FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Dr. Acula]

I looked at the box score and it looks like Scott had a nice game.  He came into the game 6th in the nation in pass efficiency and yesterday will only improve those numbers.  I saw the game is on replay tomorrow so I'll reserve comments until I actually watch the game.

[ohiofan1954]

Not that it makes much difference, but Ott's starting QB yesterday was their backup.  The kid who had been starting all year didn't play at all due to suffering a broken wrist last week.  Regardless they were completely non-competitive again this year.  I say it over and over, but the fact that neither school in Columbus is any good is sad.

What do you attribute that to in regards to recruiting (reasons concerning the latter)?  Just curious.  I'm trying to figure that out for Hope as well (although I have some opinion on that for Hope).

I don't know what the deal is at Ott.  They'll throw together a 6-3 OAC record here and there, but short of a D1 QB transferring in again that seems to be about their ceiling.  They're going to finish 4-5 in OAC play this year which is the minimum wins if you're even halfway decent in the OAC.

Cap fell apart when Collins left for Saginaw and Pentello graduated.  They were decent when Assmann was taking snaps, but after that it's been a steep decline.  Other challenges exist in Bexley that make it tougher than Ott IMO.

Would be interested to hear your opinion of the recruiting problems at Capital. The problems for the baseball team are obvious. Not sure what the football team are. Basketball certainly has a great complex to use for recruiting.

[raiderpa]

I don't know why teams in the OAC continue to try to run wide on Mount.  The disparity in speed makes it nearly impossible to get the corners on Mount.  They are so so fast.  IMO you have to run right at Mount,  maybe try using wide line splits, quick dives and traps to attempt to get to the linebackers.  When a team runs a sweep or counter trap,  the quickness and speed results in three or four Raiders there waiting.  The most successful passes are quick slants and three step throws that at least give the receivers and quarterbacks the opportunity for success before the defense reacts.  This is what WWW has done with success over the years.  Certainly they have the talent, too, but their straight ahead quickness and power has worked.

[bceagle80]

I don't know why teams in the OAC continue to try to run wide on Mount.  The disparity in speed makes it nearly impossible to get the corners on Mount.  They are so so fast.  IMO you have to run right at Mount,  maybe try using wide line splits, quick dives and traps to attempt to get to the linebackers.  When a team runs a sweep or counter trap,  the quickness and speed results in three or four Raiders there waiting.  The most successful passes are quick slants and three step throws that at least give the receivers and quarterbacks the opportunity for success before the defense reacts.  This is what WWW has done with success over the years.  Certainly they have the talent, too, but their straight ahead quickness and power has worked.

I think the reason they don't run up the gut, like you correctly surmised is probably what they should do, is that many of the teams can't handle the quickness combined with power the defensive line has. Obviously, they have run into big and powerful offensive linemen against Wisconsin-Whitewater. I think the key is adjusting the methods against them only slightly and use their size against them. Easy to say, hard to do.

[SaintsFAN]

I don't know why teams in the OAC continue to try to run wide on Mount.  The disparity in speed makes it nearly impossible to get the corners on Mount.  They are so so fast.  IMO you have to run right at Mount,  maybe try using wide line splits, quick dives and traps to attempt to get to the linebackers.  When a team runs a sweep or counter trap,  the quickness and speed results in three or four Raiders there waiting.  The most successful passes are quick slants and three step throws that at least give the receivers and quarterbacks the opportunity for success before the defense reacts.  This is what WWW has done with success over the years.  Certainly they have the talent, too, but their straight ahead quickness and power has worked.

I think the reason they don't run up the gut, like you correctly surmised is probably what they should do, is that many of the teams can't handle the quickness combined with power the defensive line has. Obviously, they have run into big and powerful offensive linemen against Wisconsin-Whitewater. I think the key is adjusting the methods against them only slightly and use their size against them. Easy to say, hard to do.

I think raiderpa is onto something here.  I mean why not?  Does anyone remember the beginning of that Wesley game last year??  I mean yeah it was Wesley but their first two or three carries were right up the gut and got at least 5 yards each.  Skunks sidekick and I were thinking it may be a different game and then all of a sudden they try to run wide on 2nd down.. Followed by an incomplete on 3rd and the rout was on.  They didn't run the ball again until the 3rd Q.  If Wesley can't run wide on th e Mounties, not many can.  And you can't throw on every down like they tried to do, that's ludicrous.  So what are you left with to keep em honest?

[Walt]

Honestly...it turned out to be a beat down, but to this point in the season Capital's offense had the most success against Mount in the first half of any of their opponents.  If you recall Cap only trailed 14-7 in the 2nd Q and 21-7 at half.  Cap was running the ball between the tackles, not for huge chunks but enough to keep the sticks moving and enough to keep the ball out of mount's offense's hands to keep the score down the first half.  Cap's B-back rushed for more yards than anyone else has against Mount this year and had the longest run of anyone against Mount.  I know Mount adjusted at half time, but Cap got away from what was working in the first half and tried to get outside in the 2nd half and that's when the game got completely out of hand.

