FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[D O.C.]

Can you say, "Thank-you River Falls?"

[emma17]

Very possibly the most difficult UWW game I've ever watched.
Great play by UWRF.
So much to question about UWW.

[MasterJedi]

Utterly sad that UWW always has trouble with River Falls, they're not that good, get beaten soundly by a lot of other good WIAC teams, must be looking past them again and again.

[fredfalcon]

masterjedi, you are right. RF is not that good, but about every other game, they come to play. Inconsistency has been their problem for the past several years. Kudos to WW for being consistent. RF is younger than lots of teams. But--this game made me feel good about the upward progression of the football program. WE played as well as we could at this point. I question WW quarterbacking and discipline and running attack, based on a flimsy one game look. But I've seen better quarterbacking, and better running from previous WW teams.

[emma17]

The UWW O almost looks as if it's in total disarray.
I know the huddle is not in vogue these days, but I sure as heck think UWW benefit from it.
Huddle up and call a play.  Let the players envision and rehearse their responsibility. Let them come to the line of scrimmage knowing where they are to line up and what they are trying to accomplish. 

UWW had an offensive style to it that no longer exists.  Smith has put his stamp on the O and I have no idea what he wants to accomplish.
If you didn't see the game, it's hard to appreciate just how disorganized the players often look with the way plays are called in without a huddle.  Yes, their are young players out there due to injury, ALL THE MORE REASON TO HUDDLE UP. 
Fred, your view of the quarterbacking is accurate, but how many of the throws were downfield on fade and seam routes?  Many, many.  Those passes are low percentage plays no matter who is throwing the ball. 

I give the UWRF DC great credit because he created havoc and I'm sure uncertainty at the line of scrimmage.  UWW seemed as though they just couldn't figure it out.  And then would defer to the fade route, falling incomplete and losing a down where they could have gained positive yardage.

To me, Smith = Impatience.  Man I could go for some matriculating the ball down the field.  This go for broke bs has really soured me.

[02 Warhawk]

The UWW O almost looks as if it's in total disarray.
I know the huddle is not in vogue these days, but I sure as heck think UWW benefit from it.
Huddle up and call a play.  Let the players envision and rehearse their responsibility. Let them come to the line of scrimmage knowing where they are to line up and what they are trying to accomplish. 

UWW had an offensive style to it that no longer exists.  Smith has put his stamp on the O and I have no idea what he wants to accomplish.
If you didn't see the game, it's hard to appreciate just how disorganized the players often look with the way plays are called in without a huddle.  Yes, their are young players out there due to injury, ALL THE MORE REASON TO HUDDLE UP. 
Fred, your view of the quarterbacking is accurate, but how many of the throws were downfield on fade and seam routes?  Many, many.  Those passes are low percentage plays no matter who is throwing the ball. 

I give the UWRF DC great credit because he created havoc and I'm sure uncertainty at the line of scrimmage.  UWW seemed as though they just couldn't figure it out.  And then would defer to the fade route, falling incomplete and losing a down where they could have gained positive yardage.

To me, Smith = Impatience.  Man I could go for some matriculating the ball down the field.  This go for broke bs has really soured me.

Pound the rock mantra is slowly fading away with this regime.

I could only stay for the first half, but that was one of the most frustrating halfs i've ever seen. Lack of discipline, lack of execution, injuries catching up to them, play calling, inconsistency.

I long for the days where we lined up, pound it down their team's throats. So by the second half, the opposition is so worn out we could do whatever we wanted.

As Emma said about going for broke all the time. ..almost seems like panicking. However, they still have yet to lose....so it's hard to get too upset.

[BoBo]

The UWW O almost looks as if it's in total disarray.
I know the huddle is not in vogue these days, but I sure as heck think UWW benefit from it.
Huddle up and call a play.  Let the players envision and rehearse their responsibility. Let them come to the line of scrimmage knowing where they are to line up and what they are trying to accomplish. 

