120th Monon Bell Classic

[Joe Wally]

Go Wabash!  Beat DePauw!

[cave2bens]

Wabash Monon Tailgate Participants - Hope all is going well!  Ding Ding and WAF!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=H3KbLBwQFW4

DePauw to Hell - Five Straight with the Bell?

Safe and enjoyable game and travels for all participants!

[DPU3619]

Nevermind about that defense thing I said

[bashgiant]

I was really surprised DePauw didn't pack their side of the stands, what's up with that?

[DPU3619]

I was really surprised DePauw didn't pack their side of the stands, what's up with that?

We stink. Not sure we fill the stands when we're actually good.

[Wabash Hokie]

Watched the game at a telecast party and then watched it again tonight. 

Well played three quarters.  Wabash's passing offense was a pleasant surprise - but DPU's defense was not very good.  Hard to tell how well the passing offense is working when your guys are so wide open.

Way too many penalties - again.  And again, the same character acting like a dumbass.  Can't simply play better and beat the other team - have to woof and posture.  Not cool. Reflects very poorly on the team and the school and the coaches.  Didn't see anyone sitting after taking the unsportsmanlike penalties. 

DPU played about as well as they can play.  Just got beat by a better team - didn't make too many mistakes and only had a couple of penalties.  QB missed some wide open receivers but he is young.  DPU will be much better next year. They played a lot of freshmen and sophomores today. 

[wally_wabash]

I think if you're running plays and route combos that get WRs wide open on the regular, then the passing game is working...working well.  You know which passing game works when the receivers are always covered up?  There isn't one. 

And on to some more 120th Monon Bell thoughts...

- I think when pressed into it last week against Witt, Wabash found that they could throw the ball with some efficiency.  Is it perfect?  Nah.  But it's not a deficiency. 

- I thought the Wabash defense was fantastic today.  Completely wiped out Depauw's run game.  Sansone got loose for a 44 yard run in the 3rd quarter.  The rest of his day was 21 carries, 11 yards.  After that, you've got a freshman QB who's only good option is to chuck it up to the 6-5 dude which will work occasionally, but not often enough to keep you in a game. 

- Love to see seniors have big games in the Bell game.  As such it was great to see Sean Hildebrand have a monster day.  10 catches, 125 yards, 1TD, and one more TD on a rush.  Great to see him out there today (that wasn't a given) and then to see him have that kind of game. 

So it's five in a row for the good guys, but there were some signs of life from DePauw today.  They didn't fold up in the second half like they did in 2010 and 2011.  They're young, they've got some stability now, and they'll be better going forward.  Can they win next year?  TBD...Wabash is going to be really, really good next year as well (that defense....they're pretty much all back).  And the good football god's willing, they'll get to week 10 with all of their tailbacks healthy.  So my early lean for 2014 is Wabash getting #6 in a row.  In 2015 I think this thing starts to get really interesting again. 

I think the best point that was made on the broadcast was that DePauw has to find a way to stay in the game in the first half.  They haven't done it in four years now (the 2012 game didn't get way out of hand, but while Wabash didn't light up the score board, Depauw never got within 48 yards of the end zone).  The next step for DePauw is to just get to halftime and have the thing still be a ball game. 

[bashbrother]

Wes & Depauw faithful

In the 2nd half,  your Tigers fought hard... Hit hard and made some good plays....  This is something we have not seen from a Depauw football team in awhile...  Lynch has them definitely moving in the right direction..   Depauw will be better next year... But unfortunately so will Wabash.

Congrats to Depauw on a real step forward...Congrats to the Wabash Seniors for not knowing what it feels like to lose a bell game.

WAF!

[DPU3619]

DePauw has wheel issues, apparently. I hadn't noticed that through the 1st 9 games - but it gave them fits yesterday. Curl/wheel/bubble on the long TD pass to make it 14-0. Post/wheel/bubble on the one right after it to make it 21-0. It's a tough concept to defend, especially when you motion from a 2x2 set to trips. That really puts flat players in a bind. Lots of eye stimulation for the safeties as well. It's easy to come up and bite on the curl, which is what happened on the one to make it 14-0. So then you turn around and run the same look, where the safety vacates to cover the wheel, and you throw the post in behind him. That's really, really good offensive football.

