FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[usee]

From the article reference by BB16:

Creighton also defended the decision to keep him in as a hands' team member.
"Why play (Dustin) at quarterback if we're going to worry about him getting hurt?" he said. "If we worry about him getting hurt, we don't play him at quarterback either."

I don't think there is anything else he could say publicly.  I already filled up my blue book with my opinion on the matter.  But, as stated before, it's time to look forward.

My guess would be that as Matt Hudson took the final snaps of the game, he would be the starter if the game were today  (I am going under the assumption that Dustin will not return for a while).  I'm not sure how to read Millikin at this point - road game with a new QB tells me this may be a tight contest, their 42-0 loss to ONU notwithstanding (ONU is pretty darned good).  Whoever is taking the snaps will have a nice arsenal at his disposal, and the defense will have to continue improving.

Any thoughts on whether the play calling becomes more conservative, or do you run your normal package and just expect the QB to execute as if it were Huff?

Millikin is not a good team right now. they have several excellent athletes and good players, they are well coached, but they don't have the horses to compete with a top 25 team right now IMO. They have at least 1 good LB, 2 very good DT's and a good reciever. other than that I don't know but wouldn't be too worried.

[bashbrother]

Any thoughts on whether the play calling becomes more conservative, or do you run your normal package and just expect the QB to execute as if it were Huff?

I think it could most likely be assumed that the play book will be trimmed back a bit, at least initially, but then again with the talent on the field, I wouldn't be shocked to see quite a lot of passing early.    I am sure Millikin will be adjusting their game plan a bit to focus on the run.  We may be forced to pass them out of that game plan.  We need to have a great week of practice and early success on Saturday.  CC will have them ready.

Wabash Always Fights!

[nike]

Thanks so much guys. Again, pray it is not a  season ending injury and not as bad as it appeared.

[smedindy]

While CC is right that Dustin certainly could get hurt playing QB, I still wonder about the rationale. Yet I know many teams have their star WRs and RBs on hands teams, too.

Anyway, let's hope for the best for Dustin.

[wabashcpa]

We need to have a great week of practice and early success on Saturday.  CC will have them ready.

Agreed.

[wally_wabash]

Saturday's QB, whoever it is, is going to be aided by the players around him.  Taking nothing away from Huff's monster day and how talented he is, a lot of the throws required by Wabash qb's in recent years are not difficult throws.  Ray Green running underneath screens and running for 30+ yards is one example of a big play from a relatively easy throw.  Banach running 5 yards behind the secondary deep down the field makes for a pretty easy throw as well.  I really think Wabash will be fine while Huff recovers. 

Looking briefly at Millikin's box scores, it doesn't look like they have a ton going offensively.  Spotty quarterback play (Millikin has been using two quarterbacks so far this year), spotty run game...it doesn't look good.  I won't ever count out a team from the CCIW, but this looks like a game Wabash should win regardless of who is under center. 

[usee]

Saturday's QB, whoever it is, is going to be aided by the players around him.  Taking nothing away from Huff's monster day and how talented he is, a lot of the throws required by Wabash qb's in recent years are not difficult throws.  Ray Green running underneath screens and running for 30+ yards is one example of a big play from a relatively easy throw.  Banach running 5 yards behind the secondary deep down the field makes for a pretty easy throw as well.  I really think Wabash will be fine while Huff recovers. 

Looking briefly at Millikin's box scores, it doesn't look like they have a ton going offensively.  Spotty quarterback play (Millikin has been using two quarterbacks so far this year), spotty run game...it doesn't look good.  I won't ever count out a team from the CCIW, but this looks like a game Wabash should win regardless of who is under center. 

I picked Millikin to go 2-8 this year and be a cellar dweller in the CCIW. This program has fallen off the map with their administrations rumblings and bumblings. Doug Neibhur is a great coach (former Witt HC) and deserves better from an administration who seems to have stopped caring.

[firstdown]

We all hope that Huff will be able to make it back.  In the meantime, the team will rally around its new starter.  I recall Bash losing a starting QB midseason in 1997.  The back up played quite  well and led the team to a 9-1 season the next year.  Coach C has had a good stable of QB's and expect that whoever is under center this Saturday will be no exception, and he will be well prepared.  As for Milikin, they aren't to be taken lightly.  Wabash has to be ready and come to play.  The new QB will find his legs and has a good team around him.  Wabash Always Fights! 

[wally_wabash]

We all hope that Huff will be able to make it back.  In the meantime, the team will rally around its new starter.  I recall Bash losing a starting QB midseason in 1997.  The back up played quite  well and led the team to a 9-1 season the next year.  Coach C has had a good stable of QB's and expect that whoever is under center this Saturday will be no exception, and he will be well prepared.  As for Milikin, they aren't to be taken lightly.  Wabash has to be ready and come to play.  The new QB will find his legs and has a good team around him.  Wabash Always Fights! 

