FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[tTU719803]

Trinity had quite a few miscues as well.  I would say they cancel each other out.  At home or on the road, Trinity has the better squad which is why they won.  To break it down any other way would be overanalyzing..

Whoa now, lets not get all overhyped here.  DePauw had a great squad as well.  Remember, if DPU makes some of those kicks, it's a different ballgame.  I would go so far as to say that DPU would have won this one had it been in Greencastle.  They had TU dead to rights before the storm called the game off.  Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy TU won, but let's not let emotion stand in the way of reality.  Trinity won this one because of homefield advantage and the fact that DPU made a few crucial mistakes when they could least afford them.  Those were 2 very evenly matched squads.

[DPU3619]

Whoa now, lets not get all overhyped here.  DePauw had a great squad as well.  Remember, if DPU makes some of those kicks, it's a different ballgame.  I would go so far as to say that DPU would have won this one had it been in Greencastle. 

Hey. Thanks.  I was going to say something similar to that myself.  That's... rather... unlike something I'd expect you to post.

[evacuee]

You have to be kidding.  I wasn't there and I assumed my conclusion upon reading the game summary.  However, considering that y'all might know better, I read the play by play and I noticed a few things-

1.  Trinity didn't have too many 3rd down conversions because they ran very few 3rd down plays.  I saw a lot of 10+ plays on 2nd and 5.  Especially in the 1st half. 

2.  After the offense coughed it up, the Tiger defense held with their backs against the wall more than once.

3.  Trinity blocked two field goal attempts.

4.  After experiencing place kicking problems, Coach Mohr goes for it inside the twenty and comes up short.  We're a kicker away from a 31-15 game. 

5.   We had three giveaways that were very significant in the final score.  If we hold it on just one of those, we're looking at a 6 point differential. 

6.  As far as "dead to rights" in the first quarter, please.  A team gets two big plays, sets themselves up for scores, and they get nothing. 

Home field is completely overrated.   Maybe your perspective is different because you were there, but as far as I can tell, one team was just plain better than the other.  Throw out all the if we had done this and if they had done that.  Both team made mistakes and the better team won without their best players. 

[Pat Coleman]

Home field is completely overrated.   Maybe your perspective is different because you were there, but as far as I can tell, one team was just plain better than the other.  Throw out all the if we had done this and if they had done that.  Both team made mistakes and the better team won without their best players. 

Ehh, not in San Antonio. Perhaps it wasn't a big deal in this game but I think you know full well that Trinity has traditionally had advantages at home.

[Ron Boerger]

You have to be kidding.  I wasn't there and I assumed my conclusion upon reading the game summary.  However, considering that y'all might know better, I read the play by play and I noticed a few things-

1.  Trinity didn't have too many 3rd down conversions because they ran very few 3rd down plays.  I saw a lot of 10+ plays on 2nd and 5.  Especially in the 1st half. 

Well, actually TU was 5-11 vs 2-10 for DPU.

2.  After the offense coughed it up, the Tiger defense held with their backs against the wall more than once.

So did DePauw's D.  Trinity was 4-6 in the red zone. 

3.  Trinity blocked two field goal attempts.

And a PAT, while DPU blocked a PAT.  Possible that the field conditions contributed to this?

4.  After experiencing place kicking problems, Coach Mohr goes for it inside the twenty and comes up short.  We're a kicker away from a 31-15 game. 

DePauw could say something similar given their PK problems.

5.   We had three giveaways that were very significant in the final score.  If we hold it on just one of those, we're looking at a 6 point differential. 

And DPU had significant giveaways too (two Marks fumbles inside the TU 20, one inside the ten).

6.  As far as "dead to rights" in the first quarter, please.  A team gets two big plays, sets themselves up for scores, and they get nothing. 

Credit to the TU defense.

Home field is completely overrated.   Maybe your perspective is different because you were there, but as far as I can tell, one team was just plain better than the other.  Throw out all the if we had done this and if they had done that.  Both team made mistakes and the better team won without their best players. 

Given that Trinity hasn't lost a home conference game in quite a while, I would disagree.  Nearly everyone that plays Trinity has to fly in and overnight.  Trinity teams are very, very good but all you have to do is look at the difference between home and away records the last ten years to realize that there's something to HFA. 

The better team won on Sunday, but it's not like TU blew DPU out of the water.    It's easier to be gracious in victory...

