 Wesley defensive end Chris Mayes had Mary Hardin-Baylor quarterback LiDarral Bailey in his sights all day on Saturday. Photo by Peggy Erwin, D3sports.com |
Four teams survived and advanced on Saturday … perhaps Mount Union didn’t really have to do the “survive” part … and we have two semifinals upcoming with familiar opponents.
But before we even get there, it’s also awards season, and Keith and Pat give their take on the four Gagliardi Trophy finalists and the apparent direction of the award itself in recent years. We’ve taken to referencing it as the top overall student-athlete in Division III football. Also, the D3 Senior Classic was played on Saturday, taking some important steps forward toward being an all-star game
And then there were the games, including UW-Whitewater’s rally, the impressive showings by the Wesley and Bethel defenses and Mount Union’s methodical dismantling of another opponent. That and we look forward to next week’s two semifinals. All that’s covered too, and it’s even under an hour long this time.
Click the play button below to listen.
You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast
I give up, you guys win. Twelve minutes on UWW with lots of players mentioned by name and then to Wesley when you spend five minutes talking about UMHB and how they could have won the game and no mention of why they didn’t. Not a Wesley player mentioned for their accomplishments on the field that day, Krout, Mayes, etc. Then on to Wesley “quit”, “packed it in”, in the two games at UWW. I was at both of those games because our “adopted” son played. One year starting defense and the other starting offense. I can asure you he did not “pack it in” nor did his other teammates. Then we go off to the players who made stupid mistakes. Then on to imply Wesley has no admission standards, etc. You also say Wesley was way below their offensive average and do not mention that UMHB was way, way below theirs. Your bais toward UWW and MU is so obvious it hurts. It is really sad and you have now officially lost me as a viewer and fan of DIII.com and the Keith and Pat show. You both should be ashamed of yourselves!!!!!
Piper:
“You also say Wesley was way below their offensive average and do not mention that UMHB was way, way below theirs.”
Your perceptions are clearly clouded by your personal bias toward Wesley, and I understand that, but you’re just plain wrong on this point.
At the 36:35 mark, Keith McMillan says the following:
“Mary Hardin-Baylor, they were held to 239 total yards, which is 260 below their average. They were averaging almost 500 yards of offense.”
I went back and checked because I knew for a fact he had said that. I had jotted it down in my notes for things that needed to be pointed out and scratched it off because Keith said it before I could.
Sorry if we’ve lost you as a reader, but I think what you really want us to be is Wesleyfootball.com, and we’re not going to be that.
I have mixed feelings about the final 4 teams left in the playoffs. It seems like this year’s pool of final 4 teams have earned the right to represent their bracket that they were placed in because they have won out 3 weeks into the post season. For those of you that have been following here you’ll remember I assigned “ranking numbers” to all 32 playoff teams. Using the same scheme here is how the 4 remaining teams stack up: Mount Union has a cumulative score of 85 against teams they have already played; Wesley is 65; UWW is 41; and Bethel is 30. Which is to simply point out that Bethel has had the “harder road” to get to this point by playing all higher ranked teams and Mt Union has had the “easiest road” using this formula. Take it for what it’s worth, but I suspect the final rankings at the end of the season are still pretty accurate.
For us Bethel Royal fans we have to hope for a “a perfect storm” for Bethel to beat Mt. Union. In my mind, these things pretty much all have to occur: MU has to be complacent in it’s thinking that BU is “just another lower ranked team trying to put on a decent showing against us”. Bethel has to win the coin toss and score on the opening drive. It has to be a miserable day for being outside – weather that is cold, wet and windy to take the throwing game away from MU. Finally, BU has to have the advantage on time of possession. On this 4 point list are 2 things that Bethel can only partially control, those being time of possession and scoring first. Obviously, MU is not going to want either of those 2 things to happen.
Concerning the UWW-Wesley game, we have here two teams that have overcome the most adversity to get where they are. UWW without their starting QB and Wesley who lost players for some off-field shenanigans. These are programs with depth and fortitude, hats off to both coaching staffs to figure out a way to win amongst all the turmoil.
