FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[Olinemom]

If you only play like-minded institutions then you should expect to get your doors blow off in the playoffs.

blown off in the playoffs--by thugs because that is how they behave.

[Olinemom]

Hello Stone Station,

Just wanted to make sure you save a space at the Stagg Bowl Tailgate for two more.  I just bought the airline tickets to Salem. 

Roocru and CruAlum39 will be there for the Stagg Bowl.   I wanted my son to see the game from a fan's perspective as well as a participant's. 

The only thing that will stop us is if the high school team he coaches is still in the playoffs and then it will be a tough decision for me. 

Looking forward to seeing all of you in December !!!!

I am pleased that you have already made plans to come.  I don't want to jinx his team but I do want to see you'all at the big game!!  I am rooting for UMHB to do well.  My team is not going anywhere unfortunately, but that's the way it goes.  I will have a few contenders in the playoffs!!  Hope to see you soon!!!

[skoaltrain]

Hello Stone Station,
Just wanted to make sure you save a space at the Stagg Bowl Tailgate for two more.  I just bought the airline tickets to Salem. 
Roocru and CruAlum39 will be there for the Stagg Bowl.   I wanted my son to see the game from a fan's perspective as well as a participant's. 
The only thing that will stop us is if the high school team he coaches is still in the playoffs and then it will be a tough decision for me. 
Looking forward to seeing all of you in December !!!!

Roocru: The Godfather is looking forward to seeing you at Stone Station.  I know Llamaguy and myself are making plans well in advance regardless of who is in the finals.  Year after Year we plan to do the previous year one better.  With a 4:00 p.m. Kickoff, that will help the Stone Station Crew get prepared.  Fly Safe and the Good Lord Willing, we'll see you on Saturday!

[Pat Coleman]

If you only play like-minded institutions then you should expect to get your doors blow off in the playoffs.

blown off in the playoffs--by thugs because that is how they behave.

So only the W&L's and the Centennial Conference teams can behave and everyone else in the world is thugs? I'm sure that's not what you mean.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Since we'll be cheering on W&L in the postseason, I was curious as to the main difference in their seven wins and two losses.  Something stood out...

In their two losses, field position and time of possession killed them.  Against F&M and BC, only once did start an offensive drive on the opponent's side of the field, and even then, they ran five plays for negative three yards.  Other than that, they had no possession that began beyond their own 39-yard line, with the 23 drives starting on average at their own 24-yard line.

The other glaring disparity in the wins and losses is time of possession.  They were nearly doubled up in TOP when they played F&M and BC.  Their 24 possessions averaged a time of 1:34 ... with their four longest (time-wise) drives ending in punts; 4:28, 3:42, 2:59 and 2:33.  And those four drives combined for only 63 yards.

So if they're to be competitive in the postseason, they need to have better field position (using the return game) and hold onto the ball longer on offensive.

[WLU78]

If you only play like-minded institutions then you should expect to get your doors blow off in the playoffs.

blown off in the playoffs--by thugs because that is how they behave.

So only the W&L's and the Centennial Conference teams can behave and everyone else in the world is thugs? I'm sure that's not what you mean.

Actually it appears that you are the party that is vague in your assertion.  What does "like minded" mean?

[WLU78]

"Statistics are like a bikini, what they reveal is suggestive but what they conceal is vital"  I can't remember the name of the guy that said this.


Kid I think you are over analyzing the losses.

I think the answer is more obvious, first game frosh QB working out the kinks in the offense. 

The other loss was to THE dominant team for the last five years who had happened to lose two straight, the Generals were not on the same emotional plane as the Eagles in that game. 

[allsky7]

If you only play like-minded institutions then you should expect to get your doors blow off in the playoffs.

blown off in the playoffs--by thugs because that is how they behave.

So only the W&L's and the Centennial Conference teams can behave and everyone else in the world is thugs? I'm sure that's not what you mean.

