FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[WarhawkDad]

"Rise Up, Shut Down, Close Out"

www.uwwfootball.com

Excellent column.  Enjoyed it! 

WarhawkDad

[WarhawkDad]

Thanks BW, Emma, and Bobo.  I appreciate the kind words. 

Emma,
I thought the same thing as I looked over the Trine and Franklin games.  Every year is different, each opponent provides a specific challenge, and each year's team must develop it's own personality.  But it's interesting to look over the course of a couple of years and see patterns develop. I have no doubt that we would find this same pattern all the way back to 05 if we looked back on it.  Whenever UW-W does anything other than blow out a team (a playoff opponent in particular), we see posts as to how vulnerable they are.  I think posters following teams that are next in line see how team A "hung" with UW-W and use it to build hope that their team can pull the upset.  Nothing wrong with that. Everyone should feel like their team has a chance.  But as they make their hopeful and sometimes brash posts, that won't help their team score when the UW-W defense rises up in the second half.  UW-W may be easy to criticize, but they are still awfully hard to beat.

It's also interesting how different teams take different forms.  Mount almost always wins by at least 5 TD's and when they don't everyone is trying to figure out what is wrong. UW-W usually plays teams closer, content to pound away and take few chances, confident they will make the plays to win the game in the second half.  It's an approach that seems dangerous until you realize that UW-W is in a different boat than Mount.  With all due respect to OAC fans, their conference simply isn't as physical or as good as the WIAC top to bottom.  If UW-W gets careless with the ball in conference play, they will lose. Obviously, I say this as a compliment to the WIAC not a slight to UW-W, but the gap simply isn't as big between UW-W and WIAC schools as it is between Mount and the OAC.  And in no slight to Mount,  if they were to endure the weekly physical pounding of a WIAC schedule, I don't think they run up as many blowouts they do in the OAC either.

Your entire first paragraph is a tribute to the coaching.   A game plan is installed each week and preparation occurs.  Invariably the opponent does something different because they are playing UWW and the defensive game plan has to adapt, adjustments occur at the half and then the defense clamps down.   The coaches do a tremendous job at half time and to give credit, the athletes have to make those adjustments and execute. 

Great discussion +K.

WarhawkDad

[02 Warhawk]

It's also interesting how different teams take different forms.  Mount almost always wins by at least 5 TD's and when they don't everyone is trying to figure out what is wrong. UW-W usually plays teams closer, content to pound away and take few chances, confident they will make the plays to win the game in the second half.  It's an approach that seems dangerous until you realize that UW-W is in a different boat than Mount.  With all due respect to OAC fans, their conference simply isn't as physical or as good as the WIAC top to bottom.  If UW-W gets careless with the ball in conference play, they will lose.  Obviously, I say this as a compliment to the WIAC not a slight to UW-W, but the gap simply isn't as big between UW-W and WIAC schools as it is between Mount and the OAC.  And in no slight to Mount,  if they were to endure the weekly physical pounding of a WIAC schedule, I don't think they run up as many blowouts they do in the OAC either.

Funny...I've been thinking about the same thing. Mount is so used to destroying teams (regular season AND playoffs) I think they get a little rattled when in close games against good teams, and maybe even panic. It's almost like they're not use to playing in that style of game.

It reminds me of the movie Miracle, when Herb Brooks looks over at USSR's bench late in the game when USA was winning and says, "He doesn't know what to do." Meaning the USSR coach isn't used to being in this situation: Losing

Perfect example: In the 2010 Stagg Bowl, rather than sticking with their plan that got them that far, Mount chose to put Shorts in at QB late in the game. That to me seemed like a panic move, which I thought was a mistake. I was relieved, and knew the game was over the second he started taking snaps. I would rather have 11 defensive players between him and the endzone, than 1 or 2 defensive backs trying to keep up with him down the field. I'm not saying they would have won if Piloto would have stayed in the game. I just thought sticking with their game plan (even with the back up QB, Piloto) would have gave them a better chance.

Even though I hate close games, it does give UWW massive experience playing in games when everything is on the line late in a game. That to me is one of the main reasons why UWW has won 3 of the last 4 Stagg Bowls: Being in a tough conference, and playing in a VERY TOUGH playoff region before getting to the Stagg Bowl, where they get massively tested.

Enter Mount Union fans.......let the smiting begin 

[warhawkguard]

I wonder how UWRF would fare against their bottom team (OAC), and have a few more teams play in the pre-season, like the Big 10 ACC basketball challenge. That would be the only way to answer that question, to me at least. I think each WIAC team should get a MIAC and OAC pre-season game. No more Cambellsville stuff.

[02 Warhawk]

I wonder how UWRF would fare against their bottom team (OAC), and have a few more teams play in the pre-season, like the Big 10 ACC basketball challenge. That would be the only way to answer that question, to me at least. I think each WIAC team should get a MIAC and OAC pre-season game. No more Cambellsville stuff.

I think they can beat the bottom three teams (Wilmington, Otterbein and Marietta).

You going to the UWL game next Saturday, warhawkguard?

[Raider 68]

02,

Several points regarding the WIAC and OAC conferences are true as well as UWW having closer games
than the Raiders. Does it help to have to win in the second half, yes, but sooner or later relying on a strong second half will fall short.

