University Athletic Association

[GRIZ_BACKER]

Congrats to Coach Kindbom and WashU on their playoff appearance and acquitting themselves quite well yesterday.  Franklin has a very powerful offense and the Bears shut them down, as they have done all season.  That WashU defense must go down as one of the best units in the conference's history.  14 points allowed in the three UAA games; 127 overall in 11 games (86 in 10 if you remove the Hendrix shootout); and holding some very, very, very good opponents to just 17 (UWW, Franklin) meaning that they could shut down very good teams as well as their peers.  I haven't looked at their two-deep to see how many defensive starters return next year but if a fair number do, they will be a tough out again.  Bears, get yourself some offense!  I want to see what that defense can do if you can give'em 20 points a game!

Very exciting game on Saturday.  Once again, one more long scoring drive by the offense would have helped tremendously.  The weather played a major factor also - very windy and cold.  Wash U controlled the third quarter with the wind and went up 10-7.  The fourth quarter was all Franklin with Wash U being unable to turn the field and consistently having to punt into the wind.  I think Franklin's  worst starting field position in the 4th quarter was about their own 45.  Even on the final TD,  the Franklin QB was quoted as saying he was actually throwing to another receiver and the ball carried  to the other guy.  Great year for the Bears and lots of reasons to be very optimistic about next year with a slightly more favorable schedule.

The Bears will lose 6 starters on defense, including 3 linemen, 1 linebacker and 2 db's.  One thing Coach Kindbom does well is rotate a lot of players in, so the first line of replacements for these six all have considerable playing time under their belts.  Only losing 3 starters on offense including the QB.  Back-up QB at the end of the year was a freshman who looked pretty good in limited action.

A nice video clip of Franklin's game winning play from last Saturday:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=591110557622469

[AlleghenyAlum]

No mention of the CMU OC retiring?  http://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/fball/2013-14/releases/201311196j74qb

I'm curious to see if they'll just hire in house and continue on with the same offensive scheme.

[ExTartanPlayer]

No mention of the CMU OC retiring?  http://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/fball/2013-14/releases/201311196j74qb

I'm curious to see if they'll just hire in house and continue on with the same offensive scheme.

Thought I had said something about this, must have been in a PM elsewhere.  Coach Erdelyi had his critics and his defenders, but I am a loyal soldier and genuinely liked CMU running the wing-T, especially because he did include some wrinkles and shotgun stuff that added a passing element while keeping a lot of wing-T running elements.  It's not going to work widespread but that's the point; CMU does have a bit of an advantage because nobody else plays this offense.

I have no insider information, but I suspect that CMU will hire from within.  Running backs coach Jeff Simmons (http://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/fball/coaches/simmons_jeff) appears to be a logical successor; his grandfather was Coach Lackner's predecessor as head coach, he has been an assistant on the offensive staff for eight years (the last four as a fulltime assistant, has coached both RB's and WR's and was a college QB himself) and sliding into the offensive coordinator's job looks like a nice promotion and a POSSIBLE trial to be Coach Lackner's potential successor someday if he wants that job as well.

[AlleghenyAlum]

No mention of the CMU OC retiring?  http://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/fball/2013-14/releases/201311196j74qb

I'm curious to see if they'll just hire in house and continue on with the same offensive scheme.

Thought I had said something about this, must have been in a PM elsewhere.  Coach Erdelyi had his critics and his defenders, but I am a loyal soldier and genuinely liked CMU running the wing-T, especially because he did include some wrinkles and shotgun stuff that added a passing element while keeping a lot of wing-T running elements.  It's not going to work widespread but that's the point; CMU does have a bit of an advantage because nobody else plays this offense.

I have no insider information, but I suspect that CMU will hire from within.  Running backs coach Jeff Simmons (http://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/fball/coaches/simmons_jeff) appears to be a logical successor; his grandfather was Coach Lackner's predecessor as head coach, he has been an assistant on the offensive staff for eight years (the last four as a fulltime assistant, has coached both RB's and WR's and was a college QB himself) and sliding into the offensive coordinator's job looks like a nice promotion and a POSSIBLE trial to be Coach Lackner's potential successor someday if he wants that job as well.

Very cool, that sounds like a smooth transition and would definitely make sense.

