FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[MUC57]

Wally Wabash

Although I' m not as good as you at breaking down a game, let me sat this. I think you found a QB. Reid looked good today. Sharp passes and the ability to toss the long ball. Also had some help from the O-line.
Admittedly, Hiram is bad. Be interesting to see how the Little Giants do against some better teams. Your defense was all over Hiram. Their poor QB ran for his life all day.
So,in my uneducated opinion, Wabash looked pretty good. Need a few more games to make an accurate assessment of their true skills.
Go Little Giants! ☠🏈

[sigma one]

Jake Reid's debut:  18/20, 273 yds, 3TDs.  No Ints.  Did not play the final 13 minutes, so a solid 3 quarters.

[MUC57]

Wally Wabash

FWIW. Forgot to tell you I talked to a lot of Wabash people yesterday. Even met Jake Reid's dad. Nice group. Visited their tailgate area. Had a great time. Hiram had no tailgate area. More Wabash people than Hiram people. Hiram fans don't even support their team. And their stadium is a total disgrace. I think that's my last Hiram game. I left the game at the half. It was really hot and Hiram couldn't stop the Little Giants.
sigma one gave you Reid's numbers. Very impressive.
I will be at the Wooster vs Allegheny game in Wooster this coming Saturday. Should be a better game, in a better stadium and where their fans support the team. Go Scots.
And best to Wabash for the rest of the season. The NCAC better look out for these guys. ☠🏈

[ohiofan1954]

Wally Wabash

FWIW. Forgot to tell you I talked to a lot of Wabash people yesterday. Even met Jake Reid's dad. Nice group. Visited their tailgate area. Had a great time. Hiram had no tailgate area. More Wabash people than Hiram people. Hiram fans don't even support their team. And their stadium is a total disgrace. I think that's my last Hiram game. I left the game at the half. It was really hot and Hiram couldn't stop the Little Giants.
sigma one gave you Reid's numbers. Very impressive.
I will be at the Wooster vs Allegheny game in Wooster this coming Saturday. Should be a better game, in a better stadium and where their fans support the team. Go Scots.
And best to Wabash for the rest of the season. The NCAC better look out for these guys. ☠🏈

Hiram has to have the smallest stadium now that Heidelberg has their new place. I was there last year for the OWU game and couldn't believe how small it was. Many of the seats they do have are not good and standing room view isn't very good also. I went there to cross it off my bucket list of Ohio schools that play varsity football (35 of 41 down), I won't go back.

[MUC57]

ohiofan1954

I guess I'm not the only one. In fact, there are probably a whole bunch of us. Good to hear your comment. Best to you. ☠🏈

[sigma one]

Neither L. Lee, Allegheny's returning QB, nor D. Sarley, Wittenberg's #1 running back, played on Saturday.  N. Greer played QB for Allegheny, throwing 49X for 370 yards (with 4 ints).  A bunch of guys carried the ball for Wit, none of them named Sarley.  Both are dynamic players.  Lee was certainly scheduled to be one of the top QBs in the conference.  Sarley is an all-NCAC back.     Injuries?

[wally_wabash]

Neither L. Lee, Allegheny's returning QB, nor D. Sarley, Wittenberg's #1 running back, played on Saturday.  N. Greer played QB for Allegheny, throwing 49X for 370 yards (with 4 ints).  A bunch of guys carried the ball for Wit, none of them named Sarley.  Both are dynamic players.  Lee was certainly scheduled to be one of the top QBs in the conference.  Sarley is an all-NCAC back.     Injuries?

What's strange is that Sarley and Lee were listed at the top of their two deeps in game previews provided by their athletic departments.  Sarley is returning from a severe knee injury suffered at the very end of last season - so maybe he wasn't quite ready to come back or they're playing it a little safe with him.  I couldn't even begin to guess what happened with Logan Lee.  I know the coaches at Allegheny really like Naz Greer, but Lee has 25 or so starts and just had maybe the best single statistical season for a QB in Allegheny history.  I do hope he'll be healthy for the league season.  I think they definitely missed him on Saturday. 

One other Allegheny note as I was sifting through this- Colten Buzard is not on the Gator roster.  That's a huge subtraction to that defense as Buzard led the league in sacks last year.  He's a dude and it's too bad that he's not available for Coach Hammer this fall. 

