FB: American Southwest Conference

footballfan413 · December 14, 2008, 10:18:47 AM

All my best congrats to the Cru and their fans on a terrific season and hard fought battle yesterday. I admit, didn't expect to overtake the Cru like that in the second half but they have nothing to hang their heads about! Gave us all we could handle the first half. Obviously a very talented and classy program. Outstanding season and I expect to see them at the top of the heap again next year.

crufootball · December 14, 2008, 10:31:33 AM

I would disagree with the notion that teams from a certain area are better than teams from another area. UMHB has proved that they could probably beat about 230+ DIII teams no matter where they are from. Mt. Union and UWW have both proved to just be better than everyone else and I can live with that.... at least till next season

janesvilleflash · December 14, 2008, 10:51:13 AM

Last thing from me. The score, in MY head, of yesterdays game was 18-13. When you take away some of the goofy, lucky, questionable things that happened. That's how close I think the two teams are.

footballfan413 · December 14, 2008, 10:59:36 AM

Quote from: janesvilleflash on December 14, 2008, 09:48:11 AM
Looked to me like the Cru had plenty of athletes. My opinion is the passing games were the difference. WW was commited to stop the run, and the Cru couldn't mount enough of a passing game to make them play it differently.

Opposite was true with WW. It looked like the Cru could stop the WW run when commited to do so, but the passing ability of WW forced them to play both.

Agree totally. I have stated before that the key to going deep in the play-offs, a team must have a balanced offense. You will not play in the Stagg without being two dimensional. That ability is what has allowed us to have this amazing run the last 4 year. I watched with amazement when our offense went from a "run first, run often," standard UWW offense in 04 to an extremely efficient, balanced rushing/passing offense where the Hawks would score with whatever the defense gives them in 05. You must be balanced to have a chance to get by great defenses at the elite level. Great defenses will stop your run. The UMHB posters had me nervous this week with the talk about the Cu's improvement in their passing game but until you can be considered a team with legit passing weapons, and not just, "pass to open up the run," odds are a team won't finish their season in Salem, IMHO. Again, congrats to the Cru and their fans on a fantastic showing. Best of luck next season. I expect we will be seeing each other then!

wesleydad · December 14, 2008, 12:18:53 PM

crufans, i am surprized by the results fo the game. i thought you guys had a great chance of winning. if the uwww lines are that big and physical, then they have a great chance of beating mount. i went to alliance yesterday and mount is small on both side of the ball. wheaton had receivers open all day and without the drops early the game might have been much closer than it was. the mount people that i talked to also feel that they are small compared to normal. if uwww wins the lines, they will win the game.

roocru, i will see you this weekend in salem.

toby, it was nice meeting you this year, have a good holiday season.

footballfan413 · December 14, 2008, 01:29:05 PM

Quote from: wesleydad on December 14, 2008, 12:18:53 PM
crufans, i am surprized by the results fo the game. i thought you guys had a great chance of winning. if the uwww lines are that big and physical, then they have a great chance of beating mount. i went to alliance yesterday and mount is small on both side of the ball. wheaton had receivers open all day and without the drops early the game might have been much closer than it was. the mount people that i talked to also feel that they are small compared to normal. if uwww wins the lines, they will win the game.

roocru, i will see you this weekend in salem.

toby, it was nice meeting you this year, have a good holiday season.

Wesleydad, that is music to this Warhawk fan's ears.

I posted this several day ago on the CCIW board.

Quote from: footballfan413 on December 11, 2008, 04:35:56 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on December 11, 2008, 04:17:06 PM
Good point about winning at the line...that's actually how St. John's won the Stagg, and even more so, how Whitewater won their trophy.

Took the words right out of my mouth. I have said many times that, IMO, the #1 difference that allowed the Warhawks to win the 3rd installment of the Stagg matchup between MUC/UWW was that in 07, they finally won the LOS! It was the key to everything from the goal line stand and pressure on Micheli to Jone's scrambling opportunities to Beaver running wild in the open field when he got a sliver of daylight.

Ralph Turner · December 14, 2008, 01:51:34 PM

Bill, any division.

Ralph Turner · December 14, 2008, 02:03:22 PM

Quote from: janesvilleflash on December 14, 2008, 10:51:13 AM
Last thing from me. The score, in MY head, of yesterdays game was 18-13. When you take away some of the goofy, lucky, questionable things that happened. That's how close I think the two teams are.

The way UWW controlled the line of scrimmage was the difference.

We just don't grow linemen that big in Texas! We have to rely on quickness.

I saw what the wind did to the opening kickoff yesterday and muttered to myself...

"Oh shucks...it is gonna be that type of windy day!"

Page 40, South Region Playoff thread in-game posts

Quote
(Daily Dose post)
# Ralph Turner Says:
December 13th, 2008 at 3:00 pm (EST) (late 3rd quarter)

With the wind 28
Against the win 7

Toby Taff · December 14, 2008, 03:00:54 PM

Ralph,
we grow them that big in Texas, but they play D1, D1AA, D2, NAIA, Juco and D3 and they get recruited all over the country.

footballfan413 · December 14, 2008, 03:33:16 PM

For many years before UWW's run the last 4 years, linemen in the WIAC were considered big, slow and dumb. The Warhawks have done a better job of improving on the last two.

Ralph Turner · December 14, 2008, 04:16:26 PM

Quote from: Toby Taff on December 14, 2008, 03:00:54 PM
Ralph,
we grow them that big in Texas, but they play D1, D1AA, D2, NAIA, Juco and D3 and they get recruited all over the country.

And therefore we don't have enough left over for D3.

We have plenty of guys with speed and hands and moves. We see them abundantly in D3.

But, IMHO, we don't have "Wisconsin" size in Texas D3. $:-\$

PA_wesleyfan · December 14, 2008, 04:51:35 PM

Ralph

Let me preface this by saying, all the meds from my surgery are flushed out of my system..well except my oxy..

It has been my contention for years and I have posted my thoughts on this very subject.. Really good D2 schools will beat really good D3 schools more than the other way around. The WIAC schools are comparable to the D2 state schools here in Pa. That's just the way it is. And Mount Union is Mount Union. Some years certain schools can compete with those teams but most years it's not going to happen. This is not an excuse. It is what it is.

Congrats to the Cru for getting to the final four. You were the best South region team this year..

drinkxs.com · December 14, 2008, 04:53:23 PM

Great year CRU.

It has been a priveledge to be part of the CRU family over the past 4 years. I can think of no better program for my son to have been part of as Coach Fred and his staff are a class act. The investment they contributed will have a life long impact into the lives of our young men.

Thanks CRU...

Bill McCabe · December 14, 2008, 06:58:29 PM

Quote from: Ralph Turner on December 14, 2008, 01:51:34 PM
Bill, any division.

Very good for d3, but not close to D1.

Bill McCabe · December 14, 2008, 07:36:56 PM

Never too early to start thinking about next year.

I count 18 seniors from the UMHB website, 8 on defense and 9 on offense, plus a kicker. It looks like heavy losses in both lines, 2 DE, 3 DT, 5 OL, plus the starting QB, TE, and FB.

How does it look at the other schools? HSU?

I thoroughly enjoyed this season. Wish it was starting again in a few weeks. Good luck to everyone in the off season.