FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[aueagle]

I wish I could provide the mystery offensive set  in Delaware....as long as "H" drops what he has been using. I heard in the spring...new look; spread...pro...maybe the Power I. I was counting on the "Stream" but no dice. NCAC has a black-eye right now after week one..GO BISHOPS

[yumbo]

Off topic, but I beg for your indulgence ...

Quote of the week (from Kevin Richardson, Appalachian State RB):

Reporter:  "Were you suprised not to get Michigan's best effort?"

Richardson:  "I think that was their best effort."

[wabco]

As long as we are a little off the D-III subject talk ... I heard the best comment about Michigan ... as you might expect ... in a bar watching football.  It went:

"Told you .....Tatoos permanent ...
Michigan ... you tiger now..."

Maybe you had to be there.

[OACFB]

I wouldn't say that Rai Stover is a 'ringer' RB he hasn't played the game for quite awhile and is in a brand new system. I know that any athlete can pick up where they left off over time, but lets be honest Woo fans you should be kinda happy you didn't seem him later in the season when he gets everything going. I would like to think by midseason he is getting most of the carries and Gingrich who started against Woo a nice compliment. By stating that his is a ringer I think is a little overexaggerated. It's not like when Petro played last year at your place you called him a 'ringer' since he did play D1 for a year...oh that's right they won that game so they won't cry that they lost... Anyways it was a good non-conference game for both JCU and Woo over the past 2 years...

[seinfeld]

OACFB,

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make. He graduated from high school in 2002. He is 23 years old. Played two years at Bowling Green, red-shirted two more, then was at Ashland for a time. Maybe there is more of this going in Div. III than I think, but I would like to see one example like Stover.

No one was complaining. I wonder why you are defensive about something no one was criticizing, although I do think it is a little out of the Div. III norm to have a kid who is 23 years old playing at his third school and be just a junior. If this same thing happened to Wooster, I'd probably be glad to have him, but I would understand this was quite a different path than most Div. III schools take, and that some programs wouldn't take this path even if given the chance.

The "ringer" comment comes from the fact that this kid wasn't even listed in their media guide, so he was obviously a last minute addition. I know he wasn't in their plans as of early summer. Plus you don't expect a former Cleveland Plain Dealer Player of the Year and third-place finisher in Mr. Ohio Football to playing Div. III football.

OACFB, please cite a quote from a Wooster person crying about Stover or losing to JCU. Thanks

[chillydigits]

OACFB, Things seem testy up in University Heights, are you getting enough fiber? I seriously doubt that any Wooster poster was actually insinuating that Stover was a "true" ringer. You have to admit it does seem odd to have a 23 yr old running back that has played for BGSU; red shirted at BGSU was on Ashland's rooster for a while and is still only a Jr.  Wooster deserved to lose on Sat. Stover had nothing to do with Wooster's offense and defensive lines basically deciding not to show up in anyway shape or form.  I too can't wait to see Stover in midseason form against the likes of Mount Union, Ohio Northern, and Baldwin Wallace, perhaps after those games he will look back fondly on the yards he gained against Wooster? If JCU was and or is looking for ringers and the best they can find is a 23yr old journeyman running back that racks up an astounding 68 yards against Wooster then things must truly be at new lows in University Heights.

[BashBacker#16]

As an OWU fan, do you ever get frustrated with your school's website?  No stats from the game on Saturday, the 2006 team photo, the 2006 roster...just curious?

Franklin College vs. Wabash College this Saturday at Hollett Little Giant Stadium:  (Wally & BashBro - would love your takes as well...)

Key matchups:

- Coach Neathery Bash D vs. Coach Leonard FC O (anxious to see NN's game plan after last year's nightmare and knowing more about their personnel and offense.
- Pynenberg/Deig vs. Hartsfield - Bash will have to contain Hartsfield on the outside and prevent big runs.  Sounds like he ripped off a 30+ yarder and a 50+ yarder agaist OWU.  I look for Bash to be very tough inside but shall see if we can contain him on the outside.  Bash needs to create 3rd & longs.
- Bash O line vs. FC D front - expect Bash to have a huge size advantage.  Sounds like the OL play at Wheaton was one of the bright spots.
- Rupp vs. Bash D - will be interesting to see what Bash does to contain Rupp and the passing game.  I expect pressure here (much more then last year) with Kennon & Lange - hope we take chances with LB blitzes too.  Again, 3rd and longs will allow more of that.
- FC return game vs. Bash coverage teams - this was a killer last year as Sears ripped off returns the entire game providing the FC offense a short field.  Bash will have to prevent big returns.  Thankfully Sears is gone but not sure what they have coming back.
- Speed vs. Speed - I think Bash learned a big lesson last year and realized FC was very fast - especially on the outside.  Deig should be a difference maker alongside Adi and he is 20 pounds lighter, Kennon should be a boost and is a playmaker, and Bubba Lange lost 30+ after a very sluggish performance last year.  Our OLBs on the outside need to play much better as well - Lehman, Kraft, Banach, etc.  Bell & Roomes should be tough at CB with a ton of experience.

