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2018 Polls

S

SWeberCat02

Active member
https://athlonsports.com/college-football/athlon-sports-preseason-fcs-top-25-2018

Athlon Sports' Preseason

6. Eastern Washington
9. Weber State
18. Montana
23. Sacramento State
Others to Watch: Idaho, Montana St, Northern Arizona, South Dakota

It will be hard for the Wildcats to improve on their best-ever season, including a near upset of James Madison in the national quarterfinals. With a new quarterback stepping into the huddle, running backs Treshawn Garrett and Kevin Smith and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed will be counted on for big seasons. Linebacker LeGrand Toia and defensive end Adam Rodriguez provide excellent production in the front seven.
Click to expand...
 
PurpleBlood said:
FCS Football: Why Weber State Deserves to be Voted Preseason No. 3, and Why the Wildcats Don’t

https://herosports.com/fcs/football-weber-state-preseason-no-3-wildcats-bzbz
Click to expand...

It is nice to get talked about like that. More important is what WSU does on the field and how they improve from game to game. One thing that I like about a Jay Hill coached team is that they get better as the season goes on and the program gets better each year. Teams would be foolish to underestimate what the Wildcats can do.

An interesting point, to me, is that we beat EWU on their field last year and they have to play in Ogden this year. It makes no scence that they are ranked higher in the preseason polls. Obviously, it is on reputation only.
 
oldrunner said:
PurpleBlood said:
FCS Football: Why Weber State Deserves to be Voted Preseason No. 3, and Why the Wildcats Don’t

https://herosports.com/fcs/football-weber-state-preseason-no-3-wildcats-bzbz
Click to expand...

It is nice to get talked about like that. More important is what WSU does on the field and how they improve from game to game. One thing that I like about a Jay Hill coached team is that they get better as the season goes on and the program gets better each year. Teams would be foolish to underestimate what the Wildcats can do.

An interesting point, to me, is that we beat EWU on their field last year and they have to play in Ogden this year. It makes no scence that they are ranked higher in the preseason polls. Obviously, it is on reputation only.
Click to expand...

I think the QB situation factors into that as well, they have Gabe Gubrub:
2017 FCS Player of the Year Candidate
2017 Honors Candidate
2017 Academic Honors Candidate
2016 FCS Player Of The Year (Touchdown Club Of Columbus)
2016 Walter Payton Award Finalist (3rd In Voting)
2016 Fcs All-American (First Team By Hero Sports; Second Team By Five Other Organizations)

And we have 3-5 untested guys fighting for the position. IMO If any of these players can step up we should be just fine and battling for a top seed this fall, until then I am ok with where we are ranked. The only ranking that matters is the one for the tournament seeding and the final.
 
https://herosports.com/fcs/hero-sports-2018-fcs-preseason-top-25-poll-ajaj

HERO Sports Preseason

4. Eastern Washington
18. Weber State
22. UC Davis
23. Idaho
Votes. Montana, Sacramento St, Montana St, Northern Arizona, South Dakota

Last year, Weber State was the talk of the postseason as it disposed of a brutally tough Western Illinois team at home, avenged its loss to Big Sky champion Southern Utah, and gave James Madison fits in Virginia - nearly knocking off the defending FCS champion. The Wildcats had the best defense in the Big Sky, the best special teams unit in the nation, and just seem like a “reloading” type of program instead of a “rebuilding” one. Keep an eye on the ‘Cats.
Click to expand...
 
Interesting that SUU is not even mentioned in both the Athlon and HERO polls. They won the conference last season. They should at least be getting votes.

