FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[ExTartanPlayer]

As has been discussed,  ER knows he needs to be able to throw the ball with success on occasion to reach his / the Team's goals....  Using these next couple of games to get Rice and this offense ready for having success passing the ball, when needed, is smart coaching. 

I remember a game from ninth grade where I felt we were having a lackluster performance against an inferior team, winning only 14-0 at the half against a team I expected us to beat much more soundly.  We were throwing the ball a lot, and when I complained to my dad after the game, he gently reminded me that maybe our coach had us pass a lot in that game knowing that we might need to get better at passing for a bigger game down the line.

Lesson has always stayed with me.  When a really good team plays a team that they know they can beat with a little margin for error, as bashbrother says here, it's just good coaching to work on your "weak" spots.

[wally_wabash]

We do have a common opponent to look at with respect to DePauw and Wittenberg this week.  Both teams have played and beaten Wooster.  Viewed with the knowledge that these games were played under very different environmental conditions, here is a breakdown.

- Wooster gained 391 yards and scored 20 points vs. DePauw.  The Scots gained just 206 yards and did not score vs. Wittenberg. 
- DePauw piled up 49 points and 529 yards of offense vs. Wooster.  Wittenberg managed just 243 yards of offense and 24 points. 
- Wooster converted 9 of 18 third downs vs. DePauw and 2 of 16 vs. Wittenberg.

There's some stark differences in the aggregate game numbers there.  I'll sift through the finer details a little later.  One interesting thing that I noticed when looking at these boxscores is that Wooster took their top WR Tyson Vogel and made him a QB for the first three quarters of the Witt game.  Vogel piped in a 6-20 for 27 yards and an INT before Colaprete went back to regular starter Gary Muntean who finished the 4th quarter 8-16 for 88 yards.  Head scratcher, tbh.  I get trying to do something to spark that offense, but when it fails epically for a half and you're still in the game, go back to what you know- split Vogel back out wide and try to win the game. 

[sigma one]

Witt has to find a way to run the football.  Period.  The passing game is generally terrific, but the weather last week shows what can happen to the passing game.  That was the Wooster defense holding Witt down on a crummy day.  So far, DePauw has been successful in both phases of the offensive game.  If they can sustain that this weekend, the new Tigers will win.  If not, then the advantage goes to the old Tigers.

[ExTartanPlayer]

I'll sift through the finer details a little later.  One interesting thing that I noticed when looking at these boxscores is that Wooster took their top WR Tyson Vogel and made him a QB for the first three quarters of the Witt game.  Vogel piped in a 6-20 for 27 yards and an INT before Colaprete went back to regular starter Gary Muntean who finished the 4th quarter 8-16 for 88 yards.  Head scratcher, tbh.  I get trying to do something to spark that offense, but when it fails epically for a half and you're still in the game, go back to what you know- split Vogel back out wide and try to win the game.

Worth noting that Muntean did not start the first few games.  David Smith was the QB for the first 2.5 games, then Muntean took over partway through the DPU game.  I do not know if injury played a role in any of this decision making, just relaying the box score.  Perhaps Muntean's struggles against Denison (9-25 for 63 yards and 2 picks is not good) led them to try Vogel...although I do see your point that, at halftime of a 10-0 game where your defense is playing well enough to give you a chance, maybe it was time to pull the plug on that experiment.

[wally_wabash]

I'll sift through the finer details a little later.  One interesting thing that I noticed when looking at these boxscores is that Wooster took their top WR Tyson Vogel and made him a QB for the first three quarters of the Witt game.  Vogel piped in a 6-20 for 27 yards and an INT before Colaprete went back to regular starter Gary Muntean who finished the 4th quarter 8-16 for 88 yards.  Head scratcher, tbh.  I get trying to do something to spark that offense, but when it fails epically for a half and you're still in the game, go back to what you know- split Vogel back out wide and try to win the game.

Worth noting that Muntean did not start the first few games.  David Smith was the QB for the first 2.5 games, then Muntean took over partway through the DPU game.  I do not know if injury played a role in any of this decision making, just relaying the box score.  Perhaps Muntean's struggles against Denison (9-25 for 63 yards and 2 picks is not good) led them to try Vogel...although I do see your point that, at halftime of a 10-0 game where your defense is playing well enough to give you a chance, maybe it was time to pull the plug on that experiment.

The strangest thing about the move to me is that when you take Tyson Vogel and make him the QB, you cost yourself your best WR and for what kind of gain at QB?  I think there has to be a significant gain at the QB position to give up your best WR.  And there may not be a right choice there at quarterback for Wooster.  They've tried three different guys now, none have been effective.  I don't think it was wrong to give it a shot, but when it wasn't working through the first half, I would have put my playmaker back outside and see if Muntean (who has a handful of starts) can get him the ball. 

