Bishop Media Sports Network
MCA Buccaneers Coach’s Show with Tony Glazer October 2
Hootie-Hoo
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Kennesaw State Owls are flying high after beating Samford 24-10 Saturday. KSU (4-1) is ranked fourth in the most recent national FCS poll.
Senior quarterback Chandler Burks threw a touchdown pass and ran for two scores in the win. Burks led the team with 55 rushing yards. Shaquil Terry rushed for 47 yards and Jake McKenzie had 36 yards on the ground.
The Owls only had 66 passing yards and no receiver had more than one catch. The game stats were surprisingly close for both teams. Samford had 272 yards and KSU had 286 yards.
The Bulldogs had 19 first downs and the Owls had 18. The biggest difference was turnover margin, Samford had one and KSU did not turn the ball over.
Head coach Brian Bohannon has been the coach since the program started. He was a longtime assistant coach under Paul Johnson at Georgia Southern, Navy and Georgia Tech.
“We took a step forward to playing the kind of football we’re capable of playing here,” Bohannon said. “We didn’t beat ourselves. We didn’t play perfect, but we made some strides in all three phases.”
The only loss on the season came in the first game against an FBS team, Georgia State. The Owls almost won that game but fell 24-20.
The success Kennesaw State is having is amazing considering they just started playing football in 2015. They have never had a losing season and their record has improved every year.
Last season they won the Big South conference and made the FCS Playoffs for the first time. They advanced to the quarterfinals and lost to No. 5 Sam Houston State 34-27.
The Owls run a triple option offense and at the FCS level, it can be very successful. It makes me wonder if Kennesaw State is a legitimate national contender.
The top ranked team is the defending national champions, North Dakota State (4-0) and they have been the most dominant team in the past decade. They have won 6 national championships since 2011.
The Bison are going to be a very tough team to overcome. They are coming off a win over No. 3 South Dakota State 21-17.
James Madison (4-1) is the second ranked team in the country. The only loss came against NC State in a close 24-13 game. The Dukes won the national title in 2016 so they know how to win.
KSU begins Big South conference play October 6th at home against Presbyterian. The Blue Hose are one of the better teams in the conference. Campbell and Monmouth are also two very good conference opponents.
Charleston Southern and Gardner-Webb should be easy wins for the Owls. The season finale is home against No. 8 Jacksonville State. This will be the toughest test in FCS play and the result will have big implications for seeding in the playoffs.
For the season to be considered a success, they will need to advance further in the playoffs. That means they will have to get to the semifinals and I think that is a very realistic goal.
Moving On Up
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s a rare occasion when you can say a college football team that has never won more than seven games in a season, and in fact has only two winning seasons throughout their program’s history, is considered a successful football program.
Those accolades are normally reserved for an eight-year-old in the form of a participation trophy. However, when it comes to Georgia State football, they are that exception.
Moving from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) is an adjustment for any team; some programs do acclimate themselves a little quicker than others. Regardless of whether you are an established program, or one just starting out, the transition can be unpredictable.
In Georgia State’s case, there was little reason to believe they would see any modicum of success after making the transition from FCS to FBS.
The football program didn’t even exist until 2010 and during the three years they spent on the FCS level, Georgia State has a combined record of 10-23. (The final two years their record was only 4-18).
Expecting them to be able to compete at all would be like giving me a guitar and waiting for me to tear into “All Along the Watchtower”, Jimi Hendrix style.
Yet, while Georgia State may not be at Jimi Hendrix level, so to speak, they have performed much better than anticipated.
After their initial first two years in the Sun Belt, which resulted in zero conference wins and only a single victory overall, they have become a legitimate competitive force within the conference.
I realize we live in an age where there are almost as many bowl games as there are football teams, but still it’s pretty remarkable that Georgia State has played in a bowl game in two of the past three years; they won their first ever bowl game last year against Western Kentucky in the Cure Bowl.
