FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

bashbrother · September 04, 2013, 01:59:46 PM

I remember back to 2002, we went into Mount in the 3rd round of the playoffs and got to SEE what a team at that level looks like.

When we returned from getting our hat handed to us.....we knew we needed to get bigger, stronger, faster etc. Our program did improve after 2002 and peaked a bit in 2005. (Took a GREAT Capital Team to the Wire) (Sorry #3 for bringing it up again) Then Again at Whitewater in 2007, we were reminded of what a top team looked like and again were beaten badly on the field of play. In 2011 we then played Mount tough in a 20-8 loss. .......The program growth showed... we were Closer.

It is all up to the "Program" to take that information; learn from it and take the steps to improve. If they can.

My point is, it depends on the program and their ultimate ability through recruiting, admissions etc. that will determine the long term benefit and growth of the program. They are not going to just get better by simply playing them and getting beat 44-7.

Thus, Franklin playing Mount or Whitewater might be more beneficial to the Grizz as a whole than Wash U or someone else playing a Big.

GRIZ_BACKER · September 04, 2013, 02:33:18 PM

Quote from: bashbrother on September 04, 2013, 01:59:46 PM
I remember back to 2002, we went into Mount in the 3rd round of the playoffs and got to SEE what a team at that level looks like.

When we returned from getting our hat handed to us.....we knew we needed to get bigger, stronger, faster etc. Our program did improve after 2002 and peaked a bit in 2005. (Took a GREAT Capital Team to the Wire) (Sorry #3 for bringing it up again) Then Again at Whitewater in 2007, we were reminded of what a top team looked like and again were beaten badly on the field of play. In 2011 we then played Mount tough in a 20-8 loss. .......The program growth showed... we were Closer.

It is all up to the "Program" to take that information; learn from it and take the steps to improve. If they can.

My point is, it depends on the program and their ultimate ability through recruiting, admissions etc. that will determine the long term benefit and growth of the program. They are not going to just get better by simply playing them and getting beat 44-7.

Thus, Franklin playing Mount or Whitewater might be more beneficial to the program as a whole than Wash U playing a Big.

My take is that playing a D3 power is a good thing if you are a perennial Top 25/Playoff team of which Franklin is. However where I do disagree with the Franklin AD is scheduling a team like Butler who arguably could beat UMU for the second game. FC gets no value from that game. IMO the second non conf game should be against the second or third OAC or even a North Central or Wheaton. It is a shame that FC and Wabash just dont start out the season with each other vs Bash cruising with Hanover.

bashbrother · September 04, 2013, 02:36:06 PM

That Franklin / Bash two game series was tremendous football...

2006 - 45-38 - Franklin
2007 - 35-33 - Bash (The Dustin Huff on kickoff return team game)

GRIZ_BACKER · September 04, 2013, 02:42:44 PM

The 2006 game Bash came back in the fourth quarter from two scores down to lose in OT. Both great contests. All left the field with heads held high.

1837Tigers · September 04, 2013, 05:23:52 PM

Back on AXS TV for our ninth Bell game -- http://www.depauw.edu/news-media/latest-news/details/30106/

bashbrother · September 04, 2013, 06:09:32 PM

Just found an interesting item of note. (If I am reading it right) Hiram got a QB transfer who was formerly on scholarship with Miami University and Notre Dame College.... Rob Partridge. Should be interesting to see if he can help get Hiram into the win column this year. 6-2 215.... nice size.

Pat Coleman · September 04, 2013, 06:12:09 PM

That's how I remember reading it in Kickoff, yes. He spent at least one year solely as a punter but has played quarterback at a scholarship level.

ADL70 · September 04, 2013, 06:38:32 PM

Quote from: bashbrother on September 04, 2013, 06:09:32 PM
Just found an interesting item of note. (If I am reading it right) Hiram got a QB transfer who was formerly on scholarship with Miami University and Notre Dame College.... Rob Partridge. Should be interesting to see if he can help get Hiram into the win column this year. 6-2 215.... nice size.

Talk about working your way down.

bashbrother · September 04, 2013, 06:40:32 PM

Quote from: ADL70 on September 04, 2013, 06:38:32 PM
Quote from: bashbrother on September 04, 2013, 06:09:32 PM
Just found an interesting item of note. (If I am reading it right) Hiram got a QB transfer who was formerly on scholarship with Miami University and Notre Dame College.... Rob Partridge. Should be interesting to see if he can help get Hiram into the win column this year. 6-2 215.... nice size.

Talk about working your way down.

Yep.... at least you know I read D3 Football Kick off cover to cover...

Dr. Acula · September 04, 2013, 06:40:51 PM

Quote from: bashbrother on September 04, 2013, 06:09:32 PM
Just found an interesting item of note. (If I am reading it right) Hiram got a QB transfer who was formerly on scholarship with Miami University and Notre Dame College.... Rob Partridge. Should be interesting to see if he can help get Hiram into the win column this year. 6-2 215.... nice size.

Yes, he's a QB from Massillon. Signed with Miami out of HS. Odd that he landed at Hiram. I would have thought he would have been able to start at a lot of places without having to head to Portage County. Good for the Terriers though.

