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166

YSU Penguin Athletics / Latest Top 25 Poll as of Sept. 12th

« on: September 12, 2011, 02:00:28 PM »

The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Top-25 College Football Poll
Team (First-place votes) Record Points Previous Rank
1. Georgia Southern Eagles (102)  2-0 3,622 2
2. Northern Iowa Panthers (16)  1-1 3,329 4
3. Appalachian State Mountaineers (10)  1-1 3,282 3
4. William & Mary Tribe (5)  1-1 3,048 5
5. Montana State Bobcats (2)  1-1 2,985 6
6. Richmond Spiders (9)  2-0 2,874 9
7. Delaware Blue Hens (1)  1-1 2,688 8
8. North Dakota State Bison (1)  2-0 2,553 11
9. Wofford Terriers  1-1 2,489 7
10. Eastern Washington Eagles (2)  0-2 2,218 1
11. New Hampshire Wildcats  1-1 2,202 13
12. Montana Grizzlies  1-1 1,913 15
13. James Madison Dukes  1-1 1,373 19
14. Chattanooga Mocs  1-1 1,349 23
15. Southern Illinois Salukis  1-1 1,289 17
16. Lehigh Mountain Hawks  1-1 1,222 14
17. Jacksonville State Gamecocks  1-1 1,147 10
18. Central Arkansas Bears  1-1 1,096 18
19. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks  1-1 971 16
20. Sacramento State Hornets  1-1 959 11
21. Massachusetts Minutemen  1-0 897 21
22. Liberty Flames  1-1 714 24
23. McNeese State Cowboys  0-1 614 22
24. South Dakota Coyotes  1-1 603 NR
25. South Carolina State Bulldogs  1-1 555 NR
Others receiving votes: Southern Utah 289, Eastern Kentucky 224, Penn 199, Murray State 180, Sam Houston State 158, Villanova 128, Towson 116, Jackson State 106, Hampon 100, Youngstown State 98, Bethune-Cookman 62, Western Illinois 50, South Dakota State 45, Harvard 43, Old Dominion 34, Rhode Island 34, Grambling State 26, Maine 22, Morehead State 21, Stony Brook 19, Elon 16, Holy Cross 14, Brown 12, Yale 12, Coastal Carolina 11, Duquesne 10, Delaware State 10, Eastern Illinois 7, Indiana State 7, Georgetown 7, UC Davis 6, Portland State 6, The Citadel 6, Northern Arizona 5, Weber State 4, UT Martin 4, Central Connecticut State 4, Bucknell 3, Furman 3, Florida A&M 2, San Diego 2, Jacksonville 1, Dayton 1, Samford 1.
The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Top 25 Voters

