FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I was texting with SmallButSlow during the game (since we didn't make the trek to VA this year) and he made what I think is an astute observation in that it seems like UWW has had the advantage (for the most part) in the kicking game in these 6 match-ups in the Stagg Bowl.

UWW makes their FG and their punter continuously was pinning MTU deep in their own territory.  MTU missed their FG (would have made it 24-24 for a while, but don't know if that matters if they couldn't stop Coppage) and MTU punter was not very effective.

Field Position was huge in the second half.  Raiders never really turned that one around.

If you want to have some fun, go read the two most recent posts on the Liberty League Board.  They are talking about how LK was out coached because he took reps away from Piloto in practice so Shorts could work at QB and how if Shorts was that good, he should have been the QB all year.

I also complimented the hell out of MUC.  God forbid someone question what Larry Kehres does....he's a great coach......how can you not question the decisions he made a QB?

You Said:

Thank you to both MUC and WWW for an amazing Stagg Bowl.  This was one of the best college football games I have ever seen at any level.  Fantastic plays and athleticism from beginning to end.  Two quick observations:

1)  The Northeast has a long way to go in order to compete with the talent on display yesterday.
2)  Larry Kehres was completely outcoached and mishandled his talent, not only in this game, but probably the entire season.  To a degree, I understand putting Shorts at QB to generate a spark.  If you think he is that good though, shouldn't he have been in there from the beginning?  How many reps at QB can you possibly be giving Shorts if you are attempting to prepare your #2 QB for his first start?

Again....great show by both teams.

He took a team with about 5 Seniors and minimal Juniors and made it back to the Stagg bowl and was within 3 points with 3 minutes left in the game.  He then had two OL out in the championship game and had to game plan with a QB starting his first game ever on National TV.   Piloto played OK in the first half, but when it was apparent that they couldn't move the ball much in the second half, he went with the Wildcat Offense.  This is not something he just threw together the week before the Stagg bowl.  It has been part of their game planning all year.  I think Cecil Shorts was more helpful to the team throughout the season as a WR, not a QB.  Just unfortunate that Seaman went out last week.

Completely outcoached and mishandled his talent?  Really?

A little bit harsh.  No one says he is perfect, but I would like to see any other coach in the country do what he did this year, let alone what he has done for the past 20 years.

[badgerwarhawk]

Thank you to those who have said their congratulations to the WARHAWKS.  I'd like to congratulate UMU on a hard fought game and a successful season.  We've worked hard to get our program up to your level.  Fortunately we've experienced some success.  I can only hope we could be lucky enough to sustain it for as long as you have.

Shorts is a hell of a player.  I think the only thing I didn't see him do yesterday was bring water out during the timeouts.  Best of luck to him.  I hope he gets a shot at playing somewhere on Sundays.    

[union89]

I was texting with SmallButSlow during the game (since we didn't make the trek to VA this year) and he made what I think is an astute observation in that it seems like UWW has had the advantage (for the most part) in the kicking game in these 6 match-ups in the Stagg Bowl.

UWW makes their FG and their punter continuously was pinning MTU deep in their own territory.  MTU missed their FG (would have made it 24-24 for a while, but don't know if that matters if they couldn't stop Coppage) and MTU punter was not very effective.

Field Position was huge in the second half.  Raiders never really turned that one around.

If you want to have some fun, go read the two most recent posts on the Liberty League Board.  They are talking about how LK was out coached because he took reps away from Piloto in practice so Shorts could work at QB and how if Shorts was that good, he should have been the QB all year.

I also complimented the hell out of MUC.  God forbid someone question what Larry Kehres does....he's a great coach......how can you not question the decisions he made a QB?

