Go grab your coffee and sit down with us on a Monday morning for this week’s ATN podcast. Four games last week, two games this week. Plus, hear what Keith thought of the Wesley/Mary Hardin-Baylor game and Pat’s take on the Central/Bethel game. What’s coming up this week? Are we really destined for a threepeat Stagg Bowl?
Listen in.
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Keith and Gordan,
What do you guys think this week? Bethel to score 20,30, or maybe 40? It should be interesting to see. Two more games until one for the second thumb.
Thank you! Someone gave recognition to the Warhawk defense for creating turnovers. Looking forward to a great game this weekend and then stealing the second thumb!
Great analysis of the past Saturday and preview for this Saturday! I have to admit, I am not familiar with the Bethel program but it sounds like they deserve to be where they are. That being said, Mount Union seems to be on a mission and, although I hope for a competitive game, it would appear that Mount Union will be moving on to Salem.
Although it would appear that UWW has UMHB’s number, I look for an upset this weekend with The Cru facing Mount Union in the finals.
Raiderdude,
I like your thoughts! UWW is a great football team—–no doubt about it——————–but, if UMHB can limit the turnovers or eliminate them completely, will we see the same results——UWW didn’t completely shut down UMHB’s running game but did a fine job of limiting them well below their season average—————–that being said, UMHB did a heck of a job limiting Beaver(who averages I think 160 a game) to 77 yds on 29 carries. UMHB had 162 rushing yards—-UWW—92 I agree with what everyone else said—-UMHB went away from their normal game plan—run, run and run some more———–maybe if they stick with that and cut out the turnovers———–they may have a chance. Guess we will see this weekend.
we will see how good UMHB runs in the snow come saturday same forcast as last weekend butt cold with snow- just the way football should be played. hopefully the game is better than the first blowout, every game i have seen this year at the perk has been one sided. but its the side i am rooting for go hawks.
CaptainCru:
That’s why the games are decided on the field not by statistics. One of the keys to good teams that are well coached is the ability to change your game plan to suit the conditions, opposition, etc. That being said, a team’s strength is the foundation for the entire team. Any movement away from that gives the appearance of panick which speeds up the game and prevents consistency.
UMHB needs to stick with what made them who they are and limit the mistakes that great teams use to capitalize on.
Mount Union is good at that. Force their will on the opposition early and force them to try things that are out of their comfort zone which snowballs in the Raiders favor.
Good luck to all this weekend. Alliance will be rocking no matter the weather conditions!
No question that this MHB-WW game will be closer this time around, but there is no way in my opinion that the Crusaders win. Whitewater shut down the “high powered running game” of Mary Hardin-Baylor and they will do the same thing this week. And I hope you Texans can adapt to Wisconsin’s winter.
i’m guessing mount does to bethel approximately what it did to SJF.
The UMHB Vs Wesley game was no different than the UMHB vs UWW. One team had too many turnovers to overcome and could not do so. On any given Friday, Saturday or Sunday any Highschool, College, or Pro team can be upset especially if they play a bad game with turnovers. Turnovers can prevent a team from winning. The Saturday game between UMHB vs UWW will be an entirely different game than the last game. It maybe UWW turns to have a bad game and get upset. I remember the first meeting between these two teams and the score was 7 to 3 second game lopsided, and the third may be a charm with UMHB as the winner. Also the weather will play a factor in this game which reminds me of the year 2004 UMHB beat MUC in the snow . So both teams can play in the cold and it will come down to cold weather and turnovers. May the best played game played by the best team win.
The UMHB-UWW game will be decided by turnovers…..bottom line. Who wins that battle wins the game. I agree with donnie…..UMHB can play and win the cold.. Plus the weather conditions in Central Texas against NCW a few weeks were far from ideal. The 7 points by UWW last year was on the opening kickoff. UWW offense (or defense) did not score in the game.
I notice there is a lot of talk about MHB playing in the snow against MUC in 2004. Do you really think it is fair to compare a group of guys on the 2004 squad to this years team? I don’t think weather will be a factor this weekend at the Perk as the forcast is calling for temps in the 30’s, but I’ve just noticed that a lot of MHB fans keep saying that MHB can play in the cold and snow because a team did it three years ago. Am I in left field with this thought?