[HCAlum86]

With regards to the stadium issue - you're all correct. Absolute shambles. We've tried to fix several things, but the structure is in such disrepair that about 18 months ago, several of us in coordination with the school President decided that a fundraising effort for a complete overhaul was due.

We have a nice amount of capital secured - and are exploring an option that would make the stands a "half horseshoe" of sorts, which would allow for about 3,500 seated spectators. We now have good weight and fitness facilities as well as a top of the line locker room, but it is hard to get recruits excited about that stadium.

However, I do have to say - I enjoy few things more than catching an October game at Hiram. The vista of the foliage from the home stands is unbeatable.

[wally_wabash]

So the NCAC went 2-5 in non-league play this weekend, which is way, way down from the 8-2 mark the league posted last year.  Still to play are a game against Earlham that Hiram will win, and then Wabash vs. UW-SP and DPU vs. Central.  Both winnable, but not certain.  Even if the league sweeps those games, 5-5 is a sizable drop.  Some quick thoughts on the non-Wabash weekend:

- Kenyon was handled pretty well by Sewanee.  The Lords got down 30-0 before they were able to find points and by then it's just too much to come back from.  Merkle's prodigious pass volume continues with 47 attempts, but just 214 yards.  Kenyon is going to need that part of the game to be more efficient going forward.

- Part of me is finding some positives here with Allegheny.  I want to say that the defensive effort was ok...they still gave up over 50% on 3rd down and despite modest yardage allowed and forcing four turnovers, they did give up 40 points.  No matter how good their offense is, they just can't keep finding ways to give up 40 every week.  Understanding that they had to throw a bunch coming from behind, they also got 38 yards on 18 carries from Tyler Balla and that's a part of the game they really need functioning better.  He's too good to be a 2 ypc guy. 

- Strong outing from Wittenberg against a good Westminster team.  Out 20-0 early, then closed strong in the 4th quarter when Westminster had worked their way back in it.  Witt will need to run it better as they go along (1.6 ypc), and they will.  But the passing game here is strong enough for this team to be able get 30+ and a win against a good opponent on a day when they couldn't run it.  The defense here was really good.   They did give up two long drives, but outside of that, Westminster really had nowhere to go all day. 

- Oberlin's margin for error is really basically nil this year, and they lost four fumbles against Kalamazoo.  The Yeomen just can't afford to be -4 on turnovers and be in games.  And now the attrition watch starts for this team.  Next week against Kenyon is probably the last good chance at a win for Oberlin. 

- OWU fell 10-7 in a largely delayed game at Otterbein.  The stats say this was pretty even.  OWU had a long FG try at the end to force an OT, but that got blocked and Otterbein hung on.  I think if you're a Bishop you're pleased with the defensive effort here and hope that the offense catches up as we go along.  I don't know what else to make of this game as there was so much starting and stopping with weather delays that it had to be impossible to get any kind of flow going here. 

-  The final of Wooster/Bluffton is a little deceiving as the Scots were up 44-14 after 3 quarters.  I'm not checking the fourth quarter participation situation, but my guess is that Bluffton got at least two, maybe all three of their 4th quarter scores against reserves.  Not that those points don't count (they do), but Wooster was never really in trouble in this game.  Solid if unspectacular debut for Caden Croft at QB.  Really fine game from Antonio Bailey- if he's going to be really good this year, the Scots will have unlocked something in the running game that they haven't had in quite some time.  Something to watch for.  The Scot defense also forced four turnovers, so gold star there. 

- There's going to be a lot of attention on Canaan Gebele's numbers this year and 18-31-187-1-2 is not going to get it done for the Big Red in 2018.  Yes, credit Southwestern here, but Denison may have the best QB in the league and if they're going to challenge for the league title, he's got to be the best QB in the league.  I expect the Big Red defense will tighten up a bit as they go.  This particular road trip against this particular team was always going to be a tough test for a young defense.  They'll get better, but I had really expected the Big Red offense to be gangbusters.  There were some disappointing results in week 1, but this is the one that stands out to me.  Not so much that they lost the game, but that they really weren't able to keep pace offensively. 

