FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

RE: QB Mobility

IMO, Plunk has the ability to be a dual-threat QB.  Either by design, or desire, he just didn't pull and run very often.  When he did, it made the offense much more multi-dimensional.  Unfortunately he didn't use this option very often.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Ask and you shall receive.

All the "Maybe ..." could have one more year of eligibility due to the Covid Year.

Mount could have a lot to replace in the Defensive Secondary and also at Linebacker if McMillen is done.  They, obviously, have to replace Plunk at QB.  Jackson Adkins (Fr) actually had the 2nd most Attempts, Completions and Yards at QB this season.  It was RB by committee this year and along with Echeverry, Mount has Darnell Williams coming back.  Need to replace Fortner at C and possibly Lilly at OT.  Depending on COVID returnees, WR may have a lot of new faces next year.  RBs Williams, Parker and Echeverry (3, 5, and 7) were in the top 10 for receiving yards this year for the team.

Mount Union Playoff Two Deep 2023

QB:
Braxton Plunk      Senior      Done
TJ Deshields      Senior      Maybe one more year of eligibility

RB:
DeAndre Parker      Graduate      Done
Tyler Echeverry      Junior

TE:
Chase Lawson      Senior      Done
Wyatt Stiehl      Sophomore

WR:
Wayne Ruby Jr.      Senior      Done
Edwin Reed      Senior      Done

WR:
Tyrell Sanders      Senior      Maybe one more year of eligibility
Tre Radford      Senior      Maybe one more year of eligibility

WR:
Rayshawn Williams   Junior
Nick Turner      Sophomore

LT:
Aiden Change      Junior
Fred Fevrier      Sophomore

LG:
Govanni Kennedy   Sophomore
Greg Rockwell Jr.   Sophomore

C:
Mason Fortner      Senior      Maybe one more year of eligibility
John Cisneros      Senior      Maybe one more year of eligibility

RG:
Jarrett Burress      Junior
Mike Milano      Senior      Maybe one more year of eligibility

RT:
Ben Lilly              Senior      Maybe one more year of eligibility
Jason Miller      Sophomore

PK:
Deaglan Camron   Freshman
End:
Kaleb Brown      Sophomore
Rex Kroger      Sophomore

Nose:
Duke Hill              Senior      Done
Garet Cramer      Junior

DT:
Von Factor              Junior
Brandon Bowden   Sophomore

Bandit:
Rossy Moore      Junior
Landon Jenkins      Senior      Done

Will:
Marcus Jackson      Junior
Caleb Rinard      Sophomore

Mike:
Mason McMillen           Senior      Maybe one more year of eligibility
Jordan Stancovich   Junior

Spur:
Ian Sexton      Senior      Done
Ryan Poundstone   Junior

S:
John Roland      Senior      Maybe one more year of eligibility
Jonny Papesh      Senior      Maybe one more year of eligibility

S:
Brandon Yanssens   Junior
Ricky Buggs      Senior      Maybe one more year of eligibility

CB:
Josh Jones              Senior         Done
Tony Cook              Sophomore

CB:
Duece Parker           Senior      Maybe one more year of eligibility
Michael Mara           Sophomore

P:
Mike Franklin           Sophomore

[MUCRaker]

Good run Mount!! Sort of..  Congratulations Alma, and good luck with the rest of your playoff run.
I know it's been said many times already, but I have to get it off my chest.  Mounts play calling defensive and offensive SUCKED canal water.  Surrendering to an attempted field goal inside the 10 early in the game was so un-Mount like.  That indicated to me that the coaches had prepared nothing for this game.  4 times in the red zone and NO points! Also very un-Mount like.
My take away on that game is: No Energy, No creativity, No motivation, and No in Game adjustments. Just flat, Plain Jane and I don't like it!!
Other than that it was a beautiful day for football.

[Raider 68]

K & J,

A special thanks for your annual Player forecast for next year! +

[raiderpa]

Holy Cow, Everywhere I go I am told that Mount's best days are behind them, the coaching staff needs replaced, and on and on...
Obviously Mount Union fans are a tad spoiled, and very opinionated.

I agree with a prior post that Mount's excellence has had a great effect on D3, in the fact that more programs are climbing the ladder to challenge the "big dogs', and this will continue.  The transfer portal sure has evened the playing field for many D1's.

I too, was disappointed in the loss to Alma, but any team that can drive the length of the field in a couple minutes to win a game is deserving.
Perhaps we have become a bit too comfortable in our domination and this wake up call will return the Raiders to seek the glory again. Time will tell.

[D3fanboy]

"a team like that" had a wonderful trip to Alliance.  Thank you for your hospitality.

congrats on the W, literally meant no disrespect. I'll be rooting for Alma to make a Stagg Bowl run.  It was a shot at the powers that be at Mount that allowed such a loss to even be a possibility.

Everybody loves a double backhanded compliment. 

I'm not sure the powers that be at Mount Union have much control over the great jobs being done at other programs.  Mount Union set a goal for literally everyone in the division to chase.  Teams are reaching that endpoint.  It's less that Mount Union is not as good now and more that other teams are also excellent.  I believe Mount Union will continue to contend for national championships, but the playing field is different now.  Stagg Bowls are not only Mount Union's to lose as they may have been in the glory days.  There are a lot of great teams in the division now- largely thanks to the bar Mount Union set.

