Washington Post Article

[Ronbo]

The Little Guy Wins One for The Ages (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/03/AR2007090300752.html)

The Little Guy Wins One for The Ages

By John Feinstein
Special to washingtonpost.com
Monday, September 3, 2007; 4:32 PM

Because of the absolute glut of media outlets now in existence, especially in the realm of sports, there is a tendency to get carried away (to put it mildly) by what is happening in the here-and-now.

Tiger Woods must be the greatest golfer of all time. Roger Federer must be the greatest tennis player of all time. Bill Belichick must be the greatest NFL coach of all time. Charlie Weis must be the greatest college football coach of all time. (Oh wait, that's just Weis's opinion).


And, of course, Appalachian State over Michigan must be the greatest upset in the history of college football.

With apologies to Woods, Federer and Belichick, all of whom may someday go down as the absolute best at what they do, Saturday's game in Ann Arbor is, in fact, the greatest upset in the history of college football.

It is more stunning than Carlisle over Army in 1912; more shocking than Carnegie Tech over Notre Dame in 1926 and more amazing than Columbia over an Army team that was unbeaten in 32 straight games in 1947. It is even more remarkable than Duke over anyone in 2007.

[DrG]

Good piece, as is to be expected from Feinstein. However, the FCS thing isn't getting much traction in the media, as evidenced by this statement:

(Note to the NCAA: you can try changing the names of your divisions all you want, some of us just aren't going to pay attention).

[andy7171]

That was a good article. I liked the Charlie Weiss bashing too.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Added this comment:


Great article, even if I'm guilty of calling it a "David and Goliath" story - sorry, I won't throw the rock at you, John.

I wanted to mention the one thing that hasn't been mentioned ad-nauseum everywhere else: that when Michigan was in a position to make the game-winning FG at the end of the game, Michigan forgot to block App State's all-American CB Corey Lynch. Look at the replay; he absolutely comes in clean and unblocked. How do you coach against any team and leave their best player unblocked? That's bad preparation and bad coaching - and a real lack of respect for App State.

No matter what the great heroics of the day by App State (and Michigan), what it ultimately came down to was Michigan having so much hubris that they didn't even bother to take a look at who to cover on special teams. And ultimately, it cost them dearly.

[Ivytalk]

Good article, except for the two sentences arguing that FCS-BCS games should not be allowed because they are usually uncompetitive and hence unfair to the FCS players.xconfusedx

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Good article, except for the two sentences arguing that FCS-BCS games should not be allowed because they are usually uncompetitive and hence unfair to the FCS players.xconfusedx

I agree - a pretty weird time to bring that up. It's kind of like saying, "Well, our 1980 hockey team just scored a monumental upset, but really, we shouldn't be playing the Russkies in hockey ever again in the Olympics." xconfusedx

[Black and Gold Express]

Good article, except for the two sentences arguing that FCS-BCS games should not be allowed because they are usually uncompetitive and hence unfair to the FCS players.xconfusedx

The truth of the matter is that most are. And what we are seeing in teh last 10 years is that speed is the one weapon a I-AA team has to have to not only win national titles, but to take legitimate shots against I-A teams.

Take a look at last year's playoff teams. Think it's coincidence that the two teams that could run circles around the rest of the teams were in the finals? Now take that to the I-A/I-AA games. Almost without fail, the I-A team will be bigger and stronger at 90% of the positions. The I-AA teams that don't play a game based on speed (like ASU now, and GSU before that) are going to have to try and line up against players that not only are they not stronger than, they are not faster than either. That's a recipe for the litany of ugly scores MOST I-A/I-AA games end up being.

Michigan was biger than we were at every single position. They were not faster than us at hardly any position though, and that's how we won. We stayed away from their overwhleming advantages in size, and beat them with our one advantage - speed. Had ASU gone into this game with the type on I-formation attack we used to employ, we'd have been destroyed because pur game would have offered us no advantages over them.

So yes, Feinstein is correct in that most of these games will be unfair to the I-AA team. Because most I-AA teams don't have the needed speed advantages to counter the overwhelming physical size advantages the I-A teams possess.

[Ronbo]

We can nit pick all we want about "he calls us I-AA", "he says the big schools shouldn't play us", or a dozen other things that will be said. But it all boils down to this boys.

In the eyes of America...........

There is a higher respect for this division of football nationwide on Monday than there was on Friday!

Job well done Moutaineers. You did in one Saturday what was impossible to do any other way.

[Ivytalk]

So yes, Feinstein is correct in that most of these games will be unfair to the I-AA team. Because most I-AA teams don't have the needed speed advantages to counter the overwhelming physical size advantages the I-A teams possess.