Will the UWW-UMHB game be available on live video feed on the web?
vhwon,
Yes, it will. Not sure the link….I think it’s going to be on the ncaa site.
donnie –
The 7-3 game you are talking about was played between two different teams last year. You have a great program and I don’t doubt that the game on Sat could be close but, I wouldn’t compare this years team to lasts. I also don’t want to hear about UMHB beating MUC in the snow 3 YEARS AGO. I just don’t think this years UMHB team has the size to push around a power UWW team in the snow and cold.
dallas- I assume you are from Texas. It does get cold here. The NCW game was in the 40s with a wind chill in the 30s. It was 39 degrees in Dover for the game on Saturday and UMHB did not lose one fumble while Wesley lost 4. Plus Welch was the QB in the MUC game when he was a freshman in 2004.
Thanks dallas.
R24aider:
I gather you’re taunting Keith and me because our pregame picks showed SJF scoring more points than they did. I was a mildly surprised at the margin of victory for Mount Union, but not that they won or that the defense played well. I have a lot of respect for the other teams that have advanced this far and try to balance that with my understanding of how dominant Mount Union is. If that sometimes results in inflated score projections for the opponent, so be it.
Disregard Gordan, he’s an idiot.
I assume you meant to say it like this:
“Disregard, Gordon, he’s an idiot.”
Otherwise it reads like you’re telling people to disregard Gordon. 🙂
NOT BEING RUDE BUT, GIVE “UMHB THEIR DO” THEY HAVE HAD TO PROVE EVERYONE WRONG ALL YEAR. YES THEY ARE NOT THE TEAM FROM 2004 THEY ARE THE TEAM FROM 2006 AND HAVE HAD TO DO WHAT THEY HAVE HAD TO DO ALL YEAR, THE STATS PROVE THAT IN ITSELF. YES THEY GOT BEAT BY UWW EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND THIS ISN’T THE PAST THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT TALKED ABOUT.BUT THIS IS A TOTALLY NEW GAME AND IF THEY COME IN THE GAME READY COLD, HOT, ICE, OR MUD, THIS FOOTBALL TEAM AS A WHOLE WILL BRING IT TOO YOU. AND COME OUT OF IT WITH A “VICTORY” AGAINST ALL OF YA’LL’S ODDS, LONG STORY SHORT. UMHB-VS-UMC IN STAGG BOWL COME DEC. 15,2007. GO CRU
No lets be clear, Gordan is not an idiot, he’s a pretty good guy. And he’s pretty knowledgeable about D3 like all your guys I’ve met are. R24aider is the idiot if he wants to taunt someone for not picking a large enough victory. Mount Union does not need, nor do they want, fans that think like that.
Ric,
Thanks. 🙂
UMHBFAN: Mary Hardin-Baylor was preseason No. 4 team in the country. What have they had to prove everyone wrong all year about?
With all of the talk about the weather being a factor in the UWW-UMHB game, can someone explain to me how coldness is actually a factor. I guess maybe the UWW guys could be experienced in the cold/snow weather, but to me it seems that both teams are going to have their share of slipping in the freezing mud.
OK I know this not to be the case but if UWW were to bank winning on cold weather being a factor they would lose.
In ’04 at Mount Union, UMHB could and would have folded in the second half if cold weather were a factor. They trailed 35-21 entering the fourth quarter with snow flurries and temperatures around 30.
If UWW wins it will be because they are the better team, not because it is cold. Anyone that thinks differently just doesn’t have a clue.
BTW I neglected to mention it above but for those that don’t know, UMHB had a 17-0 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter and came back to beat Mount 38-35. Weather being a factor is rubbish.
I tend to agree, and people pointing to weather with a Texas team are making assumptions that the facts don’t back.
However, I do want to point out this: the UMHB/Mount game was indeed played in cold and flurries but without accumulation. The UWW/UMHB game will be played on grass, which changes things significantly.
The cold weather in and of itself probably wouldn’t be a factor. But the surface might be.
