SPORT: Oktober 2008

Jumat, 31 Oktober 2008

Live Video Stream available for the Ferrum @ Greensboro game.

Live video feed is available for the Ferrum @ Greensboro game through the Greensboro College athletics website. Click the link below for the live feed. Gametime is 7 p.m.

Live Video Feed

Ferrum @Greensboro Live Broadcast

Rabu, 29 Oktober 2008

Important USA South game to be decided this weekend.

With three games left to play in the regular season, there are three teams that still have a legitimate chance to claim the USA South conference championship. These teams, Christopher Newport University, Ferrum College, and North Carolina Wesleyan College, to this point have not played each other. This will all change starting Saturday when Christopher Newport travels to Rocky Mount North Carolina to take on the Battling Bishops of North Carolina Wesleyan. NCW is in a must win situation, as they have lost one conference game. Another loss would take them out of the running for the conference title. NCW is the defending USA South conference champion.
Next week, the Bishops travel to Ferrum to take on the Panthers. This could be a barn burner, and will conclude the home schedule for Ferrum. A loss for the Panthers will not eliminate them from their quest for the conference championship, but will make their road to the division 3 playoffs much more difficult.
The final week of the season has Ferrum traveling to Newport News to take on the Captains of Christopher Newport University. CNU was the preseason favorite to win the USASAC, and is likely still considered the favorite by many, but not on this blog. I will have more details of this game in future posts.
Buckle up...It's going to be a wild ride to the playoffs!

Panthers travel to take on GreensboroOnly night game of the year.

After a bye week, the USA South leading Ferrum Panthers will travel to take on the Greensboro College Pride. This 7 p.m. game will showcase two teams, that by their records, seem to be headed in opposite directions. A closer look at the statistics, indicates that this may be a closer game than one would think.
Ferrum 6-1 (4-0), is a running team that has achieved great success so far this season. Their rushing offense is ranked first in the USA South, and 7th nationally, While the Greensboro defense ranks 5th in the conference and 126th nationally against the run. By contrast, Greensboro's running game is ranked 8th in the conference and 235th nationally, while the Panther rush defense is ranked 1st in the conference, and 42nd nationally. These facts will make it difficult for the Pride, but a look at the passing statistics would show an advantage for Greensboro. The Pride's passing offense is ranked is ranked 2nd in the conference behind North Carolina Wesleyan and is ranked 84th nationally. The Panthers on the other hand are struggling against the pass. Ferrum ranks 6th in the conference, and 140th nationally. Passing Defense shows the Pride as 2nd in the conference, and 26th nationally, While Ferrum, who rarely passes, is ranked 8th in the conference, and 220th nationally through the air.

All in all, Ferrum should pick up win # 7 this weekend, but needs to maintain the consistency they have shown that they are capable of. I see the keys to the win as this:

Dominate time of possession.
Pass defense needs to be ready, as this is Greensboro's offensive strength.
Pressure the Pride Quarterback
Control the "red zone"
Create turnovers, and capitalize on them.
Convert all extra points and field goals.

With these elements of the game a priority, Ferrum should return home for Senior day, 7-1.

My prediction :

Ferrum 34
Greensboro 14

Selasa, 28 Oktober 2008

NBA Opening Day Thoughts

I wasn't actually able to watch any of the games, but my observations based on highlights and box scores:

- Derrick Rose is really good. Obviously we know he's not a great shooter at this point, but when you get 9 assists, and 3 steals as a PG in your first game, you're doing something right. If only Mike D'Antoni had waited and taken the Bulls job instead of New York.

- When Tyrus Thomas came out of college I thought he was a poor man's cross between Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire, but he's never really played consistently the first 2 years. So I'm pretty excited to see what he'll do if he gets PT like he did tonight (41 mins). The results were encouraging... 15 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block. And he's still only 22. Crazy. Bulls could be better than everyone thinks.

- Joe Alexander, DNP Coach's Decision. Never good for a top 10 pick. (though maybe there's more to the story that I just don't know about)

- So the Celtics are still really good at defense. And Paul Pierce should probably be considered (if he isn't already) a top 5 NBA player, maybe top 3. But got to be concerned about Ray Allen if you're the Celts... he obviously showed signs of slowing down during the playoff run last year, and while it's only 1 game (against a good defensive team to boot), 8 points on 2/9 shooting in 41 minutes isn't exactly encouraging.

- I guess it's a little early to anoint Portland as a playoff team already. Anyone know why Greg Oden only played 13 minutes?

- As long as Lamar Odom remains content in his role at 6th man (obviously some skepticism here), Lakers certainly look like the team to beat on paper.

What did you notice?

Panthers receive votes in the AFCA Division 3 Poll

For the second week in a row, the Ferrum Panthers have received votes in the American Football Coaches Association Division 3 football poll. While they are not ranked in either top 25 poll, (D3football.com, or the AFCA poll) this does suggest that the Panthers are considered to be among the top programs in the country.

