FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[smedindy]

Wabash will only have one non-conference game starting in 2013. Next year's full with the UAA, but I don't know who is in the 9/8 slot for Wabash.

[shepherd]

I do wish North Central luck - I think they're going to be around for a while as the team to beat before you play the Purples.

It's a very smart institutional strategy to focus on transfer students (not athletics, guys, but in general) because of their market. Plenty of college competition in that area of Illinois and kids returning homesick (which does happen) or unhappy with their first choice (ditto). Of course that helps athletics (not just football) but it also makes North Central very attractive. Face it, it's tough for transfer students to fit into most of the NCAC schools because so much happens your first year in the college community.

I do hope that when the NCAC goes full-round robin that the one non-conference game is a series of home-and-home contracts with the CCIW heavyweights and Franklin.

Teams that play Wheaton in the non conference schedule seem to have better seasons from the previous years.  I believe it is because teams will get a balanced good team that helps them figure out their weaknesses.  Just my opinion on why though.  Also the yearly scrimmage game with Wabash has helped the Thunder maintain a very good non conference record.  There is definitely a lot of respect between the two schools.

[Mr. Ypsi]

We interrupt the football celebration to announce....

Wabash defeated Depauw  62-47 on the hard court this afternoon.     Do you think Depauw will ever beat us in any sport ever again?

Now, back to your regularly scheduled NCAA Div III Tournament action.....

In fairness, you continually duck their best team:  DePauw women's basketball is annually a national title threat!

[bashbrother]

For those who have not yet seen the "miracle" two pt. conversion to win.

Here it is.

http://youtu.be/OcBUq27_FJc

if you notice, #4 Kraus, the receiver that tipped the ball..... thinking NC had won; was balled up on the field not realizing that Brady Young caught it behind him.   Quite a moment.

WAF!

[BashDad]

And look at Tyler Burke's face (bottom right).

[attachment deleted by admin]

[cardinaldad]

     Great effort yesterday, Little Giants. You did fight to the end. Congratulations and good luck the rest of the way. As you can imagine, Cardinal nation would like a rematch and today! Hopefully, we will get the opportunity next year.

   

[nike]

The two of them together might make one healthy quarterback.  Seriously..I was concerned about Burke's well being during that game.  I don't know how sore he is today, but I'm positive that I've never been that sore in my life.  Not even close. 

You know, that's kind of the lost thing in all of Burke's heroics. Right now he has to feel like he got hit by a bus yesterday. He certainly looked like it by the end of the game yesterday. It was like those scenes in Rocky movies where he gets up slower and slower, but keeps getting up nonetheless.

Given the enormous brace that Chase was wearing, and what Joe said during the broadcast that it became evident in practice last week that Chase couldn't run, I would be kind of surprised if he improved enough to start in a week. If that injury is two weeks old already, and he can't run, I'm not liking those odds. But then again, I'm not a doctor. If he's not able to run yesterday, will he be able to practice this week? I can see ER wanting to get all the reps in practice by his starter, whomever that would be. It might be better for Burke to get the reps in practice and just go with him if Chase can't practice at all.

I have watched Wabash all year from afar.  Wayne County.  And as much as I like Belton(NCAC POY according to everyone but the NCAC coaches), you have to go with Burke.  Belton's injury will not be healed completely by Saturday.  Belton got you guys through the season undefeated and that is a heck of a feat.  But you have to go with Burke and if he isn't moving the ball and ultimately scoring points, you bring in Belton, if he is even able to take the field by Saturday.  Nothing to lose then.
I remember Wabash had a similar situation several years ago.  Your star quarterback got hurt, his replacement played well for the remainder of the season and in the playoffs your head coach brought the star QB back and started him and he played terribly. Not his fault, he just was not ready to play.  Does anyone remember that?
So, you have to go with Burke, I would think.  If Belton can't run, he will not be as effective as Burke.  His running is what makes him so dangerous.
He hobbled through the first playoff game and gutted it out.  This is Mt. Union, however.

[bashbrother]

The two of them together might make one healthy quarterback.  Seriously..I was concerned about Burke's well being during that game.  I don't know how sore he is today, but I'm positive that I've never been that sore in my life.  Not even close. 

You know, that's kind of the lost thing in all of Burke's heroics. Right now he has to feel like he got hit by a bus yesterday. He certainly looked like it by the end of the game yesterday. It was like those scenes in Rocky movies where he gets up slower and slower, but keeps getting up nonetheless.

Given the enormous brace that Chase was wearing, and what Joe said during the broadcast that it became evident in practice last week that Chase couldn't run, I would be kind of surprised if he improved enough to start in a week. If that injury is two weeks old already, and he can't run, I'm not liking those odds. But then again, I'm not a doctor. If he's not able to run yesterday, will he be able to practice this week? I can see ER wanting to get all the reps in practice by his starter, whomever that would be. It might be better for Burke to get the reps in practice and just go with him if Chase can't practice at all.

I have watched Wabash all year from afar.  Wayne County.  And as much as I like Belton(NCAC POY according to everyone but the NCAC coaches), you have to go with Burke.  Belton's injury will not be healed completely by Saturday.  Belton got you guys through the season undefeated and that is a heck of a feat.  But you have to go with Burke and if he isn't moving the ball and ultimately scoring points, you bring in Belton, if he is even able to take the field by Saturday.  Nothing to lose then.
I remember Wabash had a similar situation several years ago.  Your star quarterback got hurt, his replacement played well for the remainder of the season and in the playoffs your head coach brought the star QB back and started him and he played terribly. Not his fault, he just was not ready to play.  Does anyone remember that?
So, you have to go with Burke, I would think.  If Belton can't run, he will not be as effective as Burke.  His running is what makes him so dangerous.
He hobbled through the first playoff game and gutted it out.  This is Mt. Union, however.

Nike -   That was the Dustin Huff experiment at UWW.   Dustin Huff had been out since the 1st game.  He alternated with Hudson in the 1st qtr. 

[smedindy]

To me, if Belton is healthier and can practice, he should go. He adds another dimension to the office.

But if he can't practice, Burke goes.

[nike]

Did not remember that Huff had been out so long.  But that did not go well.
Am sure that Wabash coaches will make the right decision.

[bashbrother]

Did not remember that Huff had been out so long.  But that did not go well.
Am sure that Wabash coaches will make the right decision.

Yeah, he went out week one against Franklin.... on special teams?   

[wally_wabash]

Did not remember that Huff had been out so long.  But that did not go well.
Am sure that Wabash coaches will make the right decision.

This is a different situation than 2007. As noted, Dustin Huff got hurt in game 1, missed the next 11 weeks, then got thrown back into the mix against UWW. In six inches of snow. It was goin to be a big ask to be playoff ready let alone UWW ready. This time around, we are talking about one week out for Belton. It isn't a dealbreaker.

I don't think it's fair to speculate on the severity of Belton's injury/ies. Wabash just beat North freaking Central without the starting qb, a starting DL, and a bunch of other guys that are all kinds of dinged up. This coaching staff has their [stuff] together. If you're following Wabash football and you're questioning the moves ER and his staff make, you really can't see the forest through the trees.  I don't know who will take snaps on Saturday, but I do know that whoever it is is going to be the guy that gives Wabash the best chance to win the game. That's good enough for me.

[wally_wabash]

Did not remember that Huff had been out so long.  But that did not go well.
Am sure that Wabash coaches will make the right decision.

Yeah, he went out week one against Franklin.... on special teams?

Yep. Got his ankle smashed up in the pile on the hands team at the end of the game. I think he may have set a school record for yardage in a single game that day. That was one of the best QB games I've seen a Wabash qb play.

[HScoach]

Did not remember that Huff had been out so long.  But that did not go well.
Am sure that Wabash coaches will make the right decision.

This is a different situation than 2007. As noted, Dustin Huff got hurt in game 1, missed the next 11 weeks, then got thrown back into the mix against UWW. In six inches of snow. It was goin to be a big ask to be playoff ready let alone UWW ready. This time around, we are talking about one week out for Belton. It isn't a dealbreaker.

I don't think it's fair to speculate on the severity of Belton's injury/ies. Wabash just beat North freaking Central without the starting qb, a starting DL, and a bunch of other guys that are all kinds of dinged up. This coaching staff has their [stuff] together. If you're following Wabash football and you're questioning the moves ER and his staff make, you really can't see the forest through the trees.  I don't know who will take snaps on Saturday, but I do know that whoever it is is going to be the guy that gives Wabash the best chance to win the game. That's good enough for me.

Of course they do.  It's led by Mount's favorite alum 

[wally56]

Does anyone actually know the extent of Belton's injury?  Not speculation or conjecture, but what the actual injury is. 

The situation with Huff is totally different for two reasons; 1) as several have pointed out, Huff's injury happened in week 1 (I was a sophomore on that team and he absolutely worked his tail off to get back in time for the playoffs, honestly he along with Jared Lange were the biggest "rehab warriors" I have ever personally seen) and 2) this is a completely different coaching staff, the only coach who would have even been connected to the Huff situation is Kraft, and he was a player, a junior I believe, on that team.  Raeburn will make the right call, that I have no doubt about.