FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[clandfan]

I never thought about the illegal man downfield penalty.  You're right!

Also, I've said it numerous times, maybe not here though:  There aren't many teams that should defer to the second half against Mount Union.  If nothing else, you take the ball and hope you can punch them in the mouth quickly, then pull a Lee Corso and call a timeout to take a picture of the team in front of a scoreboard.

Hi all:  I am perusing your board..."perusing", not a bad word for a state school guy, eh?.  Anyway...I like the above.  Much respect to MUC but we are coming to take the picture after the game. 

I haven't read much but I appreciate the tone of your board.  None of the ... "they suck, you suck, my dad is bigger than your dad nonsense".   Good luck to you on Sat.  You'll need it. (I'm an optimist)  Looking forward to the trip.

[clandfan]

I think Kmic's "three more games" is EXACTLY what he should be saying!  He has made it clear all year long that last year's loss in the Stagg was his fault.  He felt he wasn't ready/conditioned enough for that game.  Any Mount player feels that it's the Stagg, or bust.  If Cortland feels that is motivation.....pfffft...so be it. 

Bring it....don't sing it!   

If Cortland has to look for motivation then it is already over.  The opportunity is motivation enough.  If the truth be told...Cortland is saying "three more games" as well.

[Toph]

Hi all:  I am perusing your board..."perusing", not a bad word for a state school guy, eh?.  Anyway...I like the above.  Much respect to MUC but we are coming to take the picture after the game. 

I haven't read much but I appreciate the tone of your board.  None of the ... "they suck, you suck, my dad is bigger than your dad nonsense".   Good luck to you on Sat.  You'll need it. (I'm an optimist)  Looking forward to the trip.

Since JCU hasn't made the playoffs since '02 when I was just a rosy-cheeked freshman, and my parents are season ticket holders at MUC (it makes for great family dinners, my mom won't admit it, but she was rooting for JCU over MUC in '05) I've spent a fair amount of time at Mount Union Stadium in recent years during the playoffs.  Enjoy your trip to Alliance.  Be aware that the stadium is all reserved seating, and that you will be surrounded by sections of Mount fans.  The students will be back, and hopefully they'll be out in force (you never can tell, it's pretty much assumed by some that the Raiders will be in the Stagg Bowl year in and year out because more often than not...they are).  

And since I have become the official spokesperson on d3football.com for the Naborhood Inn, that's the place to go when the game is over (not necessarily when the clock hits zero) for drinks and burgers.

Again, I'll try to remember to wear a JCU hat so that I stand out a little.

[clandfan]

Is the "hood"  near the stadium?  Actually, we may need to head right out but if not...we will check it out.

[raiderfan1983]

The Hood is right down the street from the stadium.  Head out of the main gate of the stadium to the front of campus and make a right.  It's a few blocks down on the other side of the street next to Doug's 57 Diner.

[Desertraider]

I was on Ric's site last night reading some past write-ups on Mount games. Have to say I miss reading
Dick Ross's articles. He gave more than the game - you always got a sense of the history as well as the "feel" of the day - and that makes them very special to read. That being said - great read on the front page "Road to Salem Feature".

My wife and I ordered chinese food the other night - Sunday to be exact (the start of the week). The fortune cookie says it all: "Focus on purple this week for good luck". Sorry Cortland but a million chinese can not be wrong......well at least about this. As for the lucky numbers - the high was 49. I'll take it. My prediction is Mount 49 and Cortland something less than that (need to read up a bit on the Red Dragons). Regardless, it should be a great game and I hope to be in the stands. 

[seadog2]

Haven't been on for a couple days, been pretty busy. Would like to give a big welcome to Raidetown and glad to hear you like the place. I have to agree with you on the Mt Union Diner, been there many times, always good. Big Jim says "this ain't BK, you get it my way or you don't get it"!

I hear they might make a sequal to Rocket Man and Nate Kmic might be considered for the starring role. He is after all, THE REAL ROCKET MAN and when he gets the ball he has only one destination. (Endzone)

Shoot for the moon Nate, we are all hoping you make it! Goooooooo Raiders!

[seadog2]

Happy Birthday to you Seventiesraider. Getting old can be a good thing, if you really think about it. You can talk about all those silly things you have done in the past, you can think about all the things you want to do in the future. One thing is for sure it beats the H_ _ _ out of the alternative! I like looking down at the grass, instead of looking up at the roots! I could be wrong about that though, nobody has ever come back to tell me about it. Have a great birthday just the same and many, many more.

[reality check]

Where to begin...

My grandmother passed two days before Thanksgiving and I was home all week for funeral/viewing arrangements.  Coming back to Ohio was unexpected but it gave me the chance to get back to my roots a bit.

I watched the MUC/Hobart game Saturday night from Wapakoneta, Ohio and managed to take a side trip to Ada for a campus visit. 

After reading through the 16 pages post patterns, I can finally add some drivel to the discussion. 