I am looking forward to these final two games because I really do think the 4 best teams are in the finals. I hope I am not being too myopic in my observations concerning BU because of my affiliation with the program. They have worked hard to get where they are and I for one, applaud their efforts. Now, can they beat the machine? We’ll see on Saturday.
art:
Look forward to seeing you at the game Saturday! I sat near a large contingent of Alfred fans at last Saturday’s game. At halftime, we were talking and they told me that the Alfred team they were used to seeing all year hadn’t shown up yet. Some of that talk was probably true but, why was it true? I think alot of the reason was that Mount’s defense was just stronger than what Alfred was used to seeing in the season to that point. They are just so fast with their reads and can put pressure on a quarterback with only 3 or 4 guys rushing. It makes for a difficult day for opposing teams.
Mount is certainly not invincible but their defense carries them when the offense sputters. Seaman did not have a great game. His stats dont necessarily show it but he was not throwing with authority. Murray was not able to get yards early and some of that was due to Alfred’s defense.
I am sure that Bethel is looking to avenge the 2007 loss in the semifinals and I look forward to a great match up!
Saturday’s forecast in Alliance is high of 36, mostly cloudy with 10% chance of precipitation.
Mount Union may not be as “star-studded” as in years past but this defense certainly appears to have it’s fair share of studs on defense.
No disrespect to Bethel but MU is a lock for the Stagg – on the other side – I am hopeful Wesley can make the jump, but also think the Wolverines haven’t seen a team at UWW’s level all year and could be in over their heads.
That said, the home field for Wesley should help. Forecast shows high of 46 and partly sunny, so should be a good day for football. Defenses will rule this game, but I would give the ‘Hawks offense a slight edge (back up QB notwithstanding).
Good luck to all.
Interesting that you want to talk about UWW firepower on Offense and their stopping power on Defense. However, there is nothing mentioned about how UWW offensive production and ability to stop the pass has dropped drastically over the last three weeks since they have started playing teams with winning records. The one thing that seems to be keeping them in the playoffs is their ability to win the turnover margin at key moments. Take a look at WW’s stats in the last three weeks as it relates to the DIII 236 teams ranking. I.E. Passing defense WW would be ranked 234 in the nation.
UMHB should have beaten Wesley. Not to take anything away from Wesley, they are a good football team. I watched the game online and have to say wasn’t all that impressed. UMHB—-stupid penalty on 4th and 1(delay of game) back up to the 6 and then bad play call(option play)———-I think it was probably more UMHB killing themselves with stupid mistakes than it was Wesleys defense. Bailey had all day long to throw the ball(I know, you people are going to say that is because Wesley had great coverage on the receivers). I think a big part of it was Bailey hesitated too much. He should have tucked the ball and ran on a lot of those plays and probably would have opened things up more—–again, stupid mistakes but he’ll learn. He’s only a sophomore and he’ll have plenty of time to develop those skills. Quincy Daniels had 150+ yds and some will say “Well, 42 of that came on one play”—that still leaves him over 100 yds. I think it was more of UMHB making the stupid mistakes than it was Wesleys defense. UMHB was able to move the ball and I don’t think that Wesleys defense will fair quite so well against UWW. I think the score will be a little higher and in favor of the Warhawks. I was impressed with Wesleys QB—-he was making some pretty sharp passes expecially across the middle but then again, the secondary had been an issue all year long for the CRU. Wesley will definitely need a running game to beat UWW and they sure didn’t have one against UMHB. UMHB stopped the run, just couldn’t stop the passing game but as I said previously, it has been that way practically all year long. Good luck to the final 4. Predictions——-UWW-MU bowl VI
Oh, also, if we are going to go the route of Wesley holding UMHB to half it’s average, let’s mention the fact that Wesley was held under 100 yds rushing. UMHB would have been over 200 yds rushing had Bailey not hesitated and held onto the football too long———again, correctable mistake. Sorry Pat and Keith—–had to show my CRU a little love. It was a good game but I honestly felt UHMB had plenty of opportunities to win it and I feel that most were squandered at their own undoing. I mean, in watching the game———most of those sacks, if not all, were when Bailey sat back there and held the ball way too long instead of just throwing it away or tucking and running————-he even said that himself after the game. Again, I apologize. Wesley is a good team, not great, and I certainly don’t think the best UMH had faces this year but I wish them well next week in what I’m sure will push that team beyond their limits.
