FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[ohiofootball]

RC- Here's to the streak ending Saturday. A DECADE OF DOMINANCE over ohiofootball. After all it should be a Mount alum to do it.

Somehow I knew Berg was going to play BW tough. I guess the scouting report and film just wasn't enough to pull it off.

[seventiesraider]

Hello??  Is this thing working?? Anybody out there?? I guess we need Heidelberg to to challenge for the lead so we have something to talk about like the NCAC. Kenyon challenging for an automatic playoff berth gives the word automatic a whole new meaning. Gotta give the preppies credit, they have really turned around their program. Albeit by not scheduling Wabash.

[reality check]

ohiofootball

I will be cheering as loud as I can over the internet Saturday.  I hope they play like they are capable of and make it interesting.  I know Dean Paul has tremendous respect for LK and his alma mater in general and I know that he would love to be the one that ends the streak.


So do any of the Raider Nation wish to talk this week or will you all continue to lurk in the shadows.  This board has been dead since Cap lost to the Otters. 

Here's a topic for discussion.  ONU scored 6 touchdowns through the air two weeks ago while  putting up over 600 yards of total offense in three quarters against the Berg.  Last week the Bears scored 5 times on the ground and had 331 yards rushing against OTT.  This is a very balanced offense that seems to find the weakness in its opponent's D each week.  What is the potential weakness for MUC?  Does MUC worry prioritize to stop the run or stop the pass?  I just want some freaking discussion.

[seventiesraider]

I'm waiting for Ric's Tale of the Tape. It should be very enlightening. I was impressed that Larry respected ONU enough to rest one of his better players against Etta.

In the end I think-The hype's the same and so will be the outcome.

All that being said, I'm blowing out of a meeting early Saturday to get to Alliance by the half. Please make it worth the trouble Poo Bears.

[ace]

Walk softly and carry a big stick.

[HScoach]

Reality Check:  Interesting stats for the ONU offense the last few weeks.  Defensively, the Raiders are much more aggresive in the post-Monty era.  A lot more movement up front, more blitzing from the OLB's and a secondary more willing to risk missing the tackle to get a shot at an interception which is a 100% switch from the Monty defenses that played a very soft 3 deep zone.   Most noticable difference is the "base" defense is now what most people would call a "nickel" package.  Mount sits in their base 4-2-5 about 90% of the time.  Only in very long yardage situations do they remove a DT and go to a "dime".

The defense is fast.  Very fast.  Might be the fastest overall defense MUC has ever put on the field.  They don't have a stud DB like a Chris Kern, but they have excellent quality depth in the secondary.  Could easily go 6-8 deep without missing a beat.  The leader is Ross Watson (CB) who is having a great season, much better than I could have ever expected from him based on his first 3 years.   Guess the change in philosophy has helped Watson.

The D-line is very good.  Doesn't have a Matt Campbell type that is unblockable, but just like the secondary has quality depth and rotate 6-7 guys thru the line.  Best playmaker is Stickley, but he's a little undersized if you run at him.  Best run defender is DT Jesse Wells at 290+ lbs.  He's a load, but doesn't pass rush the best.

The LB's are drastically undersized, but very fast.  Gibbons and Rees are both true OLB's, but are playing inside in the new 4-2-5 base scheme.  The OLB positions are being filled with twin strong safeties, very similar to the "rover" in a 5-2 defense.   Which leads me to the one worry I have about this defense, a power running game will give this defense fits.  A team like Augustana or Mary Hardin Baylor that can run the ball 50+ times is going to be very difficult for this team to stop consistently.  The key if they face a team like that will be to score a ton of points, especially early, like they did vs Augie in 99 to make the ball control team score every time they get the ball.  If they struggle offensively like they did vs MHB last year, then the power running could take over late in the game and cause serious problems.


Since we're speaking about defenses, what in the world has happened to ONU's D?  I know Trusnik is out, but he couldn't have been the entire D.   Are there more injuries we just haven't heard about, or are they underachieving?


And since you brought up the stats on ONU's offense, here's where the MUC O stands nationally:

Total Offense:  #1 at 593.7 yds/game
Rushing Offense:  #23 at 229.0 yds/game
Passing Offense:  #4 at 364.7 yds/game
Scoring Offense:  #2 at 50.0 points/game

[jdean]

RC
You don't actually expect to start a discussion after giving ONU's O numbers against the Berg, do you? I don't care if ONU got 1000 yds against the Berg anymore than you should care if Mount got 1000 against Marietta. If you want to  look at things objectively compare the two schools games against like opponents, like JCU and Ott.  Play with those games' numbers and make an argument for the Poo Bears.

