FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[formerd3db]

jameswys:

With all due respect, I don't think he was taking about fair weather fans with regard to the actual weather!😁 Also, Calvin fans don't participate on this board because Calvin doesn't field a football team-as you well know, they all post over on the BB board. In all seriousness, I'm glad you are one of the Olivet fans who posts here-wish we had more. The other two or so that we had a few years ago don't participate anymore, unfortunately, reasons unknown.

HOPEful: There are several reasons why the MIAA football level has decreased from what it was several years ago which contributes to why it's teams haven't gone far in the playoffs, since Albion's national championship back in 1994. Many of us have discussed those here on several occasions in the long-term past, so I won't reiterate those here (although if you would like to discuss this sometime in the future, you are welcome to PM me.)

[MUC57]

formerd3db

Good luck to your Flying Dutchmen on the season. I'll keep one eye on them. Go Hope!   

[formerd3db]

formerd3db

Good luck to your Flying Dutchmen on the season. I'll keep one eye on them. Go Hope!   

Thank you, friend! We'll see what happens tonight.

Good luck to your Mount U ion also, although they won't need it!🙂

[USee]

I'll be surprised if Hope has much trouble with Millikin tonight, even on the road.

[TUAngola]

My observations from Trine's season opening 38-21 victory over Manchester last night:

1)  Who is running the ball now that Lamar Carswell has graduated?  Would you believe converted Junior TE Dylan Dowling?  How many guys go from TE to RB in college ball, probably not many.  With the dearth of RBs on the roster it was a way for Dylan to get on the field as he was pretty much buried on the TE depth chart.  He's a night and day different runner than Lamar who stretched the field trying to find an opening to bolt thru, Dylan is all north and south.  Not overly impressive last night, but has good size at 6'2, 205.  The guy that flashed the most when he got in was backup RB Xaine Kirby, a freshman from small town Indiana.  He had nice catch out of the backfield for a TD in which he made 2 different Manchester defenders whiff in the open field.  He has a chance to be a good one, you can tell he has good instincts on where the running lanes are when he gets the ball, and is a pretty shifty runner too.

2)  QB Brandon Winters had some nice throws last night, if the line gives him some time he can be a good weapon, and we may be a little more diverse offensively than just hand Lamar the ball the last 4 years.  He gets a little too antsy if his first read isn't open though.  Rather than go thru his progressions he usually tucks and runs.  I listened to Coach Abbs podcast earlier in the week and he said the QB job was wide open between 4 guys, but decided to gave the opening game start to Winters who has the most experience of the 4.

3)  Solid line play from both offense and defense.  Being more physical upfront than Manchester is probably what won us the ballgame.

4)  PK Ryan "the leg" Hibbets set a new Trine record with a 52 yd FG last night.  He is such a weapon on KO's and long FG's.

5)  Negatives.  Way too many penalties.  For as good as the Oline and TEs played they probably had 4 or 5 holding penalties.  Manchester only had 1 penalty all night.  First game, so hopefully we can clean up the mistakes.  We also had 3 fumbles and lost 2.  Both fumbles eventually led to scores for Manchester.  Both Kirby and another backup RB Darrell Banks both lost fumbles in the 4th qtr.  Gotta take better care of the football.

6)  My first time to Manchester U even though it's only a hour fifteen minute drive from Angola.  One of the few programs that still plays on a grass field.  They had the grass cut high that's for sure.  The stadium itself is in dyer need of an update.  The visiting stands were scary old.  Most everyone commented on how they could see the boards beneath your feet bounce up and down when you walked.  Wouldn't be surprised if someone fell thru, wooden structure has a lot of rotting boards.  No handrails made for some tricky climbing of the stands for the elderly.  They seriously need to put some money into that place.

[Jameswys]

@formerd3db

I knew he wasn't talking about fair weather fans in the weather sense, I was just pointing out that because of the fall weather in Michigan some of us are fair weather fans. I guess I didn't make myself clear enough to indicate that I knew what he meant. The other reason I don't go to more OC Football games is that Notre Dame is often playing in similar time slots, though recent success is resulting in more night games. Watching games online for d3 is nice but not yet the same production quality as d3 basketball.

And even though I was making a slight dig on Calvin about the lack of a football team, I do honestly believe that the lack of a Calvin/Hope rivalry does cause a decrease in traffic on this board. Trine hasn't really established a solid rivalry yet and Olivet/Albion is a one sided rivalry in several ways (Albion doesn't consider us a rival and we don't beat them a lot in football, as we were 0-29 over a span of time).

[formerd3db]

@formerd3db

I knew he wasn't talking about fair weather fans in the weather sense, I was just pointing out that because of the fall weather in Michigan some of us are fair weather fans. I guess I didn't make myself clear enough to indicate that I knew what he meant. The other reason I don't go to more OC Football games is that Notre Dame is often playing in similar time slots, though recent success is resulting in more night games. Watching games online for d3 is nice but not yet the same production quality as d3 basketball.