Pat/Keith –
Any word on if they will be streaming the UWW/Wesley game – haven’t missed a game this year in person – but back to back weeks (assuming we go to the Stagg Bowl) may be a little bit to ask for from the wife. I looked on UWW’s site and Wesley’s site and neither have a link for a live stream – any info would be appreciated.
Also, I wanted to give kudos to the North Central squad – definitely the best UWW has seen this year. I thought you guys may have over-hyped their star LB – no way he’s the real deal. Wedsley wanted to play UWW on their turf – so I guess they got their wish….I’m sure coach Leipold will use it to motivate his team again this week.
umu2014: Pass defense this week for UWW was not nearly the issue it was the past two weeks, so we didn’t bring it up when talking about the North Central game. I think if you remember the previous two podcasts it was mentioned.
Yes, as we said in the podcast, it will be streamed.
Well, how do the seedings look now? The grade for 50% correct is usually an F. Despite the politics of the selection committee the cream is raising to the top, but that’s not my reason for this posting.
I need to ask the d3football.com nation a question: If you have attended a UWW or MTU game, are you concerned about the officiating? I’m not a conspiracy theory kind of guy, but does anyone else sense a discrepancy in penalties against and calls (interceptions, timeouts and fumbles) benefiting the other team too?
Now every fan thinks their team deserves things they don’t and any call against their team is wrong, this is not that, I just what to know from others if they sense the road to Salem is being made more difficult for certain (purple) teams.
Making my case for the way in which Bethel U can beat U Mount Union is based on several interpretations of the regular season statistics. The numbers I’m using are from the NCAA web postings.
First, last Saturday’s game with St. Thomas showed that simply looking at the W-L-T numbers will not always suffice. The game has to be played out to determine the winner. After a second thought, several of the games highlight that truth. For example, Wesley knocked UMHB out of the playoffs by severely limiting The Cru’s offensive output. Therefore, I suggest it is legitimate to set the regular season won-loss records aside.
Second, the statistical differences between BU and UMU are slim in several critical categories. In Total Defense the Raiders are second and the Royals are fifth in national ranking. The point to note is the variable of pass defense. Bethel actually has the statistical edge in Rushing Defense. It may be a small enough difference as to be nonexistent. The Passing Defense numbers show UMU giving up 126 yards per game, while BU gave up 164 yards per game. Will an average that is less than a 40 yards per game difference, make the game a UMU victory? Is it worth mentioning that Mount Union pulls in more interceptions than Bethel? I’m not sure it matters, given Bethel’s reliance on running, and their limited pass offense.
A third point of support for the Royals might be seen in the St. John’s game. I would like to suggest the importance of a couple numbers. BU beat SJU, while giving up 288 passing yards. The key was turnovers. SJU had 4 while BU had none. If the outcome hangs on turnovers BU can win. Btw, UMU commits more penalties than BU on average. Combine the numbers based on team strengths, and opportunities that are less controllable, and BU does look like a potential finalist.
The area of concern, as I view the numbers is in the kicking game. Not only does BU lack a strong, consistent field goal threat, the depth of kickoffs leaves them open to the possibility of long returns. Ditto that concern in the punting game. Field position will likely become more important than time of possession by the end of the game.
Mount Union deserves their due; there is no question about that. At the same time Bethel isn’t a sugar cookie, they defeated several very real opponents to get to this game.
captaincru
Bailey did just what Wesley wanted him to do. They used a mush rush to contain him and that’s exactly what happened. There were no receivers open to throw to. The sacks were part of that game plan. If you watched you saw that even though the pocket was still there there was no open lanes to run.
Piper,
I am not ashamed. We have been more than fair to Wesley over the years. You should ask Drass and Knapp and Azzanesi if we have their respect. Ask Conrad and WesleyDad and your Wolverines compatriots if we’ve been good to them over the years. You’re free to disagree with us and share your disagreements here; I’m guessing though you won’t find many in the Wesley community who share your disagreements.
I won’t belabor those points.
