I think Hawk may be more strategic in his usage of the kicking game than ol' Field Gould...

@fugawe09, that's very good and sad insight into big-time college football. I am sure that is common practice at the upper levels of the sport. I'm torn because I love the product on the field but feel terribly for the majority of the players who won't make it into the NFL. I'll always cherish my time playing at UCD where nearly all of us were playing for the joy of it and focusing on our post-college careers (though someone seemed to go on to the NFL every 1-3 years back then). I missed several practices to study for an exam or prepare for a paper, and yet we were still very competitive. i believe we can still achieve success at the FCS level and focus on academics. Some programs are able to do this at the FBS level (Stanford, Northwestern, the academies). It's a cultural commitment.

I never questioned Gould's effort or how much he cared for the kids. He and his staff were good recruiters. He just wasn't good at his job and assembled a very inexperienced staff. It's a results business. No "A" for effort.

@BlueGoldAg I remember that well. It was a pathetic move and an early sign we we're in for a rough patch.

I don't know anything about our QBs behind Spencer, but I thought he did some good things when given a chance. But depth there and elsewhere are concerning in light of the injuries issue you raise. I am not sure whether that will be as big of a problem in the Gould era. I have no statistics to back this up but am fairly certain pre-Gould UCD experienced a more normal level of injuries than the past 4 years. Hopefully, Hawk has some secret-sauce plan for reducing injuries.

I am counting on at least 6 wins next year. I disagree that our recruiting wasn't better under Gould - that is one area I think Gould did well. He and his young staff just didn't do well with the talent they acquired. With improved (read: experienced) coaching and some key JC transfer talent, we will surprise people. Hawkins may not quite be Harbaugh, but remember Stanford went from 1-11 to 4-8 in Harbaugh's first year, 49ers went from 6-10 to 13-3 and Michigan went from 5-7 to 10-3. Don't underestimate the ability of solid coaching to substantially improve results in a short period of time.

Awesome work!

Great point @BlueGoldAg, and you are right @NewGuy, I do have some of that bias. I think while Gould was here I was like a UM fan wishing for a UCD equivalent to a "Michigan Man." I think that's why I and so many others on this board are excited to see what Hawk can do.

I could be misremembering the helmet thing during the Gould era based on results-clouded memory though - I have no photographic evidence.

Did not appear so. I remember helmets laying about. Disgraceful!

@OldAggieAlum, thank you for passing that article along. Always good to have the Aggie lineage and philosophy published on a national scale. After four years in the woods with Gould, I think we are back on the track Sochor laid out. And as a former player, I really hope Hawkins re-instates the no helmets on the ground rule referenced in the article. Seems like a small thing, but trust me, it is not.

This staff is so solid. Feels like the grownups are back in charge. This is one of those "pivot points" for our program. I am certain of it.

@SochorField and @ucdavisaggie05 I agree with you completely. Script Davis, gold pants always, blue jersey at home, white jersey away. Concentrate on winning some damn games before you worry about playing dress up. I know that's old-fashioned, but this alternative uniform thing has really jumped the shark for me.

That's great news - keep it rolling!

Gentlemen, I found this great summary of the 2015 IFAF world championships (see link below). Apparently, it was set originally for 12 teams, yet only 7 played. But hey, USA won the tourney and we laid the wood to France 82-0 in front of 500 screaming fans... USA! USA! USA! Kidding aside, this doesn't diminish my enthusiasm for our staff in any way.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_IFAF_World_Championship

I LOVE script Davis and hope the team uses that 100% on their helmets next year. I also like the singular font on the schedule announcement. I've always thought our logo with two fonts looked goofier than hell...

Now Hawk just needs to land his OC/O-line coach from US National team and wenare all set. I'd take Helfrich and his $11MM as a backup though!

just 10 years ago we were peers with NDSU. Read this article for a reminder: http://www.gobison.com/news/2006/11/4/51900.aspx

I believe under the right circumstances we can be their peers again. Call me an optimist, but it feels like Hawk can do it.

@NewGuy, I think you should read up a bit on Bob Stitt at Montana and the success he (and other major college coaches) have achieved incorporating the fly sweep into their offense. There is a big difference between "gimmick" and "innovation." I am also not sure why you are focusing on Hawk's coaches' most recent stops - look at their full resumes. These are very experienced men who have coached at high levels. We all have a lot of reasons to be optimistic. If we add Paul Wulff as our OC, the circle will be complete (and the rest of the Big Sky will collectively crap their pants).