FB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

[panthersfan]

No offense intended! Just stirring the pot.

You're still getting Franklin and 31 points in that beer serving bet right? 

[grizgater]

Bashdad you are more than welcome here. I enjoy your post.
Like every coach has said at one point or another. "You don't win the game on paper thats why you step on the field". First game of the season both teams will make mistakes. With the threat of 3 to 5 inches of rain will compound those mistakes as well. If indeed we get that down pour during the game. I'm looking forward to seeing how we play. We do have good returning skill guys on offense all are Jrs this season. I've seen some surprises on D as well. O-line is bigger this year and should improve the run game.

Good luck to you guys maybe we will have the chance to play this season if all goes well for both squads.

[BashDad]

Sigh. Everyone is nuts.

Which 2011 playoff team is going to end up wishing it had a Week 1 bye?

Keith's take: Franklin.

http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2012/08/30/triple-take-and-heres-the-kick/

"Look, we salute the Grizzlies for playing Mount Union."
Condescension lives!

"It'll be a meeting of some of D-III's best fans, at least in the pre-game tailgate."
You're really cute, Franklin!

"For years we've seen teams take this Week 1 game to get a taste of the Purple Raiders, and they end up with a mouthful."
UMU has beaten a top-25 team in the season opener exactly once in the last decade. That was 2008. Anyone remember who was in the Purple Raider back-field that season?

"Franklin, which has designs on being a perennial contender, took a game with UW-Whitewater last season and lost 45-0."
They are SO far from being a contender!

"The playoff rematch was 41-14."
You still sucked, Franklin!

"I know Franklin doesn't really wish it had a bye, because they're playing these games to figure out what it takes to get to the purple powers' level, but the final score may leave a bit to be desired."
Why? There's not a single specific reference to either current team in any of this. Not one. Keith's main point is that, because of two games last year against a team that made UMU look terrible, Franklin is going to get rocked? That's the analysis?

Mount Union has been vulnerable in recent seasons, but we're talking December vulnerable, not beginning of September.
This is just not true. October and November saw three games that UMU had to fight for. All of those teams were worse than Franklin.

[BashDad]

Last year, UMU played four games against ranked teams. They scored no higher than 28 points and won by a margin of 3, 7, 12, and 8. In the games (2) where they threw for over 100 yards, Neal Seaman either didn't play (Wesley) or had a single attempt (UW-W).

[BashDad]

Les Vulnerables:

-Neal Seaman sans Matt Piloto.
-Two defensive lineman starting on the offensive line.
-A Running-back playing in his first game as a starter.

But you're right, the calendar doesn't say December. So everything's gravy. They'll cruise.

[BashDad]

Oh, it's on the road? Anyone wanna go back the past three years and check how many regular season games UMU won by 20 or less? No? Okay, fine. It's 7. Guess how many of those were on the road? 6.

Notable:

2011 at ONU (6-4) : 14-6
        at CAP (5-5)  : 27-7
2010 at ETTA (2-8) : 28-14
        at OTT (6-4)  : 28-10
2009 at ONU (8-2) : 30-10
        at CAP  (7-3) : 28-21

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Speaking just for me... I've been burned so many times by the teams I root for that I've developed a bit of a pessimistic outlook in situations like these. All the years of great Pacers teams only to fall in the conference finals... just one trip to the finals and they lost to the Lakers. All the great Colts seasons that came up short (I'm still shocked at SB41... we actually won something?)... grew up a Purdue fan when they had great basketball teams and never made the Final Four and the football team would always stumble somewhere.

I think the key is to not fall behind early on. It seems like when Franklin has lost lately it's because we've fallen behind by 2-3 touchdowns in the first half. Then we're trying to play catchup the rest of the game and eventually an interception or two finally puts it out of reach. If we make it to halftime with the lead or maybe down by 3 then I think we've got a shot, but if Mount jumps out to an early lead that will spell trouble.

[wally_wabash]

No need to let facts get in the way here, BD.  It is an election year after all.   

[Dr. Acula]

The things I'm most curious to see are:

1) How Mount's offense comes out of the gate.  As BashDad pointed out, they were less than stellar last season.  And having seen them live numerous times it might have been the most inept offense in years.  Will a healthy Seaman, Collins, etc. click early?  How will Lattimore look at RB?   

2) How will FC respond if they can't run the ball effectively?  Almost no one runs the ball well against Mount, but teams like UWW do or, like last year, at least do it effectively enough to still be balanced and keep the D honest.  Wesley did this last year as well with their RB and McSweeny doing a good job.

3) How will the weather affect both teams?  If it's poor conditions does Mount shuttle in Burke/Namdar at QB to run more read option and keep it on the ground?  Does FC still try to pass like normal or shift to a more conservative game plan?



   

[gofor7pitt]

The things I'm most curious to see are:

1) How Mount's offense comes out of the gate.  As BashDad pointed out, they were less than stellar last season.  And having seen them live numerous times it might have been the most inept offense in years.  Will a healthy Seaman, Collins, etc. click early?  How will Lattimore look at RB?   

2) How will FC respond if they can't run the ball effectively?  Almost no one runs the ball well against Mount, but teams like UWW do or, like last year, at least do it effectively enough to still be balanced and keep the D honest.  Wesley did this last year as well with their RB and McSweeny doing a good job.

