University Athletic Association

[jaybird44]

Tremendous performance by Wash-U in a 17-7 loss at Whitewater this afternoon.  To be 7-3 ahead midway through the final quarter against the #9 team says a lot about the grit and the improvement of the squad from last season.  I was hoping to get a couple of Alex Hallwachs FG opportunities, but kudos to the Whitewater defense for preventing that from happening.  All in all, a very exciting start to the season, with the home opener vs. Rhodes next Saturday!  Rhodes won 24-21 in overtime against Austin, so it will be a fun game next week with two longtime non-conference rivals facing each other again!

[DagarmanSpartan]

Gang,

I realize that we were playing Marietta, but compared to last year's opener against the same team, we're showing SIGNIFICANT improvement.

Last year, we barely beat those guys.  This year, we dominated them from start to finish.

Even our defense, which was supposed to be in a MAJOR rebuilding phase, had a GREAT game with the starters totally dominating.  Not until we pulled the starters and brought in the back-ups did Marietta get a TD.

If it's true that a team improves the most between games one and two, then we should have no trouble next week against Oberlin. 

Of course, our true tests are going to be against people like Linfield and Trinity.  I obviously don't expect us to dominate them in similar fashion, but we might at least be able to play respectably now.  Let's hope!

[SpartanMom_2016]

We were very excited to be at last night's game!  It was great to meet new people.  I thought the guys played great, especially the young and inexperienced defense.  I am looking forward to watching next week's game.  I wish I could be there in person, but that is not going to happen.

[ADL70]

Well, it was Marietta, with a first-time head coach and QB (started ahead of QB whose first start was vs CWRU last year), but the Super Soph D, acquitted itself very well.  And the offense that was inconsistent last season, was hitting on all cylinders (6-6 in red zone with 5 TDs), despite an untested receiving corps, all but one of whom had not had a collegiate reception.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Good start for all the UAA teams except CMU, in my opinion. 

CWRU - comes up with a nice win and some good-looking offense against the dregs of the OAC.  Looks like Beecher and Olson will both see action for now.

Chicago - any win has to be a success with a new coach named so late in the game.  Shutout is a nice touch.  Beloit's not very good either, but still, a good start for the Maroons.

WashU - even if UWW is no longer the Stagg Bowl power that they were from 2005-2011, leading the Warhawks deep into the game is very impressive.  Their defense is as good as I've been saying; the two touchdowns they gave up came on short fields after turnovers or special teams mistakes.  Holding UWW scoreless for three quarters is darned good.

CMU - yuck.  Moved the ball but couldn't finish drives.  Defense struggled.  More competitive game than the score suggests, but you have got to finish when you get into the opposition's territory.

[ADL70]

Agree with you XTP.

One thing I didn't mention was that Beecher threw the ball very well (not all dinks and dunks) and only ran four times.

Looking ahead to Sunday, here's Oberlin's preview:
http://www.goyeo.com/news/2013/9/4/FB_0904135803.aspx

Spartans going for 29th consecutive win against the Yeomen.

[BearFan]

Quick follow-up from Whitewater.  Two very good defensive teams on display.  Wash U's first drive was an impressive mix of run and pass, but they couldn't do much of anything after that even when they had good field position.  Wash U defense was equally impressive keeping UWW outside the Wash U 40 until the fourth quarter.  In the stands, you could sense that the Wash U offense needed to string together some first downs to give the defense a breather on a warm day as the game got into the fourth quarter.  Unfortunately that didn't happen and the field position turned on the punt interference call and then the fumbled punt.  A great effort by the Bears and certainly something to build on, but it all means nothing unless they come home and take care of Rhodes on Saturday.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Hardly qualifies as a good excuse given the lopsided final score, but CMU was missing guard Nathan Cheek and tight end Bryce Pardoe (according to participation report - I did not watch the game, was just following the stats online).  Given that Cheek was a preseason all-american and Pardoe is a returning starter and solid blocker, that could explain some of CMU's offensive struggles. 

Thanks for the follow-up, BearFan, your recap is basically what I'd surmised.  Strong effort from the WashU defense but needed juuuust a little bit more from the offense.  Hopefully the Bears can deliver another good effort against Rhodes and get some positive inertia going!

[ADL70]

CWRU highlights vs Marietta

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5O5A988TRU&feature=player_embedded

[casefldad]

CWRU highlights vs Marietta

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5O5A988TRU&feature=player_embedded

Great effort by the team.  I was very pleasantly surprised by the defense.  The soph linebackers were excellent as well as the other defenders.  I also thought that Eric and Billy threw the ball really well.  Although Marietta may not be the strongest team we play, this game can only be a positive for the team from a confidence perspective.
Great game, as well as a great turnout and a well done job by the participants in the tail gate. Great food and plenty of it (too much really!).
I'll be up again for Homecoming but will be watching next week.

[DagarmanSpartan]

On a non-athletic note, the USNEWS undergraduate rankings are out, and the "Egghead Eight" once again illustrated why it can legitimately claim to be the "Ivy League" of Division III.  Here are the rankings of UAA members:

Chicago #5
WashU-St. Louis #14
Emory #20
Carnegie-Mellon #23
Brandeis #32
NYU #32
Rochester #32
CWRU #37

And consider this: the UAA remains the ONLY intercollegiate sports conference in the country in which ALL of the conference's members are also members of the prestigious Association of American Universities (even the Ivy League and Big Ten fall one member short in that regard).

You see, that's what I like about the UAA.  It's college athletics in an idealized form, where athletic and academic excellent are not mutually exclusive, and where college athletics serves as a compliment to academic/student life.

[mck99]

Washington U. hosts Rhodes College Saturday at 1 p.m. in its home opener. Check out the preview: http://bearsports.wustl.edu/Sports/Content/Pages/fb9-10-13.aspx.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Thanks mck.  I am eager to see how the Bears do on the heels of an "impressive loss" to UWW.

[E.115]

Agree with you XTP.

One thing I didn't mention was that Beecher threw the ball very well (not all dinks and dunks) and only ran four times.

Looking ahead to Sunday, here's Oberlin's preview:
http://www.goyeo.com/news/2013/9/4/FB_0904135803.aspx

Spartans going for 29th consecutive win against the Yeomen.

Two more previews from Case:

http://athletics.case.edu/sports/fball/2013-14/releases/201309111bqydv

http://observer.case.edu/after-opening-victory-spartans-to-take-on-oberlin/

[ExTartanPlayer]

I will be at the CMU-Allegheny game today. Will post detailed write up a day or two after the game.