FB: Presidents' Athletic Conference

[PittTBCW]

Comments on Saturday's games:

Thiel @ Westmini

Thiel continued to stay unbeaten in a dominating effort against the Titans. With a win next week they can not only win the PAC for the first time since 72' but also set a school record for wins. Congrats and go Tomcats!!!

W&J vs Bethany

W&J put on a show under the lights at Cameron Stadium in Wash PA. Shutting out the Bison on the way to an impressive 63 point win. Yards and more yards for the powerful President's offense that will be tough to match come playoff time. W&J travels to Waynesburg next week to try and give the Yellow Jackets another PAC loss on thier home turf.

Grove City vs Waynesburg

Despite a great defensive effort by Tenney and the Yellow Jackets a blocked punt put the ball on thier one yard line which the Wolverines capitalized on and gave them a one point win. GCC's defense also manged to shut down Waynesburg allowing just 6 points.

Thomas More vs Anderson

Thomas More got the offense on task in a 38 point showing vs Anderson. The Saints are still unbeaten in the PAC and face the Tomcats this week to try and put a blemish on Thiel's perfect season.


Did anyone get to any of these games? I was unable to attend this week but plan on traveling to Greenville next Saturday to watch the Tomcats try and win thier first PAC crown in 3 and half decades.

[Dutch12]

I was at the Thiel - Westminster game this weekend.  Despite the soggy and muddy conditions Thiel did most of their damage through the air in the first half.  Chambers and LaScola both hauled in multiple long pass receptions.  Another great game by the Thiel O-Line & the defense held Buggey to 6 yards on 9 attempts.  -  Looking forward to the TMC - Thiel game this weekend, should be a good test for the Tomcat Offense.  They are well aware of TMC's ability to play defense.  The preliminary forcast is for sunny mid-fifties for the game, should be a great day for football.  - Let's get a big crowd out in Greenville for what amounts to a PAC championship game at this point. 

[OldPhart]

I was at the Thiel/Westmin game.  Wet and cold.  Rain almost the entire game.  Plenty of mud.  Perfect football weather.  My view was that the 34-0 outcome understated how thoroughly Thiel dominated the game.  Consider that 34 of Westminster's 124 O yards came on the last drive - which incidently brought Westmin to a -3 total rushing yards for the day instead of the -14 they would have been saddled with otherwise.   Buggey held to 6 yards on 9 rushes - what a difference a week makes!

In my partisan mind, the officiating was weak.  For example, in the middle of the 4th quarter I had decided to walk around the field a bit to try to work out some of the uncontrollable shivering and had a perfect view of Saterfield's pass to LaScola in the end zone.  The field judge made no call on an out-and-out mugging of LaScola before the ball arrived.  There were a number of other no-calls as well.  Obviously, it didn't effect the outcome - but it was still frustrating.

If you read the stats you see that Thiel was an uncharacteristic 0-6 on 4th downs.   I think that a number of those would have been turned into field goals if the weather had been better and/or the score had been closer.  Why put your place kicker in jeopardy on a slick field if you don't need to? 

I was really looking forward to seeing what Freshman punter Matt McKinney could do now that he is back and active on the team.  In pregame warm-ups he was really booming them.  Beautiful kick for his first punt, pinning Westmin back on the 1.  His second punt was a VERY high snap which he made a great one handed grab to bring down.  Unfortunately, he then throws the INT.  I think he actually had the time to punt it, but I figure first game jitters and the adrenaline rush of the high snap contributed to that pick.  I expect that we should see a couple of good kicks from him this Saturday.  Of course the Thiel O will have to provide him with some 4th down opportunities.  I am trusting we won't see too many of those.

The fumbles look bad on the box score - but really it was a lot of end-of-the-game, cold and wet, second string sloppiness.  Backup QB Blankenship lost the handle on a couple of exchanges as did Westmin QB Barley on one exchange.    Don't know for sure what Blankenship's condition is on his injury at the end of his final run - heard that it was likely an ankle sprain. 

Not much suspense on Saturday - but still fun to watch.

Looking forward to Saturday and what should amount to the PAC title game.

[Dutch12]

OldPhart,

I was looking forward to McKinney punting as well, he normally punts barefoot - I wanted to see him bang a couple out of the mud in forty-five degree weather and pouring rain without a shoe.   He probably did the smart thing by going with a shoe considering the conditions.  Maybe this weekend I'll get to see him sting the crap out of his foot once or twice. - hopefully not more than that!

[Dutch12]

"You are right though about the thiel/w and j situation.  Pat should just swap those two teams after the points and votes and everything are settled at the end of the week."


