FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[b4uknewit]

I must confess-- posting from this fing lodgenet at the hilton in houston sucks      I want to thank MTFAN who answered 30 f,n phone calls to keep me posted!  God Bless    I shall repay you and your phone company!  For those of you who have no faith     kiss my ,,,,,,,,,,    never mind    this is just the begining "  I'ts a long way  to top if you want to rock n ROLL"  Raiders!!!!!!!!!!
                           

[heywood220]

I just want to say that all the UWW coachs were already getting ready for the 17th right after the Wesley game.  They dont take any time off and are the hardest working coaches in d3.  I dont for a second think that this Whitewater team will be unprepared, if we can go to Linfield and win there, our coaches can get the team ready to play anywhere.  From everygame i have watched them this year they just seem on a mission. 

The test for MU will be if they can contain both UWW pass and rush. For a team with both a 3000 yard passer, 2000 yard rusher, and 2 1000 yard recievers, i dont know if there has ever been a more balanced offence.  plus with the defence being solid all year, with a great d line, linebackers that fly across the field and secondary that are always in the right spots.

Hopefully the game on the 17th is one for the ages as Mount Union(the experienced program) takes on UW-Whitewater(the new kids knocking at the door)

Good Luck to All

[RowanTexan]

CONGRATS TO MOUNT UNION ON A FINE SEASON AND PLEASE FINISH IT OFF IN SALEM SO AT LEAST ROWAN WILL HAVE LOST TO THE BEST THIS YEAR.

GREAT SEASON FOR ROWAN WITH ITS INCREDIBLE DEFENSE-JUST NOT ENOUGH OFFENSE IN THE END.  THIS TEAM HAS GUTS, BABY!!!!!!!!!

CK

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I just want to say that all the UWW coachs were already getting ready for the 17th right after the Wesley game.  They dont take any time off and are the hardest working coaches in d3.  I dont for a second think that this

No way dude. Our coaches are the hardest working in D3. And our cheelears and Mascot can do more pushups than yours too!!!

Seriously, I think by the time that you get to the playoffs, ALL coaches are working around the clock to make sure that their respective teams are prepared. I do agree that since MUC has been ther 8 times in recent years that they will have an advantage with all the logistics.

One other thing to point out is this MUC team has that Regular Season Loss, and they can become the first MUC team to win the Stagg with a blemish on their record. Just another motivaltional point for the Raiders.

[seventiesraider]

Heywood-You might want to spend a little time checking out Mount's stats, not that we aren't impressed with Mr Beaver, but we are not without some limited talent

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Here they are seventiesraider:

QB:
PASSING         GP   Effic Att-Cmp-Int   Pct  Yds  TD Lng Avg/G
---------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Jorris       14  175.73 350-233-10   66.6 3490  33  92 249.3

WR:
RECEIVING       GP  No.  Yds   Avg  TD Long Avg/G
-------------------------------------------------
Scott Casto     14   77 1214  15.8  11   64  86.7
Pierre Garcon    11   61 1089  17.9  14   92  99.0

RB:
RUSHING         GP  Att Gain Loss  Net   Avg  TD Long Avg/G
-----------------------------------------------------------
Aaron Robinson  11  178 1070   24 1046   5.9  10   43  95.1
Nate Kmic         10  174 1068   34 1034   5.9  15   42 103.4

Oops, not only do we have a 3,000 yd passer and two 1,000 yd receivers, but we have TWO 1,000 yd rushers. I would say that was pretty well balanced.

Last time I checked (Games through 12/3 on the NCAA Site), the MUC D was #2 in total D in the nation (behind Trinity CN who only plays 8 games), #14 in rushing D, #7 in passing D, and #2 in scoring D (Behind Trinity CN again).

One main concern is the health of Watson and Fehl (MUC CBs). Here is hoping they can get well quickly.

What you going to do when Hulkamania runs wild?!?!?!?!?

[HScoach]

Kirasdad:  If you  haven't done so already, you might want to post that on the WIAC page.  Good work!

[HScoach]

For those out of town, here's the game article from the Canton paper:


Dominant defense lifts Mount Union
Sunday, December 11, 2005 By Jim Thomas Repository Sports Writer


At the core of every great football team stands a great defense.

After watching Mount Union College's proud defense dismantle Rowan University on Saturday, Coach Larry Kehres didn't see a bad apple in the bunch.

"We played such good run defense today," the Mount Union head coach said. "Even though our running yards were hard to get, we got some.

"Our rush defense was the key to the game for us today."

Six different Purple Raiders racked up tackles for loss. They stuffed the Rowan running game like a holiday turkey and that, more than anything, was responsible for a 19-7 Division III national semifinal victory at Mount Union Stadium.

Mount Union senior defensive end Justin Stickley had five tackles for loss and freshman running back Nate Kmic scored twice and outgained Rowan by himself as the Raiders advanced to their ninth Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.

Mount Union (13-1) will meet Wisconsin-Whitewater (14-0) for the Division III championship in Salem, Va., at 1 p.m. Saturday. Wisconsin-Whitewater is in its first title game after pummeling Wesley, 58-6, in Saturday's other semifinal.

Rowan was trying to get back to Salem for the first time since 1999, but was grounded against Mount Union. On 27 rushing attempts, the Profs netted minus-1 in yardage.

"Obviously, our inability to run the football was key today," Rowan Coach Jay Accorsi said. "Any time you can't run the football, you are going to struggle."

Even Kmic struggled. For him, that is. The rookie from Delta, Ohio gained 160 yards rushing to go over 1,000 for the season in just four starts, but the Profs made him earn them via 48 grueling carries.

