2005 IAA superlatives

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Sorry if this has already been done in another thread...

Anyways, these are my picks:

Biggest surprise For me, it was Texas State. Not only in the game but all season long. I don't remember seeing them as being ranked high in the pre-season. I may be wrong but I think TSU even surprised their own fans. Cal Poly gets an honorable mention. UNI doesn't get a nod because their playoff run didn't really surprise me.

Biggest Disappointment I can't pick my own team, so I will go with James Madison. I know you guys are in the mighty A10, but you were the defending national champs. Honorable mention goes to ASU's performance versus LSU. I know a lot of you ASU fans are pleased with how the game came out, but If you guys hadn't blown some opportunities and given up a few big plays, you could have really gave them a scare (kind of like GSU versus UGA in '04).

Best Individual performance Richie Williams in the Championship game. Of course it was not impressive number wise but he showed a lot of heart coming out like that when he was not 100%.

Best Game The national championship game, and not because it was the big game. Two fantastic teams and ending with a long overdue national championship for Jerry Moore. Honorable mention has to go to the GSU Furman game, whicih had very high stakes (rivalry game with Furman needing a win to hold on to a #1 ranking versus GSU needing the win to get into the playoffs).

Best Conference Very exciting races in the Gateway and A10 this year, but I have to go with the Socon. WCU and UTC have really improved, and Furman, ASU, and GSU all had teams that could have gone all the way. I don't care what the power rankings say.

Best Play Don't know of many plays, so I am going to have to go with Dave Dickerson's (I think that is his name) long catch to set up GSU's winning touchdown against Furman.

Best Performance Against a IA team UC Davis' win over Stanford. These guys are pretty much fresh out of DII and they hand Stanford their arses. Honorable mentions goes to WCU versus Cinci (WCU should have won that one) and Texas State versus Texas A&M

Biggest Controversy UL getting in the playoffs instead of YSU.

[HiHiYikas]

Biggest Disappointment...Honorable mention goes to ASU's performance versus LSU. I know a lot of you ASU fans are pleased with how the game came out, but If you guys hadn't blown some opportunities and given up a few big plays, you could have really gave them a scare (kind of like GSU versus UGA in '04).
Your assessment of the game is fair enough, but not sure it ranks among the biggest disappointments of the entire I-AA season.

IMO, LSU 24, ASU 14 would have ranked among the biggest surprises of the year. I'm not sure a game drops from "biggest surprise" to "biggest disappointment" on a 14-point swing.

[AppGuy04]

Biggest Controversy UL getting in the playoffs instead of YSU.

I beg to differ

I would say "the kneel" was the biggest controversy

[Linehawg]

I'm not real sure JMU was as much a disappointment this year as they were a shocker last year. Mickey Matthews will never likely put together teams that consistently challenge. Look at the years just before that when his dismal record had people calling for his head. Why anyone would have renewed his contract remains a mystery. Much of the success was staff-related and with OL coach Newsome leaving (to VaTech), they'll go back to their usual mid-pack level in the A-10 for years to come.

[bandl]

I'm not real sure JMU was as much a disappointment this year as they were a shocker last year. Mickey Matthews will never likely put together teams that consistently challenge. Look at the years just before that when his dismal record had people calling for his head. Why anyone would have renewed his contract remains a mystery. Much of the success was staff-related and with OL coach Newsome leaving (to VaTech), they'll go back to their usual mid-pack level in the A-10 for years to come.

JMU will be near or at the top of the A-10 in '06. There are very few people who are knowledgeable about the A-10 that will doubt that. MM has put together one hell of a squad. JMU's failure's prior to the '04 season do not matter anymore. A NC trophy is one hell of a recruiting tool, as is the top-notch athletic facility that coincided with it.

Also, a guaranteed win against VMI will help JMU rest their 1st stringers (since they won't need to play more than a quarter or so) and prep their 2nd & 3rd stringers before the meat of their A-10 schedule.

[bandl]

Your assessment of the game is fair enough, but not sure it ranks among the biggest disappointments of the entire I-AA season.