I’m not saying Georgia State is running unencumbered through their schedule, but considering they only won eleven games total during their first five years, making two bowls games in three years is something to be proud of.
Just for comparison, Georgia Southern has only been to one bowl game since arriving to the Sun Belt. (Yes, it’s a little misleading since the Eagles weren’t eligible for a bowl game during their first year in the conference due to a ridiculous NCAA rule. But even if they had been allowed to play in a bowl game, the bowl appearances between both schools would be equal.)
Regardless of what division level of athletics you play at in college, moving up in competition is never a guaranteed thing. A small college close to me just announced the other day that after transitioning from Division III to Division II a few years ago, they are transitioning back following this season. They just couldn’t compete at that level.
That easily could’ve been the Georgia State football program. Would anyone have been surprised to see them struggle and ultimately move back down to the FCS level?
Instead, they have shown the decision to join the Sun Belt was the correct one, and not just for financial reasons; they can compete.
Ten years ago, who would have predicted that?
Frederica Blast Patriots
By: Rich Bontrager
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Frederica Academy Knights kicked off the second half of the season with a bang as they entered region play.
Friday night the Knights traveled to Bellville, GA to play the Pinewood Christian Patriots.
For the first time all season, the Knights would receive the opening kickoff and start on offense.
Jaylin Simpson (Sr) would start at QB for the first time since his injury in the second game of the season.
Denver Anthony (QB) reportedly had a minor injury to his throwing arm and was used primarily as a running back and receiver throughout the game.
With the Knights coming off a bye week, the team was back at full strength with several other injured players back in the line up as well.
Frederica’s offense would go “no-huddle” and uptempo most of the night and frustrated Pinewood to no end.
The Knights would score twice in the first quarter, three times in the second and lead 32-0 at halftime.
Scoring highlights in the first-half included an impressive 33-yard rushing touchdown by Isaiah Jackson (RB), and Denver Anthony running in both a 7 yard and 22 yard TD.
“I think our offense really ran things well most of the night,” said Coach Brandon Derrick. “I was very pleased that we kept our pace all night.”
By half-time, the Patriots had only gained close to 50-yards in total offense, as the Knights defense swarmed to the ball and made it tough for Mic Wasson (Fr, QB) to have any time to set up well in the pocket and throw the ball.
It was a rough Homecoming game for the Patriot fans to watch as the offense fumbled the ball, threw an interception and had no offense until the second half.
The second half was on a running clock and saw many line up changes for the Frederica Knights.
JT Elliot and Thomas Veal both saw action at QB before Simpson was put back in to seal the victory.
With the change in lineup, the Knights defense gave up two TD’s to Pinewood and to two 2-point conversions to avoid a shutout.
The Knights would tack on one more score when Avery Cobb rushed down the near side of the field and scored on a 52-yard rushing play.
The score was made possible by a big surge of the Knight’s offensive line. A line produced big holes and great passing protection all night long.
“The kids played extremely well, and yet we gave two scores that cost us the shutout,” commented Coach Derrick. “Right now, it’s just the small details that we need to focus in on and tighten up on. But overall we are looking great for a big finish.”
The Knights now stand at 4-2 after getting the 39-16 win and spoiling another team’s Homecoming celebration.
Next week, Frederica will celebrate their Homecoming and host Westfield School on Saint Simons Island.
Sailing Pirates
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
One a hot muggy night at Glynn County Stadium the Brunswick High Pirates beat Monroe 42-6 on Homecoming.
Taylor Zachry was crowned the 2018 Homecoming Queen and KJ Lee passed for 3 TD’s and close to 300 yards.
Jaylen Trimmings rushed for two TD’s as the Pirate offense clicked on all cylinders and the Pirate defense continued to improve.
The Pirates now enter region play with a 3-3 record on the season as Richmond Hill comes to Glynn County Stadium for the region opener next Friday.
Pirate Report Card:
Offense: A+. The offense clicked all night long.
