FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Desertraider]

For anyone interested the replay of Mount - JCU on STO is tonight at 11PM, tomorrow at 3PM and again on Monday at noon.

[edward de vere]

Congrats to the several people on this board who predicted Mount by a touchdown.  Good work!

[SaintsFAN]

Not sure I agree with this. This was a very young Mount squad with only 5 (1 on offense) returning starters. They have continued to improve and have been battle tested against some very good teams with stud skill players (Brooks, Myers, ect).  The issue is not Mount being vulnerable but how D3 football continues to improve. Linfield, UMHB, UWW and others such as John Carroll continue to raise the bar. Overall however given our early concerns with the "O" and our overall inexperience, I'm thrilled where we are now and how we are playing entering the playoffs.

I think JCU will turn some heads in the playoffs as well.

JCU turns it over on downs deep in UMU territory. Mount will hang on for the win. Mount is perfect, but I think this is also their most vulnerable year. If they're placed in the east it will be an easy ride to the Semis for them.

You can't continue to say they are inexperienced in Week 12 unless you are starting 22 new guys weekly. That's similar to a fan/alum saying "boy I wish we'd figure out how to stop the run" in week 6-- you are who you are by now.

No one is continuing to say that. He said that early on there was concern and now there isn't. I don't think by early on he meant the 1st quarter today. Mount overcame alot this year - and I love how they are playing now. Beating Heidi and JCU at the end of the season will help Mount a great deal heading into the playoffs. At the beginning of the year I did not see this as a team that could go deep into the playoffs - now I see them in Salem. Great game by JCU and I can't wait to see the replay of this one. Gotta find out when it is on.

Now I see he used "was" and not "is". You can tell I went to school in KY from my basic reading comprehension. I think I saw something that wasn't there bc that's how MSJ coaches talked all week about needing to improve. They didn't.

[SaintsFAN]

Congrats to the several people on this board who predicted Mount by a touchdown.  Good work!

This is why I go to HScoach when I want to know something about a Mount game: in a private message to me which predicted a close Mount win in a high scoring game. 38-35 was his prediction.

Despite the insults thrown at him, he's a great representative of Mount Union Football.

Plus he's bald and rounder than I am - I like hanging out with him and I bet that's the reason Ric does too.

[wesleydad]

Well, I am glad I made the drive.  The game turned out to be everything that was expected.  I know that it looked like an easy game at the half with Mount up 28 - 10, but it wasn't.  I am not sure what the call was at the half, but that ball has to be thrown in the end zone with 6 seconds left.  Myers is scary good.  His receivers are the best group of receivers I have seen on the same team since I have been watching D3 football.  There are 4 guys that can catch it and they are not afraid to go over the middle.  JCU is a very good team.  In my opinion there is not a lot that separates these 2 teams.  In the end JCU had more scoring opportunities than Mount did.  If they score at the half, they kick a field goal at the end and maybe win the game.  They are going to be a tough out for anyone, Mount included should they play again.  Burke just makes plays.  His ability to avoid hits and sacks is uncanny.  Mount is pretty good on offense, but may be vulnerable to a team that can run and throw.  JCU did run the ball effectively today.  The delay they run will drive lesser teams crazy.  I am not sure why Mount backed off offensively in the second half, but it almost came back to haunt them.  It was a very good football game by two very good teams.  I could see JCU move up in the rankings despite the loss.  they are certainly a top 10 team and likely higher than that.

[HScoach]

Entertaining, high intensity game played by two very good football teams in an electric atmosphere.   Standing room only on a perfect November day for football.  Very much felt like a national semi-final.  And the play on the field equaled the atmosphere.

Random thoughts about the game:

Burke played his best game in a long time today.   Under heavy pressure most every time he went back to throw.   He doesn't have unbelievable physical tools, but he's quick on his feet and he's one cool customer under pressure.   If Myers was playing behind the Mount offensive line today he's dead meat.

BJ Mitchel is the difference for this offense from where they started the season.   He's not going to break many tackles at 165 lbs, but the kid runs hard and isn't afraid of blocking, even though he's at a huge size disadvantage.   Never going to be a good short yardage back, but the kid is the difference between this team having a chance at a national title instead of Mount losing the OAC to JCU.   If Mount was still playing with the same running game from the first 5 weeks, Mount isn't 10-0.

JCU's offensive line won the line of scrimmage battle.   Mount couldn't get pressure with the front 4 and basically gave up rushing him after the first quarter.

Myers is an absolute stud.   Unbelievable accuracy.   Especially on the intermediate to long stuff.   Seemed like the longer the throw the more accurate he was.  Multiple times the Mount defender had perfect coverage to see Myers thread the ball into the only place it could be caught.

As bad as the JCU receivers were last season, they were great today.   The caught everything.   Especially Kline and Kornowski. 

Losing Grobsmith cost JCU a lot in the passing game   Michaels is a better runner, but doesn't have the hands of Grobsmith.

Which leads me to 2 play calls late in the game, the last being the 4th down on the Mount 15.   With Myers and the WR's that JCU has, why in the world do you run a play to a RB that has had trouble catching the ball all game?   I think Arth out thought himself there.   Just let Myers stand in the pocket and find the open guy like he's done most of the game.   

The clock management by Arth in the 2nd quarter was not good.   Spiking the ball with 8 seconds left instead of calling a timeout was very questionable.   Then with 6 seconds designing an underneath route to a RB was a huge mistake, made worse by the RB reversing the field and killing more time fighting for extra yardage.   If you're going to throw it underneath, the receiver better either get down quick or make it into the end zone, even with a timeout in your pocket.   With 6 seconds, the smarter play would have been a slant, post corner or fade that is thrown quickly and either scores immediately or is incomplete.   