IMO, LSU 24, ASU 14 would have ranked among the biggest surprises of the year. I'm not sure a game drops from "biggest surprise" to "biggest disappointment" on a 14-point swing.

I don't care who the I-AA team is....holding LSU to 24 points is one hell of an accomplishment, shut out or not!!! :nod: There is absolutely no way that game should be considered a dissapointment....unless you go to LSU!!! :cool:

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

I don't care who the I-AA team is....holding LSU to 24 points is one hell of an accomplishment, shut out or not!!! :nod: There is absolutely no way that game should be considered a dissapointment....unless you go to LSU!!! :cool:

Like I said, I know that game is still a good stand for ASU and IAA, but I can't help but think how much better it would have been without the simple mental mistakes. In 2004 we showed UGA that we aren't to be taken lightly, but we blew some big chances that could have made the game a lot closer.

[blukeys]

JMU will be near or at the top of the A-10 in '06. There are very few people who are knowledgeable about the A-10 that will doubt that. MM has put together one hell of a squad.


I don't know anyone who can predict who will be at or near the top of the A-10 in any one year. The teams are just to close in talent and too much depends on injuries, intangibles, turnovers etc. JMU in '05 lost some close games that they won in '04. The same could happen in '06.

[SoCon48]

Your assessment of the game is fair enough, but not sure it ranks among the biggest disappointments of the entire I-AA season.

IMO, LSU 24, ASU 14 would have ranked among the biggest surprises of the year. I'm not sure a game drops from "biggest surprise" to "biggest disappointment" on a 14-point swing.

Hard to figure how it was a big disappointment when most posts were predicting 60-70 point losses and squawking about how ASU had whored out the play-offs for a money game.
The biggest disappointment had to be for all those hoping ASU would get its ass handed to them.

[bandl]

I don't know anyone who can predict who will be at or near the top of the A-10 in any one year. The teams are just to close in talent and too much depends on injuries, intangibles, turnovers etc. JMU in '05 lost some close games that they won in '04. The same could happen in '06.
Geez....Add "I predict" to the beginning of my statement. Happy?

[dirtbag]

Biggest surprise

UNI gets it for the way they won. It's impossible to win that many heart-stoppers in a row, but they did.

Biggest Disappointment

WKU. Ranked #1, then lost 4 in a row. Even got blown out by a team that didn't make the playoffs.

Best Individual performance

Barrick Nealy vs. GSU

Best Game

Choose any UNI playoff game.

Best Conference

Southern at the very top, Gateway for the balance

Best Play

Way too subjective

Best Performance Against a IA team

Davis beats Stanford

Biggest Controversy

The kneel.

[Eagle_77]

Here is my version.

Biggest Suprise
WKU's steep fall from #1. This team looked like it would easliy make the playoffs and make a deep run then all of a sudden they fall off the face of the football world.

Biggest Disappointment
CCU not making the playoffs. After beating JMU early it looked like they had a great shot at making the playoffs but then went and lost to their rival in the last game.

Best Individual Performance
I will have to go with Williams in the Championship game as well. His numbers were not great and he didnt beat UNI single handedly but him coming into that game gave App St the emotional spark it needed to win the game.

Best Game
The Championship game was one of the best NC games since the '00 game between GSU and Montana as far as exciting to watch. We could not have asked for a better game in front of a big crowd and National TV. Although I believe there were a few more exciting games (UNI/TXST & ASU/Furman 1 &2) I think this game needs to be the best for what it did for I-AA football.


Best Conference
This year there were several really good conferences. The Big Sky, Gateway, and A-10 all were pretty solid from top to bottom all year, but I believe with UTC and WCU playing better and the Big Three being top 10 teams that the SoCon takes the cake this year.

Best Play
I think the best play that also had a huge affect on the outcome of the game was CCU's "The Catch" verses JMU. There were several outstanding plays thoughout the season but this one was great and had a major impact on the game. Great play!

