Opinion: ESU football fans need to be patient
Column: Open Mike
Michael Ashford
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
With Garin Higgins set to embark on his second season as the Emporia State football coach, Hornet fans should heed one piece of advice before heading out to any games this year.
Ease up, OK?
Last year had to be undeniably hard for the ESU football team. A 3-8 record didn’t exactly give the guys in the locker room any reason to puff out their chests on campus.
Of course, the Emporia State fans didn’t exactly help much.
For whatever reason, Emporia State fans’ expectations for the team — and for Higgins — seemed to grow with every loss.
After a 38-7 loss to Central Missouri, fans cried that Higgins’ offensive system wasn’t working, and the players weren’t executing.
After a 31-21 setback to Washburn, fans questioned if the rivalry with the Ichabods was important enough to Higgins, his coaches and the players.
And after a 62-0 debacle at Pittsburg State, fans hollered that the Hornets should be able to compete with the powerhouse teams like PSU.
I’m not saying ESU fans shouldn’t crave more from the Hornets. I guarantee the team expected more of itself.
But when it is considered that Emporia State was in a transition year coming from the grind-it-out style of Dave Weimers to the high-octane, in-your-face style of Higgins, it’s easy to see why the Hornets struggled mightily in 2007.
And not only that, but it simply takes time to build a program. A team’s progress cannot be judged on one season.
Bill Snyder at Kansas State didn’t make a bowl game until his fifth season. Look at how long it took Mark Mangino at Kansas to even be competitive in the ultra-good Big 12 Conference.
While Higgins and the Hornets will never admit to it, the real benchmark for this season won’t be measured in wins and losses. As loaded as the MIAA is year in and year out, teams like ESU rarely go from scraping out three victories one season to becoming title contenders in Year Two.
Instead, ESU fans should take notice of how improved Emporia State is this season. Are the plays run more smoothly? Are there fewer “did-he-just-do-that?” mistakes? Do the young players in the system show more promise?
Success on the football field will always be measured by how much a team wins and loses, but in today’s college football world, it’s the programs that ride out the early growing pains that seem to reap the most rewards down the road.
Last year, during the seven-game losing streak, I heard from many fans who were wondering if Higgins was the right man for the job at ESU.
My response was always the same: Ask again in two years.
By that time, the question might have already answered itself.
UsayULoveGod (anonymous) says...
I feel so sorry for him ! How can you be competitive when your AD is being cheap. He will do better this year due to hard work, I truly think we have to give him a chance before we start complaining . He got that one player from KU, I bet if that player enjoys himself and likes the program he will tell his friends and more will come. The one thing about any large program you will have some good players not seeing any playing time. If you can get that channel of players coming to ESU from KU , the outlook will be much brighter for our program. If you look at PSU and Nebraska Omaha , they get the players from Nebraska who are good but , they do not get any playing time
August 27, 2008 at 3:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
Omaha has one transfer from Nebraska. Pitt State has zero transfers from KU or KSU
August 27, 2008 at 4:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporialifer (anonymous) says...
Omaha is already a powerhouse - why did we let them join again?
Good Luck to all the ESU athletes. I look forward to the games this season. Win or Lose we know you are giving it your all, and if I can't do your or your coaches job any better (and I can't) then who am I to judge? Let's build our program into a powerhouse as well.
August 27, 2008 at 4:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eatasheep69 (anonymous) says...
Well said, emporialifer. My thoughts exactly.
I hope this year will be a lot louder at Welch stadium. A little noise will surely help those guys' ambition to perform and win.
See ya at the games!
August 27, 2008 at 7:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bobhornet (anonymous) says...
I totally agree that our fans need to step up and give this squad some support. Welch Stadium has been like a ghost town at times.
However, I must say that I've "been patient" with this team since I enrolled at ESU in 1998. I saw Jerry Kill come and reinvigorate the program, only to leave after a short time. I saw Dave Wiemers come in and kill ESU football with some truly bizarre play-calling and overall mediocre football. And I've seen Kent Weiser nickel and dime his way all along. This AD needs to step up, or the administration should find a new AD. Just because we're small town D-II doesn't mean that this is kiddie league. Let's step up to our competition!