But, BGE, you don't agree with Feinstein that the games should be disallowed, do you? Especially after Saturday! And why deny a Nicholls State the enjoyment of beating Rice, or UNH over Northwestern, or Wellesley over Duke?:D

[Black and Gold Express]

But, BGE, you don't agree with Feinstein that the games should be disallowed, do you? Especially after Saturday! And why deny a Nicholls State the enjoyment of beating Rice, or UNH over Northwestern, or Wellesley over Duke?:D

Deny the games? No. But one thing that I think is going to get lost in this is a skewed perception of what it takes to beat a I-A team that is not legitimately god-awful. One that is good or very good.

I still say that most I-A/I-AA games will be ugly scores, because from what I can tell with most I-AA teams, the following tends to be true:

No I-AA team is ever bigger or stronger than their I-A foes.
No I-AA team that I have seen the last 12 months, besides UMass, has been able to run with us - literally run with us.We had a weapon in this game that Michigan could not stop all day - speed. They were biggerthan us at every spot, but were they faster than us at even half the spots? I say no. And let's be honest, how many other I-AA teams can say that?

GSU had some good I-A games back in the AP days, I remember a 49-48 loss to Oregon State. Speed was their weapon of choice then. They had it in spades and it made their flexbone attack very very effective. We have it in spades now and it makes our spread attack very very effective.

Most I-AA teams don't have that speed. So they line up and play their game where they cannot outmuscle their I-A opponent, and cannot outrun them either.

In terms of talent, we ARE a I-A team right now, I would even offer as good as some of the best mid-major teams are. Who else in I-AA could lay claim to that, really? Montana, maybe UMass with all their transfers? Who else REALLY? If you be honest with yourself, maybe a handful at most.

Before this weekend, I thought that I-AA this year was going to see a really wide gap between the top 2-3 teams in the nation and the rest. Based in part because that was the chasm between the top 3 teams last year (ASU, UMass, and Montana) and the rest of I-AA. After this weekend, I feel that there is not any reason to think differently. Those three teams have not "lost a step" literally speedwise. So the rest have to catch us, so to speak.

We "carried the banner" for I-AA this weekend, no doubt. But until some other teams step up their ability in terms of the speed game, it might be that we showed the world what the elite of I-AA was about, but not really showed them what the majority of I-AA is about. That majority of teams is neither stronger or faster than any but the absolute worst I-A teams out there. That's not being mean, it's calling it like I see it.

[DFW HOYA]

From the title of the thread, I assumed that maybe, just maybe, it was an article on either of the area's two I-AA teams. xlolx

Other than Fordham, I can't imagine a city with less college football coverage at this level.

[FargoBison]

NDSU matched up well with Minnesota last year and we ran the ball right down their throats. Neither Ball St or Minnesota could run the ball effectively on NDSU either. Speed is not everything, FCS teams can win with size as long as they have spead in the right places. I think it is more of balance then one over the other.

[gophoenix]

There is a higher respect for this division of football nationwide on Monday than there was on Friday!

I whole-heartedly disagree with this statement. There is a high respect for App. But not a high respect for the division as is apparent by app's schedule looking like 10 homecoming games, in a division with "fill in a school name"and so on. And the fact Nicholls State gets no mentions..... all in various articles around the country.

No, there is still zero respect for the division. Only App as they earned it.

[appfan2008]

good article... but i dont think it is the greatest upset of all time because asu is better than that

[FargoBison]

The truth of the matter is that most are. And what we are seeing in teh last 10 years is that speed is the one weapon a I-AA team has to have to not only win national titles, but to take legitimate shots against I-A teams.

Take a look at last year's playoff teams. Think it's coincidence that the two teams that could run circles around the rest of the teams were in the finals? Now take that to the I-A/I-AA games. Almost without fail, the I-A team will be bigger and stronger at 90% of the positions. The I-AA teams that don't play a game based on speed (like ASU now, and GSU before that) are going to have to try and line up against players that not only are they not stronger than, they are not faster than either. That's a recipe for the litany of ugly scores MOST I-A/I-AA games end up being.

Michigan was biger than we were at every single position. They were not faster than us at hardly any position though, and that's how we won. We stayed away from their overwhleming advantages in size, and beat them with our one advantage - speed. Had ASU gone into this game with the type on I-formation attack we used to employ, we'd have been destroyed because pur game would have offered us no advantages over them.

So yes, Feinstein is correct in that most of these games will be unfair to the I-AA team. Because most I-AA teams don't have the needed speed advantages to counter the overwhelming physical size advantages the I-A teams possess.



NDSU matched up well with Minnesota last year and we ran the ball right right at them. Neither Ball St or Minnesota could run the ball effectively on NDSU either. Speed is not everything, FCS teams can win with size as long as they have spead in the right places. I think it is more of balance then one over the other.

[Black and Gold Express]

NDSU matched up well with Minnesota last year and we ran the ball right right at them. Neither Ball St or Minnesota could run the ball effectively on NDSU either. Speed is not everything, FCS teams can win with size as long as they have spead in the right places. I think it is more of balance then one over the other.

