FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[Mr. Ypsi]

Will the most interesting MIAA game on Saturday be Kalamazoo at Adrian or Trine at Hope?

I think the most interesting team to watch will be Alma....we won't loose this week!

You won't wIIn, either!

[DBQ1965]

Drove down to Holland to watch the Hope-Trine game today.  Rain stopped about 10 minutes before kick-off and the muddy, torn-up field between the 30s affected the game for only the first quarter.  Trine looks good ... with no bad players at any position either O or D.  I think they could compete (but not necessarily win) with the top teams in the only other D-3 conferences with which I am familiar ... the IIAC and the CCIW.

For a Homecoming game, I thought Hope looked a little flat.  The offense seemed tentative, especially in the first half ... maybe because QB Feys seemed out-of-sync too much of the time.  His receivers dropped some passes they should have caught, but more often I thought Feys too often threw just beyond his receivers or too many times threw behind them.  And a few times, he was downright careless holding on to the ball.  Hope's running game was sporadic ... as was the defense.   A few great stops ... but also some poor tackling.

On a very different note, the Grand Rapids Press had Coach Kreps saying earlier this week he thought they could beat Trine, go on to win the conference and make the playoffs ... at 5 and 5.  I guess we all create our own reality.

So that's it from the "for what its worth department" when no one asked me.

[Raider 68]

Drove down to Holland to watch the Hope-Trine game today.  Rain stopped about 10 minutes before kick-off and the muddy, torn-up field between the 30s affected the game for only the first quarter.  Trine looks good ... with no bad players at any position either O or D.  I think they could compete (but not necessarily win) with the top teams in the only other D-3 conferences with which I am familiar ... the IIAC and the CCIW.

For a Homecoming game, I thought Hope looked a little flat.  The offense seemed tentative, especially in the first half ... maybe because QB Feys seemed out-of-sync too much of the time.  His receivers dropped some passes they should have caught, but more often I thought Feys too often threw just beyond his receivers or too many times threw behind them.  And a few times, he was downright careless holding on to the ball.  Hope's running game was sporadic ... as was the defense.   A few great stops ... but also some poor tackling.

On a very different note, the Grand Rapids Press had Coach Kreps saying earlier this week he thought they could beat Trine, go on to win the conference and make the playoffs ... at 5 and 5.  I guess we all create our own reality.

So that's it from the "for what its worth department" when no one asked me.

If the MIAA conference winner is not Trine (unlikely), then the conference playoff qualifier could be a 5-5 team,!

[sflzman]

Drove down to Holland to watch the Hope-Trine game today.  Rain stopped about 10 minutes before kick-off and the muddy, torn-up field between the 30s affected the game for only the first quarter.  Trine looks good ... with no bad players at any position either O or D.  I think they could compete (but not necessarily win) with the top teams in the only other D-3 conferences with which I am familiar ... the IIAC and the CCIW.

For a Homecoming game, I thought Hope looked a little flat.  The offense seemed tentative, especially in the first half ... maybe because QB Feys seemed out-of-sync too much of the time.  His receivers dropped some passes they should have caught, but more often I thought Feys too often threw just beyond his receivers or too many times threw behind them.  And a few times, he was downright careless holding on to the ball.  Hope's running game was sporadic ... as was the defense.   A few great stops ... but also some poor tackling.

On a very different note, the Grand Rapids Press had Coach Kreps saying earlier this week he thought they could beat Trine, go on to win the conference and make the playoffs ... at 5 and 5.  I guess we all create our own reality.

So that's it from the "for what its worth department" when no one asked me.

If the MIAA conference winner is not Trine (unlikely), then the conference playoff qualifier could be a 5-5 team,!

The non-Trine scenario I can see happening most would be if Albion wins out (6-4, 5-1 MIAA) and Trine would only loose to Albion in the last week of the season. Trine (9-1, 5-1) would have good chances to get an at-large bid, and the MIAA would have two teams in the playoffs for the first time since ____ (only have been in the MIAA for - this is my 3rd season)

[labart96]

We at "In the HuddLLe" (www.inthehuddLLe.com) are very excited to announce a very special guest coming onto the show this Sunday at 7:30 PM ET!!!

We will be welcoming Dr. Tony Strickland of the David Geffenn School of Medicine at UCLA and the Sports Concussion Institute (http://www.concussiontreatment.com/). 

Dr Strickland has recently appearred on both ESPN's Outside the Lines and the NFL Network to discuss concussions and the work SCI has done in the diagnosis and treatment of the same.

Dr. Strickland has requested we encourage fans, players and otherwise interested parties to please dial into the show to ask their questions.  That said we would like to solicit you to call in and drive the dialogue with Dr. Strickland given the prominence of this topic in the national headlines.   Our switchboard line is 646-200-0576.