[Desertraider]

Honestly...it turned out to be a beat down, but to this point in the season Capital's offense had the most success against Mount in the first half of any of their opponents.  If you recall Cap only trailed 14-7 in the 2nd Q and 21-7 at half.  Cap was running the ball between the tackles, not for huge chunks but enough to keep the sticks moving and enough to keep the ball out of mount's offense's hands to keep the score down the first half.  Cap's B-back rushed for more yards than anyone else has against Mount this year and had the longest run of anyone against Mount.  I know Mount adjusted at half time, but Cap got away from what was working in the first half and tried to get outside in the 2nd half and that's when the game got completely out of hand.

Very true - but the triple option aided a great deal in that. If you have a QB that can carry out a play fake (which Cap did very well) getting yards up the middle is easier (for lack of a better term). Air Force, Navy - not Army (sadly) have all had success against Power 5 running the ball up the middle from time-to-time. My thing with the OTT game is that they didn't try to direct more towards Furda's backup (I think it was Berry). Not necessarily running outside to that side but in the B and C gap to that side. They looked to be running everything at Lally and Alarms and rolling out to them as well.

[LadyBear]

http://www.onusports.com/sports/fball/2015-16/releases/20151102lmtmo9

[Dr. Acula]

Not that it makes much difference, but Ott's starting QB yesterday was their backup.  The kid who had been starting all year didn't play at all due to suffering a broken wrist last week.  Regardless they were completely non-competitive again this year.  I say it over and over, but the fact that neither school in Columbus is any good is sad.

What do you attribute that to in regards to recruiting (reasons concerning the latter)?  Just curious.  I'm trying to figure that out for Hope as well (although I have some opinion on that for Hope).

I don't know what the deal is at Ott.  They'll throw together a 6-3 OAC record here and there, but short of a D1 QB transferring in again that seems to be about their ceiling.  They're going to finish 4-5 in OAC play this year which is the minimum wins if you're even halfway decent in the OAC.

Cap fell apart when Collins left for Saginaw and Pentello graduated.  They were decent when Assmann was taking snaps, but after that it's been a steep decline.  Other challenges exist in Bexley that make it tougher than Ott IMO.

Would be interested to hear your opinion of the recruiting problems at Capital. The problems for the baseball team are obvious. Not sure what the football team are. Basketball certainly has a great complex to use for recruiting.

Basketball is and will be Cap's best bets to succeed because, quite simply, you only need a few good recruits a year to do so.  The Cap Center is a nice facility and Dixie Jeffers and Damon Goodwin are well respected winning coaches.  If they fall apart in hoops they're in deep trouble then.  Baseball as you mentioned is tough due to Clowson.  They've improved the field itself, but unless there's a field actually IN Bexley it's an issue.  For those not familiar Cap's baseball field is a few blocks away, but it might as well be a world away in terms of the neighborhood.  To call its location sketchy would be a compliment (Cap's HC at the time instructed us to take bats with us to go after foul balls when we played there).

Of all the sports football takes the most support because of sheer numbers.  Number of recruits needed, number of coaches needed, etc.  While Dr. Bowman has never publicly said it that I know of, it is no secret in town that he and the leadership don't seem particularly pro-athletics.  There's nothing wrong with that either.  If they feel the University's funds are better spent elsewhere that's their call, but it certainly affects sports to some extent.  It doesn't usually show up in places like uniforms or equipment so much as it does in something like maybe Cap only budgets for a full-time HC and 1 full-time assistant football coach where ONU maybe has 4 full-time assistants.  Something like that.  Or Mount pays to send multiple coaches to FL every year to recruit while Cap doesn't.  Neither of those are factual that I know of, but rather just examples of the type of things I mean.

[mr_mom]

Week #10 spreads are posted.  [Joel, I wish you and everyone else a better week.   ]

[Desertraider]

Any thoughts on BW/Mount this week? Notice most of BWs offense is the QB - did I read it correctly that he is the leading rusher? I want to say it - "The Raider's haven't seen a QB like Moeglin" I feel so much better now. Anyone seen the Jackets play this year that might have some thoughts?

[Raider 68]

Any thoughts on BW/Mount this week? Notice most of BWs offense is the QB - did I read it correctly that he is the leading rusher? I want to say it - "The Raider's haven't seen a QB like Moeglin" I feel so much better now. Anyone seen the Jackets play this year that might have some thoughts?

Have not seen BW this year, but I know they always point to Mount as one of there big games if not the biggest one
on their schedule. Except for the last few years, the game is always a hard physical one. BW has improved from their
1-2 start so I believe mr. mom's spread of 46.5 pts is a little too heavy.

Based upon the lack of challenges for the first eight games, I hope the last two require the Raiders to buckle the chin
strap tighter for BW and JCU, We'll see on Saturday and the following week!

[SaintsFAN]

http://deadspin.com/mount-union-football-coaches-crush-it-as-pro-wrestlers-1740196859

Saw this on Deadspin

[Desertraider]

Just looked at some basic stats on BW and compared to Mount.
Total offense
Mount   4613
BW        3512

Total offense by QB & %
Scott       2238 (48.5%)
Moeglin   2225 (63%)

Total TDs and (% by QB)
Mount 60  (48.3%)
BW  38  (58%)

I just think that with Moeglin accounting for that much of BWs offense and scoring Mount is going to minimize him - especially running the ball. Could be wrong but who knows....

[Desertraider]

My apologies to Matt Campbell and the Toledo Rockets. 7-0 when I don't watch. 0-1 when I do. My bad, I won't jinx y'all again.