UWW had an offensive style to it that no longer exists.  Smith has put his stamp on the O and I have no idea what he wants to accomplish.
If you didn't see the game, it's hard to appreciate just how disorganized the players often look with the way plays are called in without a huddle.  Yes, their are young players out there due to injury, ALL THE MORE REASON TO HUDDLE UP. 
Fred, your view of the quarterbacking is accurate, but how many of the throws were downfield on fade and seam routes?  Many, many.  Those passes are low percentage plays no matter who is throwing the ball. 

I give the UWRF DC great credit because he created havoc and I'm sure uncertainty at the line of scrimmage.  UWW seemed as though they just couldn't figure it out.  And then would defer to the fade route, falling incomplete and losing a down where they could have gained positive yardage.

To me, Smith = Impatience.  Man I could go for some matriculating the ball down the field.  This go for broke bs has really soured me.

Pound the rock mantra is slowly fading away with this regime.

I could only stay for the first half, but that was one of the most frustrating halfs i've ever seen. Lack of discipline, lack of execution, injuries catching up to them, play calling, inconsistency.

I long for the days where we lined up, pound it down their team's throats. So by the second half, the opposition is so worn out we could do whatever we wanted.

As Emma said about going for broke all the time. ..almost seems like panicking. However, they still have yet to lose....so it's hard to get too upset.

Winning ugly - a competitive effort, for the most part, when next to nothing went right for UWW, much of it self-inflicted. Definately not on their "A" game (or B or C for that matter).  I thought Whitewater really never did panic, which is probably why they won the game. To their credit, most teams would panic and never get back into the game, but they kept plugging away. The Falcons had this game in the bag, but since they too, played like the gang who couldn't shoot straight, they lost. They had a lot more energy in their step, but they still just lack enough overall talent to finish what they started. But, give them credit for coming in with a great plan and playing hard. Why does River Falls always seem to make Whitewater look so ordinary?

Our offense is simply not great by any stretch of the imagination - haven't done the research, but just by using the eyeball test, this is easily the worst offensive team in this run of success, IMO. Usually the defense carries the load on most saturdays, but this was a total team lackluster effort that was uninspired, unmotivated, under prepared, out coached (Bullis doesn't seem to have a clue and Smith his usual boneheaded play calling as OC). A series of dropped passes, stupid penalties, lack of maintaining blocks, etc. etc. etc. You name it, it's easy to nit pick and complain about every little thing we did wrong. But, as 02 said, are you not happy we won? So, I think I'll nit pick anyway, just for the fun of it!!

Should have known it was going to be a weird day when the field goal and extra point River Falls attempted in the first quarter each went about 5 feet off the ground. Then, after the blocked FG, the officials spent 10 minutes trying to decide (or so it seemed) where to place the ball when RF downed the ball at the 2 yard line. Don't think I've ever seem an entire officiating crew look as confused and unsure what to do. It looked as if they were huddling up with one of them pulling out a rule book to consult. What was that all about?

I missed the last three weeks, so I apologize if this has been mentioned on here. The one take away I get from the Whitewater offensive play book:

Chris Nelson @ QB = running play
Cole Wilber @ QB = passing play

So predictable, Coach Smith. You'rr not a real intelligent OC. Your offensive game plans/playcalling are proven to be nothing more than a series of boneheaded hodgepodge of concepts, with no clear objectives to be accomplished. How many games do you have to F-up before you begin to realize this? The defense knows it too. I think that is one of the reasons, not the only, why River Falls consistently stopped us. You seem to run the same 5 plays over and over again. In the same order. Totally mindless stuff. Surprised you gave Maly a chance in this game. He showed some burst, but also showed he's got a lot to learn, too. Hope Patterson is OK - without him we are doomed.

UWW clearly needs to elevate nearly every aspect of their performance in order to get back on track. By the 9th game of the season, you'd think they would be closing in on their peak performance. Unfortunately, they are trending in the opposite direction. I'd say they have a 95% chance of winning one playoff game if this continues - after that, the odds drop to 45% for the second round, and maybe 20% in the quarters. But, playing like they did yesterday, round 2 is as far as they get. I tend to believe what many people are thinking - that they are grossly overrated.

