FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[bashbrother]

I will take 37-3 in Meadville any day.   The turnovers and mistakes aside..... quality win for Wabash.   The Hard Hats were stellar on D.... all day long.

[wabashcpa]

Not too surprised at the outcome today - "The Swamp" isn't too swampy with field turf, and I like our chances in a track meet.

Things I like through 4 games:

Consistent running game - 4 straight 100+ yard games from Mambourg - who saw this coming?  Speaks well not only to Mambourg, but an experienced O-line.  Apparently our new center has settled in quite nicely as well.

Passing attack - nothing new here.  This has been a Wabash strength for nearly a decade now.

Tough run defense - net rushing yards allowed in each game so far - 55, 37, 39 and 43.  Regardless of opponent, the defense hasn't allowed anybody to establish a running game.  Some of this may be skewed by jumping out to big leads and making other teams throw more, but I still like the results.  

Special teams - Whitehead has been having a good year, although he missed his only attempt today (I blame BB16 for that - nice jinx).  His kickoffs have been inside the 10 consistently as well, from the games I've seen.  And Chamblee as a return man?  Enough said.

Main area of concern:

Pass defense - again, numbers may be skewed due to teams falling behind, but here are passing yardages allowed each game - 84, 198, 239, and 238.  Obviously, in blowout wins, this hasn't haunted us yet, but if quarterbacks from Chicago, Kenyon, and Allegheny are having success throwing the ball, it doesn't inspire a great deal of confidence that we're going to shut down the passing game of Wittenberg or DePauw.  And yes, I know - there's lies, damned lies, and statistics, but the passing yardage allowed trend is interesting, and possibly illuminating - especially when it appears a certain passing attack in Greencastle had it working today against a good opponent.

[Black n Gold]

Nice win by the Scots...... big week ahead for Wooster.


http://www.wooster.edu/Athletics/Athletics-News/2009/October/Football-Recap-2009-Earlham.aspx

[bashbrother]

One more note on yesterdays game in Western PA.   If your team can commit 4 turnovers on the road and still win by 34 points, they are a pretty good team.

Game Balls go to:



#84 Wes Chamblee - close to 300 yards of total offense and the 80+ yard punt return.

ALSO the :

Wabash Defense - That allowed the 4 turnovers to be insignificant.

[wally_wabash]

Finally...a big game in our league.  CWRU @ Wooster for the Baird Bros. Trophy.  Is Wooster going to step up in a big game?

[DagarmanSpartan]

Well, Dan Whalen needs to prove that he's truly Gagliardi Worthy.  His QB rating is almost off the charts at present, but he's got to prove that he can do it against a HIGH-CALIBER opponent.

Wooster will be his chance.

I hope he pulls us through, and helps us win the most unusual trophy in college sports!

[wally_wabash]

A new poll is posted.  Not much movement as you would expect with all 25 teams in the top 25 having won.  Wabash does pick up 16 points and jump over Monmouth to go to #11.  CWRU was jumped by Central and is down to #10, FWIW. 

Wittenberg also picked up a few more votes this week, up to 9 total points, but still well outside the top 25. 

[BashBacker#16]

Major Spartan,

Wooster is the best team that Case has played up to this point of the season but I am not sure yet if they are worthy of the label - "HIGH CALIBER" opponent (in all caps).  I expect a pretty good game though and I also expect Whalen to have a huge day statistically.

A couple more comments on the Wabash/Gheny game:

- they said Lemond's TD catch was spectacular (like ESPN top 10).  He didn't haul this one in but how sick is this athleticism (See photo - http://www.wabash.edu/photo_album/home.cfm?photo_id=13661&photo_album_id=2142

- Chamblee's punt return started with an over the shoulder catch, crossed the entire field, then cut back across the field again kicking it in to another gear pulling away at the end

- Coach Matlak quote from today's Meadville Tribune on Wabash; "They're very good," said Allegheny head coach Mark Matlak. "They're big, they're talented, they're fast. Very impressive. You see them on tape, and you say, 'Maybe not as good as last year.' But, you see them live and in person, you've got to be impressed."

