Thoughts on RR SR1 after 5 weeks

[Fightingscot82]

Expansion talk is premature. While the 4,500 for IUP is great to see, they've averaged just 1,500 the next two home games. IUP isn't THAT much of a draw beyond Cal and Millersville.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Expansion talk is premature. While the 4,500 for IUP is great to see, they've averaged just 1,500 the next two home games. IUP isn't THAT much of a draw beyond Cal and Millersville.

I think in theory the IUP visit was supposed to be the coming out party. They moved the game to an evening kickoff. Home openers typically draw well. It was extremely hyped on their social media. It was a beautiful forecast. Community Night. IUP also travelled well, which helped.

Tort just spoiled the party.

[iupgroundhog]

Expansion talk is premature. While the 4,500 for IUP is great to see, they've averaged just 1,500 the next two home games. IUP isn't THAT much of a draw beyond Cal and Millersville.

I agree.

[Fightingscot82]

I think in theory the IUP visit was supposed to be the coming out party. They moved the game to an evening kickoff. Home openers typically draw well. It was extremely hyped on their social media. It was a beautiful forecast. Community Night. IUP also travelled well, which helped.

Tort just spoiled the party.

I'd argue that the refs spoiled the party ;)

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I'd argue that the refs spoiled the party ;)

I don't think the refs were the ones headhunting.

[Ram040506]

[/QUOTE]Inkblot has a nice site that organizes/sums up the SOS for the whole region- https://inkblotsports.com/d2stats/2425/mfb/sr1.html

Current standings using Inkblot's data:

1. Slippery Rock 4-0
2. Kutztown 4-0
3. IUP 4-0
4. Charleston 4-0
5. New Haven 3-1
6. Findlay 4-0
7. Thomas Moore 3-1
8. Shepherd 3-1
9. Bentley 3-1
10. Northwood 3-1
11. California 3-1
12. West Virginia State 3-1

Frostburg is at 13, their SOS is pretty poor thus far. [/QUOTE]

Going off of Inkblot's rankings (https://inkblotsports.com/d2stats/2425/mfb/sr1.html)

1. Slippery Rock 5-0
2. Kutztown 5-0
3. Charleston 5-0
4. New Haven 4-1
5. Findlay 5-0
6. IUP 4-1
7. West Virginia State 4-1
8. Bentley 4-1
9. Shepherd 4-1
10.California PA 4-1
11. Assumption 3-1
12. East Stroudsburg 4-1

*Frostburg is 5-0 (4-0 for D2) and still at #13. Low SOS # to blame thus far. Ashland is highest ranked 2 loss team at #14, and looks to control their own destiny for the playoffs if they win out.

Big games this week include:

Ashland @ Findlay East Stroudsburg @ Bloomsburg
Bentley @ Assumption

[Ram040506]

I don't take too much away from Lock Haven's subpar performance against Millersville.

The Mauraders' visit was the sandwich game in between IUP/Cal and Shepherd/Kutztown -- a brutal 5-week stretch for the Bald Eagles. Millersville was naturally going to be the let-down game. Not to mention they were likely beat up after playing IUP/Cal back-to-back - and losing both in heartbreaking fashion by a combined 10 points. Those were both extremely physical, high-emotion games.

The thing with Lock Haven is it doesn't go away. Credit to the staff. That team keeps coming even when you think they will just start to fade. They've struggled running the ball with their committee. Their OL is fairly suspect. IUP and Cal were in the backfield all night. The QB is an escape artist and can make some big throws on the run. They live on the splash plays. They have some dogs on defense but will have some lapses. They play (at times overly) aggressive, make a lot of dump penalties, talk nonstop -- and, without question, it will be a chippy game.

They are a good team and they've been very close twice. It's coming ... you just don't want to be the coming out party.

That said, we'll see how they do against a big team on the road. They had some really good crowds behind them at Hubert Jack in the losses, which no doubt helped in the comebacks. Everything changes on the road (for most teams).

Spot on from last week. Rams were up 31-3 at half and LH fought back to make it one score at 38-31 late in the 4th. Sign of a healthy program for sure. Their line play ultimately is probably what will separate them from the top 5/6 in the conference.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Spot on from last week. Rams were up 31-3 at half and LH fought back to make it one score at 38-31 late in the 4th. Sign of a healthy program for sure. Their line play ultimately is probably what will separate them from the top 5/6 in the conference.