"Believe me, I would like to. But then again, I don't have either school on my ballot -- I don't think either is a Top 25 team."


Pat, I saw your response to this on the Liberty League board.  You don't think Thiel and/or W&J are top 25 teams?  I'm just curious as to your reasoning behind this.

[Dutch12]

A look at the TMC and Thiel common PAC  opponents thus far:

TMC vs. Bethany Won 33-15 : 388 yds of offense, gave up 259 yds on defense
Thiel vs. Bethany Won 41-7 : 294 yds offense, gave up 234 yds on defense

TMC vs GCC Won 15-7 : 171 yds offense, gave up 236 yds on defense
Thiel vs GCC Won 30-0 : 440 yds offense, gave up 146 yds on defense

TMC vs Wesmin Won 17-3 : 327 yds offense, gave up 150 yds on defense
Thiel vs Wesmin Won 34-0 : 482 yds offense, gave up 123 yds on defense

TMC vs Waynes Won 13-7 : 309 yds offense, gave up 325 yds on defense
Thiel vs Waynes Won 35-28 : 433 yds offense, gave up 331 yds on defense

TMC outscored common PAC opponents 78-32 Thiel outscored common PAC opponents 140-35. 

TMC gained a total of 1,195 yds on Off & gave up 970 yds on def.
Thiel gained a total of 1,649 yds on Off & gave up 834 yds on def.

Not sure it means much, just some insight into the common opponents so far. 

[PittTBCW]

Nice Work Dutch

I am sure we will see a good game this weekend in Greenville.

Hopefully the Tomcats offense can put together a nice game plan to attack the good Saints defense. I think they will and the Tomcats will make some history this week.

Go Tomcats!!!

Pat,

Very disappointed about that comment. But then again you are the guru. I am cust curious when it comes playoff team how far these two teams go. Then I guess we will see how much of a guru you really are or aren't. Hopefully your thoughts do not screw either team when it comes time to put the bracket together.

[OldPhart]

Hopefully your thoughts do not screw either team when it comes time to put the bracket together.

I wouldn't lose sleep over it.  My understanding is that Pat has ALMOST as much influence on the brackets as I do - which is to say, none at all.  Unless he has psychic powers I am unaware of, I think the PAC is safe from any dissing that Pat dishes out.

[oldtimer4774]

If Thiel and/or W and J are not top 25 teams then where exactly do they fit into your rankings Pat---just curious

[Bob.Gregg]

Pat's posted comments "...I don't have either school on my ballot -- I don't think either is a Top 25 team..." were somewhat a surprise, but don't really mean alot.

What counts is not whether one or both are a poll's Top 25.

What counts is whether one or both are Pool B top 4.

And, save that, after Pool B's done, whether one or both are Pool C top 7.

And Pat doesn't have a vote in THAT!

[Pat Coleman]

Top 25 has never had an effect on brackets, indeed. No new ground broken there!

[Dutch12]

Pat, I was never suggesting that the polls have any effect on the playoffs or seeding or any of that.  I know they don't.  I was simply asking for a reasoning behind your opinion.  I'm not saying you're right or wrong, I was just curious as to why you felt that way.  That's a fair enough question of a guru isn't it? 

[Pat Coleman]

Regarding the rankings, I'm just not very high on the northern reaches of the South region at all this year. I was never a Hampden-Sydney voter, Bridgewater is barely on my ballot. Not voting for Johns Hopkins.

Thiel and W&J are among teams I consider every week, but since I have had very few spots on my ballot open up, just LaCrosse, basically, and I felt Wabash deserved that vacancy. But the teams that I have lower on my ballot just haven't lost lately.

I do truly think Augustana and Central and the like are better than Thiel and W&J. That's all.

[Cleveland Cartel]

Pat,

I do truly think Augustana and Central and the like are better than Thiel and W&J. That's all.

I am no Guru but Central a one loss team already and soon to be two and heres why!....Central will not make the playoffs with having one loss already to Coe, and having to Play Wartburg who is currently the leader in that conference by a game.  They also have a bye week and Wartburg will be well rested and have two weeks of preparation against Central.  Central is also going to be traveling to Wartburg College for that game and will have their second loss of the season. 

The schedule does favor the cardinals with 2/3 remaing games coming with less then 500 ball clubs, but they will not get past Wartburg at Waverly, Iowa.

[Pat Coleman]

They are rankings, not standings. And Wartburg is only a half-game ahead -- they all have one loss so it's a wash.

I don't know who the "Cardinals" are which you refer to.