FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[BashBacker#16]

Mason Espinosa (OWU) vs Jake Knott (Wabash) - for best NCAC career as a QB?  I bet the number comparison is pretty sick. I haven't had time to pull these but do know Knott threw something like 118 career TDs and I believe around 12,000 yards...

[ExTartanPlayer]

What are the odds OWU goes deep on their very first play?

I would actually love to see OWU line up in the Wing-T on the very first play, for pure comedic value if nothing else.  It could mess with the Wabash D a little bit but I don't get the sense these get rattled by much if anything.  Now that I think about it I'm curious if Espinosa has ever taken a single snap under center in his entire 4-year career at OWU.

1) I'm a big fan of things like this when you're the underdog.  Mess with'em a bit.  Unveil a formation they're totally not expecting.  Don't abandon your normal gameplan, but we kids get excited if we have one wrinkle in the game plan that they're totally not expecting.  I always got excited at practice if our coach put in a new play/formation specifically designed to mess with one opponent in a key situation.  I wouldn't be surprised if OWU has a flea flicker or something similar in the gameplan this week.

2) My senior year, we had a very junior/senior-heavy offense and wanted to pull a prank on our offensive coordinator at our last practice, so we hatched a plan beforehand.  On the first snap of the Team Offense session, we called the play on the sheet, broke the huddle, but then ran up to the line of scrimmage & all lined up in the wrong position (most of the offensive line split into WR positions, the QB lined up at center, RB's in the guard spots, etc...with yours truly lined up at QB) and ran a special "Hail Mary" pass.  I lofted a beautiful deep pass down the right sideline to our starting center...who dropped the ball.  Coach had me playing the wrong position all along!

[DPU3619]

I would actually love to see OWU line up in the Wing-T on the very first play, for pure comedic value if nothing else. 

I enjoyed when the Colts did that on Sunday. They came out in the flexbone on a 2 pointer and Seattle had to call a timeout.

[smedindy]

What are the odds OWU goes deep on their very first play?

I would actually love to see OWU line up in the Wing-T on the very first play, for pure comedic value if nothing else.  It could mess with the Wabash D a little bit but I don't get the sense these get rattled by much if anything.  Now that I think about it I'm curious if Espinosa has ever taken a single snap under center in his entire 4-year career at OWU.

How about Denison come out in the single wing for a play last game of the year? HAH!

[firstdown]

Dear Bishop

They can come out dressed in tutu's if you want and line up in whatever formation, but they still have to face the Wabash D which is relentless and has a lot of speed. 

[wally_wabash]

Mason Espinosa (OWU) vs Jake Knott (Wabash) - for best NCAC career as a QB?  I bet the number comparison is pretty sick. I haven't had time to pull these but do know Knott threw something like 118 career TDs and I believe around 12,000 yards...

Jake only played 3 years in the NCAC. And he went to playoffs. It isn't even close.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Mason Espinosa (OWU) vs Jake Knott (Wabash) - for best NCAC career as a QB?  I bet the number comparison is pretty sick. I haven't had time to pull these but do know Knott threw something like 118 career TDs and I believe around 12,000 yards...

Jake only played 3 years in the NCAC. And he went to playoffs. It isn't even close.

Espo better pull the upset this weekend, then

[Schwami]

Some belated post-game comments on Denison - DePauw:

1.  Denison has a very nice team with some good athletes mostly on the offensive side of the ball.  They spread it around quite a bit, and Brandon Sklenar plays with a lot of poise.  The defensive line is small (starting DT is listed at 5'8") but quick.  The secondary gave up a lot of space to the DPU receivers, but tightened this up considerably in the second half.

2.  The DPU offense appeared very limited.  Nikko Sansone had most of the carries (18 rushes for 67 yards, including a 19 yard touchdown run up the middle on 3rd and 1 to put DePauw ahead 14-0).  Primary passing target was Barry Flynn, a 6'5" receiver.  The passing game was virtually non-existent in the second half (4 completions on only 8 pass attempts in the second half, with just one completion to Flynn for 4 yards on a 3rd and 6).  Several inaccurate throws to open receivers.  Freshman Matt Hunt was making his first start as QB (is Justin Murray injured?).