FootballDad, UWW still complaining about seeding? Really? We went through that back when the brackets came. It was an odd quirk of the system where there were six top teams who won all their games for four slots; UWW had the lowest SoS and no wins over other playoff/regionally ranked teams. Common sense and the numbers didn’t match up, but unlike with the BCS, you still get to play for your championship. Selection committee or game officials have not stopped you so far and they won’t. If UW-W plays its best, it will win the title it deserves. If not, it won’t. That’s a good (if not perfect) system.
FWIW, the seeds held up pretty well. 1 vs.2 in two brackets, and 1vs. the 6 seed who beat the 2 in the other two.
@umu2014, listen to the podcast again. Almost everything you reference is in there.
@captaincru, love the enthusiasm even in defeat.
@art76, @raiderdude, @nwohio, @tgp96, @warhawkfan, @edstone and @pawesleyfan … good posts, you all brought something to the table. I honestly was starting to think that maybe the podcast and the Triple Take weren’t the best uses of our time, but when you guys leave comments that tangent off into their own discussions, it lets Pat and I know that we’re not wasting our time.
So to all the listeners and commenters, we appreciate it.
Looking forward to Saturday.
Pat and Keith:
Thanks for a great podcast. I was obviously quite disappointed in the outcome of the UWW-North Central game, as the Cardinals certainly had a great shot to win. While there are no moral victories, and I am sure North Central feels, justifiably, that it could have won, Saturday’s game showed it getting closer to the truly elite level.
As you both discussed, Whitewater, in a literal sense, took the game away from North Central. Jason Bailey had a great column last week on North Central’s focus this season on building depth, and not relying on stars. Unfortunately, North Central probably needed a star, or star for a day, on offense (Matt Wenger certainly fit the bill on defense) to pull out a win.
A quick question to Pat and to warhawkfan, who I assume was at the game: the reported attendance was just shy of 2400, which seems more than a little low. What was your impression?
A FEW FIRST THOUGHTS FROM LAST SAT……I DON’T THINK BETHAL GOT A LOT OF RESPECT FROM ST.THOMAS AND IT PROBABLY COST THEM THE GAME…..AS A FORMER COACH I KNOW THAT YOU NEVER LOOK PAST YOUR NEXT GAME……..IT;S SURPRISING THAT WESLEY GETS SO LITTLE LOVE CONSIDERING THEIR #1 SEED…..GUESS WHITEWATER MIGHT BE AS GOOD AS THEY CLAIM…….ANOTHER 2ND HALF BLOWOUT..GOT TO ADMIRE MOUNT UNION;S SEASON CONSIDERING THEY START SO MANY UNDERCLASSMEN……….MORE LATER
I’m personally pretty concerned with what Wesley brings to the table. They seem to bring a pretty balanced attack. Listening to the podcast, I think it’s also pretty safe to say we won’t see Blanchard the rest of the season. At this point do you make the switch even if he is healthy? Brekke has been doing a decent job, and while tested during the season, Blanchard hasn’t played in the playoff atmosphere that Brekke has endured. Throwing Blanchard into the semi-finals could be riskier than it’s worth. Although, only the WW coaches know the answer to that.
Regarding MHB/ Wes game. It was not as close as the final score. 1st half yardage had to be 200 to 50. Wes unable to get TDs, but moved the ball with ease. A missed interference call would have been another 1st half TD for Wes. MHB got their FG from field position off of a blocked punt. The bulk of MHB offense was in the 4th qtr when it was 19-3 and Wes D line looked tired. If Krout is hurt, Wes will be playing their 3rd,4th string WRs. They have to be the underdog and will be lucky to win if WW is as good as everyone claims here. We shall see. That is why we play the game.
edstone
I understand your thinking with the numbers Bethel vs Mount. But the one you left out is Bethel 28.2 pts per. game, and Mount 40.2 pts per. game. Good luck on
Saturday.
When talking about injuries ie.. WW starting QB hurt before playoffs, Wes lost their All-Am starting QB in the first game of the season, starting TE 2nd week, slot WR 5th week. Wes 12-0 with the backup QB. Please do not talk about injuries. Just play.