[purple]

  Reality ...    IMO,this is the best D-line in D-3.We knew our two all-OAC guys would have great years but this Wolf kid has been a stud for us.We knew Gibbons would have an all-OAC year but we didn't expect these sophomores to be so good at LB.The secondary is led by Watson,but,again the young guys back there are just playing great.It all starts with the line however and no one has been able to run on them or protect their QB.Otterbein seemed to move the ball best with a short passing game.

[l39eagle]

HSCoach
You make a good point about ONU's "D".  I, for one, thought the Defense would carry the Bears this year, but the Offense carried the day against Otterbein.  Losing Trusnick was a big deal in their defensive scheme because they could move him around and offenses had to account for him.  He drew alot of double teams which freed someone else up allowing the defense to be a little more aggressive and take a few chances.  Yes, there have been more than just Trusnick injured on the defensive side.  He was the 3rd defensive end they lost.  They lost their strong safety to an ACL in the B-W game.
Currently the bears are having trouble getting off the field on 3rd down.  You can't negate the importance of 6 or 7 TFLs that Trusnick provided.  2nd and 5 and 3rd and 2 are formulas for disaster.

[Phillys Beeotch]

Did Mount win last week?  I didn't see a score.

[Toph]

Did Mount win last week?  I didn't see a score.

Excellent stuff, really.




I do have to correct ace's post however.  "Speak softly and carry a big stick" is the quote you were looking for.

[MUCFball]

Now that the D of MUC has been analyzed, what about the Offense?

[reality check]

jdean

I wanted some talk and I am getting it.  The point was not the yardage vs. the Berg.  HSCoach got my point in responding the way he did.  The fact that the Polar Bears have had totally different attacks via the passing and rushing games the last two weeks was what I was trying to get across.  It is tough  to gameplan a team that has two so very different offensive performances in back to back weeks.  You can't lean towards one or the other.  It is also a bit unfair to compare your suggestion of the JCU outcomes as both sides have suggested the outcomes, while totally earned, were not representative of the quality of the opponent for whatever reason that week.  ONU was flat and outplayed by JCU especially in the 4th quarter.  MUC totally dismantled JCU and from the accounts I have read, the score was not indicative of the two teams.

I will be looking to see Ric's tale of the tape too and I don't want to steal too much of his thunder but here's some of the notable stats for ONU:

While Jorris is the #2 QB in DIII in pass efficiency, ONU's Quirk is 17th in DIII.

Wes Hostetler is averaging 33 yards per kick return and 17.9 per punt return and from the games I have listened to, he's done this while most teams have suibbed or kicked away from him.  Hos has also been Special Teams OAC POTW three times in the first six games.

ONU's offense is second in the OAC (33rd in DIII) in total offense.  

ONU's defense is also ranked 33rd in DIII in total defense in spite of the key injuries.

ONU's putting up 41.5 per game on O which puts them at 14th in DIII.

Nobody is going to make an argument on paper anyways as to who should come out on top this weekend.  I am not trying to do that either.  I just want some food for thought this week.  

I know ONU has a huge challenge ahead of it this weekend.  RJ Meadows is an emerging stud at RB.  I am anxious to see if he or Garrod break through that Mount D-Line.  Who knows what team shows up this Saturday.  I hope they come out fast and give everyone something to talk about in Alliance.

[raiderguy]

Polarbear
And LK has great repect for DP. But I still think there are a few tricks he didn't teach him. I also know DP and think he is a great guy.

jdean
Let's see No 1 offense in country vs No 33 defense, I like it.
No 4 passing and No 23 rushing, which one do you prepare to defend? I like it.
50 points a game vs 41.5 I like it.
No 2 passer vs No 17 passer I like it.
Hostettler running back kick offs a lot is not a strength since there is only one a game for him unless there has been a you know what by the opponent.
He won't be seeing many punts. I like it.
I would guess he has not seen the same speed on special teams as he will Saturday.
Just my two cents worth ....plink......plink.

[Toph]

Meadows is an emerging stud at RB.

No joke here.  ONU fans should be really excited to watch this guy develop.  It would make a perfect mess of the OAC if ONU could "leave no doubt" against Mount...but wow, is it going to be tough.