Our Monday APP story on MU football reaction to being passed over for 1-AA playoffs and its look ahead to USD game
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
Mixed emotions, but mostly excitement over its post season football
game.
That was how Brian Boland, quarterback of the Northeast Conference
champion Monmouth University
football team (10-1), said the Hawks reacted to word Sunday they will,
as originally anticipated, play 1 p.m. Dec. 2
vs. Pioneer League
champion University of San Diego (10-0) in the Gridiron
Classic at Kessler Field.
Sunday a crowd estimated at between 300-400 made up of Monmouth football players,
their families,
and fans, gathered at the Monmouth student center to learn whether the
Hawks might instead be granted one of eight at-large berth to the 16-team
field in the 1-AA playoffs. The bid did not materialize.
""It's a little disappointing not to make the playoffs,'' said Boland, a
graduate of Brick Memorial High school.
""But we're bascially playing for the Mid-Major national championship and
it's going to be a home bowl game,'' said Boland.
The Gridiron Classic was arranged during the off season by the
NEC and PFL to offer its championship teams a post season opportunity.
Had an NEC or PFL championship team earned a 1-AA playoff bid the second place team or
team or teams would have played in the Gridiron event.
According to Ron Ratner, NEC Associate Commissioner, Sunday marked the first
time an NEC team had been considered for the 1-AA playoffs.
He said the 1-AA
East Region Advisory Committtee, of which he is a member, had recommended
Monmouth, among other teams, to the national committee which
selected the field.
""They (Monmouth) were certainly under consideration, nationally, along with the
schools from the Atlantic-10 that were chosen,''said Ratner referring to
at-large berths gained by James Madison and New Hampshire.
"It's tough, there's so few at large bids to play with,'' he said.
Ratner said he was "a little surpised Montana State (7-4) got in. That was
the only real surprise out of the field,'' he said. ""They (national
committee) went pretty much by the book on this.''
""The goal from the very beginning of the season was to win our conference,
the results of which would be to play in this bowl game,''said Boland. ""The
whole 1-AA playoff thing kind of came up towards the end of the season.
""That really wasn't our goal from the beginning of the year. Now we can
start game planning and getting ready for San Diego.''
San Diego, coached for former National Football League quarterback Jim
Harbaugh, is currently ranked No. 1 in the Sports Network 1-AA Mid Major
Poll where Monmouth is No. 2.
USD is also ranked No. 14 by TSN in its Top 25
national poll. Monmouth is not ranked, though it had the 29th highest vote
total nationally last weeek.
The Toreros' 18-game winning streak is tied with Ohio State for the long
gest in Division 1 and 1-AA football.
They are led by junior
quarterback Josh Johnson, a Payton Watch candidate, the honor
which goes to the top
offensive player in 1-AA football.
USD leads all of 1-AA football in total offense including scoring (46
points per game) while Johnson, 6-3, 195 pounds, continues to rank
nationally in five I-AA top-three statistical categories - 1st in total
offense (338.10 ypg), 1st in passing efficiency (179.3 rating), 1st in points
responsible for (27.0 ppg), 3rd in total passing yards (2,796) and 3rd in
passing yards per game (279.60).
He is now 21-1 as a starter calling the
Torero signals.
USD plays at 1-AA independant California Davis (5-5) Saturday.
"I think you're going to see a fantastic (Gridiron Classic)
game,'' said Ratner who said it will match the contrasting styles of defensive
minded Monmouth vs. the explosiveness of San Diego.
""It's good to bring post season game to this area and I think it's
going to generate a lot of interest because of the personality of Jim Harbaugh
and Josh Johnson being a really, talented quarterback,'' Ratner said.
Like Monmouth, USD had been hoping for a 1-AA playoff bid but games
against non-division I-AA opponents Azusa Pacific and Dixie State were
believed to have damaged its chances.
Ratner said the best thing that happened to the NEC this season, including
wins over over nationally known opponents, was laying the ground work for futute
years.
""By being in the playoff discussion with the national committee, the
conference's name as well as Monmouth's name and, to an extent Albany's name
as well, are out there now,'' Ratner said.
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
Note to blog folks ..there are some comments from Harbough on th USD web site..nothing about MU though
STAFF WRITER
Mixed emotions, but mostly excitement over its post season football
game.
