FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[bleedpurple]

Morningside week is here.
If I found the correct NAIA website, it appears we have the D3 #2 vs. the NAIA #2 teams matching up. 

Some initial questions that come to mind:
-Did UWW benefit more from the wind and rain in last year's contest (stated another way, was Morningside's speed/athleticism hampered more than UWW's)?
-Will UWW be as effective or even more effective in the running game? 
-How does the Ware/D. Patterson combination compare to the Ratliffe/N. Patterson combo from last year?
-Will the UWW LB's and DB's tackle well in the open field, especially against Morningside athletes?
-Will UWW take advantage of their big tight ends in the passing game?   

oh,
And who the heck will play QB for UWW?

That was a great game last year! The clutch drive to ultimately win it was awesome. Great execution in adverse conditions by the entire offense.  Obviously, all your questions will be answered in time. As far as the first question, I think Morningside's athleticism held up just fine in the wind and rain. They have turf and it held up great. i think most UW-W players would tell you they were the most athletic team we played this side of Mount Union.  However, as far as executing in the weather, UW-W handled it much better and I believe that was ultimately the difference in the game.  Morningside fumbled 6 times. UW-W recovered only one (maybe because of bad snaps? I guess I don't even know, is a bad snap a fumble if the QB never had possession?)

I believe the Ware/D. Patterson has the potential to be one of the best UW-W has ever seen. But after two games, I think it would be very premature to even compare them to Rat/Nick or Rat/Dennis or Rat/Dennis/Nick yet.  But it is going to be really fun to watch them for sure. They are both special athletes.

I've been really encouraged by the defense's tackling this year. If there is one area we seem really improved on defense, so far I would say that is it. But as you say, Morningside presents a different challenge.

UW-W used the TE's extensively against Morningside last year. They found big openings up the middle. We missed two TD's, one overthrow and one dropped pass last year.  But we also had some big completions, including Campbell catching a 14 yard slant to the 8 yard line on the final drive.  If they play us the same way, I'm guessing both Gumina and Campbell will be a big part of what we do.

[badgerwarhawk]

It isn't like the offense is ignoring the tight ends.  So far this year tight ends have caught 21% (7 of 33) of the pass completions good for 91 of 463 yards (20%).  But we should have an additional weapon at wide receiver this week with the return of Marcus Hudson. 

Personally I would be surprised if it wasn't Nelson under center at least to start.  In the few practices I've been able to attend this year Chris and Cole are alternating reps and I would expect that to continue.  If Chris struggles Cole will be ready. 

[emma17]

02-
Yes, I am curious if the UWW running game will be as successful (or more) Saturday as it was vs. Morningside last year.  As I recall, there was some Pound the Rock success last year.

The Warhawks are a very good fowl weather team (that was lame).

As for getting the Tight Ends involved, with Gumina at 6'3"-240 and fast as a WR, and Campbell at 6'5"- 250, I don't think 7 catches in two games comes anywhere close to the sort of threat that can be posed to the competition.  Gumina had 1 catch for 4 yards vs. Belhaven- not good.
I remember UWW went "bubble screen" happy with Gumina last year.  I guess that's ok, but is that really the best use of a big, athletic player?  Of course, I'd love to see them go Gronk and let him run slant routes.  Seam routes and curls and corner routes with men of that size simply can't be covered easily, no matter what the defense runs.   

[bleedpurple]

02-
Yes, I am curious if the UWW running game will be as successful (or more) Saturday as it was vs. Morningside last year.  As I recall, there was some Pound the Rock success last year.

The Warhawks are a very good fowl weather team (that was lame).

As for getting the Tight Ends involved, with Gumina at 6'3"-240 and fast as a WR, and Campbell at 6'5"- 250, I don't think 7 catches in two games comes anywhere close to the sort of threat that can be posed to the competition.  Gumina had 1 catch for 4 yards vs. Belhaven- not good.
I remember UWW went "bubble screen" happy with Gumina last year.  I guess that's ok, but is that really the best use of a big, athletic player?  Of course, I'd love to see them go Gronk and let him run slant routes.  Seam routes and curls and corner routes with men of that size simply can't be covered easily, no matter what the defense runs.

Yes, excellent balance last year with 218 passing and 205 rushing. I'm sure we will do fine running the ball, but that kind of balance would be great.

[BoBo]

Just realized that Pro Football HOF Coach George Allen began his coaching career at Morningside. They were called the Chiefs back in that day. He held that position for three seasons, from 1948 through 1950. His coaching record at Morningside, 16–11–2. For you youngsters, Allen kind of popularized the notion of a coach having complete control over a football teams operations and spending, but was also known as the hardest working coach at the time, commonly spending 16+ hour work days while coaching the Redskins and Rams. He also caused a lot of conflict with the team owners he worked for, as Edward Bennett Williams, the then owner of the Redskins once said of Allen, "George was given an unlimited budget and he exceeded it."  Of course, none of this is going to give MC any sort of advantage on Sat. But, I just thought it was interesting, nevertheless.

