Nebraska Kearney at Western Colorado

[Wrecked Again]

Nice Drive to open the second half! 10-10

[Wrecked Again]

Go look at Colorado Mines around that '04 group. I think they were a surprise in every way. But, since then they have been perhaps the most consistent performer in the RMAC.

To be clear, before then they were also among the most consistent performers, except on the bottom end of the spectrum.

After the '04 football run, they essentially decided to fully fund 4 sports (football, volleyball both basketballs). If you look at those 4 programs since then, great and consistent results, in the conference and nationally. That has then allowed them to expand that funding to other sports and achieve similar success (both soccers, both cross country / tracks teams, etc.). Mines got "lucky" with that '04 football run, winning the conference, making the PO's, winning the Harlon Hill. But, they used that as a reason to fund football and other sports. The funding has allowed for the ongoing success of the entire athletic department.

Looking at that model, from within the conference, from a perpetual bottom feeder is to fully fund, even if only to a limited portion of the athletic departments budgets. That includes not only scholarships, but coaching and recruiting budgets too. Otherwise, any lucky hire of a great coach who can move the needle is just temporary as they move on to a place where they can get the budget. But based on this years results, I don't think FLC has lucked on to a great hire just yet.

Mines didn't seem to care much about football for many years, 2004 was really the first time that Mines had won the RMAC since 1958. I think the success they had really helped push the RMAC into a more competitive position. Danny Woodhead at Chadron was also an added bonus. Additionally, CSU-P's decision to bring football back has also really made the entire conference better. Obviously a down year for them, but it seems the RMAC has improved a lot in the last 15 years. I am pulling for the Mountaineers today and I hope they can match up well against Kearney. The more success the RMAC has in the playoffs the better off the whole conference will be.

I also admit I miss the Lopers and their fans, there used to be a guy who posted on here as Ritchie Ross' Brother, he was a little off kilter but absolutely hilarious and entertaining.

[gr8ness97]

[loper legionnaire]

I don't. Those were the only numbers reported in an article by the university earlier this year. I would have to think it was lower than the 2012 number. And you're right, conference imposed scholarship limits probably did create a little more parity or at least keep the bottom tier teams from being horribly overmatched. But without those limits, the underfunded teams like Fort Lewis or Lincoln in the MIAA just get destroyed by pretty much everyone.

[twolfbenchwarmer]

Good call. Increasing scholarships makes a big difference, especially in terms of quality depth. If you look at UNK transitioning from the RMAC to the MIAA, it's no surprise they took their lumps for a while but are now more consistently competitive. It's happened as their scholarship numbers increased. And, sure, Coach Lynn and TJ Davis have made a major difference as well. But the overall number of good players UNK has is higher than it's been in a long time, which has put the program in a good spot moving forward.

Loper Football Scholarship History
2020 (34.00)
2019 (33.00)
2018 (33.00)
2017 (32.16)
2016 (29.60)
2015 (25.72)
2014 (23.00)
2013 (24.26)
2012 (20.77)

[Predatory Primates]

UNK run defense isn't great. If you can get the run going, you have a shot. Their offense lives and dies with Davis. They also run a run dominated spread option and not a traditional triple option with the qb under center. Same defensive concept to stop them though. Stay at home, stretch them out, and don't cheat to stop the run or they'll cut your head off over the top.

It's really fun to watch Davis run that offense, too. They are also pretty good up front on both sides.

[d2-football-fan]

What comes first, financial support or success for a school? For instance Fort Lewis?

Go look at Colorado Mines around that '04 group. I think they were a surprise in every way. But, since then they have been perhaps the most consistent performer in the RMAC.

To be clear, before then they were also among the most consistent performers, except on the bottom end of the spectrum.

After the '04 football run, they essentially decided to fully fund 4 sports (football, volleyball both basketballs). If you look at those 4 programs since then, great and consistent results, in the conference and nationally. That has then allowed them to expand that funding to other sports and achieve similar success (both soccers, both cross country / tracks teams, etc.). Mines got "lucky" with that '04 football run, winning the conference, making the PO's, winning the Harlon Hill. But, they used that as a reason to fund football and other sports. The funding has allowed for the ongoing success of the entire athletic department.

Looking at that model, from within the conference, from a perpetual bottom feeder is to fully fund, even if only to a limited portion of the athletic departments budgets. That includes not only scholarships, but coaching and recruiting budgets too. Otherwise, any lucky hire of a great coach who can move the needle is just temporary as they move on to a place where they can get the budget. But based on this years results, I don't think FLC has lucked on to a great hire just yet.

[Turbonium]

What comes first, financial support or success for a school? For instance Fort Lewis?

I have no idea what the situation at Fort Lewis is so no idea, there is no blanket answer to your question. Did UNK have success during the above years where their scholarships increased? If my memory serves me correctly that answer is no, not really.

If schools won't or can't provide the resources needed to at least field a somewhat competitive team the answer isn't to try and run the option and think things are going to magically improve, it's to drop the program.

[mountaineermagic]

Maybe. It would be better if they all just found financial support to get to the scholarship limit.

What comes first, financial support or success for a school? For instance Fort Lewis?

[loper legionnaire]

Maybe. It would be better if they all just found financial support to get to the scholarship limit.

Good call. Increasing scholarships makes a big difference, especially in terms of quality depth. If you look at UNK transitioning from the RMAC to the MIAA, it's no surprise they took their lumps for a while but are now more consistently competitive. It's happened as their scholarship numbers increased. And, sure, Coach Lynn and TJ Davis have made a major difference as well. But the overall number of good players UNK has is higher than it's been in a long time, which has put the program in a good spot moving forward.

Loper Football Scholarship History
2020 (34.00)
2019 (33.00)
2018 (33.00)
2017 (32.16)
2016 (29.60)
2015 (25.72)
2014 (23.00)
2013 (24.26)
2012 (20.77)

[Turbonium]

A silver lining of playing UNK is that if the Lopers have success, hopefully RMAC schools adopt spread option packages.

Maybe. It would be better if they all just found financial support to get to the scholarship limit.

[mountaineermagic]

A silver lining of playing UNK is that if the Lopers have success, hopefully RMAC schools adopt spread option packages.

[loper legionnaire]

The Lopers got some work in on a grass field today in preparation for the game.

https://twitter.com/UNKearney/status...VkqRiMRQw&s=19

[Turbonium]

Gotcha, appreciate the info, looking forward to watching them play. I can't imagine Western is as good or better than the majority of MIAA teams upfront, they might be able to use this success to get there going forward but don't see it yet.

Widefield has produced some really solid players.

[Devin Albertson]

Pretty much the exact opposite, the RMAC has become much more of a spread offense conference over the years as they mimic what is having success at other levels of football. I wasn't really all that impressed with a single offense in the conference this year, Mines was even rather lackluster which was surprising. UNK will bring something that Western will not have seen at all.

To really attack and beat the option you need physicality up front to take the fullback away, and then have a lot of lateral speed to stretch the play out. Of course you need to play assignment football but if you're losing your one on one battles assignments matter very little.

Back in my days of following Air Force the teams that really were able to do these things made their offense look rather silly. I don't see UNK being made to look silly and I don't think the game is close enough in the 4th for the elevation to matter.