Neither Ball St. nor Minnesota have much speed. I watched your game against Minnesota, and it was a good showing but they were not a really good team last year, and they were not fast at all. That being said, I fully believe that both UMass and ASU last year would have beat you by two scores or more. I saw you akin to YSU, a good grinding team that played ball control. But we saw what happened to YSU when they met up against us, and I think the results for an NDSU game against either UMass or ASU last year would yield similar results.

Speed is "not everything" to those that don't really have it. Again, look at GSU during their run. They weren't bigger than everyone, but they were faster than everyone. When others caught up to them they were not as successful. Right now we have passed them and I look to see when (not if) they catch back up how those games go.

Same goes for Marshall during their I-AA days. And Montana is traditionally one of the faster teams in I-AA as well. It's not coincidence that speed has equalled titles in the last decade plus. It will continue to do so as well.

[HIU 93]

good article... but i dont think it is the greatest upset of all time...

FAMU beat #15 Miami in 1983. That, to me, is just as big, if not bigger, because I don't believe Michigan is that good. In fact, I think the Big 10 is pretty much a joke.

I was happy as a pig in schitt to see ASU whip Michigan's arse- I really don't like Michigan.

[Ronbo]

I whole-heartedly disagree with this statement. There is a high respect for App. But not a high respect for the division as is apparent by app's schedule looking like 10 homecoming games, in a division with "fill in a school name"and so on. And the fact Nicholls State gets no mentions..... all in various articles around the country.

No, there is still zero respect for the division. Only App as they earned it.

Bull, I've heard a dozen FBS Coaches and Broadcasters say this week on national TV that the top teams in FCS could compete in the FBS. When is the last time you heard that? Never!

[bobbythekidd]

BGE, it is my uneducated opinion that it was more than just team speed that won over Michigan. 2 blocked kicks in a game is very rare. Both were needed for the win. Either a lack of prep by Big Blue or outstanding play by Leach, or a combination of those won the game.

Team speed helped you stay on the field. I suggest the 5 reciever sets is what what was giving Michigan all the headaches. They were so spread out on Defence that Edwards had plenty of room to manuver. That scamper to the sidline late in the fourth there wasn't anyone within 30 feet of Edwards, not even his own linemen! My fat but could get 10 yards with that kind of room.

[FargoBison]

Neither Ball St. nor Minnesota have much speed. I watched your game against Minnesota, and it was a good showing but they were not a really good team last year, and they were not fast at all. That being said, I fully believe that both UMass and ASU last year would have beat you by two scores or more. I saw you akin to YSU, a good grinding team that played ball control. But we saw what happened to YSU when they met up against us, and I think the results for an NDSU game against either UMass or ASU last year would yield similar results.

Speed is "not everything" to those that don't really have it. Again, look at GSU during their run. They weren't bigger than everyone, but they were faster than everyone. When others caught up to them they were not as successful. Right now we have passed them and I look to see when (not if) they catch back up how those games go.

Same goes for Marshall during their I-AA days. And Montana is traditionally one of the faster teams in I-AA as well. It's not coincidence that speed has equalled titles in the last decade plus. It will continue to do so as well.

You said teams can't match up with Big Ten teams sizewise and all I was doing was saying that was wrong. Whenever Minnesota pushed the Bison pushed right back. The Gophers were 6-7 last year, they weren't great but were far from bad. I also think people are wrong about NDSU's speed, we do grind it out on offense but our defense is pretty fast.

[appfan2008]

FAMU beat #15 Miami in 1983. That, to me, is just as big, if not bigger, because I don't believe Michigan is that good. In fact, I think the Big 10 is pretty much a joke.

I was happy as a pig in schitt to see ASU whip Michigan's arse- I really don't like Michigan.

i think michigan is better than you think but i would like to thank you for being happy for us

[Lafayette71]

We "carried the banner" for I-AA this weekend, no doubt. But until some other teams step up their ability in terms of the speed game, it might be that we showed the world what the elite of I-AA was about, but not really showed them what the majority of I-AA is about. That majority of teams is neither stronger or faster than any but the absolute worst I-A teams out there. That's not being mean, it's calling it like I see it.

Speed eh? In football? Interesting concept. I'll send Coach Tavani a memo. Cook speed. I mean, Recruit speed. That'll blow his mind.

[bandl]

FAMU beat #15 Miami in 1983.

No they didn't Shellshock. FAMU And Miami didn't even play in 1983. Miami went 11-1 that year with their only loss a home-opener to Florida.

FAMU did beat Miami in 1979, when Miami was 5-6 (and 6-5 in 1978). Miami was not considered the I-A juggernaut that it is until a few years later. Hardly a monumental upset to even be compared to UM losing to ASU.