FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[wally_wabash]

I'll have an answer later when I have time to do the research, but I'll take guesses as to when the last time Wabash didn't score an offensive touchdown was. 

10/30/2004.  A 16-10 OT home loss against Allegheny.  Wabash scored on a Mark Server field goal and a Tamarco White fumble return (Tamarco remains one of the most understated awesome DLs Wabash has had).  That game was also played in 30+ mph winds, which upped the degree of difficulty.  There was no such handicap today. 

[Li'l Giant]

I'll have an answer later when I have time to do the research, but I'll take guesses as to when the last time Wabash didn't score an offensive touchdown was. 

10/30/2004.  A 16-10 OT home loss against Allegheny.  Wabash scored on a Mark Server field goal and a Tamarco White fumble return (Tamarco remains one of the most understated awesome DLs Wabash has had).  That game was also played in 30+ mph winds, which upped the degree of difficulty.  There was no such handicap today.

That's also the last season in which Wabash lost more than 2 games....

[wally_wabash]

The rise of the Denison program in 2016 was impressive.  Kickoff gives them high marks ahead of both Wabash and DePauw.  Gebele is a marquee athlete at QB, for sure.  But their line play and overall physicality leave me wondering if they can be as competitive as touted.  An OK DePauw defense looked like the '85 Bears against them last season.  Denison will need to be stronger up front to beat 'bash and DePauw.

I won't pretend to be objective, but I do think the DePauw team preview is a bit unenthusiastic even if their conference ranking is fair relative to returning talent.  Everyone will say DPU lost QB Hunt, who accounted for so much of the offense, including all five touchdowns and 400 yards of offense in the Bell game.  But the program grows stronger with many other players around the QB and a solid O line.  Some very good young QBs are in camp, among them Chase Andries and Cam Haynes, who may see increased action as the season progresses.

I think the Wabash guys would agree that a Wabash preview that doesn't mention DePauw obviously misses a high priority in that camp right now, not to mention some surprising scrutiny / criticism of the head coach voiced on this board following last year's outcome.  Somewhat similar to DePauw, the QB situation will be interesting to follow in C-ville even if 'bash is not quite as QB-centered as DePauw has been.

Witt is the clear favorite.  No surprise there.

This pre-season post was pretty much blown up for not joining in the coronation of Gabele and Denison as the team to beat outside of Witt.  Thought it worth referencing now that Denison went 0-3 against the top tier of the league without once breaking 20 points.  The stretch saw Gabele average 139 yards passing while yielding 0 passing TDs, 5 interceptions and 2 fumbles lost.   DePauw beat them today with their third QB.  Don't get me wrong -- lot of respect for Denison and Coach Hatem, but the 2nd best team in the league they do not appear to be right now.

Gold star for you.  Before the season started, Denison had the best offensive player in the league returning, they had cleared the "can we beat Witt" mental hurdle (answer: yes), and had a jillion returning starters.  It wasn't a stretch to see Denison being the chief challenger to Witt (who lost a jillion starters), if not the outright favorite.  So that was the call.  It made sense with the data that was available.  The last 14 days have not gone the way Denison wanted them to for sure.  That's sports.  It happens.  It also sucks that Denison drew a three week stretch of @Witt, @Wabash, vs. DPU.  Easily the worst possible string of games any team could draw (I mean I guess they could have also had to play at DPU).  Managing that schedule was always going to be tough.   

[Bishopleftiesdad]

Congratulations OWU. Just wish it was Wabash at their best.

[wally_wabash]

Congrats to your guys, Bishopleftiesdad.  They played a whale of a game, especially the front 7 on D.  Aggressive, hungry.  They looked like a team defending an undefeated record more than the team that had an undefeated record did. 

[Bishopleftiesdad]

Thanks Wally. I appreciate it.

[Old Gold Tiger]

Gold star for you.  Before the season started, Denison had the best offensive player in the league returning, they had cleared the "can we beat Witt" mental hurdle (answer: yes), and had a jillion returning starters.  It wasn't a stretch to see Denison being the chief challenger to Witt (who lost a jillion starters), if not the outright favorite.  So that was the call.  It made sense with the data that was available.  The last 14 days have not gone the way Denison wanted them to for sure.  That's sports.  It happens.  It also sucks that Denison drew a three week stretch of @Witt, @Wabash, vs. DPU.  Easily the worst possible string of games any team could draw (I mean I guess they could have also had to play at DPU).  Managing that schedule was always going to be tough.
[/quote]

Forgive me, Your Excellency. Of course you're right. Things just haven't gone Denison's way. Their schedule beat them today (and last week and the week before). Meanwhile, DePauw has gotten all the breaks, like losing one of the most productive QBs in the nation and his backup.