Senin, 27 Oktober 2008

Ferrum Punter Ranked # 1 in the Nation.

Punter T.J. Grzesikowski is statistically ranked as the top punter in the nation according to statistics released by the NCAA. Grzesikowski, a sophomore, has been a very consistent and important part of the Panther attack this season averaging 43.85 yards per punt.
His accuracy and distance has given the opponents offense poor field position much of this season.

Jumat, 24 Oktober 2008

Smart Notes - Oct. 24, 2008

1. "How To Make Friends and Influence People" - By Tony Franklin

So Auburn is still awful. And Tony Franklin's post-mortem interview the otherday revealed little about the situation, though it reaffirms a basic coaching truth: it's always going to be about more than Xs and Os. Yes there's the old Jimmies and Joes, but it's also whether or not your colleagues actively dislike you. That never helps.

2. Spread Worth Watching

Texas Tech and Kansas play this upcoming weekend. For all the talk about the rise of awful spread teams, these two squads still get it right. Interestingly both Mike Leach and Mark Mangino worked together at Oklahoma, and after Leach left to take the TTech job Mangino basically ran Leach's offense the year OU won the title. But now, don't get them confused. While Leach still runs his Airraid offense, Mangino's has evolved into something of a more traditional -- but still unique -- spread offense. (They run the absolute heck out of the smash package, and they run it better than just about anyone else.)

And although Rich Rod's Michigan tenure, along with failed spread experiments at Auburn, Virginia, and others may have sufficiently freaked out any head coaches, athletic directors, and boosters at major programs from making a switch, both Leach and Mangino should get serious consideration for top jobs at major programs.

3. Nick Saban, Football Historian

Nick Saban is a good coach, alright? And he's been around for longer than people realize. So it warms my heart in a special way to hear him making a point that I've made on many occasions: Football is a game of repeating cycles, with what went out one year coming back the next. In a recent interview, Saban got all fired up on the topic (prompted by a discussion of the Wildcat offense):

...Now the Crimson Tide coach really starts waxing poetically about the past. You mention a running attack... He went deep into the memory bank for this reference. Back to being a defensive assistant on a West Virginia team that lost 52-10 to Oklahoma in 1978.

"I've been coaching for a long time, aight?" Saban said. "Played Oklahoma when you couldn't even see the other sideline because the crown of the field was so heavy, when they tried running downhill, and they were moving. They had (David) Overstreet, (Billy) Sims, and guys that could run fast anyway, they didn't need any help. And so, I've been through that. And them horses that pull that wagon around every Oklahoma scored, [darn]-near died, because they had to do it so much the day we played them."

His final point was a good one: "All this stuff comes around," he said.

"One of these days," he warned, "when old the guys like me don't coach anymore, and the young bucks who grew up defending four-wides and everything, somebody's going to run the wishbone, and they may not know a thing about how to stop it."

Let's unpack this a bit. The main point is a simple one: good schemes ebb and flow, and knowledge bases change so, as he says, defensive coordinators who have done nothing but face spread teams may not have good and ready answers when a spread team comes around. There's not much new in football (contrary to the beliefs of some fanatics unlearned in football's history). Further, Saban is a great coach, but he knows what it is like to be unprepared. The worst I ever personally saw a Saban defense perform was back when he was at Michigan St. when they played Purdue, which was quarterbacked by Drew Brees at the time.

Purdue 52, Michigan State 28

Drew Brees had over 500 yards passing and five touchdowns. And oh-by-the-way, it was Michigan State's homecoming. Whoops. Saban's defense was simply unprepared for the precise, pass-first spread offense Purdue was using.

But the point about football knowledge is one illustrated by Saban himself. The next year Purdue was arguably better (they went on to the Rose Bowl and had beaten both Michigan and Ohio State), and Michigan State crushed them 30-10. So the point is that, while I agree with Saban that what goes around comes around in full force, I disagree that, in the future, coaches will have to start from scratch.

Defenses do not forget. Football might be cyclical, but its history is recorded. What worked once might work again, but the answers are also right there on the game film to be retrieved; there's no guesswork necessary. Saban might be right that the wishbone might come back -- it's an exceptionally well designed offense, and with the right talent, any offense can work -- but no one will succeed simply by resurrecting football's dinosaurs. Someone will have to put a new twist, or a new spin on it. So a restatement of the rule might be that football is cyclical, but it evolves at every step.

Senin, 20 Oktober 2008

Ferrum has week off-Prepares for stretch run.

