FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[emma17]

The Evolution to Average:

While traveling, my hotel offered YouTube, allowing me to watch the 2013 Stagg Bowl.
During the game, after an impressive "pound the rock" TD drive against Mt, the announcers said:

It's what this program was built on, hard-nosed, blue collar football.

Last Week:

OC Craig Smith said. "If we can tie in the fancy with the ball security, that's what you call a pretty good offense."

[02 Warhawk]

The Evolution to Average:

While traveling, my hotel offered YouTube, allowing me to watch the 2013 Stagg Bowl.
During the game, after an impressive "pound the rock" TD drive against Mt, the announcers said:

It's what this program was built on, hard-nosed, blue collar football.

Last Week:

OC Craig Smith said. "If we can tie in the fancy with the ball security, that's what you call a pretty good offense."

More like de-evolution.

I would like to think UWW still has the horses to run that style of offense. But maybe we don't anymore, hence the "fancy". I've always believed "fancy" has never gotten a team anywhere in the postseason.

UWO didn't take that next step until they adjusted their offense (funny how that occurred after Smith left), and MHB won their first Stagg Bowl after they became more balanced on offense. Fancy doesn't hold up against a good defense, especially when the opposition can control the clock and move the chains. Does Mount, Linfield, St. Thomas do anything fancy to succeed over the years? No.

[emma17]

Good points 02 and I'd like to use your de-evolution phrase with permission.
UWO may use a couple unusual plays throughout the game, but they are the WIAC's Pound the Rock team. In fact there's an idea for the two, rather than playing for Bells or like, play for the Rock or at least the Sledgehammer. 
I'd say Mt is/was the closest to fancy especially when they had Burke and Scott in 2014 and Burke would do that outside run/pass the Scott play that drove me nuts. Although they are read/option, they pounded the rock vs UWW in 2015.

I also think UWP's reliance on the pass has been their downfall.

Smith has turned UWW into the type of offense UWW always beat. And the sad fact is, Bullis is letting him do it.

[02 Warhawk]

Smith has turned UWW into the type of offense UWW always beat. And the sad fact is, Bullis is letting him do it.

My thoughts exactly!!!

I'd like to use your de-evolution phrase with permission.

Have at it 

[Pat Coleman]

I thought one of the major attractions of hiring in-house instead of hiring someone like Erik Raeburn would be that pounding the rock was sacrosanct.

[cubs]

I thought one of the major attractions of hiring in-house instead of hiring someone like Erik Raeburn would be that pounding the rock was sacrosanct.

While it was fairly easy to infer what Pat was saying, is anyone else willing to admit that they had to look up exactly what the definition of "sacrosanct" was? 

[BoBo]

Smith has turned UWW into the type of offense UWW always beat. And the sad fact is, Bullis is letting him do it.

...and beat with ease. In reality, UWW beat just about every offense, all the time, which makes what Smith has accomplished in such a short amount of time even more astonishing. He should be embarrassed with his performance.

In Bullis' defense, he has proven to know little, if anything, about offense.  So, it appears he has turned things over to someone who might know 1 thing more than himself - that just doesn't cut it. Oshkosh's meteoric rise and UWW's meteoric downfall all started with the same event - Smith leaving Osh and arriving at UWW. Isn't Smith also the recruiting coordinator at UWW? He hasn't done a very good job with those duties, either. Maybe the time has come for him to leave coaching and go open a bakery where he can practice being fancy decorating cakes or donuts or something else like that.

[BoBo]

Minn. State D2's #3 Mavericks set to Host Winona State D2's #10 Warriors this Saturday. Both teams enter the contest with 8-0 records.

Minnesota State has 31 players from Wisconsin; Winona State has 45 Wisconsin players.

[HScoach]

I thought one of the major attractions of hiring in-house instead of hiring someone like Erik Raeburn would be that pounding the rock was sacrosanct.

I don't know anything about Bullis or the current coaching staff, but I can vouch for E.R.  He's an excellent coach and comes from good seed.

[emma17]

I thought one of the major attractions of hiring in-house instead of hiring someone like Erik Raeburn would be that pounding the rock was sacrosanct.

I don't know anything about Bullis or the current coaching staff, but I can vouch for E.R.  He's an excellent coach and comes from good seed.

From warhawkfootball.com, the editor's story on the interview of Coach Raeburn:

"If the next Head Coach makes too many changes around here you should burn his house down and run him out of town."