[tTU719803]

Given that Trinity hasn't lost a home conference game in quite a while, I would disagree.  Nearly everyone that plays Trinity has to fly in and overnight.  Trinity teams are very, very good but all you have to do is look at the difference between home and away records the last ten years to realize that there's something to HFA. 

Well said, Ron.  TU has a definite home field advantage for those exact reasons. 

[tTU719803]

Hey. Thanks.  I was going to say something similar to that myself.  That's... rather... unlike something I'd expect you to post.

I am a huge Trinity fan, but I am also a realist.  Trinity fans have a bad rep because of people who spout off about TU being the greatest thing since sliced bread every year, and whine about poll positions and all that.  Before the game, I didn't give DePauw much credit, partially because I hadn't seen them play in 3 years.  But after seeing them I can say that they are a quality team.  I really believe that the reason TU won is homefield advantage.  TU always plays well at home (unless the opponent is an NAIA team) and it's tough for teams from our conference to come to SA.

TU2698 - you said it yourself - you weren't at the game.  Stats don't make anything.  Why don't you go look at the stats from the TU-Millsaps game from 2000 and tell me who was the better team that day based on stats alone.  As the old saying goes...theres 3 kinds of lies:  lies, DAMN lies, and statistics!

[Pat Coleman]

When has Pat or anyone else from outside the SCAC, or TX for that matter recently come down to SAT to see a non-playoff game?

And this is relevant because ... ?

[evacuee]

Look, everyone.  I didn't say anything disparaging about DePauw except the comment about the coaching carousel.  I am quite happy with the result considering that so many seem to be forecasting the end of the TU stranglehold. 

Bonzo, thanks for the itemized break down of my assessment.  It shows what I tried to say several times already.  Both teams made similar mistakes and made some great plays, yet Trinity came out on top.  All things being equal, TU is the better team, still. 

Now consider this:  What is the greater advantage?  Playing at home or playing with all of your best players.  Trinity had one, but not the other.  I would say that having the guys out that Trinity does is a greater obstacle to overcome than DePauw playing on the road.

I can't believe I'm arguing with TU people.  It was an issue of equal footing, literally, and Coach Mohr's team came out on top against a good team. 

[Werner99]

Ron, No harshness intended.  I was merely referring to the poor special teams play and turnovers that were such a factor in this particular game.

As with just about any close game like this, each side can point to a handful of plays that would have dramatically changed the outcome. 

[Bill McCabe]

Trinity may have a home field advantage, but they are also a very good team.  If they were an average team, they wouldn't have such a stellar home record.

[evacuee]

Oh yeah, what was that about Trinity "traditionally having advantages at home?"  I would have to say that when your team is very, very good, that's an advantage.  It's not like we have a deafening crowd or a strange field.  It's like Bill said below. 

In the playoffs, Trinity has lost 4 times at home and 5 times on the road.  That's not much of a discrepancy.  In the regular season over that strectch, it's 8 on the road and 3 at home, which is more visible but not that great.  And as for the DePauw series, we had one score games with them in 2003 and 2004.  One in Greencastle and one in San Antonio. 

We have to travel just as far as anyone else to play.  The difference maker is that the Trinity Tigers are better than most teams.  So stop with this bit about had it been played in DePauw, Trinity might have lost. 

And no, I wasn't there but the play by play reveals a lot more than the box score.  That, to me, is a pretty god indicator of what happened. 

[Bill McCabe]

The games Trinity lost to UMHB at home were very close and competitive.  A break here or there, Trinity could have won the games. 

[Pat Coleman]

Pat, relative because you made the assertion... "but I think you know full well that Trinity has traditionally had advantages at home.".....  based on what?  Something YOU saw???  Something you were told???
What?  I'm just asking???  What are you basing your statement the "you know full well....." on?

Based on observation of more than a decade of results, thanks.

BTW, your own Trinity alum, who I think has seen a lot of games since my last non-playoff trip to San Antonio in 1995, agreed. It isn't just me.

[Pat Coleman]

In the playoffs, Trinity has lost 4 times at home and 5 times on the road. 

Wow -- talk about meaningless stats. Let's instead try the record at home and on the road in the playoffs, maybe?

Since 1999, since that's all I have easy access to:

Playoffs at home: 8-3
Playoffs on road: 1-3
Playoffs neutral: 0-1