Honestly I don't know a ton. I only watched a practice a couple weeks ago. I would imagine that both returning qbs get reps at SFA. #4 Desche was taking first team reps. They have a true freshman QB from George Washington HS in Denver that provides a running threat on zone-reads. Not sure if he'll play.
They return their leading rusher Leyba. He's shifty. Hides behind the line well on screens and draws. Didn't see Cummings from Fairbanks practice. He's still on the roster though. I think the biggest question mark will be the receiving unit.
The o-line looked solid. I'm not sure the number of returnees or names. But they seem big opposed to previous seasons.
The 3-4 D of DC Auer looked solid. He's pretty well respected in the conference and gets a lot out of his guys.
Special teams has always been a point of pride for coach Baines, so they should be decent.
If it had been a conventional fall I think Western would have been picked between 3 and 5 in the standings.
Sorry it's not that in-depth of a report. Excited to see how they look Saturday. Hopeful to be able to watch them in person next week in GJ, but ticket sales look like they've been frozen with the jump in cases in Mesa County.
Honestly I don't know a ton. I only watched a practice a couple weeks ago. I would imagine that both returning qbs get reps at SFA. #4 Desche was taking first team reps. They have a true freshman QB from George Washington HS in Denver that provides a running threat on zone-reads. Not sure if he'll play.
They return their leading rusher Leyba. He's shifty. Hides behind the line well on screens and draws. Didn't see Cummings from Fairbanks practice. He's still on the roster though. I think the biggest question mark will be the receiving unit.
The o-line looked solid. I'm not sure the number of returnees or names. But they seem big opposed to previous seasons.
The 3-4 D of DC Auer looked solid. He's pretty well respected in the conference and gets a lot out of his guys.
Special teams has always been a point of pride for coach Baines, so they should be decent.
If it had been a conventional fall I think Western would have been picked between 3 and 5 in the standings.
Sorry it's not that in-depth of a report. Excited to see how they look Saturday. Hopeful to be able to watch them in person next week in GJ, but ticket sales look like they've been frozen with the jump in cases in Mesa County.
Just a quick glance at the roster & last year's starters: they have 6 guys back who got significant starts on OL last year. Boyd, Gaster, Sexton, Berrier, Orrino, and Martin. Only Berrier is listed without a jersey number so I don't know if he's opting out, hurt, or what. They haven't given his number away and he's still on the roster so that suggests he'd be back at some point. They should be improved up front, but they need a lot of improvement there to beat Mesa. They're obviously going to lean heavily on the run again, but Mesa's only allowing running backs 2.3 ypc out of the backfield.
Mesa started a new QB. No injury, they just benched Howard for a true freshman. Mines' strength on D is up front and they sacked him four times, forced a fumble and got two picks. Mines QB was out with COVID I heard, but the guy who got the start was their starter to begin the 2019 season. He managed an efficient performance and only turned it over once. Both teams played great D, so maybe that's where Western has a shot.
Sounds to me like WC is pretty set at WR, personnel-wise. Just need one or two to develop some chemistry with the QB, who's basically still a first year starter in terms of live game reps. To me, that & the rebuilt D line will be the things you really want to see click this Saturday.
Honestly don't see any benefit in even scheduling this type of game, can't imagine there's a big pay out from SFA. Looks like they were kind enough to very much take the foot off the gas in the 2nd half at least.
I have no idea what the payout was. Probably the salary of a coordinator. The silver lining is they have tape to go off and experience against a school that would beat anybody in the RMAC 9 out of 10 games even Mines and Pueblo. Hopefully they were able to avoid the injury bug and can give Mesa a game.
I have no idea what the payout was. Probably the salary of a coordinator. The silver lining is they have tape to go off and experience against a school that would beat anybody in the RMAC 9 out of 10 games even Mines and Pueblo. Hopefully they were able to avoid the injury bug and can give Mesa a game.
Beat? Perhaps. 58-0 at half? Not close. All we know for sure is Pueblo was able to go play a better team in the same conference and dismantle them. There's simply nothing to gain from watching that film though. Hope the trip there was fun so something positive can be had from it. I know it's a strange year but that's just not worth putting your players through. Western knows (or should know) who they are, and it's not a team that you throw into that debacle. At least they got to be on ESPN+ though.
Joined the game at the end of the 1st qtr on ESPN+. About what I expected. Watched to about halftime. FCS schools are afraid to play Pueblo after we destroyed Sam Houston State! They are not afraid to play schools like Western Colorado! Would love to see Colorado Mines play a FCS School!
[QUOTE=Packfootball;n541655] FCS schools are afraid to play Pueblo after we destroyed Sam Houston State! They are not afraid to play schools like Western Colorado!
That's six years ago. Either the fundraising is extraordinary to avoid FCS schools or a slush fund is around from old people. Enjoy your success while it lasts.
That's six years ago. Either the fundraising is extraordinary to avoid FCS schools or a slush fund is around from old people. Enjoy your success while it lasts.
FCS payouts are typically very minimal so not sure what your point is. You yourself said it might be the salary of an assistant coach, I would be surprised if it was much more than helping out with travel costs this year. The majority of D2 schools never schedule an FCS game at all, they all manager to survive, many of them at the fully funded scholarship level. Look at all of the conferences that play a full conference schedule and have no OOC games.
So, which is it? Barely enough to cover the salary of an assistant or a needed game for a program to survive?
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