UCO RB gives fans glimpse into future
EDMOND — The Central Oklahoma football team gave fans a brief look at what the team has to offer on Saturday night when they held an intrasquad scrimmage. But the player that gave the fans the most excitement only played a single snap, and that player will be red-shirt freshman in 2009.
UCO head coach Tracy Holland raved about Josh Birmingham this offseason, and after the media day event held in Dallas, he offered a few bits about the freshman from just down Route 66 in Luther.
“He’s going to be special. The coaches at Wyoming thought they got a steal, they thought he had a chance to be the best running back in school history,” Holland said. “Then he gets here, and we have the spring game, and he had an amazing run in that game, and I can see why they had such high expectations for him.”
Javelinas hit field for scrimmage
CORPUS CHRISTI — KINGSVILLE Eleven days remain until Texas A&M-Kingsville opens the football season at home against fourth-ranked Delta (Miss.) State. Fortunately for the Javelinas and third-year coach Bo Atterberry, the team appears to be on the proper course.
A&M-Kingsville, which is ranked 24th in the country in D2Football.com’s preseason poll, went through its final scrimmage late Tuesday afternoon. It was a controlled atmosphere that put a premium on game-type situations with game officials from the Lone Star Conference working the scrimmage. While Atterberry was pleased with the players’ effort, the Javelinas by no means are a finished product.
“I’d say we’re father than we’ve been the past couple of years. But like I told the guys, that’s expected. We should be farther along,” Atterberry said. “We’ve still got quite a bit of work to do. That (scrimmage) was different for them and I’m glad we did it because we did not operate tonight like a football team that’s going to win very many football games if we react to transitions in games like that.”
Cafeteria forces MSU onto field a bit early
The Midwestern State Mustangs got out of practice early on Tuesday, but it wasn’t for anything they did. The cafeteria schedule at MSU forced the football team to begin practice an hour ealier than normal in order to give the players time to eat. So the afternoon practices from now on will be from 3:25-6:15 p.m.
If MSU head coach Bill Maskill had had his way, however, the Mustangs might still be practicing as the veteran coach wasn’t very happy with his team.
“They looked real tired out there,” Maskill said. “And they really have to learn how to push through it. Everybody in America is tired right now. We have to do a better job.”
LSC Fall Sports Preview Series: East Central
Despite a 2-7 Lone Star Conference record last year and being picked fifth in the North Division for 2009, there are plenty of reasons for excitement surrounding East Central's football team. While they have a new coach that brings a fresh attitude, he's actually a familiar face. Tim McCarty returns to the sidelines for his second stint as ECU head coach, after leaving the school for three years as Kansas State's top assistant. But McCarty is back and ready to turn things around in Ada.
"I'm rejuvenated and ready to go," McCarty said. "We had a productive spring and a lot of kids out there. We know we've got a long ways to go, but we're focused and we've got a lot of enthusiasm. We're ready to move the program forward."
Click here to see video from LSC Football Media Day
And the player that should help the most in that process is senior quarterback Marcus Johnson, the two-time North Division Offensive Back of the Year and the favorite to win the award for a third straight year.
Buffs ranked in polls
If preseason college football rankings are any indication, the West Texas A&M Buffs are going to find out quickly where they stand. Two preseason polls were released Monday, with the Buffs ranked No. 11 in the American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches Poll and 12th by D2Football.com.
What stands out is the strength of WT's schedule. The Buffs will be facing three ranked teams in their first three games of the season, including the No. 1 team in the nation.
The Buffs open the season Aug. 29, hosting Grand Valley State at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium. The Lakers are ranked No. 1 in both of the aforementioned polls. In Week 2 (Sept. 5), the Buffs host Central Oklahoma - No. 16 in the AFCA poll. The Buffs then travel Sept. 12 to Ellensburg, Wash., to take on Central Washington - 14th in both polls. The Buffs also face Texas A&M-Kingsville Sept. 26 - No. 24 in the D2Football poll - and Abilene Christian on Oct. 17 - No. 6 in the D2Football poll and fifth in the AFCA rankings.
A&M-Commerce miss cracking Top 25 poll
Texas A&M University-Commerce’s football team was close but didn’t quite make the top 25 in the American Football Coaches Association’s preseason poll. The Lions, under new head coach Guy Morriss, totaled 38 points to miss cracking the top 25 by five spots.
Three of their Lone Star Conference rivals made the top 25 with defending conference champion Abilene Christian at No. 5, West Texas A&M at No. 11, Central Oklahoma at No. 16.
Mustangs fall to No. 14 Tulsa in exhibition, 2-1
TULSA, Okla. — Tex McCullough netted his second goal of the preseason early in the second half Tuesday night at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium. It was enough to put No. 5 Midwestern State out in front of the University of Tulsa which is rated 14th in the NCAA Division I NSCAA preseason poll. But the Golden Hurricane went on to net a pair of goals in the final 30 minutes to claim a 2-1 exhibition win.
“Even though we lost, which is something we don’t like to do, we did see some progress,” MSU coach Doug Elder said. “The midfield played better and pace was much more crisp today. It was night and day from last Friday.”
The Mustangs were without their top two scorers from last season as sophomore Craig Sutherland (17 goals in 2008) and senior Nick Auditore (12 goals) sat out due to injury.
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