After seven games, the Panthers go into their bye week at the top of the USA South conference. While this has been a successful season to this point, and there are many many positives, Ferrum's real proving ground lies in the next three games.
At 6-1, Ferrum must unleash the offense that has shown glimpses of brilliance, but at the most has produced just 34 points against Southern Virginia University. While the triple option is not known to be a "score every play" offense, I for one believe that the talent on offense is simmering, waiting to blow someone out.
To this point, Ferrum is giving up 13 points per game, and is scoring just over 29 points per game. By comparison, predicted conference champion Christopher Newport University is giving up just over 20.5 points per game, and is scoring 27.4 points per game. Ferrum has played two more games than the Captains.

Ferrum needs to catch the eye of the voters for the D3 Top 25 poll. The best way to do that is to dominate someone, and the next opponent should offer the best opportunity to do that.

Greensboro College is floundering after what appeared to be a strong start to the season. After four weeks, they had two impressive wins. They defeated Emory and Henry, and Galudet, but had lost to Guilford, and Maryville. Since that time, they have gone winless, and have seen a lot of points scored on their defense.
Statistically, Ferrum far outshines the Pride, but as the old saying goes, "Any given team can beat any given team any given day" Ferrum will need to focus solely on Greensboro this week. There will be plenty of chances to focus on N.C. Wesleyan and Christopher Newport University, after the Greensboro game is in the books.

Sabtu, 18 Oktober 2008

Ferrum extends winning streak to 6. Defeats Methodist University 31-13

Ferrum continued its winning ways, as they came away with the victory at Methodist 31-13. While the score suggests a fairly one-sided contest, the scoring pace was fairly even through the first three quarters. With a scoreless first period, Ferrum 6-1 (4-0) opened the scoring at the 13:35 mark of the second quarter when Mike Vann scored from 2 yards out. The extra point was blocked, and the Panthers led 6-0.

Methodist 1-5 (0-3 ) answered on their first offensive play after the ensuing kickoff when Quarterback Erik Teague connected with Chris Peoples for a 60 yard touchdown pass to tie the score. The extra point was good, and Methodist led 7-6

Running back Roy Banks was the next Panther to find pay dirt when he took a Matt Dobson handoff six yards, and gave the Panthers a 12-7 lead. At this point, Ferrum set up to go for a two point conversion, but Dobson stumbled pulling away from center, and was stopped in the backfield, leaving the score 12-7, and that is how the half ended.

In the third quarter, Methodist took the lead on a touchdown pass from Teague to Nathan Kindley. Methodist tried a 2 point conversion, but Teague's pass was incomplete. the score stood Methodist 13 Ferrum 12.

This lead did not hold up for long as Ferrum's Mike Vann scored on an 8 yard run to give Ferrum the lead. The extra point was good, and the score was 19-13. This is how the third quarter ended.

With less than two minuets elapsed in the fourth quarter, Ferrum's Le'Bryan Patterson scored on a 20yard pass from Marcus Mayo. The extra point was blocked, leaving the score Ferrum 25 Methodist 13. Ferrum would score on another Le'Bryan Patterson run at the 322 mark when he took the ball four yards for the TD. The extra point was blocked for the third time in the contest, and the final score was Ferrum 31 Methodist 13.

After this hard fought win, Ferrum will get a week off. They return to action at Greensboro College on November 1st.

Panther Pride

Ferrum should be very happy with most all aspects of their game, and look forward to going into the bye week atop of the USA South standings. They again showed the ability to move the ball on the ground with 369 rushing yards and 4 rushing touchdowns.
Their secondary came up big with three interceptions.
The defensive line only allowed the Monarchs 53 yards rushing, and the defense sacked the Methodist quarterback 4 times.
Great job on time of possession. This was another key to the win.

Panther Ponderings

Three extra points blocked. This must be some kind of record. It would appear that an assignment is getting missed, or there is a seam being exploited. This must be addressed right away

While the defensive secondary did have three interceptions, Methodist still had 269 yards passing, and two touchdowns through the air. This was the second most passing yards given up this season. (321 vs. Bridgewater)

Final Thoughts

Ferrum is coming into the home stretch with only 3 games remaining, and must deal with each game one at a time. The goal is to win the conference championship, and the remaining three games are all must wins, but the the next opponent is Greensboro College. That is all that matters. They must not look beyond that game.

Rabu, 15 Oktober 2008

Indonesian Football Stadiums

Stadion Sepakbola Indonesia ini merupakan tulisan rintisan mengenai beberapa stadion yang tersebar diseluruh propinsi di Indonesia yang digunakan untuk pertandingan sepakbola dibawah naungan Persatuan Sepakbola Seluruh Indonesia (PSSI) yang dikembangkan untuk para pecinta sepakbola di seluruh Indonesia, dan demi kesempurnaan tulisan ini silahkan anda memberikan informasi dan masukannya.

Dalam tulisan ini membagi beberapa stadion-stadion sepakbola menjadi beberapa kategori penilaian untuk ukuran Indonesia yaitu kategori A, B+, B, C+,C , D+, D dan E . Atas kekurangan dan keterbatasan pengetahuan saya berharap para pecinta sepakbola dapat memakluminya.