-minnesota football math-Bethel style
strong clock-control misdirection running game +
fast discipline “chase and paste” sure-tackling defense = trip to National semi-finals
They will have to add a few big pass plays in, grab a couple of interceptions, and convert on their 2 pt. conversions to add up to a trip to Salem
All things are possible
WW lost an all american lineman and an all american running back during the season as well as many other top performers…no one is complaining here…in fact people are suggesting sticking with the back up QB even if the starter comes back…its all about depth and filling in
no one on WW has made any excuses for the Warhawks regarding our back up qb playing…in fact most teams didn’t even know we had our back up in until well after the 1st playoff game and some didn’t know until the 2nd playoff game…Brekke and the ‘Hawks arent making excuses so don’t make it sound like it…
Read previous posts more carefully. If one plays versus the other, Wes has a chance. Maybe not an excuse, but sounds like a reason to explain a close game. Maybe I am wrong.
I did mention excuses. I just said injuries. You sound guilty.
I meant I did not mention excuses.
2014- Although the stats you point our are accurate, one thing to keep in mind is the type of teams UWW has played. I have all the respect in the world for Mt., however, they have not played a team that does what Franklin or Trine do. I don’t know the offense that all the OAC teams run, but I do know that when they played a passing team in Oshkosh, they got scored on. Facing no huddle offenses that are built around a quick passing attack is an entirely different task than taking on traditional offenses.
Time will tell.
Burger- No doubt Wesley has overcome injury obstacles throughout the year, and they deserve all the credit for doing it. I do think it would be fair if you acknowledged the degree of difficulty of replacing your starting quarterback for the first game of the playoffs as opposed to the first game of the season. With 37 touchdown passes and a full season under his belt, your “backup” quarterback obstacle is different than UWW’s.
Wow….. I lost my keys…..still had to figure out a way to get home….. Injuries happen….. It is part of the game….. Go Wesley
Seems UWW has figured out the way.
NCCSCOT says:
A quick question to Pat and to warhawkfan, who I assume was at the game: the reported attendance was just shy of 2400, which seems more than a little low. What was your impression?
Hi Scot,
I’m not Pat or Warhawke, but I still wanted to comment. I was at the game and had these thoughts. First on attendance it was difficult sitting on NCC’s side to assess how many people were there on the home side. I would estimate that the stands if everyone came out from the heated underside of the stadium were about 3/4 full on the home side. I’m not sure how many you hold on the visitor side but it appeared to be very full. So my estimate would be that whatever your capacity is you had a little past 3/4’s of it. A thought on the game. I thought the major turning point came not from a created turnovers but rather the first turnover that NCC had in the 4th. They had made a nice defensive stand and though they were starting deep in their territory they appeared to have the momentum. the QB threw a ball I believe to the tight end which appeared to go off his hands high into the air for an interception. I believe that would have been a first down for NCC and obviously it would have kept UWW from scoring at least at that point. This of course changed NCC’s entire offense to playing from behind which in turn created opportunities for the other 2 turnovers. One other point is though Coppedge had a good game I didn’t see any comment about the fact that he was held to 3.7 yds/carry. I would be interested from those in the know how often that has happened to him. I know a lot was made about White waters qb situation, however I know that the back-up made 2 perfect throws to well guarded receivers to get at least one of their scores. I don’t know if there is a defensive player of the year award but if there is Wenger should certainly be a finalist. as a Wheaton fan I am not sorry to see him get on with the next phase of his career. Finally Scott congrats to NCC in representing the CCIW well. It looks like next year that both Wheaton and NCC will have very good teams again and we are looking forward to it.
not sure what,s more fun the podcast or the coments I enjoy them both thanks for the love you showed Alfred you were very fair
Just a couple of followups……..
A point of clarification on the podcast. You mentioned that back in the 2007 semi final against Bethel, Cecil Shorts scored a touchdown as the second quarterback. He was actually the third quarterback (behind Micheli and Rocco) but was moved to WR in 2008 to give him more playing time after Garcon graduated.
emma87 – You are right that UMU had 28 points scored on them by Eau Claire in the opener. Sometimes we take for granted the abilities of teams so that a 17 point victory is seen as inferior. Many teams would take that, particularly when you start a true freshman at D line and several sopohmores in their first game as starters. I look at that game as a good opening test to give these young men experience.
There are several quality quarterbacks in the OAC and UMU handled themselves pretty well.
