FCSFBFAN
November 18th, 2017, 01:45 AM
NAU takes a lot of shots on here about their late season collapses but this year I have to give NAU Players and Coaches a bunch of credit for fighting through all the adversity thrown at them.
Week 2, sitting at 0-2 after tough losses to FBS Arizona and a tough WIU team. On Monday of the bye week that followed they learn that their All-American receiver's season is over due to an injury (went down in the first quarter of the WIU game). Then a day later they're told that their HC and Staff are all basically fired. You're fired but go ahead and hang in for 10 more weeks till we can find your replacements. How often does that happen week #2, leaving the entire coaching staff as "Lame ducks" for the remaining 9 games of the season, including your entire conference schedule. Instantly players and coaches become uncertain as to their futures. program recruiting shuts down completely. Their had to be questions about how emotionally and mentally engaged the staff and players could be for the duration of the season. This on top of coming to grips with the fact that your #1 play-maker and team leader is gone. It easily could have spun out of control from that point forward leading to a miserable season…
The exact opposite happened. They rallied, big time. Coaches and Players circled the wagons and rolled off 7 victories in the next 8 weeks. Those 7 wins by an average margin of 20 points. The only loss a tough 2 point loss at Montana after losing their All-American QB in the first 4 minutes of the game.
Now this week they learn that the Athletic Director, the one that fired the coaching staff two weeks into the season, has left the school to take another job. The night before you hit the road to play for a Conference Championship against a top 10 team, the one who’s responsible for finding your next coach has bailed on the team.
Nobody seems to think an NAU win @ SUU is possible, but I think this team rises up again tomorrow, and finishes off strong, the run they started together 9 weeks ago.
Good Luck to the Jacks, Coach Souers & his Staff! They kept this team together when it could have fallen apart.
Week 2, sitting at 0-2 after tough losses to FBS Arizona and a tough WIU team. On Monday of the bye week that followed they learn that their All-American receiver's season is over due to an injury (went down in the first quarter of the WIU game). Then a day later they're told that their HC and Staff are all basically fired. You're fired but go ahead and hang in for 10 more weeks till we can find your replacements. How often does that happen week #2, leaving the entire coaching staff as "Lame ducks" for the remaining 9 games of the season, including your entire conference schedule. Instantly players and coaches become uncertain as to their futures. program recruiting shuts down completely. Their had to be questions about how emotionally and mentally engaged the staff and players could be for the duration of the season. This on top of coming to grips with the fact that your #1 play-maker and team leader is gone. It easily could have spun out of control from that point forward leading to a miserable season…
The exact opposite happened. They rallied, big time. Coaches and Players circled the wagons and rolled off 7 victories in the next 8 weeks. Those 7 wins by an average margin of 20 points. The only loss a tough 2 point loss at Montana after losing their All-American QB in the first 4 minutes of the game.
Now this week they learn that the Athletic Director, the one that fired the coaching staff two weeks into the season, has left the school to take another job. The night before you hit the road to play for a Conference Championship against a top 10 team, the one who’s responsible for finding your next coach has bailed on the team.
Nobody seems to think an NAU win @ SUU is possible, but I think this team rises up again tomorrow, and finishes off strong, the run they started together 9 weeks ago.
Good Luck to the Jacks, Coach Souers & his Staff! They kept this team together when it could have fallen apart.