FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[theaprof]

woulda-woulda-woulda

It's the new yadda-yadda-yadda!

[HScoach]

No problem.  Sorry if I came across too strong too. 

After following the Raiders for the last 15+years, it's rather interesting how often I've heard the same sentiments about "if we'd have not done this one thing it would have been different" or "MUC is good, but they're beatable".  All those things are 100% true, but what makes Mount's run so impressive to me is the consistency in which they always seem to be in position to make that 1 play that makes the difference, or force that 1 player into playing his worst game of the year. 

There has only been only 1 Mount team ever that I think you could classify as "unbeatable" and that was 1997 with Bill Borchert at QB (Galiardi winner with 4335 yds, 67% completion, 63 TD's, 2 INT's).  That team was absolutely loaded at every position.  Other than that 1 team, every other Mount team has been "beatable", but it doesn't happen very often as they play very consistently and typically don't beat themselves or get out schemed by the opposing coaching staff.

There has been only one time I've left the field thinking that the other coach got the better of Kehres and that was John Gagliardi in the 2003 Stagg Bowl.  I've also seen tons of great players (especially QB's) get totally shut down by the Raiders.  In fact, I can't remember one single time in the last 15 years where you could point to the opposing QB as being the reason MUC lost.  If you're going to beat Mount, your best chance is to do so at the line of scrimmage.  And not with skill people. 

[bison22]

hscoach,   thanks for your assessment of the MU - Wheaton game.    What will Capital have to do tomorrow to knock off Mount? Or is MU so good that they can only beat themselves?

[SonsofThunder]

HSCoach, I too like you assesment of the MU-Wheaton game.  The old saying goes "that's why they play the game."  Any team can get beaten on any given sunday, saturday in the case of NCAAF.  When Mount Union takes the field they know they must execute, they are champions.  If they do not, there are many more waiting behind those who get to play on the varsity squad.  Mount Union has been capable of fielding a quarterfinal team 15 consecutive times because they execute the plays they need to make.  It isn't though they have all these unbelievable athletes, they have theirs just like every team in the nation....unfotunatley for the rest of D3 they have a few more.  Is Mount Union beatable? Yes, take UMHB 2 years ago, or the Stagg Bowl of 2003.  Those teams that beat Mount Union exectuted their gameplans to a T.  I watched the 2003 Stagg Bowl and each team had great players, Gagliardi and his staff put their players in position to make plays, and they made them.  That is what it takes to beat Mount Union.  Execution.

[Mr. Ypsi]

That is what it takes to beat Mount Union.  Execution.

That's true.  The question is "Do you need to execute the entire team, or would just the starters be enough?"

[matblake]

That is what it takes to beat Mount Union.  Execution.

That's true.  The question is "Do you need to execute the entire team, or would just the starters be enough?"

+k  Seriously funny.

[matblake]

There has only been only 1 Mount team ever that I think you could classify as "unbeatable" and that was 1997 with Bill Borchert at QB (Galiardi winner with 4335 yds, 67% completion, 63 TD's, 2 INT's).  That team was absolutely loaded at every position.  Other than that 1 team, every other Mount team has been "beatable", but it doesn't happen very often as they play very consistently and typically don't beat themselves or get out schemed by the opposing coaching staff.

hscoach:  Ditka vs the 1997 Mt. Union team,  who wins?

matblake:  Is Larry Kehres Mt. Unions coach?

hscoach: Of course.

matblake:  Ditka, but only by a touchdown. 

[HScoach]

hscoach,   thanks for your assessment of the MU - Wheaton game.    What will Capital have to do tomorrow to knock off Mount? Or is MU so good that they can only beat themselves?

No, Mount isn't so good that they'll have to play bad to loose.  I will say though, that if both Capital and MUC both play at the same percentage of their respective capabilities, then MUC wins by 14+.   Capital has to do a few things to beat Mount on Saturday.
1.  Stop the Mount running game.
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2.  Protect Rocky from the Mount blitzes
3.  Win the turnover battle

Mount ran for 345 yards against Capital in the regular season game, and if Mount does that again without turning the ball over a lot, it won't matter what Pentello and the Capital offense does.

[HScoach]

That is what it takes to beat Mount Union.  Execution.

That's true.  The question is "Do you need to execute the entire team, or would just the starters be enough?"

BRILLIANT!  + karma for you!


Oh, and just the starters would be enough.

[theaprof]

I don't know--you might have to go two deep at most positions.

[FormerCard]

There has only been only 1 Mount team ever that I think you could classify as "unbeatable" and that was 1997 with Bill Borchert at QB (Galiardi winner with 4335 yds, 67% completion, 63 TD's, 2 INT's).  That team was absolutely loaded at every position.  Other than that 1 team, every other Mount team has been "beatable", but it doesn't happen very often as they play very consistently and typically don't beat themselves or get out schemed by the opposing coaching staff.

hscoach:  Ditka vs the 1997 Mt. Union team,  who wins?

matblake:  Is Larry Kehres Mt. Unions coach?

hscoach: Of course.

matblake:  Ditka, but only by a touchdown. 

LOVE IT

Plus karma if I could give some

[usee]

Mt Union ran the ball for 400 yds. You guys don't realize how absolutely dominating and humiliating that is. Augie6 is right. When you run the ball for 400yds in a playoff game and lose by 32 pts, that means your defensive front 7 got obliterated. It wouldn't have mattered if we had the chicago bears secondary playing behind them.

On offense our offensive front could not consistently contain the MUC defensive front, in particular, justen stickley. We could have had Drew Brees as the QB and that wouldn't have mattered.

0-5 in Alliance. You want an "IF/MAYBE" scenario?? IF wheaton had beaten Augie, we would have hosted Capital last weekend and MAYBE we wouldn't have had to play in Alliance until this weekend. 

[matblake]

Mt Union ran the ball for 400 yds. You guys don't realize how absolutely dominating and humiliating that is. Augie6 is right. When you run the ball for 400yds in a playoff game and lose by 32 pts, that means your defensive front 7 got obliterated. It wouldn't have mattered if we had the chicago bears secondary playing behind them.

On offense our offensive front could not consistently contain the MUC defensive front, in particular, justen stickley. We could have had Drew Brees as the QB and that wouldn't have mattered.

0-5 in Alliance. You want an "IF/MAYBE" scenario?? IF wheaton had beaten Augie, we would have hosted Capital last weekend and MAYBE we wouldn't have had to play in Alliance until this weekend. 

Exactly, the loss to Augie by Wheaton opened the door to not controlling their own destiny.  Kudos to North Central for taking advantage.

[79jaybird]

"That is what it takes to beat Mt. Union  Execution"

Could be said upon beating ANY team.  Simply put, if you don't execute you are not going to get the job done!
The Bears had a chance to beat New England. They lost because they didn't execute.  Elmhurst had a chance to beat Augie and Millikin, actually the Millikin example is better... EC didn't execute and Millikin DID, which is why the Big Blue upset us at home. 

Anybody who thinks that Mt. Union is not a brilliant team, can't run the ball, isn't what they used to be, etc.  needs to have their eyes checked.

[79jaybird]

Hope everybody survived the snowstorm socking the Midwest.  I shovelled 3 times today!  I think officially here in Mt. Prospect we had 8-10 inches.
Don't know how much snow hit Whitewater, WI for their game tomorrow, but I would guess at least 5 inches.  Ohio it is coming your way.