The Sports Network: Aaron Corrill; Craig Haley; Sean Shapiro; Phil Sokol; Kevin Spiegel. Big Sky: Brian Berger; Brad Bugger; Dave Cook; Matt Gerrish; Paul Grua; Dave Guffey; Mick Holien; Jon Kasper; Heather Kennedy; Bill Lamberty; Jeff Lasky; Mike Lund; Scott Marsh; Fritz Neighbor; Steve Schaack; Steve Shaff; Mitch Strohman. Big South: John Avery; Wade Branner; Mike Cawood; Adam Gutes; Matt Hogue; Chris Lang; Marc Rabb; Mark Simpson; Todd Wetmore; Simon Whitaker; Alan York. CAA Football: Ted Alexander; Mike Barber; Pete Clawson; Mike DeGeorge; Glenn Frazer; Dean Kenefick; Allen Lessels; Andrew Mahoney; John Martin; Scott Meyer; Mike Murphy; Dan O'Connell; Rich Radford; Scott Selheimer; Tom Symonds; Kevin Tresolini; Matt Vautour; Kimberly Zivkovich. Great West: Eric Burdick; Ryan Burns; Jacque Cottrell; Neil Gardner; Ed Grom; Jeremy Hoeck; Doug Kelly; Ryan Powell; Randy Scovil; Kit Strief. Independents: Dave Cohen; Brian Fremund; Rick Poulter; Kyle Stephens. Ivy League: Rick Bender; Darlene Camacho; Eric Dolan; Chris Humm; Craig Larson; Dan Loney; Craig Sachson; Kurt Svoboda; Ron Vaccaro. MEAC: Thomas Grant; Leonard Hayes IV; Bill Hamilton; Ed Hill Jr.; Chris Hooks; Ronnie Johnson; Dennis Jones; Matt Michalec; Eric Moore; Patricia Porter; Dan Ryan; Michael Stambaugh; Maurice Williams; Brent Woronoff. Missouri Valley Football Conference: John Bohnenkamp; Jason Hove; Todd Hefferman; Ace Hunt; Mike Kern; Rick Kindhart; Colin McDonough; Tyler Merriam; Patrick Osterman; Trevor Parks; Randy Reinhardt; Jeff Schwartz; Tom Weber; Mike Williams; Terry Vandrovec. Northeast Conference: Brian DePasquale; Jim Duzyk; Matt Harmon; John McCarthy; Ben Mitchell; Bill Peterson; Andrew Santillo; Chris Shovlin; Jason Sullivan; Ralph Ventre; Greg Viscomi. Ohio Valley Conference: Neal Bradley; John Brush; Wallace Dooley; Michael Clark; Jeff Honza; Brad Kirtley; Joe Lofaro; Rich Moser: Brian Nielsen: Karl Park: Mike Parris: Rob Schabert: Kyle Schwartz: Greg Seitz: James Horne. Patriot League: Charles Bare; Bill Bowman; Joe DiBari; Matt Dougherty; Keith Groller; Jeremiah Hergott; Phil LaBella; Steve Lomangino; Eric Malanowski; Matt Markus; Ryan Sakamoto. Pioneer Football League: Cody Bush; Jack Cronin; Mike Ferraro; Marc Gignac; Ted Gosen; Doug Hauschild; Paul Kirk; James Nasella; Terry Norvelle; Joe Prisco; Matt Schabert; Ryan Wronkowicz. Southern Conference: Jay Blackman; Tommy Bowman; Mike Flynn; Barrett Gilham; Don Heath; David Jackson; Joey Mullins; Tyler Norris Goode; Noelle Orr-Blaney; Chris Rash; Brent Williamson. Southland Conference: Jason Barfield; Louis Bonnette; Jamie Bustos; Christopher Dabe; James Dixon; Steve East; Kevin Gore; Alex Hickey; Doug Ireland; Todd Lamb; Tyler Mayforth; Brent St. Germain; Matt Sullivan. Southwestern Athletic Conference: Santoria Black; Rodney Bush; Tom Galbraith; Chris Jones; Duane Lewis; Ryan McGinty; Leonard Moon; Roderick Mosley; Wesley Peterson; LaToya Shields; Brandon Willis. Other Representatives: Rolf Bertulies; Brian Brennan; Josh Buchanan; LeCounte Conaway; Jim Seman.
 
 

As of September 12, 2011, at 12:51 PM ET

167

YSU Penguin Athletics / Travis William LB Miami Hurricanes Transfer to YSU

« on: August 02, 2011, 11:00:19 AM »

Interesting...

Hurricanes’ recruit Travis Williams is burning down the house
by Jorge Milian
It seems like all you hear about lately is why top high school football recruits don’t want to attend UM.

Travis Williams, a four-star linebacker from Norfolk, Va. and lifelong ‘Canes fan, is different.

Many of the nation’s elite college football programs offered Williams scholarships by the start of his senior season at Norfolk Lake Taylor High. But when the Hurricanes weren’t among that group, Williams had his high school coach send a highlight tape to UM.

If Miami wouldn’t come to him, Williams decided, then he would go to Miami. Three days later, UM coach Randy Shannon called offering a scholarship. Williams, who was eating lunch in the cafeteria at the time, ran back to tell his friends the news.

