FB: Presidents' Athletic Conference

[DagarmanSpartan]

Good dominant showing today.  The QB continues to shine.

Bethany will be a BIG test next week.  If we can pull of the upset, then we'll certainly be competitive in the rest of conference play.

[SpartanMom_2016]

These Thiel announcers are awfully critical of a QB who is ripping their defense to shreds.

They were just awful period!  Not that ours are anything to write home about.
Cuda did have a lot of low throws early though.
Great to hear from you Jeff!

I LOVED how he ripped a long bomb after their extended period of discussing how they weren't sure he could throw one. 

[jam40jeff]

Haha, yes, the timing was perfect on that throw.  Also, his long run for a TD came right after they said he's not very athletic and can't run well.

ADL70, thanks!  I'm still around mostly reading on here, just with a lot less time these days.  Hopefully, next season I'll be able to get back out for a few games.  And, yes, those announcers were terrible.  I was trying to be nice in my original post.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Took in the Geneva-CMU game yesterday out in Beaver Falls.  Really neat stadium - I don't think there has ever been a Geneva presence on these boards, but man they have a cool little place nestled into the side of a hill with lots of trees in the background.  Big crowd, although it was homecoming so that may have contributed.  Geneva offense threatened a few times in the first half but overall it felt like the Tartans were in control from the 3rd quarter onwards.

[ExTartanPlayer]

My best guess at the PAC power rankings, based on what we have seen so far:

1A. Washington & Jefferson
1B. Thomas More

Kinda obvious that these are the top 2.  TMC has been more impressive this season; W & J is the reigning champ.  We will have our answer to this one soon enough.

3. Case Western
4. Westminster
5. Bethany

Kind of a jumble here.  CWRU has been very impressive the last two weeks.  Westminster has won a pair and lost to the league's alpha dogs - one close, one blowout.  Bethany lost to Westminster but has a pair of PAC wins; the Case-Bethany game is an interesting one this week that will tell us who has the pole position for the bronze medal.

6. St. Vincent
7. Carnegie Mellon
8. Geneva

CMU just tuned up Geneva on the road.  I know it's just one win but with their two toughest games for awhile behind them, the Tartans have the chance to build some momentum here.  Will they take it?  Benger looks like one of the best individual players in the league at any position.

9. Waynesburg

Surprising to have Waynesburg, a traditionally decent program, this low...but they have already lost to Geneva, St. Vincent AND Bethany.  Looks like a tough year for the Jackets.

10. Grove City
11. Thiel

So Thiel has a win and Grove City doesn't, but I think you can make a qualitative case that Grove City has been a better team this season.  Thiel beat a dreadful Allegheny team in the opener and has been tuned up three times since; Grove Cit has been competitive in all three losses.  Maybe I'm reading too far into that one but I think Grove City may be a little bit tougher.

[ADL70]

CWRU has been very impressive the last two weeks.

Given Chicago's manhandling of Centre I'd say the one point loss to Chicago was more impressive. Agree that this week's game will tell a lot.

[ADL70]

Looks like Bethany has a well produced video stream (second camera on sidelines and replays) although the perspective is a bit of a low angle.

Westminster had four ints in their win over Bethany and the Bison have given up some long KORs.

Bethany is averaging 5.3 yds per rush if you throw out Mt Union game, but CWRU is giving up only 2.0 yds/rush.  Something has to give.  Chicago is averaging 4.9/rush and Spartans held them to 2.6.  31 of their 79 yards came on one cutback run, where Carroll was stopped at the line of scrimmage, but reversed field and broke away from the pack which had over pursued. I think Spartans will control Bethany's ground game.

[SpartanMom_2016]

Looks like Bethany has a well produced video stream (second camera on sidelines and replays) although the perspective is a bit of a low angle.

Westminster had four ints in their win over Bethany and the Bison have given up some long KORs.

Bethany is averaging 5.3 yds per rush if you throw out Mt Union game, but CWRU is giving up only 2.0 yds/rush.  Something has to give.  Chicago is averaging 4.9/rush and Spartans held them to 2.6.  31 of their 79 yards came on one cutback run, where Carroll was stopped at the line of scrimmage, but reversed field and broke away from the pack which had over pursued. I think Spartans will control Bethany's ground game.

It looks like Bethany has a pair of good receivers.

[SaintsFAN]

I really feel like Westminster is on the rise and is the clear #3 in the PAC. 

I'm basing this off what I've seen, I'm not sure about the tiers, outside of the Top 2, this is where I expect teams to finish. 

