FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[Jameswys]

I did catch parts of the Olivet game, Olivet started a freshman at Quarterback. They had 2 turnovers in the first half and even though I didn't catch it the announcers alluded to penalties hurting early Olivet drives. The offense look a lot better in the second half. Olivet's defense had some good stops on a short field. Overall not the performance I wanted to see, but for a team with less than a week of camp (Olivet started school so early that they weren't on campus for a week before players were back in classes) I was pleased.
 

[formerd3db]

Thanks for the Olivet summary, Jameswys!

[TUAngola]

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.

I think Manchester will struggle to win games this year in the HCAC other than against the bottom few teams.  They are young in the trenches.  They do have a seasoned running back who is pretty good, but we held him down for the most part because he couldn't find any holes to run thru.  Their QB is very athletic, not a naturally gifted thrower but can chuck it deep.  He is more dangerous as a runner.  When he's in the open field he is pretty elusive.

Getting a new stadium built will help the recruiting as their facility now is not very good.  Kids want to play where the facilities are updated with new turf.  Their campus is nice however, lots of greenery.  I didn't see any construction going on so not sure where the new field is being put in.

[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.

I think Manchester will struggle to win games this year in the HCAC other than against the bottom few teams.  They are young in the trenches.  They do have a seasoned running back who is pretty good, but we held him down for the most part because he couldn't find any holes to run thru.  Their QB is very athletic, not a naturally gifted thrower but can chuck it deep.  He is more dangerous as a runner.  When he's in the open field he is pretty elusive.

Getting a new stadium built will help the recruiting as their facility now is not very good.  Kids want to play where the facilities are updated with new turf.  Their campus is nice however, lots of greenery.  I didn't see any construction going on so not sure where the new field is being put in.

In the course of this same discussion over on the HCAC board, back on August 14th we were told by Spartan27 who posted that Manchester has scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony for their new stadium and track for their upcoming Homecoming weekend  (football field will have the new synthetic turf ). The new stadium is to be just slightly south of the current stadium, still along the beautiful setting it current has.

It would be nice to see the architectural schematic drawings of this new complex, so hopefully Manchester might put that up on their athletic website in the near future, similar to what every other school had done when they were upgrading to new football and/or other athletic facilities.

I agree that Manchester simply needs to do this new complex to keep up with e everyone else as you and others have said.

[Spartan27]

Here you go, on the Manchester facility, with groundbreaking in a couple weeks:
https://www.manchester.edu/alumni/giving-to-mu/where-can-i-give/capital-initiative-athletic-stadium

[formerd3db]

Here you go, on the Manchester facility, with groundbreaking in a couple weeks:
https://www.manchester.edu/alumni/giving-to-mu/where-can-i-give/capital-initiative-athletic-stadium

Thank you Spartan27!  +k!

[formerd3db]

Okay, friends.  Just for the fun of it and since it is Sunday evening, here is the cost (potential total cost if a student-athlete partakes of all the amenities) of playing football at an MIAA school (exceptions are Calvin and St. Mary's, of course.)

The following listed costs for the MIAA schools for the 2019-2020 academic year:
(*all figures are directly off each schools official website in the financial section.  These figures include total one year cost of Tuition, Room and Board, Fee i.e. Activity fee for athletics and other student activities, Meal Plan, Books.  Also, I realize that not every undergraduate student will choose to do R&B, Meal plans, etc., however, if a student-athlete chooses to do so and also did not have any financial aid at all-which can happen for some-the total cost would be as listed.)

Kalamazoo: $60,546

Albion: $60,470

Alma: $52,782  (Tuition this year is $41,138, an increase from $37,310 back in 2016-2017; in that regard, most of the MIAA
                                  schools have increased in that category by anywhere from $4,000-$6,000 since then)

Adrian: $49,529

Trine: $49,010

Hope: $45,410

Olivet: $38,792  (100% of the students receive some type of financial aid according to Olivet's website)

Finlandia: $32,196


Hope and Trine moved down a couple of slots as compared to previous years.  Nonetheless, as we can see, it is not inexpensive for a college education at a 4 year private school even if a student receives financial aid as one of the other posters shared with us.  Ouch! Believe me, I know as our two daughters went to and graduated from Hope and even then, costs were a "pocket-drainer!."  

[TUAngola]

Here you go, on the Manchester facility, with groundbreaking in a couple weeks:
https://www.manchester.edu/alumni/giving-to-mu/where-can-i-give/capital-initiative-athletic-stadium

Thank you Spartan27!  +k!

Yes, thank you for the update Spartan27.  Nice production video.  Stadium looks super! +k

[formerd3db]

Well, I (and some of you) have been talking about slight decline in overall attendance in college football, especially DIII, several times in the past few weeks, but that also Trine had led the attendance in our league this past season (and when they had their "run" of the titles in recent years as well; also that Olivet has had a couple of huge crowds in the past couple of years.) Some of us had a discussion over on the WIAC borad about the huge attendance for WW (10,000+) which was great!  Albion had 4632 for their game, and that was against Defiance.  Small enrollment Eureka (who plays Albion soon this year) had 4443 at their home game!

So, I am hoping for (no pun intended) but won't be expecting it, that Hope will have about that for the annual Community Day game for the first home game of the season this Saturday against Defiance.  Anything less than 3,000 (and, IMO, it should be more) I will be disappointed.     

