Red Raider Gridiron | Sadler Named 3A MVP; Need Evidence to Implement 10 Second Rule

Gut has been thoroughly punched.  DanSwany is handling wrap-up and game analysis duties for me for last night's game. I had a dinner to go to last night and couldn't watch the game until I got home and I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to get the write-up and the morning links.  But goodness, what a game.  I hate the way that it ended, but it seems like it's been years since we're been able to stick our chest out about our basketball program. Couldn't be more proud of that team and our coach.

Also, as embedded below, there was a dunk contest and Clancy David, a walk-on receiver from Denver City, won the dunk contest. I didn't even know who Clancy was and that Clancy had made the team, but there you go.  Apparently Sam Eguavoen, Reginald Davis and Jakeem Grant also participated.

Links:

Sadler Named Old Coach 3A MVP: Congrats to Ian Sadler for being named to the Old Coach 3A MVP (via The Old Coach).

Defensive Line and Offensive Line Rankings: I need some more time to read this more carefully, but Bill Connelly at Football Study Hall has figured out a way to rate and rank defensive lines (via Football Study Hall) and offensive lines (via Football Study Hall).

Health and Safety: On Friday afternoon, after a long week of work, I listened to Washington St. coach Mike Leach talk about the new proposed rule change, which is for there to be a 10 second substitution rule for the defense.  One of the things that he said was that the only reason this rule can be implemented right now is because it was initially pitched to be for the "health and safety" of the student-athletes.  Any rule can be implemented if it deals with health and safety of student athletes, but any other rule must be voted in every other year (which would be 2015).  Now, Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun, who is the rules chair, said that the rule cannot be implemented without some empirical evidence of there actually being a "health and safety" concern (via Yahoo! Sports):

"I think the only way it can or it should become a rule is if indeed it is a safety concern," Calhoun said. "And that can't be something that is a speculation or a possibility. I think there's got to be something empirical there, where you realize, yes, this truly is a health matter in the terms of not being able to get a defensive player off the field."

Last week, Calhoun said that the rule was being introduced because with the greater number of plays, there is a greater chance of injury (I think).  Logically that makes sense, but the question is if it is actually true and I think that's Calhoun's problem.  Also, the question of being able to get a defensive football player off the field doesn't seem like a real concern. If a player is injured, then they stay down, that's what happens anyway.

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn has said that there needs to be a healthy debate before any sort of rule is pushed through (via Montgomery Advertiser):

"There’s absolutely zero evidence, documented evidence, that is hazardous on the pace of play, only opinions," Malzahn said Tuesday. "What I asked (Calhoun) to do is move this to next year where it is a rule-change year, that we can hear both sides and have a healthy debate on moving forward with the rules."

Action: I present to you, David Clancy, walk-on wide receiver: