FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Schwami]

Maybe we should just merge the NCAC and UAA boards, then it wouldn't be quite so quiet  

[BashDad]

WUStL, not the best team in the crummy UAA the last three years, has wins over Wittenberg (2008) and now Wabash.

Getting better?

Do you actually have a point to make or are you just needling for the sake of needling?

Gee I didn't think I had to spell it out.  All that talk about Wabash not being tested till 10/30 sound familiar. 

I think we're a couple ACL tears removed from those comments.

[wally_wabash]

WUStL, not the best team in the crummy UAA the last three years, has wins over Wittenberg (2008) and now Wabash.

Getting better?

Do you actually have a point to make or are you just needling for the sake of needling?

Gee I didn't think I had to spell it out.  All that talk about Wabash not being tested till 10/30 sound familiar. 

Here are the facts about today.  

- Washington played better than Wabash did from the opening kick.  I don't think this is disputable.  

- Wabash took a step backward today.  The offense really never could get going thanks in big part to way too many 1st and 20s.  Wabash's offense was behind the chains all day and this offense just isn't polished enough right now to have a lot of success under those circumstances.  Getting stuffed on 3rd and inches in the fourth quarter was a killer...if running is your identity (and with this group it would seem to be the way they want to go), 3rd and inches can't be an iffy proposition.  

- Wabash remains unbeaten in conference and regional play and the team's goals for the season remain intact.  There's still a conference to win, there's still a tournament to qualify for, and there's still games in that tournament to win.  This is a young group at Wabash right now and we're learning a lot about them each week.  Next week we'll learn how they respond to a loss.  

[DPU3619]

I think we're a couple ACL tears removed from those comments.

Wabash better beat Wash U just about 10 times out of 10 regardless of who is or isn't playing.  Witt beat Wash U by 30.  Wash U couldn't beat the team that DePauw blew out yesterday.  To the best of my knowledge, that Wabash D is (for the most part) essentially intact, yet somehow surrendered 260 passing yards & a 64% completion percentage to a QB who completes just a tick over half his passes for a paltry 160 per game.  Not having Wes & Kody and then losing Belton clearly hurts, but having those guys in uniform doesn't do much to stop the Steve Sherman Experience from happening.  That there ain't the fault of anybody's ACL.

[ADL70]

The point of Witt-WashU isn't the margin of victory, it is that the Tigers held the Bears to one first half first down.  Wabash couldn't hold them to one first half touchdown.  WUStL also left six points on the field when Wabash blocked a chip shot field goal on their first drive and the Bears missed a 41 yarder at the end of the first quarter.

Yes, the LG's O struggled early in the game (seems I recall someone responding to mention of Chicago's injuries with something like--all teams have injury issues), but did take the lead in the fourth quarter and the D couldn't keep the Bears out of the end zone on the last drive.

[WashUDad]

The score very well could have been more lopsided if WashU defenders could have help on the those dropped interceptions.

[formerd3db]

Was surprised that the attendance was so low at the Wabash/Wash U. game.  Was it fall break for the students, or is there fan apathy at Wash U.?  I would think that with Wabash coming in, there would be a decent crowd even if Wash U is not that great of a team.  On the other hand, they have to be decent or they wouldn't have beaten the likes of Wabash, even if the latter is having a somewhat down year.

[WashUDad]

That is about average for an afternoon game. The smart kids are studying and the partying crowd are recovering.

[pennstghs]

They are a decent program, however, just maybe Wabash is a little vulnerable this year as well?

Maybe we can lose the Wittenberg isn't as good as we thought they were talk for a few weeks now.

With this loss, does Wabash have to win out you'd think to make the playoffs, including beating Allegheny and Wittenberg? I'm not sure 2 losses gets an at large bid this year

[BashBacker#16]

ER was very outspoken about how bad Wabash played yesterday...

"It was a poor, poor performance defensively," Coach Erik Raeburn said. "Offensively, we're called for holding six times in the first half. You can't make any drives when you end up with first-and-20 all the time. We stunk it up."

"That was terrible defense to give up a score, a 60 yarder, right before halftime," Raeburn said. "It was a combination ... we were in a bad defensive call and poor execution."

