FB: Northwest Conference

[stealth]

Bobo,
The fellas are still being held hostage by bearcat fan. Turning loose the hounds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNhg4n3ihP8

In the present, wildcat11, not the past?

[Gig Harbor Cat]

Stealth,
 If your boys can play assignment football for 60 minutes then it is game on.  The bearkitties may seem to be contained but then they break a big play that kills you.  Also I am sure they will break out a ton of false keys that will be oppo of film study for UWW.  I know that Wildcat11 will be on the audio with Pat, and considering he played D for the Cats against this fly O for 4 years he will be able to give all of you a detailed insight into the game action on Sat.
 I will be an interested observer to this one. I know that after round one things really dial up a notch or two.

Gig Harbor Cat  Out--

[BearcatFan]

Cocky ? Na. Confident, Yup. Giving Williamette their due here. They ran the table. Good. Did Williamette play in a Black and Blue type environment that UWW did. Na. Can UWW adjust to the "fly" Yup. Consider that for 3 years in a row they have seen every possible combination of D and O designed to take away thier strenghts and the results speak for themselves.  3 Staggs with a #1 ring do we need to remind you. Question really is can Williamette adjust to the pounding they will get from O and D lines for 60 minutes ? Guess we'll see on Saturday. In fact we have been studing game film from the Williamette practices to prove we are ready for the "Fly"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu74eMNJI1I

OMG - that's too funny, Stealth!  If only I had the ability to give + Karma...

Thanks for the laugh.

[BearcatFan]

Is it Saturday yet?

[D O.C.]

4. UWW will win soundly on Saturday and I think deep inside, WU backers know it!

I harken back to the board talk before the Bob / Lance run of the past three years and that was the WIAC could not get it done and that (yes) they lumbered to beat each other up all season long.
To quote the 'rats and the big-tailed, stinky things "That was the past." "You can't live off your laurels." "That ring isn't from this year so get it out of my face." etc.

However, I agree that I don't think this Warhawk team is as flat out dangerous as the past three groups (especially on offense) but I still think they are good enough to come out west and win.

Perhaps all the pilot team play by this year's WW team chasing around the Beav will serve them trying to catch WU Woo. We shall see.

I know that Wildcat11 will be on the audio with Pat

                                                             

[BearcatFan]

...Consider that for 3 years in a row they have seen every possible combination of D and O designed to take away thier strenghts and the results speak for themselves...

Every possible combination? Not even possible!

And they haven't seen a this team coached by Mark Speckman -- ever.

[bleedpurple]

From everything I've read in the statistics and on these boards, the only thing I am concerned about regarding the Bearcats is their big play ability. Now could that quick strike ability alone win the game for them? Maybe. However, when I am backing a team, i feel much more confident if I can hang my hat on something a little more reliable than that, especially as the quality of competition increases.

What I hang my hat on:

1. UWW has the number two ranked scoring defense in the nation, playing in the top ranked conference in the nation.
2. UWW averages over 221 yards per game rushing and gives up an average of 71 yards per game.
3. UWW has scored 33 rushing TD's to TWO for their opponents.
4. QB Jeff Donavan has a QB rating of 134, and the Hawks throw for over 190 yards per game.

Although comparisons are odious, I look at the rushing component of these two teams' common opponent, Puget Sound.

Willamette gave up 249 yards rushing.
UWW gave up 21 yards rushing in 30 attempts!

If we sound cocky or confident, these are some of the current reasons. Our ring and post season success can't be ignored, but they aren't the sole source of confidence either.

Does the possibility that Willamette can't slow the UWW rushing attack cause any concern to Bearcat fans at all? Or are they just so good on offense, nothing else matters?

[Growler]

From everything I've read in the statistics and on these boards, the only thing I am concerned about regarding the Bearcats is their big play ability. Now could that quick strike ability alone win the game for them?

It has...over and over. It is not something that they just get "lucky" at. It's something they practice and count on. With that said, IMHO I think this is going to be a great game and like last week, it should come down to who can hold on to the rock and play error free?

[D O.C.]

Yes, Yes, Yes.....
UWW comes with credentails. OK.

Now could that quick strike ability alone win the game for them?

How does 44 - 41 sound? Last one scores wins?

[footballfan413]

...is there a team on the west coast that can really play a lock down kind of defense? I don't think there is, or they might still be playing. Which is why I think UWW can be successful against a gimmick offense - no disrespect, but the fly is considered a gimmick, right?

I think there are west coast teams with that kind of defense every year...too bad we don't always get represented.  In fact, the NWC conference champ had one of the best scoring defenses in the country in one of the better conferences in the country and as you know was left home last year.  Oh, and were a +27-ish (I can't remember the final number) in turnover margin.  Anyways, UWW is not as good as their faithful think.  Congrats, you beat a St. John's program that is down...very down IMO by their standards.   You have never seen the fly and even though it is "gimmicky" (I've said it numerous times), you will NOT stop it for 4 full quarters.  We'll see if your defense can continue to hold their heads up after numerous 50+ yard plays (it's going to happen).  Hope you got some Whitworth film since they were the only team all year to keep it in check for a good part of the game, just not quite disciplined enough to finish it. I hope the UWW players are as cocky as their fans...they're in for a surprise this weekend at Salem West 

    Any cockiness by Hawks fans does not result from beating the Johnnies on a down year.  Everyone knew that.  That was just step 1.  But, it was still as fun as beating them in 05 and 06 when they were up.    (Hawks moved to North last year.)

...Consider that for 3 years in a row they have seen every possible combination of D and O designed to take away thier strenghts and the results speak for themselves...

Every possible combination? Not even possible!

And they haven't seen a team coached by Mark Speckman -- ever.

No but they and the coaching staff have seen teams coached by Larry Kehres and John Gagliardi.  Not the FLY, I know.  I must say, my curiosity about this vaulted FLY offense is really peaking.  It is amazing that it is so rare if it is so powerful.  I know, need to have the right athletes........ yada, yada but still. This talk reminds me of the play-offs last year when we were told that North Central was going to tear us up because we had not faced a spread offense like theirs yet.  Won that 59-28.  I don't doubt that they will get their big plays but from what I have read about the Bearcats defense, so will the Hawks.  Guess it will come down to who plays the best D.  I'll put my money on the #7 defense in the country. 

[Bearcat Press]

BearcatPress,

I was looking for your weekly article at www.willamettecollegian.com but didn't see it. Is the Webmaster posting slowly again this week?

No newspaper this week, since half the school is already at home.  I'll be putting an article together anyway and post it on here when I'm done.

I think the banter on here has been fun and generally good-spirited.  After three Stagg Bowls, Whitewater's earned the right to talk.  The fact is that most people expect Willamette to lose this game - just look at the D3football.com poll - and that's okay.  Most people expected us to lose to Concordia.  And Southern Oregon.  And Whitworth.  And Linfield.  Shoot, the NWC coaches picked us to finish fourth in our conference, and I didn't think we'd get higher than third.

The only guys who have consistently believed they'll win week in, week out, from August all the way through to Thanksgiving are the guys who suit up every weekend in the red and gold.  They believe they can win on Saturday.

So welcome back to Oregon, Whitewater.  In 2005, you knocked off a defending national champion out here.  As we say in the history department here at Willamette, history works in cycles.

[footballfan413]

So welcome back to Oregon, Whitewater.  In 2005, you knocked off a defending national champion out here.  As we say in the history department here at Willamette, history works in cycles.

I loved this comment.  Awesome and + karma!   8)

[badgerwarhawk]

Yes, Yes, Yes.....
UWW comes with credentails. OK.

Now could that quick strike ability alone win the game for them?

How does 44 - 41 sound? Last one scores wins?

It sounds great if the 44 is after the team with two W's

No one here is taking anything for granted and our staff and players realize the challenge Williamette poses.  With only a week to prepare for something, like the FLY offense, that we have never seen before it is significant.   We're gratefull for the opportunity and I'm confident that we'll give it our best effort.

[footballfan413]

The only guys who have consistently believed they'll win week in, week out, from August all the way through to Thanksgiving are the guys who suit up every weekend in the red and gold.  They believe they can win on Saturday.

And that is how it should be.  "Any given Saturday."  Like I said, I expect a battle!

[footballfan413]

Yes, Yes, Yes.....
UWW comes with credentails. OK.

Now could that quick strike ability alone win the game for them?

How does 44 - 41 sound? Last one scores wins?

It sounds great if the 44 is after the team with two W's

No one here is taking anything for granted and our staff and players realize the challenge Williamette poses.  With only a week to prepare for something, like the FLY offense, that we have never seen before it is significant.   We're gratefull for the opportunity and I'm confident that we'll give it our best effort.

I believe he is referring to the 05 game between the Hawks and Cats.