FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Small but Slow]

Football seasons are over and kids are on computers this week, not gluing themselves to themselves.

[Toph]

Hey Mount fans. Time to stop glorying in the past. Y'all got a game on Friday.  I suppose you all just assume you are going to stomp us.

10-20 point game, I think.  I know UST is big up front (seriously, some MONSTER guys listed on the roster), but so was Whitewater.  I only hope that there's an opportunity for Mount to fake a kneel down and put one over the top.

Of course, I'm a small, vindictive man who holds grudges.

And Toph is also a JCU guy, not Mount.

I thought that was clear from the "small, vindictive, grudge-holding" bit. I'll be rooting for Mount Friday night (in a JCU sweatshirt).

[mucfan76]

Long time reader but seldom post. Glad to see the discussion is finally settling in on the game. My take on Friday:

In 2003 Mount had a talented team and MASSIVE O line. If I recall there was some reference back then to them being as big or larger than Ohio States line.   I watched a smaller quicker SJU D line create havoc all day for the Raider line.  Although this week the STU line is bigger than Mount in 2003 not much seems to be discussed about that size advantage.  If the Raider D line can out quick STU the results will favor the Raiders.  All they need is a stalemate at the line and let their linebackers clean up.  Against UWW the D line over-powered and manhandled them despite the advantage in size.  Lets hope the D backs can cover in one on one and allow the front seven to crowd the box.  A few references to but not a lot said about their passing attack. 

With respect to the quarterbacks, I have watched all of the great ones and I am torn between Ballard and Borchert.  I did have the pleasure of being in the same recruiting class with Gary Frost and he was by far the most talented player on our team. He probably should have been the starter as a sophomore.  His skill set was perfect for todays offense.  Running the Houston veer was not all that different than todays read option.  He also had a cannon for an arm.  We just never threw a lot.  Mainly to keep defences honest.  He had two great running backs with him in the backfield Mark Choppa and Mike Gillespie both hall of famers which made it difficult for opposing teams to defend. Alas a different time and situation.

Wish I could be in Salem.  Good luck to the Raiders, make us proud!!!

[Alliance72]

My big concern is the running game - because no one seems to be talking about the passing game. The RB from UST is the biggest back Mount has faced and to stop the run I worry they may not be as prepped for play action. Just my take. The other thing that concerns me is the UST D - no one (even the Tommies) seems to be talking about them. I can't assume the Mount O is going to roll because I thought they would in 2003 (SJU), 2013 (UWW). The Tommie D has faced some good teams and held them in check. Friday is near----

If Mount's front six (or seven) can dominate the line of scrimmage the way they did against UWWW the rest can play pass first, which will help negate the play action.  I didn't see much of the St. Thomas/Linfield game so I don't really have a grasp on what the Tommies do defensively, but what I did see was impressive. 
I too thought the '03 Stagg Bowl was in the bag.  I spoke with Coach Kehres the next summer and he said the staff was determined to never allow a team to lose focus that way again.  The players were overconfident and believed nobody could ever knock them down.  SJU and the Elliott kid proved otherwise.

UST is primarily a 3-4. Their OLBs play really close to the LOS as almost stand-up DEs as a means of disguising their D. Sometimes they stunt, sometimes they cover the flat, sometimes they set the edge, sometimes rush hard from the edge. They blitz from whacky angles, and pride themselves on getting as many QB hits as they can. I don't know how many times they hit Knecht or Riddle from Linfield last week, but it was probably in the double digits.

Ryan Winter (MIAC D POY) is very disruptive up front and they have, IMO,  two of the best CBs they've ever had in Jordan Young and Mozus Ikuenobe, which has allowed them (in the last few weeks anyway) to play w/ 9 men in the box quite frequently. Jesse Addo also possesses a lot of speed off the edge and has 8.5 sacks this year. He's been incredible. Additional big names, Tim McClanahan will be in on almost every tackle from the LB spot, and Anthony King Foreman is a talented pass rusher in that he has 7.5 sacks and 13 TFLs this year (dad is former Viking Chuck Foreman, so, there's that for what it's worth).

Obviously I think they'll have to change their formula up this week. If there's any knock on their D is they do start slow sometimes, and their aggression has cost them in terms of penalty yards at times. Also, when you're that aggressive and trust your DBs enough to live on an island, they are susceptible to the occasional big play, though they seem to have lived with that. Might not be the case on Friday, but I certainly don't anticipate Coach Kuchinski to stray too far from what has gotten them to Salem.

You guys are scary good and big.  I think it's an even matchup and am only picking Mount in a close one because of Taurice Scott.   His quickness and speed allow him to play at a higher level.  Speaking of higher levels, as a Catholic I am worried that your running back could get some divine assistance.   

[JCUStreaks70]

My big concern is the running game - because no one seems to be talking about the passing game. The RB from UST is the biggest back Mount has faced and to stop the run I worry they may not be as prepped for play action. Just my take. The other thing that concerns me is the UST D - no one (even the Tommies) seems to be talking about them. I can't assume the Mount O is going to roll because I thought they would in 2003 (SJU), 2013 (UWW). The Tommie D has faced some good teams and held them in check. Friday is near----

If Mount's front six (or seven) can dominate the line of scrimmage the way they did against UWWW the rest can play pass first, which will help negate the play action.  I didn't see much of the St. Thomas/Linfield game so I don't really have a grasp on what the Tommies do defensively, but what I did see was impressive. 
I too thought the '03 Stagg Bowl was in the bag.  I spoke with Coach Kehres the next summer and he said the staff was determined to never allow a team to lose focus that way again.  The players were overconfident and believed nobody could ever knock them down.  SJU and the Elliott kid proved otherwise.

UST is primarily a 3-4. Their OLBs play really close to the LOS as almost stand-up DEs as a means of disguising their D. Sometimes they stunt, sometimes they cover the flat, sometimes they set the edge, sometimes rush hard from the edge. They blitz from whacky angles, and pride themselves on getting as many QB hits as they can. I don't know how many times they hit Knecht or Riddle from Linfield last week, but it was probably in the double digits.

Ryan Winter (MIAC D POY) is very disruptive up front and they have, IMO,  two of the best CBs they've ever had in Jordan Young and Mozus Ikuenobe, which has allowed them (in the last few weeks anyway) to play w/ 9 men in the box quite frequently. Jesse Addo also possesses a lot of speed off the edge and has 8.5 sacks this year. He's been incredible. Additional big names, Tim McClanahan will be in on almost every tackle from the LB spot, and Anthony King Foreman is a talented pass rusher in that he has 7.5 sacks and 13 TFLs this year (dad is former Viking Chuck Foreman, so, there's that for what it's worth).

Obviously I think they'll have to change their formula up this week. If there's any knock on their D is they do start slow sometimes, and their aggression has cost them in terms of penalty yards at times. Also, when you're that aggressive and trust your DBs enough to live on an island, they are susceptible to the occasional big play, though they seem to have lived with that. Might not be the case on Friday, but I certainly don't anticipate Coach Kuchinski to stray too far from what has gotten them to Salem.

You guys are scary good and big.  I think it's an even matchup and am only picking Mount in a close one because of Taurice Scott.   His quickness and speed allow him to play at a higher level.  Speaking of higher levels, as a Catholic I am worried that your running back could get some divine assistance.   

Haha nice... As a JCU Alum (also Catholic) this is a tough one for me. Add that with one of my best friends from grade school and high school went to St. Thomas as a Seminarian too, and is now a priest. He's so excited about this game..

[USTBench]

My big concern is the running game - because no one seems to be talking about the passing game. The RB from UST is the biggest back Mount has faced and to stop the run I worry they may not be as prepped for play action. Just my take. The other thing that concerns me is the UST D - no one (even the Tommies) seems to be talking about them. I can't assume the Mount O is going to roll because I thought they would in 2003 (SJU), 2013 (UWW). The Tommie D has faced some good teams and held them in check. Friday is near----

If Mount's front six (or seven) can dominate the line of scrimmage the way they did against UWWW the rest can play pass first, which will help negate the play action.  I didn't see much of the St. Thomas/Linfield game so I don't really have a grasp on what the Tommies do defensively, but what I did see was impressive. 
I too thought the '03 Stagg Bowl was in the bag.  I spoke with Coach Kehres the next summer and he said the staff was determined to never allow a team to lose focus that way again.  The players were overconfident and believed nobody could ever knock them down.  SJU and the Elliott kid proved otherwise.

