FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[jscwittfan]

Since it was only posted as an assumed final, I'll make it official:

Dayton 35
Witt 28

Dayton scored with just over 8 minutes left in the game, held Wittenberg on their next drive to force a Tiger punt, and then essentially ran the clock out with a few timely first downs.  Witt got the ball back with .5 seconds on the clock and was actually able (even with the new rules) to get a snap off, but a last chance Aaron Huffman heave was intercepted.

Good second half for the Tigers, but there were a few mental mistakes that caught up with them (i.e. delay of game on 3rd and 5 after getting into Dayton territory, couple of costly false starts), but the offense was solid, including a 69 yard TD run for QB Huffman, and a 51 yard burst for Tristan Murray (both guys finished with over 100 yards rushing).  However, another decent percentage day passing for Huffman (14-25) but the yardage wasn't there (only 111).  The Wittenberg D played great at times, including stopping the Flyers on 2 4th downs in Witt territory.  However, Dayton seemed to get into Wittenberg territory everytime before the Tiger D would step up, so early series defense clearly needs to be worked on.

All in all, a VAST improvement after last week, and I would go as far to say a better overall improvement than there was between the Cap/Dayton games last season.  With a bye week before hosting Alma in the first half of the back-to-back Scots stretch, I wouldn't be surprised to see Witt pick up a win in 2 weeks and play a big role in the conference chase this year.

[wabashcpa]

Great win for Franklin. They are as good as advertised and then some. The rest of the HCAC should be afraid of these guys.

And while I'm proud Wabash fought back, we clearly didn't deserve to win this game. As badly as our defense played we still had a shot and that's good. But if our defense doesn't put it together, and right quickly, we're gonna be in for a long year.

Wabash Always Fights.

Lil' Giant,

I agree with you on all counts.

[witt4ever]

Oberlin 48
Heidelberg 34

[Li'l Giant]

Way to go Yeomen!



PS.

Kudos to Jim Amidon on the photos. Great job, as usual, Jim. One of the photos even features a cameo appearance by Wally and GoBash (and Mrs. GoBash).

[bashbrother]

Who would have thunk it..917 yards of offense in the Bash/Frank game.  More amazing was the 418 put up by the Grizz.

I am sure the honeymoon is over in practice this week.

[runyr]

Oberlin Yeomen:
Nice offensive performance against OAC opponent (okay, the Student Princes).

[wabashcpa]

Some big time performances today:

For Wabash:
Huff 28-45 313 4 TD
Walker 13-175 3 TD

For Franklin:
Rupp 20-24 238 4 TD; 9-58 1 TD

Rupp was a one-man gang.  I believe Ty Fritz will be playing a new position from now on.

Props to Huff and Walker.  Offense was certainly not lacking today.

[bashbrother]

It is easy for comparisons between opening day - 2003 and today.

The first game of 2003 after the 2002 undefeated season - Loss to Kalamazoo
The first game of 2006 after the 2005 undefeated season - Loss to Franklin

2003 - We had lost a bunch of Senior leaders at key positions and a star QB
2006 - The same.

Interesting.....

Does experienced Senior leadership mean everything in DIII? Football in any Division?

Has Woo become the team to beat in the conference for this specific reason?

[wabashcpa]

Does experienced Senior leadership mean everything in DIII? Football in any Division?

Has Woo become the team to beat in the conference for this specific reason?

That was the overriding factor when I picked Wooster to win the NCAC.  Time will tell how it plays out, but nothing to this point has changed my mind.

[wabashcpa]

Case Western 27, Denison 14

So much for the Big Red being improved this season.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 34, Kenyon 10

Wow - this is a surprising result.

Dayton 35, Wittenberg 28

Not dead yet - after last week's debacle, this has to be cause for optimism in Springfield.

Butler 30, Hanover 20

What is the world has happened to Hanover?

[oldguy]

Wow, NCAC took it on the chin this week.  If I read correctly, I believe Oberlin was the only winner...ouch.

Good to see the Tigers play better.  They actually looked like they got off the bus and wanted to be there.  Looks as though the NCAC is going to be wide open with Wooster looking the best thus far.  It should be an interesting season come conference play. 

[medicine man]

NCAC winners-----  WOO won too 31-10!

[DarkSide-D]

I don't think Woo looks the best so far.  Yes they are loaded with Seniors, and in the NCAC that seems to be the driving force behind winning the conference.  But it is not uncommon for a team to go 0-fer in the non con schedule and then run the conference, if not make a strong run at it.  I think a big decider will be how Witt decides to play when it really counts, like they played against Cap, or Dayton.  Then again, maybe Dayton was only playing their backups, or JV. and Witt simply isn't that good (I will assume for the time being that Witt really is a good team).

Woo's record can be misleading.  So far their opponents are a combined 0-3 with JCU sitting out this past week.  If Woo thinks of themselves as the best in the league because of their non-con record, I gurantee they will get picked off not once, but twice this season.  However, if they ignore the stats and records, and keep doing what they do (busting their butts during the work week and having fun on saturday), then I agree, they are in the driver's seat given their experiance.

On a side note, I want everyone to know just how much it pains me to compliment Witt. 

[medicine man]

Previous post....

  "Woo's record can be misleading.  So far their opponents are a combined 0-3 with JCU sitting out this past week..........."


2 of those losses being to Woo and Waynesburg's other loss was to the D3 Football #4 team in the country

[medicine man]

Sorry, Waynesburg lost to the #8 team in the country not #4.