GAMEDAY THURSDAY

Before I get to the predictions, let me tell a short story. It will tie into the situation tonight in Thibodaux.

The year was 1968 and the Lake Charles Wildcats had risen to #1 in the polls of 4A(AA at this time)football. The Cats had lost to cross town rival LaGrange 7-0 in a non-conference game, but had beaten Sulphur 21-7 as they entered district play. The opponent meant very little to the Wildcats because the Eunice Bobcats were not a program that had ever played Lake Charles. The coaches did their best to warn the team, but little did they know that this was the biggest event in Eunice history as the big city boys were coming to Bobcat Stadium. Add in the #1 ranking, and it was the perfect storm.

I have been going to sporting events for over 55 years and have seen plenty of rival games. I have coached in some games in which fans paint schools, cry after the loss, and losing ruins the whole season. But nothing prepared me for the Eunice Bobcats. The stadium was old, wooden bleachers setting in an environment in which fans were near the field and bamboo ran around the stadium perimeters. The crowd noise was ten times what it should have been.

I knew we were in trouble when the teams left the field and the stadium was already packed and buzzing. Then 15 minutes later, the home side was vacant. Where in the hell did everyone go? Well, they formed a tunnel from the fieldhouse dressing room all the way to the stadium and through the goals post to the home bench. It was like homecoming except everyone lining the tunnel was in flannel, John Deere hats, and many were in overalls. Yes, these people were the salt of the earth type people and their sons were about to bring pride to the entire community. This was not LCHS vs Eunice High School; this was the city sleekers vs the common man and the small town principals.

The worst feeling is when the team comes running out in new uniforms for the first time. I am not big on seeing all-green uniforms even if it is Notre Dame, so this was shocking to begin with. The team was so proud of these new duds that they were like a bunch of peacocks prancing down Miami Beach.

You know this impressed me if I still remember this game nearly 50 years later. As an assistant coach, I have been escorted by buses and police cars through the town of Grambling on the way to play Grambling High School the night after violence in the town. It was an eerie  feeling, but not intimidating, or I was too young and stupid to be intimidated. I have been apart of the Barbe basketball team being escorted by cops into McKinley High School and seeing our bus locked up in a fenced yard. It was intimidating to be the only 15 white guys in a crowd of 2000 screaming fans that wanted our scalp. I don’t remember maybe we had 10 parents going on the trip for this first round playoff game.

We lost at Grambling, and we lost at McKinley.

So I have seen many rival games, but those damn green uniforms, the firing of that cannon when the team went on the field, and the hugging and kissing of the players prior to the game will never be forgotten. Yes, we lost our only district game in two years and had to meander our way through every town member rushing the field to carry the boys off. This is what high school football is all about, and I love the pride that the citizens of Eunice displayed.

The question I have this morning: Is this a setup to see a repeat of this 49 years later. We do know to expect a sea of red at the stadium, and then the explosion when those Colonels come prancing out in those brand new all-red uniforms. Factor in a brand new green turf to play on, a refurbished Guidry Stadium and your most hated opponent all rolled up into one night of celebration seems too perfect. A Eunice game comes around only once in a lifetime, and I want to keep it that way.

ULM AT MEMPHIS (-26)

Coach Viator hopes to get the new season off to a good start, but Memphis is a tall order. If the weather remains rainy and slick, I think the Warhawks will have no trouble playing under the 63 Over and Under predicted. The line of 26 will be much closer as well.  Memphis 35 ULM 20

MCNEESE AT NICHOLLS STATE (+3.5) O & U 55.5

I hope I am overplaying the home-field advantage and the welcome party planned for the Pokes. It just seems so much like Eunice, but the situation is different. McNeese is not coming off two big rival games, nor should they be shocked by what is waiting for them in Thibodaux.  The Pokes have a senior ballclub and a returning quarterback, so stage fright should not be expected.

The key to the game will boil down to the McNeese offensive line keeping the Nicholls rush off Tabary as well as getting a running game going. Last year’s win was basically due to the Pokes stopping the Colonels run game and forcing Nicholls into predictable passing downs. Coach Rebowe has stated the Colonels will establish the run this year and take their shots down field with three speedy wide receivers.

I have to assume that abbreviated workouts and lack of contact in the final 12 days could affect tackling, timing, and conditioning. I do hope the Pokes substitute freely and can have some stamina in the fourth quarter. I really thought the Pokes wore down late in the 3rd quarter last year at ULL and their tackling started to miss in the fourth quarter. I feel we match up well with Nicholls as to depth, probably deeper in many positions, so this will be something to keep an eye on.

My biggest concern in any opening game that is not against a inferior opponent is mistakes. We are replacing our deep snapper, so we must avoid a blocked kick or a mistake in the kicking game. The cover units on the kickoff will be seeing an opponent for the first time so one guy not staying in his lane can deliver a long run back. And of course, fatigue and cramping in the first game are more prevalent than any game during the year. We think we are in great game shape, but you never know until you rush the passer 60 times on a humid night, or backpedal with a wide receiver for about 40 times.

It appears that Coach Rebowe is more concerned about being over-hyped and ready than not. Rebowe told the local paper that his team was more than ready and super-hyped, but hopes they play within themselves and not try to over do it.

My consensus opinion of how the actual match-ups of the game will take place is pretty simple. The Nicholls State defensive line should have an advantage over the McNeese offensive line since that is their strongest point. Therefore, the key will be to establish some type of running game and protect Tabary. I do think the Cowboys have an advantage at the skill positions, especially our wide receivers against their defensive backs. The Pokes were very inconsistent on defense last year and gave up way too many “chunk” plays in which the offense gained 20 plus yards. I need not remind fans that Fourcade to Jeanpierre on the first play last year went for 51 yards.

As much as I do believe that our secondary is much better than a year ago, they are untested. Coach Guidry mentioned that the reason his depth chart at boundary corner has changed so much is that all three candidates have good days, followed by bad days. In other words, they are getting burned time to time. All eyes will be on them tonight to limit the deep ball and prevent the big play.  There is no doubt what Lance Guidry will do as the defensive coordinator. He will stack the box with his safeties and try to shut down the running game. This means more action for tight end Stephen LeBouef and Dontrell Taylor in the flat for some release passes.

I have kicked around several options to picking this game. Eunice keeps coming back into my head, and I see a real “setup” game. My better judgment tells me that eleven players play the game, and the game stays within the white lines. IF the Pokes can avoid a bad start when emotion will be the highest, it should settle down to execution and who is winning the battles.  I like the Pokes’ chances when it is pure match ups of positions. Defense usually prevails in the first few games as offenses tend to be behind early. With the altered practice schedules, etc., I am expecting more defense in this game. The over and under is 55.5 so I think the final score will be less. I am going with McNeese 24 Nicholls 21.

DISMCLAIMER:

Some of the readers may have read a Facebook account for McNeese fans called “Geaux Cowboys Fan Discussion.” I generally do not post on this site, but my wires got crossed up on Wednesday, and I posted a personal message intended for someone else. Some McNeese fans took exception to my comments which I apologize for. I do have friends who also play the legal sports book, and I communicate with them from time to time on certain games.

I wrote that the LSU vs BYU game gambling line had been taken down on a few Las Vegas boards. This is not that uncommon during early week postings if something is uncertain. After communicating with a few people that do investigate and follow the lines day to day, they informed me that it was taken off the board temporary due to comments made by Coach O at a press conference. One of the reasons that coaches close practices at the very elite level is not necessarily spying which is very rare, but information about injuries and suspensions can be broadcast by the media. The NFL has rules that force teams to announce by Wednesday any suspensions or injuries that can affect gamblers.

So having done this for many years, I do my homework. Who is playing is very important, especially at quarterback.  I have mentioned that Michigan will not release a depth chart for Florida, and Florida in return lists three starting quarterbacks. This is all just posturing for the first game and not to divulge if the running quarterback or the statue quarterback is playing. We all remember just how much different our offense was with Tyler Bolfing vs Daniel Sams.

Therefore, I posted, unintentionally, that the LSU line was off the board and national radio people were suggesting some players maybe suspended, but LSU is not being transparent about who is or who is not playing. A depth chart has been released, but most fans do not try to interpret what the depth chart maybe telling them. My last comment which was not intended for McNeese fans was “Maybe Lance is hiding something as well.” Since I was not targeting this audience, I did not specify exactly what I meant because the intended audience had been told previously in conversation about my concerns that maybe a player or two might not be able to play this week.

Although some readers think I have some connection in the fieldhouse or other connection, I DO NOT. Most of my comments just come from experience of reading the tea leaves. So I have no direct knowledge of any position changes, etc. but I can accurately predict a change like Lawayne Ross to tight end because it just made sense. No one told me that they might do this. So when I read that DeoneDre Skinner did not make the two deep depth chart after being the projected starter, I just automatically suspect an injury or a discipline problem. There is not proof to anything more than he was beat out by two others.