Now that I'm an alum, I just want to see this team succeed. We're in a tough conference with some of the best D-II talent in the nation. And we're falling behind. I cannot see why though. We have good boosters, and have some good scholarship dollars, thanks to the late Earl Sauder. I want to see Weiser commit to this program and demand better.
I'm all in for Garin Higgins. I like the new, flashier style. But my patience--ten years and counting--is wearing thin. I'm not expecting championships, but I do expect improvement. I expect a better than 3-8 season in this year's campaign. And I better not see another 62-0 debacle like the PSU game.
Go Hornets!
August 27, 2008 at 9:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
footballeyes (anonymous) says...
Mike- Isn't it a little early to be making excuses for this inept staff? At the end of this season last years record will look good and you won't be able to blame it on the fans or the AD, and I'm pretty certain you won't be so enamored with Higgins' new, in-your-face style- you are surely confusing that "style" with what most people call old fashioned arrogance. By the way, Coach Weimers grind-it-out style resulted in a top 20 offense at Tarleton last year. Get ready for a really long and disappointing season.
August 28, 2008 at 8:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
esuhornets (anonymous) says...
footballeyes-Weimers is gone so get over it. It was the best decision Kent Weiser has ever made. It's so funny that the same people are always negative on here.
August 28, 2008 at 9:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hornet2003 (anonymous) says...
I agree that higgins hasn't been given enough time. We should see some light at the end of the tunnel like maybe pulling one upset game this year. Lets face it in this conference you have about 5 chances to do that. Also bobhornet, "you have been waiting ten years?!?" As a senior player in 2003 I am very proud of the strides we made and the conference championship we won, high national ranking, and playoff berth. In this confenence that is an achievment. In 1999, 2000, and 2001, we were in these players shoes and all they can do is work their tails off and good things will surely happen. Keep working, recruiting Jerry Kill style, and pray for the hornets, and lets win some football games!!!!!
August 28, 2008 at 9:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hornet2003 (anonymous) says...
Another Point to think about. I played with a ton of transfers from D1 schools from Nebraska, K state, Ohio state, Arkansas state, Michigan State from 99-03. Some pan out and some dont. There is always a reason why they left where they were at in the 1st place. Lets face it a couple transfers arent gonna make a program a success. Getting solid freshman classes full of good kansas kids that want to work and a handful from other states year in and out is what provides consistency in a program. Then get a few transfers if your lucky and add to the solid group you already have. TEAM UNITY IS CRUCIAL!!!
August 28, 2008 at 11:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
beth (anonymous) says...
hornet2003 - those may be the best two posts I have ever read about ESU football on this site.
And thank you for the part you played in Mineral Water Bowl and MIAA Championships for the Hornets.
August 28, 2008 at 4:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
footballeyes (anonymous) says...
esuhornets- I didn't bring up Weimers, bobhornet did. I was just pointing out the fact that he did well in Texas, as opposed to the bs that Higgins has brought here. My main point is that I expect worse out of this staff than the previous one. I do believe that Weimers big mistake was making his brother the OC, Dave was a much better coordinator than Jon, and probably has forgotten more about football, and class, than Higgins will ever know. He probably learned much from his years with Coach Kill, Higgins obviously never had a teacher with that level of character. You really shouldn't wear your shorts so tight.
August 28, 2008 at 10:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
UsayULoveGod (anonymous) says...
I talked to a friend of mine about Pitt and he said that the running back they had a couple of years ago that ran all over us was from Nebraska , He was a impact player . When I played at Washburn we had 2 guys from University of MO , they were impact players. You are right about some pan out and some don't. WeEMporia State) got De'angelo from Nebraska and he showed up some games and sometimes he did not but overall he was a impact player.
August 29, 2008 at 7:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hornet2003 (anonymous) says...
Ya mean DeAngelo Evans ( MIAA leading rusher 2000) heck ya he was good! He is a friend of mine and was a great guy!! What I am saying is you cant rely on this to happen year in and out.
August 29, 2008 at 11:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )