FB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Hanover game will resume tomorrow at 1pm. Hanover leads Centre 13-10 partway through the 3rd. Lots of time for the Colonels to draw up a 3rd down play.

In other conference news, most of the other games today have been close but mostly losses.
Depauw score at TD with 4 minutes left to beat RHIT 17-14
Bluffton comeback was too little too late, down 26-7 in the first half they pulled within 7 with a minute left but lost 33-26 at Kenyon.
Baldwin Wallace took the lead with under 5 minutes left but MSJ responded with a TD on the next drive and held off the Yellow Jackets 31-28
Franklin had a 10 point lead with 5 minutes left, gave up 2 TD and had a final play from the Olivet 24 to try to win but incomplete and Comets win 35-31

Lastly we have Defiance... time to rant a little. This was what I was afraid of. Mount Union tried to purposefully not score on Defiance for the entire 2nd half. Score says it was 65-0, should have been 91-0. They went 3 for 5 on FG when it was either 1st or 2nd down. To me that's more insulting than just getting the TD, they're saying they're not even trying anymore. This isn't pop warner where it might hurt some little kids feelings, these are college aged adults. If you're worried about blowing out the opponent like that, don't schedule such a cupcake. 

[Pat Coleman]

This Mount Union-Defiance game has been on the books for a long time. This was never going to be a competitive game but obviously this year it meant Mount Union is missing out on the great showdowns that other top teams are getting.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

But this wasn't exactly a case of a team was decent when originally scheduled then fell off. At what point was Defiance ever a good game to schedule? They haven't won more than 2 games in a season since 2016, their last winning season was 2010. Scheduling Franklin when they were at the top of the conference and Rose-Hulman when they were fighting for 1st and had won at least 7 games for 5 straight years made sense.

[dc_has_been]

I am not sure who felt it was a good idea to schedule this game for Defiance or Mount Union, but I do recall during my freshman year at DC, we played Mount Union to a similar result that DC had this past weekend.  Fast forward three years later, we were 7-3, and the year after that, winning the HCAC.  Let's hope lightning strikes twice .

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Week 1 was competitive even if the record doesn't say so. The conference was 2-6 overall with four losses by just 7 or fewer.

This week I see three good games that I'd peg as favorites or narrow underdogs (Rose, MSJ, Hanover), three games likely not too close (Anderson, Manchester, Bluffton), and Franklin is probably a loss but I think close enough an upset isn't completely out of the question.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Most of the games went about as expected... except Hanover

Anderson lost 55-0 to DePauw, Bluffton lost 51-2 to Albion, and Manchester lost 49-7 to Alma. None of those results were too surprising.
Hanover lost 33-0 to Adrian. It was still close after 3 quarters but Adrian put up 23 points in the 4th. Just 161 yards of offense and 3 turnovers for the Panthers.
Franklin was looking decent early in the 2nd half, drove down the field to start the 3rd quarter but only got a FG to cut the lead to 21-13 then a quick stop on defense. All looking promising... but it went downhill quickly from there. Grizzlies managed just 1 FG the rest of the way while Aurora scored a TD every time they had the ball until they kneeled out the clock. 49-16 final.
On a positive note, MSJ now sits at 2-0 after their 43-37 win against Alfred. I am concerned that their defense might let them down if the offense has an off day. Next week against Hope should be their toughest test yet.
And finally there's RHIT. Leading Trine 23-3 at halftime, they had some QB injuries I believe. Trine managed 2 TD in the final 6 minutes to pull out the 24-23 win.

If healthy I think Rose is still the team to beat, but if not... I'm not very confident in anyone going unbeaten in conference play.

[70_dc_alum]

I am not sure who felt it was a good idea to schedule this game for Defiance or Mount Union, but I do recall during my freshman year at DC, we played Mount Union to a similar result that DC had this past weekend.  Fast forward three years later, we were 7-3, and the year after that, winning the HCAC.  Let's hope lightning strikes twice .

wasn't quite that bad.  that one was only 55-0 and they never tried a FG on first down  but we did get roasted in that game.

No idea why coach Matzakis thought it was a good idea to schedule this 3 years ago when he was losing to Hope 80-0.