I don’t write this to start rumors or have fans read into something that is not there. When I see our #1 WR from a year ago not in either of the three wide out starting positions, I just think to myself that maybe Darius got hurt during camp and the coaches are hiding it. I have no clue and from all indications, he got beat out by Batiste. I expected Marcus Foster to push for a backup linebacker spot after the year he had last year. However, he has not been mentioned one time from a scrimmage and not mentioned when the top five linebackers have been mentioned by coaches. Thus, I always think maybe he is hurt.

Christian Robinson came from UAB and I thought he would be a big asset at DE. Since he didnot get mentioned this camp in any articles or coaches discussion, I wondered if he was hurt or disciplined.

But I grew up in the coaching business and around some of the biggest liars known to coaching circles. LOL. This is not meant to be derogatory, but that is just the way it is. I remember getting snowed by both Dutton Wall of Welsh and Shannon Suarez of Sulphur in different years at district meetings. Coach Wall told me he had nothing returning and it was his worst team he had coached. They were small and inexperienced. I told our staff what he told me and they laughed and said “You will learn.” Welsh went 10-0 that year. Shannon was even worse. LOL

So forgive me for not taking everything at face value that is told to the media. Have you heard the word “fake news”? Well, there is plenty of in the coaching world as well.

So my comment that McNeese could be holding something back was taken out of context. I am sure all is as it appears to be. However, I can give you 100 examples of past depth charts being issued on Friday’s Game Notes and find out at 6PM on Saturday night that Joe Blow is not dressed out.

 

AUGUST 30 WEDNESDAY

Nicholls community buzzing as football opener approaches

This is the headline of the local paper in Houma. The article is about how fired up the fans, students, and team are to get McNeese on a Thursday night to start the season. Season tickets are up, new booster clubs have been formed, and fans are planning a party for Thursday night. I could go on and on about the hype for the game, but it appears it is working out perfectly for the Colonels.

I hope I don’t scare myself into a wild prediction on Thursday, but this scouting report will get anyone’s attention.

NOTE: NICHOLLS STATE REQUIRES A CLEAR BAG TO BRING ANYTHING INTO THE STADIUM. THE NSU BOOKSTORE WILL BE SELLING THE CLEAR BAGS OUTSIDE THE STADIUM.

 

                                                   NICHOLLS STATE SCOUTING REPORT

The Colonels have high hopes for a Southland Conference title in 2017 based on how they improved throughout the 2016 season. The Colonels proved they were headed into the right direction by falling short at Georgia in the opening game by a 24-26 score. Two weeks later, the Colonels had South Alabama on the ropes late in the game, but failed to hold USA in the final minute of play. The Colonels went for the win in overtime by going for two, thus failing 40-41.

Coach Rebowe had the fourth best defense in the SLC last year, but it is his offense that has him super excited for 2017. The Colonels survived playing a true freshman at quarterback in 2016, so they expect big things this year. The improvement in November was staggering as the Colonels ran up and down the field against the Southland’s best defense in UCA’s. The final tally was 471 yrds for Nicholls. The Colonels proved that was no fluke by lighting up Southeastern Louisiana for 577 yards. They averaged 450 yards of offense over the past five games with McNeese standing in their way to continue the streak of breaking 400 yards.

The Colonels are working double time on defending the pass since McNeese threw for 367 yards last year. However, they are very confident their defensive line will have no problem stopping the run due to completely shutting down the Pokes last year. McNeese rushed 26 times for 71 yards and their leading rusher had 19 yards on 13 carries. The Colonels have a very stout front four returning in tact. It is led by 1st team all SLC Sulley Laiche who has gone from 242 to 270 in the off-season. Lazarius Ona gave the Pokes hell last year and he returns at 290 pounds. Kenny Dotson (290) and Terrell Encalade(240)man the defensive end positions. Former TCU Hornfrog Tevin Lawson is penciled in with the 2nd unit, but I expect him to see plenty of action. He is 6’3 285.

Rebowe is proudest of his dynamic duo of Hezekiah White and Allen Pittman at linebacker. Pittman is an All-SLC linebacker who had six tackles against McNeese last year. The biggest loss on defense was the two stellar seniors the Colonels had last year. Sanders and Hall held the secondary together, but both have departed. The other nine starters return.

On offense everything starts with Chase Fourcade. The sophomore quarterback can count on his Rummel High School teammate Damion Jeanpiere to be his top target. Jeanpiere burned the Pokes on the first play of the game a year ago with a 51 yard catch. Christian Booker and DaiJean Dixon have been having great scrimmages.

Dontrell Tayler and Kyran Irvin will handle most of the running game for Nicholls. Taylor is a 180lb back while Irvin is 6’1 225. The Colonels lost two starting offensive linemen, but return pre-season All SLC center Ryan Hanley and All -SLC offensive tackle Chandler Arceneaux(6’5 295).

Coach Rebowe has bragged about his great tightend Stephen LeBouef, so we can expect the Colonels to throw to him at times. Freshman David Mosley of Rummel backs him up.

I won’t go into detail about the Nicholls  State schemes on offense and defense only to say they are multiple. They will be in the shotgun much of the time with one running back and a tight end. They will go into a “empty set” with three or four wide outs as well. The one aspect that they will look different than McNeese is that Fourcade will roll out and throw more on the run than Tabary. I have seen them run the option near the goal line in scrimmages this fall, so I expect a QB keeper on short yardage.

K.C Keeler likes to call his offense a RPO. Phil Longo has left Sam Houston for Ole Miss , but in an interview this week he spoke of his RPO. This stands for Run, Pass, or Option for the quarterback. I would not be shocked if Nicholls is trying to incorporate some form of this scheme with Fourcade and Tuskani Figero. Of course, I do not expect the QB keeper often because of injury concerns, but Sam Houston really keeps the safeties out of the box by having the option of throwing when the quarterback is running.

Tuskani Figero(6’3 220 ) redshirted last year as a senior and has returned for his 5th year. My take on this is that Coach Rebowe has promised some action this year as a running quarterback to surprise opponents. If they will run the option with Fourcade, you can bet when #8 comes into the game it is not for passing.

Most of last year’s game video was shot by Nicholls State from ground level. It makes it more difficult for me to see splits and formations. Defensively, the Colonels are generally in a four man front, two linebackers, and five defensive backs. They will bring the strong safety up to be a 3rd LB or flank on the end in order to get a five man rush. They will blitz and you can bet they will be testing the Pokes OL very early in the game.

One thing you can pick up on with comparing the 2016 depth chart with the depth chart for this game is the disappearance of some returning backups. This shows me that the recruiting is picking up and Nicholls has replaced five backups from a year ago with younger players or transfers. An example would be the premier kickoff returner Stefano Guarisco who had 777 yards returned in 2016. The 5’8 165 speedster has been replaced by Jay Jay Smith (6’2 205 4.5) out of Gulf Coast Mississippi CC to return kickoffs.

So in a nutshell, this is what the Pokes will be facing tomorrow night. I know the Colonels are sky high for this game as their players, fans, and coaches have expressed. But most opening night games are emotional if it is a competitive challenge. There will be about 20% of the action this weekend that would qualify as “juice” games. Most openers are “guarantee games” which are are not competitive.

LSU vs BYU NOTES:

Arden Key is definitely out for this game and a true freshman will take his spot. BYU has 36 married guys on the team and their average age for all players is 21.7. There is a reputation that all the BYU players are in their mid to late 20’s, but that is rare. But if they have a couple of guys like this, the TV guys will harp on it. LSU’s average age is right at 20.9.

ULM is traveling today to Memphis to play Thursday night. However, Harvey is thinking about stopping over on Thursday evening and causing havoc with the ballgame. The more rain you have is usually an indication to bet the under on total score and go with the underdog because rain is generally a good equalizer.

RANGER -ASTRO OPINION

The Texas Rangers are getting hammered on social media and all outlets in Houston over their refusal to swap series with the Astros. I was very disappointed with Reid Ryan giving the media a one- sided version of what actually happened. It caused the Houston media and fans to go wild in ripping folks from North Texas. Yes, it was not just criticism of the Rangers, but anything DFW as their hatred came out in full force. Here is the truth which is not coming from just the Rangers front office, but by MLB.

The Astros asked the Rangers to take the three game series in the last week of the season and move it to Houston. In return, the Rangers could have Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at home. Rangers season ticket holders have darkened those dates in September and planned ahead just as LSU fans plan months in advance to what games they will be attending. It is not simple to ask over 20,000 season ticket holders to make their tickets in September good for three midweek games on one day notice. The Rangers have a  policy of taking the tickets and placing them on a site similar to STUB HUB and allowing fans to sell their tickets. Local ticket brokers said that with a 24 hour notice and with a chance of bad weather, less than 10% of those tickets could have been sold, most of which go for $80-$140 per game.