Again the date of his appearance will be tonight Sunday, Oct 24 at 7:30 PM ET. 

Thanks in advance your assistance in making this special opportunity to get a refreshing and informed perspective on this nationally relevant topic!

[DBQ1965]

Drove down to Holland to watch the Hope-Trine game today.  Rain stopped about 10 minutes before kick-off and the muddy, torn-up field between the 30s affected the game for only the first quarter.  Trine looks good ... with no bad players at any position either O or D.  I think they could compete (but not necessarily win) with the top teams in the only other D-3 conferences with which I am familiar ... the IIAC and the CCIW.

For a Homecoming game, I thought Hope looked a little flat.  The offense seemed tentative, especially in the first half ... maybe because QB Feys seemed out-of-sync too much of the time.  His receivers dropped some passes they should have caught, but more often I thought Feys too often threw just beyond his receivers or too many times threw behind them.  And a few times, he was downright careless holding on to the ball.  Hope's running game was sporadic ... as was the defense.   A few great stops ... but also some poor tackling.

On a very different note, the Grand Rapids Press had Coach Kreps saying earlier this week he thought they could beat Trine, go on to win the conference and make the playoffs ... at 5 and 5.  I guess we all create our own reality.

So that's it from the "for what its worth department" when no one asked me.

If the MIAA conference winner is not Trine (unlikely), then the conference playoff qualifier could be a 5-5 team,!

I know that's how the system works  ... but something just seems wrong with that when teams with far better records get left out.!

[formerd3db]

To follow-up on DBQ1965's comments:  Hope was more than just flat.  It didn't show up for the game at all.  No spark, no enthusiasm. Offense was essentially non-existant, other than a few good plays as you mentioned.  Unfortunately, Feys was way-off.  Our secondary, unfortunately, also remains a major problem - poor tackling and even moreso- still giving up long pass plays on simple post-patterns or flys as they have all season, which puts you in a hole. Thereafter, when your offense can't come back and put points on the board, the game gets out of hand as it did yesterday.  All Hope can do now is keep fighting to the end, keep determined to try and win out its last two remaining games and just give it "that old college try".  Perhaps next week's bye will help.  Despite the weather and although nothing near the larger Homecoming crowds (>4000) that Hope gets when it is winning during a season, there was a good crowd at Homecoming yesterday (attendance was 3550), at least for the first half, although at the start of the 3rd quarter, more than half of those left  - not surprisingly. The weather ran the entire range i.e. from rain DBQ1965 relates at the beginning, to cold, windy, then "junking the umbrellas" whe it became sunny and warm (many ended up taking their jackets off as well) for quite some time - another nice last vestage of autumn, then becoming overcast and colder for the last portion of the final quarter.

I agree with DBQ1965's assesment of Trine.  They have a very nice team; very solid.  Fast, big and all their people run and hit like a "freight train".  Many times Hope players just couldn't handle tacking them, being run over.  There were a few nice defensive plays for Hope, but, overall, Trine was just too strong.  Perhaps had we been able to score on theim early when we had the chance, it might have changed the flavor of the game, but it was not to be.
I think Trine, should they win the remainder of their games, will have a good chance to advance in the playoffs.

To: Uncle Rico/LetItRain:  congrats to your team (and your #54 played a great game ).  Sorry we did not end up being able to meet - once again we ended up missing out on that - no fault of yours.  I looked for your "van" but was unable to find it; couldn't find you after the game, although I had other duties to attend to - again, my fault in missing you.  So my apologies, but..anyway, congrats and good luck to your team the rest of the way.  I was very impressed with Trine.

On other MIAA games, I heard that Olivet had some very good bright spots against Albion, but couldn't "play catch-up" after giving up 2 or 3 big/long plays.  It might come down to an Albion/Trine fight for the title - if Albion could knock Trine off as was mentioned earlier by Raider68, although after seeing both teams play, IMO, Trine is a much better team. However, we all know that anything can happen.  We'll see what plays out eventually.  

[sflzman]

Fast, big and all their people run and hit like a "freight train".

Don't you mean roll and hit like a freight train? It's been a long time since I saw a freight train running down the tracks! 

[formerd3db]

Fast, big and all their people run and hit like a "freight train".

Don't you mean roll and hit like a freight train? It's been a long time since I saw a freight train running down the tracks! 

Yes, you have me there, sflzman!  That's why I only got (uh, I mean "received" ) an A- in my writing class at Hope College!