1. W&J
2. TMC

3. Westminster
4. CWRU
5. St Vincent
6. Bethany
7. Geneva
8. Waynesburg
9. Thiel
10. CMU
11. Grove City

[ExTartanPlayer]

SaintsFAN:

Carnegie Mellon just beat Geneva 35-7, at Geneva, on Homecoming!

I think they have to be above Geneva, and therefore ahead of Waynesburg and Thiel...I mean, I know there will always be some weird results that don't necessarily jibe with the season-ending standings, but I think CMU is (at this point) clearly better than those three. If those had all been one-score games the picture would be more muddled, but CMU decisively beat Geneva.  I think the Tartans are at 7 for now.

Big game today for the Saints. Can they get that W & J monkey off their back?

[SpartanMom_2016]

SaintsFAN:

Carnegie Mellon just beat Geneva 35-7, at Geneva, on Homecoming!

I would agree CMU has to be above Geneva and since Geneva beat Waynesburg it has to be above Waynesburg for now. I also don't think you can separate Westminster and CWRU at this time.  Right now they haven't played any common opponents and they haven't played each other.

[SaintsFAN]

SaintsFAN:

Carnegie Mellon just beat Geneva 35-7, at Geneva, on Homecoming!

I think they have to be above Geneva, and therefore ahead of Waynesburg and Thiel...I mean, I know there will always be some weird results that don't necessarily jibe with the season-ending standings, but I think CMU is (at this point) clearly better than those three. If those had all been one-score games the picture would be more muddled, but CMU decisively beat Geneva.  I think the Tartans are at 7 for now.

Big game today for the Saints. Can they get that W & J monkey off their back?

They will get the monkey off their backs today.. Unless they don't. 

I guess I'm not that in tune with the PAC teams but I think that's where they finish, btw.  (Big whoops there) To address another comment:  unless CWRU got ALOT more athletic this year over last year, I don't view them as equal to Westminster.  Westminster is very solid and has some very good athletes.

[Schwami]

I don't know what to make of Westminster, but would be inclined to have them behind CWRU.

In the first game of the year, Westminster led the Hiram Puppies 7-3 with 4 minutes left in the game.  The last 4 minutes had 2 TDs and a FG for a final score of Westminster 17-9, but Hiram outgained Westminster 399 to 281.  Each team had 3 turnovers.

Hiram has only gone on to lose to Kenyon 34-17 and DePauw 45-7, and I shudder to think what will happen today at Wabash.

Westminster, on the other hand, turned around the next week and had a ridiculously close game at W&J, leading most of the way until W&J scored in the final two minutes.

[SaintsFAN]

I don't know what to make of Westminster, but would be inclined to have them behind CWRU.

In the first game of the year, Westminster led the Hiram Puppies 7-3 with 4 minutes left in the game.  The last 4 minutes had 2 TDs and a FG for a final score of Westminster 17-9, but Hiram outgained Westminster 399 to 281.  Each team had 3 turnovers.

Hiram has only gone on to lose to Kenyon 34-17 and DePauw 45-7, and I shudder to think what will happen today at Wabash.

Westminster, on the other hand, turned around the next week and had a ridiculously close game at W&J, leading most of the way until W&J scored in the final two minutes.

Is it a new staff at Westminster?

[ADL70]

Looks like Bethany has a well produced video stream (second camera on sidelines and replays) although the perspective is a bit of a low angle.

Westminster had four ints in their win over Bethany and the Bison have given up some long KORs.

Bethany is averaging 5.3 yds per rush if you throw out Mt Union game, but CWRU is giving up only 2.0 yds/rush.  Something has to give.  Chicago is averaging 4.9/rush and Spartans held them to 2.6.  31 of their 79 yards came on one cutback run, where Carroll was stopped at the line of scrimmage, but reversed field and broke away from the pack which had over pursued. I think Spartans will control Bethany's ground game.

It looks like Bethany has a pair of good receivers.

Yes to be fair and balanced I should have mentioned record setting WR Eric Blinn and also stud DE Nadim Raddar.

Looks like a blustery day in Bethany.

Addressing other topics:

Westminster has an advantage over CWRU in the PAC standings, because its close loss to W&J doesn't count as a conference game.  And they don't play CWRU.

SaintsFAN, CWRU has a very athletic sophomore QB in Rob Cuda who is making a BIG difference.  And on D they've been rotating in a lot of players keeping the squad fresh.

What new athletes has Westminster acquired to boost them from 4-6, 4-4?  But I agree they are clearly on the rise.

But we will know a lot more after today.