During the hiring process, UWW held one public event per candidate and Kevin Bullis assured us the offense would remain the same, while allowing each coordinator to have some room for their own style.   
I take responsibility for not asking how much room the coordinator would have.

[cubs]

Oshkosh's meteoric rise and UWW's meteoric downfall all started with the same event - Smith leaving Osh and arriving at UWW.

In my opinion, that comment really minimizes what Coach Cerroni has done at UWO since taking over as Head Coach.

UWO was an undefeated conference champion and National Semifinalist in 2012 (with Smith as the offensive coordinator) which was WAY before Whitewater decided to hire him.

If anything, UWO's rise started before long before Smith left for Whitewater. If you want to put Whitewater's "fall" on him, that is one thing (I'm of the opinion that is has more to do with Coach Leipold leaving for Buffalo) but to think UWO's rise was due to him leaving is misplaced in my humble opinion.

[cubs]

UWO didn't take that next step until they adjusted their offense (funny how that occurred after Smith left.)

I figured it was only a matter of time before this thought made it's way to the message board.....

So in your opinion what "step" did UWO take from say 2012 to 2015-2016?

About the only end result I see as being different is UWO going from losing in the National Semifinals to losing in the Stagg Bowl..... 

[02 Warhawk]

UWO didn't take that next step until they adjusted their offense (funny how that occurred after Smith left.)

I figured it was only a matter of time before this thought made it's way to the message board.....

So in your opinion what "step" did UWO take from say 2012 to 2015-2016?

About the only end result I see as being different is UWO going from losing in the National Semifinals to losing in the Stagg Bowl.....

To me the difference is sustaining their success. In 2012 they had a good year with a very good QB, then missed the playoffs all together the next two seasons. I think now we might see UWO actually sustain their success from season to season as a new national power, rather than just be a one-year wonder.

[02 Warhawk]

Oshkosh's meteoric rise and UWW's meteoric downfall all started with the same event - Smith leaving Osh and arriving at UWW.

In my opinion, that comment really minimizes what Coach Cerroni has done at UWO since taking over as Head Coach.

UWO was an undefeated conference champion and National Semifinalist in 2012 (with Smith as the offensive coordinator) which was WAY before Whitewater decided to hire him.

If anything, UWO's rise started before long before Smith left for Whitewater. If you want to put Whitewater's "fall" on him, that is one thing (I'm of the opinion that is has more to do with Coach Leipold leaving for Buffalo) but to think UWO's rise was due to him leaving is misplaced in my humble opinion.

100% agree. That's the common denominator with UWW over the past few seasons. I've posted this before:

With Lance:
2013 - National Champs
2014 - National Champs

W/out Lance:
2015 - Blown out in the Semi's
2016 - Embarrassed at home in the Quarterfinals
2017 - Missed the playoffs

In my opinion, Lance leaving for Buffalo (and taking pretty much the entire coaching staff with him) was the beginning of UWW's decline. At the same time I think we're seeing Oshkosh starting to take UWW's spot as the national power from the WIAC. Time will tell.

[cubs]

UWO didn't take that next step until they adjusted their offense (funny how that occurred after Smith left.)

I figured it was only a matter of time before this thought made it's way to the message board.....

So in your opinion what "step" did UWO take from say 2012 to 2015-2016?

About the only end result I see as being different is UWO going from losing in the National Semifinals to losing in the Stagg Bowl.....

To me the difference is sustaining their success. In 2012 they had a good year with a very good QB, then missed the playoffs all together the next two seasons. I think now we might see UWO actually sustain their success from season to season as a new national power, rather than just be a one-year wonder.

Unfortunately, missing the playoffs the next two years had as much to do with their schedule (at least in 2014) as it did anything else....  Had UWO had the same non-conference schedule in 2014 as they did in 2012, I would tend to believe they earn a Pool C bid and who knows what happens in the playoffs.  When you go back and look at 2013, they lost two games by a combined four points, including by three to eventual National Champion Whitewater, who went undefeated and won the Stagg Bowl by 38 points.

When I think of the term "one year wonder" I see a team that isn't even competitive after a successful season.  To view UWO's 2013 and 2014 seasons in that light would be inaccurate.  However if you see the playoffs as the main/only measuring stick, then I can understand why you think that. 

All I will say is that I'm sure Whitewater players/coaches/fans were "happy" to know they didn't have to worry about facing UWO again in either of those National Championship runs.  Would that be a fair statement?