The game represented one of the larger payouts of a weekend that also saw Grambling State University trounced by Cal (73-14), the University of Louisiana at Monroe defeated mightily by Georgia (51-14), Alcorn State obliterated by Georgia Tech (69-6), Akron run over by Oklahoma (41-3) and a number of other small programs picked apart by larger programs looking to fill open spots on the schedule with what they presumed would be a guaranteed win.
Many have criticized the decision of the smaller schools to accept the games on the schedule at an exchange, they say, for their dignity.
Most notably this weekend, legendary HBCU football coach William “Billy” Joe took to his Facebook page to plead for the cessation of FBS vs. FCS football contests—particularly for HBCUs.
Joe argued that the disparities in size and access to training facilities make an innately dangerous game even more risky, cautioning that continuing to pit unequally matched players against each other will eventually “cause a cataclysmic and calamitous injury.”
“Most major college football players are bigger, stronger, faster and more talented than [players from smaller schools]. They also have the latest state-of-the-art athletic infrastructure, resources, equipment, and other high-tech weightlifting facilities to get even stronger, faster and bigger than their [small-school] counterpart,” Joe said. “Of course, there are a nominal number of football players on lower levels who are just as proficient and talented as major college football players, but when you juxtapose the major college athlete with the small college athlete, the chasm is humongous.”
“There is a distinct reason why peewee football players don’t compete against middle school football players; there’s a reason why middle school football players don’t compete against high school football players; there is a reason why high school football players do not compete against college football players; and there’s a reason why major college football players don’t compete against professional football players,” he continued. The differentiation and imbalance of physicality is too immense.”
