Weber State Dominates Preseason All-Conference Team

[smallcollegefbfan]

http://www.bigskyconf.com/News/football/2009/7/22/preallconf72209.asp?path=football

[Ronbo]

http://www.bigskyconf.com/News/football/2009/7/22/preallconf72209.asp?path=football

Weber State better beat Montana or they will be labeled the most overrated team in the history of the Big Sky. 10 All Conference to 4 for Montana, the National Runnerups, and both teams return 13 starters? 7 of 9 Coaches picked Montana to win the Conference and 25 to 5 media members. This just doesn't make any sense, does it? xsmhxxsmhxxconfusedxxconfusedxxconfusedx By the way, the Big Sky Headquarters are in Ogden, Utah.

A team with 10 All Conference should beat a team with 4 by 2 TD's no matter where they play.

I could have understood 7 to 6 or 7 to 7.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Weber State better beat Montana or they will be labeled the most overrated team in the history of the Big Sky. 10 1st teamers to 4 for Montana, the National Runnerups, and both teams return 13 starters? 7 of 9 Coaches picked Montana to win the Conference and 25 to 5 media members. This just doesn't make any sense, does it? xsmhxxsmhxxconfusedxxconfusedxxconfusedx By the way, the Big Sky Headquarters are in Ogden, Utah.

A team with 10 1st teamers should beat a team with 4 1st teamers by 2 TD's no matter where they play.

You are right on that. I guess with Montana's name they are going to get picked whether they are the most talented or not. For the record, I had Weber State #1 on my Big Sky ballot after I saw how many of their players I voted on the 1st team.

[Ronbo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah we hear it every year. Montana gets ranked and picked because of their name. Horse cocky! We walk the talk, we win every season, we back the rankings with wins. 25-3 the last two seasons. Best record in the FCS in the last 10 years. Give me a huge break with the "Montana gets their ranking because of their name." It's bull.

We'll see who's the most talented. 10/31/2009.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah we hear it every year. Montana gets ranked and picked because of their name. Horse cocky! We walk the talk, we win every season, we back the rankings with wins. 25-3 the last two seasons. Best record in the FCS in the last 10 years. Give me a huge break with the "Montana gets their ranking because of their name." It's bull.

We'll see who's the most talented. 10/31/2009.

That is what I am saying. They are picking Montana because of their name but really saying they don't think they are the best team. It is bull but it is just how it is. At least in this case you guys have proven year in and year out that you deserve the ranking! As you said, Montana walks the walk every year.

The only reason I picked Weber is because of how many stars they have returning but as you said Montana is the one who wins every year. The preseason means nothing so why not reward those teams with a lot of picks? Always fun to put the bulls eye on someone else, especially when they deserve it on paper. :)

The sad thing is that many people did vote you on name but those who did likely will be right because Montana doesn't rebuild, they reload.

One thing that I think could put Montana far and away ahead of Weber State and others is if Roper pans out. If he comes in and starts lighting it up early then I think Montana probably runs the table in the Big Sky and won't be played closely by anyone, other than Weber, until the 2nd round of the playoffs.

How is Roper doing so far? You guys expect him to be the starter for sure or is there some heavy competition going on?

[Native]

Yeah, yeah, yeah we hear it every year. Montana gets ranked and picked because of their name. Horse cocky! We walk the talk, we win every season, we back the rankings with wins. 25-3 the last two seasons. Best record in the FCS in the last 10 years. Give me a huge break with the "Montana gets their ranking because of their name." It's bull.

We'll see who's the most talented. 10/31/2009.

It's not just the name, it's the PROGRAM. Over the long haul, the Montana program delivers more consistently superior coaching, fan support, financial support, stability and recruiting. The superior recruiting means more depth, regardless of who gets the most names on a pre-season all-star ballot.

Montana's stronger program and financial stability probably mean better coaching down the line even though Weber's Ron McBride may have pulled some rabbits out of his hat in both recruiting and assistant coaching hires. A program like Weber's is very lucky to have a coach like McBride.

So, because of the disparities in overall program strength and stability, it is not at all inconceivable that Weber got 10 all-star picks but Montana was picked to win the conference. The voters in both polls most likely got it right.

Stop whining, Ronbo. It's unsettling to see a big bear cry.

Kudos to the Montana PROGRAM! It's not JUST the name!

[JALMOND]

Weber State better beat Montana or they will be labeled the most overrated team in the history of the Big Sky. 10 All Conference to 4 for Montana, the National Runnerups, and both teams return 13 starters? 7 of 9 Coaches picked Montana to win the Conference and 25 to 5 media members. This just doesn't make any sense, does it? xsmhxxsmhxxconfusedxxconfusedxxconfusedx By the way, the Big Sky Headquarters are in Ogden, Utah.

A team with 10 All Conference should beat a team with 4 by 2 TD's no matter where they play.

