University Athletic Association

Started by admin, August 16, 2005, 05:06:35 AM

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jaybird44

If so, then the top three RBs that started the season have been felled by injuries.

ExTartanPlayer

WashU survived CMU 9-7, hitting a 44-yard FG with 8 seconds to go for the win. Wow. Will post some thoughts from computer later.
I was small but made up for it by being slow...

http://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/fball/2011-12/releases/20120629a4jaxa

DagarmanSpartan

I'm surprised at how well Case's defense shut down Chicago, which came into the game with a winning record.

Perhaps this team has turned over a new leaf, starting with Trinity.

The rest of this conference schedule could prove more interesting than I thought.  After Oberlin and Frostburg State, my expectations were very low.

ExTartanPlayer

First Week of UAA Play Thoughts:

CMU vs. WashU: For most of the first half, I was watching from inside CMU's pool (which looks out towards the football field) because my cousin (a senior at Clarion) was swimming in a meet at CMU, so I'd watch her, scurry over to the window and watch til she was up again, etc.  I did see most of the action, though, and once the meet wrapped up I saw the entire second half from the field.

Cold, hard truth: WashU was the better team, they were moving the ball better than we were, but the CMU defense repeatedly came up with critical turnovers to keep WashU off the board.  Our offense was getting nowhere, we barely had any first downs in the second half, and the one time we did penetrate their territory, we coughed it up ourselves.  But we came up with a pick on a 3rd-and-1, a sack-fumble, and a fumble on a run-after-catch (all in the game's last 17 minutes, all inside our territory).  Two final key points here:

a) With about three minutes remaining and WashU facing 3rd-and-19, WashU's QB tossed up a softball over the middle which was briefly caught by their WR until he was viciously leveled by our best LB.  Now, truth he told, he was "high" but after watching the play full-speed I immediately had two thoughts: one, they're gonna call this targeting and two, man that sucks because our LB had not lined the kid up and taken a 15 yard run at him, it was a bang-bang play where he changed directions when the ball was thrown and he was just trying to get to the ball.  I was correct - flag thrown, double whammy.  15 yards, first down, and perhaps most critically: our best LB off the field for the remainder of the game.  No blame on the referees: they're supposed to emphasize that rule this year - but man, that was tough to see.

I can't say that it decided the game - WashU did not score on that possession, as the CMU defense came up with a turnover a few plays later and the CMU offense still got their chance to run the clock out - but the 15 yards of field position and ability to continue the drive MAY have made a difference (if we get the ball back at that juncture, maybe we can salt the game away).  More important is that our best LB was off the field for the eventual game-deciding drive.  I felt awful, awful, awful for the poor kid.  He was clearly emotionally distraught as he walked off the field, first to our sideline, and then was told he had to go into the locker room.  And, whammo, my opinion of the targeting rule was validated right there.  Flag helmet-to-helmet hits, fine, but seeing that kid have to leave the field with three minutes to go in a one-point game was just heart-wrenching.  As I've said, I would much prefer that nobody gets thrown out for those, but rather that questionable hits can be reviewed by the league office and a suspension can be doled out for the next game if they truly deem it to be targeting.

As I said, though, it didn't decide the game.  CMU still had an opportunity to win the game and should have done it.  We got the ball back after their final turnover with 1:17 remaining and WashU holding all three timeouts and needed ONE first down to end the game (by the way, kids, this is why pissing away your timeouts during the half is an absolute killer - if WashU had wasted even ONE timeout during the second half, they never get the ball back - kudos to Coach Kindbom for keeping all three in his pocket for the eventual game deciding situation).  Our offense could go nowhere and we had to punt the ball back to them with 50 seconds to go.  We even got them to a 4th-and-11 at midfield...and they got the ONE big completion they needed to move down into FG range.  A few plays later, 44-yard FG, good, ballgame.

A few words on WashU: now that I've seen them in person, I will confirm a few things I've already said about them.  Their defense is not very big but they are very technically sound and very fast.  CMU's offense isn't all that great, admittedly, but WashU had an answer for every single thing; their defense can play with all but a handful of Division III teams.  Even a team like Mount Union, I bet they could "slow down" compared to season averages (i.e. they could hold a Mount to something like 34 points instead of 58).  But their lack of firepower on offense just kills them.  Look at what CMU's defense has allowed most of the season - as well as they played yesterday, that is just not a very good defense...and they held WashU to a single touchdown drive off a turnover and a late-game FG.  They gained 245 yards, averaging 3.4 yards per pass play and 3.1 yards per rush against our VERY mediocre defense.  If they get in through Pool B and draw the right first round matchup, they might win solely because their defense balls out....but their offense will not scare ANYONE in the playoffs.

Dagarman, re: CWRU-Chicago, the result does not surprise me that much despite Chicago's 5-2 record.  UChi was not really expected to be very good this season and they really had overachieved to this point; besides, they five teams they have beaten are 1-8, 1-7, 3-5, 4-4, and 3-5.  The best win is either Kalamazoo or Elmhurst.  They deserve credit for winning games in their first season with a new coach, but it just should be noted that their schedule looked a bit tougher entering the season (Concordia and Elmurst were both playoff teams in 2012) than it looks now.