Looking forward to Saturday.

[smedindy]

OWU always operates on a 'need to know' policy on their sports web site, and no one 'needs' to know anything! 

Franklin will not be a slouch, and hopefully Wabash learned a lot from the Wheaton scrimmage. I'll try to be listening after I get back from my client review meeting on Saturday!

[Li'l Giant]

I'll try to be listening after I get back from my client review meeting on Saturday!

Welcome to the sorry ranks of the Webcast Wallies, smed. 

[nike]

I have been told that OWU did get their 2007 roster up on game day Saturday.  And always go to OWU's opponent for game stats. And will someone from OWU explain the Bishop's offense this year.  Is it a wing-t or not? Why not just make Hymes a running back.
Regarding the OWU website, it seems as though Wooster's has always been really good at providing current info and periodic articles about their teams.  But like several other NCAC schools where a tradition of excellence was already established with their athletic teams when the internet was evolving, I think the schools felt like the alumni and fans deserved and expected great internet reporting. Certainly Witt has a storied history of winning going way back and their website is awesome.  Same for Wabash more recently.  And the last few years with Wooster football(Tony Sutton) success and the basketball team's journeys into final four territory, the COW's IT dept. had to get better. And they did.
When OWU or Hiram win a few NCAC  championsips in football or basketball, you will see their website improve dramatically.
Mount Union's football website is better than most D1 schools. A few national championships will do that. 

[Pat Coleman]

Nike:

You haven't really looked at D-I schools or Mount Union's site if you say that. Mount Union's Web site isn't better than their sites. It does have all the basic information you could want and a little bit more, though, and is better than a lot of D-III sites.

Hiram's site is already better than OWU's.

[smedindy]

I've seen a lot of backmarkers have decent web sites. Denison, Oberlin and Kenyon always have web sites that give you the info you need. It all depends on if the SID is full time, or is just the SID because he's the low person in the public affairs office and has about 5 other duties as assigned as well.

OWU is also stingy with hoops info, too.

[bashbrother]

In looking at the Wabash / FC game from last year, a few things really stood out to me.

- Special Teams - Sears (FC) had 5 kick-off returns for 163 yards,   Took two kickoffs back into Wabash territory, giving Franklin short fields.  Their average starting field position was good almost all day.  I am betting that the special teams situation will be imporved this year.

-  Pass Defense -  Rupp was 20 or 24 for 238 4 -TD's   I think the Wabash D was off balance almost all game.   This will not be the case this year.  The front four will get more pressure and the secondary is much better then they were starting the season last year.

- Rush Defense - Giving up 4.2 yards/carry will not get it done.   Kennon, Lange and the boys will establish themselves early this year and Deig and Adi will fill the holes.

- Third Down Defense - Franklin converted 8 of 12 third downs - Obvious improvement needed here to keep this from being a shoot-out again.

The Wheaton scrimmage may have actually been good for us,  could have washed away any over-confidence that may have existed heading into the opener.

Can't wait for kickoff


   

[wally_wabash]

I really think the game comes down to how long it takes Wabash to get up to game speed.  That Franklin has a game under their belt and Wabash doesn't is huge in my estimation.  I think Franklin caught Wabash off guard last year and it showed particularly against the Wabash defense and special teams.  This year's defense is a year older and will be taking nothing lightly this time around, but it'll still take a few series for them to be at game speed. 

Special teams will be big again, particularly with the kickoff moved back 5 yards...both teams will have ample opportunity to return kicks and the team that does so best will have a major advantage. 

Wabash will have a pretty big size advantage on the offensive line vs. Franklin's D line.  I think it will be important for Wabash to use that advantage and establish a run game.  Ball control will be important for Wabash. 

Turnovers will be huge.  Both of these teams take care of the ball very well.  Last year Wabash was intercepted in the endzone on their opening drive.  How huge was that play?  I don't expect many turnovers if any in this game, but if either team can force a turnover it may be the difference. 

I can't wait to get this thing started.  I think we've got two playoff-caliber teams playing at Hollett on Saturday and I couldn't think of a better way to start the season. 

[OACFB]

Woo fans sorry about that post, I had to have read something wrong. Didn't mean to get defensive or anything just thought that some people were calling Rai a ringer, which in my opinion he's not. Sorry about that post again.