“Once they offered me, I already had in my mind that’s where I’m going to end up,” Williams said. “I didn’t send my film there for no reason.”

Williams was so certain of his decision that he orally committed to UM in October even though he had never set foot in the state of Florida. He made his official visit to UM last weekend and is staying in town to play for the USA all-star team in Saturday’s Team USA vs. The World game at Fort Lauderdale’s Lockhart Stadium on Saturday. The game, which pits top college prospects against players from several different countries, begins at noon and is free to the public.

“I want to get the feeling of going up against college-level people,” Williams said of his decision to participate in the inaugural event. “I’m a competitive guy.”

A bit mischievous too.

There’s no easy way to put this, but when Williams was a small child – 2 or 3 years old in his recollection – he burned down the family house. Williams said his grandmother was bathing his little brother when he began playing with her matches, flicking them into a closet.

Next thing everybody knew, “the house was in flames,” Williams said.

“Everybody ran out of the house,” Williams said. “I was hiding behind the couch. My grandma came back and saw me sticking my head over the couch and she went back and got me. I was scared.”

Williams said he was too young to get in trouble for the incident but his mother and grandmother “were really, really mad. We had just moved there. Everything was brand new.”

Williams is still dangerous but limits it to the football field. He registered more than 70 sacks in high school and is ranked by Rivals.com as the nation’s 14th-best outside linebacker prospect.

Although various recruiting websites have him closer to 190 pounds, Williams said this week he’s up to 200 pounds. Williams said he plans on arriving at UM this summer at 205 pounds “and letting the school put the rest of the weight on me. I’m not pushing the weight thing. I want to keep my speed up.”

Speed is his greatest strength, according to Williams, who claims to have run 40 yards in 4.38 seconds. Speed is also what initially attracted Williams to the Hurricanes.

“It’s a linebacker thing over there,” Williams said of UM’s reputation for fast ‘backers. “I think they liked the fact that I’m fast. I’m an athlete. I may not be so big, but they can make me into a linebacker. I have the instincts of a linebacker.

“Looking at the style they play, how that defense moves, I just see myself fitting in there perfectly.”

168

YSU Penguin Athletics / ESPN's 'lowball' offer triggered Big Ten expansion

« on: July 04, 2011, 09:29:21 AM »

I thought this an interesting read on many fronts. #1. It gives motive for the news agencies to try and successfully take down the best team in the BIG 10 scandal style. #2. It also shows you how only a few share the wealth of revenue in college sports and really makes you think about how & why these kids should be paid. #3. I think it also helps to connect the dots with all of the BIG 10 hate over the years. Very very good article. Good for Delaney.  Curious to the response this gets on the board.



ESPN's 'lowball' offer triggered Big Ten expansion
Failed negotiation also led to Big Ten Network

* Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany speaks in Lincoln with Nebraska's athletic director Tom Osborne and Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman.

(Nati Harnik, Associated Press)
July 01, 2011|By Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune reporter

The conventional Big Ten expansion timeline begins Dec. 15, 2009, when the conference released a statement calling for a "thorough evaluation of options."

But uncovering the true origin of Nebraska joining the Big Ten — which becomes official Friday — requires a trip in the way-back machine and involves champagne and bruised egos.
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The date: April 30, 2004. That's when a posse of ESPN executives, led by Mark Shapiro, John Wildhack, Loren Matthews and Chuck Gerber, met with conference honchos at Big Ten headquarters in Park Ridge.

The Big Ten's long-term deal with the network had three years remaining, but Commissioner Jim Delany wanted to dip his toe in the pool. Turns out the water was ice cold. And shark-infested.

In his early 30s, Shapiro had risen to executive vice president of programming and production after spearheading the "SportsCentury" series and boosting ratings with shows such as "Pardon the Interruption," "Around the Horn," "Dream Job," "Playmakers" and the World Series of Poker.

Shapiro also was a cutthroat negotiator, as chronicled in the book "Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN," and his style rankled the likes of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and the NBA's David Stern.

