Post by The Cats on Aug 1, 2013 20:17:57 GMT -5
from the Watauga Democrat - by Steve Behr Sports Editor
Western Carolina head football coach Mark Speir has a good sense of humor. He was not joking when he said his Catamounts had a chance to win the Southern Conference.
Speir, in his second season at Western, said that with a straight face. This is the same Western Carolina that went 1-10 last season, 12-66 during the past six seasons and has not beaten a Division I opponent since a 24-13 win over The Citadel on Oct. 2, 2010.
That's a 28-game losing streak.
Coach after coach have tried to guide the Catamounts back to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, a place they have not been since 1983.
Speir knows that there are few believers. He knows that both the Southern Conference coaches and the media picked Western Carolina to finish last in the league's standings.
Speir also knows that he doesn't have to convince the media that his team can win the league title. He only has to convince the Catamounts themselves.
"What we have to do is win six ballgames to win a Southern Conference championship," Speir said. "Four of those six, we were winning in the fourth quarter last year. Another one, we were down by seven in the fourth quarter, and two of them, it wasn't a ballgame. The four of the six we have to win in the Southern Conference, we were winning in the fourth quarter."
Speir said this is the best time to make a run for a playoff berth. Two Southern Conference powers -- Appalachian State and Georgia Southern -- are on the schedule, but are not eligible for an official conference championship.
App State and Georgia Southern are making the move to the Football Championship Subdivision's Sun Belt Conference in 2014 and can add a minimum of nine scholarships this fall. That takes them out of the FCS playoff picture since FCS programs are limited to 63 scholarships.
Both teams will play a full SoCon schedule, but cannot officially win the SoCon championship and the automatic playoff bid that goes with it. The bid goes to the highest eligible finisher in the conference.
Speir thinks that could be Western Carolina.
"If you look at the fact we have the toughest schedule in the country and four of our first six games are on the road, we can talk ourselves into making excuses," Speir said. "Our first goal is to win a Southern Conference championship. To do that, we don't have to beat these (App State and Georgia Southern) guys. We got to beat Chattanooga, who we were up on in the fourth quarter. We got to beat The Citadel, who we were up on in the fourth quarter. We got to beat Elon. When you put that in perspective, it just got a whole lot easier."
A lack of history, as far as the players' experience is concerned, could be an advantage to the Catamounts. Western Carolina brings a young team into the 2013 season that has no seniors in the two-deep depth chart on offense, and just four senior starters on defense.
"About 65 percent of our football team this fall will be in their third semester in college or less," Speir said. "You're taking about six out of 10 players. It's about like starting a new program. I think we've recruited and we have retained good players."
Speir's biggest challenge last season was to change a culture of losing that has gripped the program for decades. Western has had just two winning seasons since they put together three straight winning seasons in 1992-94.
They have not won more than three games since a 5-4 season in 2005, and have won back-to-back games just once, in 2006, since that 2005 season.
The 2012 season started off well enough with a 42-14 victory over Mars Hill, but the Catamounts lost their final 10 games. Still, Speir was encouraged that the Catamounts were competitive in several of those games, especially during the SoCon season.
"Last year, I think there was a little bit of the hope factor," Speir said at the SoCon football media day July 24. "This year, it's turned into starting to expect to win and believe that when we go play a game, we expect to play well and we expect to win."
Speir also wants the players to take more responsibility for the improvement of the team.
"We've become a more player-driven team instead of a coach-driven team," he said.
The Catamounts did not do themselves any favors by scheduling Auburn, Virginia Tech and Middle Tennessee State. Combined with Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, Speir said that is five FBS programs out of 12 games the Catamounts are playing.
"We have those plus the Southern Conference," Speir said. "I'd like to see a harder schedule."
Western Carolina head football coach Mark Speir has a good sense of humor. He was not joking when he said his Catamounts had a chance to win the Southern Conference.
Speir, in his second season at Western, said that with a straight face. This is the same Western Carolina that went 1-10 last season, 12-66 during the past six seasons and has not beaten a Division I opponent since a 24-13 win over The Citadel on Oct. 2, 2010.
That's a 28-game losing streak.
Coach after coach have tried to guide the Catamounts back to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, a place they have not been since 1983.
Speir knows that there are few believers. He knows that both the Southern Conference coaches and the media picked Western Carolina to finish last in the league's standings.
Speir also knows that he doesn't have to convince the media that his team can win the league title. He only has to convince the Catamounts themselves.
"What we have to do is win six ballgames to win a Southern Conference championship," Speir said. "Four of those six, we were winning in the fourth quarter last year. Another one, we were down by seven in the fourth quarter, and two of them, it wasn't a ballgame. The four of the six we have to win in the Southern Conference, we were winning in the fourth quarter."
Speir said this is the best time to make a run for a playoff berth. Two Southern Conference powers -- Appalachian State and Georgia Southern -- are on the schedule, but are not eligible for an official conference championship.
App State and Georgia Southern are making the move to the Football Championship Subdivision's Sun Belt Conference in 2014 and can add a minimum of nine scholarships this fall. That takes them out of the FCS playoff picture since FCS programs are limited to 63 scholarships.
Both teams will play a full SoCon schedule, but cannot officially win the SoCon championship and the automatic playoff bid that goes with it. The bid goes to the highest eligible finisher in the conference.
Speir thinks that could be Western Carolina.
"If you look at the fact we have the toughest schedule in the country and four of our first six games are on the road, we can talk ourselves into making excuses," Speir said. "Our first goal is to win a Southern Conference championship. To do that, we don't have to beat these (App State and Georgia Southern) guys. We got to beat Chattanooga, who we were up on in the fourth quarter. We got to beat The Citadel, who we were up on in the fourth quarter. We got to beat Elon. When you put that in perspective, it just got a whole lot easier."
A lack of history, as far as the players' experience is concerned, could be an advantage to the Catamounts. Western Carolina brings a young team into the 2013 season that has no seniors in the two-deep depth chart on offense, and just four senior starters on defense.
"About 65 percent of our football team this fall will be in their third semester in college or less," Speir said. "You're taking about six out of 10 players. It's about like starting a new program. I think we've recruited and we have retained good players."
Speir's biggest challenge last season was to change a culture of losing that has gripped the program for decades. Western has had just two winning seasons since they put together three straight winning seasons in 1992-94.
They have not won more than three games since a 5-4 season in 2005, and have won back-to-back games just once, in 2006, since that 2005 season.
The 2012 season started off well enough with a 42-14 victory over Mars Hill, but the Catamounts lost their final 10 games. Still, Speir was encouraged that the Catamounts were competitive in several of those games, especially during the SoCon season.
"Last year, I think there was a little bit of the hope factor," Speir said at the SoCon football media day July 24. "This year, it's turned into starting to expect to win and believe that when we go play a game, we expect to play well and we expect to win."
Speir also wants the players to take more responsibility for the improvement of the team.
"We've become a more player-driven team instead of a coach-driven team," he said.
The Catamounts did not do themselves any favors by scheduling Auburn, Virginia Tech and Middle Tennessee State. Combined with Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, Speir said that is five FBS programs out of 12 games the Catamounts are playing.
"We have those plus the Southern Conference," Speir said. "I'd like to see a harder schedule."
