FB: Presidents' Athletic Conference

[Bob.Gregg]

Mr. Gregg,

You're more than welcome to join us (us being myself, Llamaguy, Hug, etc.) in poker Friday night.  Not sure what your schedule is, but let us know if you do come Friday (and if you do (and/or want to) play).

Not sure of the plans yet.  I'm likely NOT heading to the Shenandoah Valley.

I'll be calling the District High School Championship games at Heinz Field.

Mark Uriah and crew will be there, and he's seen BOTH previous W&J/BC shows.

Treat him nice.  He's a Buckeye fan. (some people bring things on themselves)

[the_burghboy]

Congrats to both PAC teams for making the playoffs.  Unforunately I will be in Hershey at a conference next weekend and missing the game.  Will be checking to see the results on my laptop however.

I personally like the thought that if Thiel and W&J would both survive they could possibly have a rematch.  Here's to hoping it works out.

[spliskin]

spliskin - good game summary.

Checking out the Thiel team, it appears you have a very balanced team with an excellent offense and defense.  It stikes me that your OL must be outstanding since your backup RB, Dan Hess, ran for 169 yds against a decent CMU run defense.  Thiels defense seems (roster sizes) small, so they must be extremely quick and aggressive. 

Yes Badman, very ballanced. Offensively, run/pass is fairly ballanced and we've needed more of one or the other to win this year depending on the game/opponent. I would also say that the team itself is ballanced as we've had games where the offense had to cover the D's a$$ (ala-CMU-OWU) and games where the Defense had to bail out the offense (ala-Buff State). Our OL is probably our strongest asset offensively as they've only allowed 7 sacks on the season and have usually been able to control the LOS for the RB's to get their yards.

By anyone's measure we are small on defense but very fast and aggressive. Our D leads the conference in sacks & we get a lot of TFL's. The D usually generates a fair number of turnovers as well (We wouldn't have beaten W&J if the defense doesn't force 5 picks).

Looking forward to Saturday!

What can you tell us about JHU?

[PittTBCW]

From what I read about Johns Hopkins I think they are pretty balanced although they do not score alot of points avg. of only just above 17pts but they also have a stingy defense only allowing an avg. of a bit over 11pts a game.


I think we will see a good game in Greenville come this Saturday!

[badbadman]

spliskin - the offense is fairly balanced and has decent skill position players.  They have moved the ball better than they have scored if that makes any sense.  Stats do not adequately reflect the drive killing mistakes that have probably cost the team 10-15 points per game.  Despite this, they have won eight games.  The strength of the team is it's defense.  The defense is aggressive and has won many games for JHU this season.  Seven of JHU's ten opponents were held to 10 points or less this year.   

[PittTBCW]

Johns Hopkins is starting to sound alot like another PAC foe...Thomas More College?

Any thoughts???

[Jeremybozz]

The weather forecast for W&J at BC Saturday is Mostly Sunny with a high of 45 degrees and a low of 29.

[Jester11]

These look like two great match-ups in the first round for the PAC Cats & Prez.

Hopkins @ Thiel matches 2 great defenses (I may get challenged here with the 48 surrendered to CMU, but I'll stand by the description) and 2 ball control offenses. I'll have to give Thiel the edge offensively looking at each team's stats. Both teams are making their first appearance at the big-dance but JHU has won their ECAC bowl game in each of the last 3 years-giving them the edge in the "post-season experience" category. This looks like a great game on paper and should be exciting to the end.

W&J @ BC - 2 explosive offenses, both with playoff experience and head to head battle experience. This is the grudge match as each has stolen victory from the jaws of defeat in the last 2 match-ups. It looks like the W&J defense gives the Prez the advantage as they look to be much stronger than the Eagles D, but you can't discount the home field advantage for BC. Would be interesting to know how much of an impact WJ asst coach Wakefield will have on the Prez preparation given his intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the BC program?

I'd love to catch this game but I'll have to pass on it. I need to see if the T-Cats can pull out another thriller in Greenville.

Congrats to both TC & WJ and to the entire PAC for producing 2 playoff teams for the first time in conference history.

Spliskin to say that Saturday's contest between JHU and TC features 2 great defenses is a joke.  Any defense that allowed 48 points to CMU is just flat out bad.  There is mention that Thiel may have been suffering from injuries.  To that I will respond that even if JHU played their second stringers, they wouldn't give up 48 points.  I won't be able to make the game, but thank goodness for the fans in Greenville that Saturday is a home game.  That way you will be able to see what a dominating defense really looks like. 

Go Blue Jays!  Good luck to my boys in the trenches.

[religion_major]

Jester,
Let's talk about the 49 points that JHU gave up to Hamden-Sydney.  Great defenses don't allow those kind of numbers.  Thiel has had to play some good offenses (W&J).  Other than HSC, who has Hopkins played that can out up points?  Have they played any good offenses to base their claim of being a great defense on?

[oldtimer4774]

Jester, why dont you take a look at the National Rankings of total defense, run defense, and tell me who is up there in most categories---Thiel- and theyre quality of wins / strength of schedule is much MUCH better  then JHU-  JHU will see a dominating offense, AND a dominating defense on Saturday

[oldtimer4774]

And as far as good luck to your boys in the trenches- JHU has not seen an O-line or D-line like Thiel has- it will be a shocking end to their season

[Jester11]

I have seen the National Rankings of total defense, run defense, etc, etc!!!  Give me a break 3 games went to O/T and two of them were against unranked teams they should have DOMINATED as you put it.  If luck has anything to do with it maybe, just maybe I would give them the edge in this contest.  Maybe their Defense will send this one into quadrupal O/T.  That way they'll have something to go with their 1 O/T win vs W&J, 2 O/T win vs Waynesburg (UNRANKED), and 3 O/T win vs Carnegie Mellon (ALSO UNRANKED). Like I said they got lucky against W&J and barely slide past them.  I think their luck has run out and what they are going to see on Saturday is a team with a real Defense not one that just mascarades as a DOMINATING DEFENSE........The only that is going to be shocking will be the final score when the STATS all stack up and JHU sends TC packing with their tails tucked between their legs.

JHU KING IN THIS CONTEST HANDS DOWN!!!

[Jester11]

At least they won't have far to run since the game is at greenville

[oldtimer4774]

I guess we will just let the Tomcats speak for themself on Saturday- Final score prediction

TC- 31
JHU- 7

[oldtimer4774]

I forgot to add- Thiel will have 400 yards of offense- 175 rushing and 225 passing