[badgerwarhawk]

It looks like Stout has a pretty good sophomore kicker.

http://www.d3football.com/awards/tow/2016/week3

[BoBo]

Morningside week is here.
If I found the correct NAIA website, it appears we have the D3 #2 vs. the NAIA #2 teams matching up. 

Some initial questions that come to mind:
-Did UWW benefit more from the wind and rain in last year's contest (stated another way, was Morningside's speed/athleticism hampered more than UWW's)?
-Will UWW be as effective or even more effective in the running game? 
-How does the Ware/D. Patterson combination compare to the Ratliffe/N. Patterson combo from last year?
-Will the UWW LB's and DB's tackle well in the open field, especially against Morningside athletes?
-Will UWW take advantage of their big tight ends in the passing game?   

oh,
And who the heck will play QB for UWW?

1.  MC was a pass first team last year, so they might have been hampered more by the conditions. But, they were playing at home and probably felt more comfortable because of that. UWW just came out and played their game and didn't worry too much about the weather. UWW held them to 30 points - this to a team that averaged 59 a game and scored 69+ 7 times. Again, this team has played nobody, so we'll have to wait see how they handle a little adversity.

2. & 3. Drew Patterson has shown in his first two games that he might become the best Warhawk runner since Coppage. The guy has power to run over people, straight line speed to out run a defense, and agility. Just hope he doesn't have his brothers knack for finding injury. Ratliffe was excellent, but with Dennis Moore out with injury, there was a big drop off in talent last year. No real comparison...Drew Patterson and Jarrod Ware are a much better pair this year. Ware might prove the Al Mcquire theory about freshman (the best thing about freshman is that they become sophomores). Even going down to Cameron Bishop and Cam Maly and some of the other freshman, this might be the deepest RB stable in years. They'll have no trouble runnng with the Mustangs.

4.  Sometimes I think the Warhawks spend too much time rotating d-lineman and LB's in and out too frequently. Having a large number of guys in the game in meaningful moments is beneficial. But, doing it too much can be a negative, also. The tackling this year, especially in the open field has been much better than last year. I think the present crop of young DB's have been much more effective. I think #17 Bailey Breunig has looked really good. For what it's worth, I don't see us substituting after every down this week, like we did the first two weeks...I don't think we can afford to do so and stay in the game. I'm more concerned with the o-line. They should be a rather powerful group up front, but they had their share of getting pushed around in the first two game. They need to improve their consistency. But, once again, too many substitutions rotating in and out. Probably see less of that this week, as well.

5.  The TE's are big because they need to be able to block...they need to be a third tackle. If they catch a pass or two, it's a bonus. But, I don't hinge the passing game on getting the ball to the TE. I would much rather see a non-WR like Ware get the ball in space and let him do his thing. Better things can come from that then passing to our TE. That TD in the MC game last year to the TE was a fluke richochet. Otherwise, the TE's wouldn't have done anything in the passing game. Well, they caught 4 passes for 24 yards, give or take 1 or two yards. But, nothing out of the ordinary.

6.  Based on the first two games, our best shot comes with Cole Wilber under center. That being said, I think you can take these first two games played by both teams and throw them out the window. Neither had worthy opponents. Both games were meaningless in the whole scheme of things. The whole lack of talent on the other sidelines isn't going to help these two teams game plan against the other. Each team is going to do what they do. The difference will be which coaching staff makes the proper adjustments at the right time. I think if Chris Nelson starts for UWW, MC will be excited since he was a turnover making machine in the only game he played this year. He personally kept Belhaven believing they had a chance in that game. And made the Whitewater fans nervous. Fortunately, the Blazers had an equally inept QB on their side of the field. He made some throws, but he killed his team by giving it away 6 times. Hard to win that way. We made the adjustment and changed QB, while they never did. Cole needs to start.

[02 Warhawk]

I'm anxious as well to see what Cole can do under center for an entire game. But I don't see the coaching staff turning their backs on their Sr. QB after just one game. He deserves another shot, and this is the perfect game for it.

As big of a game as this might seem, it really isn't. It's a nonconference game against a non D3 opponent (no bearing UWW's SOS). The worst that happens is UWW loses to a very good scholarship offering football program, and loses a little ground in the national poll (that's it....big deal). This is a prefect tune up game for Chris and the rest of the team for the WIAC (especially with UWO and UWP on the horizon). If Nelson lays an egg again, then yes...by all means start Cole for WIAC portion of the schedule (AKA: the games that matter).

I think this game is more for NAIA vs. D3 pride. Both UWW and Morningside will be just fine in their respected divisions no matter who wins or loses this game.