3) How will the weather affect both teams?  If it's poor conditions does Mount shuttle in Burke/Namdar at QB to run more read option and keep it on the ground?  Does FC still try to pass like normal or shift to a more conservative game plan?

One thing that people seem to always forget is that the good passing teams like to chuck the ball around in the snow and rain. I think Tom Brady had one of his best games ever in snow.  The WR's know where they are going while the DB's have to react. But on a nice turf field like Franklin's I would expect footing to be fine, unless it turns into a pool!  The running game could suffer with fumbles.


   

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Here's the HCAC Preseason Fan Poll... we got 4 ballots from FCGrizzliesGrad, GrizFan, grizgator, and panthersfan.

1) Franklin (4)           36 (1, 1, 1, 1)
T2) Hanover               30 (2, 2, 3, 3)
T2) Mount St. Joseph   30 (2, 2, 3, 3)
4) Rose-Hulman         21 (4, 4, 5, 6)
5) Defiance                19 (4, 4, 5, 8)
6) Bluffton                 15 (5, 5, 7, 8)
T7) Anderson              12 (6, 6, 7, 9)
T7) Manchester           12 (6, 7, 7, 8)
9) Earlham                  5 (8, 9, 9, 9)


And here's the Coaches poll for comparison...

1) Franklin: 79 (7)
2) Mount St. Joseph: 67 (2)
3) Hanover: 62
4) Bluffton: 48
5) Defiance: 41
6) Rose-Hulman: 38
7) Manchester: 34
8) Anderson: 21
9) Earlham: 15

[GrizFan]

We will see how the GRIZ handle the weather and the lines of UMU.  Last year's Grizzly team was NOT the best in many years (sorry BashDad), the Chad Rupp led team from 2008 was much better.  That team destroyed Otterbein and North Central in the payoffs before losing to Wheaton in the Ice Bowl.  Wheaton was then beaten soundly by UMU.

The Grizzlies have been dominated in the trenches by Whitewater the past two seasons.  This is my main concern against UMU.  The Grizzlies have never had a powerful defense, they just try to keep scoring.  The remnants of Hurrican Isaac may be a big factor.   

[PurpleSuit]

Oh, it's on the road? Anyone wanna go back the past three years and check how many regular season games UMU won by 20 or less? No? Okay, fine. It's 7. Guess how many of those were on the road? 6.

Notable:

2011 at ONU (6-4) : 14-6
        at CAP (5-5)  : 27-7
2010 at ETTA (2-8) : 28-14
        at OTT (6-4)  : 28-10
2009 at ONU (8-2) : 30-10
        at CAP  (7-3) : 28-21

or you could just look at the 86 consecutive road wins by Mount.  When did winning over half of your road games by 20+ pts become a bad thing?  is 20 points even a close game?....keep reaching

[wally_wabash]

Oh, it's on the road? Anyone wanna go back the past three years and check how many regular season games UMU won by 20 or less? No? Okay, fine. It's 7. Guess how many of those were on the road? 6.

Notable:

2011 at ONU (6-4) : 14-6
        at CAP (5-5)  : 27-7
2010 at ETTA (2-8) : 28-14
        at OTT (6-4)  : 28-10
2009 at ONU (8-2) : 30-10
        at CAP  (7-3) : 28-21

or you could just look at the 86 consecutive road wins by Mount.  When did winning over half of your road games by 20+ pts become a bad thing?  is 20 points even a close game?....keep reaching

first post, but long time reader of d3 boards.
When mount was beating everyone by like 40-50 pts everyone was saying " mount should move up. All they do is run up the score" now that mount doesn't beat everyone by 40 or 50 people are now saying, "mount is very vulnerable now and they could lose a couple of games"

I guess it doesn't matter what mount does with the final score
win by 40-50=running up score
Win by 10-20= mount has dropped a level and is on the same level as a Wesley, UMHB, linfield etc

Who is "everybody" that says this?

Don't even play the woe is me card on behalf of Mount Union.

[wrdad]

Oh, it's on the road? Anyone wanna go back the past three years and check how many regular season games UMU won by 20 or less? No? Okay, fine. It's 7. Guess how many of those were on the road? 6.

Notable:

2011 at ONU (6-4) : 14-6
        at CAP (5-5)  : 27-7
2010 at ETTA (2-8) : 28-14
        at OTT (6-4)  : 28-10
2009 at ONU (8-2) : 30-10
        at CAP  (7-3) : 28-21

or you could just look at the 86 consecutive road wins by Mount.  When did winning over half of your road games by 20+ pts become a bad thing?  is 20 points even a close game?....keep reaching

first post, but long time reader of d3 boards.
When mount was beating everyone by like 40-50 pts everyone was saying " mount should move up. All they do is run up the score" now that mount doesn't beat everyone by 40 or 50 people are now saying, "mount is very vulnerable now and they could lose a couple of games"

I guess it doesn't matter what mount does with the final score
win by 40-50=running up score
Win by 10-20= mount has dropped a level and is on the same level as a Wesley, UMHB, linfield etc

Who is "everybody" that says this?

Don't even play the woe is me card on behalf of Mount Union.

sorry dude, jeez. "a lot of people" is that better than "everybody"