SLC Goes from Two to One Bid for Playoffs

[TexasTerror]

UCA defeats Nicholls State in OT tonight in Conway, Ark...

You can count the SLC as a league that will not be able to get multiple bids...

Very disappointing. The league needs to work on scheduling requirements. It is a shame that our league is already eliminated with three weeks to go from getting multiple bids.

Hopefully, next year will be different. I'm already hearing the SHSU may have a solid FCS foe coming to Huntsville next year. And of course, in 2009 we have home dates against WIU and NDSU plus a road game to complete the 2008 home-and-home that we'll be starting.

[Bear Fan 101]

I know you may be disappointed TT, unfortunately, we're not here in Conway, and we probably wont be either!

Yes I know the reasoning, but it also says a lot for the league that the new kid on the block isnt going to come in and get pushed around and has a say in the conference championship, in a big way! So quit feeling sorry for the league, even though this might have hurt the conference playoff bid, you guys ought to be happy this conference has added another football school that will compete year in and year out with Coach Conque at the helm!

[catbob]

Hey the Cats just ensured the same thing for the Sky. :)

[TexasTerror]

I know you may be disappointed TT, unfortunately, we're not here in Conway, and we probably wont be either!

Yes I know the reasoning, but it also says a lot for the league that the new kid on the block isnt going to come in and get pushed around and has a say in the conference championship, in a big way! So quit feeling sorry for the league, even though this might have hurt the conference playoff bid, you guys ought to be happy this conference has added another football school that will compete year in and year out with Coach Conque at the helm!

I am not upset about UCA by any means. It is a great thing that we have a strong football school in the conference and you guys are young, so this is the beginning of something good.

It does say a lot when the conference is completely eliminated outside of McNeese State at this point. Our conference used to be a two team league for sure and sometimes pushed three.

Scheduling has hurt this conference. Yes, teams do beat up on each other, but even in leagues where that is also the case, they get multiple bids. Scheduling needs to be addressed...

Can't wait til UCA gets playoff-eligible...

[kardplayer]

Is it a scheduling requirement issue or is it a common sense issue.

Scheduling 4 non-FCS games (as Nicholls did) is a recipe for disaster and a virtual lock for no at large bid, unless you win both FBS games, as getting to 7 Div I victories in 9 Div I games while also losing the conference is nearly impossible.

[GRZZ]

Hey the Cats just ensured the same thing for the Sky. :)

I think EWU might still have an outside chance if they win out, but things would probably have to fall into place pretty well.

[msusig]

Just got back in from celebrating killing the lions. Hey don't worry McNeese will put UCA in their place at the end of the season. Personally I like that UCA does good in the SLC because it will make other teams have to step up and do something. We don't want any push overs in the SLC. But we still need to put them in their at the end of the season.

[Bear Fan 101]

Hey don't worry McNeese will put UCA in their place at the end of the season...But we still need to put them in their (place) at the end of the season.

Exactly where is our place? I know, we UCA fans and alums know that McNeese is the all-time program in the SLC, and the level where UCA is trying to get to. That point where year in and year out, you play for, and more often than not win the SLC title! But I didnt know we had done anything to have be put in some kind of place on the last week of the year.

[FormerPokeCenter]

You guys are getting a lot of favorable press this year. That makes some folks nervous ;)

Personally, I'm anxious to see if you guys are as advertised.

I think you're a great fit for the conference.

[UCABEARS75]

You guys are getting a lot of favorable press this year. That makes some folks nervous ;)

Personally, I'm anxious to see if you guys are as advertised.

I think you're a great fit for the conference.

I don't know about the "as advertised" part but here is what we are:

Very good offensively, pretty average defensively due to being extremely young, undersized and not as physical as we will have to be to be a legitmate national and conference power.

We have had an outstanding season, in particular when you consider we lost 15 of our top 16 tacklers from last year's defense. Better than I expected and I follow the team very closely. We are starting 1 senior on defense and really no seniors on offense although two figure into the rotation (1 receiver and 1 running back).

We are a year or two away from being where we need to be. Not bad considering our first D-I recruiting class are now sophomores.

We know where we have to be to be considered legitmate competition for McNeese and other top national programs. We are working on achieving that level.

[McNeese75]

I don't know about the "as advertised" part but here is what we are:

Very good offensively, pretty average defensively due to being extremely young, undersized and not as physical as we will have to be to be a legitmate national and conference power.

