I hesitate to put too much stock in 2017's results because it was Hawkins's first year in charge and the team was coming off three years where they went a combined 7-26. So 5-6 was a step forward. It always takes a couple years for a college coach to get his recruits in and get the players used to his system. Years 3 and 4 are the big ones because you've had enough time to mold the program the way you want to. FWIW, I'd do the same even if the results were good. Helfrich went 11-2 and 13-2 at Oregon his first two seasons including a national title game appearance but when Kelly's recruits left, results went downhill quickly (9-4, 4-8 and fired after year 4). So it goes both ways.

I hope I didn't come across as hand waving off this season's results as meaningless because of the schedule and losing Doss. The team took a big step back. They had one blowout (Lehigh). I guess you can count Southern Utah since we were up big going into the 4th but Poly and Portland were close in the 4th. Regardless of the schedule, they were worse next year.

Next year's schedule won't be easy but it doesn't appear to be the gauntlet this year was. Two FBS games, at Weber, home to EWU and Sac. But that's life in the Big Sky. You're going to have at least one FBS game and a couple tough league games. It's not an excuse. But it also affords some leeway when competing for the playoffs. 7-5 probably gets them in. I think that should be the expectation next year, even with a new QB. Like Dr Mike said, you don't win 10 games with subpar coaching. You also don't go in to the Fargo Dome and give NDSU a game without some talent and at least decent coaching.

Next year is a big year. 7 or 8 wins and a playoff berth and we're good. Another 5 win season and the seat starts getting a little warm.

FWIW, I believe Tehran Thomas' last game was Montana. I've heard it was a painful rib injury. He had over 6 YPC vs Montana. Postgame, I saw Facey (RB) in a boot. Not sure if TT qualifies for a medical redshirt w playing time in 5 games.

Troy Spencer (RB) then got PT, did well, and then we didn't see him, so likely injured.

Thomas missed San Diego do only played in 4 games

Thomas will be eligible for a redshirt if he only played in 4 games total this season. The redshirt rule changed in 2018. Players can now play in up to 4 games one year and not have that year count as a one of their 4 years. You still have 5 years to play 4 but it's essentially 5 years in which you can now play 4 1/3.

A player can get a medical redshirt if an injury occurs in the first half of the season and the player can not have played in more than 3 games before the injury occurs. Montana was the 5th game of the season for us so, if he didn't play after that game, he would meet the criteria for a medical redshirt also. It would seem easier for him just to use a regular redshirt year rather than going through the process of applying for a medical redshirt though.


Here is an article about the redshirt rules: https://www.si.com/college/2018/06/13/ncaa-redshirt-rule-change-eligibility-reaction

that was my understanding.

I don’t think we can put much weight on offensive line injuries.There were some injuries that made players miss games but we had good depth there and always seemed to have five of our top seven linemen available. We always had an experienced player at every position and the newer guys, Ford and Amoah, warrant their playing time.
Some evidence that we weren’t lacking in offensive linemen is that a former starter, Riley Gallant who had played in thirty games in prior years only played in three, I believe that was just coaches decision.

I note in the statistics that T Thomas played in six games, so no redshirt available there.
While on the running back subject, we could use a running back that can run outside. Gilliam is great but doesn’t have blazing speed. Combined with a QB who doesn’t run, and we didn’t threaten the edge much. We threw a lot of quick passes to receivers that often gained zero to two yards, I think that was partly to compensate for the limited outside running game.

I see that also but I think it’s wrong. He missed USD, and I don’t think he suited up after Montana. I know he was on the sidelines for Weber, Portland and MSU. I don’t know where the other two games would be

I believe there was an error in the notation that he played in one mid-year game. I saw Facey in a boot, and Tehran in visible pain, walking off the field post Montana game (home). I don't recall him ever playing after that.

Our backups then all played, briefly. I heard rumors Niko Harris also had an injury after his one stint.

It might have been nice to have our huge QB turned LB from a Gould recruiting class to play FB or QB in short yardage situations. (Name escapes me.)

I visited with TT at the tailgate before the msu game. Im pretty sure he told me he was red shirting this year. BTW, he is a very polite, well spoken gentleman. It made my day chatting with him.

his individual stats shows carries vs Cal, Lehigh, NDSU and Montana. Allow shows Poly and Weber with 0 attempts. i'm positive those two games are incorrect.

+1. Participation logs aren't infallible... one game showed DE Cade Peacock playing while we believe he is redshirting and didn't play this year. (We graduate 5 on the D line?)

Unless waving a towel in street clothes counts as participation, TT didn’t in those two games. Lots of duplicate numbers out there, especially at home games

Santa Clara was D2. They had some good years (I remember them beating UOP with Dan Pastorini at a high school band day) but they weren’t the caliber of competition as now. UOP wins were good, but again even though UOP was D1, they weren’t substantially superior athletically.

and Sochor and company had all summer to prep for them! One year we opened there with a win (78) and they were coming off a lose at South Carolina.

I remember that game. I think we had a Maverick band there. Moroski was masterful. As I recall that is when Brian Buckley really bulked up at linebacker. Helped with his fastball on the baseball team.

I was there as a UOP recruit. None of their coaches came out after to chat. They were humiliated

Correct. And they had schollies, we didn't. Legit west coast competition.

Not all D2 years were talent mismatches within our conference, that developed as success bred success. In the beginning of Socher years we faced teams with similar talent.
Also don’t overlook the College Division (before there was a D2) Massachusetts game in 72 and the Boise Thanksgiving weekend in 73, those teams were physically superior scholarship teams and we gave them all they could handle. The UMass score was deceptive because of the 5 yard end zones restricted our pass oriented team.

i agree; i was mostly referring to the 80's era of Aggie football. by then, the 'we were smaller and slower than everyone we played' wasn't the case anymore.

I'm not comparing D2 comp to DI comp; I'm noting we competed with people deeper than SF State and equal to ourselves or above (UOP) physically.

Don't forget, we started out poorly O'Brien's junior year.

I was reviewing last years stats on Montell Bland and discovered what an impact player he was for us. Unquestionably the best LB we had. No question not having him in the scrum hurt us majorly in stopping the run this year. He was a RS in 2017. Played very well in 2018. Ineligible this year. Does that mean he loses a year of eligibility?

Basic rule is player has five years to play four so unless something unusual he’ll lose a year.

agree; medical redshirt can get you a 6th, for example