3.  A Denison fumble contributed to the early 14-0 lead for DePauw.  The Denison secondary also gave up some big pass plays to DPU in the first half (scratching my head that Espinosa did not have even more success against this secondary), including a late 49 yard TD pass by Hunt to Connor Jeffers to give DPU the 21-14 halftime lead.  Denison received the kickoff to open the second half, and promptly fumbled again, giving DPU a short field and a chance to extend its lead, but Sansone fumbled the ball right back.  Denison moved the ball 81 yards for the tying score, and proceeded to outscore the Dannies 28-0 in the second half.

After Witt this week, Denison has a week off before heading to Wooster for what could be the game that decides third place in the conference.  I like the Big Red's chances, and an 8-2 season is not out of the question, as they finish with home games against Oberlin and Kenyon and a road game at Gheny.

[Schwami]

Should add that DePauw only managed 74 yards in the second half (if managing is the correct word here  ).

[Wabash Hokie]

Below is the link to the Ohio Wesleyan game notes for tomorrow's game at Wabash.  To anyone not in the know, at first glance it would appear that OWU would be heavily favored in this game - just take a gander.  Looks like the proofreader missed something.

http://sports.wabash.edu/documents/2013/10/11/Ohio_Wesleyan_football_notes_10-12-2013.pdf?id=210

By OWU's account "...but Wabash turned to a handful of big plays during the final 20-plus minutes to pull away for the win...", the game last year was much closer than the score would indicate. 

While I agree that if OWU had indeed scored on their first drive of the game the tenor of the game would have been different, for those who watched the game, the 2nd half  of this game was not as close as the score would indicate.

Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings.  Wabash's defense is markedly better than the 2012 version but our pass defense has not really been challenged to date.   It will either be a shoot-out or blowout - I anticipate a blowout by 35+.

[cave2bens]

Below is the link to the Ohio Wesleyan game notes for tomorrow's game at Wabash.  To anyone not in the know, at first glance it would appear that OWU would be heavily favored in this game - just take a gander.  Looks like the proofreader missed something.

Dang - perhaps one of those marvelous, deadpan analysts from last years' broadcast has resurfaced?    

[sigma one]

In reply to the earlier numbers on Jake Knott.  Yes, as Wally, indicates, he played 3 years in the NCAC.  His four-year numbers are as follows:  888 completions in 1601 attempts; 11,213 yards; 116 TDs; 49 INTs.  As a freshman he threw for 2,612 yards and 19 TDs, so subtract those numbers to see what he did in 3 years in the conference.  Those freshman yards were at the time an NCAA record for a freshnan, since eclipsed. 
        Knott twice threw 6 TDs in a game; he threw 5 TDs in a game five times. He threw 34 TD passes his junior year and 35 his senior year. 
        I like this best:  He threw at TD pass every 13.8 attempts and every 7.65 completions.   
        Often forgotten is that while he was a pocket passer, he could also slip away and run.  I'll have to find the numbers, but memory has it that he gained about 300 yards rushing his senior season.  He also put up those numbers while having, Chris Morris, a running back who gained more total career yards than any back in Wabash history, including in 2002 when he ran 1,497 yards--the best single season by a back in Wabash history.  (All numbers include playoff games.) 

        Espinosa is no doubt a superior quarterback.  His yardage totals are impressive.  He deserves all the recognition he is receiving.  But he is not Knott.           

[nike]

OWU is not going to win exclusively throwing the ball.  They know that.  So watch to see if the coaches try to establish the run early on in the game.  That is their only chance, in my opinion.  Otherwise, we are looking at multiple picks and possible 6-picks. The NFL loves that term.
60 passes against this Wabash defense will not be pretty.  Not this year.  Someone in Wabash secondary makes All-NCAC from this game.

[Schwami]

Denison 3
Wittenberg 0

7:30 1Q

30 yard field goal by the Big Red following a Witt fumble on Witt's opening possession.

[Schwami]

Witt answers with a 72 yard TD pass on 3rd and 16

Witt  7
Denison 3

Denison pass batted at the line - Witt intercepts.  PF on a hit out of bounds puts Witt in the red zone.

Florence flushed out of the pocket, scrambles, gets picked off in the end zone.