Was ASU The Best FCS/I-AA Team Ever?

[Rob Iola]

Probably should make this into a poll...

[93henfan]

Yes they were.

[bandl]

Over a 3-year period? Yes.

Any 1 particular year? No.

[Rob Iola]

I'll look back and cherish this ASU team - truly one of the best in recent history - one for the books - something for ASU students to be able to tell their grandchildren in 15 years...

[Eaglegus2]

Over a 3-year period? Yes.

Any 1 particular year? No.


I have to agree with you.

[GaSouthern]

Marshall and GSU's undefeated teams were better.

As far as any given 3 year streak, of course they are the best. GSU was one umass game away from being better though.

[slycat]

No.

[jonmac]

Impossible to determine, but fun to argue over.

[LehighFan11]

Over a 3-year period? Yes.

Any 1 particular year? No.

Nailed it.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

I'll look back and cherish this ASU team - truly one of the best in recent history - one for the books - something for ASU students to be able to tell their grandchildren in 15 years...

LOL..

I agree though
Not the single best team but the best RUN ever. Those Marshall teams were the best IMO.

[AppMountaineer13]

I'll look back and cherish this ASU team - truly one of the best in recent history - one for the books - something for ASU students to be able to tell their grandchildren in 15 years...

15 years? That seems a little premature.

[LehighFan11]

I say one of those GA Southern teams might be the best of all time.

[ASU88]

Marshall and GSU's undefeated teams were better.

As far as any given 3 year streak, of course they are the best. GSU was one umass game away from being better though.

I'll hold out hope for next year. We should be a stronger team. Will have at least a shot at 4 out of 5 to end any question.

[bandl]

I'll hold out hope for next year. We should be a stronger team. Will have at least a shot at 4 out of 5 to end any question.

No doubt :o

[GaSouthern]

I'll hold out hope for next year. We should be a stronger team. Will have at least a shot at 4 out of 5 to end any question.

You still are short of the 1990's Youngstown teams.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Impossible to determine, but fun to argue over.

xlolx

[DFW HOYA]

Top five probably includes Georgia Southern, Youngstown State, then ASU, Montana, and Marshall. Honorable mention to the Eastern Kentucky and Holy Cross teams of the 1980's , the latter of which could not participate in the playoffs.

[89Hen]

Over a 3-year period? Yes.

Any 1 particular year? No.
xnodx xrulesx

[HiHiYikas]

I'll look back and cherish this ASU team - truly one of the best in recent history - one for the books - something for ASU students to be able to tell their grandchildren in 15 years...
I'm a class of '01 guy, and my first child is only 2 weeks old. It's not impossible for me to become a grandpa in 15 years, but it's unlikely.

Incidentally, Jr. needs a lesson in losing with dignity. Shortly after the UR-ASU game went final, we were subjected to our first-ever TRIPLE diaper change. I think he's doing it on purpose.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Top five probably includes Georgia Southern, Youngstown State, then ASU, Montana, and Marshall. Honorable mention to the Eastern Kentucky and Holy Cross teams of the 1980's , the latter of which could not participate in the playoffs.


Good catch on Holy Cross. They are certaintly the most forgotten great teams in FCS history.

[AppMAN04]

They def are one of the best teams ever, but GSU and Marshall def were great teams.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Last year's App team probably has the second-best offense in FCS/I-AA history, behind the 1999 GSU team of course.

[asknoquarter21]

Next years team will be the best.

Every year we have had concerns except next year.

So if you consider our last few teams the best wait til next year.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

1987 Holy Cross outscored their opponents 511-110 but weren't eligible for the playoffs. Their closest game was a 10 point win over Army, their next closest a 29 point win over Lafayette!! That's pretty inline with GSU in 1999.

[mtnman]

asu run was one of the best ever,i would say top three for sure

[TCisMYhero]

Great run. Best ever, questionable.

[ericsaid]

The key word is were. They still have next year to make it four out of five. With the players coming back next year from injury, I think the question would be better to be asked next year.

Now to answer your question, what little I know about FCS history being as young as I am and what little exposure there is to other teams around the FCS, no.

Marshall IMO is the best FCS team there was for the few years before they made the move up to D-1.

[Chi Panther]

Last year's App team probably has the second-best offense in FCS/I-AA history, behind the 1999 GSU team of course.

1996 Marshall had, Eric Kresser, Chad Pennington, Doug Chapman and some guy named Randy Moss......Best Offense...end of story.

