FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[Uncle Rico]

speaking of sloppy....it's like both teams need the other team to turn it over before they comfortable scoring. 

Can't disagree with that!  Manchester is self destructing too.  Would be nice to see a Thunder drive / score.

[ThunderHead]

Well - I would think that should do it.

At the end of the day what matters is you get the W. Though it certainly wasn't pretty, at least they have a lot of film to show area's of improvement.

Manchester can take some good things away from this, in the 2nd half they stayed right with Trine and defensively did a nice job.

At the end of the day, it's almost impossible to overcome 4 turnovers. 

[TUAngola]

It's final: Trine 24 Manchester 13  .  Defense wins the game for Trine, they were outstanding the whole night.  Every score other than the Trine FG were a result of scores off of or after turnovers.  Trine had another fumble in the 4th quarter while Manchester was error free in the second half.  But neither team could sustain any drives.  Happy for the win, just need to figure out how to get the offense in sync.

[Uncle Rico]

Yep, I imagine there will be a lot to work on.

[TUAngola]

Some stats from the radio:  Both teams less than 250 yds total offense.  TU: 242  MC: 206.  Hargraves completion percentage not too bad 14-21 with no interceptions, but not many down the field passes as they only had 130 yds passing.  All conference RB Biller only 26 rushing..2.4 ypc...not going to cut it going forward.  (these stats aren't exact, trying to recall from memory as I type this).

Play Bluffton next Saturday.  Another game we should win.  Need to see progress from the offense next week at practice and somehow get in a rythym.  New quarterback, a lot of new starters on both sides of the ball, all in all can't complain as it was a Trine victory!!

[ThunderHead]

If Trine plays like this next week, I don't think we beat Bluffton.

Bluffton returns I think 24 starters, and is coming off a decent year for them, their best since 2004 according to their web site. This was a bad Manchester team, and although we know Trine WILL improve I don't think Bluffton will spot them 4 turnovers. Hopefully we won't spot them any. 

This all said: A WINS A WIN!!!

Go Thunder.

[Uncle Rico]

Some stats from the radio:  Both teams less than 250 yds total offense.  TU: 242  MC: 206.  Hargraves completion percentage not too bad 14-21 with no interceptions, but not many down the field passes as they only had 130 yds passing.  All conference RB Biller only 26 rushing..2.4 ypc...not going to cut it going forward.  (these stats aren't exact, trying to recall from memory as I type this).

Play Bluffton next Saturday.  Another game we should win.  Need to see progress from the offense next week at practice and somehow get in a rythym.  New quarterback, a lot of new starters on both sides of the ball, all in all can't complain as it was a Trine victory!!

Insider information indicated that Hargraves needed more protection.  Biller is an all conference running back and could not do much today.  I wonder how much as due to Manchester vs Trine being able to execute.  Time will tell.  Looking forward to posts from those that were there.

[Uncle Rico]

If Trine plays like this next week, I don't think we beat Bluffton.

Bluffton returns I think 24 starters, and is coming off a decent year for them, their best since 2004 according to their web site. This was a bad Manchester team, and although we know Trine WILL improve I don't think Bluffton will spot them 4 turnovers. Hopefully we won't spot them any. 

This all said: A WINS A WIN!!!

Go Thunder.

Trine CRUSHED Bluffton last year.  It was brutal.  Trine had 3rd and 4th string players scoring at will.  I don't think that Trine can over look Bluffton (Trine beat up Manchester last year as well, but not as bad a Bluffton) but I am less worried about Bluffton than I was this game.  Manchester always seemed to play Trine tight at home.  I believe the Bluffton game is at Trine, correct?  I am optimistically chaulking this up to first game jitters on the road, and I think that Bluffton could be just the cure provided the team takes this as a reality check.

[sflzman]

Uncle Rico I don't think u can look for an easy win at all. Blutfton is getting better every year and with 24 starters returning they're gonna be guns ablazin for a win after bein blown outnlast season

[Uncle Rico]

Uncle Rico I don't think u can look for an easy win at all. Blutfton is getting better every year and with 24 starters returning they're gonna be guns ablazin for a win after bein blown outnlast season

I did not say I thought it was going to be easy, although in review it might look like that is what I meant.  But I did say the Manchester game had me more worried and I still stand by that, "provided the team takes this as a reality check."  If nothing was learned or gained from tonight, all bets are off.  Manchester was Trine's 1st real game, on the road with a new QB.  Trine has Bluffton at Trine, and I am certain that the coaches at Trine are capable of identifying and fixing anything that can be fixed and needs fixing.   

[Mr. Ypsi]

I am now reserved for a spot at the Just In Time campround (east of Ithaca) for the IWU @ Alma game.  I'll arrive late Friday afternoon, and leave sometime Sunday.  I have no idea about tailgating at Alma, but 'tailgating' at my site Friday (to 'trash-talk') and Saturday (to commiserate/gloat) is open to all!   (I don't know my site number, so ask at the office for Chuck Bonney.)

At the game, I will be wearing my IWU 2010 Homecoming t-shirt and IWU cap.  I will also be bringing my 'Scotland' t-shirt, but will NOT wear it to the game!   Temperatures permitting, once the 'skeeters come out, I'll be sporting my new "Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?" sweatshirt.

For tailgating on game day, the IWU tailgating area will be on Iowa street at the softball field (so not on the hogan center - athletic building - side of the stadium, but the north endzone). You'll be able to walk behind the main grandstands on the trail to get tickets at the main gate. I usually try to stay on the alms side of the stadium but Im going to have to venture over to the "green sea" at halftime to find u mr ypsi as it will be fun to meet a fellow poster

sflzman - Prepare yourself - there is no other experience in life like meeting Mr. Ypsi 

P.S.  CB - you're getting awfully close to 15,000!!!!!  Guess that makes you 5 times the man I am   

Nah, just 5 times as verbose!   (Though my fball and bball pickems entries, plus running the MIAA Pickems and bball Posters' Poll, may account for about 3,000 posts alone!)

I noted that you didn't specify whether it was a good or bad experience!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Speaking of MIAA Pickems, as noted on that page I will be at a family reunion this weekend, so week one results will be delayed.  I have posted the week two slate already, so as not to cramp pickers' time.  Since I will be at the Alma game next weekend (then probably head for my local campground, which, alas, has no wi-fi), week two results will also be delayed, with week three slate posted early.  Eventually you can count on results by late Saturday night!

[ThunderHead]

I'll stand by my comments that if Trine plays like they did tonight, they won't beat Bluffton, I had a chance to visit a Bluffton practice this year, they're not the team they were last year Uncle Rico. They're mature and have a lotta leadership. At least that's what I saw.

My insider information basically amounted to this: the protection wasn't great but it wasn't horrible, it wasn't all on the offensive line. The offense was tough to watch, even from the sidelines.

While I agree the coaching staff can identify what's wrong, it's not a simple fix. A football team isn't a car engine. I can somewhat identify more then a few things that are wrong with this young team just by looking at stats and reviewing film, as can most people with a coaching background, in game filled with as many mistakes as were made tonight. However fixing those issues can take years. While I acknowledge minor issues can be quickly fixed not all of Trines current issues are minor, and even now I don't believe all the positions are locked in, I see shuffling and positions on offense and defense taking place throughout the next month at least, as the staff looks to find the chemistry that success is built on.

Only time will tell as to how fast that happens. Either it gets better or they'll have a heck of a time in the MIAA with the top four, or even middle 3 programs.

I love Trine but I can't always drink the blue gatorade. 

[Uncle Rico]

I think we both agree there is plenty of room for improvement.  For me, having followed the program over the past 4+ years, it is not so much "drinking the blue gatorade" as it is having seen how the coaching staff and team has handled challenges, and having confidence they will make adjustments as needed.    Every year changes are made at various positions, throughout the season...I don't think you are going out on a limb with that observation.

[TrineDad]

Well last night was a little dose of reality for us Thunder fans.  It shows how spoiled we are because of the success of the last three years.  I wasn't around for the NAIA TSU teams but I believe last years team was the best in Trine/TSU history (at least the NCAA history). To think that we could lose that talented group of seniors and not "miss a beat" may have been what Thunderhead calls "drinking the gatorade".  At any rate it wasn't realistic. Things were certainly different last night. After only one game it's easier to identify the "whats" than the "whys" but is pretty clear a lot has to improve for the Thunder to have another championship season. Can you chalk it up to new team- new chemistry, first start jitters, or something else? I don't know. We've been here before, though.  Two years ago - at the beginning of a championship season we barely escaped Manchester with a win and there were a lot of shaking heads but things did get better...a lot better. A pretty famous Big Ten coach - now deceased- used to say that college football teams improved the most between their first and second games.  Let's hope that's true!