FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[D3Warhawk]

Wow...tough game to swallow for the UWO kicker today. Missed extra point seemed to cost them the game. If UWO makes all their extra points, the game would have most likely went into OT.

I still don't understand those squib kicks in the second half? UWW took full advantage of getting the ball at mid field by scoring three times in the 3rd quarter. I realize they were into the wind, but still don't give UWW half the field to work with.

Both offenses and defenses made great plays today...but I think the differnce was special teams.

I believe that it is a mistake for a team to give a team the ball and the wind like the Titans did in the third quarter today. I know having the wind in the fourth quarter helped them win the first game, but this was a different type game. I remember two other games in which teams did that over the past few years against UW-W. The other two got blown out and had no chance by the time the fourth quarter started. The Titans were on the verge of being blown out also (31-16), but they made big plays and had stops on defense to give themselves a real chance. I just feel like giving UW-W both the ball and the wind to start the 3rd quarter increased the likelihood that the Titans would be playing catch up.

Oshkosh probably felt like I did, kick it to a LB (Hoppe), he's going to stop the ball and fall on it. Only he didn't. I cringed the first time he scooped it up and ran (until the play was safely over) and cringed again, doubly, the second time he did it (again until the whistle blew and all was ok). I worked out well for WW but could have easily backfired with a fumble turnover or 2. Hoppe doesn't need to take the risk of returning those kicks.

Fortune favors the bold my friend!

I love Hoppe's attitude toward football, he seems like a great teammate.  As for his kick returns, I approached him after the game to congratulate him as the new UWW kick returner, figuring he'd get a kick out of it.  His reply was a purely serious "thanks man", that left me with no doubt that he truly sees that as his job, and in fact, that's what UWO gets for kicking to him.

Speaking from experience, Hoppe is the best teammate a guy can ask for.

[D O.C.]

Poor Morningside.

http://www.oregonlive.com/collegefootball/index.ssf/2015/12/southern_oregon_raiders_rally.html

[emma17]

Some thoughts:
-Like Bobo referred to, a big double thumbs up to OC Smith and QB Chris Nelson and the entire UWW offense.  The team has demonstrated an incredible development over the season, well done.

-I couldn't help feel for OC Smith after the game, bittersweet moment I imagine as I'm sure he has close relationships with many of the UWO players. 
-QB is a hard position to play, but I saw an aspect of it today that makes it even tougher.  The UWW O Line gave Nelson great time to throw, on some plays he had so much time that I can only imagine it gets a little difficult for him to trust the clock in his head. 
-Big congrats to the D for stepping up when it mattered most.  The D linemen really sucked it up on third and fourth down of the last series to put pressure on Kasper.  The last series had another hard hit from a UWW db that knocked the ball out of a receiver's hands, saving a first down. 
-Except for one pass play (that ended up being incomplete), the corners did a great job not letting the UWO receivers beat them deep- they've been great at this all year.
-At least three outstanding punts into the wind today.  Great kickoffs as well.
-Great use of timeouts by Coach Bullis.  He called a timeout in the first quarter to force a punt into the wind and save a play for UWW with the wind.  Some bold decisions to go for it on fourth down as well, IMO they were great decisions.

Slight concern on D:
-High tackling (resulting in missed tackles).  I continue to see certain players trying to tackle high.  I'm surprised by this as it's not something I've seen in the past. 
-UWO had two cut back runs today that really hurt.  I've been spoiled by the incredible discipline UWW has shown on D in the past. 

I've no doubt the coaches will do all they can to coach em up. 

A great team victory.

[D3Warhawk]

Only concern is the UWW secondary can't ever seem to come up with a big time play. We saw the last two years we could count on that secondary to do something great, now it's just, I don't know... Bland?

[NewHawk]

great game today.  Perfect weather (amazing to be in a hoodie in December in Wisconsin).  I thought the punting game make a big difference in WW's ability to have short fields.  The punting game for UWO was definitely off for most of the game.  I haven't looks at the box score yet since we just got back, but most seemed to be 20 or 30 yarders.  Both teams played their hearts out.  I am glad UWW came away with the win and now its on to Alliance.

[Pat Coleman]

Only concern is the UWW secondary can't ever seem to come up with a big time play. We saw the last two years we could count on that secondary to do something great, now it's just, I don't know... Bland?

That secondary is a tough act to follow, right?

[D3Warhawk]

Only concern is the UWW secondary can't ever seem to come up with a big time play. We saw the last two years we could count on that secondary to do something great, now it's just, I don't know... Bland?

That secondary is a tough act to follow, right?

Am I asking too much?

[badgerwarhawk]

Word of the Warhawks victory has reached Costa Rica.  GO WARHAWKS

[emma17]

Only concern is the UWW secondary can't ever seem to come up with a big time play. We saw the last two years we could count on that secondary to do something great, now it's just, I don't know... Bland?

That secondary is a tough act to follow, right?

Am I asking too much?

I'd love to see some Pick 6's myself.  For now I'll settle for the corners and certain LB's forcing themselves to lower their center of gravity and tackle through the lower body. 

[NewHawk]

There were some missed tackles today and last week which are definitely uncharacteristic. They have a week to straighten it out. There were some big interceptions, we just failed to capitalize on them. But I will settle for one week and one win at a time.

[BoBo]

Word of the Warhawks victory has reached Costa Rica.  GO WARHAWKS

Have a tamales de elote for me!! I think I had that in CR or maybe Guatemala, I forget.

[emma17]

There were some missed tackles today and last week which are definitely uncharacteristic. They have a week to straighten it out. There were some big interceptions, we just failed to capitalize on them. But I will settle for one week and one win at a time.

Well said.
And I don't want to fail to give great credit to UWO.  They did a great job with their offense and their D forced the UWW offense into some mistakes.  Good players make good plays and UWO has more than their share of good players. 

[bleedpurple]

Only concern is the UWW secondary can't ever seem to come up with a big time play. We saw the last two years we could count on that secondary to do something great, now it's just, I don't know... Bland?

That secondary is a tough act to follow, right?

Am I asking too much?

Winske had Pick 6's in back to back games. But we have now gone two straight games without one. But Mount's next week, so that should be good for another one.  Right? 

[bleedpurple]

Oshkosh probably felt like I did, kick it to a LB (Hoppe), he's going to stop the ball and fall on it. Only he didn't. I cringed the first time he scooped it up and ran (until the play was safely over) and cringed again, doubly, the second time he did it (again until the whistle blew and all was ok). I worked out well for WW but could have easily backfired with a fumble turnover or 2. Hoppe doesn't need to take the risk of returning those kicks.

What game were you watching bro? He almost broke both of them!  No way anyone is kicking to the Hopster any more this year. He is a field position machine! 

[bleedpurple]

Only concern is the UWW secondary can't ever seem to come up with a big time play. We saw the last two years we could count on that secondary to do something great, now it's just, I don't know... Bland?

That secondary is a tough act to follow, right?

Am I asking too much?

Winske had Pick 6's in back to back games. But we have now gone two straight games without one. But Mount's next week, so that should be good for another one.  Right? 

Those seemed to happen for a certain person only...

Yeah, yeah,yeah. They just threw it his way because Mclin was so good, right, 36?