[emma17]

Good discussion.  Much needed given the long lay-off.
Bobo,
I love your optimism about the current running backs.  My favorite duo of the recent era was Coppage and Anderson.  Ratliffe and Moore were outstanding but, unfortunately, injury prevented them from playing together as much as we'd have liked to see.  I have to imagine Morningside will give us a clear idea of how Ware and Patterson will fare against high level competition.

Tight End.  If God wanted Gumina to be a third tackle, he wouldn't have given him legs that run fast and hands that catch. 

Interesting perspective on the rotation.  Worth discussing.

02,
I will keep my opinion on the QB private for now, my comments are only meant to provide discussion points.

I understand the relative complexity of the QB decision given Nelson started all last year as a junior, and he performed well enough.  As a senior, it's sort of protocol that he is the presumed starter. 
As for "deserving another shot", that gets sticky imo.  To me, it's all about what the 100 players on the team deserve.  The 100 players on the team deserve, because of the work, commitment and trust they put in the coaching staff, to know with confidence that the players that give the team the best chance to win a national championship will play.  Chris had a decent year last year.  I think the question has to be asked though- is Chris the type of QB that can lead UWW to a national championship?  Did his 2015 performance and the Belhaven game give confidence that Chris is that guy?   
I'm not making a case for one or the other, I'm simply stating my preference for how the decision should be made.

The other side of the coin about this game not being important and a perfect tune up for Chris (and then if he lays an egg then Cole starts the WIAC portion)- is that UWW loses an incredible opportunity for Cole to play against high level competition, in advance of the grueling WIAC schedule coming up. 
Let me ask you.  If it turns out that Chris doesn't perform well and Cole gets the nod for UWP, wouldn't it have been better for the team for Cole to have a game like Morningside under his belt?  Isn't the non-conf season all about preparing the players for the conference schedule (as well as playoff run)? 
 
I agree entirely with you in that a UWW loss is mostly irrelevant.  I don't think the game is irrelevant though.  I think the game itself can be immensely beneficial, if approached properly. 
   

[02 Warhawk]

Let me ask you.  If it turns out that Chris doesn't perform well and Cole gets the nod for UWP, wouldn't it have been better for the team for Cole to have a game like Morningside under his belt?  Isn't the non-conf season all about preparing the players for the conference schedule (as well as playoff run)? 
 
I agree entirely with you in that a UWW loss is mostly irrelevant.  I don't think the game is irrelevant though.  I think the game itself can be immensely beneficial, if approached properly.     

If Chris gets off to another rough start, I would hope the coaching staff would give Cole a shot to see what he can do against a defense like Morningside. Granted, it's not a "full game", but still a great experience never-the-less. Especially if the Bullis decides to go with Cole to start the WIAC portion of the schedule.

I'm not saying I disagree with you, but I would be very surprised if Chris isn't the starter on Saturday. One half of a game is too small of a sample size to send Chris to the bench for the season. Hell, it took Lance 7 1/2 games into the 2012 season to pull his senior and opt towards the sophomore QB...and I think Behrendt's career ended up just fine only playing 3 1/2 games his sophomore year. My point is, Cole will get his chance. We just don't know when it'll be. Then again I guess it all depends on what the coaches are seeing at practice as well.

Also, yes, I agree...this game will be very beneficial. I just meant the outcome of the game isn't that big of a deal.

[emma17]

Let me ask you.  If it turns out that Chris doesn't perform well and Cole gets the nod for UWP, wouldn't it have been better for the team for Cole to have a game like Morningside under his belt?  Isn't the non-conf season all about preparing the players for the conference schedule (as well as playoff run)? 
 
I agree entirely with you in that a UWW loss is mostly irrelevant.  I don't think the game is irrelevant though.  I think the game itself can be immensely beneficial, if approached properly.     

If Chris gets off to another rough start, I would hope the coaching staff would give Cole a shot to see what he can do against a defense like Morningside. Granted, it's not a "full game", but still a great experience never-the-less. Especially if the Bullis decides to go with Cole to start the WIAC portion of the schedule.

I'm not saying I disagree with you, but I would be very surprised if Chris isn't the starter on Saturday. One half of a game is too small of a sample size to send Chris to the bench for the season. Hell, it took Lance 7 1/2 games into the 2012 season to pull his senior and opt towards the sophomore QB...and I think Behrendt's career ended up just fine only playing 3 1/2 games his sophomore year. My point is, Cole will get his chance. We just don't know when it'll be. Then again I guess it all depends on what the coaches are seeing at practice as well.

Also, yes, I agree...this game will be very beneficial. I just meant the outcome of the game isn't that big of a deal.

I think you're right that Coach Bullis will give Chris the starting nod.

I'm not as patient a man as most, as such, I might tend to place too much immediacy on this issue.

