FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Dr. Acula]

The only two plays I do not understand (only got to listen to the game) are the 50+ yard FG considering the wind conditions and the pass on 3rd and 4 late. Why not see what you can get out of a rush? Even just 2 yards sets up a 4th and 2.

Either way, GG, UMHB. Ugh! And now I have to spend the entire weekend with my in-laws in post-loss funk.

I get the funk, but it hurt far worse in the 13-10 loss to UWW when it was there for the taking back in the day.  UMHB is loaded. 

[Dr. Acula]

Congrats to UMHB! Was a hard fought game and fun to watch. #10 in yellow was the best player on the field by far.


Lots of changes coming in Alliance. Will be curious to see what this team looks like come August. One thing is for sure, the elite teams at the top are getting even better every year.

Mount will be fine.  Lose a couple studs on D but they return basically the entire 2 deep on both lines plus Williams and O'Hara will be studs at LB.  Need to replace Lou and the WRs.

For sure they will be fine. Things will just look different is all I'm saying.

Gotcha. I agree.  VK and the guys will be thinking about it tomorrow!

[archgemini24]

The only two plays I do not understand (only got to listen to the game) are the 50+ yard FG considering the wind conditions and the pass on 3rd and 4 late. Why not see what you can get out of a rush? Even just 2 yards sets up a 4th and 2.

Either way, GG, UMHB. Ugh! And now I have to spend the entire weekend with my in-laws in post-loss funk.

I get the funk, but it hurt far worse in the 13-10 loss to UWW when it was there for the taking back in the day.  UMHB is loaded. 

2011 is definitely up there, but this one (2018) and the 43-34 game (2014) to UWW are going to stick with me for much of the same reasons. I feel like Mount was right there to take both of those, but got too cute sometimes and made some decisions that make you tilt your head and stare at them funny.

As long as whoever is QB1 gets taught to look for other receivers and take the easy yards when available, I think the Raiders will be fine. They do not need the homerun on every throw.

[hsbsballcoach7]

Austin White sure is a passionate player, but there are clips of him tonight that are just stupid.
Check out @Kabutey23's Tweet: https://twitter.com/Kabutey23/status/1073737741890973701?s=09
There was another of him hitting a players helmet into the ground after the play. I thought he was just a player that plays to the whistle, but I don't like this.

[WRMUalum13]

Austin White sure is a passionate player, but there are clips of him tonight that are just stupid.
Check out @Kabutey23's Tweet: https://twitter.com/Kabutey23/status/1073737741890973701?s=09
There was another of him hitting a players helmet into the ground after the play. I thought he was just a player that plays to the whistle, but I don't like this.

Yeah... I don't want to defend this type of behavior but it might have been retaliation. I saw dirty stuff from UMHB all night. very chippy game on both sides.

[D O.C.]

Just remember Florida comes with unique problems.

There's a couple radio stations in SoCal that play a give away game called Florida or Anywhere Else.
It's about strange human stories. More often the fools involved are from Florida.

[TruCru]

Austin White sure is a passionate player, but there are clips of him tonight that are just stupid.
Check out @Kabutey23's Tweet: https://twitter.com/Kabutey23/status/1073737741890973701?s=09
There was another of him hitting a players helmet into the ground after the play. I thought he was just a player that plays to the whistle, but I don't like this.

Yeah... I don't want to defend this type of behavior but it might have been retaliation. I saw dirty stuff from UMHB all night. very chippy game on both sides.

To preface this: yes both teams were very chippy, and jawing is always gonna happen. That said, I want to address that I don't think this was in retaliation, because it happened on the 2nd or 3rd play of the game.

Regardless, what a game, and what a team in Mount Union. Congratulations on a great season, I know we will most likely see y'all next year. Does anyone know how Fulford is doing? I was very sad to see him go down, I hate that for anyone.

[MUC57]

Trivia type question (hey, I don't want to talk about the game)

Luke Poorman has a ring and a national championship from UMU. He has a national championship and will have a ring from UMHB. Two national championships from two different schools. Question - do we know of any other case like this? Something to talk about while we recover. 🤔

[Coolrey]

Austin White sure is a passionate player, but there are clips of him tonight that are just stupid.
Check out @Kabutey23's Tweet: https://twitter.com/Kabutey23/status/1073737741890973701?s=09
There was another of him hitting a players helmet into the ground after the play. I thought he was just a player that plays to the whistle, but I don't like this.

Yeah... I don't want to defend this type of behavior but it might have been retaliation. I saw dirty stuff from UMHB all night. very chippy game on both sides.

To preface this: yes both teams were very chippy, and jawing is always gonna happen. That said, I want to address that I don't think this was in retaliation, because it happened on the 2nd or 3rd play of the game.

