Saw this on Rebelnet.com. Link: http://unlv.rivals.com/forum.asp?sid=915&fid=1093&style=2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Click on thread, "Comparing SUU, NAU, UNC ....." Scroll to last half of page.
The thread has to do w/ UNLV losses to FCS schools. UNLV beat UNC by only one point last weekend, causing much anxiety for many who believed last year was UNLV finally getting out of its rut, and hoped better things this year.
This & other posts grew out of one poster who mentioned UM's winning record, where Hauck came from.
Anyway, out-of-state fans & programs have a lot of respect for MT football. This probably doesn't tell you anything you don't already know. GoRebs! posted about 5 pics of a fully packed Wa-Griz, as well, but they didn't copy. Posted by GoRebs!
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Re: Comparing SUU, NAU, UNC...
beartooth37 is 100% correct. The only D1 schools in Montana are Montana and Montana State.
These schools are the BIG programs in their state. Kids in this part of the country grow up wanting to play at schools such as Montana and MSU, along with North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota and South Dakota State. Sure, there are kids who would love to play for a Big time FBS program, but going to Montana is not looked at as taking the best of a batch of bad offers. The fans in Missoula are AWESOME. The stadium and overall facilities are as good or better than many of the "Second Five" schools in FBS. Also, Montana is a big fish in a small pond. They have made the FCS playoffs 22 times since 1982. The first year of FCS playoffs was 1978. They are consistently in the FCS Top 25. Montana is the program by which all other schools in the Big Sky are measured. The program has the 2nd most playofff wins in FCS history with 32.
Hauck inherited a program at Montana that had made the playoffs TEN years in a row, and which played in 4 NC games over that span, going 2-2 in the Title game. From 1993-2002, Montana won 10 or more games 7 times. The 3 non 10 win seasons, the team went 8-4 in 1997 and 98, and 9-3 in 1999. The record for these 10 seasons was 122-25.
From 2002-09 under Hauck, Montana was 80-17 in 7 years, with 7 playoff appearances and 3 trips to the FCS Championship Game. The Griz lost all 3 NC games. I still remember watching the 2009 Montana - App State game in the FCS Semi-Finals. The game was played in a snow storm. Montana scored the winning TD with about 90 seconds left in the game. The next week, they lost 23-21 to Villanova in the NC game and finished 14-1. The App State game was an amazing game. Montana scored 10 points in the 4th qtr, to overcome a 17-14 deficit.
This is not a knock on Coach Hauck. He had a great run as HC at Montana. Making the playoffs 7 of 7 years, and advancing to 3 NC games are outstanding accomplishments. Just trying to point out that at Montana, he was dealing with a program that is/was top level in everything. A program that had a long track record of winning, and being one of the best in all of FCS.
A program that was on par with many of the lesser schools in FBS. And, it was a school as which alot of the kids he was recruiting WANTED to play. Most kids are excited to play for Montana, and have Montana at/near the top of their list among the schools from which they receive scholarship offers. Many grow up following the Griz, and wanting to play for the Griz.
Something tells me alot of the players that choose to accept a football scholarship to UNLV, do not have the Rebels at or near the top of their list. Definitely not when the recruiting process is first starting, and likely not even once being offered a scholarship. I have never spoken to Coach Hauck, but it would not surprise me if he were to admit that in many ways, recruiting at Montana was easier than recruiting at UNLV.
Given the success he had at Montana, I give him alot of credit for coming to UNLV. He could have waited another few years, and possibly been able to get an offer from a school with a much better football program. He is likely getting paid more at UNLV than he was at Montana, but he is far from a high paid coach.
He also went from a school with great fan support, great facilities and a culture of winning, to a school in a much larger market, with a football program that has a long history of futility, so-so facilities and a culture of losing. Even more, UNLV is perceived as a BASKETBALL school first and foremost, and that makes being successful even more difficult, especially at a school with a limited athletic budget.
Montana averaged 24,380 fans in 2013 for 7 games. That was 2nd in FCS. That was a higher average than 41 teams in FBS
In 2012, the Griz averaged 25,236 per game for 6 games...In 2011, the average was 24,878 for 8 games
This past weekend, a stadium record was set with a crowd of 26,303 fans in a 28-20 win over South Dakota
Here are some pics of their stadium. It is an awesome stadium, in a beautiful setting. And, for almost every game, the stadium is at or near capacity. The first pic is of a Montana player hugging Coach Hauck after the 2009 semi-final game against App State.
