FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[phil]

Sitting down here in Houston I just wanted to wish everyone good luck on the field and in your travels back home as it seems the entire Eastern seaboard is in for some nasty weather. One thing I know for sure, no matter who wins they'll represent their school better than what I saw in the Delaware / Appalachian State game last night. Between the never ending personal fouls, mugging for the cameras and out of control fans, Appalachian State made Keeler look good despite the fact he was taking a beating. I also think that both D3 schools would be smart enough to not dump a cooler of Gatorade on their coach with 5:00 left in the game. I thought the 68 year old ASU coach was going to keel over when he got dunked. Then he had to stand out there for another twenty minutes on a freezing night while his fans controlled the rest of the game. I also had to wonder why he wasn't taking a knee inside two minutes while up by four TD's.

I'm two weeks removed from a back operation. I'm going to finally make it out of the bedroom and leave the 12" Sharp flat screen piece of #$% behind in favor of the 60" Sony in the family room. The kids will have to deal with it... daddy's watching some D3 football!!!

[formerd3db]

phil:

I'm doing the same - told my family I'm doing nothing but sitting my backside down on the couch today and watching the DII and DIII championship games and, like you said, they'll just have to deal with it!

I also agree with you about the Appal St./Delaware game (I posted my opinions on that on one of the other boards already).  I will say, though, that despite many people not liking Keeler, he did seem to act with a lot of class last night, unlike many on the opponents side.

BTW, hope you are feeling better and best wishes in your recovery process from back surgery.  Take it easy, man.

[Knightstalker]

One of Keelers players threw the ball at the ASU fans after scoring and Keeler ripped him a new one on the sidelines.

[section13raiderfan]

Actually, the kid hit a security officer trying to keep the fans off the field and maintain a little order. The security man took off after the punk, but didnt want to chase him across the field to the bench to deal with it.

Im limbering up in my hotel room........gonna be doin lots of FIRST DOWN cheering today.

Neither sleet nor snow or gloom of night shall stop them RAIDERS from winning that TITLE TEN!

GO RAIDERS

[formerd3db]

One of Keelers players threw the ball at the ASU fans after scoring and Keeler ripped him a new one on the sidelines.

Indeed.  That was toward the end of the game with about 3 minutes left and it was the Delaware player who had just ran back the kickoff return for a TD.  He although it appeared he was aiming for the Appal. State fans who were taunting everyone in the endzone, he actually hit a secruity guard (or policemen) and the victim actually started after him to confront the player but was appropriately restrained by the officials and other players.  Of course, the Delaware player lost his cool in frustration over what had been happening in the last few minutes, however, obviously there is no excuse for that.  It was good to see that Keeler took the appropriate action on the sideline to admonsish quite sternly his player in front of everyone.  Also, it would have been nice to see the Appalc. State head coach make an appeal to their fans to respect the teams space and protocol, yet perhaps he figured it wouldn't make any difference - the situation was already out of control and the stadium security and police personel were simply overwhelmed.  Hopefully for next year they'll have more #'s in manpower for security, although that will certainly cost more $ - but a necessary step IMO.  

[Tags]

Tags' prediction:

MUC  38
UWW 14

Beaver: 30 carries for 75 yards

Congrats on 10 gents - even if you don't like it, you have to respect it.

[seventiesraider]

Off to the tailgate. Salt trucks parked all along I81, but it's still OK at noon.

Roll Raider Roll

and if you can't get 60 for Seventies, I'll still settle  for 10 Championships

[Ajwassup]

my always useless and wrong prediction:

MUC - 42
UWW - 17

GO RAIDERS!!!!!!!!!!

[DIIIinVA]

Here's a cross-post of a post I made earlier today on the CCIW board, for you Mount Union fans. 

I met Kehres briefly yesterday (Friday) morning in Roanoke County, just outside of Salem.  Wished him luck in the Stagg Bowl and told him I played at Wheaton under Swider and Bishop back in the early 90's. He had a lot of complimentary things to say about Wheaton and about Swider in particular, who he called "a good friend." I knew there was mutual respect there but didn't realize they had a friendship. He was all class, and very gracious upon being approached by a total stranger. 