You Said:

Thank you to both MUC and WWW for an amazing Stagg Bowl.  This was one of the best college football games I have ever seen at any level.  Fantastic plays and athleticism from beginning to end.  Two quick observations:

1)  The Northeast has a long way to go in order to compete with the talent on display yesterday.
2)  Larry Kehres was completely outcoached and mishandled his talent, not only in this game, but probably the entire season.  To a degree, I understand putting Shorts at QB to generate a spark.  If you think he is that good though, shouldn't he have been in there from the beginning?  How many reps at QB can you possibly be giving Shorts if you are attempting to prepare your #2 QB for his first start?

Again....great show by both teams.

He took a team with about 5 Seniors and minimal Juniors and made it back to the Stagg bowl and was within 3 points with 3 minutes left in the game.  He then had two OL out in the championship game and had to game plan with a QB starting his first game ever on National TV.   Piloto played OK in the first half, but when it was apparent that they couldn't move the ball much in the second half, he went with the Wildcat Offense.  This is not something he just threw together the week before the Stagg bowl.  It has been part of their game planning all year.  I think Cecil Shorts was more helpful to the team throughout the season as a WR, not a QB.  Just unfortunate that Seaman went out last week.

Completely outcoached and mishandled his talent?  Really?

A little bit harsh.  No one says he is perfect, but I would like to see any other coach in the country do what he did this year, let alone what he has done for the past 20 years.

If Shorts won them a National Championship in the 4th quarter, LK is a genious.....Shorts made some nice plays at QB, but ultimately fumbled once out of bounds and later turned one over which sealed the deal for WWW's victory.  You think questioning LK's coaching in this move is beyond anyone questioning??

Dude, lighten up.....I know the type of coach LK is....he does not need your bulldog type support on here.

[MountUnion12]

Mount Union has been the king of d3 football but I hate to say this Winsconsin Whitewater is kicking them out of that spot

[Raider 68]

Mount Union has been the king of d3 football but I hate to say this Winsconsin Whitewater is kicking them out of that spot

UW-Whitewater, no doubt has really been successful in the last 6 years with 3 titles and great playoff success. However, if and when they win 10 titles and have the Mount Union playoff record, then they become "The" D3 program. Until then, both schools are the ones to emulate and remain the elite of D3 football. Mount Union will still contend for the Championships in the years ahead, IMHO.

[Raider 68]

Thank you to those who have said their congratulations to the WARHAWKS.  I'd like to congratulate UMU on a hard fought game and a successful season.  We've worked hard to get our program up to your level.  Fortunately we've experienced some success.  I can only hope we could be lucky enough to sustain it for as long as you have.

Shorts is a hell of a player.  I think the only thing I didn't see him do yesterday was bring water out during the timeouts.  Best of luck to him.  I hope he gets a shot at playing somewhere on Sundays.   

badgerwarhawk,

Nice post +K !

[HScoach]

Results for the 2010 Playoff Pick-Em's have been posted.

[SaintsFAN]

ESPN sent a sideline reporter to the game who does women's softball on the network, Jessica Mendoza.  I kinda laughed at a couple of her "comments"....

As Pat had predicted, the two guys who called the game were good... I didn't have a computer near the TV, so I didn't listen in on the Ric and Gross Show but would've preferred it.  Good thing the game was a very good one..

[Small but Slow]

Congratulations to U-W-W for a great season overcoming adversity in their defense of the D3 crown!  The regular season and first four rounds of the playoffs created a battle of attrition for the championship game this year.  With a sophomore making his first ever start without two starting offensive linemen against a stout Warhawk defense, its tough to question Mount's offensive game plan.  I would have liked to have seen more rushing attempts early out of the offset I to freeze UWW's safeties when the play action passes were called, but as a distant observer I can only speculate on Piloto's mastery of the entire offensive package.  The UMU offensive system is simple in some ways, but requires a lot of reps at QB to gain proficiency in the entire package.  The game plan was probably scaled back to accommodate an inexperienced QB and run plays he could execute well.

Coppage is a Raider killer!  He's a threat to go all the way any time he touches the ball.  UWW's playcalling was excellent.  The passing game was effective enough to take the defense's focus off Coppage then give him the ball and let him make plays.  If he had been the only weapon utilized his success would have been limited and the passing game wouldn't have made the big plays it did late in the second quarter.  

