FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[GBMAN]

UW-Whitewater's Brady Grayvold named one of 10 finalists for the 2014 Gagliardi Trophy. Six Warhawks have been named Gagliardi finalists in the past.

Ryan Kleppe (2006), Jeff Schebler (2009), Aaron Rusch (2010), Matt Blanchard (2011), Cole Klotz (2013) Justin Beaver captured the 2007 Gagliardi Trophy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3NsgUlExmU

Thanks Voice

[bleedpurple]

From a Warhawk fan that traveled to River Falls for the game,  what that heck happened in that one? 

I was expecting to see a bunch of turnovers or mistakes in the stats... looked pretty clean.

I was at the game and it was obvious that they had taken a mental vacation. It was miserably cold but that is no excuse.  RF had a bunch of seniors that really played their hearts out and really wanted to win that game.  It was a good game for the Hawks because the realized they can't sleep walk through a game or rest on their laurels.  It certainly has helped them focus for the play offs.

For what it's worth, Jordan Ratliffe agreed with you.  In Saturday's post-game press conference, he said he felt the team did look past River Falls. He said it was a wake up call and that the playoff mindset is completely different. "We know in our locker room you have to take one game at a time because you never know when it's going to be your last," Ratliffe said. "We always tell our seniors we're going to win another one for you, then another one for you."

He was then asked if it was difficult not to look ahead to the Stagg Bowl after UW-W being there so often, he said:

"You don't ever jump too far ahead because you never know what can happen. We always focus on the team we have every week."

In my opinion, the most accurate conclusion to draw from the River Falls game is that UW-Whitewater is not good enough to look past an opponent and win in the playoffs.  In fact, that seems to be the opinion of the guys in the locker room as well. 

Any opponent hoping/expecting UW-W to look past them in the playoffs is probably going to be disappointed. UW-W will be UW-W.  If a team is good enough to beat them, then they will beat them. If they are not, they will lose.  UW-W is not invincible. They are beatable.  But then again, they have been beatable every year. It is just difficult to beat them, that's all. Obviously, it does not happen very often, but that is a tribute to this year's team and teams in past years. They haven't won games because they have been invincible or because anything was inevitable. They won games because they are a great team. They don't always play great (and haven't in past years either), but they are a great team. Great teams are hard, but not impossible to beat.

[Caveman # 95]

Just reminiscing about the 07 game. I was one of the Wabash contingent that traveled to Whitewater. What an awesome day, what an awesome weekend. Even though we got our asses kicked. Some random thoughts and memories:

-Showing up at the Perk at 8 a.m. (first ones there  ) with not a speck of snow on the ground, leaving after the game with 8 inches!
-Setting up our tailgate on the 'grassy knoll' in the center of the parking lot, and some Whitewater parents being irritated with us for grabbing "their spot". They let us know later that they had used that area for every home game that year...and were pissed at first we had snagged it...but were cool with it once they saw the party we threw. Great people, gracious and friendly...as were all the Whitewater fans.
-The RV!!
-The alum from Lake Geneva hauling in that big-ass trailer grill with his red Hummer
- The 5' 5" db from Whitewater who I think intercepted the first pass?  That dude was good.
-The treacherous drive back to Indiana in a blizzard that night
- The cannon!! And the fact it scared the crap out of me the first time it went off (totally sucks that it can't be used in the playoffs)

[Caveman # 95]

One more thing, how cool was Perkins Stadium? The whole "bowl shape" thing, set into the hill...I think the one of coolest venues in D3.

[voice]

For Warhawk and Wabash fans ... great late November weather for Saturday's D3 Round 2 game at the Perk. Weather.com is forecasting 40 degrees and partly cloudy. See you on Saturday!!!

[badgerwarhawk]

I think that by the end of the season River Falls was a better team than their record reflected or people gave them credit for.  There were games in which they were either leading and/or within a score late but their tendency to turn the ball over cost them.  Their 3-6 record without a few bad plays could have been 6-3 or 5-4.  I know that they didn't win those games because they made mistakes but they were competitive.  Given some of them were playing their final game they were determined to go out with a bang.  Despite the loss they did.  I'm not sure our guys took the game as seriously. That surprises me a little bit because I know the staff stresses preparation and focusing on the game at hand.  Fortunately it didn't cost us and it's better to learn the lesson from a game you won rather than from one you lost.  I'm not at all worried the same thing will happen in the playoffs.  I just don't see our guys losing focus like that. 

[voice]

If you haven't already, please cast your vote now for Brady Grayvold for 2014 Gagliardi Trophy
http://d3football.com/notables/2014/11/gagliardi-voting

[bashbrother]

If you haven't already, please cast your vote now for Brady Grayvold for 2014 Gagliardi Trophy
http://d3football.com/notables/2014/11/gagliardi-voting

Done... now please ask him to lay off the swing pass that we like to use,  at least in the first half.   

