FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[D O.C.]

Hence, our high opinion of him.

[USee]

I think we have seen MHB play against two top 10 defenses the past two weeks (and a third this week) and they have struggled. They are a running team and Jackson's passing is usually the deep ball, which he throws very well, and the bubble screen/flat passes off the quick game and play action. He is not a pocket passer who reads defenses. Against Wheaton he was 11-21 for 120+ yds and his only real completion was a  long pass for an 80 yd TD that was played perfectly by the defense but executed better by MHB. They are a 60/40 run focused team and averaged 6+ yds a carry all season. Mt Union was good against the run vs everybody this year, their defensive struggles were against passing teams, which MHB is not. If your defense can stop the run and keep up with the long ball vs MHB, then their offense seems to struggle like we have seen the past two weeks. I expect more of that vs UWO.

The MHB defense has been equal to the task, however, as they held Mt Union to 12 pts when their previous low, against JCU mind you, was 28. The CRU's Defense is why they are playing for the title.  MHB's offense is not going to score 3-4 TD's against UWO in my opinion. The biggest question is where does UWO find their points because this MHB defense may be better than anything UWO has faced so far, which is really saying something. 

Really looking forward to this battle.

[emma17]

No idea who should be favored on Friday, but I was really disappointed in MHB against Mount.   Especially their offensive line and QB play.  Mount hadn't been able to stop anybody this season and MHB was a crazy close to only scoring a single TD.   That was very surprising.   All season we'd heard about how great of a passer their QB was, but last Saturday he looked like every other MHB QB that I've seen:  great athlete playing QB, not a great athletic QB.  Maybe it was just a bad game or Mount played way over their heads, but I wasn't impressed.

It was tough to watch as a Linfield fan because Jackson put the ball on the money on multiple long balls where only his guy could make the play against the 'Cats. We seemed to bring out the best in him.   

Brings to mind how the definition of "open" seems to have changed over the years. Today, as long as a DB is looking the other way, he can be in the receiver's hip pocket and the better QBs consider that open.
Just got to be dead balls accurate.

[JCUStreaks70]

Good Luck Oshkosh! Show those Southerner's how Northerner's play football.

[brewhawk]

Good luck to Oshkosh tonight  Bring the walnut and bronze back to Wisconsin. 

[emma17]

Great season and Stagg Bowl UWO.
IMO the game plan ensured such a close game.
Your strategy was ruined on a horrible defensive pass interference call against Brown.
He had position on the ball. A stop there gives UWO possession.
I'm not saying the refs lost the game for you. However, UWO implemented an obvious game plan and it was impacted by a bad ref decision.

[mr_mom]

Great Season, Osh!  I thought (hoped) you would have pulled this out, but only increases the amount of respect of the WIAC from the OAC. 

[SaintsFAN]

Congrats to UW-Oshkosh for having a great year.  More importantly, congrats to those players on being great young men.  Every time I ran into one of the kids, they were respectful and well-spoken. 

They also handled a tough result with dignity and class. 

I'm sure we'll see you in Salem again.

[badgerwarhawk]

Congrats Titans, you did yourself and all of us in the WIAC proud. 

There is just one thing I want to get off of my chest and that the freakin' half time show which was entirely focused on the D1 semifinal  matchups.  You're broadcasting a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ESPN.  I know it's only DIII but do you really have to completely ignore it for the entire halftime?  I suppose I should be grateful that you gave the two announcers two minutes to wrap the first half before kicking off the second one.  But I'm not.  The D1 semi-finals aren't scheduled for 15 frickin' days and that, in addition, to the show you've already been running for over a week should allow enough time for you to analyze the four teams and two games.  That sucked.

[emma17]

Well said BW.

[retagent]

They could have at least spent a few minutes on the Gagliardi Trophy, and what it means. Don't they usually? It's about STUDENT athletes, not semi pro athletes who happen to attend college. All nominees were outstanding individuals. It's something that is representative of D III athletics.

[SaintsFAN]

Congrats Titans, you did yourself and all of us in the WIAC proud. 

There is just one thing I want to get off of my chest and that the freakin' half time show which was entirely focused on the D1 semifinal  matchups.  You're broadcasting a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ESPN.  I know it's only DIII but do you really have to completely ignore it for the entire halftime?  I suppose I should be grateful that you gave the two announcers two minutes to wrap the first half before kicking off the second one.  But I'm not.  The D1 semi-finals aren't scheduled for 15 frickin' days and that, in addition, to the show you've already been running for over a week should allow enough time for you to analyze the four teams and two games.  That sucked.

We had a halftime show of about 12 minutes on the d3 audio feed but I see your point.  Word made its way around the press box the ESPN announcer used "Mary Hardin Simmons" as the school name for the visitors.

[AppletonRocks]

Was really a missed opportunity for ESPN not to cover the "Be The Match" program that the Oshkosh team went through and continues to support as Team Phoenix.  I bet there are other interesting stories about both teams, but the announcers got stuck on 2 or 3 items per school and just kept repeating them. For Oshkosh, there could have been reference to the incredible lead gift support the school got from the Keller family and the entire community to rebuild their stadium, a feature on the WIAC, etc.   

I guess ESPN just doesn't care.   

[wesleydad]

Congrats Oshkosh on a great season and a great Stagg Bowl.  It was really fun to watch.

[D O.C.]

Rap on badgerwarhwawk, rap on.
I had to go take a walk during that who gives a Flying Flip about what Alabama is going to maybe do in 2 weeks.

I suppose I should keep up on this stuff more than a drive-by allows, but, please, what happened to the WIAC playing each other twice?
THX