The Rangers policy is that if those tickets do not get sold, they will buy back those tickets. It would have been a financial disaster for the Rangers. Furthermore, there is a slight hope(3 games out) that the Rangers could get a wild-card spot. They would be forced to play 12 games in a 14 day period all on the road in the final 20 days of the year. A real large competitive disadvantage. The Astros are so far ahead that no schedule change will have an impact. Yes, they do want to have the best record in baseball, but they have a 5 game lead on that.

So what did the Rangers do? First of all, our co-owner Neil Leibman lives in Memorial in Houston, our manager Jeff Banister lives in the Clear Lake area, and our pitching coach Doug Brocail lives in North Houston. They all wanted to help Houston and they all favored having their families in Dallas for this series. Thus, they offered Houston the stadium to play the three games just as if they were at home. The Astros would get every dollar earned at the gate and be the home team. There are estimates of over 300,000 Houstonians in the area this week. We had a number of folks recognized at our church on Sunday. The hotels are full and we have Michigan and Florida fans arriving tomorrow.

With that said, the Cowboys and the Rangers put everything aside to welcome both the Astros and Texans. What a great way to get their minds off their problems by getting to see the Texans and Astros play this week. The Rangers were going to have fundraisers all three nights to raise money for Houston. Jerry Jones is doing something for Thursday. It doesnot make sense to me that the Astros are comfortably in their hotels and their families can stay with them thru Thursday, but they refuse the deal.  The crowds would have been pro Astros and if the Houston brass wanted to be good Samaritans, they could set the price for ticket prices, or let Houston fans in for free.

The Astros made the wrong choice. They forced Texas and the Astros to spend another $100,000 each to fly 1700 miles in order to play in front of 3,300 fans last night. The crowds will be less tonight. The Astros were separated from their families as were several Rangers. Delino Deshields wrote a passionate letter to Houston fans to not be upset at the Rangers because he lives in Houston, and he knows the real truth.

As more and more Houston fans call North Texas people all kinds of names and declare that this is typical DFW and they all suck, DFW is sending hundreds of religious organizations to Houston to help, and several groups are having fund raisers to send money to Houston. The Rangers will still have fund raisers for the folks in Houston during the next series. The owner says he will start the ball rolling by donating a minimum of a million dollars. The Cowboys have changed their practice schedules to accommodate the Texans and have made them feel at home. There will be stations set up to donate at the game tomorrow night.

All money gathered from the Texans exhibition game will be donated to Harvey Relief Fund. Jerry Jones started out by making a donation to the Red Cross of $100,000 and will donate more to a fund he is setting up with the Cowboys. Jason Whitten and others are auctioning off their suites in the stadium and giving the money to this fund raiser.

Bottom line is you have to ask Reid Ryan why he turned down such an offer. Most are saying both organizations looked after their best interests, so I will accept that.  Reid got angry when he could not have the series this week count as the Rangers’ home games and allowing Houston to host those games in the last week of the season. Every neutral writer in the country has said that all of the burden was switched from the Astros to the Rangers to screw their ticket base and change the dates to within 24 hours of posting. The Astros will be faced with playing several road games in a row, but they could have at least stayed in Arlington until Friday morning.

It is almost like Reid Ryan was more interested in proving to the fan base(if anyone is actually paying attention) that he is not going to let the Rangers dictate to him. This is called the “Joe Alleva” syndrome. Every SEC pundit that discussed the LSU vs Florida dispute said that Joe played to his fan base who demanded that the game be played in Tiger Stadium. No one believed that thousands of coastal residents in Gainesville had made it very unlikely to play this game. It was more popular to get on Social Media and call Florida “chickens” and scared to play LSU.  We know how that worked out! So Alleva won the battle, but he lost the war. He got his home game, but will force his coach to play two consecutive games at Florida.

 

UPDATE 2PM

Nicholls State administration has announced that the football game with McNeese is as scheduled. The game will start at 7PM on Thursday night. Coach Rebowe has tweeted out his team is ready to roll after a great fall camp.

AUGUST 29 TUESDAY

McNeese football rode the buses to Lafayette on Monday morning to finally get a practice in for Nicholls State. The Pokes went with half-pads so this pretty much assures the Pokes will enter Thursday night’s game almost two weeks from the last scrimmage. No word on today’s practice, but I am thinking another day in Lafayette is possible. This will be the last real practice before departure. I am hoping they are getting some wind sprints in and the humidity indoors is 100%. LOL

 

                                                         NEWS AND NOTES

LSU and BYU will play their game in the New Orleans Superdome on Saturday night at 8:30PM. ESPN has directed these proceedings and this fits right into the time slot they were hoping to fill. Florida and Michigan will play at 2:30PM in Jerry World, while Bama and Florida State hit the big screen Saturday night in Atlanta at 7PM. ABC gets the two premium games with Michigan vs Florida and Bama  vs Florida State. ESPN will show the LSU vs BYU game.

Sam Houston State has announced that their battle with Richmond will be played this Friday night at Baylor in Waco. Sam Houston is refunding the money for the Sunday game and Baylor will not charge admission on Friday night. It is going to be tough to draw a crowd in Texas butting heads with the opening week of high school football.

A couple of interesting notes for the three major FBS matchups of local interest. Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher have NEVER lost an opening game in their coaching careers. This will mark the first time since the AP poll came out in 1950 that two of the top three AP teams have faced each other. Bama remains a 7.5 favorite, but many wise guys are expected to jump on FSU late if the line remains at 7 or above.

Florida is leaving seven players at home due to suspensions. The line is floating at around Michigan minus 4. However, Michigan is rebuilding their defense and don’t be surprised if the Gators have some surprises up their sleeves . Coach “Khaki Pants” of Michigan is spreading the red-ass as he is famous for doing. Florida and 100% of the media have begged Michigan to release a roster for this season, but Harbaugh refuses. I am not talking depth chart: I am talking just a plain roster who is on the Michigan team. The pundits on the radio say he is just trying to play the bad guy and stir up trouble to deflect questions about his game plan.

Southeastern Louisiana announced that LSU transfer Maea Teuhema will start for the Lions against ULL on Saturday night. This is really shocking. This game is scheduled for 6PM in Lafayette. With Teuhema’s departure, LSU has had to put a true freshman in the starting left guard spot. Coach O has not told the media whether it is Saahdig Charles or Ed Ingram, but either way it will be a true freshman. This will be the first time in 20 years that LSU has started a freshman in the offensive line to start the season.

LSU also announced that local product Jack Gonsoulin has won the field goal kicking job. The favorite for the job was Conner Culp, a U.S. Army All-American. Gonsoulin is a walk-on.

The city of Houston is facing a huge crisis with the flooding of streets, houses, and establishments. Regardless of the job everyone is trying to do, this is going to take years to recover from. Hats off to Texans with a helping hand, the Louisiana Cajun Navy, FEMA, and all of the outside agencies like Red Cross that are jumping up to assist. I may be too optimistic, but I think we are going to see many folks in Texas and across the USA step up and donate time, energy, equipment, and money to help these people out. Let’s just mentally push this thing north and get it out of the affected areas.

I will breakdown the Nicholls State game on Wednesday and have the picks for the weekend as well. For those interested, here are a few lines for games of interest. I am also including the Over and Under because it is a hint to what the handicappers think will dominate, offense or defense?

McNeese -3.5 at Nicholls State   O&U is 57.5 which indicates a lot of points .

BYU at LSU -14.5   O & U is 47 / LSU jumped two points after the game was moved to New Orleans.

Southeastern Louisiana at ULL -15.5 O/U is 52.

ULM at Memphis(Thursday) -26   O/U is 67.

Grambling at Tulane- -17 O/U is 41.

SFA at SMU -31 O/U is 70.0

Lamar at UNT -18.5 No O/U

Northwestern State at La. Tech -35  O/U is 71.

HBU at Texas State -17.5 No O/U

Central Arkansas at Kansas State -28 O/U is 51.

These lines are out of Las Vegas. They will change prior to the game as gamblers chose their side. The most accurate FCS lines do not come out until the day of the game and are with the off-shore business I deal with.

As much as I want to see the opening of the football season for McNeese, I am at the point that I am hoping Nicholls State will postpone this game. The practice schedule has been almost impossible, and who wants a conference game played under these conditions? It appears it will be a rainy day on Thursday in Thibodeaux so yet another hurdle to jump.