Best I-A v. I-AA game
I am going to go against the grain here and say App St v. LSU. This game was actually closer than the score says which usually the exact opposite when I-AA teams play BCS schools. This LSU team scored more points against 7 I-A teams (Arizona St, Tennessee, Mississippi St, Vanderbilt, North Texas, Mississippi, and Miami) than they did against ASU.

Biggest Controversy
The Kneel. This is an easy one.

[Pard4Life]

Biggest Controversy UL getting in the playoffs instead of YSU.


Don't you mean LC... Lafayette College?.. we are not University of Lafayette-Louisiana, that woeful I-A program... :nono:

[Pard4Life]

And I don't think we were the biggest controversy.. look at the evidence, we deserved to go in, hands-down.

Biggest controversy is the kneel.. very puzzling move.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Hard to figure how it was a big disappointment when most posts were predicting 60-70 point losses and squawking about how ASU had whored out the play-offs for a money game.
The biggest disappointment had to be for all those hoping ASU would get its ass handed to them.

Please understand that I am not knocking App State. You guys were awesome this year and are deserving of the NC. I'm just saying that I for one was expecting you guys to make it a little closer. I for one was picking a three touchdown game.

Like I said, it's like the GSU-UGA game of 2004. We played a respectable game and shut up a lot of obnoxious UGA fans but I still can't help but be disappointed at some blown opportunities. Jermaine Austin got hurt early, which was a big blow, and our receivers got wide open with no defender between them and the end zone and we didn't get it to them. If you guys had not given up a few big plays, and made a few more big plays yourself, you could have beaten LSU.

[HiHiYikas]

If you guys had not given up a few big plays, and made a few more big plays yourself, you could have beaten LSU.
If ASU not beating LSU was the least bit disappointing to you, you are a credit to this board.

Best Game

Choose any UNI playoff game.
For some reason, I have to go with the one on December 16th.

[NSUDemon98]

Sorry if this has already been done in another thread...

Anyways, these are my picks:

Biggest surprise For me, it was Texas State. Not only in the game but all season long. I don't remember seeing them as being ranked high in the pre-season. I may be wrong but I think TSU even surprised their own fans. Cal Poly gets an honorable mention. UNI doesn't get a nod because their playoff run didn't really surprise me.

Biggest Disappointment I can't pick my own team, so I will go with James Madison. I know you guys are in the mighty A10, but you were the defending national champs. Honorable mention goes to ASU's performance versus LSU. I know a lot of you ASU fans are pleased with how the game came out, but If you guys hadn't blown some opportunities and given up a few big plays, you could have really gave them a scare (kind of like GSU versus UGA in '04).

Best Individual performance Richie Williams in the Championship game. Of course it was not impressive number wise but he showed a lot of heart coming out like that when he was not 100%.

Best Game The national championship game, and not because it was the big game. Two fantastic teams and ending with a long overdue national championship for Jerry Moore. Honorable mention has to go to the GSU Furman game, whicih had very high stakes (rivalry game with Furman needing a win to hold on to a #1 ranking versus GSU needing the win to get into the playoffs).

Best Conference Very exciting races in the Gateway and A10 this year, but I have to go with the Socon. WCU and UTC have really improved, and Furman, ASU, and GSU all had teams that could have gone all the way. I don't care what the power rankings say.

Best Play Don't know of many plays, so I am going to have to go with Dave Dickerson's (I think that is his name) long catch to set up GSU's winning touchdown against Furman.

Best Performance Against a IA team UC Davis' win over Stanford. These guys are pretty much fresh out of DII and they hand Stanford their arses. Honorable mentions goes to WCU versus Cinci (WCU should have won that one) and Texas State versus Texas A&M

Biggest Controversy UL getting in the playoffs instead of YSU.

I would have to say my biggest disappointment for the 2005 season was Northwestern St. The Demons started out the season returning 95% of their 2004 playoff squad that finished the season 8-4. NSU was hyped all summer long and started out the year ranked in the Top 10 in I-AA and with every passing week it seemed our team picked up more problems with injuries, moral and team chemistry.