Also told a funny story about getting an angry letter one year from a Wheaton fan basically suggesting that the only reason Mt Union kept winning was because they get to play all their playoff games at home, and ranting on against the Mt Union program.  Kehres wrote a polite letter back saying how much he respects Wheaton and asking if the writer was really an alum, because all other Wheaton people he had met had been models of Christian conduct and they won and lost with class, prayed for injured opponents, etc.  The guy wrote him a profusely apologetic letter back.

I didn't tell Kehres I'll still be rooting against Mt. U (though it's usually a futile thing to do) again today. Like the Yankees or the Patriots, the 70's Steelers or the 90's Cowboys, you're either a fan of the dynasty or else you want to see the dynasty knocked off its pedestal.  But after having met coach Kehres, the "rooting against" will be without some of the former intensity. 

[Desertraider]

I have reading posts about Mount's offense, UWW defense, and the reverse, and then it occured to me that this really is a rivalry game. Throw out the stats, the offensive and defensive records and all the stories. These teams know each other and it will come down to execution. Good luck to both teams on an exciting, injury free game. Whichever teams hoists the Walnut and Bronze will be more than deserving.

My prediction (even though I have a bad feeling about this):
Mount 31
UWW 24

[runyr]

Here's a cross-post of a post I made earlier today on the CCIW board, for you Mount Union fans. 

I met Kehres briefly yesterday (Friday) morning in Roanoke County, just outside of Salem.  Wished him luck in the Stagg Bowl and told him I played at Wheaton under Swider and Bishop back in the early 90's. He had a lot of complimentary things to say about Wheaton and about Swider in particular, who he called "a good friend." I knew there was mutual respect there but didn't realize they had a friendship. He was all class, and very gracious upon being approached by a total stranger. 

Also told a funny story about getting an angry letter one year from a Wheaton fan basically suggesting that the only reason Mt Union kept winning was because they get to play all their playoff games at home, and ranting on against the Mt Union program.  Kehres wrote a polite letter back saying how much he respects Wheaton and asking if the writer was really an alum, because all other Wheaton people he had met had been models of Christian conduct and they won and lost with class, prayed for injured opponents, etc.  The guy wrote him a profusely apologetic letter back.

I didn't tell Kehres I'll still be rooting against Mt. U (though it's usually a futile thing to do) again today. Like the Yankees or the Patriots, the 70's Steelers or the 90's Cowboys, you're either a fan of the dynasty or else you want to see the dynasty knocked off its pedestal.  But after having met coach Kehres, the "rooting against" will be without some of the former intensity. 

+k for that post.

[reality check]

Ready and waiting for this damn basketball game to wrap up.  Who cares about Kentucky basketball anyways?!? 

Interestingly sidenote, the high school I coach at runs an offensive scheme based on Valdosta State and Mount Union College.  If the Raiders finish the job today, they make my job easier with the kids.  "Why do we run this offense???  Because it works; just watch the championship games gentlemen."

This is the first time in my DIII lifetime, I've rooted against the North Region.

Good luck Raiders. 

Go MUC! Go OAC! Go EAST REGION! !

[union89]

Halfway through the 2nd quarter.....Micheli looking very unsure of himself....pulling the ball down way too quickly instead of stepping up in the pocket....

[runyr]

Weather and good D are playing for Whitewater so far. 

[reality check]

First half seems like the Warhaks want it more.  I know that is an overused cliche but when MUC has been stopped on 4th it was a matter of who dug in and created the stops.  The Warhawk linemen are pushing piles and cleaning up blocks while Micheli and Kmic are trying to do things all by themselves.  Micheli on 4th had three linemen watching and standing striaght up.  Beaver picks up 4 or 5 tough yards and his linemen help push the pile or pick bodies off the pile adding to the yardage.

MUC needs to start playing 11 guys on the field or they're in trouble.