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Click on thread, "Comparing SUU, NAU, UNC ....." Scroll to last half of page.
The thread has to do w/ UNLV losses to FCS schools. UNLV beat UNC by only one point last weekend, causing much anxiety for many who believed last year was UNLV finally getting out of its rut, and hoped better things this year.
This & other posts grew out of one poster who mentioned UM's winning record, where Hauck came from.
Anyway, out-of-state fans & programs have a lot of respect for MT football. This probably doesn't tell you anything you don't already know. GoRebs! posted about 5 pics of a fully packed Wa-Griz, as well, but they didn't copy. Posted by GoRebs!
********
Re: Comparing SUU, NAU, UNC...
beartooth37 is 100% correct. The only D1 schools in Montana are Montana and Montana State.
These schools are the BIG programs in their state. Kids in this part of the country grow up wanting to play at schools such as Montana and MSU, along with North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota and South Dakota State. Sure, there are kids who would love to play for a Big time FBS program, but going to Montana is not looked at as taking the best of a batch of bad offers. The fans in Missoula are AWESOME. The stadium and overall facilities are as good or better than many of the "Second Five" schools in FBS. Also, Montana is a big fish in a small pond. They have made the FCS playoffs 22 times since 1982. The first year of FCS playoffs was 1978. They are consistently in the FCS Top 25. Montana is the program by which all other schools in the Big Sky are measured. The program has the 2nd most playofff wins in FCS history with 32.
Hauck inherited a program at Montana that had made the playoffs TEN years in a row, and which played in 4 NC games over that span, going 2-2 in the Title game. From 1993-2002, Montana won 10 or more games 7 times. The 3 non 10 win seasons, the team went 8-4 in 1997 and 98, and 9-3 in 1999. The record for these 10 seasons was 122-25.
From 2002-09 under Hauck, Montana was 80-17 in 7 years, with 7 playoff appearances and 3 trips to the FCS Championship Game. The Griz lost all 3 NC games. I still remember watching the 2009 Montana - App State game in the FCS Semi-Finals. The game was played in a snow storm. Montana scored the winning TD with about 90 seconds left in the game. The next week, they lost 23-21 to Villanova in the NC game and finished 14-1. The App State game was an amazing game. Montana scored 10 points in the 4th qtr, to overcome a 17-14 deficit.
This is not a knock on Coach Hauck. He had a great run as HC at Montana. Making the playoffs 7 of 7 years, and advancing to 3 NC games are outstanding accomplishments. Just trying to point out that at Montana, he was dealing with a program that is/was top level in everything. A program that had a long track record of winning, and being one of the best in all of FCS.
A program that was on par with many of the lesser schools in FBS. And, it was a school as which alot of the kids he was recruiting WANTED to play. Most kids are excited to play for Montana, and have Montana at/near the top of their list among the schools from which they receive scholarship offers. Many grow up following the Griz, and wanting to play for the Griz.
Something tells me alot of the players that choose to accept a football scholarship to UNLV, do not have the Rebels at or near the top of their list. Definitely not when the recruiting process is first starting, and likely not even once being offered a scholarship. I have never spoken to Coach Hauck, but it would not surprise me if he were to admit that in many ways, recruiting at Montana was easier than recruiting at UNLV.
Given the success he had at Montana, I give him alot of credit for coming to UNLV. He could have waited another few years, and possibly been able to get an offer from a school with a much better football program. He is likely getting paid more at UNLV than he was at Montana, but he is far from a high paid coach.
He also went from a school with great fan support, great facilities and a culture of winning, to a school in a much larger market, with a football program that has a long history of futility, so-so facilities and a culture of losing. Even more, UNLV is perceived as a BASKETBALL school first and foremost, and that makes being successful even more difficult, especially at a school with a limited athletic budget.
Montana averaged 24,380 fans in 2013 for 7 games. That was 2nd in FCS. That was a higher average than 41 teams in FBS
In 2012, the Griz averaged 25,236 per game for 6 games...In 2011, the average was 24,878 for 8 games
This past weekend, a stadium record was set with a crowd of 26,303 fans in a 28-20 win over South Dakota
Here are some pics of their stadium. It is an awesome stadium, in a beautiful setting. And, for almost every game, the stadium is at or near capacity. The first pic is of a Montana player hugging Coach Hauck after the 2009 semi-final game against App State.
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