That was how Brian Boland, quarterback of the Northeast Conference
champion Monmouth University
football team (10-1), said the Hawks reacted to word Sunday they will,
as originally anticipated, play 1 p.m. Dec. 2
vs. Pioneer League
champion University of San Diego (10-0) in the Gridiron
Classic at Kessler Field.
Sunday a crowd estimated at between 300-400 made up of Monmouth football players,
their families,
and fans, gathered at the Monmouth student center to learn whether the
Hawks might instead be granted one of eight at-large berth to the 16-team
field in the 1-AA playoffs. The bid did not materialize.
""It's a little disappointing not to make the playoffs,'' said Boland, a
graduate of Brick Memorial High school.
""But we're bascially playing for the Mid-Major national championship and
it's going to be a home bowl game,'' said Boland.
The Gridiron Classic was arranged during the off season by the
NEC and PFL to offer its championship teams a post season opportunity.
Had an NEC or PFL championship team earned a 1-AA playoff bid the second place team or
team or teams would have played in the Gridiron event.
According to Ron Ratner, NEC Associate Commissioner, Sunday marked the first
time an NEC team had been considered for the 1-AA playoffs.
He said the 1-AA
East Region Advisory Committtee, of which he is a member, had recommended
Monmouth, among other teams, to the national committee which
selected the field.
""They (Monmouth) were certainly under consideration, nationally, along with the
schools from the Atlantic-10 that were chosen,''said Ratner referring to
at-large berths gained by James Madison and New Hampshire.
"It's tough, there's so few at large bids to play with,'' he said.
Ratner said he was "a little surpised Montana State (7-4) got in. That was
the only real surprise out of the field,'' he said. ""They (national
committee) went pretty much by the book on this.''
""The goal from the very beginning of the season was to win our conference,
the results of which would be to play in this bowl game,''said Boland. ""The
whole 1-AA playoff thing kind of came up towards the end of the season.
""That really wasn't our goal from the beginning of the year. Now we can
start game planning and getting ready for San Diego.''
San Diego, coached for former National Football League quarterback Jim
Harbaugh, is currently ranked No. 1 in the Sports Network 1-AA Mid Major
Poll where Monmouth is No. 2.
USD is also ranked No. 14 by TSN in its Top 25
national poll. Monmouth is not ranked, though it had the 29th highest vote
total nationally last weeek.
The Toreros' 18-game winning streak is tied with Ohio State for the long
gest in Division 1 and 1-AA football.
They are led by junior
quarterback Josh Johnson, a Payton Watch candidate, the honor
which goes to the top
offensive player in 1-AA football.
USD leads all of 1-AA football in total offense including scoring (46
points per game) while Johnson, 6-3, 195 pounds, continues to rank
nationally in five I-AA top-three statistical categories - 1st in total
offense (338.10 ypg), 1st in passing efficiency (179.3 rating), 1st in points
responsible for (27.0 ppg), 3rd in total passing yards (2,796) and 3rd in
passing yards per game (279.60).
He is now 21-1 as a starter calling the
Torero signals.
USD plays at 1-AA independant California Davis (5-5) Saturday.
"I think you're going to see a fantastic (Gridiron Classic)
game,'' said Ratner who said it will match the contrasting styles of defensive
minded Monmouth vs. the explosiveness of San Diego.
""It's good to bring post season game to this area and I think it's
going to generate a lot of interest because of the personality of Jim Harbaugh
and Josh Johnson being a really, talented quarterback,'' Ratner said.
Like Monmouth, USD had been hoping for a 1-AA playoff bid but games
against non-division I-AA opponents Azusa Pacific and Dixie State were
believed to have damaged its chances.
Ratner said the best thing that happened to the NEC this season, including
wins over over nationally known opponents, was laying the ground work for futute
years.
""By being in the playoff discussion with the national committee, the
conference's name as well as Monmouth's name and, to an extent Albany's name
as well, are out there now,'' Ratner said.
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
Note to blog folks ..there are some comments from Harbough on th USD web site..nothing about MU though
posted by Tony Graham at 7:16 PM
1 Comments:
Tony- The game is at 12 noon, not 1 p.m., which may change if television is involved.
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