The 4th & 5 conversion by WashU on the last drive was huge...  The pass interference call on Najjar was a tough one too.  There were a lot of coulda/shoulda...if Spencer Whitehead isn't hurt, does he make the PAT?  If he does, Bash needs a long FG (48 yarder) to put the game in to OT on that last drive?  I thought Burke came in and did a great job commanding the O.  He made some big throws on 3rd and 4th downs, scrambled a few times with big gains on the ground, etc. - he kept his poise for sure.  11 of 19 was a bit skewed with the long pass attempts on the last drive...

ADL70 - how many times have you beaten Wabash in the playoffs?  Whalen's gone and that was your best shot(s).

The last regular season non-conference loss (aside from a Bell game) was Franklin in 2006...we are spoiled.

WAF!!!

[smedindy]

With this loss, does Wabash have to win out you'd think to make the playoffs, including beating Allegheny and Wittenberg? I'm not sure 2 losses gets an at large bid this year

Wabash does need to win out, I think. While this loss does not hurt in the criteria I don't think they'll have a strong enough profile to be an at large.

[smedindy]

Men Of Wabash:

Yes, we lost to a team we should have beaten. This happens.

Yes, we have key injuries. This happens. It is not an excuse.

However, it could be worse.

The Johnnies up here are apoplectic. In back to back weeks they lost to the hated Tommies and to the anti-St. John's Bethel.

Keep that in mind. Keep our heads up, and remember we still have the bell and most of the Dannie women!

[wally_wabash]

They are a decent program, however, just maybe Wabash is a little vulnerable this year as well?

Maybe we can lose the Wittenberg isn't as good as we thought they were talk for a few weeks now.

With this loss, does Wabash have to win out you'd think to make the playoffs, including beating Allegheny and Wittenberg? I'm not sure 2 losses gets an at large bid this year

Anybody watching Wabash football this season would know that Wabash is "a little vulnerable".  The pattern all year has seemed to be that the offense waffles, then Wabash makes a big play (defense, special teams, or a receiver gets behind the defense for a long TD) and things seem to work out after that.  The LGs didn't get that big play spark yesterday (credit to WashU for not giving up the big play) and left Washington with a drive to win in the fourth quarter. 

Not sure where the "Witt isn't as good as we thought" talk is coming from.  The Tigers played a tough, tough game at Allegheny (who is a good team), then hung on against a better-than-you-think Oberlin team the very next week.  People with poll votes might be dinging the Tigers, but nobody is winning this league unless they beat Wittenberg.  That fact hasn't changed. 

We'll have to see how the regional rankings play out as it relates to Wabash and the playoffs.  And that's really only interesting if Wabash loses a conference game.  If they don't, the rankings don't matter because won't need an invitation.  But really, the playoffs shouldn't be the concern..the concern needs to be on cleaning up yesterday's game and being ready for Oberlin this Saturday.

[D3_DPUFan]

Keep that in mind. Keep our heads up, and remember we still have the bell

enjoy it for another five weeks...

[LGHistorian]

First of all,  I agree with Wally and Coach Raeburn's remarks were right on target.

Now, from the what it's worth department, for all of you who are too young to realize that the Wash U. - Wabash series started back in 1915.  There is an intangible in this series that Wash U. has consistently given Wabash all they can handle for some reason or another.

The overall series record now stands at 25-16-2 in Wabash's favor.  Wabash trailed in the series as late as 1979.  Wabash's Stagg Bowl bound team played Wash U. on Wabash's Homecoming and it should not have been close.  Wash U. was one of the weakest teams on Wabash's 1977 schedule...final score Wabash 10, Wash U. 3.

Since 1977 the average margin of victory for Wabash is 20 points.  During this span Wash U. won in 1986 and 1999.  Since 2000 the average margin of victory for Wabash shrinks to 17.5. Blowouts are closer to the exception rather than the rule when it comes to the Wash U. game.  Just one more reason you can't compare scores among common opponents.

I for one, was very concerned about this game and those concerns became reality.  Wabash's team even at this point in the season is short on college varsity level experience and it shows.