FB: Southern Athletic Association

[nineohnine]

Trinity finishes non-con with a 3-0 record and having outscored their opponents 120-22.

Go Tigers!

[Ron Boerger]

Not the best day for the conference with Berry and Centre losing, but Sewanee, Millsaps, and Trinity held up their ends so now it's up to Southwestern who should easily win with TLU's QB out for the season.

[Ron Boerger]

Trinity finishes non-con with a 3-0 record and having outscored their opponents 120-22.

Go Tigers!

And the last two games arguably weren't as close as the 94-8 composite given the number of subs that saw extended PT.

[Ron Boerger]

Not the best day for the conference with Berry and Centre losing, but Sewanee, Millsaps, and Trinity held up their ends so now it's up to Southwestern who should easily win with TLU's QB out for the season.

SW gives up a TD with 0:09 to play and loses 38-35 despite outgaining TLU 575-425.

[Ron Boerger]

After three weeks of play, it looks like last year's achievement of the SAA placing three teams in the playoffs is a pipe dream for 2025.  There's only one game this weekend that will directly impact NPIs - Rhodes/Hendrix - and given Hendrix 1-2 record (and 153rd position in NPI) even a win won't do Rhodes or the conference much good.  Maryville plays non-D3 Pikeville which will have no NPI impact, and everyone else has a bye.

Courtesy D3Datacast, here are the NPIs after yesterday's results:

22. Trinity (3-0) - 66.981
25. Maryville (2-0) - 66.505
62. Berry (2-1) - 58.248
69. Sewanee (2-1) - 57.193
94. Millsaps (2-1) - 53.204
124. Rhodes (1-1) - 48.391
139. Southwestern (2-1) - 46.061
154. Centre (1-2) - 44.805

I guess there is some scenario where Trinity, Maryville, and a third team (Berry? Sewanee?) end up tied, with the third team earning the AQ on tiebreakers, that would place three teams in the playoffs.  Quite frankly, when I started typing this I'd forgotten about Maryville which D3Datacast still listed in the USAC at the time (they may have updated this by the time you see it) and as you can see they and Trinity will start conference play well above the cutoff line (which at this instant is 35th placed Lewis and Clark but will certainly change).

Of course, early in the season NPIs don't mean a lot, but you want to start high and/or hope the teams you have already defeated win as many other games as possible as the season progresses. 

[awadelewis]

It feels odd, and strangly pleasant, to hear someone mentioning Sewanee as even an outside contender for a playoff spot. 

Maryville is going to be a wild card this season.  They don't appear to have been stretched any by their first two non-conference opponents and UPike has struggled this season against three NAIA teams that have received votes or been ranked in the NAIA polls.  Be interesting to see if the Scots can do the same to them.

I'm thinking we won't get clarity about the conference championship until the last two weeks of the season when Maryville travels to Berry and then hosts Trinity.

[Ron Boerger]

I keep wondering if this will be the year Sewanee translates its non-conference success into SAA W's.  Brevard, who defeated Sewanee, came back late to beat a D2 yesterday.  NCW had racked up over 100 points the previous two weeks - admittedly against far lesser competition - even so the shutout was a nice way to end non-con play.  M'ville too has had success against teams at the lower end of the D3 spectrum.  The opener in two weeks between the two schools should give us a good read as to where they stand.

[tigerguy]

I hope our guys in the trenches are getting enough reps to prepare them stamina-wise for a full 4 quarters of play. I am all for getting the backups important reps, but Urban has been pulling starters fairly early in the last two games. I haven't gone back to drill down on whether it is across the board, or whether the early pulls are just QB and RBs.

Not advocating for running up the score or creating greater opportunities for injury - but we will have games this year where the starters need to play all four quarters. Close games can be won with better late-game stamina, particularly on the line.