Everyone is focusing on what Weber lost and not on what they have coming back. Yes, they lost some key players, but they didn't lose a large number of players. They have a lot returning.
 
https://herosports.com/fcs/hero-sports-2018-fcs-preseason-all-american-teams-ajaj

HERO Sports 2018 FCS Preseason All-American Teams

1st Team Offense
WR Keelan Doss, UC Davis, Sr

1st Team Defense
DL Darin Greenfield, South Dakota, Jr
LB Josh Buss, Montana, Sr

1st Team Special Teams
ST Brady May, Weber St, Sr

2nd Team Offense
TE Wes Preece, UC Davis, Jr
OL Zach Larsen, Southern Utah, Jr
OL Iosua Opeta, Weber St, Sr
ATH Chris Murray, Montana St, Jr

2nd Team Defense
LB LeGrand Toia, Weber St, Sr

2nd Team Special Teams
RS Rashid Shaheed, Weber St, So
RS John Santiago, North Dakota, Sr

3rd Team Offense
QB Gabe Gubrud, Eastern Washington, Sr
FB Joe Protheroe, Cal Poly, Sr
WR Emmanuel Butler, Northern Arizona, Sr

3rd Team Defense
DL George Obinna, Sacramento St, Sr

3rd Team Special Teams
PK Trey Tuttle, Weber St, So
 
https://fcsinsider.com/news/2018/6/13/football-athlon-announces-pre-season-fcs-all-america-team.aspx

Athlon Pre-Season FCS All-America Team

QB Gage Gubrud, Eastern Washington
WR Keelan Doss, UC Davis
TE Logan Parker, Southern Utah
C Zach Larsen, Southern Utah
OL Iosua Opeta, Weber State
 
SWeberCat02 said:
Interesting that SUU is not even mentioned in both the Athlon and HERO polls. They won the conference last season. They should at least be getting votes.

Everyone is focusing on what Weber lost and not on what they have coming back. Yes, they lost some key players, but they didn't lose a large number of players. They have a lot returning.
Click to expand...

SUU lost a lot more than what Weber lost. However, their staff is pretty damn good and they have a HC who has a really good head on his shoulders. I'm thinking they will be tough SOBs like always.

As for Weber...everyone seems to forget that with our QB, we were in the same exact situation last year at this time, as we are this year. Only difference is that last year, there were only two real options, whereas this year we have 5. It is a good spot to be in. We lost Bruce on the OL, but MO Cannon filled in perfectly in the playoffs and everyone else is back. The line will only be better. The WRs and backfield are all deep and very talented. We have the best FB in the conference, perhaps the country, back and four or five really great options at RB (I'm counting the stud freshman from AZ). One area of definite concern are the TEs. Longangu is a three year letterman and is experienced, and Stetson is a really good blocking TE, but other than that I'm a bit worried. I'm hoping Hill develops these guys or finds a couple other options.

Defensively? Replacing Murphy on the line and Johnson in the secondary will be really tough. Yet, we are deep with experienced guys at DE, LB, and Safety (I bet we see a lot of 3/4 in the box). We need our DBs and DTs to step up. I'm pretty sure that coach is ready on defense though. I'm predicting that defensively the Cats will be really good again.

So, I think 18 is somewhat insulting...especially with what the Cats have on defense coming back. Yes, the biggest issue is who will replace Cantwell.
 
SWeberCat02 said:
Street & Smith's Preseason

7. Weber State
14. Eastern Washington
16. Northern Arizona
19. Sacramento State
Click to expand...
That's the most realistic one I've seen so far. Although, they seem to be overly discounting the strenght of the BSC, IMHO. I think you can realistically bump all four up a couple of places. Probably due to not bringing a NC home for a couple of years. We need to change that. This could be the year. :coffee:
 
http://www.lindyssports.com/college-football/column/north-dakota-state-tops-lindys-fcs-top-25/472641/

Lindy's Sports Preseason

8. Weber State
9. Eastern Washington
12. Idaho
23. Montana
25. Northern Arizona

8. Weber State … Wildcats reached FCS quarterfinals, but coach Jay Hill must replace QB Stefan Cantwell.
Click to expand...
 
https://m.herosports.com/fcs/football-odds-2019-fcs-national-title-bzbz

Vegas has us at 20/1 to win it all. That’s the forth highest of any team. I see this as another poll giving us a good ranking. Historically, Vegas odds makers have been some of the most accurate predictors of sports outcomes. With all the data and analytics used, I see this as the most valuable ranking so far.
 
