FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Shark]

I was at the game as well. I think everyone has dissected the game pretty accurately.

Both defenses were exceptional. Both offenses sporadic at best. Mount was able to establish a consistent running game and sustain drives. I simply think the ONU defense was fatigued. BTW, a great effort by the MUC "O-line" as well. There were some huge holes in the 2nd half and Scotty P looked very good. It was also a very physical game. Special teams were not that special for Mount . ONU looks like a solid team with a nice shot at the playoffs.

Relative to the 2 QBs, LK has no option but to continue. IMO, neither one has separated from the other and LK may just have to ride the 'hot hand" or utilize the "match-up" until one does.

Lastly, what a great atmosphere! Great weather, packed house, nice venue and oh yeah the smell of burgers and brats cooking just by the visitor stands. What a great afternoon of college football

[skunks_sidekick]

Skunk, Jr. & I were standing right in front of the visitors side grill (as evidenced by one of the photos on here), and what a great deal for the visitor fans.  The people/students running the grill and beverage station couldn't have been nicer.  ONU fans were good people. 

RC - did they purposely build the stadium that far away from the rest of the buildings in anticipation that over the years the campus would grow out to that area?  Seems like a LONG walk for the FB players after a really hard practice. 

I personally think the QB's will be "ok", but Rocco showed his happy feet/lock on one receiver mode in this game.  I again say hats off to the ONU defense because they kept coming every play.  I really believe that helped the running game in the second half.  Mount kept running that "mini-draw" play in the middle, and ONU's backers were blitzing around the edges so it was successful.  I also think the ONU D started wearing down. 

#85 was a great returner for ONU.  He went straight ahead, and was up to speed quite quickly.  We finally slowed him down when he took a vicious hit on a little slant I think early in the third quarter.  It was a rib cracker. 

I will say it again....IF ONU can be up to a fairly healthy level, they can/will/should run the table in the OAC.  My only qualifier to that is I haven't seen the latest version of CAP.  IF CAP is back to being CAP, those two could fight it out for second spot.  And possibly, ONU could sneak into the play-offs with an 8-2 record if they lose a barn-burner to CAP. 

I know.....lot to be played in the next few months. 

[Blutarsky]

I was also surprised to see ONU drop in the polls.....however, the rest of the country didn't see the game.  To be honest, when I saw the stats from the game, I was shocked to see that MUC dominated the contest.  Maybe it was the score at half or being behind in the first quarter, but I had no idea that the total yards were so much in MUC's favor (380+ vs. 75).  The MUC defense is plain nasty, with exceptional speed at all positions.  That seems to be what separates them from other teams....the "size" factor on Saturday seemed about even. 

On the long-snapper topic.....for the past three years, MUC has utilized Kyle Miller as the long snapper, and he has done a good job.  With him playing much more this year at TE, there has been another snapper.  I'm sure that, with time, he will become comfortable with the job.

Congrats to ONU on a good game (which MUC needed), and a wonderful atmosphere.  I concur with the previous posts about the friendliness of the crowd, etc.  I think the "bowl setting" with the ability to walk around the stadium area contributes to the atmosphere......not something that you see at other OAC settings.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

My Dad coaches Canadian Junior Football (18-23 year olds) in Edmonton, AB.  They beat their main Rival 72-0 this past weekend.  Last night I asked him about the score and he said he emptied his bench and the other team kept blitzing and couldn't cover his WRs so he kept throwing.  The other team also had 2 players ejected for dirty play and has run it up on my dad's team in the past (but this is a new Head Coach for the other team).

Thoughts on the score and running it up?

[reality check]

sidekick

When I was there, we had lockers in the athletic center (King Horn) and would walk across the athletic parking lot, behind the frat houses and over a small auxiliary field to the football practice field (near the baseball/softball complex.  It was a bit of a walk too.

I'd guess most players drive to practice, regardless of their housing situation.  Most residence halls/campus apartments are directly east of the stadium though, opposite the pond and small woods.  The campus housing is much closer than the academic buildings.  Students have been known to carry couches from the frat houses and residence halls to sit on the hill for games.  

The outdoor track (west of the stadium) was the original proposed site of the stadium.  That's what they told us when we were recruited anyways.  The track was built in 1991 and they were going to build the stadium around it.  They scrapped that idea but decided to keep things close.  I was somewhat surprised that they tore down the rather large stands that used to overlook the track on the east side in order to build the brick grandstands for the home side of the football field.  As far as other locations on or around campus, they had plans of expanding existing housing near the performing arts center and I would guess Ada residents were no keen on the idea of having the stadium butting up against their properties either.  They could have moved some of the other athletic fields on the west end of the campus but that would have meant displacing and relocating even more facilities.  With the exception of the track and field bleachers, the location they chose required no demolition.  It probably made the most sense to build where they did in the long run.

[Blutarsky]

There were several couches in the northeast corner of the endzone.  I went down to ask how they got them into the stadium.....silly question.  They pointed to the other side of the hill where a single rope, about two foot off the ground, went around the whole north side of the stadium.  Anyone with the capability of climbing over the rope was able to get into the game for free.  There were no cops, campus security, ticket takers, etc. in the area.  I'm guessing that the attendance at the game was around 4500, with the paid attendance around 150 

[D3 Poster]

Anyone else ticked off that the voters left off one undefeated OAC team from the top 25?   

[Mr. Ypsi]

Attention fantasy football players: your secret is out of the bag.

Maybe this is old news (I finally received last week's SI today; it usually comes Thursday), but David Sabino's FF "Market Watch" spotlights Pierre as a rising pick.

[old scot]

You must be referring to Marietta?
Thiel and Wilmington are not much of a challenge. Lets see what happens against BW before you toot your horn.

[Raider 68]

Anyone else ticked off that the voters left off one undefeated OAC team from the top 25?   

I think the D3 rankings are fairly reasonable and maybe the OAC will have
high number until the teams play other play each other. The contrast to the D1 AP pole which is so potitical, the coaches poll more resembles the D3.

If the WIAC is advertised as being the number 1 conference, I do not
see many of them in the D3 poll and they have more than one non-conference game.


Thank goodness D3 and D2 have playoffs. Makes one wonder if D1 will ever
get by their big money issues and follow D2/D3.

[Pat Coleman]

There are three WIAC teams in the poll. I think that's pretty fair.

[D3 Poster]

You must be referring to Marietta?
Thiel and Wilmington are not much of a challenge. Lets see what happens against BW before you toot your horn.

Anyone else ticked off that the voters left off one undefeated OAC team from the top 25?   

No horn tooting from rivertown.  That was supposed to be a wink.

[Raider 68]

There are three WIAC teams in the poll. I think that's pretty fair.

Pat,

I said the D3 poll is fair, My point was that many posts have debated that the strongest D3 conference is the WIAC. At this time in the season there are 4 OAC teams. This could and probably will change for both conferences by December.

When conferences are rated, are number of playoff appearance part of the discussion?

[mr_mom]

Pierre just scored his first NFL touchdown!!!

[OldOtter]

gotta love Pierre getting into the endzone. makes me not feel as bad about him tearing it up against us in college. actually found myself cheering for a mount guy for the first time in my life