The big surprise to me is the 180 CWRU has done since losing to Oberlin and Frostburg.  They've gone ahead and beaten three decent teams since then.  I still favor WashU to win the UAA on the strength of their defense, but I expect low-scoring defensive battles in all games the next few weeks!

I say this with no disrespect meant, but with curiosity to the CWRU fans: what has happened to the Case running game?  With Riordan, Hanzlik and Sicre back, I expected them to be quite productive on the ground this year, but it has not really come together.  Not trying to step on any toes - just surprised that they have not been a bit better in the ground game.
I was small but made up for it by being slow...

http://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/fball/2011-12/releases/20120629a4jaxa

ADL70

As a former OL stalwart, I thought you might have surmised the troubles with the Spartan running game were injuries to two OL starters.  I am still surprised by the lack of potency since Riordan ripped off consistent 5-7 yard gains vs BW in the scrimmage.  But he did rush for 96 vs Trinity (albeit mostly on three of his fifteen rushes (35, 13, and 13) and he, Hanzlik, and Beecher all had a bit game vs Frostburg.

With the two week, mid-season mini-camp, I thought that the team would get "coached up" and it has proved true.  Especially Olson has been much improved since the break.

Next week in St. Louis will be a de facto UAA title game (at least as far as an outright title goes).

Should the UAA Offensive Player of the Week be vacant this week?

If the over/under for the remaining UAA games was 21 would anyone take the over?
SPARTANS...PREPARE FOR GLORY
HA-WOO, HA-WOO, HA-WOO
Think beyond the possible.
Compete, Win, Respect, Unite

ExTartanPlayer

Did not realize CWRU was missing some OL - that will indeed do it.

Agree that next week's winner will be the only one with a chance at an outright title - although it would not surprise me if they were to lose the following week, all four appear within shouting distance of one another.

The eventual WashU-Chicago game may come down to "penalty kicks" (an OT field goal contest). Two very good defenses and struggling offenses.
I was small but made up for it by being slow...

http://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/fball/2011-12/releases/20120629a4jaxa

ADL70


WUStL feature:

http://www.d3football.com/columns/around-the-region/midwest/2013/washington-university-biting-nails

Trying to make sense of the 45-41 Hendrix win.  At first glance, the Drive Summary showed Hendrix starting most drives in Bear territory, but upon further review most should have been show starting on the HC side of the field.

HC did return a KO for a TD, but they also made 26 first downs (14 pass, 8 rush).  Bears' had no turnovers.

Two HC QBs combined 26-34-0  76.5% 316yds 1 TD

Coe and Centre each passed for nearly 300 yds, so if there is a weakness in the Bears' D it would appear to be the pass.
SPARTANS...PREPARE FOR GLORY
HA-WOO, HA-WOO, HA-WOO
Think beyond the possible.
Compete, Win, Respect, Unite

ExTartanPlayer

That Hendrix win stands out as an anomaly both for the WashU offense and defense.  I just chalk it up toe Hendrix having an offense that has scored on everybody and a defense that has struggled to stop everybody.  That game looks much more like an outlier than a true indication of WashU's ability, given that they've lost by scores of 17-7 and 10-0 and won other games by scores of 10-7 (OT), 9-7, and 7-0.
I was small but made up for it by being slow...

http://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/fball/2011-12/releases/20120629a4jaxa

ADL70

Pat Coleman re WUStL:

Nearly losing to Macalester makes it difficult for me to like their chances vs. Case.
SPARTANS...PREPARE FOR GLORY
HA-WOO, HA-WOO, HA-WOO
Think beyond the possible.
Compete, Win, Respect, Unite

WashUDad

Glad Pat was wrong.  Go Bears!!!!

ADL70

Congrats to the Bears.

Playoff chances improve as HSU outscores TLU 76-41 and Millsaps escapes with a 1 point OT win over Centre (Colonels went for 2 and failed in first OT).
SPARTANS...PREPARE FOR GLORY
HA-WOO, HA-WOO, HA-WOO
Think beyond the possible.
Compete, Win, Respect, Unite

DagarmanSpartan

UGH!!!

That was an old fashioned BUTT KICKIN'!!!

Good job Bears!!!

I just hope that we can salvage a winning season next week in the Academic Bowl.

If that happens, then we can at least say that we made it through the most bizarre schedule in school history over .500.

ExTartanPlayer

Per the Carnegie Mellon Athletics facebook page, the Academic Bowl will be mentioned briefly on ESPN College GameDay on Saturday morning between 10 and 10:15 AM as part of a discussion of college football rivalries!
I was small but made up for it by being slow...

http://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/fball/2011-12/releases/20120629a4jaxa

mck99

Rivalry between Washington University Bears Football and Chicago to be featured on College GameDay Saturday at 10 a.m. (ET). Set those DVRs!

ExTartanPlayer

Quote from: mck99 on November 13, 2013, 04:02:23 PM
Rivalry between Washington University Bears Football and Chicago to be featured on College GameDay Saturday at 10 a.m. (ET). Set those DVRs!

Wait...really?  They're going to mention all FOUR of the UAA schools?  Ugh, I have plans at that time too!
I was small but made up for it by being slow...

http://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/fball/2011-12/releases/20120629a4jaxa