FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[USee]

I was very surprised at the distribution vs Wartburg. Tamir Thomas went for 6 yds per carry but had just 12 carries. UWW ran for 94 total yards on 26 rush. Very surprising.

[bleedpurple]

Is UWW still Pound the Rock?
Last two playoff losses:
2023: 39 passes, 26 runs.
2022: 36 passes, 30 runs.

2023 numbers mitigated a bit by the fact that 9 of the passes were in the final minute and a half of each half.

[USee]

Slippery slop Bleed! Let's look deeper:

When UWW got the ball back with 1:33 left in the 2nd qtr (After the Ogden fumble that allowed Wartburg to score ) they led 21-17. To that point in the game they had run 29 plays, 15 pass and 14 run. They had 178 yds passing and 74 rushing. When they got the ball at 1:33, UWW ran three plays, all passes (2 inc and a completion for +5) and punted the ball back to Wartburg at 1:22. They had run just 11 seconds off the clock. Wartburg did nothing with it and punted back to UWW with just 48 seconds in the half. UWW, at their own 19 passed the ball 2x and then a 3 yard run to Tamir Thomas ended the half. So at halftime, UWW had run 15 plays, 20 pass and 15 run.

Wartburg gets the ball to start the second half and drives the field to take a 24-21 lead. The rest of the 2nd half with a less than 1 score difference, UWW threw 16x for 162 yds and ran 9x for 36 yds.

When UWW got the ball back at their own 31, with 51 seconds left, down 31-28, and 2 timeouts, they threw it 4x (the last one the INT). So UWW built a 21-10 lead through the 5:09 mark of the second quarter, it was on the strength of balanced offense (15 pass, 14 run—not the 40/60 ratio they had the whole season) and the rest of the way they ran 25 passes and 12 runs. By the way, all 3 turnovers (not including the kneel down punt) were on passing plays.

[badgerwarhawk]

I wonder if Wartburg's run defense had anything to do with the run/pass ratio?  They were only the top ranked rush defense in the nation. 

[USee]

I might be wrong (I have been many times) but I don't think teams that use the term "Pound the Rock" usually care who they play, especially if they play in the #1 conference in the nation.

I will be shocked if NCC is anything other than 60-70% run they have used all year this weekend at Wartburg, despite having a Gagliardi finalist as QB.

[emma17]

USee, great detail and thank you for taking the time to share it. There is a story being told here and it now has chapters for the three OC's UWW has had since LL left.
28 rushes for 117 yards- Wartburg's All Region running back.
12 rushes for 74 yards- UWW's All Region running back. Unbelievable.

Btw.
2022 loss to Aurora:
Chretin: 28 rushes for 121 yards.
Thomas: 10 rushes for 81 yards. Edmundson 9 rushes for 37 yards. (UWW use of multiple backs gets into a whole other discussion).

Btw2:
I looked back to 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010 and 2009 quarterfinals, semis and Stagg games. Twice UWW passed more times than ran. Once against Linfield and the other was a three play difference in the 2009 Stagg.

The head coach sets the parameters. It's been a few years now where I personally don't know who/what UWW wants to be.

[02 Warhawk]

The whole "Pound the Rock" mantra left when Lance left.

New regimes come with their own philosophies. Good and bad.

[bleedpurple]

The whole "Pound the Rock" mantra left when Lance left.

New regimes come with their own philosophies.

"Pound the Rock" didn't go anywhere. However, it's true meaning has more to do with a lunchpail mentality of coming to work each day and working hard, and getting one percent better. Yes, of course UW-W wants to run the football. But they also want balance. If UW-W had run the ball 12 more times last Saturday and lost, then there would have been second guessing criticizing the offense/OC for not being "balanced" enough. But it's cool. That's what fans do. If they didn't care, they wouldn't comment. Everyone has a right to their opinion.

USee,  great breakdown. It didn't really refute my point, but it was a great breakdown of what happened. I didn't even really even offer an opinion on Emma's original post on the topic. I was just providing context. 23% of UW-W's pass attempts came in the final minute and a half of each half. 

[bleedpurple]

The whole "Pound the Rock" mantra left when Lance left.

New regimes come with their own philosophies. Good and bad.

2014, Lance's last year  Rushing yardage accounted for 45% of total yardage.
2023, Rushing yardage accounted for 53% of total yardage.

So, whatever.

[02 Warhawk]

Looking at Emma's, USee's and Bleed's posts, it's kind of funny how stats can be cherry picked to prove their own different point of view(s) about the same topic.

Just like politics 

[02 Warhawk]

The whole "Pound the Rock" mantra left when Lance left.

New regimes come with their own philosophies. Good and bad.

2014, Lance's last year  Rushing yardage accounted for 45% of total yardage.
2023, Rushing yardage accounted for 53% of total yardage.

So, whatever.

I was referring more to the offenses that took over (who are no longer here, for good reason) after Lance and Andy left. This year was a step in the right direction, I admit. Which is promising.

[bleedpurple]

Looking at Emma's, USee's and Bleed's posts, it's kind of funny how stats can be cherry picked to prove their own different point of view(s) about the same topic.

Just like politics 

73% of all statistics are made up.

[emma17]

The whole "Pound the Rock" mantra left when Lance left.

New regimes come with their own philosophies. Good and bad.

2014, Lance's last year  Rushing yardage accounted for 45% of total yardage.
2023, Rushing yardage accounted for 53% of total yardage.

So, whatever.

Come on now. Total yardage isn't the discussion.
UWW's All Region running back got 12 carries in a win or go home game that was close throughout.
12 attempts to establish the running game is terrible.

[GBMAN]

Going into 2024, what are the strengths of this team? What positions on offense and or defense have to be added via recruiting?

[bleedpurple]

The whole "Pound the Rock" mantra left when Lance left.

New regimes come with their own philosophies. Good and bad.

2014, Lance's last year  Rushing yardage accounted for 45% of total yardage.
2023, Rushing yardage accounted for 53% of total yardage.

So, whatever.

Come on now. Total yardage isn't the discussion.
UWW's All Region running back got 12 carries in a win or go home game that was close throughout.
12 attempts to establish the running game is terrible.

lol. OK, signal me when the board is back open to all topics. I was responding to a broader point that 02 made. 

GBMAN, don't take it personally when Emma tells you that you are off topic. That's a great question and will facilitate some great thoughts. But 2024 "isn't the discussion". Emma will let us know when he opens it back up.