And even though I was making a slight dig on Calvin about the lack of a football team, I do honestly believe that the lack of a Calvin/Hope rivalry does cause a decrease in traffic on this board. Trine hasn't really established a solid rivalry yet and Olivet/Albion is a one sided rivalry in several ways (Albion doesn't consider us a rival and we don't beat them a lot in football, as we were 0-29 over a span of time).

I kind of figured you meant it that way, however, I just had to mention/inquire about it! (you know, just to stir things up a bit more!).   And, you do make a good point about the weather.  Last year was horrendous after the first game or two as the essentially six weeks of rain was the worst I can remember in a very long time.  It is no fun standing on the sidelines or sitting in the stands with that kind of "stuff" in one's face regardless of how warm and type of clothing one chooses for the day. 

In addition to the above, you also allude to a good point as to partial reasons for declined attendance at MIAA games (not including here the  two huge crowds Olivet has had at a couple of games the past couple of years).  There are additional other reasons with regard to attendance decline IMO, although that i.e. college football attendance decline somewhat in general, appears to be across all the divisions the last year or so (with the exception of the FBS super powers, of course), which is sad.  Although, I am not meaning the latter with regard to your going to an ND game, as any of us enjoy going to another level game (FBS, FCS or DII) from time to time if/when we get the chance! 

I agree with you that the lack of football at Calvin certainly decreases their contribution to the chatter on this football board, but as you well know, it certainly gets interesting (including for most of the year) over on the MIAA basketball board! As to the rivalries, I agree with you, although I will say that, in reality, Albion should really consider your school as a rival because, after all, Albion and Olivet started the first of those (i.e. between eventual MIAA) schools back in 1884.  To be honest, as a historian of MIAA football, I personally consider Olivet's first team to be that 1884 team, not the 1891 team that Olivet considers as the start because it was, indeed, a team that was authorized by the College to play the two formally planned games and...Albion played University of Michigan that same year in the very first intercollegiate football game ever played in the State of Michigan.

As to Trine, I believe, as I'm sure you and others do as well, that in due time, they will establish some rivalries.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how our league race goes this year.  Good luck to your Olivet, except against us, of course!  

[formerd3db]

TUAngola:

Thanks for the informative summary of your Trine's game against Manchester.  How did you rate/evaluate Manchester overall?  Their HC used to be at Alma before returning to Manchester.

With regard to their stadium, including the grass, you might recall the discussion a few weeks ago over on one of the other boards.  We were informed that Manchester has already planned a new up-to-date stadium for next year including artificial turf that is to be built right next to the old existing stadium, thereby preserving the scenic setting that at least the current one has.

 

[formerd3db]

A close one so far, in the early 3rd quarter, Pat's scoreboard team shows Hope up by one at Millikin.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Millikin received the kick to start the second half, and drives all the way for a TD.  W/ 11 to go in the 3rd, Millikin 20, Hope 14.

[formerd3db]

Oops! That is not good, Mr. Ypsi (for us!)

[Mr. Ypsi]

Oops! That is not good, Mr. Ypsi (for us!)

Don't panic, doc!  Hope goes 92 yards in less than 3 minutes to retake the lead, 21 - 20.

This one is looking like the last team with the ball wins!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Millikin immediately re-took the lead, 27-21.  Then the defenses woke up.  Early in the 4th, Millikin had 1st and goal at the two, and Hope stuffed 'em 4 straight times!  The Dutch take over on their own one-yard line.

[formerd3db]

Wow! Another close game with them like last year, but obviously disappointing for us Hope fans. Thanks for keeping me updated, Mr. Ypsi. I was unable to accompany the team to this one due to another personal commitment. But I will be on the sidelines at next Saturday's home opener. Hopefully, we'll rebound which I think most likely we will since we play Defiance, a team that has struggled of recent.  Anyway, hope you are doing well, Chuck and thanks again.

[formerd3db]

Uh, oh!   This is not good! Not a great start for the MIAA.  Adrian gets pasted by Heidelberg and Alma the same by Baldwin-Wallace.  Olivet is barely winning over Wilmington.  Finlandia gave a decent showing against Concordia-WI as far as the score-at least they didn't get smashed 70-0 like the have in the past.  Kalamazoo has a 3-0 win over Oberlin.  Albion wins big and Trine had their nice win the other night as already discussed previously on this board, and Hope loses a tough, close one (AGAIN) to Millikin.

This is disappointing and as many have said several times, our teams simply have to do better in their non-conference games if they expect to go further than a first round playoff game if they get that far.  Of course, the first important task is to win the conference title.