University Athletic Association

[jam40jeff]

Yeah, the Allegheny game will be a very tough game.  It will be Homecoming Weekend, so there should be a pretty large crowd.  Any plans to make the trip up, ADL?

[ADL70]

That had been my plan, but my sister is coming in from Texas, so family matters rule.

Plan B is Wooster and CMU.

When was the last time a mop-up QB was the game's leading rusher?  And only only 9 rushes (8 really, one wasa a sack).

[Raider 68]

ALD70,

How does CRWU match up against Allegheny and who do your like?

[wally_wabash]

When was the last time a mop-up QB was the game's leading rusher?  And only only 9 rushes (8 really, one wasa a sack).

You're aware that the opponent was Denison, yes?  Not sure I'd get too wide-eyed about stat stuffing against a team that went to OT with Hiram.  Perspective, please. 

[ADL70]

When was the last time a mop-up QB was the game's leading rusher?  And only only 9 rushes (8 really, one wasa a sack).

You're aware that the opponent was Denison, yes?  Not sure I'd get too wide-eyed about stat stuffing against a team that went to OT with Hiram.  Perspective, please. 

I was only comparing him to CWRU players.

[ExTartanPlayer]

When was the last time a mop-up QB was the game's leading rusher?  And only only 9 rushes (8 really, one wasa a sack).

You're aware that the opponent was Denison, yes?  Not sure I'd get too wide-eyed about stat stuffing against a team that went to OT with Hiram.  Perspective, please. 

Wally, I don't think this was to gloat about stat-stuffing.  I think it was merely an observation.  ADL is a pretty level-headed fan that understands the different levels of play within D3, and is certainly aware of the difference in quality from the bottom of the NCAC to the top.

[jam40jeff]

ExTartanPlayer (or any other CMU fan/poster),

If any of you watched last week's game, what happened?  Is CMU that down this year?  Is Kenyon better?  (I find that hard to believe since they lost to Hiram by more points than they lost to CMU.)  Did CMU just play a terrible game and they're really a much better team than Kenyon?  Inquiring minds need to know!

[ExTartanPlayer]

jeff, I haven't seen them live this year, but I have a couple of comments.

CMU has been a little Jekyll-and-Hyde this year.  Two strong efforts to open the season (win over decent GCC team and close loss to very good Allegheny team), then a bad loss to Hobart (trailed 35-7 in fourth quarter).  I think they were glad just to get out of the Kenyon game with a win.  Having been through a few ups and downs at CMU as a frosh/soph, I know that after a loss or two things tend to feel pretty crappy around there, and you'll take ANY win.

If you look at the boxscore & recap, the Kenyon game was kind of weird.  CMU completely controlled the game for 25 minutes, and in the second half Kenyon's offense held the ball for three long drives - 9 plays (TD), 14 plays (missed FG), and 16 plays (last-gasp turnover on downs at the CMU 17 with 4 minutes to go).

I don't put much stock into comparing scores - to be honest, I still expect CMU to beat Hiram pretty easily, although Hiram certainly appears improved.  One other thing worth noting is that even at our "best" CMU typically didn't blow teams out the way CWRU has recently because of the nature of our move-the-chains, ball-control offense.  Since the start of CWRU's run of success, they've always rang up bigger offensive numbers than we ever did.  CWRU probably averaged more points-per-game even in 2006, going 5-5, than we did going 11-1.  For example, in our 2006 playoff season, we won a bunch of grind-it-out games by scores like 20-10, 27-0, 10-7, 14-7.

[jam40jeff]

Thanks, ExTartan.  So I assume Kenyon must have a halfway decent offense this year to be able to put together long drives against CMU?  I would have expected them to have trouble stringing together first downs.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Thanks, ExTartan.  So I assume Kenyon must have a halfway decent offense this year to be able to put together long drives against CMU?  I would have expected them to have trouble stringing together first downs.

Don't really know about Kenyon's offense, I wasn't there.  I've read through the Kenyon boxscores and they've moved the ball pretty well in each game (admittedly against crappy competition) - they've just shot themselves in the foot.  I'll also admit that I don't think CMU is really that great this year - I just can't imagine them losing to Hiram or OWU (especially once I read the Kenyon-Hiram game story, see below).  The bottom of the NCAC has done AWFUL against the UAA teams.  It's funny - if you added the UAA teams to the NCAC, I think all four UAA teams would be in the top half of the conference - Bash and Witt clearly on top, CWRU next, the rest of the UAA teams probably about even with Allegheny and Wooster, and then the awful Kenyon/Denison/Hiram/OWU/Oberlin group at the bottom.

Now that I read the Kenyon-Hiram story, it's actually pretty funny how they blew that game.  They ran a remarkable 95 plays against (normal is about 70) for 430 yards - but:

1) They were stopped at the 1-yard line twice in the first half, resulting in a pair of 18-yard field goals that probably should have been TD's.  Nonetheless they still had a 13-0 lead at the half.

2) Early in the 3rd quarter, they had a blocked FG returned for a touchdown

3) Later in the third quarter, they fumbled a shotgun snap at the Hiram 2-yard line that was returned the length of the field for a touchdown. 

Hiram took a 14-13 lead in the third quarter without running an offensive snap.  Basically, Kenyon dominated Hiram and totally pissed the game away.

[jam40jeff]

Ha, I should have read the box/recap of that game.  That's pretty crazy.

[DagarmanSpartan]

Gang,

Here's some good news for the University Athletic Association.

The Times of London just released its rankings of the WORLD'S Top 200 universities.

The University Athletic Association did VERY well, placing six of its members on the list; all in the Top 65:

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2010-2011/top-200.html

12) Chicago
20) Carnegie-Mellon
38) Washington U. St. Louis
60) NYU
61) Emory U.
65) CWRU

For some perspective, consider where some other top schools placed:

Dartmouth: 99
William and Mary: 75
Brown U. : 55
Tufts: 53
RPI: 104

I think that this helps cement our claim to be the "Ivy League" of Division III.

[ADL70]

Allegheny will be the best team the Spartans have faced in the regular season since the streak began.  The 2007 CMU team I would consider the closest opponent to them.

The schedule may favor CWRU.  A week off then an easy game where the starters were pretty much out after midway through the third quarter.  Allegheny comes off a tough loss to Wittenberg.  They could have a let down.

Allegheny is strong in all phases of the game.  If they have a weakness it may be the running game.  The Spartan team that played JCU and Denison will beat the Allegheny team that played CMU.  The Gator team that played Wittenberg will beat the CWRU team that played Rochester.

In the NCAC pick-em the Spartans are a 3.5 pt favorite and better than 2 to 1 they are taking the Spartans.

The game is more crucial to Allegheny's post season hopes than CWRU's, unless Allegheny beats Wabash and Wabash beats Wittenberg.

[E.115]

Here's a preview from the CWRU student newspaper: http://media.www.cwruobserver.com/media/storage/paper1370/news/2010/10/01/Sports/Gameday.Preview.Cwru.Vs.Allegheny-3939593.shtml

Should be a good game with good attendence!

And a quick mention in the News-Herald: http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2010/10/02/sports/nh3119951.txt

PD, where you at??

[E.115]

PD, where you at??

I take that back, the Plain Dealer has a little mention too of the CWRU game: http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/index.ssf/2010/10/preview_capsules_for_this_week.html