Regardless, what a game, and what a team in Mount Union. Congratulations on a great season, I know we will most likely see y'all next year. Does anyone know how Fulford is doing? I was very sad to see him go down, I hate that for anyone.

Unfortunately, I noticed this punch by #20 early in the game and kept my eye on him after that.  This wasn't the only incident by this player.  He was eventually flagged for unsportsmanlike and had a few words with the official.  No place for this kind of stuff in any game let along a national championship while representing a highly-regarded program like UMU.  What an outstanding team UMU has with some very good players.  That QB is outstanding and #2 is a grinder for sure!  They should have the team next year to return to this game and UMHB could too.  Will be interesting to see if the committee restructures next year's bracket to give UMU some tests in the playoffs.  I think that helped UMHB.

[Desertraider]

The game was good, not great - I have seen 13 better games. Regardless of all the post game chit chat it came down to one thing: Mount didn't finish. Period. Stats are identical (303 total yards for each team), Mount had 4.1 per play - UMHB 5.0 (that .9 advantage is neither a sign of domination nor demise). Mount didn't finish. FGs are ok when you have to settle - but when you settle it normally means you didn't finish somewhere along the way. What hurt Mount more than anything? No sacks. QB can scramble all day but without sacks he isn't rattled. On the game itself - BOTH tams were chippy. So what? Nothing was egregious. It is football, it is emotion and if it is a problem - watch pee wee T-Ball. Everybody cheers for everybody else and you get a juice box at the end.

On the "punch" (as it was previously called) - seriously? Punch? Its a facemask "pop". It wasn't a punch so save the melodrama for Oscars night. It is a reminder "pop" - "look, I'm right here" - call it what you want but it was not a punch. Could it have been flagged? Yes (technically). Should it have been flagged? No. It wasn't malicious, there was no intent to injure, it wasn't a right cross to the head or a cheap shot. Put on your big boy pants and get over the whole Mount is better than that. UMHB had some questionable stuff from #40 and others - its football. If you want to watch ice dancing then turn the channel.

The debate has already begun on "who is number 2". Who cares? I say it every year - no one on that field left the locker room with the cheer of "At the end of this we will at least be #2!". And no one cheered getting the runner up trophy. If you think St Johns should be #2 - great. If you think UWW should be #2 - super. Good for you. Collect your puddin' pop, participation trophy and order your "We're #2 - almost - but not quite" rings right now. Every team in the final 4 had 1 goal - #1. 3 of them failed in that goal and don't care who is second. It is what it is.

And finally - for the 'Mount had an easier bracket' folks. While the #2 debaters can collect their puddin pops and enjoy them during that pointless debate - I have an entirely different place where you can stick your puddin pop. 13 Titles, 18 trips in 20 years - it ain't the bracket so choke on it. Have a great day and a great off-season.

Roll Raiders~Roll!

[MUC57]

The game was good, not great - I have seen 13 better games. Regardless of all the post game chit chat it came down to one thing: Mount didn't finish. Period. Stats are identical (303 total yards for each team), Mount had 4.1 per play - UMHB 5.0 (that .9 advantage is neither a sign of domination nor demise). Mount didn't finish. FGs are ok when you have to settle - but when you settle it normally means you didn't finish somewhere along the way. What hurt Mount more than anything? No sacks. QB can scramble all day but without sacks he isn't rattled. On the game itself - BOTH tams were chippy. So what? Nothing was egregious. It is football, it is emotion and if it is a problem - watch pee wee T-Ball. Everybody cheers for everybody else and you get a juice box at the end.

On the "punch" (as it was previously called) - seriously? Punch? Its a facemask "pop". It wasn't a punch so save the melodrama for Oscars night. It is a reminder "pop" - "look, I'm right here" - call it eewhat you want but it was not a punch. Could it have been flagged? Yes (technically). Should it have been flagged? No. It wasn't malicious, there was no intent to injure, it wasn't a right cross to the head or a cheap shot. Put on your big boy pants and get over the whole Mount is better than that. UMHB had some questionable stuff from #40 and others - its football. If you want to watch ice dancing then turn the channel.

The debate has already begun on "who is number 2". Who cares? I say it every year - no one on that field left the locker room with the cheer of "At the end of this we will at least be #2!". And no one cheered getting the runner up trophy. If you think St Johns should be #2 - great. If you think UWW should be #2 - super. Good for you. Collect your puddin' pop, participation trophy and order your "We're #2 - almost - but not quite" rings right now. Every team in the final 4 had 1 goal - #1. 3 of them failed in that goal and don't care who is second. It is what it is.