[93henfan]

Ah what the hell, if we're all going to stake claims, how about the largest margin of victory and only shutout in the title game?

[bandl]

Ah what the hell, if we're all going to stake claims, how about the largest margin of victory and only shutout in the title game?

UD RULES!

xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

[Chi Panther]

Ah what the hell, if we're all going to stake claims, how about the largest margin of victory and only shutout in the title game?

I agree....most dominate playoff team was da hens....xthumbsupx

[YoUDeeMan]

How soon we forget.

UD was one of the best ever in 2003. No opponent was ever in the game in any of the playoff games that year. They had no chance.

Dominating defense, excellent offense.


Edit: some people were reading my mind.

[93henfan]

But seriously, GaSou in '99 was just awesome.

[MountaineerGuy]

I'll look back and cherish this ASU team - truly one of the best in recent history - one for the books - something for ASU students to be able to tell their grandchildren in 15 years...

It's not like they're gone...they return a vast majority of the team. I really hope my team hasn't turned into the one that only attracts fans that expect National Championships every year, and if you don't get it then you're not a good team anymore...........

......maybe that's the silver lining to losing today, less drunken bandwagoners in the stands getting me called classless on this board ;)

[Chi Panther]

But seriously, GaSou in '99 was just awesome.

I agree, but in 96 Montana beat Troy State in the Semis 70 to 7 and then the next week Montana was spanked by Marshall.....xeekx

[JohnStOnge]

Objectively, they had the best three consecutive years of success ever. Did they ever have the best individual team ever relative to the rest of I-AA/FCS? No.

Most recently, I think Delaware's 2003 team was better relative to I-AA than any of App's team. That squad won its playoff games by 48-7, 37-7, 24-9, and 40-9.

Some people discount it because of, as I understand it, the way rules were changed. But I think the best I-AA/FCS team ever relative to the rest in the subdivision at the time was obviously the 1996 Marshall squad. The Herd outscored its opposition 658 - 211 and beat a great, and I mean great, Montana team by 49-29 in the title game. The other playoff scores were 59-14, 54-0, and 31-14.

I also am of the opinion that the 1998 - 2001 Georgia Southern teams were better relative to the rest of I-AA than the 2005-2007 App State teams even though Georgia Southern lost the 1998 title game to UMass. As I remember GSU got close to well over 500 yards of offense in the title game but, in drizzly conditions, had 6 turnovers. No question in my mind GSU was the best team week in and week out during that season. They just didn't get the bounces when it counted.

[Chi Panther]

Objectively, they had the best three consecutive years of success ever. Did they ever have the best individual team ever relative to the rest of I-AA/FCS? No.

Most recently, I think Delaware's 2003 team was better relative to I-AA than any of App's team. That squad won its playoff games by 48-7, 37-7, 24-9, and 40-9.

Some people discount it because of, as I understand it, the way rules were changed. But I think the best I-AA/FCS team ever relative to the rest in the subdivision at the time was obviously the 1996 Marshall squad. The Herd outscored its opposition 658 - 211 and beat a great, and I mean great, Montana team by 49-29 in the title game. The other playoff scores were 59-14, 54-0, and 31-14.

I also am of the opinion that the 1998 - 2001 Georgia Southern teams were better relative to the rest of I-AA than the 2005-2007 App State teams even though Georgia Southern lost the 1998 title game to UMass. As I remember GSU got close to well over 500 yards of offense in the title game but, in drizzly conditions, had 6 turnovers. No question in my mind GSU was the best team week in and week out during that season. They just didn't get the bounces when it counted.


That was a VERY good UNI team Marshall beat in the 96 semi-finals 31 to 14 too....xbowx xthumbsupx

[mistersykes]

Probably not the best ever, no, but in the top 5 or so probably. A very dominating run. Marshall, Georgia Southern, Youngstown, Montana all have had dominant teams in the past, but to be in the conversation is pretty cool. Stories to tell the grandchildren...you bet!

[DX Man]

Over a 3-year period? Yes.

Any 1 particular year? No.

I agree!xthumbsupx

[JohnStOnge]

Probably not the best ever, no, but in the top 5 or so probably. A very dominating run. Marshall, Georgia Southern, Youngstown, Montana all have had dominant teams in the past, but to be in the conversation is pretty cool. Stories to tell the grandchildren...you bet!