[MUC57]

HCAlum86

Please understand I was not bashing the school, simply the stadium. Very nice facilities around the stadium, but........!  And a good school from an academic standpoint. But the stadium, well?
And I have commented for years about the spectacular view from the stadium in the fall. You are absolutely right on that one.
Good luck in your endeavors to improve your home field. A fall day in Hiram is tough to beat.
Go Terriers! ☠🏈

[HCAlum86]

HCAlum86

Please understand I was not bashing the school, simply the stadium. Very nice facilities around the stadium, but........!  And a good school from an academic standpoint. But the stadium, well?
And I have commented for years about the spectacular view from the stadium in the fall. You are absolutely right on that one.
Good luck in your endeavors to improve your home field. A fall day in Hiram is tough to beat.
Go Terriers! ☠🏈

I have pretty thick skin, no worries.

While I deeply love my alma mater, I am also acutely aware of its shortcomings and have committed myself to helping where I can to correct them.

I in no way took your comments to be a commentary about the institution as a whole. You simply made a candid statement about the obvious need for improvement. No harm there.

[bowwowindy!]

Neither L. Lee, Allegheny's returning QB, nor D. Sarley, Wittenberg's #1 running back, played on Saturday.  N. Greer played QB for Allegheny, throwing 49X for 370 yards (with 4 ints).  A bunch of guys carried the ball for Wit, none of them named Sarley.  Both are dynamic players.  Lee was certainly scheduled to be one of the top QBs in the conference.  Sarley is an all-NCAC back.     Injuries?

Unfortunately, Sarley tore his Achilles and is out for the year.  Happened running after practice so really just a freak thing.   

[sigma one]

That's unfortunate news for Wittenberg.  Really, these freak injuries--any injury, in fact--takes away a player's dream.  I also noticed that Jeremy Asiffo, first-team all-NCAC defensive lineman last year as a junior, is not on the Wittenberg roster.

[kraken]

HCAlum86

Please understand I was not bashing the school, simply the stadium. Very nice facilities around the stadium, but........!  And a good school from an academic standpoint. But the stadium, well?
And I have commented for years about the spectacular view from the stadium in the fall. You are absolutely right on that one.
Good luck in your endeavors to improve your home field. A fall day in Hiram is tough to beat.
Go Terriers! ☠🏈

I have pretty thick skin, no worries.

While I deeply love my alma mater, I am also acutely aware of its shortcomings and have committed myself to helping where I can to correct them.

I in no way took your comments to be a commentary about the institution as a whole. You simply made a candid statement about the obvious need for improvement. No harm there.

Hey HC-
I appreciate your positive approach to Hiram football.

I was at the game on Saturday.
Hiram went with an "Air-Raid" offensive set. No TE's, extra receiver. This can work if the QB gets the ball off in 3 seconds. If it takes longer, the QB will be sacked or will be running for his life...which is what transpired Saturday.

The Terrier's backup QB  (McNamara , a transfer from Tiffin?) came in and looked good. Threw the ball with some zip, made good decisions , led them 80+ yards for a TD. Next series: Sacked, came out of game with injured throwing shoulder. Not good.

I give Wabash's QB all his due. Very accurate, throwing sideline pattern after sideline pattern over Hiram's beleaguered DB's.
Though outclassed, the Terrier's played hard to the end. And they had very few penalties (only one personal foul!). So I see that as improvement from last season.

Chatted with some Wabash fans at Der Dutchman on the way home. Nice people.

[wally_wabash]

I give Wabash's QB all his due. Very accurate, throwing sideline pattern after sideline pattern over Hiram's beleaguered DB's.
Though outclassed, the Terrier's played hard to the end. And they had very few penalties (only one personal foul!). So I see that as improvement from last season.

Chatted with some Wabash fans at Der Dutchman on the way home. Nice people.

I'm still working my way through the game broadcast, but it's been pretty amazing this week to see how different Wabash's offense can look when they use formations, motions, and actions to get big WRs singled up on smaller DBs, and then trust a QB to throw to those guys.  I don't think Wabash did anything on Saturday that they couldn't have done last year, they just weren't doing it. 

With that said, I'm really excited about Reid and what kinds of things a player with his confidence and accuracy can unlock with this offense.  Page, Penola, Jones, James, Avant...this really turns into a choose your own poison kind of offense if Reid plays at a high level.