[02 Warhawk]

Looks to be a fun and challenging game this Saturday.  From a statistical standpoint, based upon the NCAA stats the teams are fairly even:

Total Defense:             UWW - 12      Wabash - 3
Total Offense:             UWW - 20      Wabash - 43
Turnovers Allowed:      UWW - 1        Wabash - 10
Turnover Margin:        UWW - 6         Wabash - 78
Pass Eff Offense:         UWW - 7        Wabash - 19
Pass Eff Defense:        UWW - 13       Wabash - 23
Rushing Offense:        UWW - 42       Wabash - 26
Rushing Defense:       UWW - 9          Wabash - 1
Sacks Allowed:           UWW - 17        Wabash - 162
Tackles for Loss All:    UWW - 3          Wabash - 132

WHD

Time for UWW's fast/athletic d-line to take advantage of this. My only concern is our LBs keeping tabs on their QB scrambling for his life. UWW has had trouble with athletic/scrambling QB's this season.

Surprised Wabash is 132 in tackles for loss....I thought they would be towards the top given how good they are at getting after the QB.

I was at the 2007 game, but won't be able to make this week's game......Thanksgiving at the in-laws 

[bashbrother]

Looks to be a fun and challenging game this Saturday.  From a statistical standpoint, based upon the NCAA stats the teams are fairly even:

Total Defense:             UWW - 12      Wabash - 3
Total Offense:             UWW - 20      Wabash - 43
Turnovers Allowed:      UWW - 1        Wabash - 10
Turnover Margin:        UWW - 6         Wabash - 78
Pass Eff Offense:         UWW - 7        Wabash - 19
Pass Eff Defense:        UWW - 13       Wabash - 23
Rushing Offense:        UWW - 42       Wabash - 26
Rushing Defense:       UWW - 9          Wabash - 1
Sacks Allowed:           UWW - 17        Wabash - 162
Tackles for Loss All:    UWW - 3          Wabash - 132

WHD

Time for UWW's fast/athletic d-line to take advantage of this. My only concern is our LBs can keeping tabs on their QB scrambling for his life. UWW has had trouble with athletic/scrambling QB's this season.

Surprised Wabash is 132 in tackles for loss....I thought this would be better given how good they are at getting after the QB.

The numbers above are tackles for loss allowed    

Tackles for Loss FOR -

Wabash is 4th  -  UWW is 92nd

[02 Warhawk]

Looks to be a fun and challenging game this Saturday.  From a statistical standpoint, based upon the NCAA stats the teams are fairly even:

Total Defense:             UWW - 12      Wabash - 3
Total Offense:             UWW - 20      Wabash - 43
Turnovers Allowed:      UWW - 1        Wabash - 10
Turnover Margin:        UWW - 6         Wabash - 78
Pass Eff Offense:         UWW - 7        Wabash - 19
Pass Eff Defense:        UWW - 13       Wabash - 23
Rushing Offense:        UWW - 42       Wabash - 26
Rushing Defense:       UWW - 9          Wabash - 1
Sacks Allowed:           UWW - 17        Wabash - 162
Tackles for Loss All:    UWW - 3          Wabash - 132

WHD

Time for UWW's fast/athletic d-line to take advantage of this. My only concern is our LBs can keeping tabs on their QB scrambling for his life. UWW has had trouble with athletic/scrambling QB's this season.

Surprised Wabash is 132 in tackles for loss....I thought this would be better given how good they are at getting after the QB.

The numbers above are tackles for loss allowed   

Tackles for Loss FOR -

Wabash is 4th  -  UWW is 92nd

Now that makes more sense..Thanks

#3 team in TOL allowed against the #4 team in TOL for...should be a great matchup.

[bashbrother]

Also: 

Sacks For:

Wabash is 1st
UWW is 33 rd

Line of scrimmage on both sides should be a great match up to watch..

[02 Warhawk]

Also: 

Sacks For:

Wabash is 1st
UWW is 33 rd

Better to look at it this way:

Wabash is 1st...going up against (UWW) #17 in sacks against
UWW is 33 rd...going up against (Wabash) #162 in sacks against

Both O-lines will have their work cut out for them.

[emma17]

Fwiw-  I don't subscribe to the idea that UWW looked past UWRF.  When players say something like that I tend to think they are searching for a quick explanation to a question asked them.
There is no shame whatsoever in UWW having been pushed to the limit by UWRF. It's a testament to the strength of the conference.  UWW could have played better, yes.

Bash brother - thanks for the clarification on tackles for loss as I was confused too.
When watching Wabash video last night I said to my wife- Wabash plays defense at a frenetic pace.
Those D ends are high energy, non stop guys. Once they get to pursuing it seems they split and multiply on the field to where your think all 11 are in the backfield.
No wonder the Lil Giants nearly lead the country in tackles for loss.

[02 Warhawk]

I found this photo on the NCAA.com site.....the caption read: "Mount Union recorded 503 yards of total offense in the win against Wilmington Saturday."

In their defense, they do have Mount Union in the photo (kind of)...but not as they probably intended. I think they got their DIII purple powers mixed up a bit.

Ok...that's enough from me picking on the NCAA for today.