I-A vs I-AA Leads to More Injuries?

[TexasTerror]

Is there any proof to I-A vs I-AA games leading to more injuries for I-AA players? Seems like I've had to combat the thought quite a few times on one particular board to no avail. Then again, said school does not have a football team and have not since football was dropped in the mid-80s...

In fact, SHSU got more players injured (and out for longer periods of time, i.e the season) in the game against Div II Arkansas-Monticello than we did in a game against SMU, a I-A school. What's that tell you?

Any truth to this or is it just flub that comes up each time a I-AA plays an I-A? :read:

[timmy]

Is there any proof to I-A vs I-AA games leading to more injuries for I-AA players? Seems like I've had to combat the thought quite a few times on one particular board to no avail. Then again, said school does not have a football team and have not since football was dropped in the mid-80s...

In fact, SHSU got more players injured (and out for longer periods of time, i.e the season) in the game against Div II Arkansas-Monticello than we did in a game against SMU, a I-A school. What's that tell you?

Any truth to this or is it just flub that comes up each time a I-AA plays an I-A? :read:
I believe it depends on the style of team you play texasterror.

You play against Carson-Newman, a team dedicated to running and blocking way low on defenders, somebody is going to get hurt.

Play a IA team who is more finesse than power like Carson-Newman, say a team like Northwestern, than your post is true.

I also believe it is a myth.

[ravens]

I think there is probably some truth there. UNC banged up Furman pretty good last night, happens when you play the big boys. Cost of business to get the big check.xcoffeex

[Tribe4SF]

W&M plays a I-A every year, and has never had increased injuries in those games. We had none at MD this year.

[thirdgendin]

I think there is probably some truth there. UNC banged up Furman pretty good last night, happens when you play the big boys. Cost of business to get the big check.xcoffeex

It ended up that only one play, a freshman wide receiver, was hurt last night. He broke his leg.

[ravens]

It ended up that only one play, a freshman wide receiver, was hurt last night. He broke his leg.

Does he get a cut of the check?????:rolleyes:

[SoCon48]

Western Carolina ended the Alabama starting QB's season in the first half a few years ago.

[ravens]

Western Carolina ended the Alabama starting QB's season in the first half a few years ago.



True , but we know the Cats are the toughest IAA team .:hurray:

[McTailGator]

Is there any proof to I-A vs I-AA games leading to more injuries for I-AA players? Seems like I've had to combat the thought quite a few times on one particular board to no avail. Then again, said school does not have a football team and have not since football was dropped in the mid-80s...

In fact, SHSU got more players injured (and out for longer periods of time, i.e the season) in the game against Div II Arkansas-Monticello than we did in a game against SMU, a I-A school. What's that tell you?

Any truth to this or is it just flub that comes up each time a I-AA plays an I-A? :read:



South Florida lost 5 players in game one vs McNeese. One possibly for the year.

McNeese lost none...


I don't go for that common mis-statement. Our Kids or as big and as fast as their kids. They just have MORE kids.


In 2000, McNeese lost zero players to Miami. Miami lost 2 All-Americans in that game to us, which probably caused them to loose at the University of Washington the next week.

PLAYERS SPEND MORE TIME IN PRACTICE THAN THEY DO ON THE FIELD DURING GAMES. THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET HURT IN PRACTICE THAN IN ANY GAME.

[McNeese75]

in 2003 KSU lost their QB Robertson for a few games while playing the Pokes as well

[JALMOND]

Portland State lost its top two QB's early in the second quarter against Cal. The third string QB came in and actually had a great game. Smith, the first string should be OK (going to be reevaluated on Monday), but it looks like Holland (second string) will be done for the year.

All of the games that PSU has played against I-A and these are the first, what could be called major, injuries we have sustained in those I-A games. Pretty good track record, I believe. I think we would have the same type of result if we played I-AA or II those games. Injuries do happen. Its a fact of any level of football.

[McNeese72]

It's a myth.

I've seen some of the players of the I-A teams we've played go down but hardly any of ours.

Doc

[Ronbo]

Both QB's for Montana and Iowa missed their second games. Swogger is back and OK'd for Sac State and Drew Tate played yesterday against Iowa State.

An article today said Sawyer Smith for Portland State has torn ligaments in the hip.

[Mr. C]

It ended up that only one play, a freshman wide receiver, was hurt last night. He broke his leg.
Was it Webb?

[Ronald Sconyers]

Does he get a cut of the check?????:rolleyes:
Don't be such an @$$-hole.:nonono2:

The kid is a phenomenal talent and unfortunatley will have to take a medical redshirt this year. :bawling:
He broke his leg playing his heart out trying to win a game.

