FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[formerd3db]

590 yards in the past 2 games for Mason Zurek..  Two big games!

That's serious.

Well, if the he and the OL can keep that up, I think Wabash will have a real chance of going far in the playoffs.  Although Albion had turnovers today, the Wabash defense did hold them to 14 points.

[SaintsFAN]

Great game for "The Beast!"  On to the second round!

So by what bizarre and antiquated method does the NCAA decide the location of the second round matchup?

Hopefully by being scared of weather and giving it to the southernmost team

Hey SaintsFAN:

Congratulations to your alma mater team for the big win today.  Now on to the second round.

Thank you.  The Saints have their work cut out for them this next round.  I'm on record as being very impressed with the Wabash D.  And Zurek is an absolute stud toting the rock.  TMC will have to play flawlessly to have a chance. 

[wally_wabash]

What a game at the Hollett today.  20 years of games in that stadium and this was the first time I've seen snow like we had today throughout the game.  Games in conditions like this I don't think generally favor one side or another.  Ankle deep snow is an equalizer and the whole thing comes down to who fumbles one less time or who doesn't get a punt blocked.  It's a coin toss and I'm ecstatic that Wabash survived these conditions and will play again next Saturday. 

Interestingly, and counter to what I think most people would have thought, I think the field condition today forced Albion into a game plan that was going to be their best shot to win, even if it wasn't the kind of offense they normally run.  The Britons had a lot of success in the first half with what looked like a lot of inside counter stuff and a lot of good inside read stuff from their QB.  It's something Matt Hunt did well last week, and Bona did well with it today, especially in the first half.  Throwing and catching was a problem and both sides more or less shelved that stuff in the first half...which benefited Albion because as we saw later on, they couldn't protect long enough to throw stuff they like to throw. 

Wabash's offense in the first half had a little bit of trouble.  Read options were tough because the ball kept getting knocked loose.  Sweeps were out because you couldn't cut.  Wabash's best offense was just straight ahead between the tackle stuff.  The first half touchdown was on an absolute beauty of a pass to Oliver Page (kid continues to have a huge impact) by Connor Rice after a hold looked like it might kill the drive. 

And then there was halftime.  The field got cleared off, the snow let up enough to let the game play out on a fair (well, more fair anyway) surface and Wabash really took off.  Albion got an 8 point lead early in the 3rd on a nice pass and a slipped tackle let McCall sprint to the end zone.  And that was about it for Albion.  After Wabash went up 21-14, Albion had one more good scoring chance that got wiped out when they went to pass on 2nd and G from the 6...sack.  Next play is an obvious passing down...blitz pressure forces a throwaway INT and Albion never got close again.  LGs chewed up half of the 4th quarter with the next drive, which ended in a TD and that was it.  Albion was forced into throwing and it was the disaster you thought it would be. 

Really a solid effort, especially that second half, by the Wabash offense.  By now we know that Mason Zurek broke his 7-day old single game rushing record with 312 more rush yards today.  The offensive line was obviously great today.  It doesn't show up in the box very well, but I thought Connor Rice had a really strong game.  His TD pass to Page in the 2nd quarter was excellent and he made 4-5 other great throws today that wound up on the ground.  My hands and fingers weren't working properly by the end of the first quarter...and I was double gloved and not trying to catch Connor Rice fastballs. 

The Wabash D forced 5 turnovers today, none better than the incredible Connor Ludwig flying sack/fumble at the end of the first quarter.  That needs to go to the Play of the Week reel because everybody needs to watch that.  Preferably on loop.  Evan Hansen had his best game as a Little Giant as well (13 tackles today).  Snow or no snow, keeping that offense to 14 points is a great day. 

Up next is Thomas More.  It's on SaintsFAN! 

[formerd3db]

Great game for "The Beast!"  On to the second round!

So by what bizarre and antiquated method does the NCAA decide the location of the second round matchup?

Hopefully by being scared of weather and giving it to the southernmost team

Hey SaintsFAN:

Congratulations to your alma mater team for the big win today.  Now on to the second round.

Thank you.  The Saints have their work cut out for them this next round.  I'm on record as being very impressed with the Wabash D.  And Zurek is an absolute stud toting the rock.  TMC will have to play flawlessly to have a chance.

You are welcome, K.  I would expect that game to be a good one, possibly close one for either team (unless one of them self implodes )

[formerd3db]

Well wally, I agree with you about weather aspects-that's what I had been saying to people as well, that it would make it (for Albion) perhaps their best chance to win.  Yet, also, as most people were saying, their defense was their "Achilles heel", or at least their wild card. Again, that is why they almost blew the Hope game.  Granted their offense sputtered eventually today, but give Wabash defense credit as you mentioned. 

Sounds like it was a unique experience with the snow today as you describe.  Reminds me of the very same conditions in a regular season game we played my senior year against Wheaton College.   A unique experience regardless of who wins. 

[Schwami]

The Wabash D forced 5 turnovers today, none better than the incredible Connor Ludwig flying sack/fumble at the end of the first quarter.  That needs to go to the Play of the Week reel because everybody needs to watch that.

Here it is --- Connor PolamaLudwig:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuU_njJuRfw

[Craft_Beermeister]

Great comeback win for Wabash.

[Li'l Giant]

No offense to our friends from Thomas More but I cannot help but sing this Monty Python song as "Thomas More".

[SaintsFAN]

No offense to our friends from Thomas More but I cannot help but sing this Monty Python song as "Thomas More".

Are you kidding me?  I would hope nobody from TMC would be bothered by that. 

[smedindy]

On Concorde!

[Li'l Giant]

No offense to our friends from Thomas More but I cannot help but sing this Monty Python song as "Thomas More".

Are you kidding me?  I would hope nobody from TMC would be bothered by that.

It's the internet. Everything posted gets someone into a twist.

[SaintsFAN]

No offense to our friends from Thomas More but I cannot help but sing this Monty Python song as "Thomas More".

Are you kidding me?  I would hope nobody from TMC would be bothered by that.

It's the internet. Everything posted gets someone into a twist.

Touché - you're right.  For example: I've found myself trying to explain a #12 ranking and falling back a spot when Osh Kosh or Hardin Simmons earned a top 10 spot is NOT disrespect towards Thomas More. 

[Li'l Giant]

No offense to our friends from Thomas More but I cannot help but sing this Monty Python song as "Thomas More".

Are you kidding me?  I would hope nobody from TMC would be bothered by that.

It's the internet. Everything posted gets someone into a twist.

Touché - you're right.  For example: I've found myself trying to explain a #12 ranking and falling back a spot when Osh Kosh or Hardin Simmons earned a top 10 spot is NOT disrespect towards Thomas More.

That conversation took place on this board as well.

[wabndy]

I did consider posting a movie clip of the good lawyer losing his head to Henry VIII but figured that it would profit me nothing to give my soul for the whole world, much less for a cheap internet message board barb.

[bashbrother]

For those of you that haven't seen it yet... conditions were pretty ugly on Saturday in Crawfordsville.......

They cleared the field at halftime and it was a little less ugly.

Highlights...

https://youtu.be/UZ_L202DRn0