They need to punt the run game. It's just not there. They are routinely in 3rd-and-9, etc. They make these comebacks when they just go full air-raid and get the QB throwing on the run.

That said, their running game may look a little better down the road. Their schedule has been brutal but lightens up a bit after this week (aside from the trip to ESU). Playing IUP, Cal, Shepherd and Kutztown in a 5-week span is insane.

I don't follow them overly closely but I do wonder if they've had some injury issues on defense -- in particular up front.

They are 2-3 now. They got a little lucky against Millersville. But, three single-digit losses to IUP, Cal and Shepherd.

Looking at their remaining schedule:

at Kutztown ------> likely a loss
Bloomsburg -----------> should be a good one but winnable
at ESU ---------------> likely a loss
at WCU ------------------> winnable / should win
Shippensburg ---------------> should win
at Gannon ------------> should win


They have to be looking to go 4-2 down the stretch. A winning season is attainable. Their SOS after this week should be incredible (even with the Millersville anchor).

[Ship69]

He'll be long gone before they could put in some more bleachers. They announced about 4,500 at the IUP game. As you said the bleacher is fairly small. They had people around the fences, up above standing behind the bleachers and then also seated on the grass behind the one end zone (on the walking path back down to civilization).

The locals were geared up the night of the IUP visit. For a D2 game it was an energetic bunch. And, 4,500 at Lock Haven ... compared to what they are used to ... probably felt like 20,000.

Our crowds, league-wide, pretty much suck so it doesn't take much noise to make an impact.

The increasing gap between the haves and have-nots at most levels of college football can drive down crowds. There are only so many times you can watch your team get beat by 30 points before it ceases to be fun. About a half-dozen of the 15 teams in the PSAC stand any realistic chance of winning their division, and the PSAC is actually deeper than some of the other conferences. And actually The Rock and Kutztown seem to be a cut above the rest so far this season. IUP could be there if they ever quit shooting themselves in the foot.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I'd guess if actual RR's came out this week, SRU would be No. 1 in the Region.

I realize most think it's Kutztown via the eye test and the past couple years, but those aren't actual factors in the formula.

SRU has wins against New Haven, Shepherd and IUP. I would guess that would bump them over KU.

Obviously, it doesn't really matter as they are going to settle it on the field (highly likely) in the State Game.

SRU still has Cal, but the Vulcans seem to have some mental block against them every year. I don't see Cal beating them. SRU also has the head-to-head against IUP, so they'd have to lose twice (in theory). Highly unlikely.

Pending no upsets, IUP's trip to Adamson in a couple weeks could essentially be a playoff game. Same with Shepherd/ESU.

[Inkblot]

Top 4 right now would almost certainly be Slippery Rock–Kutztown–Charleston–New Haven in that order. After that it's less clear, but I'd guess IUP fifth.

[TDBoi8136]

If we get another KU vs SRU championship game, I'll lose it. I don't want KU to play The Rock every year to determine their postseason fate lol.

[IUPNation]

If we get another KU vs SRU championship game, I'll lose it. I don't want KU to play The Rock every year to determine their postseason fate lol.

I wouldn't sweat it.

The Fighting Amish are the clear class of the conference so far....

[IUPbigINDIANS]

If we get another KU vs SRU championship game, I'll lose it. I don't want KU to play The Rock every year to determine their postseason fate lol.

Slippery Rock has to play at California. The Rock has really had their number of late (6 straight wins) but ... some crazy stuff happens down in the Viet Mon Valley. IUP lost by a point but exposed some flaws in that SRU defense. We'll see what Gary Dunn and the Vulcans can do. Other than that, SRU will hammer every team left on their schedule.

Cal has to host SRU and IUP back to back. They'll get to see how fun that experience is. Cal's only played one team so far with a winning record (and lost). We'll see how it works out soon enough.

[IUPNation]

Slippery Rock has to play at California. The Rock has really had their number of late (6 straight wins) but ... some crazy stuff happens down in the Viet Mon Valley. IUP lost by a point but exposed some flaws in that SRU defense. We'll see what Gary Dunn and the Vulcans can do. Other than that, SRU will hammer every team left on their schedule.

Cal has to host SRU and IUP back to back. They'll get to see how fun that experience is. Cal's only played one team so far with a winning record (and lost). We'll see how it works out soon enough.

You know that is how the Home Office should schedule these three..which ever of those two get IUP and the other school at home has to play them back to back since they are home games. That takes that burden off IUP.