WIU at Southern Illinois (11/19/2016)

[ST_Lawson]

Anyway, I'm gonna hang this one on the Cub fans - you got your World Series, asking for the 'Necks to make playoffs as well was apparently just too much.

Heh....sorry 'bout that.

[sealhall74]

Saturday was a disappointing day for local college football fans:

Western lost their 17-point second half lead at SIU-Carbondale.

Monmouth College had 9 turnovers in their first round playoff game at Coe College and lost the game 21-14. That was Monmouth's first loss of the season.

MC had 5 ints through the air (25 mph wind) and virtually no rushing yardage against Coe. Coe was just the opposite. I actually think that the WIU running attack has more room for improvement than the defense. It is not just about having big yardage games. It is more about eating up the clock and slowly but surely wearing down the defense. Watch the Bison do that each and every week, especially in the playoffs. They can throw the ball (they rank last in conf pass offense) but they dont unless they have to. IMO, this is how you win Nattys.

[rocki]

Saturday was a disappointing day for local college football fans:

Western lost their 17-point second half lead at SIU-Carbondale.

Monmouth College had 9 turnovers in their first round playoff game at Coe College and lost the game 21-14. That was Monmouth's first loss of the season.

MC had 5 ints through the air (25 mph wind) and virtually no rushing yardage against Coe. Coe was just the opposite. I actually think that the WIU running attack has more room for improvement than the defense. It is not just about having big yardage games. It is more about eating up the clock and slowly but surely wearing down the defense. Watch the Bison do that each and every week, especially in the playoffs. They can throw the ball (they rank last in conf pass offense) but they dont unless they have to. IMO, this is how you win Nattys.

Just curious - do you think the O line needs to step up more? How would you improve the running game? I've never played the game, so I'm definitely armchair "qb-ing" this one; but it appeared we have a problem opening up holes for the backs to get through.

[sealhall74]

Saturday was a disappointing day for local college football fans:

Western lost their 17-point second half lead at SIU-Carbondale.

Monmouth College had 9 turnovers in their first round playoff game at Coe College and lost the game 21-14. That was Monmouth's first loss of the season.

MC had 5 ints through the air (25 mph wind) and virtually no rushing yardage against Coe. Coe was just the opposite. I actually think that the WIU running attack has more room for improvement than the defense. It is not just about having big yardage games. It is more about eating up the clock and slowly but surely wearing down the defense. Watch the Bison do that each and every week, especially in the playoffs. They can throw the ball (they rank last in conf pass offense) but they dont unless they have to. IMO, this is how you win Nattys.

Just curious - do you think the O line needs to step up more? How would you improve the running game? I've never played the game, so I'm definitely armchair "qb-ing" this one; but it appeared we have a problem opening up holes for the backs to get through.

I have also noticed the lack of holes this year. Either we are not as tough up front as we need to be or the defense knows what is coming and where from. JC Baker could make his own hole by bouncing it outside. We dont have that kind of RB right now. Single back sets always make it much easier for the defense to guess what is coming. Bison usually go with a lot of multiple back sets and even throw in a lot of motion from them to confuse the defense. Every back in the backfield is an option to carry the ball or get out to maybe receive a pass. They will stick to basic stuff if it works. If they do need a surprise they will hit you with an RB option you have not seen before, even though the basic formation looks exactly the same. Their QB is always an option to run the ball. So to answer your question, I think we do need to be tougher up front and we need more sophistication in our schemes to get to the next level.

[rocki]

Thanks, Seal. I was hoping I wasn't the only one seeing that while we have a very speedy back, he has to have an opening to get through and those holes didn't seem plentiful.

[ST_Lawson]

Thanks, Seal. I was hoping I wasn't the only one seeing that while we have a very speedy back, he has to have an opening to get through and those holes didn't seem plentiful.

Not many holes for our offense to run through, but also not many holes for opposing defenses to find their way through. We finished second in the conference behind NDSU in sacks allowed.

On an unrelated note, I'm working on my review of this last weekend's MVFC games for The FCS Wedge (website) and found myself nearly having a panic attack and flashbacks when I was writing the 4th quarter stuff for our game. One quarter I never really want to ever think about again.

[sealhall74]

Thanks, Seal. I was hoping I wasn't the only one seeing that while we have a very speedy back, he has to have an opening to get through and those holes didn't seem plentiful.

Not many holes for our offense to run through, but also not many holes for opposing defenses to find their way through. We finished second in the conference behind NDSU in sacks allowed.

On an unrelated note, I'm working on my review of this last weekend's MVFC games for The FCS Wedge (website) and found myself nearly having a panic attack and flashbacks when I was writing the 4th quarter stuff for our game. One quarter I never really want to ever think about again.

I hope there is something there like "219 yards leading to 21 points in 2 minutes 55 seconds". It is more comical than panic-attack-inducing to me.

[ST_Lawson]

I hope there is something there like "219 yards leading to 21 points in 2 minutes 55 seconds". It is more comical than panic-attack-inducing to me.

No, but I do have the following...
"And that’s when everything went horribly wrong for the Leathernecks."

[rocki]

I hope there is something there like "219 yards leading to 21 points in 2 minutes 55 seconds". It is more comical than panic-attack-inducing to me.

No, but I do have the following...
"And that’s when everything went horribly wrong for the Leathernecks."

So, what you're saying is that instead of being a shining example, they served as a horrible warning....

[Neckfansince71]

Gotta go totally with Seal on this one and I could not agree more. jc