[Wabash1]

The Witt game could be down right embarrassing. So any guesses for how long it will be before a change is made? What will it take for Morel to step down? Would he step down? It's hard to believe where this program is compared to 3-4 years ago it's like night and day and it's a damn shame!

[wally_wabash]

Forgive me, Your Excellency. Of course you're right. Things just haven't gone Denison's way. Their schedule beat them today (and last week and the week before). Meanwhile, DePauw has gotten all the breaks, like losing one of the most productive QBs in the nation and his backup.

Denison hasn't met their potential.  It happens.  I don't understand why you're grinding on it so hard.

And dude- if you think I'm on here to be a cheerleader for DePauw, you're either new, really bad at contextual clues, or both. 

[1837Tigers]

Deep breaths, Wally. Better to understand your frustrations than to lash out, and I completeley understand your frustrations.

[Li'l Giant]

Congratulations OWU. Just wish it was Wabash at their best.

Congrats to y'all. OWU was clearly the better team.

[BashDad]

Bump.

While I'm here, can I say?

If Morel steals the bell or is instrumental in its theft: All. Is. Forgiven.

To be clear, I don't mean as a coach. I mean if he steals the bell. Or helps.

I think I speak for more than myself when I say that if Don Morel does that -- if Don Morel stole the monon bell, my response (which would stand for the next forever) would be some version of:

"Do your thing, Don. Whatever you want."

Morel stole the bell?

Boom. Just like that, I would be all no problem on whatever unsavory football whatever happened to waft my way from cville. "Six and four, you say?" I would be nothing but WAFs over here if Morel stole the bell. "He can go 0-10, for all I care."

That would be my response to any kind of criticism directed Don Morel's way if Don Morel stole the monon bell.

I just want to be crystal clear on that.

[BashBacker#16]

No big deal in C-vile.  Onward and upward!  Barf.

First loss ever to OWU while in the NCAC.  First loss to OWU since 1989.  I'm 49 and that was my senior year.  That's a long time ago.

Congrats to the Bishops on the big "W"

I'm so bummed and so frustrated to see what's happening to the program.  The culture is changing before our eyes.

[bashbrother]

Congrats to the Bishops..  they played very hard and earned a huge win for their program.
It was easy to see they wanted that game more.

Now to the uninspired, outplayed and certainly out coached, Little Giants.

It is a little shocking where this proud Wabash program has gone in such a short period of time..
Upon ER's late exit from the program it seems the administration rushed to hire Morel.  Not place an interim label on him.. which they certainly could have.  At first, I believed this was just a panic move, but I now believe that it was exactly what their plan was.  Hire a coach that will not in anyway go against the grain of their ultimate direction..  CC and ER, with supportive administration, pushed the program to a very high level,  they successfully balanced winning on the field and in the classroom.  But I believe toward the end of ER's time,  there was increased friction with the administration.   In Morel,  the administration got there guy.  We are now seeing that translate on the field.  I had thought that the existing talent left on the team would be able to fight through possible coaching issues, at least for a little while.   I certainly underestimated the importance of coaching.  None of this is criticism of any of the players..  they are not at fault here in anyway.  If anything I feel sorry for them, especially the seniors.

My fear is nothing will change.  Why would it?  When the program has its first losing season in 2019, we will see what happens.

[sigma one]

Right on the money, bashbrother.  One other comment:  there was fear on campus that they might lose a good number of football recruits when Raeburn departed.  Hence the quick decision (of a coach who, by the way, was popular with the players in his role as OC),  Football recruiting is so important to the make up of the freshman class, that the thought was let's stay within the program and go to with a guy the recruits know, at least a little.  Even this year, the football program brought in about 70 new players, most of them freshmen, in a first-year class of about 250.  Do the math. 
     I have grave doubts that as long as Wabash continues to have winning seasons and the coaches continue to recruit numbers consistent with the college's need for students there will be no changes.  Only if recuiting numbers (not quality) slips will there be concern among the administration   Of course, this may become a quick test of the relationship between wins, conference championships and near misses, playoffs, Monon Bell victories--or the lack of them-- and recruiting numbers (and quality within those numbers).