Firstly, and sorry to rehash, I'd like to welcome SJF Fan into the Ring of Shame.  He's earned a spot right between Thurdermom and Busta99. 

Secondly, I was very happy I got to watch the STO replay.  Hobart played tough and based on the many comments on here, the fans were every bit as good as they were when I saw them at the Del Val game in 2005.  Class acts.

Regarding the punting of Hobart, I can speak to both the high school rules and my research of NCAA rules, that there is no such thing as "illegal man downfield" on punts at either of those levels.  I learned this three weeks ago as the team we played in the first round of the Arizona HS playoffs pulled just about every trick that I saw Hobart pull out and researched it after the game.  The NCAA and HS rules state that the longsnapper is not to be engaged as a matter of safety (in college the snapper can't be hit until their head is up).  All players however are allowed to run downfield however, if a pass occurs on a fake punt, the same line of scrimmage rules apply.  In the case of the punt that was downed deep in MUC territory, everything was perfectly legal.  In fact, by releasing downfield, the punting team ensures that there will be no pass fake.  At that point all the punter can do is run forward, kick away or throw a forward pass that is caught behind the line of scrimmage (as in a screen).  Also, if the punter kicks "rugby style" and releases outside the tackles he is fair game and can kick but "roughing and running into the kicker" calls are voided.  This is something I had no idea about until it was so successfully executed against my kids in the playoffs.  Just thought the forum might want to know as well.

[Toph]

RC-

Very sorry for your loss, my condolences.

+k for the rules explanation.  Well done.

[reality check]

ONU's grown so much since I graduated just five years ago.  Obviously the stadium was a big improvement but the new University Inn is amazing.  The campus housing has grown so much I can barely believe it.  The Dicke College of Business is state of the art and makes me wonder how I ever functioned in the old "college" which constituted four classrooms and some teachers' offices.  The new admissions renovations are incredible as well.  It's amazing how they've done so much in so little time.  And Ada itself (believe it or not) is changing too.  No more Hardee's or KFC; Hardee's was replaced by Rite Aid (which unfortunately killed the two mom and pop pharmacies in town), a McDonald's has been erected towards downtown and the downtown area has been made over with lampposts and brick.  Ada also has a brand new school complex adjacent to the old high school.

The trip to campus made me feel "old".

[reality check]

Toph

Thanks for the condolences.  My grandma lived 30 minutes from campus and was one of the considerations when I picked ONU.  I could stop by, help transport, and be a good grandson to her by going to ONU so her passing this week was the end of another chapter in life.  But it was a long time coming that she was ready for and she's in a better place now.  I'm at peace with that.

I ran into so many ONU'ers while home.  I saw one of the girls I used to broadcast v'ball games for at WONB in a family eatery between Botkins and Anna and the funeral director's son (who also runs the business) graduated a year ahead of me and played golf at ONU).  I was amazed by the small world at first but I had to remember I was just 30 minutes from campus.  Not so amazing afterall.


As far as the rule goes, I was screaming at the officials and anyone who'd listen that Friday night and was blown away when I read the rule.  It turns out all those years they told us to hold our block and release when we heard the thud of the kick it had nothing to do with being downfield illegally.  Coaches use this rule of thumb more to make sure the punt team holds their blocks long enough to protect the punter. 

If I was making special teams decisions for MUC Saturday, I would have probably checked down to a more traditional base defense and set up a "safe return" with a PR retreating from the FS spot and everyone else playing straight up defense (aka 4 man front and cover 2/cover 3 in the secondary).  Although whomever thinks MUC was exposed by playing man on coverage of the punts is off a bit.  I don't know of any team that does anything but play man across the top on punt returns (the only exception being doubling the gunners if desired).  You just play it safe and fair catch if necessary to prevent the punter from passing or running to the outside. 

Bottom line is that Cortland and whomever else might face MUC won't be looking at the Hobart tape and thinking anything was exposed in the armor.  Mount will have that fixed.  Mount got that fixed b y Sunday.

[Small but Slow]

RC- condolences are in order.  That's never a pleasant trip back home.

I look for the NCAA and NFHS to adjust the punt rules to the "safety punt", (as we have called it) as more teams utilize it and it effects the outcome of more games.  We haven't had nearly as much success with the fake punts, but our coverage has been much better and we haven't had any blocked (aside from bad snaps) since we began using it.  Almost every game an opposing coach runs on to the field screaming about our line releasing too early.

[pradierguy]

RC, sorry for your loss. Never is easy.



As far as Saturday is concerned, I can't imagine the Special Teams being in anything other than a defensive formation on punts with the safeties back enough to return. Mr. LK doesn't like trick plays being pulled on him once, let alone twice in one game. He will take care of it  8)

[Blutarsky]

I noticed on the last punt against Hobart, the regular defense was in with the safeties back to return (just in case it was actually kicked)....there were no substitutions (i.e., punt team).  I would agree that it won't be an issue on Saturday...."fool me once, shame on you"