     I certainly can't speak for olinemom but I doubt that is what she meant. Unless I missed something, I only saw comments about one school in particular. The ODAC and I'm sure most d3 conferences aspire to the true standard of student / athlete. I'm sure there are a few athletes/students/fans at ODAC schools that are less than angels, but IMHO the ODAC does it as well as anyone and has done so for 30 years. I can't speak to Wesley in particular because I don't know much about the school. Fortunately, I can say in my 35+ years of being close to d3, thugs and renegades have been the rare exception.

[miz]

"Statistics are like a bikini, what they reveal is suggestive but what they conceal is vital"  I can't remember the name of the guy said this.

That is really funny.

[Pat Coleman]

If you only play like-minded institutions then you should expect to get your doors blow off in the playoffs.

blown off in the playoffs--by thugs because that is how they behave.

So only the W&L's and the Centennial Conference teams can behave and everyone else in the world is thugs? I'm sure that's not what you mean.

Actually it appears that you are the party that is vague in your assertion.  What does "like minded" mean?

I wish I knew. It's the term that schools that think they are better than their peers throw out there.

[Llamaguy]

I think I can speak for Olinemom on this one and if not I'm sure she will clarify once she reads the posts. I would say the thug comment more refers to Wesley's "student fans" who hangout in the field across the street from the stadium with kegs and taunt the opposing fans. What I saw of Wesley's actual team was BIG, fast, and dam* good!

[pg04]

I think I can speak for Olinemom on this one and if not I'm sure she will clarify once she reads the posts. I would say the thug comment more refers to Wesley's "student fans" who hangout in the field across the street from the stadium with kegs and taunt the opposing fans. What I saw of Wesley's actual team was BIG, fast, and dam* good!

Yeah, because No other teams fans do that!  I think I side with Pat on this one (About when he said "It's the term that schools that think they are better than their peers throw out there. ")  .... Just my .02, I'll leave you all alone now 

[skoaltrain]

What "thugs" are we referring to?
These?

Or These?

[Forma80]

"Statistics are like a bikini, what they reveal is suggestive but what they conceal is vital"  I can't remember the name of the guy that said this.


Kid I think you are over analyzing the losses.

I think the answer is more obvious, first game frosh QB working out the kinks in the offense. 

The other loss was to THE dominant team for the last five years who had happened to lose two straight, the Generals were not on the same emotional plane as the Eagles in that game. 

I'm actually going to have to agree with Kid. Dawkins was a senior QB who started in the first game, and while there were certainly some kinks to get out, we can't blame that one on a freshman QB. The Bridgewater game was with a freshman QB, but with several games already under his belt, and a week after dominating a team that had already beaten Bridgewater.

Kid, I think you were spot on with time of possession and field position. When W and L's offense leaves the General's D on the field, the size advantage begins to take over at the line of scrimmage, and stopping the run becomes an issue as it did in the 2 losses. Second, field position was a big problem, which is worsened by the worst punting average in the ODAC. Third, both were away from Wilson Field, where W and L is traditionally a much stonger team.

As for why the General's were unable to get anything going on Offense in either of those two games, it is somewhat unclear. Bert O'Neal, the offensive coordinator, always has a great gameplan, although it can be tough to gameplan when you don't have some of your top players--and depth is always an issue for the Generals. Finally, I think one of the main reasons is attitude. The Generals got a lot of hype before the season, and I think they believed they could walk on the field and beat Franklin and Marshall no problem. They corrected their mistakes and won 6 straight. Then, after watching Bridgewater go down twice, and knowing they only had to win one of two final ODAC games, they didn't come to play at Jopson. They then corrected themselves and trounced EH.

Will the General's be satisfied with merely making the playoffs? Or will they come out with the intensity of which they have shown they are clearly capable? We will have to wait and see.

[WLU78]

I think both of you are reading way too much into stats and you can massage numbers anyway you need to.  W&L was on the wrong end of an emotional blowout.  No big deal, and it doesn't impact their playoff potential one way or the other.

Heck, this is our first trip to postseason since the Gator Bowl.  Let's enjoy the ride!