BTW, it's good to be back on board.

[emma17]

Welcome back Bobo.
I'm still frustrated about the morphing of UWW into the UWO and UWP teams that supplied the coordinators. UWW was different from the pack by mastering a traditional and methodic approach to subduing an opponent. I do believe Coach Billis wants to maintain that approach, but he also has to give latitude and authority to his coordinators. IMO therein lies the rub.

I will take the other side of the overrated idea though. Other than possibly UMHB, I don't get the feeling the rest of the top 10 is great. UWW continues to prove its will and know-how to win.  They are 9-0 against a very strong schedule and I have to believe they will give any top 5 team all it can handle.

[bleedpurple]

I'd say they have a 95% chance of winning one playoff game if this continues - after that, the odds drop to 45% for the second round, and maybe 20% in the quarters.

Sounds good. I will take each round for $1,000 each.

Round 1: I give you 20-1 odds. I risk $1,000 to win $50.
Round 2: You give me the juice. I risk $1,000 to win $1,100.
Round 3 pays for my Christmas: I risk $1,000 to win $4,000. 

Since you sound miserable at 9-0, you might as well try to ease the pain. 

[AppletonRocks]

Best story of the WIAC football weekend. 

http://fox11online.com/news/making-a-difference/making-a-difference-a-life-saving-match-creates-a-deep-bond

[AppletonRocks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfE9AZepF_U

One more snippet on the Team Phoenix weekend.  Pretty special--saved a life. 

[bleedpurple]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfE9AZepF_U

One more snippet on the Team Phoenix weekend.  Pretty special--saved a life. 

This is awesome! Thanks for highlighting what's important AR. While it's easy to get all caught up in criticizing people due to  disappointment in performance, the truth is that D-III is filled with good people doing really good things. That applies to coaches, players, and so many others.  Thanks for going against the grain and posting something so positive. And much respect to Kasper and UW-O.  I hope Phoenix and her family enjoyed the game!

[AppletonRocks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfE9AZepF_U

One more snippet on the Team Phoenix weekend.  Pretty special--saved a life. 

This is awesome! Thanks for highlighting what's important AR. While it's easy to get all caught up in criticizing people due to  disappointment in performance, the truth is that D-III is filled with good people doing really good things. That applies to coaches, players, and so many others.  Thanks for going against the grain and posting something so positive. And much respect to Kasper and UW-O.  I hope Phoenix and her family enjoyed the game!

And Coach Pat Cerroni got his entire team signed up as Match candidates a few years back--which led to this match.  I heard he felt the cause was worthwhile, who would have known the impact would be so great so fast. 

Meanwhile, UWW is probably looking for a HIPAA approved way to check for Type 2 diabetes due to the high risk of living in Candyland. 

[BoBo]

I'd say they have a 95% chance of winning one playoff game if this continues - after that, the odds drop to 45% for the second round, and maybe 20% in the quarters.

Sounds good. I will take each round for $1,000 each.

Round 1: I give you 20-1 odds. I risk $1,000 to win $50.
Round 2: You give me the juice. I risk $1,000 to win $1,100.
Round 3 pays for my Christmas: I risk $1,000 to win $4,000. 

Since you sound miserable at 9-0, you might as well try to ease the pain. 

I had just returned home earlier in the day from Florida after a 20 hour flight, so I was kind of tired and cranky from that. Watching that game only added to the misery. Sorry, should've kept my mouth shut. Just glad we won.

[thunderdog]

I was able to catch a chunk of the UWRF @ UWW game Saturday. I got a hearty, hearty chuckle out of the call on the fantastic 65 yard Pick-6 return that was negated by a D-Lineman that lined up offsides... If you haven't heard the call, I highly suggest you do... it's fantastic!