It wasn't really a backhanded compliment.  This was probably the greatest upset in D3 playoff history, by far the worst loss in recent (30+ years) Mount Union history, it was a 20+ point spread by most metrics.  Alma is a fine team and found another gear in that 4th quarter, incredible win for the Scots.  The game last Saturday is one thing, but it is only a small part of the issue in Alliance right now.

Let me start with a huge, Thank You!!!!! to the Mount Union football program for giving me a fun team to root for every fall.  Thank You seniors for putting in the work to represent the university and yourselves in a great way.  Many of you faced challenges we don't know about as fans,  but continued to wear the purple, white and black proudly. I wish you all the best and hope you can look back at your time as a Purple Raider in a better light as time passes.

State of the program from my point of view (and a nobody at that):
Mount still has good coaches, players, facilities and a great program(look what they did to the OAC this year). They will be back next year, compete for the OAC (JCU and Marietta have big holes to fill as well) and will have a shot at the title.
I like the talent in the position groups still, but have a couple of observations...
Our championship teams always got pressure on the QB and usually without needing to send extra guys. Since they've gone to 3 down lineman, they haven't handled the top tier offenses as well. Alma QB had lots of time in the 4th Q to find open guys.
In order to beat the great teams, there must be a threat of running the football from the QB position (or a near perfect pocket passer) and make the defense think you might do something. Nobody fell for the play action game in this offense. I don't think I ever saw the QB pull an RPO to pass the ball either. There were also many drops that weren't on the QB from TE and WRs.
Our play calling used to put defenses on their heels and play mind games with them. I was hoping there would be more deep ball opportunities with the speed on the outside. Sanders just missed the one deep ball thrown (and a missed PI with the jersey pulled), but that used to be commonplace after a turnover or drawing the defenders into the box.
Creation of mismatches just weren't there.... get your playmaker the ball in space.
I hope Dartt hires a true OC, so he can manage players and the game.  It's not easy trying to do all of that and prepare an offense for each series and get a feel from your players on what they're seeing.

I see next year, there's still an opening for week 1. Who are we calling? It needs to be someone decent because the schedule flips again and JCU is week 2.

Just my rambling thoughts. Go Purple Raiders!

there 100% has to be an OC hired, and hopefully it is someone not currently on the staff.  The lack of creativity, lack of aggressiveness, etc over the past three years has been maddening.  If the drunk idiots in section 13 know which play is coming, I bet the defensive staff does as well.  And can we hire a full-time S&C coach?? 


if I'm the HC of a program on the rise, I'm calling up Mount Union to get that week 1 spot.  Mount will have a bunch back, but they will have a new QB and no NFL-bound WR.  There is not going to be a much better time to take your shot at a program building type victory. 

[MOUNT2019]

FYI...Beaudrie is coming back to Mount!

[hsbsballcoach7]

FYI...Beaudrie is coming back to Mount!

Is this serious? Don't mess with me...kid threw a beautiful ball, is athletic running the ball and has that "it" factor.

[MOUNT2019]

100%
Will be back at Mount this January

[Raider 68]

FYI...Beaudrie is coming back to Mount!

Is this serious? Don't mess with me...kid threw a beautiful ball, is athletic running the ball and has that "it" factor.

That would be great, but is it for only a year.? Is he is school elsewhere? He would add a key pass/run dimension and he is a tough player
Jackson Adkins will have 3 years left.

[MOUNT2019]

2 years eligibility left, he took this fall semester off

[D3fanboy]

I believe Beaudrie spent his semester off coaching HS football with his old man.  His athleticism at QB would open up a lot of options on offense, if Dartt had more than 10-12 plays

[wally_wabash]

Interesting nugget that I just found from Coach Dartt's bio:

In five years as offensive coordinator, his unit has led the nation in nine different statistical categories including leading the nation in scoring three times.

I'm sure that was an accident though.   Hey, even a broken clock is right three times in five years or something like that. 

[D3fanboy]

Interesting nugget that I just found from Coach Dartt's bio:

In five years as offensive coordinator, his unit has led the nation in nine different statistical categories including leading the nation in scoring three times.

I'm sure that was an accident though.   Hey, even a broken clock is right three times in five years or something like that.

was he also the head coach at the time? maybe being the CEO and calling plays is a little too much for the son-in-law?

maybe he's a better OC than HC?

[hsbsballcoach7]

Interesting nugget that I just found from Coach Dartt's bio:

In five years as offensive coordinator, his unit has led the nation in nine different statistical categories including leading the nation in scoring three times.

I'm sure that was an accident though.   Hey, even a broken clock is right three times in five years or something like that.

was he also the head coach at the time? maybe being the CEO and calling plays is a little too much for the son-in-law?

maybe he's a better OC than HC?

I felt like one of the best offenses I saw in 30 years of following Mount was when Dartt was the OC with Taurice Scott at QB, BJ Mitchell/Logan Nemeth at RB, Namdar/Kennedy at WR. They were unpredictable and put defenses on the heels all game long. Of course that defense was nasty too. Many of the same coaches are in the program still and I believe they can get back to that. It just takes some reflection sometimes.