Sports Network Previews the Patriot League

[smallcollegefbfan]

Around FCS: Scholarships overwhelm talk in PL

By David Coulson, FCS Executive Director

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Patriot League commissioner Carolyn Schlie Femovich was quick to emphasize the 2009 football season when she spoke during the conference's media day last week, which is typical of these events.

But even though the PL appears poised for one of the most competitive races in its 24-year history, the real issue on most media members' minds last week in Bethlehem, PA. was scholarships.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/news/news.aspx?id=4247570

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

I think Coulson nailed Lehigh. The potential for this season is there. The talent level i believe is at the point where they can once again compete and win against the top 15-20 teams in the country. The biggest question is can they finally win the close games or even better, put teams away when they have the chance. Hopefully the win over Lafayette is the confidence they needed to finally get over the hump. The game against Holy Cross has the potential to be insane. Lehigh does matchup quite well with the Crusaders. I think they can keep their offense relatively in check.

[DFW HOYA]

If Coulson nailed Lehigh, he missed on Georgetown. Maybe it's just a pet peeve, but articles like this are why I'm near-convinced that most PL writers pay little or no attention to what they write about Georgetown.

Coulson wrote that "Junior quarterback Keerome Lawrence may be the best athlete in the Patriot League"...except he's not the quarterback in 2009. He was moved to the slot-back after averaging only 48 yards passing per game trading plays with James Brady. In the season finale with Fordham, Lawrence was 0-3 with two interceptions.

Coulson also noted that Lawrence played in the "Georgia Southern-styled option attack." Did he mean Georgia Tech instead, given that Kevin Kelly coached with Tech's Paul Johnson at Navy, his last stop before Georgetown?

Finally, he writes that "Only Georgetown would seemed to be overly challenged by the notion [of scholarships] in this seven-team football league" but provides not one quote, attribution, or example to support this. He could have easily said "Georgetown is following Fordham to the CAA" and it would have as much impact.

This is a better writer than this and with a better season, perhaps he could give Georgetown a second look.

[Model Citizen]

Coulson also noted that Lawrence played in the "Georgia Southern-styled option attack." Did he mean Georgia Tech instead, given that Kevin Kelly coached with Paul Johnson at his last stop before Georgetown?

No, he means Georgia Southern. That's where Johnson was before he went to Tech.


This is better writer than this ...

no comprende.

[DFW HOYA]

The GSU offense may not be as good a comparison with Georgetown because of GU's smaller offensive line--an analogy with Navy might have been more appropriate. (Kevin Kelly coached at Navy where he learned Paul Johnson's run-based efforts; before that, he was at Marshall during Johnson's years at GSU.)

[Fordham]

From a Fordham standpoint, I thought he nailed it. We have a ton returning, including a large # of key contributors from our championship season. The key question is whether or not the overachievers of 2007 show up or the underachievers of 2008.

HC certainly deserves the top spot in any pre-season poll imo. And with the results of the past few seasons as it relates to how the pre-season PL #1 squad goes ... let me say 'phew!' and glad it's them and not us!

[ngineer]

I agree that Coulson described Lehigh's position fairly well...as with the League. There is is really not much daylight between a lot of teams. As for Georgetown, I thought it interesting the Kelly said he expected the Hoyas to "turn a corner", but not THE corner, which is usually the metaphor employed. Maybe it depends in which neighborhood the 'corner' is located..;)

[RichH2]

Given the history of preseason PL picks, I too am ecstatic over HC being #1.
If it was just # of returning starters Bucknell could be #1. Heck they may be anyway