UNCP Football

[Eagle74]

Looking at that first game next season with WSSU at UNCP, my ole Braves bud said they they're going to be pretty good this coming year because almost everyone's coming back. Didn't think much about it at the time, figured it was pride talking, but then I checked. Surprisingly, UNCP's top 4 rushers, top 5 receivers, and both of their starting and backup QBs are all coming back, add in a D2 All American Kicker, their whole O-Line, along with most of their starting defense players returning, and he may have a legitimate reason to be pretty optimistic about 2019.

[LegalRam]

Re: UNCP Football

Looking at that first game next season with WSSU at UNCP, my ole Braves bud said they they're going to be pretty good this coming year because almost everyone's coming back. Didn't think much about it at the time, figured it was pride talking, but then I checked. Surprisingly, UNCP's top 4 rushers, top 5 receivers, and both of their starting and backup QBs are all coming back, add in a D2 All American Kicker, their whole O-Line, along with most of their starting defense players returning, and he may have a legitimate reason to be pretty optimistic about 2019.

I am hearing that the backup transferred to Cal. If that's the case then that's three years in a row that UNCP has lost a starting QB or backup that saw significant time.

[Eagle74]

Re: UNCP Football

I am hearing that the backup transferred to Cal. If that's the case then that's three years in a row that UNCP has lost a starting QB or backup that saw significant time.

Probably a smart move on his part with the amount of talent UNCP now has at QB on it's roster.

I hear that he's a very good QB and hopefully he will see a lot of playing time at Cal.

[LegalRam]

Re: UNCP Football

Probably a smart move on his part with the amount of talent UNCP now has at QB on it's roster.

I hear that he's a very good QB and hopefully he will see a lot of playing time at Cal.

I don't know how good his chances are at Cal. They return a kid who started as a freshman and threw for over 2,700 yards. If playing time was his concern I can think of a lot of other programs in NC and SC that he could have a good chance to compete for the starting job. Could have also considered going to Barton or Erskine to be the starter when those programs kick things off next season. Best of luck to him.

[ShoNuff]

Maybe I am looking at the wrong thread, but it appears that most of the convo from this thread did not transferred over during the site upgrade. A few of us disagreed with your "Braves bud" regarding his optimistic feelings for UNCP football this past fall. In fact, a couple of poster predicted 4-5 wins at best, considering they were a very young team. I hope he wasn't disappointed with their play this year.

[Eagle74]

Maybe I am looking at the wrong thread, but it appears that most of the convo from this thread did not transferred over during the site upgrade. A few of us disagreed with your "Braves bud" regarding his optimistic feelings for UNCP football this past fall. In fact, a couple of poster predicted 4-5 wins at best, considering they were a very young team. I hope he wasn't disappointed with their play this year.

Yea, I talked with him recently and he said that several things impacted the prospects of more success this past season, but he's very optimistic about the upcoming season as a Football Associate Member of the MEC. He said that the recruiting has been going very well, and the team (and prospects) are all excited about the upcoming scheduling of teams in Maryland, Ohio, & West Virginia.

[Dirty Harry]

Yea, I talked with him recently and he said that several things impacted the prospects of more success this past season, but he's very optimistic about the upcoming season as a Football Associate Member of the MEC. He said that the recruiting has been going very well, and the team (and prospects) are all excited about the upcoming scheduling of teams in Maryland, Ohio, & West Virginia.

The MEC is an easier schedule. Traveling further for the wins I guess. Being excited to travel to West Virginia and Maryland just means that you don't get out very much.

[Eagle74]

The MEC is an easier schedule. Traveling further for the wins I guess. Being excited to travel to West Virginia and Maryland just means that you don't get out very much.

As a former player, I know that my teammates and I really enjoyed traveling to away games that weren't in our own backyard. I've been to Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland, and liked those areas quite a bit. Tell me what areas that would excite you about going to.

I wish the Braves the best with their new conference affiliation. Also, speaking of conferences, you should know what they say about throwing rocks in a glass house;)

[Dirty Harry]

The SAC is a better conference overall. Uva-Wise got an education this year. So, I prefer to travel to the SAC and Gulf South Conference areas and schools. Pembroke should have very good success in that conference. Just better players in North Carolina than West Virginia and Maryland. BTW, the house is made of brick. LOL

[Eagle74]

The SAC is a better conference overall. Uva-Wise got an education this year. So, I prefer to travel to the SAC and Gulf South Conference areas and schools. Pembroke should have very good success in that conference. Just better players in North Carolina than West Virginia and Maryland. BTW, the house is made of brick. LOL

Not the best year to be puffing your chest out and bragging about the conference, the SAC finished the season with only 3 football teams with winning records, 6 finished with losing records below 50% (not to good). 2 of the 3 winning teams lost their head coach, so the prospects of continued success in the future is quite unsure right now. This is especially true since the Eagles have yet to name a successor coach, and LR sill has players defecting to other programs.

On a side note, this year, there really wasn't much difference between VA-Wise, Catawba, and Limestone, and the three above them weren't particular all that much better.

Also, when comparing football talent from states, I noticed that you left out Ohio (Home state of this year's Heisman Winner) as part of the mix.

Let's hope for a better year this coming season.

[Chuck Bitner]

I had a conversation with UNCP head coach Shane Richardson at the LR v. West Florida game. In my words, he's cautiously optimistic about 2020. He likes the roster he has coming back, but there are a lot of unknowns entering the Mountain East. I feel pretty strongly that they can compete in that league but its not easy to prepare for a new opponent every week. UVa-Wise found that out this past season.

[Ursidae]

How ironic that I find this post in the SAC thread since I just finished chatting football with an influential, powerful and well heeled UNCP alumnus. He does not boast. He shoots straight from the hip and is a donor to the football program as well as the academic side. He was one of the alums mentioned earlier urging Coach Shane to move along. He says that after 3 straight seasons of poor football the Braves needed to change directions. He felt like he and other like minded alums were not able to make their case because of disinterest by administrators who don't know how football coaching works and are afraid to shake the tree. He thinks this nonsense of moving to a weak conference with long, long bus rides makes about as much sense as trying to nail Jello to a tree.

[Eagle74]

Not the feedback I've received at all from the UNCP folks I've talked to who include both Braves Boo$ter$ and Alumni. They all said they're excited (as are the players) about competing for a conference title in the MEC. I wish them the best.

[Chuck Bitner]

If they were leaving an existing football conference for the MEC I'd say its a mistake, but they need to be in a conference. UNCP was the last remaining independent in D2 and that is a very difficfult existence. Scheduling will only become harder in the future. The scheduling alliance with the SAC was a good arrangement but it left them vulnerable and membership will be at 10 teams in a few years when Anderson comes along, leaving just two open dates for teams to fill. That is a lot less flexibility for UNCP to fill out a schedule. Logistically it would be have been better for them to be in the SAC or CIAA but since neither worked out, the MEC became viable option and even though they will have some long bus rides to away games, its good for their program to have the stability of conference membership.