If you want to spread crap about I-AA programs, go to one of the I-A forums. I can guarantee you the big bruise on UNC's butt hurts alot more than Mim's leg this morning. :asswhip: We gave those boys the toughest game they've seen this year.

So, lay off the paycheck comments. xidiotx We went to their house to win, not to laydown for a paycheck.:nod:

[lassic]

physical injuries, i guess it depends on conditioning and luck but also

Pride is injured, your demoralized after a butt kicking.
And doesn't prepare you for conferece games, how do you know what you have.
Hurts your rankings, you have to win your conference to make playoffs because you may be in a 0-3,4 hole starting out.

[Bisonforlife]

Don't be such an @$$-hole.:nonono2:

The kid is a phenomenal talent and unfortunatley will have to take a medical redshirt this year. :bawling:
He broke his leg playing his heart out trying to win a game.

If you want to spread crap about I-AA programs, go to one of the I-A forums. I can guarantee you the big bruise on UNC's butt hurts alot more than Mim's leg this morning. :asswhip: We gave those boys the toughest game they've seen this year.

So, lay off the paycheck comments. xidiotx We went to their house to win, not to laydown for a paycheck.:nod:

Geeze take a chill pill dude -- That was obviously a joke:bang:

[NSUDemon98]

I think there is probably some truth there. UNC banged up Furman pretty good last night, happens when you play the big boys. Cost of business to get the big check.xcoffeex

No injuries from Kansas and Baylor, on back to back weekends... :nono:

[89Hen]

We had none at MD this year.
But Maryland did. :nod: :p

[Ronald Sconyers]

Geeze take a chill pill dude -- That was obviously a joke:bang:
Point taken. :p Sorry for the tounge lashing. I just get a little fired up. I had just gotten through having a pretty frustrating conversation :argue: with a Clemson fan xidiotx about Saturday's outcome, and your post just hit me wrong. Plus, I'm trying to cut back on the coffee...for obvious reasons. :splat:

Peace? :D

[McTailGator]

in 2003 KSU lost their QB Robertson for a few games while playing the Pokes as well


Oh yea, I forgot about that.

Losing Robertson cost them the next week vs Marshall.

[*****]

physical injuries, i guess it depends on conditioning and luck but also

Pride is injured, your demoralized after a butt kicking.
And doesn't prepare you for conferece games, how do you know what you have.
Hurts your rankings, you have to win your conference to make playoffs because you may be in a 0-3,4 hole starting out.Ah, don't worry about Indiana... xlolx

[MR. CHICKEN]

WE'VE DONE NAVY...SEVERALAH TIMES........ALBANY LEFT OURAH PLAYERS...IN MO' BODY BAGS!.......:(........BRAWK!

[Mr. C]

The only major injury I remember in App State's I-A excursions was when Jermane Little broke his leg last year at LSU (and that was more fluky than anything else, not a big hit). LSU's players were fortunate that they didn't get hurt on any of several big hits from ASU safety Jeremy Wiggins.

Watching a tape of the Portland State-Cal game today, the Vikings came out of it badly, losing their top TWO quarterbacks, but the culprit was the horrendous, old-style artificial turf in Berkeley, not the Golden Bears. That stuff was hard as concrete.

In the Furman-North Carolina game, there were some injuries on BOTH sides, because it was a hard-hitting game (typical Paladins, they lay on the leather as good as any team in I-AA).

[Mr. C]

No injuries from Kansas and Baylor, on back to back weekends... :nono:
Did the Jayhawks and Bears escape the Purple Swarm intact? Saw the Delaware State game. Northwestern State hits as hard as always.

[CrunchGriz]

The question posed as the title of this thread has led most of you to use anecdotal evidence from, in general, your team alone to prove that I-A opponents have caused no more, or even fewer, injuries than I-AA opponents in their inter-divisional matchups.

There are a few problems with this:

1. Anecdotal necessarily means less than scientifically rigorous or complete;

2. Many of the I-AA teams used as evidence here are the cream of the I-AA world, which means (in many cases) that they are groups of some of the biggest, fastest, most agile athletes in the division, often rivaling their I-A opponents in these important characteristics; and

3. Many coaching staffs, I-AA included, are often less than candid about their injury situation for strategic reasons (Montana's is a case in point), and HIPPA has made it even easier to hide the true nature, quantity, and severity of injuries.

In general, it makes sense that teams that are composed of larger, faster, more agile athletes (I-A) will cause more injuries to teams that are composed of smaller, slower, less agile athletes (I-AA), if only because the former group of athletes will be able to get the latter into situations where they are awkward, unbalanced, and overpowered.

Of course there are situations and games where this isn't true, and some injuries are non-contact (see Hilliard, Lex) or just flat weird, but the above statement must of necessity be true when a very large sample is taken into consideration (many seasons' worth of games covering entire divisions). It's simple physics.

