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January 4th, 2008, 02:56 AM
The CSN Way: Whew, 2007
Charles Burton, CSN Columnist
The 2007 season began -- and ended -- with historic achievements. Conference by conference, here’s a look back at the “year that was” in FCS football. The champions, the games of the year, the highest moments, the biggest disappointments, the best players and the unsung heroes, the "what if's" and the peeks forward. Whew, 2007!
Pioneer Football League
Co-Champions: Dayton Flyers and San Diego Toreros
Game Of The Year: October 27th, Dayton 35, San Diego 16.
The Flyers finally figured out what nobody else was able to do in the Pioneer League: stop Torero quarterback Josh Johnson. It would be Dayton quarterback Kevin Hoyng who would be the hero on this day, scoring four touchdowns and amassing 127 rushing yards and 252 passing yards.
Highest Moment: Dayton Wins the “Gridiron Classic."
The Flyers’ magical 11-1 season was capped off with a sound 42-21 thrashing of the NEC champion Albany Great Danes in the “Gridiron Classic” in Welcome Stadium. This time, Hoyng wasn’t content with passing for three touchdowns – he would catch one from runningback Ben Shappie as well.
Biggest Disappointment: Butler’s freefall.
After a promising 4-0 start – granted, all against sub-D-I competition – the Bulldogs proceeded to lose seven straight games against Division I teams. Losing 56-9 to San Diego and 61-0 to Dayton made it very clear the gap between the “have’s” and the “have not’s.”
Players Of The Year: Dayton quarterback Kevin Hoyng and San Diego quarterback Josh Johnson.
In the end, you have to honor them both. Hoyng got the Pioneer League title with 3,317 yards passing, 640 yards rushing and 40 touchdowns, while Johnson has insane numbers as well: 2,988 yards passing, 726 yards rushing and 45 touchdowns (and one, count’em one, interception). You can’t possibly pick one over the other – they both amply deserve honors.
Unsung Player Of The Year: San Diego defensive end Eric Bakhtiari.
With all this offense, it’s sometimes easy to overlook the fact that San Diego also featured one of the best pass rushers in FCS. 75 tackles, including 23 ½ tackles for loss and 20 sacks is awesome in any league – and add two blocked kicks and three forced fumbles as well.
What If: Dayton had gone undefeated?
The one blemish on Dayton’s schedule – a wild 42-35 loss to Morehead State – meant a shared title for the Flyers. But what if they had gone undefeated, with a win over an FCS playoff team in Fordham? Would it have been enough to send a PFL team to the playoffs for the first time ever?
A Peek Towards 2008:
It seems like all the major teams in the Pioneer Football league are decimated by graduation, but San Diego does return runningback J.T. Rogan which could give them an edge.
READ MORE... http://www.collegesportingnews.com/article.asp?articleid=89669
Charles Burton, CSN Columnist
The 2007 season began -- and ended -- with historic achievements. Conference by conference, here’s a look back at the “year that was” in FCS football. The champions, the games of the year, the highest moments, the biggest disappointments, the best players and the unsung heroes, the "what if's" and the peeks forward. Whew, 2007!
Pioneer Football League
Co-Champions: Dayton Flyers and San Diego Toreros
Game Of The Year: October 27th, Dayton 35, San Diego 16.
The Flyers finally figured out what nobody else was able to do in the Pioneer League: stop Torero quarterback Josh Johnson. It would be Dayton quarterback Kevin Hoyng who would be the hero on this day, scoring four touchdowns and amassing 127 rushing yards and 252 passing yards.
Highest Moment: Dayton Wins the “Gridiron Classic."
The Flyers’ magical 11-1 season was capped off with a sound 42-21 thrashing of the NEC champion Albany Great Danes in the “Gridiron Classic” in Welcome Stadium. This time, Hoyng wasn’t content with passing for three touchdowns – he would catch one from runningback Ben Shappie as well.
Biggest Disappointment: Butler’s freefall.
After a promising 4-0 start – granted, all against sub-D-I competition – the Bulldogs proceeded to lose seven straight games against Division I teams. Losing 56-9 to San Diego and 61-0 to Dayton made it very clear the gap between the “have’s” and the “have not’s.”
Players Of The Year: Dayton quarterback Kevin Hoyng and San Diego quarterback Josh Johnson.
In the end, you have to honor them both. Hoyng got the Pioneer League title with 3,317 yards passing, 640 yards rushing and 40 touchdowns, while Johnson has insane numbers as well: 2,988 yards passing, 726 yards rushing and 45 touchdowns (and one, count’em one, interception). You can’t possibly pick one over the other – they both amply deserve honors.
Unsung Player Of The Year: San Diego defensive end Eric Bakhtiari.
With all this offense, it’s sometimes easy to overlook the fact that San Diego also featured one of the best pass rushers in FCS. 75 tackles, including 23 ½ tackles for loss and 20 sacks is awesome in any league – and add two blocked kicks and three forced fumbles as well.
What If: Dayton had gone undefeated?
The one blemish on Dayton’s schedule – a wild 42-35 loss to Morehead State – meant a shared title for the Flyers. But what if they had gone undefeated, with a win over an FCS playoff team in Fordham? Would it have been enough to send a PFL team to the playoffs for the first time ever?
A Peek Towards 2008:
It seems like all the major teams in the Pioneer Football league are decimated by graduation, but San Diego does return runningback J.T. Rogan which could give them an edge.
READ MORE... http://www.collegesportingnews.com/article.asp?articleid=89669