KJ Lee had another great game for the second week in a row. Lee tossed 3 TD’s to three different receivers.
Che Foy had another solid game with a TD catch. Amarrion Whitfield had a nice TD catch in traffic. Xavier “The Touchdown Machine” Bean caught his fifth touchdown on the season.
Jaylen Trimmings had TD runs of 49 and 2 yards and finished the game with right at 100 yards rushing.
The Pirate offensive line dominated the front seven of Monroe all night long. This was the best offensive performance of the year just in time for region play. This unit gets better week by week.
Defense: B+. The unit gave up some yards in the first half, but it set the tone after the half with a key sack by Octavius Butler on Monroe’s first possession and AJ Wilson added a 33- yard scoop and score to put the Pirates up 35-6.
Butler also recovered a fumble in the third quarter. Freddy Towns is the best defensive back in the region with another solid performance. The Pirate defense has only given up 12 points in the last 7 quarters and continues to improve.
Special Teams: A. Demetrius Hardee set up a TD late in the first half with a nice punt return and the Pirates made all 6- PAT’s. Kick coverage was pretty good most of the night. Best special teams’ effort of the season by BHS.
Coaching: A. BHS was well prepared in this contest. The offensive game-plan was excellent.
The up-tempo style kept Monroe off balance all night long. Adjustments were made at the half on defense and pressure was dialed up in the second half and forced Monroe into some turnovers.
The coaching staff has done a good job getting these kids ready for region play next week.
The Pirates were dealing with some injuries to key defensive starters in the contest, but the coaches plugged the holes and had the team ready to play at a high level.
Overall: A. The Homecoming win was the most complete effort of the year by this football team.
The team clicked on offense, the defense scored a TD and a special teams punt return set up a TD to put Brunswick up 21-6 right before the half.
The team is starting to peak as region play starts next Friday.
Next up Is Richmond Hill. The Wildcats travel to Brunswick next for the region opener. Brunswick has never lost to Richmond Hill in football.
The Pirates now stand 3-3 on the season. The next 4 games will determine the fate of the 2018 Brunswick High Pirates.
Get ready for a fun ride Pirate fans in the month of October.
Frederica Academy Knights Coach’s Show w Brandon Derrick September 26
Brunswick High Pirates Coach’s Show w Sean Pender September 26
Glynn Academy Red Terrors Coach’s Show With Rocky Hidalgo September 26
New Heights For Eagles?
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Southern spent an entire offseason working towards the goal of erasing the memories of a disastrous 2017 campaign.
A pair of wins and some high points in a game at Clemson have shown that the Eagles are definitely on more solid ground this season, but this Saturday provides Southern with a chance to show that it is not only on the mend but a force to be reckoned with in the Sun Belt.
Every preseason poll made it clear that the prognosticators thought that Arkansas State, Troy and Appalachian State were the three teams with a chance to take home the Sun Belt title.
Georgia Southern can’t complain about the lack of attention after last season’s showing, but a defense that is taking to a new 3-4 scheme quicker than expected and an offense that is under the control of a much more confident looking Shai Werts leaves the Eagles looking much less vulnerable than they were for most of 2017.
The Eagles’ search for a revived option offense has shown signs of success, but is still a work in progress.
Head coach Chad Lunsford and offensive coordinator Bob DeBesse have been consistent in saying that the envisioned offense is much more dynamic than what has been seen so far, but that they want to see all of the building blocks of the scheme executed well before opening things up.
That leaves a lot on the Eagle defense, which has shifted seamlessly into a new 3-4 scheme.
Georgia Southern hopes that the third time will be the charm against Arkansas State. The Eagles have forced five turnovers from the Red Wolves in each of the last two meetings, but don’t have a win to show for it.
A loss on Saturday will be a bump in the road for the building momentum in Statesboro, while a win could put the Eagles’ rebuild a year ahead of schedule.