PurpleBlood said:
https://m.herosports.com/fcs/football-odds-2019-fcs-national-title-bzbz

Vegas has us at 20/1 to win it all. That’s the forth highest of any team. I see this as another poll giving us a good ranking. Historically, Vegas odds makers have been some of the most accurate predictors of sports outcomes. With all the data and analytics used, I see this as the most valuable ranking so far.
Click to expand...

These are actually odds from 5Dimes, an off-shore betting website. Vegas doesn't set odds on FCS, at least I've never found any. Off-shore and Vegas odds can be very different. Anyway, good to see Weber getting some respect.
 
https://www.covers.com/Editorial/Article/7f3d1d08-58d4-11e7-b2f0-005056830dca/Win-big-on-the-little-guys-with-FCS-championship-futures-odds-in-Las-Vegas-football-betting-odds-college-football-odds-NCAAF

It looks like MGM properties do set lines for the FCS championship.
 
PurpleBlood said:
https://www.covers.com/Editorial/Article/7f3d1d08-58d4-11e7-b2f0-005056830dca/Win-big-on-the-little-guys-with-FCS-championship-futures-odds-in-Las-Vegas-football-betting-odds-college-football-odds-NCAAF

It looks like MGM properties do set lines for the FCS championship.
Click to expand...

Cool. Wonder if they're offering it again this season.
 
SKYLINE SPORTS PRESEASON ALL-BIG SKY TEAM

https://skylinesportsmt.com/skyline-sports-preseason-all-big-sky-football-selections

Preseason Player of the Year Defense — LeGrand Toia, Weber State

the preseason Defensive Player of the Year nod goes to Toia, a mean, hard-nosed senior who spearheaded Weber State’s run to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs last season. He and Landon Stice make up the best linebacker combo in the league. But how will those two fair without first-team All-Big Sky defensive tackle McKay Murphy, now of the Los Angeles Rams, on front of them and NFL Draft pick cornerback Taron Johnson, the league’s Defensive MVP now with the Buffalo Bills, locking down the outside?

With Murphy, Johnson and talented corner Xequille Harry graduated, Weber will need Toia, Stice and junior Jonah Williams to rise to the occasion. The physically imposing 6-foot-5, 265-pound Williams earned second-team All-Big Sky honors as a sophomore and is one of just a few returning all-league defensive players on the edge.
Click to expand...

Tackle — Iosua Opeta, Weber State

Placekicker — Trey Tuttle, Weber State

Return specialist — Rashid Shaheed, Weber State

End — Jonah Williams, Weber State

Outside linebacker — Landon Stice, Weber State

Middle linebacker — LeGrand Toia, Weber State

Special Teams — Brady May, Weber State
 
HERO Sports FCS Kickoff Countdown: The Best Player in FCS Who Wears Each Number, 1-99

https://herosports.com/fcs/football-kickoff-countdown-best-player-wearing-jersey-number-1-99-bzbz

94: Jonah Williams, junior defensive lineman - Weber State

55: Iosua Opeta, senior offensive lineman -- Weber State

41: Brady May, senior fullback -- Weber State
 
Big Sky Football Preseason All-Conference Team

https://www.bigskyconf.com/news/2018/7/16/doss-buss-headline-big-sky-football-preseason-all-conference-team.aspx

Weber leads all schools with six honorees.

Offensive Tackle – Iosua Opeta, Sr., Weber State
Placekicker – Trey Tuttle, So., Weber State
Return Specialist – Rashid Shaheed, So., Weber State

Defensive End – Jonah Williams Jr., Weber State
Inside Linebacker – LeGrand Toia, Sr., Weber State
Special Teams – Brady May, Sr., Weber State
 
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