Edstone – You are right in that the statistics show relaitve equality between Bethel and UMU. Bethel will be a quality opponent (as was Alfred and Del Val) and I have no doubt that Kehres is not looking past them. All I will add is this – Bethel will need to mix up the run with some passes in order to achieve some success. If the run is predominantly relied upon, Bethel will not move the ball consistently. I have not seen all the playoff teams but, UMU team defense and speed is the best I have seen at the school in years. It surprises opponents.
The Alfred fans I spoke to last weekend told me they were surprised the players weren’t bigger. There was a perception these guys are all 6’4″ and 300lbs on the line. What they may not have in size, they make up for in speed and cohesion. They keep their contains and swarm to tackle. Very disciplined.
Finally, to all that continue to claim a UMU or UWW bias (for officiating, placement, etc.), let’s just play the games and understand that the Stagg Bowl participants will be the two best teams in DIII for 2010 regardless of the makeup.
Good luck to all this weekend! I will be in Alliance but following the Wesley/UWW game via internet.
oops – my apologies……
I referred to Eau Claire instead of Oshkosh.
to nccscots – I thought the 2400 announced attendance was way to low – the stands were full on the visitors side and prob 3/4 full on the home side. The atmosphere was electric for most of the game. I know on the visitors side that nobody sat down during the entire game. I read somewhere that this was NCC’s first December home playoff game – you guys did it up right. The folks at the local watering holes were good – they gave us a hard time (good natured) as we rolled in wearing our UWW apparel – but no one “crossed the line” into bad sportsmanship.
NCC is not far away from beating one of the big boys – that program us definitely one on the rise.
As far as the Wesley game – the one thing that scares me going into this game is Wesley’s team speed. The Hawks are vulnerable to the short passes over the middle which then open up the outside long balls. This game will be decided, as are most, by whoever winds the battle in the trenches. UWW has been able wear teams down late in games – just due to the size and strength of their line. They have done a great job of protecting Brekke since he became the starter – I just wish Brekke could stretch the field the way Donovan or Blanchard could.
Go Hawks !!
Raiderdude-My point to 2014 was in reply to UWW’s statistical “drop-off” in the last three games. The drop off may have something to do with the type of offense, and the quality of offense that UWW has played. Following are the Efficiency Ratings of the QB’s on the last three teams UWW played (btw-the highest efficiency rating of a Mt Opponent……Oshkosh- the team that scored 28):
NCC-162
Trine-182
Franklin-176
You will see Mt has played no team with a QB that has numbers that look like the above.
Again, my point isn’t to diminish what Mt has done-it’s not thier fault they didn’t play passing teams like UWW did. My point simply is to point out the Context of the numbers.
Doh,
sorry, Oshkosh’s QB’s Efficiency Rating was a 149.
As a note:
I’ve been reading this website since I was a freshman at Whitewater in 2005, and at no point have I felt an illogical or unfair bias for or against UW-W.
Piperarcher: I was a player in the 2006 UWW/Wesley game, and a sideline viewer for the 2005 game.
I can attest to this: In 2005, Wesley packed it in.
In 2006, you played hard throughout, but were inferior all the way around.
Either way, take your pick.
That’s got no bearing on this week’s match-up… but is hopefully some validation for the comments in the podcast.
I think Emma has a point here.
Put plainly, Whitewater has faced two teams in the first two rounds that are spearheaded by Gagliardi finalists in both Franklin and Trine. Even with a talented and technically sound defense, UW-W was bound to give up yards and points to these two guys.
I think the big pass yardage that was given up by UW-W is also a indicative of how good UW-W’s run D has been. Going into a game, I have to believe that both (Trine and Franklin’s) O-Coordinators were looking at film of Whitewater and thinking, “Well, we aren’t going to run the ball with regular success.”
Just a thought.
Bethal 17 MU 14
Wesley 20 WW 17
The St. Thomas Fans should be prepared. Mt. Union fans sit on the visitors side amongst all (reserved seats) and leave the home side mostly empty. You also have to pay to get back in if you leave the stadium to go to your vehicle to eat at halftime. The officials were not good at all and it was a disgrace to d3 football
@justnotright
What do you mean by St. Thomas fans?
