FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[BoBo]

I think your memory serves you correct oshfb. That was the second game of the year, in Leipold's first season as HC, with a transfer senior QB in his second game in his 1 year career with the Warhawks. St. Cloud probably felt very fortunate to play that game right off the bat. Play it 3 or 4 weeks into the season, Whitewater wins, IMO; play it towards the end of the season, St. Cloud gets a real tail kicking!!  

[footballfan413]

I'm not implying that UWW could beat an Austin Peay or Wofford. But, if Wisconsin can play down to them, I dare say, instead of scheduling NAIA weaklings like Midland Luth., Dakota State, Dickinson State etc., is the day coming when UWW needs to play up, like FCS up, in NC games? Such as geographically close FCS schools like UNI, Eastern or Western Illinois (well maybe not UNI, they're one of the top FCS schools in football)? Or D2's like Northern Michigan (UWW used to play them quite regularly I think back in the day). Just looking at the results above, IMHO, the current Warhawk teams would be competitive with these or similar FCS teams.    Losing to a higher division isn't going to hurt our post-season chances just like beating up on these NAIA schools doesn't help. Why not take a shot?

Before jumping to the FSC schools it would be wise to focus on D2. If my memory serves me correctly, UWW lost to St. Cloud State in 2007 (not sure what St Clouds record was that year).

Oshkosh played Upper Iowa in 2004 or 2005...the 1st yr they were considered D2 and Oshkosh won. Oshkosh also played DII Minn St Mankato in 2006 and lost 33-22. I have very sour feelings towards that game in particular.

Point is...should focus on DII before jumping straight to FCS schools.

That was our second game that season, our first being against a cupcake, (Lakeland,)  with a bye in between.  I believe that SCU was pretty middle of the road that year but their site only goes back to the 2008 schedule.  We did lose to them 26-16.  The Head Coach and Danny Jones and Co. were just getting to know each other and we had not been battle tested at all yet, SCU had a good game plan, (schemed to keep my son out of the box all game, for example, something that was remedied the following Monday in practice,) and some big boys on the lines. It was just a shame that we faced such a challenge so early in the season as most of us felt that with a few more games under our belts, the score would have been different. My entire family was there, (most live in the MN, SD area) to see him play, many for the first and only time, the Stagg on TV being the exception, and neither he or the Warhawks impressed.  So...."I have sour feelings towards that game in particular."    

[BoBo]

Thanks for the correction, fbf413  . I did modify my post to indicate that game as the second of that season - 2 minutes before you posted.     

[footballfan413]

Thanks for the correction, fbf413  . I did modify my post to indicate that game as the second of that season - 2 minutes before you posted.     

I saw that after I posted so I went back and modified mine!  We are a team, BoBo!   

[BoBo]

That's right -- there's no "I" in team!!  

KABOOM

(It's going to be a long week and a half)

[badgerwarhawk]

St Cloud State was 4-7 in 2007.  Due in part to three lost fumbles the WARHAWKS trailed 26-3 into the fourth quarter before scoring a pair of touchdowns to make the final 26-16.  This was a game that was scheduled late in July when we were unable to find any other opponent.  

It was strange because if you look at the stats we totally dominated with the obvious exception of turnovers and as so often is the case that was the difference in the game.

[footballfan413]

Really the point is that I agree with oshfb, many upper tier D-3 teams can play with and succeed against many D-2 teams depending on the situation, and that level is a viable scheduling option, IMHO.   After all, that loss didn't seem to effect our season very much!   

[skunks_sidekick]

I think what you would find being WW, is that those same D-II teams wouldn't schedule you now if their life depended on it.  Many "fans" have lobbied over and over and over that Mount should play some of the D-II schools in Ohio to see how they stack up.  The fact remains, it's a lose-lose for any D-II program to play a D-III powerhouse like Mount or Whitewater. 

If they win...they are "supposed to".  If they lose...they are now one-upped regarding their status in recruiting, bragging rights, etc...  It has been common knowledge that all the D-II teams in Ohio want NOTHING to do with Mount, and I would bet the same would be true for WW.

[BoBo]

You beat me to the punch. Agree with you sidekick.  I'm tired of MO S & T turning into the new Azusa Pacific!!  

However, we have no D2's in Wisconsin. The WIAC schools do compete with the Minnesota D2's for many recuits.

[Raider 68]

I think what you would find being WW, is that those same D-II teams wouldn't schedule you now if their life depended on it.  Many "fans" have lobbied over and over and over that Mount should play some of the D-II schools in Ohio to see how they stack up.  The fact remains, it's a lose-lose for any D-II program to play a D-III powerhouse like Mount or Whitewater. 

If they win...they are "supposed to".  If they lose...they are now one-upped regarding their status in recruiting, bragging rights, etc...  It has been common knowledge that all the D-II teams in Ohio want NOTHING to do with Mount, and I would bet the same would be true for WW.

Agree, with the exception of a team like Grand Valley State, most of these D-II programs and maybe all in Ohio and Wisconsin would not want to even schedule Mount/UWW. There are two schools one is 5 minutes from me that will D-II next year would not play Mount 15 miles away, nor does Coach Kehres want to play them either. He does not see the point, and Mount would crush them!

[bleedpurple]

Bleed's D3 Top 25

www.uwwfootball.blogspot.com

(non-WIAC fans may be VERY skeptical of this week's rankings. But I'm willing to defend them.  )

[kestrel]

Loose lips. That's how I would characterize the foregoing discussion about playing DII opponents.  Take on a steady diet of these teams and see what it gets you. UWRF played the NSIC's Augustana, St. Cloud, and Winona all  in 1999. In succeeding years they also picked up Chadron State and Concordia-St. Paul, both of which were conference champs in the early 2000's. And, oh, I forgot Bemidji, a fine team under Coach Jeff Tesch. When you go 1-2, 0-3, or 0-2 against these quality teams year after year, it has an impact on your team even in the best of times. For example, the Falcons were 6-4 in '99, losing to Augustana 21 - 7 and St. Cloud 22 -17 to start the year.  6 - 4 is fair at best. Play two cupcakes and it goes to 8 - 2. There's a world of difference right there. There are many reasons why the Falcons may go 0 - 10 this year, but one reason flies under the radar screen: UWRF lost its  mojo 8-9-10 years ago when they over-scheduled. When your year starts O - 3, no player takes solace in knowing he played against powerhouses. He just knows his team is 0 - 3 and the edge has been knocked off his belief in himself and his teammates.  Try it. You won't like it.

[BDB]

Well done kestrel.

One of the most well thought out posts I've read around these parts in many a day.

[kestrel]

And while I'm at it, I'll add an after-thought. Remember the Border Battles in the Metrodome back in the late '90's and how the WIAC used to dominate the NSIC? And, what happened thereafter? Wisconsin became prime hunting ground for football talent. Today, Winona, Mankato, and UMD alone have nearly 100 total Wisconsinites on their rosters, and the quality of their teams have moved skyward as a result.

On the other side of the river, the quality of the western-most WIAC teams, UWL and UWRF in particular, has gone dramatically downhill. Just a coincidence or is something more meaningful in play here?

Interestingly, Berezowitz, Zweifel, and Co were together at UWW for years and could not dominate the WIAC UNTIL the NSIC shifted its emphasis in recruiting to the East. Perhaps UWW's current dominance simply comes down to the fact they have been most immune from the incursions from outside-the-state scholarship schools?  The Law of Unforeseen Consequences?  I think so.

[BDB]

Ed Meierkort has got some Wisconsin boys from the area as well over at the University of South Dakota.