AUGUST 28 MONDAY

The latest details on the LSU vs BYU game, McNeese at Nicholls State, and other state games are that they are all still on schedule. There is no doubt that the LSU game will be moved out of Houston, and I expect today that the announcement will be that the Super Dome will host the game on Saturday. IF the depression moves towards Galveston and then turns northward on Wednesday, we can almost count on Thursday night in Thibodeaux for the Pokes. ESPN is co-sponsor with Lone Star Sports Marketing Company on the LSU game, so they will make all the decisions for that game. You can count on one thing: it will be played on Saturday. Mormons cannot play on Sunday.

It is very difficult to complain about our sports lives being affected when millions of people’s lives are being affected by something much more serious. However, this is a sports blog and most readers will understand my need to discuss the effects of the weather on athletic events. My concern over conditioning and practice time outdoors for McNeese has changed from concern to worry. I can relate as an athlete; I know  what two days off during a week of training for a weekend track meet can do to conditioning. It can make you think that you have been wasting the last month of training because the time is so poor.

I know from experience as a basketball player that Christmas holidays often tremendously affected team continuity as well as conditioning if the coach gave us more than three days off. As a coach, I tried to give the kids some time off, but it never failed that they had five thumbs upon returning.

McNeese has been in the confines of the Rec -Complex for the past three practices. I observed many practices in the 1980’s and 1990’s in the Rec-Complex because that is where I worked. It was a half-ass walk-through at best with players wearing tennis shoes and not being able to move very quickly. One day is not a waste because you are getting mental repetition, but three days are a waste. McNeese will be traveling today to Lafayette to use the Cajuns Indoor Facility.  Thanks to Coach Hudspeth and the athletic department for their gesture.

What some fans may not realize is that Tuesday and Wednesday are the most important days of practice during a typical Saturday routine. These are the days you go out in pads and do some physical work and put in the game plan. On a Thursday game situation, your tough days are Sunday and Monday. Tuesday will be the typical half pad “Wednesday” and on Wednesday the Pokes will travel. My guess is the Pokes will return to ULL on Tuesday for another workout and stop at LSU on Wednesday for the walk-thru.

I got a chance to listen to Rick Neuheisel interview Clemson’s head football coach Dabo Sweeney on Friday. It did me a world of good as to attitude. Dabo is a very positive, upbeat person who does not waste time being negative. His message was inspiring, and I can see why Clemson has risen from the ashes.

My intention this week was to follow the company line of Zem’s Gems which is a conservative outlook to the season as well as each Friday’s predictions. I have apologized for the 20 years that I have been doing this page for not being more of a “homer” and blowing some hot air up all of your dresses. I am sorry but every coach I had was old school, and every coach I worked for was cut from the same cloth. You called the shots as you saw them and marketing, selling tickets, or building egos were not part of the progress. This was way before the”Everyone gets a trophy” era and “Let’s just be friends” era.

So if you know the speaker’s philosophy, you can read into the meaning of my words because you know I am not going to hype anything beyond the scope of my confidence. Every year I catch a few new readers who are parents of freshman, etc. who are a little taken back by me picking McNeese to lose, or me pointing a finger at a weakness. I do my best not to point the finger at individuals by name, but just discuss what fans would discuss at the barber shop or at the local cafe. If something needs fixing, this is what we talk about.

So I am really hoping we can get a clear path to the season opener and I can avoid having to use excuses out of our control. I know I speak for all programs that have been interrupted by these events. It is like a Jamboree being played in the rain; it is hard to put a lot of stock in the results of a poor performance.

I was planning a long discussion on the entire McNeese season and give the reader some fodder to discuss. I did put up my SLC predictions on Sunday, and I will get into the weekly schedule with Tuesday’s weekend Las Vegas lines and a look at big national and state games coming up. I will preview Nicholls on Wednesday with keys to the game. Generally Friday will be the Crystal Ball segment, but I will do this on Thursday morning this week.

My viewpoint on the season was influenced by Dabo Sweeney’s interview about positive thinking and the vibes that a program must have to be successful. “Debbie Downer” is not the right attitude heading into week one. There is no doubt that it will be an uphill battle if this thing blows up on us on Thursday night. I am on record for weeks criticizing the agreement to open the season with a road conference game. I  put a big emphasis on team goals and how a team’s season can be altered by those goals being changed. It is only one game, but just as Oregon State’s 32 point loss to a Group of Five program(Colorado State) has caused a huge uproar in the Far West, an opening game can either be a spring board forward, or it can break momentum.

But my choice is to look at this season in a positive light. I cannot predict how the players react to coaching, nor can I predict motivation or team chemistry. But I have seen every McNeese team play since 1962. I have covered recruiting closely since the late 1970’s when I first subscribed to the very first recruiting newsletter in the state of Texas. There have been years that I really can see deficiencies in the depth chart, and I have been a pretty good gauge of up and coming talent.

I told everyone that would listen that in 1991 we had players on the way and not to judge Bobby Keasler on his 5-6 record in year one. I wrote in 1999 that I sensed a resurrection in talent that would cover the 2000-2003 era. I can go all the way back to my first year at McNeese in the early 1980’s when I saw the end of a great three or four year run of great athletes named Guilbeaux, Smith, Jordon, Starring, and Barrouse to name a few.

I am not going to make a comparison to any of those great eras. The year 2017 is really a oxymoron.  I do believe that Coach Viator thought that 2017 would be a large senior class that would produce a good team. But the 2016 season showed enough cracks in personnel that just returning a large group from a 6-5 season was not going to be a guarantee of improvement. I am very happy that Coach Guidry and the staff owned up to their shortcomings and did not try to sell us a “bad luck” explanation on the season. We earned our 6-5 season and you have to own it.

I wrote last January that the return of a large senior class would not be enough to compete for a conference championship. We needed competition at all positions. If our offensive line was a problem, don’t expect that starters returning would automatically solve the problems. We had problems with the secondary that actually cost us two ballgames, so there had to be some personnel changes.

The bottom line is I think we have had the competition necessary to improve the team. The Pokes have added some cornerbacks with speed, and they have added a safety who can really help the back three. I will not go through all the positions because I have already covered the depth chart. I do think we are improved on defense, and I do think that we are deep at wide receiver, running back; and we are developing an offensive line.

Will this all come together Thursday night? Probably not. But if they can escape Thibodeaux with a win, it will only get better, in my opinion. I thought the offense was like a ship without a rudder last season. I loved what Coach Hoefer did with the spread, but we had way too many 2nd and short that ended up punting the football. This offense must be able to control the line of scrimmage and keep the chains moving by running the football. We showed flashes against ULL that was really impressive, but how many times did we bog down inside the 25 yard line? SFA and SLU lacked a continuity to the offense that I come to expect. If the defense is going to be great again, they are going to need good field position and fewer plays run against them.

Let’s just stop it right now and cut to the chase. We are a better football team than a year ago. So what is it going to take to hit the goals the staff has proposed? It is great to talk about national titles, but unless you are Alabama, Florida State, or Clemson, you better be worried about just getting to the playoffs. There are only 3 FBS coaches who have national titles to their name. Miles and Stoops are gone.

My goals are to win the conference championship, make the playoffs, and win a freaking playoff game. Who knows, if you are playing well enough to win a playoff game, you are probably good enough to win two, maybe three. As a coach I always broke my schedule down into segments. Bear Bryant told us that to be successful on Saturdays, you had to be successful in February.

Coach Bryant said it was very important to be more talented than 80-90% of your schedule. In other words, he felt it was important to have only a three game schedule in which his team had to be at an emotional peak. I think we can say that Nick Saban has recruited to this philosophy, so he will only be tested in probably three or four ballgames. The trouble with being “just good enough” allows factors that you cannot control to play a big part in winning and losing. I can give you five key parts in the ULL, SLU, and SFA game that would have turned the tide. I am not talking about huge plays , just the bounce of the ball, a dropped passed, a missed field goal, etc.

You run into this in basketball as well if 75% of your games come down to the final two minutes. The game switches from talent vs talent to free throw shooting, shot selection, and turnovers. You are asking for the impossible(or improbable) if you consistently expecting to get all the breaks down the stretch. This is part of Lester Miles’ problem. LSU was clearly favored in all but one or two games, sometimes by as much as 10-15 points in SEC games, but their style of play and play selection kept the games closer and depending on key spots in the final minutes. As one reporter pointed out, his time-management problem was saved on four occasions(in ten years) in which a play was made in the final seconds to bail out the Tigers.

I am a gambler so I am familiar with odds and probability. Teams that are favored by double digits are most likely to win over 90% of the time. LSU is up to 13 points over BYU so the expectations are that LSU has a very high probability of a win. In 1993, 1994, and 1995 McNeese was superior to every team in the Southland Conference, some by a large margin. So when they faced SFA in a big game, they could focus on that game. Years in which we are basically even with four or five programs, you have to be perfect to win all of these games.