An amiable session in which the Big Ten and ESPN cleaned up "housekeeping matters" — schedules and announcers — took a nasty turn at the one-hour mark. That's when talk turned to a contract extension, a negotiating session that went nowhere. Fast.

"The shortest one I ever had," Delany told the Tribune. "He lowballed us and said: 'Take it or leave it. If you don't take our offer, you are rolling the dice.' I said: 'Consider them rolled.' "

Delany had warned ESPN officials that without a significant rights-fee increase, he would try to launch a new channel that would pose competition both for TV viewers and the Big Ten's inventory of games: the Big Ten Network.

"He threw his weight around," Shapiro said in a telephone interview, "and said, 'I'm going to get my big (rights-fee) increase and start my own network.' Had ESPN stepped up and paid BCS-type dollars, I think we could have prevented the network. In retrospect, that might have been the right thing to do. Jim is making a nice penny on that."

Said Delany: "If Mark had presented a fair offer, we would have signed it. And there would not be a Big Ten Network."

The BTN, profitable in its second year, doled out about $7 million to each Big Ten school in 2009-10. Without that chunk of a $22 million per school TV revenue distribution pie, the conference might not have had schools such as Nebraska thirsting for an invitation.
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The network's formation also encouraged new thinking from the universities' typically conservative presidents and chancellors. A 12th team would lead to two divisions and a conference championship game in football and another giant payday. Fox purchased the rights to the first six title games for between $20 million and $25 million per season.

Said Delany: "The Big Ten Network was a factor, but I think we still would have expanded. You can take a different tack."

Shapiro, an Iowa and Glenbrook South alumnus, called adding Nebraska a "genius" move: "You're taking one of the most storied institutions in the history of college football and plunking it into one of the best conferences. Iowa-Nebraska will become a rivalry overnight, and Michigan and Ohio State will play every year. It's a dream showcase."

Shapiro left ESPN in October 2005 for a $10 million signing bonus from Redskins owner Dan Snyder to run the Six Flags amusement parks. He's now the CEO of Dick Clark Productions and consults for the NFL Network and sits on the board of the Tribune Company.

In 2006, Delany went back to the negotiating table with Wildhack and executives George Bodenheimer and John Skipper. They hammered out a 10-year, $1 billion deal for roughly 40 football and 60 men's basketball games. Another 35 to 36 football games and more than 100 men's basketball games went to the BTN, which launched Aug. 30, 2007.

Feeling emboldened, Delany sent a package to Shapiro that included champagne and a note. Shapiro said the note read: "See, I did it."

"My reaction was: Who does that?" Shapiro said. "It was so juvenile. I sent the note to Bodenheimer and poured the champagne down the drain."

Delany said Shapiro's recollection of the note isn't accurate: "That's not how I would express myself. What I wrote was tongue-in-cheek. I believe it was: 'Enjoy the champagne while enjoying the network.'

"It wasn't juvenile at all. We did toast to Mark, and I was thanking him. If it hadn't been for him, we never would have pushed ourselves to do (the Big Ten Network). It was a continuation of the conversation. He left (ESPN), so I didn't get to tell him that in person."

Said Shapiro: "In every negotiation with Jim, there is a potential for fireworks. He's incapable of ordering a la carte. And in terms of this deal with ESPN and bringing Nebraska in and launching the network, he got the buffet. To his credit, he got it all."

He didn't even have to spring for the champagne.

"It was a pre-existing bottle in a cooler," Delany said. "It was a re-gift."

tgreenstein@tribune.com

169

YSU Penguin Athletics / Devont'a Davis to Transfer

« on: June 30, 2011, 02:57:59 PM »

CB from Miami Hurricanes.  Was a Rivals 3 star.  3 or 4 years of eligibility

Rumor Mill.............we will see.

170

YSU Penguin Athletics / Top 10 FCS Running Backs-Guess who is on the list?