[70_dc_alum]

Most of the games went about as expected... except Hanover

Anderson lost 55-0 to DePauw, Bluffton lost 51-2 to Albion, and Manchester lost 49-7 to Alma. None of those results were too surprising.
Hanover lost 33-0 to Adrian. It was still close after 3 quarters but Adrian put up 23 points in the 4th. Just 161 yards of offense and 3 turnovers for the Panthers.
Franklin was looking decent early in the 2nd half, drove down the field to start the 3rd quarter but only got a FG to cut the lead to 21-13 then a quick stop on defense. All looking promising... but it went downhill quickly from there. Grizzlies managed just 1 FG the rest of the way while Aurora scored a TD every time they had the ball until they kneeled out the clock. 49-16 final.
On a positive note, MSJ now sits at 2-0 after their 43-37 win against Alfred. I am concerned that their defense might let them down if the offense has an off day. Next week against Hope should be their toughest test yet.
And finally there's RHIT. Leading Trine 23-3 at halftime, they had some QB injuries I believe. Trine managed 2 TD in the final 6 minutes to pull out the 24-23 win.

If healthy I think Rose is still the team to beat, but if not... I'm not very confident in anyone going unbeaten in conference play.

My kid goes to RHIT (not a player) and i know Coach Sokol from his days at DC so I watch the RHIT games.  Starting QB looked like he got his leg rolled up and missed the second half no idea what the injury was.  in the second half the offense was much different as the passing game was not the same threat allowing Trine to play the run.  by the end they had all the momentum and the RHIT D was gassed on the field the whole time.  They are a very good team for HCAC and still the team to beat, hopefully the QB injury isnt too bad. 

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

MIAA Challenge day... the overall records don't bode well with the MIAA being 13-1 and the HCAC being 3-12. We also have Manchester taking on a UMAC opponent. Non-conference finale before a bye week for everyone but Defiance who will head to Alfred St next week.

Here's my spreads were I still running the HCAC pickem.
Manchester (+2.5) @ Greenville
Albion @ Rose-Hulman (+6.5)
Hope @ Mount St Joseph (+14.5)
Trine @ Franklin (+20.5)
Olivet @ Hanover (+2.5)
Adrian @ Bluffton (+31.5)
Alma @ Anderson (+42.5)
Kalamazoo @ Defiance (+12.5)

While I don't have any team as a favorite, there are a few opportunities to pick up a win. I'll predict a 1-7 week for the HCAC.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Well I was right about going 1-7... wasn't the win I was expecting though. A little rusty on making the spreads... just four of the spreads were within a TD.
MSJ is 3-0, rest of the conference is 1-19 with one game left.

[HOPEful]

Posted this on the MIAA board, but I'll leave it hear too...

Hope's slow start and some poorly timed turnovers ended up being their undoing in Cincinnati. Mount St. Joseph and Hope felt very evenly matched. Hope intercepted the Lions in the middle of the first quarter deep in their territory, only to throw it right back to them. What should have been at least 7-3 became 13-0. Which became 19-7 later in the first. Mount St. Joseph's defense looked significantly better than I had given them credit for prior to the game, although it was certainly aided by an anemic Dutchman offense. Hope survived Coe the week before by turning them over 7 times. The turnover ratio Saturday was EVEN (2 for both teams) while Chase Brown was sacked 5 times to Josh Taylor's one.

[HOPEful]

Albion has been just manhandling teams this season. I have no data to back this up, but I gotta think Rose Hulman is the best 0-3 team in D3.

[dc_has_been]

HOPEful,
I say kudos to the MIAA overall on how well they have played in nonconference play. 

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Albion has been just manhandling teams this season. I have no data to back this up, but I gotta think Rose Hulman is the best 0-3 team in D3.

Massey has them as the 3rd best winless and Hansen has them 2nd. I think I agree with them that Redlands is the best winless.
Massey's top 10 (ignoring NESCAC): Redlands, Texas Lutheran, Rose-Hulman, Ohio Wesleyan, McMurry, Brevard, Hanover, Carthage, Maryville, Alfred
Hansen has: Redlands, Rose-Hulman, Maryville, Ohio Wesleyan, Southwestern, Hanover, Texas Lutheran, Carthage, Alfred, Franklin.

When 75% of your conference is winless I guess you get a few teams on this list.

[dc_has_been]

Albion has been just manhandling teams this season. I have no data to back this up, but I gotta think Rose Hulman is the best 0-3 team in D3.

Massey has them as the 3rd best winless and Hansen has them 2nd. I think I agree with them that Redlands is the best winless.
Massey's top 10 (ignoring NESCAC): Redlands, Texas Lutheran, Rose-Hulman, Ohio Wesleyan, McMurry, Brevard, Hanover, Carthage, Maryville, Alfred
Hansen has: Redlands, Rose-Hulman, Maryville, Ohio Wesleyan, Southwestern, Hanover, Texas Lutheran, Carthage, Alfred, Franklin.

When 75% of your conference is winless I guess you get a few teams on this list.

How is my beloved DC not in the top 10?