FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[jknezek]

Nah. I knew W&L had no offensive skill players that were seniors going into the season. It didn't take but a minute or two to double check what I already suspected. Only part I had to look up was which seniors were starting on the O-line and I happened to see the one yard punt return by a senior.

I'm not suggesting they'll repeat because they haven't won this year. Can't repeat without the first. I just thought it was an interesting fact to bring up. Since W&L generally only has 10-15 seniors in any given year, impact players always come from the other classes or they are in trouble. Even next year, when there will be a bunch of impact seniors, I bet half the offense will come from Juniors and below.

Game notes are up for Catholic. Find them here:

http://generalssports.com/sports/fball/2015-16/releases/Catholic_Notes

W&L is 15-4 all time against Catholic but lost last year in D.C. That is one of only two games that the Generals have lost when rushing for 400+ yards in the last 60 games (23-2 when rushing for 400+ over the span). W&L is 10-0 versus Catholic in Lexington.

After last weekend the Generals defense ranks 6th in yards allowed in the conference but is tops in points allowed. Bend but don't break is the mantra as W&L tends to give teams all the yardage before the red zone, but then clamps down as hard as they can in the short field. Makes for ugly yardage stats, especially passing, but it has worked well this season.

[tigerFanAlso2]

Jk

why only 10-15 seniors ?

only way you don't win odac is to drop last 2 games and that is not going to happen. worse of odac schedule is rear view mirrow. enjoy the process, we'll try to get you next year but beating u guys in lexington will not be easy. enjoy the balance of the season. things are falling your way, damn goal line stand !!!!!

[jknezek]

Jk

why only 10-15 seniors ?

only way you don't win odac is to drop last 2 games and that is not going to happen. worse of odac schedule is rear view mirrow. enjoy the process, we'll try to get you next year but beating u guys in lexington will not be easy. enjoy the balance of the season. things are falling your way, damn goal line stand !!!!!

W&L is consistently the smallest roster in the ODAC. If they have 70-80 on the roster it is a typical year. Usually 25-35 are freshmen, so that leaves 40-50 others. W&L has pretty good retention after the first year, so typically about 20 sophs, and 10-15 each juniors and seniors. It's why injuries like last year are devastating. The depth isn't there.

Why is the roster so small? I'd imagine it's an admissions issue. The pool is not particularly deep and the competition with similar academic standard institutions is pretty fierce. This year the first year numbers were sub-30 and that concerns me a bit. If we do get a conference title hopefully we can bump it up by a few more guys that will make an impact.

Bodies don't equal quality, but you are more likely to have quality if there are more bodies.

And conference championships are like chickens. I don't count them until they are official! So W&L has two with men's and women's cross country this fall, but m/w soccer, football, volleyball and even Field Hockey are still in play...

[tigerFanAlso2]

officially still in play but not really. I get where you are coming from but from my view point W&L will not lose to both SU and CUA; maybe one but not both.

[Hawks88]

but we have three sec transfers coming in january !!!!

Hope they're not coming from Auburn. That wouldn't help your defense at all. 

[jknezek]

officially still in play but not really. I get where you are coming from but from my view point W&L will not lose to both SU and CUA; maybe one but not both.

I know. But I'm harboring hopes of a home playoff game deep in my skeptical soul. I'd have to drive up for one of those. So in order not to get the cart too far ahead of the horse, I live this week pondering Catholic's prolific passing game. That keeps me grounded.

[tigerFanAlso2]

Jk

CUA didn't have much of a passing game when we played them. wonder how it got so good all of a sudden ? maybe the defense it played against recently ? either way, if HSC can't win the odac I'm pulling for W&L to have a home date on Nov. 21st. I'd probably make the drive to see it.

[hasanova]

Congratulations to GC's Matt Pawlowski for being named to the Team of the Week ... 611 yards passing and 7 TDs will do that for you.

[tigerFanAlso2]

yep, great performance. well done. hope he got it out of his system last saturday, but i doubt it. i look forward to watching him play. good luck saturday, may the best team win. i hear the weather might be a little suspect in greensboro.

[hasanova]

yep, great performance. well done. hope he got it out of his system last saturday, but i doubt it. i look forward to watching him play. good luck saturday, may the best team win. i hear the weather might be a little suspect in greensboro.

Yep, clear Friday and Sunday, but rain forecast for Saturday.  Hope not so much it affects the game.

[jknezek]

First set of Regional Rankings are up. W&L checks in at T-5 with Moravian. Guilford checks in at 7. So the H-SC folks will have to excuse me if I pull heavily for Guilford this weekend.

If Selection Sunday were going on now, UMHB would be the first South team on the board, followed by Moravian. Highly doubt Guilford would see the table. With Maryville and Huntingdon behind W&L, and the SAA schools nowhere to be found, W&L would stand a puncher's chance at a home game despite sitting at 5.

All this will change by Selection Sunday, as Guilford faces H-SC, Moravian faces two decent CC schools, M'Ville and Huntingdon square off this weekend. The other teams should win out, but horses and carts and what goes first all have to be factored in...

http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/d3/regional-rankings

[tigerFanAlso2]

Hasa

I just talked myself out of making the drive given the weather prediction. Should be a good game but really does not have much significance in the scope of things. Both GC and HSC are a score away from being a factor this year, however, both teams are competitive

[hasanova]

Hasa

I just talked myself out of making the drive given the weather prediction. Should be a good game but really does not have much significance in the scope of things. Both GC and HSC are a score away from being a factor this year, however, both teams are competitive

If you change your mind, let me know.  I know this game means a lot to GC because they want the HSC monkey off their back and because we still have a shot at school-record 9 wins.  I know it may be slim, but I am still hopeful for a Pool C if we win out.

[jknezek]

Hasa

I just talked myself out of making the drive given the weather prediction. Should be a good game but really does not have much significance in the scope of things. Both GC and HSC are a score away from being a factor this year, however, both teams are competitive

If you change your mind, let me know.  I know this game means a lot to GC because they want the HSC monkey off their back and because we still have a shot at school-record 9 wins. I know it may be slim, but I am still hopeful for a Pool C if we win out.

Got a boost today by being 7 in the RR. Really need Moravian to drop and no one to hop in front. The SAA dominoes are the key. If one of the SAA teams gets ranked it might hurt Guilford as that one RR might be enough to get another in, and then two RRO results could hop one of them in front of Guilford. The SAA possibilities have significantly higher SOS than Guilford...

So many dominoes and all Guilford can do is win out. Same with W&L. Or H-SC, but regardless H-SC's chances fell today as the only 2 loss team the committee saw fit to include in the South was TLU.

[tigerFanAlso2]

I think TLU should be ranked ahead of HSC based on HSU beating MHB. I get it and can't argue the point.
I don't think a team from the odac will recive an at-large this year. west will dominant at-large, leaving maybe two for rest of D3 and that is probably how it should be this year, however, if GC finds away to beat HSC saturday I'm pulling for them to get one.