Witt has to find a way to run the football.  Period.  The passing game is generally terrific, but the weather last week shows what can happen to the passing game.  That was the Wooster defense holding Witt down on a crummy day.  So far, DePauw has been successful in both phases of the offensive game.  If they can sustain that this weekend, the new Tigers will win.  If not, then the advantage goes to the old Tigers.

DePauw has been amazingly balanced and prolific offensively in 2015.  But...they've played about as light a schedule as any team can through the first month of the year.  Earlham, Wooster, Hiram, Kenyon- these are teams that above average offenses should be able to pile up yards and points against in any way they choose.  It's going to be really, really interesting to see if they can keep this up against a decent defense.  This Wittenberg defense isn't one of their better defenses, but they have good players and it will be a significant step up from anything DePauw has faced so far in 2015.  Can Wittenberg get themselves geared up for a game against DePauw the way they do for Wabash?  If they do, I think they can give DePauw problems.

This is going to be the theme for the week- how will DePauw respond to the step up in competition?  DPU's first four opponents were ranked 234, 205, 172 (Hiram, who unfortunately may have been overvalued by Kickoff), and 221 in Kickoff.  Now they get a top 25 club coming in.  There is a HUGE difference in the level of play between sub-200 ranked teams and Wittenberg.  At Wabash, Witt week is a big deal.  It's really reached a point here where I don't think it's a lot different than Bell week.  If DePauw isn't approaching their own Witt week with the same energy, they'll get beat on Saturday. 

[sigma one]

Agree that DPU has faced a quartet (bevy, flock!!!) of cupcakes so far.  Also agree that Witt's defense, well, isn't Witt's typical defense so far.  Looking forward to what Saturday brings.  I will be in the stands at Blackstock and will report what I observe on Saturday evening.  Would be great if the new Tigers and Little Giants go into the Bell Game both 9-0 with the NCAC championship on the line.  But I don't expect that.

[BashDad]

That's not a flock. This is a Flock:

[wally_wabash]

Fear the Flock

[sigma one]

Knew using the word "flock" would prompt a response.

[wabndy]

Thought i'd try this again with a little more advance warning this week.
Over/Under

1. I'll start with Wabco's suggestion: Aggregate # of unsportsmanlike penalties in all-Tiger dustup in Greencastle (2.5)
2. Wabash sacks against Oberlin (5.5)
3. Number of quarters that Denison outscores Hiram by at least 7 (3.5)
4. Points scored by Ohio Wesleyan against Kenyon (35.5)
5. Longest completed past thrown by Connor Rice against Oberlin (49.5)

[Joe Wally]

I'd have sworn that Oberlin had beaten us more than once in the past five years......but I am getting old.

[ExTartanPlayer]

I'd have sworn that Oberlin had beaten us more than once in the past five years......but I am getting old.

They didn't beat you, but the year before the 2012 upset, they also made a late surge in the 2011 game to turn what should have been a laugher into a wait-guys-let's-not-take-our-pads-off-just-yet game.  Maybe that colored your memory.

But I agree with wally that 1) that Oberlin team isn't this Oberlin team and 2) hopefully the remaining Wabash guys who were on the sideline or playing in that game haven't forgotten.  2012 Oberlin was a very deceiving 4-6 team, a thin squad that had a handful of skill guys who could have played for anybody short of the D3 elite, and probably could have won 7 games with a full deck the whole season.  I don't think 2015 Oberlin has a Josh Mandel or Robin Witjes hiding back there, although I could be wrong.

[wally_wabash]

I'd have sworn that Oberlin had beaten us more than once in the past five years......but I am getting old.

They didn't beat you, but the year before the 2012 upset, they also made a late surge in the 2011 game to turn what should have been a laugher into a wait-guys-let's-not-take-our-pads-off-just-yet game.  Maybe that colored your memory.

But I agree with wally that 1) that Oberlin team isn't this Oberlin team and 2) hopefully the remaining Wabash guys who were on the sideline or playing in that game haven't forgotten.  2012 Oberlin was a very deceiving 4-6 team, a thin squad that had a handful of skill guys who could have played for anybody short of the D3 elite, and probably could have won 7 games with a full deck the whole season.  I don't think 2015 Oberlin has a Josh Mandel or Robin Witjes hiding back there, although I could be wrong.

Justin Cruz is a really nice WR that functions a lot like Witjes did back then.  Poggiali at QB just had a 500 yard day, but I don't think he's playing at a 2012 Josh Mandel level.  I'm also not sure this version of Oberlin has the same line play (they had some good players on both lines in 2012) that they did during the 2012 year.  And, without too much disrespect to Jay Anderson, they don't have Jeff Ramsey anymore which I think is the biggest difference of all. 

And above all of that, if Oberlin was hoping to glide in under the radar, setting school offense records the week before Wabash comes in isn't the way to do it.  Not that they didn't have Wabash's attention before, but now they've certainly got it. 

[smedindy]

Fear the Flock

They ran, they ran so far away....couldn't get away....

[BashBacker#16]

Over under on attendance this Saturday at Blackstock:  1750.