The playing surface has been a difference and was last week with Wabash. Cold and cold on grass are very different. Good point Pat!
The playing surface in Whitewater has been suspect all season. The grass has been torn up since early in the season. As with anything on grass this late in the season, the cold and then the warm and back to cold again, will just continue to make it unstable. Add to the fact that they were running the sweepers across it multiple times on Saturday, the best you can hope for is either have it freeze so its solid, or hope for more snow (I can’t believe I just said that).
There is no doubt weather is a factor in any game. The thing is, it is a factor for both teams. In sloppy conditions, it is paramount to protect the ball and prevent the short field.
To assume that a Texas team is at a disadvantage simply because it is cold and slippery is not a factor in my opinion. UMHB was at a disadvantage last game because they did not protect the ball leading to quick scores by UWW and thus taking UMHB out of their running game plan.
I have no horse in this game but I see two evenly matched teams that should make for a great football game. I simply looked for the upset because it is difficult to beat the same good team over and over (although Mount seems to have Capital’s number) plus I think it would make for good drama at the Stagg Bowl in that UMHB was the last team to beat Mount in the playoffs.
Capt,
Thanks for giving UWW their due. However, I would offer you a word of caution regarding the statistics of the previous game. They won’t mean a thing on Saturday! The score of the first game with 28-0 at halftime! Whitewater was never challenged in that game and didn’t have to open up the offense in the least. UMHB wisel loaded up on the run the entire 2nd half because that’s all UWW had to do. We’ll see how successful the Cru is at containing Beaver when they have to play both the run and the pass in the context of a close game.
I think the other thing to keep in mind is that many, if not all, teams have left Perkins Stadium feeling like they played their worst game (or at least subpar). That has everything to do with UWW and their defense. I hope UMHB plays well, then the game will be close until UWW dominates the 4th quarter. If UMHB plays poorly, the game will be a blowout….again.
wow,
try to have a little fun with journalists about their picks and out they come with name calling. Hey Ric, I am not a “fan” nor will I ever be a “fan”. I was amongst “fans” at cleveland stadium when I had to explain to my 5yr old son why “fans” are throwing beer bottles on the field. I was at the Mt vs NJ game when a student athlete from NJ was just trying to live a dream by being in the playoffs playing the best team in the country only to have his dream crushed when a MT player ripped the ball from him and scored mts first td. I was amongst MT “fans” who continually singled him out with vicious comments. Now my sons a freshman in high school and I have to listen to “fans” say things about him that makes a parents stomach turn. No, Ric, you are a “FAN”. I am just a former player who loves the effort all of these kids put out week after week. All of the teams, not just Mount.
later,
the “idiot
I could be wrong, but I think a moderate day without snow or rain on Saturday favors Whitewater – unlike this past week, where the snow was a hugely limiting factor to Wabash’s passing game. The better Whitewater can mix the pass and run against MHB, the more success they will have. Plus, a snow day would probably result in MHB trying fewer passes than they did against Wesley (10). Considering the way the UWW secondary has been ball-hawking, they should hope Welch puts the ball up as much as possible.
Huh?
R24aider-
You want a mulligan on that post?
Whether you are a fan or a former player, respect is respect. We all seek it and just want other to treat us the same way.
I don’t believe Ric’s comment was meant as a character assassination just as I don’t believe R24’s was either. The posters on this thread all bring something to the table and we owe it to them and to ourselves to give their comments the same respect as we would like our comments and opinions to be.
I expected a Mount victory last Saturday but not at that level. They are just playing at a high level. I mean look at some of the college games we have seen lately. Most recently Pittsburgh (which I believe was a 28 point underdog) beat West Virginia. Who was wrong? The pundits for picking the margin that wide or West Virginia for believing it?
The guys do a great job at analyzing the teams, the rankings are fair, and you would expect the 5th ranked team in the country to give Mount a good game. It just didn’t work out that way.
Intelligent minds tend to differ and the mind of a fan does not take precedence over a player or vice versa.
Good luck to all teams this weekend and I look forward to seeing Mount in Salem on the 15th!