« on: May 10, 2011, 04:26:34 PM »

The FCS Huddle: Top 10 FCS running backs
Third of an eight-part series featuring the best Football Championship Subdivision players at various positions.

By Craig Haley, FCS Executive Director

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - You would expect to find a blue cape with an "S" underneath Nate Eachus' Colgate football jersey.

Instead it's a short-sleeved black shirt.

Eachus, the FCS' 2010 leading rusher, was given the shirt by teammate Andrew Nairin and he doesn't remember going a game or practice without it last year.

OK, so maybe Eachus is a little superstitious. But you can't blame him for knowing what works great.

Nor can you blame Colgate head coach Dick Biddle for knowing what works, like giving the ball time and again to Eachus, one of the Top 10 FCS running backs this season.

As a junior, not only did Eachus' 1,871 rushing yards top the FCS, but the workhorse was No. 1 in scoring average (12 ppg), tied for the national lead with 22 touchdowns and averaged more carries per game (28. than any other back. He averaged 5.9 yards on his 317 carries.

"I think I'm going to be shooting for some higher expectations," Eachus said. "I've been successful and I was healthy last year to have as good of a season as I had. The great thing about this year is we have our whole offensive line coming back."

Eachus will be a leading candidate for the Walter Payton Award, which honors the outstanding player in the FCS, is presented by The Sports Network and sponsored by Fathead.com. He finished sixth in the voting last year.

The 5-foot-10, 216-pounder sits seventh in Patriot League history with 3,722 rushing yards, is destined to pass former Colgate star and 2003 Payton Award winner Jamaal Branch (4,108) and would become No. 1 if he reaches a potential goal of 2,000 yards this season. His former teammate, Jordan Scott, rushed for 5,621 yards at Colgate from 2005-08.

"Two-thousand yards would be great," Eachus said. "Personally, I try to set goals. I do set team goals first, which is (to) win the league, which is most important. And I would like to get 2,000 yards. As long as we're getting wins, the yards will come."

Eachus, from Drums, Pa., has a calm demeanor on the field. The all-business approach has led to him improving diet this offseason, and he says he feels faster and stronger.

That's not good news for opposing defenses, of course. Eachus already has seven 200-yard games in his career, including a school-record 291 yards against Cornell last season.

He wants to do a better job with ball security. He doesn't wear gloves, even late in the season when the weather can turn wintry in Hamilton, N.Y.

"People say that maybe I get worn out after 30 carries in a game, but I feel like I get better as the game goes on. ... It becomes easy for me in the fourth quarter," Eachus said.

"I'm just a low runner that goes to the hole fast and stays low. I guess you can say that a lot of it's from wrestling in high school. In wrestling, you've got to be down and on your feet. They both go hand-in-hand for each other. I'm so low, pretty quick and once in a while I'll be shifty. That's my style. I'm the kind of person who gives the blow and doesn't take the blow."

Opposing defenses will focus their game plans around stopping Eachus. Although Colgate, 7-4 last season, will return all five of their starting offensive linemen, it will be inexperienced at quarterback because of the graduation of three-year starter Greg Sullivan. Junior Josh Hasenberg or sophomore Gaven McCarney figure to line up under center as the new starter.

"What leads to running the ball a lot is the play-action pass. I think we're going to surprise a lot of teams this year, just throwing and running," Eachus said.

"What goes through my head is that I want to try and score every time. I'm an angry runner, try and score, don't take anything for granted."

Here are nine more running backs who are part of The Sports Network's FCS Preseason Top 10:

Eric Breitenstein, Wofford, Jr., 5-11, 205 - All right, Breitenstein is a fullback in the Terriers' triple option, but he's anything but a traditional plodding fullback. He isn't an exceptionally fast runner, but it often takes two defenders to bring him down, even when the defense knows Breitenstein will be running up the middle. His ability to make tacklers miss him and then find open space led to him rushing for a school-record 1,639 yards and 22 touchdowns on over six yards per carry last season. He went over 200 yards against both Furman and Samford.