[ADL70]

2014 Schedules:

http://bearsports.wustl.edu/Sports/Football/Pages/schedule.aspx

http://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/fball/2014-15/schedule

http://athletics.case.edu/sports/fball/future


SoCal QB reported coming to CWRU:

http://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/connor-simpson/7wNbg_TqEeKZ5AAmVebBJg/gendersport/football-stats.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfTbz86paJk

[wally_wabash]

2014 Schedules:

http://bearsports.wustl.edu/Sports/Football/Pages/schedule.aspx

http://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/fball/2014-15/schedule

http://athletics.case.edu/sports/fball/future

That @W&J, @WUStl, @TMC triple is brutal for Case.  I haven't perused a lot of of 2014 schedules, but outside of something like Wesley tends to do, there won't be many teams playing a tougher three-game stretch than this.   

[ADL70]

Yep, would be nice to swap one of them with TC or SVC.  Then for '16 & '17 neither W&J or TMC is on the sched.

Still it's later in the year, rather than Franklin, which opens with IWU and  UW-W, back to back. L

[ADL70]

UChi sched

http://athletics.uchicago.edu/sports/fball/2013-14/releases/2014012942veyl

Signing day is pretty meaningless for D3, but there are always a few announcements and faux signings.  The PD reports these commitments:

Alex Habeeb (Avon)  5'9 195 LB   Div II Dist HM
     http://www.hudl.com/athlete/525305/alex-habeeb#
Pete Lemaster (Chardon)  6' 190 LB/DE  Div III Dist 2nd Team
     http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/2626123/highlights/98477377
Anthony Canganelli (Mayfield)  5'9 185  RB/P  '13 DivII Dist 2nd Team P   '12 2nd Team RB

Canganelli looks to be quick, reportedly 4.5/40 and 11.03/100, but tough, also played LB and benches 300 and squats 450.  Looks like he could fill either Sicre or Lapcevic's shoes in 2015.

But the big news, both literally and figuratively, is St Ed LG Gage Blair (6'1 275), a two year starter, has committed to CWRU, despite having offers reported on the St Ed's site from Penn, Davidson, and Hopkins.  http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/676210/highlights/1

Jacob Burke (Johnstown Northridge) RB/LB 6-1 215  Dist IV HM as Jr injuries limited sr year
     http://www.ncsasports.org/football-recruiting/oh/johnstown/northridge-high-school-johnstown/jacob-burke5
     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocyMMORLIRE

Another big lineman  Ryan DeMarinis (Westwood MA) '6-2 290
     http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/786753/highlights/77894380

With the SoCal QB previously noted the critical needs of QB, OL, and RB look to be being met early.  There are two more linemen and an All-Ohio QB who have expressed interest, but have yet to commit.

This is the most commitments I have seen this early and Debs, who is typically pessimistic during recruiting is said to be very pleased and thinks there are 4-5 commits who could contribute right away.

I just noticed that the UAA and PAC boards are both on page 213.  Kinda spooky.

[ADL70]

Another OL commit for CWRU

Ryan Merlau 6'3 255 Yorkshire NY Pioneer

No highlights on-line

His list of awards include Section 6 Scholar Athlete of the Year, NSYPHSAA scholar athlete, being a member of the Western New York All-Academic Team, a Trench Trophy finalist (top lineman in WestNY), All-Western New York and All-State honorable mentions as well as first-team all-league.

[ExTartanPlayer]

CMU hires new offensive coordinator to take Erdelyi's place:

http://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/fball/2013-14/releases/20140220m3uwbq

Kind of a surprising hire, although I can imagine a few reasons why this might be a good fit.  Helms coached Division III ball in the 1990's but has been a high school coach for awhile; with that caveat mentioned, I'm certainly not one to proclaim that D3 schools should not hire HS coaches, and it's possible that he runs a system that Coach Lackner favors installing now that Erdelyi has retired.  I was a big fan of CMU running the wing-T (it helps to be a little different when you can't necessarily just "recruit better talent" than your opponents).

I'll have to send spies to spring practice in a few weeks to see what the offense looks like.

[BearFan]

Spring ball started at 6:45 a.m. this morning for the Bears!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151921868547821&set=vb.162416397820&type=2&theater

[ADL70]

Another SoCal QB to CWRU, Mac Vail Dana Point CA:
http://www.ocvarsity.com/ocvarsity/football-72850-recruiting-offers.html
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/740247/mac-vail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YhVcLt61Qg

[ADL70]

All Ohio LB Justin McMahon (6-1, 215) reported to have commited to CWRUhttp://www.hudl.com/athlete/501287/justin-mcmahon

http://www.hudl.com/athlete/501287/justin-mcmahon

[ADL70]

Chicago announces 33 recruits:

http://athletics.uchicago.edu/sports/fball/2013-14/releases/20140228caqv90

9 from Cali

[ADL70]

Another CWRU QB commit:

Robert Cuda South Elgin IL 6'1 200  2x All-State HM

http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1420006/rob-cuda