CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Among Shepherd University's football achievements in the decade of the 2000s was a 30-game regular-season winning streak that included 23 straight West Virginia Conference victories.
From 2005 to 2007, the Rams made three consecutive NCAA Division II postseason appearances, and they were the decade's only WVC team to reach the postseason until Seton Hill earned a bid in 2008 and West Liberty did so last year.
Along the way, Rams coach Monte Cater became the winningest coach in WVC history.
In the last two seasons, however, the Rams drifted into mediocrity, compiling an overall 11-9 record, but they will visit University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field today with a 4-0 record, a No. 25 Division II ranking and perhaps a hint of their old dominance.
The Rams, who are 2-0 in WVC play, face the Golden Eagles (2-2, 2-1) at 1 p.m., trying to beat UC for the first time in three years in a game that likely will have conference and postseason implications.
One reason for the Rams' rediscovered success is a balanced offense that has rushed for 919 yards and averages 5.0 yards a carry and a passing attack that has contributed 846 yards on 57 completions on 97 attempts.
Tommy Addison, a 5-foot-8, 180-pound junior, leads the way with 418 yards and a 6.2 average, and Nate Hoyte, a 5-10, 200-pound junior, has added 266 yards and a 5.2 average. Bobby Humphries, a 6-3, 250-pound senior, has averaged 11.9 yards on nine carries.
"We're better offensively this year,'' said Cater, who's been the Shepherd coach since 1988. "I think we have a chance to challenge defenses more than we did in the past because we had been very reliant on the run. We've talked balance, but I think this year, there's going to be more of that, and we won't have to rely on just one or the other.''
The Rams, in fact, lead the conference in scoring at 38.8 points a game and have yielded the fewest points at 15.0 a game.
"Our defense has been playing very well, but it will be challenged [against UC] because we don't see a lot of option teams,'' Cater added, referring to UC's triple gun offense. "This is a unique challenge for us with coach [Tony] DeMeo's group.''
Cater is not ready to say his team is as good as the ones that reeled off the 30-game streak in the mid-2000s.
"I think it's early to compare with some great defenses like 2006 and '06,'' he said. "And I think it's really hard to say how we match up with some of those other teams offensively. We were fortunate to have some of those really good teams.''
The Rams' success ended abruptly in 2008 with a 3-5 WVC record and a 5-5 overall mark. As a Division II team with minimal depth, Cater noted, the Rams were unable to withstand an abnormally high number of injuries.
"People get tired of hearing me cry, but I take every opportunity I can to say it. We don't have very much scholarship money here,'' he said. "We're playing teams that have those [maximum] 36 scholarships or teams that are committed to getting there, but we don't have that. In 2008, we had a lot of key injuries. If we get a guy hurt, our next guy is probably a freshman or redshirt freshman that maybe shouldn't be playing yet. One or two people can make a difference in the outcome of a lot of games.''
On the other hand, the school has its advantages.
"We have a great place to play. We're in a great area for recruiting. The school's very well thought of academically,'' he said. "I'm from the Midwest where there's flat land and corn. This a beautiful place. But we have to get better with our athletic scholarships. We're in the same boat every year. You just can't get people hurt.''