I see the Pokes having a stronger roster than 7 of the opponents on the schedule. In other words, we will be prohibitive favorites. Last year I thought we were prohibitive underdogs in games at ULL and Sam Houston. They were both winnable, but the odds were not good. The lines predict winners as follows:

1 pt favorite 51% chance of winning

2 pt= 53.5%

3 pt.=59.4%

4 pt =65%

5 pt= 68%

6 pt=70%

7 pt.= 75%

8 pt=79%

Anything in double digits predicts to me that your odds of losing is less than 15%. However, even a 6 point favorite loses 30% of the time which is pretty high.

My point is the Pokes needed to win 8 of 9 games with opponents not named Sam Houston and ULL. There was just too much parity to expect this.

I feel that the season breaks down this way. We need to win all five home games. For every loss at home, the Pokes need to make it up with a win on the road against one of the three big hurdles. I see UCA as the Pokes probably being a 6-7 point dog on the road. I see SFA and Nicholls State as winnable road games, but the probability of the home team winning will be 40% or higher. I do see a higher probability this year in entering more games as a higher favorite. I am not dismissing any team, so don’t get me wrong. Abilene Christian could be a tough task after driving that far, but the Pokes should be favorites of 7 points or more unless they get hot and we prove to be less than expected.

The bottom line is that LSU has a four game schedule that if they win 3 out of Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee, they will be playing for trophies. IF they get two of four, they will be out of the SEC race because their four toughest games are conference games. Lose three of four and it will appear that you can beat only the teams that you are much more talented than. McNeese is in a similar position, but does not have the luxury of saying we have Top Five talent.

McNeese will have their hands full with SLU at home, and I will include them with Nicholls, SFA, and UCA as the Pokes “Big Four.” I see the same formula for LSU as to success. Win three of four and you will be a top eight seed in the playoffs and host a game. Go 2-2 with these four teams, and a 9-2 record will get you into the playoffs and a successful season. One win out of four probably keeps you out of the playoffs, and as with LSU, they will all be Southland losses. A 6-3 SLC record gets you a 3rd place position exactly where the pundits predicted.

So my expectations are from 8-3 to 10-1. For a loss at Nicholls State means that game has to be made up with a win at SFA or UCA. A loss to SLU at home probably means that the Pokes need wins over Nicholls State and SFA on the road to get to 9-2. Wins are not easy, and these comments are for entertainment purposes only. I know too well that anyone on this schedule can beat you, so you have to take them one game at a time. Alcorn State on the road is not an easy task as well. I am just more optimistic than I was a year ago. We are not going into the season with two new coordinators, four new coaches, and a transfer quarterback who is still learning the playbook. I like the roster better as well.

Lets keep our friends in the Houston area in our prayers. Wes , Ray, and all the parents of our players, hang in there.

 

11AM UPDATE

 

NO TIME TO EDIT

No news on the Nicholls State vs McNeese game scheduled for Thursday night. It is becoming more apparent that Houston is going to be devastated with the flooding from Harvey, so all bets are off that this game will be played in Houston. The Houston Texans are in Frisco today to begin sharing The Star with the Dallas Cowboys. The two teams are scheduled to play in Houston on Thursday, but that game will be moved in my opinion. The Cowboys have offered ATT Stadium on Thursday night. This is a dress rehearsal for the NFL and few starters will play. Other than money, this game could even be cancelled.

LSU is guaranteed $4 million by ESPN and LONE STAR MARKETING which is co-promoting this game with the Houston Texans, while BYU is guaranteed $3 million. LSU has sold 23,000 tickets and BYU 9,400.  No game will be moved without the approval of ESPN. I must say that LSU is snake bitten by the weather. The McNeese game in 2015 was cancelled which cost them money. The fiasco with Florida last year will go down in history as one of the strangest situations ever. Those that criticized Florida for postponing the game due to hotel rooms, fleeing coastal residents, etc. should be more compassionate with the handling of this BYU game. There are tons of people in the Dallas area that fleed from Houston(they were at church), there are down power-lines, no electricity, and about two feet of water. Lack of gasoline as well as all schools closed this week.

The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros are in California today, but have flights to Houston for tonight. There is no way these two teams play in Houston this week. My guess is that the Rangers will offer to switch dates with Houston, but some rain may spread northward if the depression floats north. UH is in Austin practicing at UT compliments of their head coach Major Applewhite and UT coach Tom Herman.

Weather could really play a big part in a number of schedules. The Rangers might prefer to have more home games in September than swapping dates. Sam Houston State reported early to get started for Richmond. They have been practicing almost a month. They will not play tonight, nor will they play next weekend . It will be a six week training camp for the Kats. You never know how this works out. Rice’s bright idea of traveling 5,000 miles to Australia seemed like a great idea until they lost 62-7. Now they come back to a school closed for a week and no game for two weeks. It will be tough on the coaches planning meals, transportation, and soothing over a butt kicking for two weeks.

We also have to consider the effect that the McNeese players from Houston may have if many families are displaced or lose their homes. Every little thing affects mental preparation. I am not equating a football game with life’s problems, just saying that stress at any level affects your job performance whether it is the classroom or on the field.

McNeese and Nicholls have a few options, but it compounds things considering it is a conference game. Hello, this is what made LSU vs UF  a tough call. I do believe if it is just a 40% chance of showers then the game will played as scheduled at 7PM. If the storm moves along the coast to Lake Charles, the outer-bands will make it very difficult to play a football game. It is too important to have a game played in a storm. I am sure Saturday is being considered, but when you jack with preparation schedules, coaches run the risk of seeing either a flat game or a game with many mistakes. McNeese really needs to work hard today, Monday, and Tuesday with plenty of conditioning. If necessary, I would ask to go to ULL and use their facility. Maybe the Calcasieu Parish buses can lend a hand if practice is after the morning run and prior to the 3PM pickups.

I have been in too many games in which cramping ruins a ballgame. Humid conditions are going to cause loss of fluids especially with receivers, defensive backs, and running backs. Once you catch a cramp, the probability goes way up it is coming back. Most players are done after the second cramp. Playing indoors at Houston, New Orleans, or Dallas would reduce the chance of cramping for LSU/BYU. Thibodeaux is just sitting right in the middle of water and humidity could be a problem. Stay tuned!

AUGUST 27 SUNDAY

 I will preface these outrageous predictions with an asterisk.  I am the first to admit that predicting win and loss records in college football in August is pretty ridiculous. I will just call it an educated guess based on past history and a layman’s evaluation of the talent level in each of these programs. The rest is subjective and relying on factors that I have no clue to how each program will react to. Thus I will not attempt to evaluate each game in the schedule and place a W or L by the programs suggested record. It is much easier to group programs by odds to win the league title.

                                           SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE PREDICTIONS

I think you have to start with the two prohibitive favorites by all accounts which includes coaches, SID’s, regional beat-writers, and media publications.

1. SAM HOUSTON STATE:

I believe it all starts with the big three components of winning. Championship teams must have a championship quarterback. It is very difficult to be great with an average to below average quarterback. Sam Houston may have the best QB in the FCS. Briscoe allows KC Keeler to run any offense he wants to run. I think being able to run the ball is a special component to winning. This would be my second important component. I can list you the top offensive teams over the past twenty years that have included programs like BYU, Utah, Texas Tech, or even SFA during their record breaking passing numbers, but no championships.

The best offensive line in the SLC is at Central Arkansas, probably followed by Southeastern Louisiana. Sam Houston’s only question mark is in the offensive line, so advantage UCA in this department.

The third component, in my opinion, is stopping the run. Defending is 90% ruling the chains. Predictability is all about putting offenses in predictable patterns. Stop the run on first down and the odds go up. There are no championship teams that cannot stop the run.

It is my opinion that UCA,  McNeese , SFA, and Nicholls are the best at stopping the run. I am not using just defensive yardage as a measuring tool. Some programs throw more than others and stats can lie. If you can’t stop the run, you may have the best pass defense statistics, so I don’t use this. Sam Houston has equal talent on the defensive line as does Southeastern Louisiana, but Sam Houston puts a premium on their defensive line getting up the field and pressuring the quarterback. It makes them vulnerable to certain cut back types of runs, but they probably lead the SLC in sacks.

This is one reason I wrote in 2014 that I did not understand McNeese rotating quarterbacks with a pocket passer and a running quarterback. The way to beat Sam Houston in those years was a moving quarterback that could run the option. Even though Daniel Sams played only half the game, he accounted for about 70% of the MSU offense including a 40 yard untouched scamper. So in 2015 he torched them when having the opportunity to play. The antidote to a blitzing defense playing man to man is the option or the quarterback draw.

Even though McNeese did not have a speedy quarterback, they were able to use the talents of Ross and Pratt to cut back against the zone blitzes that Sam Houston was throwing at us in order to accumulate almost 250 yards between them. Once the running game was established, Tabary was able to get better protection and torched the Kat secondary for about 350 yards.

Even though UCA has the best schedule in the Southland Conference this year, I will go with Sam Houston as the best team.

2.CENTRAL ARKANSAS :

It looks like the Bears will be somewhere in my top two Southland teams. UCA has the most returning starters and they meet my criteria. They have a senior quarterback who is the most accurate we have seen in the SLC. Coach feels he will be over 70% completions in 2017. They have four starters in the offensive line returning, of which three are All-SLC. They have component #3 because they have the SLC best run defense.

3.MCNEESE STATE: 

The Pokes have component #1 covered with James Tabary. It is question number two(OL) that has me reluctant to put McNeese in either of the top two spots. I do believe they will be much better this year in stopping the run, and the overall defense will be improved. The Pokes have closed the gap between themselves and these two programs. I do believe the UCA game last year was “one of those nights,” just like Nicholls felt the McNeese game was “one of those nights.” I will have an in-depth preview of the Pokes on Monday.

4. SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA:

I am not sure that SLU has the quality of quarterback that the top three programs seem to have. However, they have three transfers vying for the job and they may surprise us all. Personally, I have Nicholls State stronger in two of the three areas(QB and DL) that I am judging on, but the Lions are just so talented with so many 3, 4 and 5 star players coming from high school. The Lions obviously have the advantage in the offensive line. The big question mark is will they jell the way it appears that Tim Rebowe has the Colonels playing with pride and determination?

5. NICHOLLS STATE :

The Colonels can match any of the teams at QB with may be the exception of Sam Houston State.  I have a question with the Colonels offensive line as compared to Southeastern Louisiana. They are much like McNeese and SFA in hoping and praying their units come together. The Colonels are expected to be better on defense this year with their defensive line being one of the top three defensive lines in the league. The one intangible that I cannot predict is the Dow Jones progress line. Most rebuilding programs take a step back in year one, then two steps forward in year two and year three depends on many factors. Nicholls State was in a ton of close games last year, so to get to 8 wins they are going to have to be substantially better in all three phases.

6. SFA: 

This is a huge year for Clint Conque. The characteristics of a program that is at a turning point start with attrition both player and coaching wise. The entire defensive staff was changed this past spring. I can promise you that there was an undercurrent of questions from some players about coach playing “daddy ball.” It is a tough job for a staff when decisions have to be made in regards to blood and water. Most can do it without blinking an eye, but I know from seeing the pressure on Hud Jackson and Slade Nagle that it is tough on the offensive staff to be completely honest in these discussions. Zach Conque is gone and all positions are open for business. I think SFA is always talented and has the potential to win the SLC, but it has to hurt knowing you cannot beat the program you left for greener pastures .

I can almost assuredly put all my coins on the top six teams being the champion of the Southland Conference. I do not feel any of the remainder programs have a shot at winning. I am a gambler, so I can definitely handicap that I about 90% convinced that the champion of the SLC will come from the top four teams in my poll.  An interesting bet in Las Vegas would be this. Would you take Sam Houston or the field if they were 50-50 in the odds? To be honest, I would take the field if the Bearkats had to play in Lake Charles this year. Since they are not, we can assume that the winner of the Kats vs Bears game in Conway will at least get a share of the crown. I think we all agree that the Sam vs UCA game will settle a lot; I will take Sam Houston.

7.ABILENE CHRISTIAN-

I hate trying to rank the next five programs. I am going to take ACU because of the intangibles. The Wildcats have a great new coach who won three national titles at Northwest Missouri State and who won 73 of 80 games there. I think the cultural change at ACU will be inspiring this year as well as the grand opening of a brand new stadium. I don’t see much difference in recruiting between the next five programs.

8. LAMAR:

The Cards have a new coaching staff that will breath some new life into the Cards. They are located in a good recruiting area and they are in a good position to recover some of the local transfers. As with any new staff, the big question will be how much of the personnel will match the scheme. Smart coaches do not force scheme on to personnel. Nicholls State took three steps back when they brought in an outsider to replace a decade of option football. The recruiting philosophy changed, and the program was not equipped to go spread over night.

I do believe that ACU will have few changes in scheme because they were very well balanced on offense. Lamar liked to run the football, so I am not sure what the new staff is looking to do with three transfer quarterbacks. The quality of the offensive line will dictate this direction the first year.

9.NORTHWESTERN STATE : 

This is a tough call. Brad Laird will be a shot in the arm for the Purple Swarm defense. The Demons have struggled in stopping the run the past few years, and it shows when you borrow from Peter(the defensive backs) to pay Paul (DL). They have been vulnerable to the deep ball in the secondary. Laird will be a better match of scheme to personnel. I do have doubts about the quarterback position, but the Demons will be much better on both sides of the ball.  The biggest hurdle for the Demons will be between the ears. This situation reminds me of Les Miles at LSU.

There is a certain group of Demon faithful that think Coach Thomas’s time is up. Therefore, they will be looking for dents in the armor. A poor start will cause the snowball to gain weight. There is always a line of demarcation for a fanbase. The Wisconsin loss was not a huge loss as to putting an L in the loss column, but a signal that the fanbase had been lied to in regards to a new offense and a new direction is another issue. So Les lost 50% of his support after Wisconsin. Auburn threw the dirt on the grave when more of the same lack of creativity doomed the Tigers. The Demons like Coach Thomas just as most Tiger fans liked Lester, but they want change. They want hope!

10. UIW: 

The Cards should start to benefit from their location in San Antonio. Recruiting is picking up and more transfers are signing up. The thing that HBU and UIW have to guard against is the end of the four year cycle of adding recruits without losing them. They are now at a point that seniors are part of the equation, but they must replace senior stars just like the rest of the programs.

11. HBU:

Houston Baptist had a difference maker at QB last year which allowed the offensive line to be average and teams had to pay when blitzing. HBU will have to replace this quarterback if they are too be as dangerous as they were a year ago.

**Congratulations to the Lufkin Little League for winning the USA Championship on Saturday afternoon with a 6-5 come from behind victory over North Carolina. Lufkin will be a huge underdog today at 2PM against Japan.

FINAL SCORES

FLORIDA A&M 29 TEXAS SOUTHERN 7

JACKSONVILLE STATE 27 CHATTANOOGA 13

COLGATE 20 CAL POLY 14

STANFORD 62 RICE 7

SOUTH FLORIDA 42 SAN JOSE 22 (LINE 20.5) The hype was that the stadium would be full and a tough place to play. The attendance was announced at 13,337, but the local paper states only about 4,000 were there for the second half. San Jose led 16-0 in the first quarter.

COLORADO STATE 58 OREGON STATE 21 Big blow for the Pac 12!

BYU 20 PORTLAND STATE 6

 

 

AUGUST 26 SATURDAY

Congratulations to the McNeese women’s soccer team for knocking off ULL on Friday by the score of 2-0. The Cowgirls gave up a home game in order to get this game played, so it all turned out well. It appears that the staff recruited some good freshmen because in three matches so far, it seems that the freshman goalie Emma Roccaforte of Nederland is doing a bang up job. Emma has allowed one goal in three games. McNeese had to go all the way to Idaho to find Havana Johnson, but the freshman has scored three goals in three ball games including both goals against the Cajuns.

The Volleyball team opened the season at Arlington on Friday with a 3-2 set win over Houston. The girls will have a tough match today at noon against the host UTA Mavs.

I was in dire need of a football fix last night so I drove over to Arlington to catch a 6A scrimmage between Arlington Martin and the Allen Eagles. I was not the only one hungry for some action as a standing room only crowd jammed into the JV stadium at Martin to catch the scrimmage. I would guess it seats about 3500, but they had people standing completely around the fence that surrounds the track stadium and many students sitting on the grass slopes on either side of the bleachers. I knew I was at a “Friday Night Lights” event because people were lined up to purchase items from the Martin Spirit Bus that sells caps, shirts, jerseys, and anything Martin Warriors.

As to the game, the coaches elected to play four quarters with a clock, officials, and game like conditions. I left at halftime because Allen had started to substitute second units as early as the middle of the second quarter. The game was close, but the Allen coaches like to build depth and with 120 on the varsity, you want to see as many players as possible. Their offense should be terrific at some point if the quarterback is as good as advertised. He is a 4-star junior, the running back is a 3-star headed to Arizona State, one WR is 3-star and headed to Arizona State, while the other WR is a 5-star junior considered the top junior receiver in the nation. They got a return from their 310 lb 5-star junior offensive guard who started for IMG Academy as a sophomore. One tackle is headed to Oklahoma State and the other is a 3-star junior. No excuses not to move the football this year.

Martin is hoping to replace quarterback Eric Walker who took his talents to LSU and became an ace pitcher this past spring prior to having Tommy John surgery.

Hurricane Harvey is going to play havoc all week with the opening of football season in the Southwest and Southeast. Sam Houston State has postponed their Sunday night game with Richmond. I was looking forward to this clash of titans, but who knows if they will be able to make this game up. LSU fans may need to worry that if Harvey does not move within five days that their game could be postponed. Flooding and loss of electricity could really put Houston in a bind for this entire week.

McNeese and Nicholls have been in discussion about Thursday night’s ballgame. Nicholls is not going to make a decision any time soon due to the unpredictability of Harvey. Obviously if this storm re-enters the Gulf and heads east, the game will be in jeopardy. The further it drifts north or west, the better for Louisiana. There have been discussions of a game on Saturday, but don’t make any plans just yet. Nicholls scheduled this game on Thursday for a reason. I am sure McNeese fans would settle for an afternoon game on Saturday, but there is some irony in that. When home games were moved up by just one hour, the fan base went nuts because they say that it is much hotter than 7PM and there are sun issues on the Eastside.

So what do you think Nicholls’ folks would think if they moved the game to 5PM, or 4PM, or 3PM, or even 2PM. It would cut out most of the tailgating, be extremely hot and humid, and the teams would face issues of plenty of cramping. I do believe they will do everything they can to play Thursday and not put their fan base in a position of choosing between LSU/BYU on TV. Of course, there is always a chance that Houston is cancelled and the Nicholls game could be played with no competition on a late Saturday evening. Stay tuned!

Speaking of cancellations, the McNeese soccer team has been notified that Texas State has cancelled their match scheduled for Sunday.

Nicholls State has declared Thursday Night as “REDOUT” the stadium and all fans entering the stadium will be given red tee-shirts to wear for the game. Wear blue, McNeese fans! Coach Rebowe is going all-out to put on a show for the Colonel fans and has his team prepared for a McNeese victory. Be prepared, Poke fans, for an all-red brand new display of Colonel pride when the Colonels hit the field. Their new uniforms will be red helmets, red jersey with grey outline, and red pants. Could their shoes be red as well?

The big FCS game scheduled for Jacksonville State on Saturday has taken a turn for the worst for the  Chattanooga Mocs. They have suspended their All-Star quarterback for four games due to academic issues. Alejandro Bennifield threw for 2600 yards and 26 touchdowns last year as well as ran for over 300 yards. He will also miss the LSU game in three weeks.

LSU fans interested in scouting BYU will get a chance today at 2PM when the Cougars host FCS opponent Portland State on ESPN. This is an advantage for BYU entering next week’s game with LSU, but most feel it will not be enough.

The doctors have cleared Ryan Ross to begin practicing with the Pokes, but it will take about a month to get into contact and slowly bring the ankle back to 100%. Lance Guidry says that it will be up to Ryan to take the red-shirt or elect to play. I said previously that I would hope he could come back by SFA; if not, he should consider a red-shirt. The Pokes also announced a slight change in the depth chart as Darion Dunn has been promoted to the first unit at cornerback over Colby Burton. It appears that Guidry will play four guys at corner pretty regularly  to see who can get the job done. I can see the first play of the game for NSU will be Fourcade to Jeanpierre on a bomb to test the corners.

AUGUST 25 FRIDAY

The first shots were fired by the Houma Today newspaper this morning as writer Teddy Renois gave his predictions for the 2017 Nicholls State season. Of course, I am not one to criticize anyone’s opinion because I have been run over by the bus a few times myself in giving strong opinions in prognostications. The season predictions are staring me in the face this Sunday as I will post my McNeese season predictions and the Southland Conference predictions. Certainly not everyone will agree; whats new? LOL

Teddy Renois is very bullish on the Colonels and so am I. The article gives the reasons behind the Colonels’ resurgence and he breaks down the schedule for 2017. He states that the opener next Thursday night is a must win for the Colonels to reach their goals of winning the Southland Conference title. Teddy predicts a Colonel victory in game one and then a loss to Sam Houston State and a split with the final two games of the year with SFA and SLU. The Colonels will lose to Texas A&M, so he sees an 8-3 season record and a 7-2 Southland record. He is projecting the Colonels to be in the NCAA playoffs as will Sam Houston State. Nicholls does not play UCA this year, so I assume he is just leaving them out of the equation.

Personally, I think UCA has a perfect home schedule to run the table in the Southland Conference. Of course, playing at home does not guarantee a win, and I really believe UCA will have plenty of competition from Sam Houston and McNeese. The Bears play SFA, McNeese, Southeastern LA, and Sam Houston all at home. Their road games are against the so-called “bottom four.” I am not going to give away my Southland Conference projections because I am still waiting on SLU to finish their recruiting.

Mr. Renois feels the Colonels are loaded on offense with the splendid quarterback Chase Fourcade and an above average offensive line. The most optimistic outlook for the Colonels is their defense. The Colonels finished in the top four in every defensive category last year. The Colonels gave up 29.8 points per game which did trail McNeese’s 25.9, but their total 385 defensive yards allowed trailed only UCA’s 336 and McNeese’s 372 per game. It was the pass defense that separated the Colonels’ defense from most of their counterparts. The Colonels had an efficiency rating of 118.7 which trailed only Central Arkansas’s 118.2. Nicholls was #1 in the  Southland Conference in interceptions with 15. McNeese had only 8 picks in 2016.

The defense returns eight starters and now has TCU transfer Tevin Lawson(6’4 280) to plug into a defensive line already loaded. Lawson was a 4-star player in Louisiana who committed to LSU over Auburn, Oklahoma, and TCU, but ended up signing with the Frogs.

I certainly agree with Mr. Renois that by moving this game up really puts pressure on both teams to get off to a 1-0 start. The Colonels feel their best shot to beat McNeese was to get them ahead of Texas A&M and in an opening Thursday night crowd. The wildcard in this adventure is the weather. At this point, we are still six days out and anything can happen.

Speaking of weather, McNeese has moved their soccer game with ULL from Lake Charles to Lafayette for today. The game will be at 6PM at the ULL Soccer Complex. Tough break for the Cowgirls. The Cowgirl Volleyball team kicks off action today at 4:30PM at UTA with a match against Houston.

I would like to commend ESPN’s 30-30 documentary on Carter High School of Dallas which began last night. I am sure it will be replayed a number of times. This event is what sparked a book about Friday Night Lights which turned into the movie.

I am warning fans who watch the show that it has been edited to fit their perspective of events and to fit a certain agenda. What is new? I watch anything that is true crime with investigative reporting. Thus I love 20-20, NBC’s Dateline, and the ID Network. I often do a followup on the facts of the case as presented on TV. I am sure Lake Charles residents disagreed how Dateline presented the Lake Charles murder case of a gentleman by his wife and best friend.

My point is that 30-30 dropped the ball on the facts about Mr. Wilfred Bates, a math teacher at Carter who caused all of the controversy. If you have never heard of this 1988 national news story, Carter was the first black school in Dallas to play for a state championship since the UIL was formed. They had a team with 21 Division 1 athletes and what many have called the greatest collection of talent in Texas history. Mr. Bates had one of those star players in his math class. He gave Gary Edwards a 65 in Math for the six weeks which made him ineligible for the state playoffs. Edwards’ grade was changed by someone and reported as a 72 which was placed over “white-out” on the 1988 pre-computer way of recording grades by fountain pen.

The show will cover all of the politics involved including hiring a great attorney to represent the player, and the principal and superintendent throwing the teacher under the bus by turning on him. They ruled they did not understand his methods of recording scores. Mr. Bates had his own symbols for Not Completed(NC), Not Attending Class( a minus in the grade book), and other types of pluses and minuses that told him that a student participated, etc.

This whole event was racially charged and tore the entire North Texas community apart. They accused the UIL of trying to keep a black team from the playoffs, and they accused investigators of lying and tampering with Mr. Bates’ gradebook. Gary Edwards was ruled ineligible, and Carter was prohibited from playing. However, lawyers got the judge to rule in favor of Carter, and the team was allowed to beat Plano East 21-7. PESH filed a protest and hired lawyers themselves. It became a suburban vs urban war in the paper. The judge threw out Plano’s lawsuit and granted Carter another week. This went on for five weeks as every Thursday or Friday a judge rule in Carter’s favor. One Friday night game was cancelled because Judge #1 ruled Carter was out; yet Saturday morning, he was over-ruled and they hurriedly played that afternoon.

The  bottom line is Gary Edwards played; Carter beat Converse Judson for the state title. Yes, if you saw Friday Night Lights, the show changed the playoff structure so they would have mostly all-white Odessa Permian play Carter in the championship game. This was actually the semi-final game. They also hired the biggest actors they could find to play Carter players and had them “thug” up their characters in order to present their agenda. In other words, it was not accurate to show Carter kicking and punching Permian players every other play. The director wanted a Shaft vs Rambo feel to the movie.

Mr. Wilfred Bates died in 2002. His character was assassinated and destroyed by the media and the agenda. People locally have seen the grade sheets for Gary Edwards. The 30-30 segment clearly shows that many players did not attend class, but played dice at the end of the hallway in the gym. Mr. Bates had Gary Edwards missing 20 of 30 classes and his grades were 40, 60, 60, and 35 and are in print in his grade book. He knew he would get the wrath of the entire community if he failed this kid. So he made a deal with him that if he came in for help, he would drop the 35 and let him retake the test. If he made a 70, Mr. Bates assured him that he would pass. Gary never showed up to make good on the deal. None of this is in the documentary; it does not fit the narrative that the director wanted to portray.

They failed to mention that the principal took the athlete out of Mr. Bates’ class and put him in a teacher’s class that would give him his grades. This was never brought up.

Two weeks after the state title game, the UIL investigative team outlined a number of issues. Carter was stripped of their title. It was made a racial issue and people stormed the ISD offices and went to Austin. Royce West, the acclaimed lawyer at that time, was hired again to fight the UIL and get that trophy back. Mr. West is a state legislator today. He has represented some of the biggest politicians in Dallas who have been under indictment for fraud. He was prepared to file another case against the UIL when eight Carter players were arrested for armed robbery, fleeing from police, and other accusations. The public believed the police had set them up and they were innocent . Mr. West said it would have cost thousands of dollars to sue the UIL; so with the arrest, he dropped the case.

Most level headed clergy and others soon saw that their players were guilty and stopped the protest,etc. The end result was 22 armed robberies which were more than Bonnie and Clyde did in their lifetime. All eight had D1 scholarships lost due to the crimes. They received penalties ranging from 10 years to 27 years although most were out before 10 years was up. It was a great documentary with a strong message. The good thing is these players are nearly 50 years old now and are preaching the right message. My only beef is that the math teacher’s story is not being told . He told the newspaper in 1988 that he was just doing the right thing, but Dallas ISD and the principal stripped him of this teaching duties and sent him to a middle school with no math job.

 

AUGUST 24 THURSDAY

One week from tonight the Pokes kickoff the 2017 football season. It has been a long summer camp, but the reports I am getting from coaches across the nation is that they like the one practice per-day with more days to practice. The important thing will be to evaluate the injury situation going into the first game and compare to previous years. Also, will the team be in as good of condition as previously?

Keep your fingers crossed that the next seven days are not too bad to practice. The practices are now in the afternoon which leads to more conflict with afternoon thundershowers. With the hint of a tropical storm being delayed in Southeast Texas or Southwest Louisiana, it could cause major problems in team preparation. The Sam Houston vs Richmond game is this Sunday and being anticipated by many fans of the FCS. It would be a shame to have to play this game in the rain and a partial crowd.

Wouldn’t it be ironic if  Harvey hit Texas and then re-entered the Gulf and developed by Thursday off the southeast coast of Louisiana? Let’s hope not.

There seems to be much anxiety from the McNeese beatwriter over why Nicholls State is playing McNeese on a Thursday night if the game is not going to be televised. Actually my TV is set up with ESPN3 so I count that as being televised, but I do get the question. I too thought this game was being moved in order for the Southland Conference to open the season with a SLC televised game. However, there are a number of reasons that programs around the country have moved their opening game to Thursday night. There are 25 college openers scheduled for a week from tonight.

I realize that LSU fans or sports guys that do not follow FCS often fall into this trap. I hear it all the time in my area because the DFW area no longer has an FCS program so they fall out of the continuous media coverage of the program names. It is humorous to hear some of our radio talk shows that had to ask where Nicholls State was located after their performance against UGA last year. They hear that Georgia State is leading at half and they say “When did they start playing football?” I know they are not FCS, but it blows my mind how many media people who do this for a living and who do not know their product.

I really respect guys like Kirk Hurbstreit, Rick Nueheisel , Lou Holtz, and Chris Childers when they can freely speak of how good a North Dakota is, or how Northwest Missouri State is a powerhouse team in D2, etc. My point is that lower classification programs have been playing on Thursday nights of Labor Day weekend for years. I remember reading of Northwestern State AD saying that most college students skip class on Friday and leave for a four day weekend at Labor Day, especially those from out of town.

If you are a program like Jacksonville State that borrows some Alabama fans, you host a big game with Chattanooga on Thursday night in order not to go against the biggest opener in College Football history when Florida State and Alabama play about 85 miles from your home stadium. Nicholls has many fans that will be tuning into LSU vs BYU on Saturday and they will have students leaving town. I get it! I don’t have to like it, but they will make more money; and for one night of the year, the excitement to have an opener with McNeese will pull some new fans that normally may not come.

Almost 20% of all FCS games next weekend will be played other than Saturday. Powerhouse programs like South Dakota State, North Dakota, Delaware, Western Illinois, Chattanooga, and Jacksonville State are all playing Thursday to just name a few. So are FBS programs like Arkansas, Cincinnati, Utah, Wake Forrest, and Central Michigan. College football attendance is down almost 20% nationally according to my sources on Sirius Radio. They say that the younger fan does not have the patience or the attention to sit for long periods of time.

Paul Finebaum attacked this problem on Monday and his own producer(about 38) said he could not go to any event without his cell phone and WiFi. He said that he would be in Atlanta for the big game, has an ESPN pass, but prefers to sit with the 20,000 fans expected to fill sports bars around Atlanta for this game. He admitted that college students today want to be with friends, have access to alcohol, and be able to text throughout the game. I can verifty that at Ranger games half of the people under 40 are texting, and 90% of those under 25 are texting. Heck, half of the people in cars at red-lights are texting.

So there are many reasons why some programs preferred to play on Thursday. I often look at the complete schedules to see clues on why programs have conference games on opening weekend or the second or third weekend. Just about all the SEC programs, including Bama and LSU, move SEC games up into September to have a cupcake in November due to the SEC West has so many emotional games. Most all the teams take a week off prior to playing their rival game. Both LSU and Alabama have been taking two weeks to prepare. Nicholls State goes to Texas A&M next Saturday; I know I would like to have an extra two days to recover emotionally from a rival game with McNeese, one that has been super-hyped.

My criticism from McNeese’s standpoint is that I would have fought it tooth and nail because the risk is all with the Pokes. An 0-1 start in conference really changes many goals right out of the shoot for the coaching staff. However, it is pretty obvious that the SWAC teams do not play the first three weeks of the season with conference games. Thus, if you are looking for a home and home with an FCS program on Week 3, you have limits. The Big Sky has an abbreviated schedule week three, but are in full force by Sept. 23, and the Missouri Valley starts conference play on September 16. So Nicholls and McNeese both picked up SWAC games on September 16 so they swapped their planned game on the 16th for the season opener. I could be wrong, but it appears that is the way the new SLC schedule popped up.

So we will deal with it; but believe me, we are not the only fan base that is being put out to travel on a Thursday.

My son , wife, and I went out to the Star on Wednesday afternoon to watch the Cowboys practice and give us an excuse to see all of the new projects that Jerry Jones has developed around the Star. Legacy West which is near the Southland Conference office is something to behold. It is only a mile from the Star, but there are enough bars and restaurants already open to entertain the fans.  All fans are welcome free of charge and practice is in the comfort of 70 degree temperatures. I was going to post some pictures but they just will not transfer over from my cell phone. They are averaging about 8,000 per practice and are selling a ton of jerseys, food, and drink.

I have been to three or four NFL practices so it did not shock me to see the pace of the workouts. Believe me; high school and college practices are tougher. Wednesday is “rest day” for the superstars that Coach Garrett deems ready to have off. So I got to see Dez Bryant, Jason Whitten, Tyron Smith, and other older superstars walk around in jerseys and shorts.  It is very interesting to watch an NFL practice and learn from some of the drills, etc. Every practice has six referees blowing whistles and throwing flags even in half-speed offense.

There is a giant scoreboard on one end that warms the fans up with 50 years of Cowboy history, then the cheerleaders, and then the players are shown on the big screen walking down the hall to the field and the crowd erupts. All I can say is these guys are huge. I will tell you that they do not hit much; but when they do, it is violent. I saw some tackling drill for linebackers who were hitting running backs, and I can promise you that no amount of money could get me to take those hits.

The plaza leading up to the Star was filled with food, beer, and items for sale. The Plaza is over 100 yards long with nothing but Cowboy’s merchandising, bars, and food areas. The Star is connected to the Omni Hotel and you can walk from your room into the stadium. This stadium is used by Frisco ISD on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It is set up for concerts of 12,000 or more and hosted James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt a week ago.