ADL70 · September 04, 2013, 06:47:59 PM

Looks like he started nine games at NDC in 2011, but was replaced by Willoughby's Ray Russ in 2012.

sigma one · September 04, 2013, 07:20:26 PM

I really am not trying to be a wet blanket, and that 20-8 score really looks good when camparing it to so many other playoff results v. Mt. Union. Recall that Mt. was running low on QBs and ran the ball and played defense in the second half so as not to risk their QB. The Wabash D was knocking the Mt. QBs around. I don't know if the game would have been nearly that close v. if Mt. had been able to keep the offense opened up. I like to think so. Doesn't matter. Still, the result made Wabash believe they could play at a high level. Then came last year with the home losses. It will be interesting to see what happens on 9/14 when Hanover comes to town. My sense is that Wabsh has not yet found its QB. Whether that is because no one has stepped up or because they are all equally excellent(!) is hard to say at this point.
QB situation around the NCAC will be one to pay attention to as the season starts. Allegheny (Dawida was 44/73 last year in limited time), Denison (no one on the roster with any experience and a talented freshman who starred in high school , but is he the one)), DePauw (appears to be a decision between Seaman and Murray; both threw over 200x last year), Hiram (bacause of Blake being injured last year, and the transfer), Kenyon (no one with any experience at all), Oberlin (Poggiali filled in semi-ably last year for a couple of games), OWU (!), Wabash (?), Wittenberg (!), and Wooster (Barnes is back for his senior year after three years of play, but I don't see him as a lock; Hohl played a game last year and was pretty good, and there is a transfer--Smith).
Compare that to last year when the league was returning-QB heavy, and with good players.

Dr. Acula · September 04, 2013, 08:58:17 PM

Between Mount being down to then freshman Kevin Burke and Wabash using a game, but clearly hobbled Belton along with a backup that game was certainly not fan friendly if you like offense. Mount went up 17-0 right before half and just basically ran out the clock for 2 qtrs. I think they only threw a couple passes in that entire half. Looked like Augustana!

Li'l Giant · September 04, 2013, 08:59:43 PM

Quote from: wally_wabash on September 04, 2013, 11:03:29 AMMaybe Vince Kehres is every bit the master that Larry Kehres is. But I doubt it. I think that totally changes the game. Mount Union is still going to have the players. They can replace the players. But you can't replace 332-24-3. That part of the equation doesn't get reloaded.

A couple of thoughts on this. First, you can't say "Larry Kehres is the greatest" and then say you're going to just replace him. Those two thoughts don't compute for me. No shade intended for Vince Kehres but like Wally said you can't replace 332-24-3.

Second thought, Larry Kehres-coached UMU teams only missed the playoffs 4 times in his career. And those 4 times came in his first 6 seasons as head coach. I'm certainly not predicting they'll be missing the playoffs or anything, but, this is a program that has at least made the semifinals for 18 (!!) straight seasons. A first time head coach has the expectation of keeping that going. If that doesn't happen, and a quarterfinal loss happens, will that be acceptable? Lots of teams consider a trip to the quarterfinals a damn fine season. UMU has done better than that for almost 2 decades straight.

Not sure how this plays out, but it's not necessarily something that plays out this season either. We will probably be watching this play out over several seasons.

HScoach · September 05, 2013, 01:12:33 PM

One significant component to the change from LK to VK is the loss of offensive game planning and adjustments. It would take all day to list the times that Mount offensively exploded with a minor adjustment to formations or play calls. The 1st Stagg against Whitewater was an example where the offense completely changed for that game. They hadn't run split backs all year and the TE was nothing until the Stagg. But he uses split backs to slow down the UWW rush and the seldom used TE has a huge game. 2nd Stagg against Whitewater was the "Greg Micheli is only a running QB" game but then has the best passing efficiency game in Stagg history. And most of the Rowan games were won with halftime adjustments, both good ones by LK coupled with zero adjustments by KC Keeler.

LK was the QB coach and O-coordinator for most of the last 20 year run. There were a couple years where he turned the play calling over to Matt Campbell (now HC at Toledo), but even during a couple years that Zac Bruney was officially the OC, he'd step in and over the play calling whenever a game got close or they really needed a drive. That is now gone.

I have no doubts in VK's ability to keep the defense together, but there are HUGE question marks regarding the offense and that's without factoring in that only QB Kevin Burke returns from 2012.

I also completely agree with the mental aspect of LK retiring in regards to both Mount and their opponents. For Mount, there is now doubt whether the decisions are the right ones whereas the opponent has a boost in confidence associated with The Master no longer walking the sidelines. There is no getting around that fact. And it's going to be interesting in seeing how Mount handles that this season. Without that unwavering belief in LK, does Mount score 34 points in the 4th quarter last year to beat MHB?

I think VK will be a very good coach, but anyone that expects him to replicate what his Dad did is crazy. Best that I can honestly expect is for Mount to remain a Top 5 team with a reasonable chance of winning the championship. Not the odds on favorite every year. This season is critical for VK. In my mind to keep the recruiting train rolling along he needs to win the OAC outright and at least make the Semi-Finals. No pressure!