If you look at a four year period of success, you'd probably have to tab Youngstown State's 1991-1994 run. They were in the national title game 4 years in a row and won it in 1991, 1993, and 1994. In 1992 they lost it by 3 on a field goal by Marshall in the last minute. I think it was with something on the order of 30 seconds left.

Unless I missed something nobody else has made the title game 4 years in a row.

[mistersykes]

If you look at a four year period of success, you'd probably have to tab Youngstown State's 1991-1994 run. They were in the national title game 4 years in a row and won it in 1991, 1993, and 1994. In 1992 they lost it by 3 on a field goal by Marshall in the last minute. I think it was with something on the order of 30 seconds left.

Unless I missed something nobody else has made the title game 4 years in a row.

I thought Marshall did 5, but I may be talking out of my ass...

[mistersykes]

Okay, just looked it up. From 1991-1996, Marshall made it to the final 5 out of 6 years. In 1994, Boise beat them by 4 in the semis. They were still in the final for three straight, from 91-93.

[JohnStOnge]

I thought Marshall did 5, but I may be talking out of my ass...

There's a playoff history at http://petespoll.com/petesiaaplayoff.shtml .

Marshall did make it to the title game in 5 of 6 years 1991-1996. But they weren't there in 1994, so they were never in it more than 3 years in a row.

The other thing about Marshall that puts the Herd out of consideration in terms of greatest sustained success is that they "only" one two national titles and never won even two in a row. Yes, they made the title game 6 times overall. But they only won twice.

[DuckDuckGriz]

Nothing beats 1996 Marshall. Nothing.

[GannonFan]

None of the ASU titles were won with a team that you would consider the best ever. No one's going to deny the impressiveness of 3 straight titles, but if you want to talk greatest team of all time, single year, none of those ASU teams will be in the discussion. That Montana team Dickenson's senior year was better, Marshall in '96 was better, I'd put that GSU team in the 80's who beat Ark St in the final as better, the '03 UD team was better, and maybe the GSU team in '99 or '00 was better. Obviously, no one had a better collection of 3 years, though, so that's something to hang your hat on.

[grizband]

None of the ASU titles were won with a team that you would consider the best ever. No one's going to deny the impressiveness of 3 straight titles, but if you want to talk greatest team of all time, single year, none of those ASU teams will be in the discussion. That Montana team Dickenson's senior year was better, Marshall in '96 was better, I'd put that GSU team in the 80's who beat Ark St in the final as better, the '03 UD team was better, and maybe the GSU team in '99 or '00 was better. Obviously, no one had a better collection of 3 years, though, so that's something to hang your hat on.
Any many people think the 1996 team was even more talented that Dickenson's title team.

[mlbowl]

Nothing beats 1996 Marshall. Nothing.

Agreedxnodx

[GannonFan]

Any many people think the 1996 team was even more talented that Dickenson's title team.

And they could've been, just kinda eclipsed by the juggernaut that was that '96 Marshall team (therefore even further reinforcing the steep climb that any of those 3 ASU teams would need to climb to be in the discussion).

Based on my list above, I don't think any of the 3 ASU titles would be a top 5 all-time team. But they certainly get the best run of all time over years.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Call me a homer but I just don't think the '96 Marshall team was as good as GSU's '99 team. I don't think you can really say that "team X won more games than team Y, therefore team X is better". GSU had a team that was 15-0, but they may have been the fourth best team that GSU has had behind the '99, '98, and '86 (that was the year we clobbered Ark. State in the NC) teams. GSU's two losses that year were to a 7-5 Oregon State that we put 41 points on and tons of yards and to App. State. And while I know ASU fans might not have been impressed with what they saw that year, GSU fans could similarly say they were not impressed with the team that beat a 4-7 GSU team by just 16.

And while the '96 Marshall team did have more NFL draftees than any other FCS team, you have to remember that many of GSU's players (since we ran the option O) were not in the NFL "mold". That includes the very good QB we had that year, and two of our very good DL that were both all-Americans. GSU also set tons of offensive records that year while Marshall did not do the same in '96.

[CamelCityAppFan]

Next years team will be the best.

Every year we have had concerns except next year.

So if you consider our last few teams the best wait til next year.

I agree. This year was our "down year", so I'm actually not as depressed as maybe I should be.

Next year looks to our best lineup perhaps ever. xthumbsupx

Congrats to the Spiders!