FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Schwami]

This was bound to happen sooner or later 

[wally_wabash]

Two Things:

1. Why aren't we talking about Travis SparksJackson??
2. John Gould was god-awful against SJU. Twice.

1. 57-14
2. 35-14, 38-19

I'm offended.  Using final scores as a distraction from red flaggy sorts of things is usually the sort of thing reserved for the serfs from "other" leagues.

Well it depends on your level of analysis and the value you place on assessing team play. We at UST are all about the team--we are F.A.M.I.L.Y.

I K.N.O.W.  But if we just look at UST's results without any context, we can call this thing off now.  They're the best team in the division.  There aren't many cracks in the UST armor, but they are there.  UST just hasn't played anybody complete enough to make those things matter.

But the problem is that, unless Riddle gets healthy, the Tommies won't meet a team complete enough to expose any cracks until the Stagg Bowl.

Ah.  I see what you did there. 

[BashDad]

Here are a couple more things to talk about:

Total Offense (National):

4. UST
34. Wabash

Total Defense (National):

3. UST
5. Wabash

And?

[BashDad]

UST is going to lose a game because of John Gould. I hope it's this one.

[DPU3619]

Here are a couple more things to talk about:

Total Offense (National):

4. UST
34. Wabash

Total Defense (National):

3. UST
5. Wabash

And?

I hate these comparisons when there are no common opponents. It's apples and oranges. When two teams go through the same conference schedule, that matters. When Team A plays 12 random teams and Team B plays a different random 12 teams, those numbers can't possibly prove anything, other than Team A and Team B both pretty good.

I also agree that Gould likely cannot carry them to a win if needed. If they can't run it, they're going to have a big problem. They do not throw it down the field well enough to win on that alone.

Although, I'd argue the same about Wabash and Connor Rice. 40+ attempts by either guy likely means a loss for their team. Rice had 41 last week and some of those (4 to be precise) should have lost the game for the LGs.

[miac952]

UST is going to lose a game because of John Gould. I hope it's this one.

A wee bit presumptuous having never seen a game, maybe? His biggest downfall might actually
be something completely out of his control, his height, especially relative to the UST o line. I anticipate it can make passing lanes challenging at times.

Regardless, it should be a great game. Similar styles and coaching philosophies clashing always makes for entertaining football.

[tommiegun]

Here are a couple more things to talk about:

Total Offense (National):

4. UST
34. Wabash

Total Defense (National):

3. UST
5. Wabash

And?

And... they show that UST put up better quantitatives while blowing away the competition in a conference Pat and the other experts think is far better than the one Wabash played in.  I'm not an expert, but Pat and the gang are, so having better numbers against better competition gives me cautious optimism for Saturday.   

[BashDad]

UST is going to lose a game because of John Gould. I hope it's this one.

A wee bit presumptuous having never seen a game, maybe? His biggest downfall might actually
be something completely out of his control, his height, especially relative to the UST o line. I anticipate it can make passing lanes challenging at times.

Regardless, it should be a great game. Similar styles and coaching philosophies clashing always makes for entertaining football.

I've seen several games.

[KitchenSink]

I've made my way over here to the NCAC forum, figuring it might be good to banter with folks from "The Wabash Teachers Seminary and Manual Labor College." Just for your information, UST is coeducational so you might want to schedule a cool down period upon arrival to get over the shock.

Is it true that the Northern girls, with the way they kiss, they keep their boyfriends warm at night 

I wish they all could be Minnesota girls .....

[Joe Wally]

Here are a couple more things to talk about:

Total Offense (National):

4. UST
34. Wabash

Total Defense (National):

3. UST
5. Wabash

And?

I hate these comparisons when there are no common opponents. It's apples and oranges. When two teams go through the same conference schedule, that matters. When Team A plays 12 random teams and Team B plays a different random 12 teams, those numbers can't possibly prove anything, other than Team A and Team B both pretty good.

I also agree that Gould likely cannot carry them to a win if needed. If they can't run it, they're going to have a big problem. They do not throw it down the field well enough to win on that alone.