I'll lay out a couple thoughts here.
-Regarding the decision of which QB to start.  We can look at it from this perspective: UWW already knows what they have in Chris Nelson.  Chris started and played the entire game against Morningside last year.  His one touchdown and longest pass, was the result of a defender letting a pass bounce off both hands, landing in Gumina's arms for a 54 yd TD.  That pass was an interception from a performance review standpoint.  The staff saw Chris play UWO x 2, UWP, Wheaton and Mt. last year. I'm not saying he didn't or can't improve from last year, but the staff does have 14 games of performance from last year.
As for Belhaven, he actually played more than one half.  In fact, he threw a pass in the third quarter that was flat out dropped... by a defender.  That would have been interception number 3. 

-You mentioned 2012, and let me tell you- I absolutely dread, and I mean dread, the idea that this can be a repeat.  The 2012 team wasn't a national champion team, but they were a playoff caliber team- with a national championship caliber defense.  I think of all the players on that team that missed out because of the delay of the obvious decision. 
-One aspect I dread is the idea of lowering the bar of performance standards.  We've all seen it.  UWW may win Saturday and Chris may have a decent game.  But what often happens in situations like this is the coaching staff lowers the bar of QB performance just a little bit, justifying it with the victory.  I think we saw that in 2012.  UWW went on to win 4 consecutive games after the Buff State loss (no TD's for UWW), and then came UWO.  The performance at the QB position during those 4 games was obviously not championship caliber, but the victories allowed the bar to be lowered, and lowered. 
-Imo, there is a great deal of logic in Coach Bullis starting and playing Wilber as much as possible vs Morningside.  Wilber is the player the staff is trying to learn about, not Nelson.  Nelson is absolutely ready to take over the position when needed.  Nelson can easily step into the starter's role for UWP if Wilber proves he's not ready. What better opportunity to find out if Wilber can raise the bar?
-Will this require Nelson to be mentally tough, you bet.  Chris knows he didn't light it up in 2015 and of course he's aware of his 5-turnover performance (I count the dropped interception as a turnover) vs. Belhaven.  As a team player he knows the drill.     

-Practice, you talking about practice?   

[02 Warhawk]

-Imo, there is a great deal of logic in Coach Bullis starting and playing Wilber as much as possible vs Morningside.  Wilber is the player the staff is trying to learn about, not Nelson.  Nelson is absolutely ready to take over the position when needed.  Nelson can easily step into the starter's role for UWP if Wilber proves he's not ready. What better opportunity to find out if Wilber can raise the bar?
-Will this require Nelson to be mentally tough, you bet.  Chris knows he didn't light it up in 2015 and of course he's aware of his 5-turnover performance (I count the dropped interception as a turnover) vs. Belhaven.  As a team player he knows the drill.     

That's exactly it though. Getting picked over for someone else, only to have the person come crawling back to you. That has to be tough.

So, all of a sudden, the person who was told that he wasn't good enough is thrusted into the starting roll is now playing for himself and not the team, because he has a chip on his shoulder (maybe even some resentment towards the staff). Which can be dangerous.

These kids are millennials after all   

[emma17]

^^
Lots to think about for sure.

Has anybody caught any of the U Buffalo games?  Coach Leipold had to make a QB decision already, he announced they are going w the freshman to start against Army this week.
Although they opened w a FCS school, they are in a really tough part of their schedule- Nevada, Army and Boston College. 
Although their record and offensive production doesn't show it, I get the feeling they are making some improvements.

[BoBo]

^^
Lots to think about for sure.

Has anybody caught any of the U Buffalo games?  Coach Leipold had to make a QB decision already, he announced they are going w the freshman to start against Army this week.
Although they opened w a FCS school, they are in a really tough part of their schedule- Nevada, Army and Boston College. 
Although their record and offensive production doesn't show it, I get the feeling they are making some improvements.

He is on the hotseat...they really got blown out at Nevada, after losing to FCS Albany in their opener. Borland's defense is getting torched. Army is on a roll and maybe unstoppable. Watched their game at UTEP and they just destroyed the Miners. Lance does have what was described by the announcers last week as the youngest roster in d1 football including 42 new players since last year. He really has his work cut out.

[BoBo]

Tight End.  If God wanted Gumina to be a third tackle, he wouldn't have given him legs that run fast and hands that catch. 

What I would like to see done with him then, is if he really has legs that run fast and hands that catch, put him out wide. God knows we don't have any size at WR. Campbell is more of that third tackle anyway. Plus, the blind squirrel sometimes finds the nut, right? He'll occasionally catch a pass or two ... by accident.

BTW, where's all the indepth discussion about Oshkosh vs Morthland? I'm curious what they run for an offense? And how the Titan defense will fare? Will Oshkosh only take their JV team or will the entire squad be bussed to Illinois for the day?