As far as the fans are concerned, let’s try not to generalize. There are subsets of any fan base that need lessons in rooting for their team. Trash talking, while part of the game on the field, has no place in the stands. It diminishes the class displayed on the field and by the majority of ordinary people that come to the games as a diversion from their lives to root for their “home” team and enjoy themselves.
I too was at the Jacksonville game and was embarassed to call myself a Cleveland Brown fan. I have also attended Mount games where a small number of fans are very disrespectful of the opposing team. It’s bad enough to be the opposing team losing by 30, 40, or 50 points and to have fans heckle you for getting a first down.
As I mentioned in the previous post, we do what we do because we have a passion for the game and what we all seek most is respect. Without that, the game loses it’s meaning. These are all young men who do their best to please themselves, their coaches, and their fans each and every play. Let’s remember that as we watch them play this Saturday.
I don’t know how the weather will effect MHB but I do know The Warhawks can play in a blizzard as they demonstrated against Wabash. Danny Jones through the ball amazingly well in the wind and sleet/snow. The running game was also very strong in the worst of conditions so if there is a line of thinking that UWW will be affected by the weather I don’t beieve so…..This should be a tougher game than the first one but I am counting on being in Virginia next weekend….
At the team dinner last Friday night (before gaining 145 yards in one half in the “blizzard game” against Wabash) Justin Beaver told Forrest Perkins, “I LOVE playing in this stuff.” Judging from both the performance and the emotion showed by UWW last Saturday, I think Beaver might have been speaking for the whole team. Perhaps weather will be a factor and perhaps it won’t. Hands will be numb. The field is currently a sheet of ice. Perhaps UMHB can embrace that weather. UWW has embraced it as part of their home field advantage.
UMHB might be in a position to have to start this game very quickly to avoid getting buried early. The problem is, UWW is one of the most difficult teams to run on I’ve ever witnessed. UWW is focused and loaded for bear. They will not be handing UMHB anything. Whitewater wants this game badly. (Not at all implying UMHB doesn’t). Mostly just trying to say UMHB had better be prepared to play their best game of the year in a venue most teams play their worst.
FWIW: weather.com lists Saturdays highs:
Belton,TX: 80
Whitewater, WI: 23 (and snowing)
I have covered UMHB for years in the Cru Review section of my local on line newspaper in Copperas Cove, Texas. I was at the game when the Cru upset Mt. Uninon. It was indeed snowing but in light flurries. Frankly the weather was much nicer than the game in Belton against NC Wesleyan. Contrary to popular belief it does get cold in Texas. I recall working on a Ranch in north Texas one Christmas break in college. I was riding fence. My horse’s belly was drigging snow and the temp was 4 degrees. The game in Whitewater will be decided by the outstanding young men on the field, not the weather.
Raiderdude, I am in general agreement with your comments about trash talk having no place in the stands. However, I respectfully take some issue with thinking it has any place on the field either. My grand daughters ages 7 and 9 two years ago attended their first football game. They were visiting from Oklahoma. They were attending a UMHB game against an opponent I shall not name, in Belton. I was in the press box so I didn’t hear the trash talk that saw my son-in-law leave the game in the first half with his little family. My grand daughter told her class mates that football was a game where one team nelt and prayed infont of everybody and then runs around the field talking nasty to the other team. My daughter and son-in-law are not prudes by any standard. However, the “trash talk” from the UMHB’s opponent was vulgar enough to keep a football game between two church schools from being suitable for children’s ears.
That’s a touching story and all R24aider, about your love for the game and for your son, and not wanting him to see disrespect, blah blah blah. It would maybe mean a little more and I might actually believe you feel that way rather than just invent something to say because your first trip in here was to rip a couple guys for thinking a Mount opponent might score more than they did. See how it all just doesn’t add up? Never mind, don’t really care what you might think.
While i agree that vulgarities have no place in sports, the reality of it is that it happens. deal with it. if you dont want your kids to be around it dont take them. good parents would sit down with their kids and explain what might happen and have them ignore it. For those people that say weather wont be an issue have you ever played football in it? Why not ask Wabash if they had a harder time playing in it. UWW practices and plays in it. I do believe that this game will be closer than the earlier this year but trust me weather always has an effect on players physically and mentally. The great ones over come it. Who will overcome it? We will see on saturday. hope to see some UMHB fans there. Its always better to have some pregame chatter with the fans. I applaud Wabash fans for attending the game. Hopefully UMHB fans will turn out in greater numbers than the first game.