I'm obviously surprised at how poorly DePauw played on defense. I didn't see anything earth shattering from Wabash aside from the reverse (good play call, btw.) Not sure why DePauw seemed confused in the secondary so much. It's not like Wabash is throwing stuff at you that you haven't seen on tape.

DePauw's offense was about what I expected. They battled. They were able to put some drives together. Not getting that 4th down by 6 inches probably took them out of the game. I hadn't seen them run that zone play to a tight bunch yet this year. Witt ran it last week against Wabash and it worked well. Points on that drive would have been a big momentum builder. EDIT: 2 of 11 on 3rd down stinks.

At the end of it, DePauw costs themselves 21 because they can't handle wheel routes and a dropped snap on a punt. That's the difference. Can't bust coverages and screw up in the specials against good teams. No doubt Wabash is better, but I would have at least like to see DePauw play their best ball. Didn't play well at all in the first half and it was 35-7.

[BashBacker#16]

Probably beating a dead horse here but I'm still so frustrated with where they "stuck" the Wabash tailgating lot.  It definitely impacted the day in a negative way and that's so not cool.  I felt like we were waiting for hay rides or pony rides.  It was so far from the stadium too, it didn't even feel like a tailgate and it certainly didn't feel like we were there for a football game.

I hope we stick the DePauw fans over at the Elston softball fields next year and I hope the creek floods.  Maybe we can also shuttle the Dannie fans over to the stadium in long wagons pulled by John Deere tractors...

...just a low blow and I hope the Wabash fans continue to voice their displeasure.  Not cool.

Lastly, the security, the police, and campus officials were so over-the-top it was a joke.  Teetering on harassment throughout the day.  A quick story:  at about 10am our sons were checking stuff out around the lot.  These guys are between 14 and 16 years old.  They come across a No Trespassing sign that had been run over and the end was rotted out.  They bring it back to our tailgate and stick it in to the ground.  10 minutes later 2 police officers pull 2 of the boys out and walk them 50 yards away.  The dads followed to see what the issue was.  Literally 6 cops and campus officials (armed with clipboards) discussed this serious crime.  One of the officers returns and asks the boys for ID.  He then grabs IDs from both dads and returns to the pow wow.  He says that they are determining what to do and wasn't sure if "anyone would have to leave!" Seriously!???  They saw a "downed" sign in the woods and grabbed it - was Down for so long that the base was rotted!  More and more people are now watching and wondering how many kilos of cocaine have been confiscated.  A captain finally informs us that the University would be sending a bill and they had witnesses!  Guys - I promise I'm not making this up!!  The boys explain that they didn't chop it down (like they have axes and chainsaws).  They complete the "report" and the Captain did seem to help get things resolved.  30 minutes later the IDs are returned...  Is this really necessary?  Wabash and DePauw people are solid people. Its a college football game between 2 very proud schools...  Seriously.

[bashgiant]

Watched the game at a telecast party and then watched it again tonight. 

Well played three quarters.  Wabash's passing offense was a pleasant surprise - but DPU's defense was not very good.  Hard to tell how well the passing offense is working when your guys are so wide open.

Way too many penalties - again.  And again, the same character acting like a dumbass.  Can't simply play better and beat the other team - have to woof and posture.  Not cool. Reflects very poorly on the team and the school and the coaches.  Didn't see anyone sitting after taking the unsportsmanlike penalties. 

DPU played about as well as they can play.  Just got beat by a better team - didn't make too many mistakes and only had a couple of penalties.  QB missed some wide open receivers but he is young.  DPU will be much better next year. They played a lot of freshmen and sophomores today.

I must be old school or something because I rather enjoy watching a defense play with such great intensity. These young men walk a fine line and sometimes step over that line. For you to come on this board and call a young man a dumbass says a lot about you and I think this definition fits you to a tee.
hyp·o·crite
noun \ˈhi-pə-ˌkrit\ 

: a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs

Just saying seems to fit pretty good. I believe you could get your point across without name calling.