"I carried it quite a few times in high school, but I would have to say nothing like this," Kmic, who had 37 and 38 carries in his last two games. "It was a blast. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Kmic and Kehres both praised Rowan's defense. The Profs stopped the nation's leader in total offense on fourth-and-short situations five times in seven tries for the game. They kept Mount Union out of the end zone four times after the Raiders has passed the 30.

A 19-yard punt, though, set the hosts up at Rowan's 39-yard line in the second quarter. On 3rd-and-14 at the Rowan 30 after a first down, quarterback Mike Jorris scrambled out of the pocket and spied Kmic all alone in the right corner of the end zone.

"Their safeties were gone so I just ran to that spot," Kmic said of the broken play for his first receiving touchdown. "Luckily, Jorris scrambled around and found me."

Another Rowan mistake in the kicking game was costly the next series. Three plays by Mount gained four yards, forcing a Greg Micheli punt from his own 28. Rowan roughed Micheli, though, giving the Raiders the first down.

A Jorris 18-yard pass to tight end Scott Campbell and a 23-yard Kmic run led to Kmic's 7-yard touchdown and a 14-0 MUC lead.

"That roughing the punter was a huge play," Accorsi said. "We go from a potential blocked punt to down 14-0. That's a big turnaround."

Rowan did hit one play against Mount, and it came through the air. Trailing 14-0 late in the third quarter, quarterback Joe Rankin hit receiver Phil Silva on for a 44-yard pass that set up a Rankin sneak to cut the deficit in half.

Mike Zimmerman's 25-yard field goal with 7:30 to play bumped the Raiders' lead to 17-7.

Buddy Wolf's sack of Rankin for a safety late in the fourth capped the scoring.

"We could tell Rowan's offense was very physical, their offensive line very big, very powerful," said Stickley, a Jackson High School graduate. "They moved well. So we decided as a defense if we were going to have a chance ... that we were going to have to play just as well, move just as well."

Nine of Rowan's 14 possessions were three-and-out.

"That's one of our best performances," Kehres said. "And it came at a great time, because Rowan's a great defense, against the run and the pass."

Just not as great as Mount Union's defense on this day.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Kirasdad:  If you  haven't done so already, you might want to post that on the WIAC page.  Good work!

Your wish is my command.
http://www.d3sports.com/post/index.php?topic=3741.msg445436#msg445436

[George Thompson]

Raiderguy,

Your post on the Wisconsin board was good.   I am a long time Linfield fan.    But, I respect Mt. Union more than ANY other team in Division III.    Many Linfield fans have wanted to play Mt. Union for several years.  Out of respect.

Some Linfield fans felt our team this year was the best in our long, storied history.    But, we had a couple of weaknesses, which Whitewater exploited.    It is just a hard loss to take; expectations were so high this year.

You won 4 playoff games and definitely deserve to be in the Stagg Bowl.     We didn't win, so we stay at home.     Wisconsin - Whitewater is the best team we played the last two years.
 
We could have won that game; but we didn't.    Whitewater also deserves to be in the Stagg Bowl.     

Someday, I truly hope we play Mt. Union in the Stagg Bowl.
In the meantime, maybe the ADs could arrange a home and home series between Mt. Union and Linfield.     I would fly to Ohio just to see that game.

Good luck next week, Raiders.   My heart leans to Wisconsin,  because there are a West team.   

George

[frank uible]

George: One can call this year's Stagg Bowl a West-North matchup if one wants, but based on the map and using common reference it is an Intra-Midwest matchup.

[Cap99Fan]

"kirasdad

I sent you the dispatch story in a message. Not sure if it worked or not though. Good luck today.

Worked great, thank you."

You are very welcome. I thank you for removing the pic also. Now I can survive for another season . I hope we can go undefeated at home again next year. That means we have to be Mount!

MUC has had an outstanding season and it has been a pleasure to have witnessed some of it in person. Our game last week will be one that will remembered as one of the best games I have seen in person. Good luck next week. Ya'll have all the tools to bring home another championship.

I am trying to get some friends to make the trip to Salem with me so I can root the Purple Raiders to another VICTORY!!

[Ric]

Cap99fan next year's Mount Union - Capital game is at Mount Union.  So you can go unbeaten at home without beating the Purple Raiders.

Here's a link to the OAC future schedule page:

http://www.oac.org/MENfootballF_Schedule.asp

Man looking at your schedule you should go unbeaten at home.  You have Mount Union, Ohio Northern, John Carroll and Baldwin-Wallace all on the road.  Who did you guys piss off?

[Ric]

Kirasdad don't go on other boards an argue with an idiot.  After all, if you win the argument, you out smarted an idiot. Let Mount Union do its talking in Salem.  If the Purple Raiders win they are the best team in the country, if they lose they are not.  Period.  I'm just glad there is one more week of football to be played.  Regardless of what is said by outsiders only two teams, and their fans, have a nice trip to look forward to this weekend.

[voice]

Kirasdad,

Thank you for posting Mount Union's offensive leaders. Obviously, the numbers are very impressive.  Whitewater's offensive numbers appear to be equally as impressive.

Justin Beaver Rushing:  398 carries for 2,295 yds, 23 TDs (5.8 yds/carry)

Justin Jacobs Passing:  196 for 375 for 3,246 yds, 33 TDs

Jim Leszczynski Receiving:  75 catches for 1,124 yds, 11 TDs
Derek Stanley Receiving:  45 catches for 1,229 yds (27.3 yds per catch), 16 TD

Another stat that is worth looking at is WW's turnover margin during the playoffs.

The Warhawks have forced 20 turnovers in the its four playoff games The turnovers resulted in three interceptiions returned for TDs, a fumble recovery for a TD, and a safety on the Wesley game's first offensive play.

Overall, WW is plus-15 in its playoff turnover margin.
.