[D3Navy]

I hope our guys in the trenches are getting enough reps to prepare them stamina-wise for a full 4 quarters of play. I am all for getting the backups important reps, but Urban has been pulling starters fairly early in the last two games. I haven't gone back to drill down on whether it is across the board, or whether the early pulls are just QB and RBs.

Not advocating for running up the score or creating greater opportunities for injury - but we will have games this year where the starters need to play all four quarters. Close games can be won with better late-game stamina, particularly on the line.

In the PLU game, coach left starters in the game through most of the third quarter. He pulled nearly the entire starting lineup at halftime in the game against Belhaven. It seems he recognizes the need to ensure his players are conditioned. They have a bye this coming weekend.

[Cowboy2]

I hope our guys in the trenches are getting enough reps to prepare them stamina-wise for a full 4 quarters of play. I am all for getting the backups important reps, but Urban has been pulling starters fairly early in the last two games. I haven't gone back to drill down on whether it is across the board, or whether the early pulls are just QB and RBs.

Not advocating for running up the score or creating greater opportunities for injury - but we will have games this year where the starters need to play all four quarters. Close games can be won with better late-game stamina, particularly on the line.

In the PLU game, coach left starters in the game through most of the third quarter. He pulled nearly the entire    starting lineup at halftime in the game against Belhaven. It seems he recognizes the need to ensure his players are conditioned. They have a bye this coming weekend.

It's important to get reps. However, if a player is not in shape after three games in, plus a couple controlled scrimmages, at 20~years old... they will Never be in game-shape! As young as they are I'd rather have as many guys get reps to see what they are capable of in case called upon. Trinity has always had a next man up approach. You can't have confidence in players when they're only getting back up reps in the closing minutes of the 4th. It's a long season. May not have crazy stats pumping up the numbers, but Trinity hasn't ever really been about that. Very team oriented. I like seeing a lot of unfamiliar faces play....And they best way to make a run at  it is to ensure the guys in the trenches are healthy prior to conference play. 

[tigerguy]

Health is key - I agree. I also agree it has been enjoyable to get to watch a good number of the backups. We have a lot of depth.

[Ron Boerger]

For those concerned about such things - and the SAA makes no bones about wanting to be known for its academic bona fides - the latest US News & World Report college rankings are out.

Berry - 4th (tie), Regional Universities, South (of 133)

all the other schools fall into the National Liberal Arts Colleges category, of which 201 schools are ranked:

Centre, 55(tie)
Millsaps, 146(t)
Oglethorpe, 156(t)
Rhodes, 55(t)
Sewanee, 45(t)
Southwestern, 84(t)
Trinity, 37(t)

And coming next year, Maryville, 170(t).

The top ten National LAC schools, in order:  Williams, Amherst, USNA, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, USAFA, Claremont-McKenna, Pomona, Wellesley, Carleton, Harvey Mudd, USMA (last three tied for tenth).  Old friend Colorado College, at 30th(t), is the highest ranked school formerly associated with most of the SAA schools before the split/transfer from the SCAC. 

[awadelewis]

Welp, Maryville dodged a bullet against UPike,  winning 33-30.

[albatross]

Hendrix splits their SAA OOC slate 1-1, saving more of their firepower for the 47-28 rivalry game win versus Rhodes under the lights. Interested to see how the middle tier stands up to Trinity/Berry/Maryville this season. The ones wearing purple may cause some folks to sweat for a few quarters!

[awadelewis]

Welp, Maryville dodged a bullet against UPike,  winning 33-30.

That's was actually 34-30 as the stats didn't update after the Scots kicked the extra point.  I only caught the last few minutes of that broadcast but the Maryville announcing crew made it sound like the Scots didn't play well at all.  Be interesting to see what they bring to The Mountain next week.

I think the game to watch next week is Trinity at home against Southwestern.   Makings of a trap game in that one with TU traveling to Berry the following weekend.

Rhodes isn't looking good at all this season.  I've not seen enough of Centre and Milsaps to get a feel for those teams.