Gathering a large, accurate sample like this, though, would be very difficult these days with HIPPA rearing its interfering head.

[*****]

more "anecdotal evidence" ...
... In general, it makes sense that teams that are composed of larger, faster, more agile athletes (I-A) will cause more injuries to teams that are composed of smaller, slower, less agile athletes (I-AA)...What a I-A lover crock! :rolleyes: listen CG: http://www.anygivensaturday.com/stream/wearethechampionsmix.wma

[CrunchGriz]

Ralph, don't try to stain me with I-A loving. I don't follow any I-A team. I am solely a Griz and I-AA fan. However, if you're trying to tell me, and everyone else on this board, that I-A players are not in general bigger, faster, and more agile than I-AA players, I think you're being delusional. Of course I was making a generalization--I don't have any specific data to back that up. I don't think it's seriously doubted by anyone, though, and I'd bet my house that a thorough study of it would back me up.

Let's keep our love of I-AA football rational. I-AA is a lesser brand of football, quality-wise, than I-A.

That isn't bad--it merely is. Most of us prefer I-AA, whether it's because it involves our alma maters, we enjoy a real championship playoff, or we have a severe disdain for the win-at-all costs (literally, in many cases) mentality prevalent in I-A.

We start to sound like kooks, though, when we make claims that seem to indicate that I-AA is better quality football than I-A. We all love I-AA wins over I-A teams; that doesn't mean we believe it should be the norm because the talent balance favors us.

[*****]

Look CG, you said I-AA is "composed of smaller, slower, less agile athletes" and then IN I-AA'S DEFENSE that "I-AA is a lesser brand of football". Sorry but I wholeheartedly do not agree with that. Like you say to the contrary, "I'd bet my house that a thorough study of it would back me up".

"I-AA is a lesser brand of football" you scream. Tell that to the I-A teams that lose to I-AA. Sorry, sorry, sorry. If you want to continue to say that people are "kooks" then that is your choice. This is rational because they are both D-I: the "talent" is spread out so far these days that if I-A did not have a whole extra team of it then I-AA would beat their teams more regularly. Still I-A loses to I-AA... why is that??? "larger, faster, more agile"??? "smaller, slower, less agile"??? Get it? I saw that many I-A teams didn't...

[CrunchGriz]

Ralph, I love ya, man, but you've got your I-AA blinders on here.

Of course I-AA teams beat I-A teams from time to time. That doesn't indicate that I-AA is equivalent in quality to I-A. Sorry.

All you have to do is look at the percentage of wins by I-AA teams. Even accounting for the fact that virtually all of these games are road games, the I-AA winning percentage should be higher if the two divisions were athletically equivalent. Also, if the two divisions were equivalent in talent then at least one Top 20 I-A team would have fallen to a I-AA team in the last 28 years. Not one has.

The top third, maybe half, of I-AA matches up well with the bottom third, maybe half, of I-A. Teams like Delaware, Georgia Southern, Furman, Appalachian State, and Montana have played well against, and often beaten, lower-tier I-As (or even lower-level I-A bowl teams, like Delaware's win over Navy a while back). That doesn't mean the entire division is of the same quality as I-A.

Also, NFL rosters are dotted with the cream of the I-AA world, and I applaud every one of them that makes it to the NFL (or the CFL, or AFL, or...), but the percentage of I-AA players to I-A players is very low. If the two divisions were equivalent athletically, the percentage of I-AA players would be much higher. As an example, as much as I'd like to believe that NFL executives and coaches are dotty for missing out on Montana's beloved Payton winner Dave Dickenson, I'm not blind to the fact that while he's a wizard at dissecting defenses, he's small, doesn't have great arm strength, and is not terribly fleet. The multitude of injuries he's suffered in the CFL backs up the NFL's indifference to him--and he was the best offensive player in all of I-AA in '95, leading the entire division by over a thousand yards in total offense.

No one was happier than I was when Montana beat Oregon State the last two times they played, or Idaho the last four. Both of these I-AA teams, though, were I-A bottom-feeders, and Montana was an elite I-AA team for all of these six wins (four of the six of which were tight, close wins).

Maybe Northwestern will go on and win the Big 10, and UNH will be proven to be the equivalent of a top I-A team. Even that will not make the A-10, or the whole of I-AA, athletically equivalent to the whole of I-A. It's a single data point (and I'm not denigrating UNH here--they're a great team, and that was a fantastic win) among a multitude that point the other direction.

[thirdgendin]

Was it Webb?

No, Adam Mims. Webb appeared to tweak his shoulder on that long play, but I think he'll be fine.