Talking 2012 with Linfield's Top 'Cat.

Linfield's Joseph Smith enters his 7th season as Head Coach with a 49-13 record.

Linfield versus Menlo on September 1st at the 'Catdome....check!  The 'Cats sign up another 2-year deal with D3 power Hardin-Simmons....check!  Another huge non-conference game with California Lutheran...check!  The NWC shuffled the schedule....check!  Oh, and Coach Smith breaks who Linfield will be playing in 2013 to fill the date George Fox left open when they pushed their start-up to 2014....check!

It's time to start looking towards the 2012 season and once again the 'Cats have lined up a formidable schedule with a huge new twist to the season for the 'Cats.  This could very well be the 1st time in program history that Linfield will start the season in Week 0.  It's at least the 1st time since Linfield has been a Division 3 member the 'Cats will be kicking off the season at the earliest possible date , (Sep 1st) at the 'Catdome, against a newly energized Menlo program lead by former Willamette Head Coach Mark Speckman.

From there, it doesn't get easier as the 'Cats will renew their series with American Southwest Conference foe Hardin-Simmons out of Abilene, Texas.   Linfield and HSU played four consecutive years from 2006-2009 and walked away from the series with an even 2-2 split with each team holding home field.  Thankfully, the 'Cats get to host HSU on September 8th.  This will be a marque match-up in the Division III world and looking forward to playing a tough-as-nails program.

Then, it's out of the frying pan and into the fryer, when Linfield heads down to Thousand Oaks to continue what seems like is the never ending series with California Lutheran.  Linfield is a hurdle that CLU is desperate to overcome and the Kingsmen and their fan base will be all-in when the 'Cats go back to Cali.  I don't need to go in-depth here as we know this game carries a lot of weight for both programs and will be hotly contested.  Can't wait.

From there is the bye-week before Linfield opens up what should be a gauntlet of an NWC season.  The NWC schedule rotated so instead of Willamette to start NWC play with Linfield will be traveling up to Sparks Stadium to play what is going to be a battle tested and ready PLU squad.  Once again, the 'Cats will get another bye before hosting Whitworth, then at Lewis and Clark, at home vs Willamette, back up to Tacoma for Puget Sound, and wrap up regular season play at home vs Pacific.

I feel the NWC is going to be a great challenge for the 'Cats.  PLU's offense should be much improved, Whitworth was young and took Linfield to the wire last season, Willamette will be loaded with Senior talent, and both UPS and Pacific will be improved programs.  If the 'Cats want to continue their run of NWC titles, Linfield will need a complete effort by the entire roster to make it happen.

But enough of my ramblings, you came here to read what Linfield Head Coach Joseph Smith thinks about the 2012 schedule and more.  Can't tell you how much I appreciate the fact that Coach (and the whole Linfield staff) is willing to provide so much detail about the process when I reach out.  It's unique in college athletics and I'm grateful for it.

(Wildcat11) Is the staff looking forward to the September 1st home opener date and getting the players in camp a week earlier than normal?

(Head Coach Joseph Smith) To my knowledge, this is the first time Linfield has ever played a week zero game. The cost of bringing kids in before school starts is staggering, so that first week zero game is very expensive for the school. Since Fox was to come in 2013, trying to find a one year game was even more restrictive than it usually is. I am very grateful to our administration to find a way to come up with the money to feed and house our players so that we were able to play a full schedule.

Beggars cannot be choosers, and with scheduling, we are a beggar. That being said, we have an administration that is very supportive and has worked very hard to fund the difficult travel situations we find ourselves constantly in. The positive side of this is that we are well prepared to travel anywhere, and play anyone. And of course, that will come in handy in November and December.

(WC11) Once again, Linfield has a loaded schedule to kick off the year. The ‘Cats face a Speckman-led Menlo team, restarting our series with Hardin-Simmons, and then to CLU. That's a difficult row to hoe for anybody. How do you feel about that start to the schedule?

(J.S.) One of the biggest hurdles we have had for the past 10 years, has been a difficult early schedule combined with a practice and game experience disparity. We have worked hard to bring that to an even level and for the past two years we were able to bring that about. (Playing a season opening game in which it was the season opener for our opponent as well). Coming in early will allow us to do that for 1 more year. After that, I am afraid we will be back to a slight uphill discrepancy in the opener for at least 1 year. 2014-2015 has not been set, and maybe we can find a way to keep that similar for those years. That is hard, as the pool of teams able to play us (from a willing, scheduling, or financial standpoint) is small and for the most part always plays 10 games. 10 games normally requires a week 0 opener. A SCIAC opening game is our best bet to accomplish game 1 scheduling equality.

Linfield will be looking to be the hammer in 2012.

(WC11) Looking down the road a bit but George Fox pushed their start date out to 2014 instead of 2013. For Linfield, Fox was going to take our lone open slot starting 2013 but now Linfield needs to fill that game. Does the program have that date filled yet or is the athletic department still pursuing an opponent?

(J.S.) With Fox stalling a year, so that they could get Coach Casey (which was a very good move for them), it made us search for another 1 year commitment for 2013. That will be Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio. That will be an exciting trip for us, as I have been waiting a long time to play a game in Ohio. This will be the first time we venture into Ohio, and I look forward to it. They are a good program, and it will be fun to test and measure ourselves against a team from that Region.

(WC11) Also, The NWC shuffled the line up again this year. Do you like the change up of the NWC schedule every few seasons?

(J.S.) The NWC is working on an entire new matrix of scheduling for the next 16 years. The coaches are in agreement about keeping a reverse location situation for 2 year cycles, but having the orders randomized every two years so that it comes full cycle after 16 years. That should be finalized soon. Wendy Guthrie, the (NWC) Conference commissioner, is doing a great job for the NWC and is working very hard on this. We are fortunate to have her leadership and talent.

Our season will be front heavy no doubt. If we come out of the preseason 3-0, we will be battle tested and ready to play with anyone, anywhere. The NWC will be fiercely contested as usual. The conference schedule will be tough. There is a very talented group of coaches running the programs in the NWC, and each one will be well prepared and motivated when they come out to meet us. Every game we play is rivalry game to us, as I believe we’re each of our opponents’ “game of the year”. We like that. “As Iron sharpens Iron, so one man sharpens another.”

We are working very hard as a team right now. I can feel the intensity building as we are starting to feel the season approach. We are getting our house and our affairs in order, and we will be coming back with our shield or on it.

Linfield Sports:  2012 Linfield Football Schedule