[waxx]

I only watched about the first quarter and a half of the Adrian game and it was mostly barf as the score indicated. The announcers mentioned that we are starting all freshmen and sophomores on the O-line, which could be great for the future but rough now. The loss of Stewart and McGaw is tough to fill. Not sure how much to read into that game as Heidelberg has had some recent success in the OAC. Anyway on to Hanover, go Bulldogs.

[TUAngola]

5 games today are MIAA vs HCAC:  Adrian at Hanover, Trine at Bluffton, Defiance at Hope, Albion at Franklin and Alma at Manchester.  Any predictions on the outcomes?  I am predicting 3 MIAA wins, possibly 4.  MIAA on the road in 4 of the matchups.  Most intriguing is the Albion/Franklin game.  Both picked for 2nd in their respective leagues.  Should be an offensive explosion as both teams like to sling it.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

5 games today are MIAA vs HCAC:  Adrian at Hanover, Trine at Bluffton, Defiance at Hope, Albion at Franklin and Alma at Manchester.  Any predictions on the outcomes?  I am predicting 3 MIAA wins, possibly 4.  MIAA on the road in 4 of the matchups.  Most intriguing is the Albion/Franklin game.  Both picked for 2nd in their respective leagues.  Should be an offensive explosion as both teams like to sling it.

Hanover should beat Adrian
Trine wins comfortably but Bluffton keeps it respectable, about like Trine-Manchester
Hope has the backups in early as they cruise over Defiance
Manchester-Alma should be tight, I'll go with Manchester to pull it out
Albion-Franklin... a real head vs heart choice. I'll go with Albion to win it in the last couple minutes..

I have it 3-2 to the north.

[formerd3db]

waxx: Thank you for the summary of the Adrian game.

TU and FCGrizz:  Getting ready to head to Smith Stadium at Hope for the big annual Community Day for Holland and the College, huge picnic lunch for the community and fans before he game.  Should be perfect weather for football today, sunny, temps predicted about 69-70 degrees.

Regarding the MIAA-HCAC games today, I'll go with Hanover over Adrian, especially since it is a home game for Hanover.  Agree with you that Trine will most likely comfortably beat Bluffton as well as my Hope rebounding for a probably big win over Defiance.  Since the game is at Manchester and based on the opening season games for them and Alma last week, I'll go with Manchester also and since it is a home game for them.  The game is at Franklin and it probably will be close as you mention-a tough choice/toss up, but I think Albion comes out on top (if it were the last couple of years or so, I would have said Franklin without question, obviously.) 

In the other two games involving MIAA teams, I'll go with Kalamazoo over Greenville and Olivet over Concordia-Chicago (although the latter game could be close and Concordia possibly winning since it is a home game for them.  Hard to judge that one as Concordia beat Beloit and Olivet beat Wilmington last week, both losing teams not very good.)

[Captain_Joe08]

waxx: Thank you for the summary of the Adrian game.

TU and FCGrizz:  Getting ready to head to Smith Stadium at Hope for the big annual Community Day for Holland and the College, huge picnic lunch for the community and fans before he game.  Should be perfect weather for football today, sunny, temps predicted about 69-70 degrees.

Regarding the MIAA-HCAC games today, I'll go with Hanover over Adrian, especially since it is a home game for Hanover.  Agree with you that Trine will most likely comfortably beat Bluffton as well as my Hope rebounding for a probably big win over Defiance.  Since the game is at Manchester and based on the opening season games for them and Alma last week, I'll go with Manchester also and since it is a home game for them.  The game is at Franklin and it probably will be close as you mention-a tough choice/toss up, but I think Albion comes out on top (if it were the last couple of years or so, I would have said Franklin without question, obviously.) 

In the other two games involving MIAA teams, I'll go with Kalamazoo over Greenville and Olivet over Concordia-Chicago (although the latter game could be close and Concordia possibly winning since it is a home game for them.  Hard to judge that one as Concordia beat Beloit and Olivet beat Wilmington last week, both losing teams not very good.)

You forgot Finlandia-Ripon! While they aren't on my football watching list today (Big HS 8-man game up here in the UP today), I don't think Ripon shouldn't have many issues up in Hancock.

[TUAngola]

Made the trip on this gorgeous late summer Saturday to Bluffton Ohio to watch the Thunder win 35-20 over Bluffton University.  Still not sure how well we'll do in the MIAA yet.  This team is definitely a work in progress, I don't think we're as good as Hope or Albion this year.  For as much as Coach Abbs says we will be much more diverse this year without Lamar Carswell, we only threw it 9 times today.  And 2 of them should have been picked off.  Maybe that is why we stuck with the run as much as we did.  Winters is so unpredictable throwing the ball.  He looked much better last week against Manchester.  Our best runner is turning out to be freshman Xaine Kirby.  Again he was pretty impressive when he gets in the game, but he is stuck as the second or third option at running back.  In my opinion he should be a starter based on what I've seen of the running backs the first 2 games. 

Defensively it was all hit or miss for the Thunder today.  We got lots of pressure on the Bluffton QBs, had quite a few sacks, but also gave up a ton of big plays on 3rd and long and even a 4th and 25.  We're pretty good on 1st and 2nd downs, but not very good on 3rd down.  Damian Bowker had a nice pick 6 that helped us to a comfortable halftime lead, and we ended up with 3 int's.

Likewise special teams looked very good at times, had some nice kickoff returns.  But we also had a FG blocked and a punt blocked in the 4th quarter that Bluffton returned for a TD.  Our punter just takes way too long to get the punt off, he has to cut down on his steps or something.

For you HCAC fans I'd say Bluffton is a tad better than Manchester, especially offensively.  They had to throw a ton today and had some nice long completions.