Special teams once again played a large part in the outcome.  A missed field goal attempt, short punts, and limited return yardage turned the tables on the battle for field position too often.  UWW's kicker and punter were key components in their recipe for victory yesterday.  Using Cecil to return punts and kicks was futile due to the excellent directional kicking and pursuit employed by UWW.  In hindsight, it may have been a better strategy to let someone else return kicks while he rested and spent time with his coaches and QB preparing for the next possession.

It was still a heck of a game.  Expect to see these two teams back in Salem again next year.

[Small but Slow]

ESPN sent a sideline reporter to the game who does women's softball on the network, Jessica Mendoza.  I kinda laughed at a couple of her "comments"....

As Pat had predicted, the two guys who called the game were good... I didn't have a computer near the TV, so I didn't listen in on the Ric and Gross Show but would've preferred it.  Good thing the game was a very good one..

ESPNU provided excellent play by play, but the sideline reporter's comments were seldom useful.  Especially puzzling were the asides promoting the UConn women's basketball game being aired on the network during a tense moment of the game.

[seventiesraider]

Wow, two years in a row with a substitute QB. We got beat in too many facets of the game. Fumbles, drops, mental errors and,,,,,oh yeah WW played very well. Time to drown my sorrows in a Hotel Roanoke Steak dinner.

A lot of talented soph's and frosh out there today. 300 some days to get psyched for purple bowl 7.

Seventies, you forgot one thing in your list of things Mount Union didn't do to win today...they didn't force you to stand over the endzone.  I saw you and Keven in the stands where you're not suppossed to be!   

Blame the lack of local kids for Kevin to play football with. I don't remeber the last time he sat with me thru a whole game. Anyway, one look at those slopes in the south endzone gave me images of visiting the orthopedic surgeon and explaining why I was on a hillside when I had a seat. Anyway some local gave me those seats.

[Pat Coleman]

ESPN sent a sideline reporter to the game who does women's softball on the network, Jessica Mendoza.  I kinda laughed at a couple of her "comments"....

As Pat had predicted, the two guys who called the game were good... I didn't have a computer near the TV, so I didn't listen in on the Ric and Gross Show but would've preferred it.  Good thing the game was a very good one..

ESPNU provided excellent play by play, but the sideline reporter's comments were seldom useful.  Especially puzzling were the asides promoting the UConn women's basketball game being aired on the network during a tense moment of the game.

And that's even with Frank Rossi giving her help on the sidelines.

[skunks_sidekick]

Hmmm......I am wondering if there is a fine line between "help"....and "hitting on".   

[BoBo]

UWW's kicker and punter were key components in their recipe for victory yesterday.  

Excellent comment...and couldn't agree with you more. In fact, on the WIAC page yesterday, I had just posted a comment that I felt Kris Rosholt, the UWW punter should be considered the game MVP for his punt placements, when Coppage busted the 75 yarder...that sort of changed my feelings in a hurry!! The kicking game, especially the FG kicking, was a major concern for Warhawk fans before the season - when you graduate a 4-year starter and all-time NCAA kick scoring leader, that is natural. The first 3 or so games were an absolute adventure for the wrong reasons in the kicking game. But our young freshman kicker was able to keep plugging away and slow but surely, ended up have a very successful season...a good example to a lot of young players who get off to rocky starts...there is light at the end of the tunnel!! 

[BrowardRaider]

Could not agree more with the assessment of the special teams and the role field position played yesterday. The turnovers are always big, but Whitewater made Mount pay big time for their mistakes especially late. Looking at the history of this rivalry all of the Stagg Bowls have hinged on a few very big plays, 05-Kmic's long run, 06-Punt block, 07- a couple big fumbles, 08-Shorts early TDs/ Int returned for td, 09-10 fourth quarter fumbles late in the game that helped propel Whitewater to ice the game, amazing rivalry between two great programs, here's to hoping for 7 in 11.