[wally_wabash]

To go a step further, Wooster is not just the best team CWRU has played so far, they are the best team (by far) that CWRU will play until the playoffs.  This is CWRU's one chance to get anything close to a statement type of win in the regular season. 

[fantastic50]

There is a fair bit of hype around this game in Wooster, not because of the opponent or rivalry, but because it's the first-ever night game here.  Given Wooster's relatively isolated location, I'm hoping that we still get a big turnout from alumni, to pack the stadium for this game.

[ADL70]

To go a step further, Wooster is not just the best team CWRU has played so far, they are the best team (by far) that CWRU will play until the playoffs.  This is CWRU's one chance to get anything close to a statement type of win in the regular season.  

Probably becuse it's a East team, NCAC folks may not realize how good Rochester is.  CWRU handled them easily (it was their first game, Spartans's second) 45-14 with Whalen only playing three quarters, but they are two plays away from possibly being 3-1 rather than 1-3.  They just notched their first win 16-10 over RPI (pre season #70 and in the AFCA top 25), holding them to 7 first downs.  They lost to St. John Fisher (preseason #38) 35-33 when a two point conversion pass to tie in the last minute was ruled incomplete.  Then Union (receiving votes in D3 poll) scored with ten seconds left to beat them 28-21.

[BashBacker#16]

ADL70,

They are 1-3.  Should-a-would-could-ah...

Sorry.

I didn't realize this will be a night game, that is pretty cool.  It should be interesting to see how it turns out.  I still predict a tight game, huge numbers from Whalen, BUT a Wooster win.  Just my 2 cents.  The biggest red flag for me is Case's tight game with Kenyon (even though it was early in the year).

[wally_wabash]

There is a fair bit of hype around this game in Wooster, not because of the opponent or rivalry, but because it's the first-ever night game here.  Given Wooster's relatively isolated location, I'm hoping that we still get a big turnout from alumni, to pack the stadium for this game.

I hope Wooster handles the excitement of the first ever night game better than they handled the excitement of the first ever synthetic surface game at Papp.  

Probably becuse it's a East team, NCAC folks may not realize how good Rochester is.  CWRU handled them easily (it was their first game, Spartans's second) 45-14 with Whalen only playing three quarters, but they are two plays away from possibly being 3-1 rather than 1-3.  They just notched their first win 16-10 over RPI (pre season #70 and in the AFCA top 25), holding them to 7 first downs.  They lost to St. John Fisher (preseason #38) 35-33 when a two point conversion pass to tie in the last minute was ruled incomplete.  Then Union (receiving votes in D3 poll) scored with ten seconds left to beat them 28-21.

I'm not buying it.  Rochester has three winning seasons in the last decade and and only once have won more than six games over that same time span.  Rochester might not be that bad, but they aren't that good either.  

[wabco]

I understand the season comes down to Wooster and Witt ... as far as the conference championship and playoffs. 

Along the way to these two events, I am curious as to how/why Case is ranked higher than Wabash:  2 common opponents out of 4 games would seem to declare an opposite result:  Wabash over Denison 56-7 while Case managed a 38-13 win.  Wabash over Kenyon by 62-24 while Case managed a win of 33-21.  From this, it would seem that Wabash should have a higher ranking at this juncture than Case.

As I said, just wondering how this could not be the "case". (a pun) AND ... appreciate that Wabash future is in its hands against Witt and Woo.   

[blue4now]

wabco 

case will rarely post a huge score.  debs is more concerned about getting his starters thier work while making sure the backups receive their reps as well,  if whalen, for one, was to play as much as hudson and the other wabash starters then case would score a helluva lot more than they already do.

as it is the case starters sit most of the second half.  debs is more about whats best for the team and not the pollsters who simply look at scoreboards.