Jamaine Cook, Youngstown State, Jr., 5-9, 195 - Penguins head coach Eric Wolford calls Cook the hardest worker on the team. He rushed for 1,276 yards and 11 touchdowns last season and the Penguins had a subpar offensive line. He should be even better as the line matures this season. He spins out of tackles and often makes something out of nothing. He's also an excellent pass catcher, with 25 receptions a year ago. Against Illinois State, Cook had 311 all- purpose yards and three touchdowns.

Tim Flanders, Sam Houston State, So., 5-9, 208 - Injuries hampered what could have been an incredible season for the Kansas State transfer last season. He rushed for at least 100 yards and a touchdown in all seven games in which he played four quarters, finishing with 948 yards and 13 touchdowns on 172 carries. He is a powerful runner who stays low to the ground, whether between the tackles or on the edges. The I-formation runner still has a little "Wildcat" in him as he runs some of the Bearkats' plays out of the "wildcat" formation.

Jonathan Grimes, William & Mary, Sr., 5-10, 201 - The Tribe rely heavily on the production of Grimes, who enters his final season with 5,445 all-purpose yards, which ranks ninth in CAA Football history. He's not exceptionally fast, but he's tough between the tackles, catches passes out of the backfield and returns kickoffs. Grimes has rushed for 3,110 career yards in the brutally tough conference. He has earned All-CAA first-team honors in each of the past two seasons.

Mike Harris, Murray State, Sr., 5-11, 200 - A late-season ankle injury prevented Harris from eclipsing 1,000 yards last season, but he averaged 100.4 yards over nine games. The former junior college transfer has a quick first step and breakaway speed, as evidenced by his 94-yard touchdown run in a 242- yard performance against Tennessee Tech last season. He averaged 6.5 yards per rush. In the Racers' spread attack, opponents have to be ready for Harris as a pass catcher as well.

Mike Mayhew, North Carolina A&T, Sr., 5-10, 205 - The 2009 MEAC Rookie of the Year has a natural ability to find a seam and get through it. He won't break away for long runs consistently, but instead compiles yards with his downhill style. Mayhew rushed for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns on 221 carries as a junior, including 211 yards on 31 carries against a solid Bethune-Cookman defense.

D.J. McNorton, North Dakota State, Sr., 5-10, 203 - The versatility of McNorton puts a scare into opponents. A superb athlete who will draw some NFL interest next year, he rushed for 1,559 yards and had 433 receiving yards last season, when the Bison won two FCS playoff games and reached the national quarterfinals. McNorton not only is elusive, but he has excellent vision. Defenders really have to wrap him up to bring him down.

Andrew Pierce, Delaware, So., 5-11, 200 - Delaware had some good running backs returning last season, but it didn't stop Pierce from grabbing the starting job and running with it - literally. He opened his Delaware career by rushing for at least 100 yards and a touchdown in his first four games. With the Blue Hens reaching the FCS title game, Pierce had a national-high 329 carries for 1,655 yards and 14 touchdowns in 15 games. He rushed for 186 yards in a national semifinal against Georgia Southern and 142 yards and a touchdown in the championship game loss to Eastern Washington. He's a fast, but patient runner who doesn't make mistakes and grinds out yards between the tackles.

Nick Schwieger, Dartmouth, Sr., 5-10, 210 - If you're looking for a workhorse, it's Schwieger, who carried the ball at least 25 times in eight of his nine games last season. He has an excellent vision of the field and is a strong and powerful runner who wears down defenses. He shared the Bushnell Cup for Ivy League player of the year after rushing for a league-best 1,133 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also caught 28 passes for 210 yards.

Running backs on the cusp: Carlos Anderson, Northern Iowa, Jr., 5-8, 172; Jordan Brown, Bryant, Jr., 5-9, 185; Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook, Jr., 5-10, 205; Jonathan Hernandez, Massachusetts, Sr., 5-11, 190







05/10 11:02:37 ET