And finally - for the 'Mount had an easier bracket' folks. While the #2 debaters can collect their puddin pops and enjoy them during that pointless debate - I have an entirely different place where you can stick your puddin pop. 13 Titles, 18 trips in 20 years - it ain't the bracket so choke on it. Have a great day and a great off-season.

Roll Raiders~Roll!

WOW! I'm glad we support the same team. Give 'em hell, professor. Well stated. 👍 ❗️

[formerd3db]

Congratulations to both teams for great seasons and to UMHB for their win.  There were certainly some challenges for both teams throughout the playoff run and even in the Stagg Bowl.  Both are extremely good teams and, without question, the top tier of DIII.  However, as many of you have been penning here in recent weeks, obviously, "The Machine" (at least this year) was not quite what it has been overall in past years and definitely needs some "fine tuning" for next year.  They will be back next year, I have no doubt, as they always are. 

I was glad to see that attendance was 6810 for the Stagg Bowl as I (along with others) had been disappointed to see the paltry attendance in all of the earlier playoff rounds everywhere, as several of us have discussed on these boards in recent weeks.  I suspect that much of it was due to the Stagg being playing in Texas and UMHB being from the same, however, that is fine and it doesn't matter as, again, it is simply great to see a good crowd showing up for the game and supporting small college football.

On another note, Ferris State from our state plays for the NCAA DII National Championship today.  If they win, this will be one of the rare instances in which a college/university would have won a national championship in both football and basketball in the same year.  I hope they do it this year as, IMO, they should have won it 2 or 3 years ago, but faltered in the playoffs after being ranked at the top (or near) of the polls throughout those seasons.  We'll see what happens today.

[formerd3db]

P.S.  For those of you who had the opportunity to travel to Texas and attend the game, what are your thoughts about that new stadium and overall venue there?

Without going back and checking on this board, I believe I may have said this earlier, so my apologies if I am repeating myself here....Nothing against Texas, however, I am looking forward to the Stagg moving to Canton, OH after next year-a shorter, more reasonable drive for me and many others!  Also, I could be wrong, however, it might pull even more attendance, but that obviously remains to be seen.

[Toph]

Tom Arth is headed to Akron.  Godspeed.

Best of luck to Coach Arth.  I say this as a Kent State fan since I was a kid, so I'm admitting my bias...but if I were choosing my next destination, I wouldn't pick a cash strapped university with enormous expectations because they spent way too much on a stadium that their alumni and community would never be able to fill or support.

I remember when that stadium was first built (almost 10 years ago!) there was a media member who told me (paraphrasing) "It's only a matter of time now before Akron gets every top end MAC recruit.  Everyone else needs to catch up or Akron will dominate for years." 

Since that time Akron has gone 37-74 with one winning season, two bowl appearances, one bowl win, one finish better than 3rd in their division, one in stadium suicide, and zero MAC titles. 

It cost them $61 million to build that stadium.

[formerd3db]

Tom Arth is headed to Akron.  Godspeed.

Best of luck to Coach Arth.  I say this as a Kent State fan since I was a kid, so I'm admitting my bias...but if I were choosing my next destination, I wouldn't pick a cash strapped university with enormous expectations because they spent way too much on a stadium that their alumni and community would never be able to fill or support.

I remember when that stadium was first built (almost 10 years ago!) there was a media member who told me (paraphrasing) "It's only a matter of time now before Akron gets every top end MAC recruit.  Everyone else needs to catch up or Akron will dominate for years." 

Since that time Akron has gone 37-74 with one winning season, two bowl appearances, one bowl win, one finish better than 3rd in their division, one in stadium suicide, and zero MAC titles. 

It cost them $61 million to build that stadium.

Toph:

I wish Arth well also.  Hopefully, he can pull some "magic" there, similar to LL at Buffalo, CC at Eastern Michigan and Campbell at Iowa State.  Personally, like you, I could never understand why Akron just didn't renovate the Rubber Bowl.  While that stadium certainly needed some tremendous update, I doubt it would have cost them $61 million and it looks better with a more filled stadium on game days, plus the tradition that stadium had (similar to the Glass Bowl at Toledo). But, then again, I am a traditionalist, so what do I know?

BTW, I root for your Kent State at times as well.  While that program has had its struggles and challenges (and is bashed by many on these boards at times also), it is always good to see a program like that do well and I wish them all the best.  I always have to chuckle at some of the nay-sayers around the country who are negative about some programs.  At any given time, with the right commitment, determination, and right leadership, any program can get improved and there are many examples of that having been done at each division level, which I won't go on to bloviate about here.  That said, I will admit it will remain to be seen how Akron does, but again, hopefully, Coach Arth will be able to start that improvement.  I will also admit that I was surprised that Terry Bowden could not get it done there.