I could have understood 7 to 6 or 7 to 7.

The old, and often quoted, adage of "There is no 'I' in 'TEAM'" too often is proven true. A strong team more than likely will defeat a group of individuals. Also, a preseason ranking of players is similar to a preseason ranking of teams, based highly on speculation. We all cannot see how these players will do this year, but we can guess based on how they have done before.

Wash-Griz is also a huge home field advantage for the Griz as well. Every team in the conference knows they have to play their best there in order to have a chance at knocking off Montana, regardless of how the teams stack up against each other. Any team with the words "at Montana" on their schedule knows that game will be the toughest game for them all year.

As good as Weber is on paper this year, I still cannot give them a win in Missoula this year. As much as people are saying that game will be the game of the year in the conference, I would say that the toughest game this year for the Griz is not the one against Weber, but the last game of the year when they have to play in Bozeman against Montana State. That is how much of an edge playing at Wash-Griz is for Montana, in my opinion.

[Ronbo]

Seeing a player like Safety Shaun Shillinger snubbed when he had 108 tackles, 4 ints, 2 recovered fumbles, and 2 forced fumbles puzzles me.

Yeah, I'm complaining. You guys had 13 All Conference last year and we got snubbed bigtime and you couldn't even get past the Quarter Finals. What's that all about? Being overrated I reckon.

[JALMOND]

Seeing a player like Safety Shaun Shillinger snubbed when he had 108 tackles, 4 ints, 2 recovered fumbles, and 2 forced fumbles puzzles me.

Yeah, I'm complaining. You guys had 13 All Conference last year and we got snubbed bigtime and you couldn't even get past the Quarter Finals. What's that all about? Being overrated I reckon.

Each of you won on your own home field. I for one would have liked to have seen a game 3 played on a neutral field (say the smurf turf in Boise?)xsmiley_wix

[Native]

Seeing a player like Safety Shaun Shillinger snubbed when he had 108 tackles, 4 ints, 2 recovered fumbles, and 2 forced fumbles puzzles me.

Yeah, I'm complaining. You guys had 13 All Conference last year and we got snubbed bigtime and you couldn't even get past the Quarter Finals. What's that all about? Being overrated I reckon.

I guess you are complaining about Beau Hadley being picked over Shaun?

In the 8 games of Big Sky conference play, Hadley had twice as many forced fumbles (4) as did Shillinger (2) in all 16 season contests for the Griz. (Hadley had 5 forced fumbles total.) Hadley had 121 tackles in 14 games. As you noted Shillinger had 108 tackles (in 16 games). Each had four interceptions and two fumble recoveries for the season.

Shillinger had a great season! Hadley had a better season. What is so puzzling? xeyebrowx

Would you prefer to garner more honors but lose in the second round of the payoffs? I love my all-stars, but I would give up all the individual honors for the national championship.

[catbob]

Well I have to say that Weber deserves it's offensive accolades. Higgins is better than anything the Griz have right now (Roper may prove otherwise but Higgins has proven it at this level already), and I would take Smith over Reynolds, but that is no knock against Reynolds, he is easily the 2nd best RB in the conference, and maybe even a top 10 back if he runs like he did the second half of the season last year. Unfortunately for Reynolds, a great back in his own right, he is behind Trevyn Smith one of the best running backs in the country.

I would also take Weber's OL over Montana's, and Nakamura is the best TE in the conference.

I won't get into the defense as the cases always seem harder to make, but Weber definitely has the better choices for offensive players for this list than the Griz, and that isn't a knock against the Griz; Weber has some talent!

[Native]

...I would also take Weber's OL over Montana's ...

I hope injuries and grades don't keep them out!!! xeekx

[VictorG]

Keep in mind that Montana plays 22 or more players on Defense per game and nearly that many on Offense. This isn't just in blow out or mop-up situations but in every game. What that means is that our players are not on the field as much as some other teams and don't have the same opportunities to rack up stats as others might.

This also is one of the reasons that Montana typically starts slowly each year, as it's just not the starting 11 guys on each side of the ball that have to jell, its the entire 2 deep that all have to learn to play together. This is also why Montana (to coin a phrase) reloads and doesn't have to rebuild. There isn't a whole lot of difference in playing time for many of our second string players when compared to the starters in the same position, especially on the Defensive side of the ball. If you are a young player and on the 2 deep, you are going to get a lot of playing time in most cases.

[CSN Log]

07-23-2009 03:51 PM

Weber State Dominates Preseason All-Conference Team

GDEN, UTAH (July 22, 2009) – Four players were unanimous selections to the 2009 Big Sky Preseason All-Conference team, which was released Wednesday.

The team was picked by select media and sports information directors.

Read more ... (http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/index.php/2009/07/23/weber-state-dominates-preseason-all-conf?blog=2#more5229)