If history holds true, this week is the best chance for the Eagles to prove that they can compete in the Sun Belt.
Arkansas State has had sporadic overall records over the last decade, but the Red Wolves have been the most consistent power in Sun Belt play over that span.
The defending conference champs are riding high after notching their first back-to-back non-conference wins since moving up to FBS in 1992, giving the Wolves all the confidence in the world that another big conference run is around the corner.
Another stellar ASU defense is complemented by preseason Player of the Year Justice Hanson at quarterback for the Wolves, who is in turn surrounded by a bevy of talented skill position players.
Similarly talented Red Wolves teams have struggled to get through GS defenses over the last two years, but they still have a pair of wins to show for the effort.
For the Eagles, even a hard-fought loss would be a positive, but that’s not how they’ll be looking at Saturday’s game.
With well over 20,000 expected to pack into Paulson Stadium on Saturday night, the Eagles are riding a wave of momentum that wasn’t felt during the previous coaching administration.
If that leads to a win over Arkansas State, the thinking around Statesboro will quickly shift from wondering if the team is actually good to wondering just how good it can be.
The Wrong Kind Of Buzz
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
At what point does Georgia Tech (1-3) move on from Paul Johnson? Why do they believe in rewarding mediocrity? These are questions asked by every Tech fan after another loss.
The Yellow Jackets got beat down by Clemson 49-28. The Tigers primarily played true freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence and he tossed 4 touchdown passes.
Tech fumbled 8 times, recovering 7. Clemson’s first touchdown came when Clelin Ferrell recovered a fumble in the end zone.
“Well, we got our tails kicked. We got outplayed, outcoached and we got beat by a really good football team. And we’re not good enough to fumble the ball seven or eight times and jump offsides and take ourselves out of field-goal range to start the game with two sacks in a row. All those things,” Johnson said.
Let’s take a look at Johnson to see what’s going on. On the surface, he seems like he is doing a great job since taking over as head coach in Atlanta back in 2008. His record is 77-56 so he as a 0.579 winning percentage.
He did his best work when he first took over and inherited Chan Gailey’s players. CPJ is notoriously known for his poor recruiting and that is catching up. In 2015, they finished 3-9 with one conference win.
Last season they were 5-6 and had the UCF game cancelled. They would have lost to Central Florida if the game were played. Johnson also led Tech to a losing 6-7 record in 2010 but at least that came from a bowl loss. He had two seven-win seasons in 2012 and 2013.
Since winning the Orange Bowl and finishing No. 8 nationally during the 2014 season, the Yellow Jackets are 18-22 overall and 9-17 in the ACC.
Following last year’s sub-par campaign, his contract was extended for some reason. It was a move as bizarre as Johnson’s play calling. He already had three years remaining on his contract before the extension, now he is signed to remain on The Flats until 2022.
Athletic Director Todd Stansbury had to explain this head-scratching move.
“Aside from Bobby Dodd, no head coach in Georgia Tech football history has won more games in his first 10 seasons than Paul Johnson,” Stansbury said. “By extending Coach Johnson’s contract through 2022, we not only keep one of the most successful coaches in our illustrious history right here on The Flats, but we also ensure continued stability within our coaching staff. Stability is a vital piece in recruiting and student-athlete development, which are key components to any successful college program. I’m excited that Coach Johnson’s extension is officially complete and I’m looking forward to achieving even more success under his leadership in future years.”
The fan base is tired of these results but nobody at Tech seems to care. I thought Johnson should have been fired in 2012 after they lost to Middle Tennessee at home by 21 points. It seems like he will not be going anywhere but it’s time to reevaluate that.
On the bright side, the next game is at home against Bowling Green. This will be an easy win. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if they will win any more games after that. The conference games that looked like easy wins now seem difficult.
Virginia is 3-1. North Carolina started 0-2 but they just beat Pitt. Duke has won three of the last four meetings.
I think the best case scenario this season is 5 wins.