UST is primarily a 3-4. Their OLBs play really close to the LOS as almost stand-up DEs as a means of disguising their D. Sometimes they stunt, sometimes they cover the flat, sometimes they set the edge, sometimes rush hard from the edge. They blitz from whacky angles, and pride themselves on getting as many QB hits as they can. I don't know how many times they hit Knecht or Riddle from Linfield last week, but it was probably in the double digits.

Ryan Winter (MIAC D POY) is very disruptive up front and they have, IMO,  two of the best CBs they've ever had in Jordan Young and Mozus Ikuenobe, which has allowed them (in the last few weeks anyway) to play w/ 9 men in the box quite frequently. Jesse Addo also possesses a lot of speed off the edge and has 8.5 sacks this year. He's been incredible. Additional big names, Tim McClanahan will be in on almost every tackle from the LB spot, and Anthony King Foreman is a talented pass rusher in that he has 7.5 sacks and 13 TFLs this year (dad is former Viking Chuck Foreman, so, there's that for what it's worth).

Obviously I think they'll have to change their formula up this week. If there's any knock on their D is they do start slow sometimes, and their aggression has cost them in terms of penalty yards at times. Also, when you're that aggressive and trust your DBs enough to live on an island, they are susceptible to the occasional big play, though they seem to have lived with that. Might not be the case on Friday, but I certainly don't anticipate Coach Kuchinski to stray too far from what has gotten them to Salem.

You guys are scary good and big.  I think it's an even matchup and am only picking Mount in a close one because of Taurice Scott.   His quickness and speed allow him to play at a higher level.  Speaking of higher levels, as a Catholic I am worried that your running back could get some divine assistance.   

The only QB UST has faced that is as mobile as Taurice Scott is MIAC MVP Ayrton Scott (Augsburg), who is quite possibly the best player in DIII this year (not saying he'll be an All American, just from a shear talent standpoint). Of course Scott wasn't playing behind Mount's o-line, so, there's that. UST was able to contain him, but, again, Augsburg only has two guys on offense that would get PT at Mount.

[ExTartanPlayer]

The only QB UST has faced that is as mobile as Taurice Scott is MIAC MVP Ayrton Scott (Augsburg), who is quite possibly the best player in DIII this year (not saying he'll be an All American, just from a shear talent standpoint).

Scott closed his career as Augsburg's school record-holder for rushing attempts (722), rushing yardage (4,242) and rushing touchdowns (37), along with passing yardage (10,281) and passing touchdowns (97), while standing second in school history in passing attempts (1,238) and completions (746). In MIAC games-only through his career, he set conference records for passing yardage (8,430) and total offense (11,725), while also holding MIAC records for single-game total offense (630) and single-season total offense (3,114 in 2014).

He set a new NCAA Division III record for rushing yardage by a quarterback (4,242), while finishing second in Division III history in total offense (14,523 yards) and total offense yardage per-game (363.1). He also set a new Division III record with 31 games with 300-plus yards of total offense. In 2012, he set a Division III record for most yards gained by a first-year player (3,681). He stands 27th in Division III history in both career passing yardage (10,281) and passing touchdowns (97). Among NCAA football players in all divisions, Scott stands fifth in total offense yardage per-game (363.1) and 21st in total offense yardage (10,281).

That's pretty good, I guess.

[hazzben]

Yeah, Augsburg's Scott is silly good. He's a truer dual threat QB IMO, in that he's a better passer, and not less of a runner.

But outside of one WR, everyone around Ayrton is less than everyone around Taurice. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out. And that's not knocking Taurice as a talent. It's just pointing out how ridiculous Ayrton is/was. What he did with the talent around him is astounding. He's something like 50 yds short of the career Total Offense Record (without having played a single playoff game  ).