Cruguy:
Don’t misunderstand. Respect on the field should be the same as off the field. Emotions do tend to dictate behavior at times. From personal experience playing sports, if you were taking an opponent to school, their self respect would erode to the point of erupted emotion.
What most who play or watch don’t fully understand are the examples we set for the younger generation. Whether it’s parents who display poor sportsmenship which is observed and emulated by the players, or the poor sportsmenship of players to their younger siblings. I don’t condone “trash talking” but I do condone playing to the best of your ability while containing the emotional energy generated by the effort. The delicate balance is maintained by the coaches for the players.
The question is……who maintains that balance for the fans?
Regarding the playing surface at UWW. The field was blown free late Saturday and covered. It will remain covered probably until Friday unless it is supposed to snow again.
Interestingly, this will likely be the last year to have these worries since they will likely be switching to field turf during the off season.
Raiderdud, I understand that emotions are part of the game. I am old enough to remember when the controling of your emotions on the field was demanded by the coaches and the refs. It was part of a silly thing we called character. I played the game at the junior high, high school and jr college levels. I wrote an article last year suggesting that the UIL in Texas make a rule that says the first offense for trash talk on the field by a player would be an automatic ejection. The second offense from a team ejects the player and head coach. People said I was crazy because everybody did it. I respectfully suggest that if a head coach was tossed because of his players conduct once it would not happen a second time. In other words “Everybody would stop doing it if it was not allowed”. It is not part of the game. Or at least in my book its not. Football should teach folks to be men. There is nothing manly about trash talking jerks. Bottom line is if we had such a rule in football players would let their performance do the talking not their mouths.
Bethel will do just fine against Mt. Union. They won’t be intimidated at all and they’ll play their hearts out. I wouldn’t be completely surprised if they won.
Trash talking is part of male machismo. Legislating that emotion is a worthwhile effort but will not gather broad support.
That being said, I believe Coach Kehres keeps his players focused on the game and not the opponent. Players will be removed from the game if they lose focus and make silly mistakes, whether penalties, missed assignments, etc. Is he the only one doing that? I don’t think so but, he does have a knack for bringing out the best in his team without it getting out of hand.
In any event, I wish everyone the best of luck this Saturday! It’s my favorite time of year and I am sure it is for many on this site and on the campuses.
CodyDog, You have the same solution to the problem as most folks. Either expose children to vugarities or scratch off the event as being a family outing. I guess the low lifes who have no better upbringing than to use gutter language in font of litte children rule. Heavens lets not say anythng to them. It’s a “reality, deal with it?” Guess that’s right. Its easier to keep children away from the offender than to ask the offender to clean up his act. Silly me I keep thinking that a sporting event between two Christian based schools should be free of vulgar language. However, you are correct in that fans, coaches and offials do not have the power or perhaps the will to control garbage mouths in the sands and on the field. Your assertion that we can control wether our children are allowed to attend football games is within our power. Who cares if the world has changed to the point of allowing such vulgar conduct.
Nasedo,
How many times do we hear ” our team won’t be intimidated and that they are going to give Mount the toughest game they’ve had”. You sound just like SJF fan last week before his team got beat down ( no pun intended ).
The fact is, that when you say stuff like that it already shows a sign of intimidation and weakness. It’s that little bit of fear of loosing that gives you that drive to want to win. Comments like that give the impression that you show no respect for your opponent. Thats why Mount is so hungry and ready to play when its game time because they respect every opponent they face and know that they can be beat on any given Saturday if they don’t come to play.
I’ve seen the schedule for Bethel this year and I think its safe to say that they haven’t faced anyone of the caliber of the OAC. Like others have said, until you’ve played Mount you don’t know what your in for.
CRUGUY: I agree 100%. As a parent, I have to be careful where I take my sons, because I’d rather not have my 8 year old dropping F-bombs on the school bus because he heard it at a sporting event.