Although, I'd argue the same about Wabash and Connor Rice. 40+ attempts by either guy likely means a loss for their team. Rice had 41 last week and some of those (4 to be precise) should have lost the game for the LGs.

Yep.  This has to be about Mason Zurek and the Little Giant defensive front for Wabash to win it.  That and a clean performance in all three phases. 

A question though about the Tommy OL.  Why are your better linemen on the right side and not the left?  Is your QB left handed?

[BashDad]

Disagree. If Wabash wins, Connor Rice will have played his best game of the year.

[wally_wabash]

Yep.  This has to be about Mason Zurek and the Little Giant defensive front for Wabash to win it.  That and a clean performance in all three phases. 

Nobody wins against these kinds of teams this late in the year with a defense and an RB.  A QB is going to have to make a play or two here.  Ours or theirs- one of these quarterbacks is going to make a big play that makes a difference. 

[wabndy]

Here are a couple more things to talk about:

Total Offense (National):

4. UST
34. Wabash

Total Defense (National):

3. UST
5. Wabash

And?

And... they show that UST put up better quantitatives while blowing away the competition in a conference Pat and the other experts think is far better than the one Wabash played in.  I'm not an expert, but Pat and the gang are, so having better numbers against better competition gives me cautious optimism for Saturday.

You should be cautiously optimistic on Sunday.  At the same time, if I had a magic wand and the choice to pick any of the 7 quarterfinalists to play in this round, I'd either pick the Tommies or Wesley, probably the Tommies.  But waiving around pretty similar total offense and total defense rankings against teams who not only have no common opponents and very few second degree common opponents doesn't make any sense. Now we throw in the fact that its pretty clear that Caruso has absolutely no issues with running the score into the stratosphere against overmatched competition or running a classless PAT fake that would only be appropriate if the football were painted red white and blue and Sweet Georgia Brown were blaring over the PA system.  We do that and you still want to talk about national rankings?  You do realize that Zurek has basically rewritten the record book in the last three weeks of competition, when we actually had competitive games to play.  Maybe Raeburn should have really let him loose against Hiram and Kenyon because 35-0 and 38-0 just aren't convincing enough wins. 

[wally_wabash]

running a classless PAT fake that would only be appropriate if the football were painted red white and blue and Sweet Georgia Brown were blaring over the PA system.

Just about spit the coffee on that one.  Well played, sir.   

[jamtod]

Here are a couple more things to talk about:

Total Offense (National):

4. UST
34. Wabash

Total Defense (National):

3. UST
5. Wabash

And?

And... they show that UST put up better quantitatives while blowing away the competition in a conference Pat and the other experts think is far better than the one Wabash played in.  I'm not an expert, but Pat and the gang are, so having better numbers against better competition gives me cautious optimism for Saturday.

You should be cautiously optimistic on Sunday.  At the same time, if I had a magic wand and the choice to pick any of the 7 quarterfinalists to play in this round, I'd either pick the Tommies or Wesley, probably the Tommies.  But waiving around pretty similar total offense and total defense rankings against teams who not only have no common opponents and very few second degree common opponents doesn't make any sense. Now we throw in the fact that its pretty clear that Caruso has absolutely no issues with running the score into the stratosphere against overmatched competition or running a classless PAT fake that would only be appropriate if the football were painted red white and blue and Sweet Georgia Brown were blaring over the PA system.  We do that and you still want to talk about national rankings?  You do realize that Zurek has basically rewritten the record book in the last three weeks of competition, when we actually had competitive games to play.  Maybe Raeburn should have really let him loose against Hiram and Kenyon because 35-0 and 38-0 just aren't convincing enough wins.

Just to clarify on the "classless PAT fake" - the Tommies were down 3-0 at that point.  Many folks only have seen that play and the final score. Last I checked, 2 points were more than 1 and the goal was to put up more points than the other team - trickeration is fair game.  If you saw that game as I did, there might be other areas to take issue with if you want to call the team/coach classless that would have better standing.