On the 2010 Stagg bowl, a new QB, not experienced, Why not use the best player on the field. IMHO, UWW lines were better than the Raiders last year and that is why UWW prevailed. This year is different and Mount may have the edge in that category, if both teams return to Virginia in December. 

[02 Warhawk]

02,

Several points regarding the WIAC and OAC conferences are true as well as UWW having closer games
than the Raiders. Does it help to have to win in the second half, yes, but sooner or later relying on a strong second half will fall short.

On the 2010 Stagg bowl, a new QB, not experienced, Why not use the best player on the field. IMHO, UWW lines were better than the Raiders last year and that is why UWW prevailed. This year is different and Mount may have the edge in that category, if both teams return to Virginia in December. 

Yea, that's the reasoning I keep hearing. But I would rather have the best player on the field play the position he's an All American at. Unless Shorts can find away to throw it down field to himself. Like in a Bugs Bunny cartoon 

I remember one play that game where Shorts threw a perfect pass down field, and it hit the WR in stride over the middle....just to have it bounce off the receiver's chest and fall incomplete. I thought to myself, wow... if that was Piloto throwing that ball to Shorts, no doubt Shorts would caught it and ran it in for six. Then we would have a whole new ball game.

About the lines, that may have been the case in 2010 and maybe 2009. But in 2007 I remember Mount Union having an Olineman that was the best in the country....his brother now plays QB for the Warhawks.

[Raider 68]

02,

Several points regarding the WIAC and OAC conferences are true as well as UWW having closer games
than the Raiders. Does it help to have to win in the second half, yes, but sooner or later relying on a strong second half will fall short.

On the 2010 Stagg bowl, a new QB, not experienced, Why not use the best player on the field. IMHO, UWW lines were better than the Raiders last year and that is why UWW prevailed. This year is different and Mount may have the edge in that category, if both teams return to Virginia in December. 

Yea, that's the reasoning I keep hearing. But I would rather have the best player on the field play the position he's an All American at. Unless Shorts can find away to throw it down field to himself. Like in a Bugs Bunny cartoon 

I remember one play that game where Shorts threw a perfect pass down field, and it hit the WR in stride over the middle....just to have it bounce off the receiver's chest and fall incomplete. I thought to myself, wow... if that was Piloto throwing that ball to Shorts, no doubt Shorts would caught it and ran it in for six. Then we would have a whole new ball game.

About the lines, that may have been the case in 2010 and maybe 2009. But in 2007 I remember Mount Union having an Olineman that was the best in the country....his brother now plays QB for the Warhawks.

The Raiders had their opportunities last year, but fell short while UWW made the most of theirs. The teams were both talented as they are this year, but this is a new year with no guarantees for either team once the playoffs begin. Yea, Derek Blanchard was one of the best OL in Mount's history. How will his brother stack up as top UWW QB's?

[badgerwarhawk]

West Region Rankings:  (Region record) (Overall record)

WEST   
1 Wisconsin-Whitewater 6-0 8-0
2 St. Thomas (Minn.) 9-0 9-0
3 Linfield 6-0 7-0
4 Cal Lutheran  6-1 6-1
5 St. Olaf 7-1 7-1
6 Dubuque 7-1 8-1
6 Monmouth (Ill.) 8-1 8-1
8 Redlands 6-1 6-1
9 St. Scholastica 8-0 8-0
10 Lewis & Clark 7-0 7-0



The other regions can be found here: http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/d3

[badgerwarhawk]

Matt Blanchard will stack up very well with the top WW quarterbacks IMO. 

[02 Warhawk]

West Region Rankings:  (Region record) (Overall record)

WEST   
1 Wisconsin-Whitewater 6-0 8-0
2 St. Thomas (Minn.) 9-0 9-0
3 Linfield 6-0 7-0
4 Cal Lutheran  6-1 6-1
5 St. Olaf 7-1 7-1
6 Dubuque 7-1 8-1
6 Monmouth (Ill.) 8-1 8-1
8 Redlands 6-1 6-1
9 St. Scholastica 8-0 8-0
10 Lewis & Clark 7-0 7-0

Good, I was a little worried that St. Thomas might be ahead of Whitewater. The Tommies still have one game left, but it's against a bad team...So I don't see them jumping ahead of Whitewater.

However, Linfield still has to play Lewis and Clark...who is undefeated. So they might get a little bump.

[KitchenSink]

Looking at those regional rankings (and granting that there are still 2 big games to win), it would seem that the likeliest teams to come to the Perk - unless UWW gets shuffled Northward again - would be Monmouth or Dubuque/Coe.

Stan Z bringing a team to the Perk, possibly ...... what goes around, comes around .......

[badgerwarhawk]

Or possibly Saint Scholastica

[desertcat1]

KS,  i think you will be moving to the top # 1 seed in the north , and Mt U will be headin east again ,,

So Monmouth/ Dubuque  could be headin to oregon this year.

No bump in the road this year ..

[desertcat1]

However, Linfield still has to play Lewis and Clark...who is undefeated. So they might get a little bump.
[/quote]

No bump this year cats  will kill the rats and L & C by 3.. 
Go Cats
Go Big D