[sigma one]

I saw Wabash do some things early on in the passing game yesterday that I have not seen all year.  They simply confused the DPU secondary, caught them off guard.  Having not seen anything like what Wabash was doing, they were ill-prepared in those early moments.  And Putko and his receivers were sharp. 

[sigma one]

BB#16:  ugh!  Actually, I believe that we should continue to offer DPU fans hospitality and respect when they come to Crawfordsville.  The difference between the two venues would then establish the true nature of the two schools' attitude about and respect for their guests who when they leave the Game talk to their friends and associates. 
     Yesterday just did not have the same atmosphere (and I am not referencing the game only).  The stimulation that was present in years' past was gone.  It was sterile.  Part of this was that the game itself was decided so early, part was because the DPU students didn't appear in their usual numbers (however late they arrived), and part was that the energy generated by the tailgates directly adjacent to Blackstock was gone.
       

[Wabash Hokie]

Watched the game at a telecast party and then watched it again tonight. 

Well played three quarters.  Wabash's passing offense was a pleasant surprise - but DPU's defense was not very good.  Hard to tell how well the passing offense is working when your guys are so wide open.

Way too many penalties - again.  And again, the same character acting like a dumbass.  Can't simply play better and beat the other team - have to woof and posture.  Not cool. Reflects very poorly on the team and the school and the coaches.  Didn't see anyone sitting after taking the unsportsmanlike penalties. 

DPU played about as well as they can play.  Just got beat by a better team - didn't make too many mistakes and only had a couple of penalties.  QB missed some wide open receivers but he is young.  DPU will be much better next year. They played a lot of freshmen and sophomores today.

I must be old school or something because I rather enjoy watching a defense play with such great intensity. These young men walk a fine line and sometimes step over that line. For you to come on this board and call a young man a dumbass says a lot about you and I think this definition fits you to a tee.
hyp·o·crite
noun \ˈhi-pə-ˌkrit\ 

: a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs

Just saying seems to fit pretty good. I believe you could get your point across without name calling.

I did not call the player in question a dumbass - I wrote that the player acted like a dumbass. There is a distinct difference.  When you step on the field there is a level of controlled fury that fuels many defensive players - I get it. I thrived on it.  I am all for aggressive defensive play.  As you said, there is a line that sometimes gets stepped over.  The keyword is "sometimes".  The actions and facts speak for themselves as do their frequency and impact.

[bashgiant]

Watched the game at a telecast party and then watched it again tonight. 

Well played three quarters.  Wabash's passing offense was a pleasant surprise - but DPU's defense was not very good.  Hard to tell how well the passing offense is working when your guys are so wide open.

Way too many penalties - again.  And again, the same character acting like a dumbass.  Can't simply play better and beat the other team - have to woof and posture.  Not cool. Reflects very poorly on the team and the school and the coaches.  Didn't see anyone sitting after taking the unsportsmanlike penalties. 

DPU played about as well as they can play.  Just got beat by a better team - didn't make too many mistakes and only had a couple of penalties.  QB missed some wide open receivers but he is young.  DPU will be much better next year. They played a lot of freshmen and sophomores today.

I must be old school or something because I rather enjoy watching a defense play with such great intensity. These young men walk a fine line and sometimes step over that line. For you to come on this board and call a young man a dumbass says a lot about you and I think this definition fits you to a tee.
hyp·o·crite
noun \ˈhi-pə-ˌkrit\ 

: a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs

Just saying seems to fit pretty good. I believe you could get your point across without name calling.

I did not call the player in question a dumbass - I wrote that the player acted like a dumbass. There is a distinct difference.  When you step on the field there is a level of controlled fury that fuels many defensive players - I get it. I thrived on it.  I am all for aggressive defensive play.  As you said, there is a line that sometimes gets stepped over.  The keyword is "sometimes".  The actions and facts speak for themselves as do their frequency and impact.

That's fine you said what was on your mind I said what was on mine.