[USTBench]

The only QB UST has faced that is as mobile as Taurice Scott is MIAC MVP Ayrton Scott (Augsburg), who is quite possibly the best player in DIII this year (not saying he'll be an All American, just from a shear talent standpoint).

Scott closed his career as Augsburg's school record-holder for rushing attempts (722), rushing yardage (4,242) and rushing touchdowns (37), along with passing yardage (10,281) and passing touchdowns (97), while standing second in school history in passing attempts (1,238) and completions (746). In MIAC games-only through his career, he set conference records for passing yardage (8,430) and total offense (11,725), while also holding MIAC records for single-game total offense (630) and single-season total offense (3,114 in 2014).

He set a new NCAA Division III record for rushing yardage by a quarterback (4,242), while finishing second in Division III history in total offense (14,523 yards) and total offense yardage per-game (363.1). He also set a new Division III record with 31 games with 300-plus yards of total offense. In 2012, he set a Division III record for most yards gained by a first-year player (3,681). He stands 27th in Division III history in both career passing yardage (10,281) and passing touchdowns (97). Among NCAA football players in all divisions, Scott stands fifth in total offense yardage per-game (363.1) and 21st in total offense yardage (10,281).

That's pretty good, I guess.

Yeah. And with SJU, Bethel, UST and Concordia in the conference, that's not too shabby. Not to mention a non-conference game against the likes of Wartburg.

[wabashcpa]

Too late for the Colts to sign him for this weekend?

[edward de vere]

Regarding divine assistance, let's hope jaypeter got his Christmas wish list in first.

[edward de vere]

And speaking of quarterbacks, who is Mount's real next man up Friday night?   We have been told Tommies take great relish in clobbering the QB.

[hsbsballcoach7]

During the regular season, The backup QB was an athletic freshman Matt Lowry. On the playoff depth chart, it's been junior Nick Peyakov who has a good arm, but he's less of a runner.

[raiderpa]

Seems like "Benchman" is leaning toward the "yes, but you have never seen a team like this before..."
Sorry, but Mount has seen it all, won a lot, lost a few..

They will not be surprised at anything that the Tommies do, and frankly will not care that your running back is "big"...so what.  Rarely will he be tackled one on one, nor IMO will he be allowed a full head of steam on most of his runs.  He may get a couple chunks, but this game will be won or lost by your QB...and your defense.

I believe that Mount Union learned by a loss to two that quickness and speed trumps size...WWW O line was huge, and got 50 yards the last three quarters...
Coaching and preparation will favor Mount Union, again IMO, as Kehres father and son will not be out prepared, ever.

[USTBench]

Seems like "Benchman" is leaning toward the "yes, but you have never seen a team like this before..."
Sorry, but Mount has seen it all, won a lot, lost a few..

They will not be surprised at anything that the Tommies do, and frankly will not care that your running back is "big"...so what.  Rarely will he be tackled one on one, nor IMO will he be allowed a full head of steam on most of his runs.  He may get a couple chunks, but this game will be won or lost by your QB...and your defense.

I believe that Mount Union learned by a loss to two that quickness and speed trumps size...WWW O line was huge, and got 50 yards the last three quarters...
Coaching and preparation will favor Mount Union, again IMO, as Kehres father and son will not be out prepared, ever.

I've been on this board a long time, I get the bit. No need to start controversy where there is none. Just telling you what UST does well, and where they may struggle. Little more analytical than "Derrrrr, UST rules and Mount has never seen a team like ours."

Never know why it devolves to this? Always in search of fans that can at least offer some objectivity so I can find out more about their team. Wally Wabash is cool, most Linfield fans are great, I even get along with most SJU fans and have tailgated with them several times. I'm telling you about UST because I've watched them play 14 times this year. I know Mt. Union has a good team by virtue of the fact they're in the Stagg Bowl. So, sorry I'm not worshipping at the altar of Mount Union. I'm painfully aware they're good, but, this may come as shock, so is UST. My guess is the Raiders will be a lot more challenged than they were last week. My prediction is that it will be great game, and a better match up than 2012.