones and transfers.

It will be interesting to see the results against Bloomsburg coming up.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Ok, so I might have to eat my words. I see IUP is now 2-9 on the young season and just got swept in a 3 game series against Shepherd, without scoring a run.

Or, maybe not. Is this point of the season like Spring training? IUP has 40 players on the roster and it looks like they are all getting onto the field. I see a lot of familiar names on the roster but a lot of new ones and transfers.

It will be interesting to see the results against Bloomsburg coming up.

The arms are getting lit up like pinatas.

[Ram040506]

Ok, so I might have to eat my words. I see IUP is now 2-9 on the young season and just got swept in a 3 game series against Shepherd, without scoring a run.

Or, maybe not. Is this point of the season like Spring training? IUP has 40 players on the roster and it looks like they are all getting onto the field. I see a lot of familiar names on the roster but a lot of new ones and transfers.

It will be interesting to see the results against Bloomsburg coming up.

It was actually a 4 game series sweep for the Rams. But you did score 2 in the first game.