Guys: Great Podcast as usual! I thought, however that the conversation regarding the four finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy and their perceived football skills was a little “odd”. Obviously, I am partial to Kyle Ray, Franklin’s quarterback. His stats were “gaudy” to say the least….I believe he is at or very near the top of Div.III in passing efficiency and has been all year long. Certainly his “story” adds a very compelling element to his nomination and selection as a final four candidate, but he is without question a very talented football player and an honor roll student and a very active participant in Habitat for Humanity (which is housed on Franklin’s campus for all of Johnson County). Finally, it is a great tribute to Franklin’s program that we have had two finalists for this award in the past three years, the other being Chad Rupp in 2008. BTW, Franklin closed out the season this year in the playoffs on the road at UWW and I think our opening game home and home series with Mount Union starts this coming season! Wow!…..if you’re gonna be a big boy, you gotta play with the big boys!!
Go Griz!!
@piperarcher— It’s getting old.
@captaincru — like Keith I admire your enthusiasm, but the Wesley defense dominated that football game, especially the first half 31 plays –61 yards.)
Wesley moved the ball up and down the field in the first half. Credit the UMHB D to holding them to three FG attempts.
Granted that they had their chances to get back in it. But when they got the turnover at the start of the second half, the Wesley D took the ball right back. And the offense drove 86 yards for a TD
Despite all the UMHB can throw it this year talk, they made very few plays in the pass game.
Pat,
I thought it was unfortunate that despite your presence at the NCC/UWW game there wasn’t more said about the NCC defense or how they played overall. You’re right it did come down to turnovers, and had they not had the 3 costly turnovers late in the 3rd and 4th quarters, we would be talking about a huge upset here. It seemed the bulk of the time was spent talking about UWW, which by virtue of winning makes sense. However it seemed the comments about NCC were in passing, other than Keith saying that they are a contender (forget the exact wording). Didn’t have much analysis of the NCC team as a whole, or in depth coverage of really any aspect of the game (sans the turnovers). I think its a shame that they play UWW tough, and don’t really get talked about. Obviously some NCC bias here even though I didn’t go there. Its a solid team, I think you both wouldn’t deny that, I’d just like some more in depth analysis. Thanks for your time guys, best of luck to the semi-final teams this week.
Just a note — Mount Union/Franklin series begins in 2012. Mount Union gets the return game from UW-Oshkosh next fall.
Wow- Oshkosh. Mt. opens the season with a loss, then has to make it through the OAC. Stage is set for the first time in a long, long time Mt isn’t in the playoffs.
ramedog- I agree that NCC played a heck of a game, and I understand fans always want to hear more about how their team played. However, you’re falling into the same trap as many other posters from teams that lost this weekend- “had they not had the turnovers…”. They did have them, and there is a reason for that. Not only that, but for every “what if” that you can think of, there is an equal and opposite “what if” to support UWW. In the second quarter UWW drove down the field, it was 1st and 10 in field goal range already. Brekke horribly under threw (not because of pressure)a pass- directly to the NCC cornerback. No special play by the corner, just a horrible pass.
For teams that lost, and even for those that won, the “what if” are great when used as coaching points for future games. If you want to use them to build a case that your team “could have won”, then don’t forget to apply them evenly to both teams.
I love posters that display humor. Keeps the site interesting.
As has been mentioned many times, What the supporters of losing teams from any Saturday ask for is a modicum of respect for their team or program. I don’t believe there is hard feelings over the results. They are what they are. More than a mention on the podcast provides that respect. i.e. I didn’t read ramedog’s post as a “we should have won” post.
He was just saying that Pat may have been a little short in his analysis of NCC as it related to the game at hand. I havent listened to the podcast again but I believe in every game discussed, the winning team received more mention than the losing team.
Mount has never shyed away from an opponent and has scheduled their non-conference game to include quality opponents when possible.
Good luck to all on Saturday!!!!
Pat: Thanks for the clarification….I wasn’t sure if it was 2011 and 2012 or 2012 and 2013…..in any event, it’s going to be a fun series hopefully for both schools….Mike Leonard has certainly re-fueled excitement at Franklin for the football program and done so in a way that focuses on each player as a student/citizen first and athlete after that. I’ve spent time with he and the team before and after games…he is the “real deal”!! I admit my bias, but they are a fun team to follow, year in and year out…..and as you know, the “tailgating ain’t bad either”!!