[Raider 68]

To follow-up on DBQ1965's comments:  Hope was more than just flat.  It didn't show up for the game at all.  No spark, no enthusiasm. Offense was essentially non-existant, other than a few good plays as you mentioned.  Unfortunately, Feys was way-off.  Our secondary, unfortunately, also remains a major problem - poor tackling and even moreso- still giving up long pass plays on simple post-patterns or flys as they have all season, which puts you in a hole. Thereafter, when your offense can't come back and put points on the board, the game gets out of hand as it did yesterday.  All Hope can do now is keep fighting to the end, keep determined to try and win out its last two remaining games and just give it "that old college try".  Perhaps next week's bye will help.  Despite the weather and although nothing near the larger Homecoming crowds (>4000) that Hope gets when it is winning during a season, there was a good crowd at Homecoming yesterday (attendance was 3550), at least for the first half, although at the start of the 3rd quarter, more than half of those left  - not surprisingly. The weather ran the entire range i.e. from rain DBQ1965 relates at the beginning, to cold, windy, then "junking the umbrellas" whe it became sunny and warm (many ended up taking their jackets off as well) for quite some time - another nice last vestage of autumn, then becoming overcast and colder for the last portion of the final quarter.

I agree with DBQ1965's assesment of Trine.  They have a very nice team; very solid.  Fast, big and all their people run and hit like a "freight train".  Many times Hope players just couldn't handle tacking them, being run over.  There were a few nice defensive plays for Hope, but, overall, Trine was just too strong.  Perhaps had we been able to score on theim early when we had the chance, it might have changed the flavor of the game, but it was not to be.
I think Trine, should they win the remainder of their games, will have a good chance to advance in the playoffs.

To: Uncle Rico/LetItRain:  congrats to your team (and your #54 played a great game ).  Sorry we did not end up being able to meet - once again we ended up missing out on that - no fault of yours.  I looked for your "van" but was unable to find it; couldn't find you after the game, although I had other duties to attend to - again, my fault in missing you.  So my apologies, but..anyway, congrats and good luck to your team the rest of the way.  I was very impressed with Trine.

On other MIAA games, I heard that Olivet had some very good bright spots against Albion, but couldn't "play catch-up" after giving up 2 or 3 big/long plays.  It might come down to an Albion/Trine fight for the title - if Albion could knock Trine off as was mentioned earlier by Raider68, although after seeing both teams play, IMO, Trine is a much better team. However, we all know that anything can happen.  We'll see what plays out eventually. 

Formerd3db,

Sorry your alma mater did not show up on Saturday for Homecoming. I was surprized they were so flat. Trine IMO is pretty solid across the board. My alma mater won by the 4 TDs that I mentioned before +10. Cap is not as strong as they once were just a few years ago!

[formerd3db]

Thanks Raider68.  Indeed, this is baffling and so disappointing.  While I feel bad for all the players, I feel it the most for the seniors since they could very well be on three consecutive 3-7 teams if Hope only wins one of two remaining games (after this upcoming Saturday's "bye", they have Adrian @ Adrian, then finish up at home against Olivet for the Annual Senior Day).  I also feel bad for the coaches because they not only feel bad for the players, but are doing everything they can in trying to keep encouragement (i.e. that "old college spirit") and rectify things.  I guess one thing that can be learned by the players from this season is about facing adversity and perseverence even when things are not going well.  They'll face that in later life, beyond football once their careers are done as nothing in life always goes like we would like to have it.  And that, as we all know, is really what is most important here even though all of us love the college game so much.   

Also, I figured that your Mount would win fairly handily against Capital since I had heard that the latter, like Hope, is in a down period.

[BoredatWork56]

A big congraulations to the three players that were selected to play in the all star game.  Personally knowing the two Trine players, I am very happy for them and know they earned that high parise. Uncle Rico and Let It Rain, I know you must be very proud.

Not to bring up an old topic, but I think this all star recognition has something to do with the national respect that was discused on these boards last week. It looks like someone out there is paying attention to what Trine has been oing the last few years.  I wonder if there would have been some other players from the last few Trine tams that may have been considered for all star games?

Looks like the rest of the MIAA games this weekend pretty much went as expected.

[Uncle Rico]

I was reading in the D3.com general football fan top 25 poll section where a couple people thought Trine should be higher, but are under-rated because of the competition they have played.  The strength of schedule is hurting them.   There were also other posters who felt Trine was over-rated.  All this speculation is nice, but the only way to get respect is to earn it by winning.

[dc_has_been]

I would like to give props to Adrian and Olivet for giving a helping hand to MIAA for scheduling some pretty tough teams.  They may have lost those games, but Adrian playing DePauw tough and played a solid game against UWW for the first half at least shows a lot, plus they played Trine to a tight game too.  Olivet playing North Central, Witt, and Wheaton is crazy, but they are still functional says a lot.
Trine, is very well a tough team, but they will need to make some noise in the playoffs to get that respect.  Then they'll need to schedule some tougher teams for nonconference action to strenghten their program.

[Diezel1]

Bored,
I do believe Eric Walker was selected for an All-Star game last year. I'm not sure if he went, but he was selected