It really wasn't that long ago, 2005-2008, that Mike Reilly tore up the GNAC and D2 football as CWU's QB. While as a WOU football fan, I knew he would light up the Wolves, he was a delight to watch from a pure football perspective. His elusiveness in the pocket and his ability to throw on the run were remarkable.
CWU, in turn, welcomed some big time transfers from I believe places like USC and Miami, and had some linebackers who frankly would've started at WSU at that time. I recall one game where they lost at Missoula by perhaps 2 or 3, a missed or made FG in the final minute was the decider. This wasn't Idaho State, but UM in Missoula, in front of 25K. CWU was a juggernaut, perhaps if memory serves right only a blocked PAT kept them from a championship game berth (I think that was one year after Reilly had graduated).
I'd thought the GNAC was on its way. WOU was slowly building a few things like new locker rooms and coaches offices and had a stable coaching staff. Azusa was high quality and so was Humboldt and Simon Fraser. The future looked good to me, or at least promising. Just a decade and a couple years later the GNAC has 3 teams, there are no Mike Reilly's or D1 type LB's. More teams have dropped football than joined the GNAC. While we follow the transfers out of the GNAC at far-flung schools, I like to remember Mike Reilly and what was and what could've been for the GNAC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michae..._(quarterback)
CWU, in turn, welcomed some big time transfers from I believe places like USC and Miami, and had some linebackers who frankly would've started at WSU at that time. I recall one game where they lost at Missoula by perhaps 2 or 3, a missed or made FG in the final minute was the decider. This wasn't Idaho State, but UM in Missoula, in front of 25K. CWU was a juggernaut, perhaps if memory serves right only a blocked PAT kept them from a championship game berth (I think that was one year after Reilly had graduated).
I'd thought the GNAC was on its way. WOU was slowly building a few things like new locker rooms and coaches offices and had a stable coaching staff. Azusa was high quality and so was Humboldt and Simon Fraser. The future looked good to me, or at least promising. Just a decade and a couple years later the GNAC has 3 teams, there are no Mike Reilly's or D1 type LB's. More teams have dropped football than joined the GNAC. While we follow the transfers out of the GNAC at far-flung schools, I like to remember Mike Reilly and what was and what could've been for the GNAC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michae..._(quarterback)
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