That was an awful afternoon...that was a Homecoming game against Rose-Hulman.  Wabash was up something like 35-13 roughly midway through the 4th quarter when our #1 WR and #1 QB (both seniors) blew out knees on consecutive plays.  Wabash had just beaten a very highly ranked Albion team up in Michigan and everybody was feeling extremely good about that 1997 season...until those injuries.  It was a packed house that day much like it was this past Saturday and the same "oh my...I can't believe this just happened" vibe sucked the energy out of the stadium ten years ago the same way it did this past weekend.  Actually, the two instances are eerily similar...losing major pieces of a very good team in a situations where it is debatable as to whether or not the players involved should have even been on the field.  That's some history I think we could have gone without repeating. 

[usee]

While CC is right that Dustin certainly could get hurt playing QB, I still wonder about the rationale. Yet I know many teams have their star WRs and RBs on hands teams, too.

Anyway, let's hope for the best for Dustin.

Then let him get hurt playing QB. With Creightons rationale you would think Huff should be a bullet on the kickoff team. I agree, he has to say this. I still would bet a lot of money you won't see a starting QB on the Wabash hands team ever again.

there is a fine line for the hands team because you are trying to secure a win and you need great athlete's, with great hands, who can perform under pressure in critical situations. You definately need your top WR's on that team and likely your top rbs. but these are guys who are skilled at securing a ball and taking some pain immediately. A QB delivers the ball and takes pain. different skill set if you will.

Again, I can't imagine Wabash doesn't have 11 skill players with great hands so they don't have to use the QB.

[firstdown]

We all hope that Huff will be able to make it back.  In the meantime, the team will rally around its new starter.  I recall Bash losing a starting QB midseason in 1997.  The back up played quite  well and led the team to a 9-1 season the next year.  Coach C has had a good stable of QB's and expect that whoever is under center this Saturday will be no exception, and he will be well prepared.  As for Milikin, they aren't to be taken lightly.  Wabash has to be ready and come to play.  The new QB will find his legs and has a good team around him.  Wabash Always Fights! 

That was an awful afternoon...that was a Homecoming game against Rose-Hulman.  Wabash was up something like 35-13 roughly midway through the 4th quarter when our #1 WR and #1 QB (both seniors) blew out knees on consecutive plays.  Wabash had just beaten a very highly ranked Albion team up in Michigan and everybody was feeling extremely good about that 1997 season...until those injuries.  It was a packed house that day much like it was this past Saturday and the same "oh my...I can't believe this just happened" vibe sucked the energy out of the stadium ten years ago the same way it did this past weekend.  Actually, the two instances are eerily similar...losing major pieces of a very good team in a situations where it is debatable as to whether or not the players involved should have even been on the field.  That's some history I think we could have gone without repeating. 

I remember that day only too well.  Let's hope this season doesn't go the way of that one.  It's early enough that the new guy can step in, get through the next couple of weeks which will not be easy, and be ready for the tests that lie ahead.  This is where the defense and the running game are going to have to step it a notch.

[HScoach]

If the starting QB is really needed on the all-hands team, then the program is in serious trouble from an overall depth standpoint.  It's not like this is high school where you're struggling to find enough guys with decent hands to fill the squad.  A program like Wabash should have 11 reserve WR's to fill this role without having to risk a stud WR, let alone the QB. 

From the outside looking in, this appears to be a simple error on the coach.  Similar to WWW playing Justin Beaver late in the game against UW-LAX that lead to his broken collar bone in '06. 

Moving on to Millikin, if Wabash is a serious contender for a playoff spot, then they should be able to beat Millikin by direct snapping to the TB.  No QB is necessary this Saturday.

[bashbrother]

Having played 4 years at receiver and having been on the front line of a few too many "Good Hands" teams.  I, as I am sure others on the board can speak to, it is some of the most brutal & hardest hitting in the game of Football.   It's much better to be on the team kicking the on-side kick, then being on the receiving team.  And that was back when 250 lb Defensive ends didn't run 4.7 40's.

Wabash Always Fights!

[Li'l Giant]

I was pretty upset about this all weekend and my posts stand as record of my opinion.

However, as my granddaddy would say "You can't put the sh*t back in the donkey".

Like everyone else I hope Huff heals quickly, emerges from this test of character as the winner we all know he is, and the rest of the team rallies around whomever is selected to take the snaps on Saturday and going forward.

Let's beat Millikin and move on from there. Wabash Always Fights!

[WAF78]

I just talked to a senior Wabash student...and he said Huff has a broken fibula...out for the season...anyone else here that?