East Region Playoff Discussion

[SJFF82]

If you want to beat Mount, there are 2 ways to do it:
1.  Mount plays sloppy and turns it over a ton (like versus ONU in '05).
2.  Win the battle at the line of scrimmage and tackle very well in open space.

Waiting for No. 1 to come true is a long shot.  Option No.2 you have some control over.  

In each of the MUC losses since 1992, there has been a reoccuring theme:  win the battle up front and you have good shot.


07 Stagg: Whitewater controlled the line of scrimmage with their O-line and got consistent pressure on Micheli without having to blitz.

05 against Ohio Northern: a rash of unforced turnovers did MUC in.  Sloppiest game I've seen MUC play in years.

04 Semi-Final against MHB:  Crusaders were able to ran the ball enough to wear down the Raider D and got a late turn-over in the 4th to help.

03 Stagg against St. John's:  best tackling team I've ever seen and a couple dumb MUC errors did them in.  SJU having the best player in the country sure helped too.

99 semi-final against Rowan:  fumble return for a touchdown and a great D-line put Rowan over the top.

95 semi-finals against UW-La Crosse:  dominant LAX D and O-lines were the difference.

94 regional final against Albion:  freshman QB led Mount team lost to eventual champion 34-33 after missing 2 extra point kicks......

94 against Baldwin Wallace:  extremely young Raider team not yet ready for the bigtime after graduating everyone from 93 champs.

92 semi-finals agaisnt La Crosse:  dominant line play from LAX and 7 turn-overs did MUC in.



The line play is why I'm a little worried about this Mount team.  This is a very young and undersized O-line.  The skill folks are great, but the O-line is very average.  

And the D-line is very quick, but also very under-sized.  A power running team like Whitewater or Augustana will give this Mount team fits.  This team is built perfectly to defend the spread, not a power running game.

So all MUC's losses in the past 16 years fit in one nice neat small post....HMMMMMM...boy that is something isnt it?

[clandfan]

We have all forgotten about SU....That being said...you are good but would not beat Cornell or Colgate

[SJFF82]

I mentioned in a post earlier in the year that MUC seemed much smaller physically this year than in the 2006 play-off game ag. SJF.  Even in a loss, it seems that the same common denominators that helped those teams overcome MUC were present when SJF was within 4 with 7 minutes to go at MUC's 17 YD line.  We had a big powerful line and a powerful downhill running game. 

We did not turn the ball over and played good bend but dont break D.  The D created some timely turnovers as well.

The only thing that SJF did not do is tackle.  Obviously, Kmic has plenty to say about that, but, SJF was hitting him, just not taking him down.

At least from what I have seen in person over the past 3 seasons with MUC, SJF and IC, it seems that IC has a very similar game to what SJF put on the field in 2006 at Alliance.  I dont know if IC's defense is as fast and as athletic (Stepnick, et al), but create some turnovers and it IS all the same.  I look at IC's loss to SJF in week 4 like I do at SJF's loss to SC at home in week 6 or 7 of 2006.  It was one bad game, or quarter, and the rest of the games have been momentum building towards the play-offs.

We will see how srtong IC looks on Sat and see if they continue to build towards that opportunity to take on MUC.

[maxpower]

We have all forgotten about SU....That being said...you are good but would not beat Cornell or Colgate

We have beaten Cornell in the past.... I think that one would be a toss-up.

[seventiesraider]

Didn't realize spelling was so important on this thread. I'll stick with IC, as long as it matters

[SJFF82]

Didn't realize spelling was so important on this thread. I'll stick with IC, as long as it matters

gould idea

[Senor RedTackle]

How well do you think Mount Union would fair in Division II, and even Division IAA?

1-AA? RT isn't buying that....

[theoriginalupstate]

How well do you think Mount Union would fair in Division II, and even Division IAA?

1-AA? RT isn't buying that....

Yeah I dont like MUC's chances of taking out the App States, Younstown States, Richmonds of 1-AA....

Im sure they'd give them a great game though...

[SJFF82]

How well do you think Mount Union would fair in Division II, and even Division IAA?

1-AA? RT isn't buying that....

Yeah I dont like MUC's chances of taking out the App States, Younstown States, Richmonds of 1-AA....

Im sure they'd give them a great game though...

they're gods in D3 lets leave it at that...I mean they have been tested by teams that nobody would acccuse of being on level with anything but D3, so lets not get crazy here.  Would 2006 SJF team give Youngstown a great game?  Would 2006 Capital?  How bout UWW?  And those challenges only come to MUC once a year.  12/14 every year is against OAC bottom feeders, not 1-AA competition

[clandfan]

How well do you think Mount Union would fair in Division II, and even Division IAA?

1-AA? RT isn't buying that....

Yeah I dont like MUC's chances of taking out the App States, Younstown States, Richmonds of 1-AA....

Im sure they'd give them a great game though...

I think MUC and other top tier DIII programs could compete with Div I FCS (formerly 1AA) non-scholarship programs such as in the Patriot and Ivy Leagues.  I don't think they win those leagues but they could be competetive.  I don't think Div. II is much different than good DIII.  Just my opinion.  I am sure that DII fans will disagree.

[lewdogg11]

How well do you think Mount Union would fair in Division II, and even Division IAA?

1-AA? RT isn't buying that....

Yeah I dont like MUC's chances of taking out the App States, Younstown States, Richmonds of 1-AA....

Im sure they'd give them a great game though...

I think MUC and other top tier DIII programs could compete with Div I FCS (formerly 1AA) non-scholarship programs such as in the Patriot and Ivy Leagues.  I don't think they win those leagues but they could be competetive.  I don't think Div. II is much different than good DIII.  Just my opinion.  I am sure that DII fans will disagree.

Top tier programs aside, every D2 game I have ever watched has been a step below dIII in my opinion.

['gro]

I-AA and II programs vary by teams/conference it's not easy to compare teams. RPI has played some non-scholarship programs in the past: I-AA Siena, Albany (not sure if they played them when they moved to I-AA, I know Union did for a while), UMass-Lowell (D-II or DI-AA?), D-II Stonehill

[theoriginalupstate]

Yeah non scholarship 1-AA is basically like D3...

I'd love to see MUC go against Youngstown St or Appalachian St just to see how they would stack up vs them....

[union89]

How well do you think Mount Union would fair in Division II, and even Division IAA?

1-AA? RT isn't buying that....

Yeah I dont like MUC's chances of taking out the App States, Younstown States, Richmonds of 1-AA....

Im sure they'd give them a great game though...

I think MUC and other top tier DIII programs could compete with Div I FCS (formerly 1AA) non-scholarship programs such as in the Patriot and Ivy Leagues.  I don't think they win those leagues but they could be competetive.  I don't think Div. II is much different than good DIII.  Just my opinion.  I am sure that DII fans will disagree.

Agreed.....

[XREDDRAGON77]

As I referenced in the LLPP in regards to Iona College, some of those non scholarship 1AA's are in name only.  Iona beat DVC in a close game correct?  It could be chalked up to being one of those days where things went wrong for DVC, rather than Iona flat out being better.  Comparing Good D3 to Good 1AA (Colgate, UNH,etc..) may be a different story.