Mount is well prepared for the playoffs after seeing Cartel Brooks and Mark Myers.   No playoff opponent is going to bring a better RB or QB to the field than those two.   Only thing that Mount hasn't seen this year is a huge, dominant offensive line.   That is still going to be matchup problem, which isn't a shock.  Mount has always been undersized along the D-line and struggled against a big front.

Still not sure what to think about Mount after the Franklin, Heidi and JCU games.   They're good.  Very good.   But I'm still wrestling with the fact that in 3 games against 3 playoff quality teams they had big halftime leads only to see the momentum shift in the 3rd quarter and the lead evaporate.   On the positive, they weathered the storm and made the drive offensively to win it, but negatively they have let 3 good teams back into a game that could have been over early.   That might be the biggest difference between this team and some of the previous ones.   This team hasn't been able to deliver the knock-out blow.   They had JCU on verge of blown out at 35-13, but couldn't covert deep in JCU territory.  A touchdown there ends the game.   Instead JCU scores 14 straight to make it a dog fight the rest of the way.   One thing is for sure, this Mount team has been tested and is well prepared for the stress of the playoffs.   If they win a title, this is likely to be the reason.   If they fall short, it won't be for a lack of preparation from the regular season.

[HScoach]

Congrats to the several people on this board who predicted Mount by a touchdown.  Good work!

This is why I go to HScoach when I want to know something about a Mount game: in a private message to me which predicted a close Mount win in a high scoring game. 38-35 was his prediction.

Despite the insults thrown at him, he's a great representative of Mount Union Football.

Plus he's bald and rounder than I am - I like hanging out with him and I bet that's the reason Ric does too.

There are 2 primary ways to look and feel better about one's self.   First is to workout, eat healthy and dress better.   2nd is to hang around fat, ugly people.   Glad to know I can provide some kind of benefit.

[HScoach]

WesleyDad:   Sorry I couldn't catch up with you today.   Saw you sitting right in front of us and would have thrown something at you but the new press box windows don't open.  Dumb windows.   

Hope you enjoyed your trip to Alliance.   Safe travels heading home.

[Toph]

What a great game.  I really hope that we can see round two in the playoffs.

A couple notes:

I think that Arth & co were upset more about the spike than the play after the spike at the half.  Alliance, Ohio has to be the only place on earth that over 2 seconds (2.2 to be exact) comes off the clock on a spike (the clock operator wasn't great all day, with 2:07 left he or she never started the clock in the 4th).  There should have been about 7 seconds left for the last play of the half.  Looked like home cooking on the clock at the end of the half to me.

I wish the defense could've played just a little better in the first half.  Could've changed the outcome.

One final question...why were the lights not turned on in the second half?  Is money tight at UMU?  Or was that intentional, since JCU is a pass first team and they wanted it to make it more difficult to see the ball?

[mr_mom]

The regular season final OAC Pick-Em results are posted.

Bobert6296 and Ereraider won the final week with 15 points out of a possible 20.  [Bobert passing his old man in the process   ]

And despite his contrarian selection method, bashbrother could only tie FCGrizzliesGrad with 11 points, leaving Grizz the 2013 OAC Regular Season Pick-Em Champion.

Everybody starts at zero when the OAC Post Season Pick-Em starts this week; new players are welcome.  Spreads and rules will be posted Monday evening.

Year		Regular Season		Post Season
2007		D3Poster & runyr		Acky & RIC
2008		Bobo & RIC		Mr. Mom
2009		reality check		Bashbrother
2010		USee		Jaypeter
2011		HScoach		BWJacket
2012		Chess4Me & praiderguy		Shark
2013		FCGrizzliesGrad		(tbd)

[SaintsFAN]

Congrats to the several people on this board who predicted Mount by a touchdown.  Good work!

This is why I go to HScoach when I want to know something about a Mount game: in a private message to me which predicted a close Mount win in a high scoring game. 38-35 was his prediction.

Despite the insults thrown at him, he's a great representative of Mount Union Football.

Plus he's bald and rounder than I am - I like hanging out with him and I bet that's the reason Ric does too.

There are 2 primary ways to look and feel better about one's self.   First is to workout, eat healthy and dress better.   2nd is to hang around fat, ugly people.   Glad to know I can provide some kind of benefit.

Yeah I've been too lazy for #1 and now with the baby on the way, there's zero chance!

[skunks_sidekick]

What a great game!

At the start of the second half I said Mount needs to score two TD's to win the game.  Phewwww.........I didn't realize it would be that close. 

JCU is definitely a top 8 team, maybe a tad higher. 

Mount's RB makes all the difference on this team.  He is slippery quick, and just made some outstanding cuts.

Myers is one of the best D-3 QB's I have ever seen.  It is almost impossible to pressure him because their whole offense is 1..2...3....throw.  He throws it whether the coverage is there or not, and somehow threads the ball in there (many amazing back shoulder throws).

Burke is by far the greatest Houdini at QB that I have ever seen.  Time and time again he just avoids the hit and makes a play.

So Mount heads to the "east", with Hobart as the #2?

JCU stays in the North and is a #3 possibly behind North Central and UWW?

Anyway, we had a great time today, and the crowd was insane.  One great experience with WesleyDad, Raiderguy, and Skunk. 

[edward de vere]

So who's first-team All-OAC quarterback - Burke or Myers?

(Or, if you prefer, who's first-team All-American quarterback - Burke or Myers?)

[pradierguy]

Mount wins with another "bend don't break" type game. As long as Kevin Burke is under center (or behind in shotgun formation) I do not think this team will lose. He is so talented at so many different things. Just Win Baby!

[edward de vere]

If my calculations are correct, tomorrow night Mount Union will be able to say it beat three of the top twenty D3football.com poll teams in the regular season.

I wonder how often THAT happens?