FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[bleedpurple]

Sure gonna be a lot of Waukesha West on the field Saturday. For UWO, WR Tetzlaff, OL Huggett and RB MacCudden all start. For UWW, besides Hudson, RT Gannon is also a Westy.

Careful WW, you're going to expose the mysterious reason a non-Whitewater fan would have a board name of WW!! 

[WRMUalum13]

Admittedly, I haven't followed UWW as closely as when they played my Purple Raiders every year... But I was absolutely baffled when I saw the Warhawks punt from their own 41 yardline on 4th and 1 and against UWO.

That play call seems like sacrilege for a program that used to be built on their ability to "Pound the Rock." Anyway, just thought it was strange and wanted to chime in. Curious if any UWW fans thought it was weird too.

[Pat Coleman]

In the first quarter, in their own territory? I don't see that as being particularly surprising.

[WRMUalum13]

In the first quarter, in their own territory? I don't see that as being particularly surprising.

To me it demonstrated lack of confidence in their ability to pick up 1 yard near midfield, which seems like the thing I'd be most confident in if I had the O line that UWW has.

I've also become very anti-punting recently considering all the analytics that say it's overused, so that's probably shading my opinion a bit.

[BoBo]

In the first quarter, in their own territory? I don't see that as being particularly surprising.

To me it demonstrated lack of confidence in their ability to pick up 1 yard near midfield, which seems like the thing I'd be most confident in if I had the O line that UWW has.

I've also become very anti-punting recently considering all the analytics that say it's overused, so that's probably shading my opinion a bit.

I can guarantee you alum, Whitewater doesn't lack confidence in anything, to suggest so is plainly wrong. It was clearly the proper call in that situation.

[WRMUalum13]

In the first quarter, in their own territory? I don't see that as being particularly surprising.

To me it demonstrated lack of confidence in their ability to pick up 1 yard near midfield, which seems like the thing I'd be most confident in if I had the O line that UWW has.

I've also become very anti-punting recently considering all the analytics that say it's overused, so that's probably shading my opinion a bit.

I can guarantee you alum, Whitewater doesn't lack confidence in anything, to suggest so is plainly wrong. It was clearly the proper call in that situation.

So I guess my question would be, if totally confident in picking up that yard why end your drive and willingly give UWO the ball back?

I'm honestly not trying to be a troll or anything I just don't get the super conservative play call, especially with how good UWWs defense is.

This is part of my larger critique of teams punting too often but It seems especially silly for a team like UWW which has a very physical oline.

[OzJohnnie]

Tragic mistake for the Platteville QB.  They had UWL beat and he kneeled instead of spiked and time ran out when they had a sitter for the FG to win.  He'll be disappointed about that for a while.

['95 Blugold]

Blugolds lose 41-24 to River Falls for Homecoming.  Turnovers and a Swiss cheese defense made this a very frustrating game to watch. Be lucky to keep our remaining opponents under 50. Not even ready to compete against the tier 2 teams in WIAC yet. Hopefully next season.

[UfanBill]

But even before that an apparent mistake by the officials or clock operator kept the clock running after the LaCrosse QB ran out of bounds. The announcers saw it right away but no one else seemed to. It cost Platteville a valuable 36 seconds. 

[fredfalcon]

RF over EC 41-24. Coach Walker gets his first 5 win season.

[02 Warhawk]

Admittedly, I haven't followed UWW as closely as when they played my Purple Raiders every year... But I was absolutely baffled when I saw the Warhawks punt from their own 41 yardline on 4th and 1 and against UWO.

That play call seems like sacrilege for a program that used to be built on their ability to "Pound the Rock." Anyway, just thought it was strange and wanted to chime in. Curious if any UWW fans thought it was weird too.

No...no it wasn't. UWW plays in a really good conference against good teams. This isn't the OAC. 😉 no need for unnecessary risks against a good defensive team on the road. Pin them back and play good defense. Like Pat said it was in UWW territory

[BoBo]

28 points?! Wow. As much as I would love see that happen, I'm not too sure about that.

However....I'll take UWO +28 all day $$$. 

I'll go UWW by 14. When UWO won this matchup a couple years ago, I seem to remember Oles running for his life, especially in the second half -- did UWW lose an OL or two to injury that game? UWO would need that kind of pressure again to keep this one close, control possession as much as possible (like 40 minutes) and get a few freak plays and bounces going their way. Jaylen Grant... I just don't think we've heard the last out of him. He can fly. So it's not so much an alternative universe in which UWO could win this game, but UWO's gotta be near perfect. UWW's just gotta be itself.

Just my biased opinion, but...

If anyone wants to keep UW-W from lighting up the scoreboard this season, they HAVE to stop the running game. if they don't, they likely won't stop either run or pass because the entire playbook will be open and UW-W will be operating with second and third and short situations.

UW-0 allowed 217 yards rushing and 6.0 ypc at Huntingdon
142 yards rushing and 5.5 yards per carry to Northern Michigan
218 yards rushing and 4.7 yards per carry to LaCrosse

Unless some studs are returning or their play dramatically improves, it will be hard to slow down UW-W's running game with a similar performance. 

With their likely playoff aspirations on the line, UW-0 will fight like crazy.
Meanwhile this is one of two teams the UW-W players have been salivating to play against for nearly two years.
Should be a fun one!

You called it bleed, UWO just don't have a collection of studs they marched out on defense a few years ago.

You have to agree that they did pretty well at containing the Warhawk running game especially in the first half - but it is a 4 quarter game and the cream always rises to the top.

Offensively, the Titan offensive halftime adjustment was a blueprint for how a mobile QB can find holes in the UWW defense. He was impressive for a short period of time. Unfortunately for Oshkosh, I think one of those sprint out, run for your life scrambles put him on the sidelines with an injury.

[02 Warhawk]

Ugly win for UWW, but I'll take a multi-score win at UWO any year. UWW committed two very costly penalties (on third and long, and fourth and long I think it was) today, that prolonged two UWO drives....leading to their only two scores. UWO came to play and it showed. Playing for their post season lives pretty much.

If I have to hear UWO's announcers call Peete "Peety" one more time I might lose it.

[WRMUalum13]

Admittedly, I haven't followed UWW as closely as when they played my Purple Raiders every year... But I was absolutely baffled when I saw the Warhawks punt from their own 41 yardline on 4th and 1 and against UWO.

That play call seems like sacrilege for a program that used to be built on their ability to "Pound the Rock." Anyway, just thought it was strange and wanted to chime in. Curious if any UWW fans thought it was weird too.

No...no it wasn't. UWW plays in a really good conference against good teams. This isn't the OAC. 😉 no need for unnecessary risks against a good defensive team on the road. Pin them back and play good defense. Like Pat said it was in UWW territory

Oh yeah, I mean the fact that the WIAC is so good strengthens my argument. The analytics say that voluntarily giving UWO the ball back when you could pretty reliably pick up the first down is the unnecessary risk.

The New York Times did an analysis of NFL teams years ago and put together a pretty good chart about when to go for it on fourth down https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/05/upshot/4th-down-when-to-go-for-it-and-why.html and I've seen  similar charts elsewhere. I'd imagine this advice is even more relevant to D3 where punters aren't nearly as good.

Anyway, apparently you all agree with the call so I guess I'm alone on this opinion lol.

Chart may be behind a paywall but quick summary is 4th and 1 is almost always a good time to go for it, even if in own territory

[02 Warhawk]

Any links to how that UWL/UWP game ended? Would love to see the end of that one.