We have had an outstanding season, in particular when you consider we lost 15 of our top 16 tacklers from last year's defense. Better than I expected and I follow the team very closely. We are starting 1 senior on defense and really no seniors on offense although two figure into the rotation (1 receiver and 1 running back).

We are a year or two away from being where we need to be. Not bad considering our first D-I recruiting class are now sophomores.

We know where we have to be to be considered legitmate competition for McNeese and other top national programs. We are working on achieving that level.


The Bears are doing very well this year. The real test will be how you reload when Brown is gone in two years xnodx . I do realize Grimes is a very good running back but lets face it, at this point in time NB "IS" UCA. But hey, when you got a good horse, ride em :D xthumbsupx

[McNeese_beat]

The Bears are doing very well this year. The real test will be how you reload when Brown is gone in two years xnodx . I do realize Grimes is a very good running back but lets face it, at this point in time NB "IS" UCA. But hey, when you got a good horse, ride em :D xthumbsupx

Give UCA credit for this. Last year, they hung their hat on defense. They had a DE last year (Jacob Ford) who was outstanding and a very stingy, senior unit. The word on them this year is they lost too many players off the defense to compete in the SLC.

Wrong.

So they have shown an ability to "re-load." Now, the defense isn't back to its elite level yet, but like the poster said, they are very young. By the time Brown finishes, it'll be a veteran group. And Conque seems like the type of guy who is interested in player development, no just bringing in players.

[UCABEARS75]

Give UCA credit for this. Last year, they hung their hat on defense. They had a DE last year (Jacob Ford) who was outstanding and a very stingy, senior unit. The word on them this year is they lost too many players off the defense to compete in the SLC.

Wrong.

So they have shown an ability to "re-load." Now, the defense isn't back to its elite level yet, but like the poster said, they are very young. By the time Brown finishes, it'll be a veteran group. And Conque seems like the type of guy who is interested in player development, no just bringing in players.

Pretty accurate assement. Coach has made a strong committment to building with primarily high school recruits. I know the temptation was there to go out and get a bunch of transfers to re-build the defense but instead he only brought in a few juco guys and just chose to rebuild.

We are redshirting 8 or 9 this year, mostly linemen, and the goal is to begin redshirting more and more freshmen each year, as I am sure everyone would like.

Of course replacing Nathan will be darn near impossible. I have followed Bear football for 37 years and he is the best we have ever had. However, we have had some other very, very good QBs and will have more.

The year we lose Nathan, Robbie Park will be a 25 year old 5th year senior. We went 2-1 last year with him starting while Nathan was out and Robbie was just coming back from a 2 year mission trip and was very rusty.

But the nature of college football is that you lose everyone after 4 years (or less) of eligibility. Therefore, the important thing for us is not just replacing Nathan Brown but replacing all our guys with better guys than ya'll (everyone else) do.

[McNeese_beat]

Pretty accurate assement. Coach has made a strong committment to building with primarily high school recruits. I know the temptation was there to go out and get a bunch of transfers to re-build the defense but instead he only brought in a few juco guys and just chose to rebuild.

We are redshirting 8 or 9 this year, mostly linemen, and the goal is to begin redshirting more and more freshmen each year, as I am sure everyone would like.

Of course replacing Nathan will be darn near impossible. I have followed Bear football for 37 years and he is the best we have ever had. However, we have had some other very, very good QBs and will have more.

The year we lose Nathan, Robbie Park will be a 25 year old 5th year senior. We went 2-1 last year with him starting while Nathan was out and Robbie was just coming back from a 2 year mission trip and was very rusty.

But the nature of college football is that you lose everyone after 4 years (or less) of eligibility. Therefore, the important thing for us is not just replacing Nathan Brown but replacing all our guys with better guys than ya'll (everyone else) do.

Well, Conque's a former McNeese assistant, so he knows the value of high school recruiting...

McNeese had a good recruiting year last year, it would appear. They needed help on the O-Line,D-Line and the secondary and they landed two quality DTs (one who is playing as a true freshman), a few quality O-linemen (one who is playing as a true freshman) and five DBs who could potentially start as a unit in the 4-2-5 because there are two natural corners, a natural free and two natural strong (weak) safeties.

It'll be interesting to see what they go after this spring. I think they need a tailback and a fullback. It's time to get a young QB too. More olinemen, more dlinemen...