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January 4th, 2008, 02:00 AM
The CSN Way: Whew, 2007
Charles Burton, CSN Columnist
The 2007 season began -- and ended -- with historic achievements. Conference by conference, here’s a look back at the “year that was” in FCS football. The champions, the games of the year, the highest moments, the biggest disappointments, the best players and the unsung heroes, the "what if's" and the peeks forward. Whew, 2007!
Southland Conference
Champions: McNeese State Cowboys
Game Of The Year: November 11th, McNeese State 27, Northwestern State 21.
Not many teams gave the Cowboys a run for their money during the regular season in 2007, but the 4-7 Demons managed to claw back and tie the game at 21 midway through the fourth quarter. It would be the only game in McNeese State’s historic 11-0 season that the Cowboys would be tested, and they delivered: runningback Todrick Pendland rumbled for a 63 yard touchdown run to give the Cowboys the lead, and defensive back Jonathan Walker would seal the win with an interception. Amazingly, McNeese would survive a litany of injuries to key players at wideout, runningback and on the defense and still manage to win the Southland title.
Highest Moment: Nicholls State 16, FBS Rice 14.
Winning a game versus an FBS team is always sweet. But doing it against ex-Texas State head football coach David Bailiff – who always had problems with Nicholls State as the Bobcats’ coach – was especially sweet. Nine of the points came from the defense (defensive back Ladarius Webb returned an interception for a touchdown) and special teams (a blocked punt through the end zone ended up being the difference in the game).
Biggest Disappointment: Southland Athletic Directors.
The teams of the Southland in effect kept most of their teams out of postseason consideration by late October. Knowing that new member Central Arkansas was playoff-ineligible, teams like Nicholls State and Sam Houston State still elected to pack their schedules with sub-D-I opponents and FBS money games. Just switch one of those games with, say, Prairie View A&M (who played only 10 games this year) and their chances of the postseason would have gone up astronomically.
Player Of The Year: McNeese State defensive end Bryan Smith.
It’s hard to overestimate what Smith’s presence meant for the Cowboy defense with his 51 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10 ½ sacks and 4 forced fumbles last year. And that was only in 10 games.
Unsung Player Of The Year: Central Arkansas quarterback Nathan Brown.
The Russellville, Arkansas native didn’t miss a beat after playing a Division I schedule: his 3,084 passing yards and 27 touchdowns gave him Southland Offensive Player of the Year honors and a 6-5 record for his Bears.
What If: Sam Houston State had played Texas State’s schedule?
Let’s assume the Bearkats would have still lost to Central Arkansas and McNeese State. Could the Bearkats could have gone 3-1 against D-II Abeline Christian, South Dakota State, Cal Poly, and FBS Baylor, and still gone 4-2 against their Southland leaguemates? If they had, they would have been in the playoffs.
A Peek Towards 2008:
The scary part is such a large part of the standout players will be taking the field next year. Bryan Smith is gone, but McNeese State fans will be enjoying quarterback Derrick Fourroux again; Central Arkansas fans will be enjoying quarterback Nathan Brown and runningback Brent Grimes next year; Northwestern State will see runningback Byron Lawrence and quarterback Germayne Edmond returning; and don’t count out Sam Houston State with quarterback Rhett Bomar.
READ MORE... http://www.collegesportingnews.com/article.asp?articleid=89669
Charles Burton, CSN Columnist
The 2007 season began -- and ended -- with historic achievements. Conference by conference, here’s a look back at the “year that was” in FCS football. The champions, the games of the year, the highest moments, the biggest disappointments, the best players and the unsung heroes, the "what if's" and the peeks forward. Whew, 2007!
Southland Conference
Champions: McNeese State Cowboys
Game Of The Year: November 11th, McNeese State 27, Northwestern State 21.
Not many teams gave the Cowboys a run for their money during the regular season in 2007, but the 4-7 Demons managed to claw back and tie the game at 21 midway through the fourth quarter. It would be the only game in McNeese State’s historic 11-0 season that the Cowboys would be tested, and they delivered: runningback Todrick Pendland rumbled for a 63 yard touchdown run to give the Cowboys the lead, and defensive back Jonathan Walker would seal the win with an interception. Amazingly, McNeese would survive a litany of injuries to key players at wideout, runningback and on the defense and still manage to win the Southland title.
Highest Moment: Nicholls State 16, FBS Rice 14.
Winning a game versus an FBS team is always sweet. But doing it against ex-Texas State head football coach David Bailiff – who always had problems with Nicholls State as the Bobcats’ coach – was especially sweet. Nine of the points came from the defense (defensive back Ladarius Webb returned an interception for a touchdown) and special teams (a blocked punt through the end zone ended up being the difference in the game).
Biggest Disappointment: Southland Athletic Directors.
The teams of the Southland in effect kept most of their teams out of postseason consideration by late October. Knowing that new member Central Arkansas was playoff-ineligible, teams like Nicholls State and Sam Houston State still elected to pack their schedules with sub-D-I opponents and FBS money games. Just switch one of those games with, say, Prairie View A&M (who played only 10 games this year) and their chances of the postseason would have gone up astronomically.
Player Of The Year: McNeese State defensive end Bryan Smith.
It’s hard to overestimate what Smith’s presence meant for the Cowboy defense with his 51 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10 ½ sacks and 4 forced fumbles last year. And that was only in 10 games.
Unsung Player Of The Year: Central Arkansas quarterback Nathan Brown.
The Russellville, Arkansas native didn’t miss a beat after playing a Division I schedule: his 3,084 passing yards and 27 touchdowns gave him Southland Offensive Player of the Year honors and a 6-5 record for his Bears.
What If: Sam Houston State had played Texas State’s schedule?
Let’s assume the Bearkats would have still lost to Central Arkansas and McNeese State. Could the Bearkats could have gone 3-1 against D-II Abeline Christian, South Dakota State, Cal Poly, and FBS Baylor, and still gone 4-2 against their Southland leaguemates? If they had, they would have been in the playoffs.
A Peek Towards 2008:
The scary part is such a large part of the standout players will be taking the field next year. Bryan Smith is gone, but McNeese State fans will be enjoying quarterback Derrick Fourroux again; Central Arkansas fans will be enjoying quarterback Nathan Brown and runningback Brent Grimes next year; Northwestern State will see runningback Byron Lawrence and quarterback Germayne Edmond returning; and don’t count out Sam Houston State with quarterback Rhett Bomar.
READ MORE... http://www.collegesportingnews.com/article.asp?articleid=89669