THE IUP Football Thread

[EdinboroFB]

No coincidence that the two games since the PSAC championship game Ronnie Brown has had 20+ carries per game. The most in any two game stretch all season.

Obviously, the Shepherd coaches werent happy with themselves. I'd be surprised if he doesnt have his season record for carries (22) on saturday and record for touches overall (26).

I heard one coach used to keep a pc of paper and make a mark when his playmakers got the ball just to make sure they got enough touches and it wasnt lost in the chaos of the game.

I assume this game is for a trip to Michigan next week.

[IUPNation]

I imagine the O and D lines down in Shepherdstown are hearing all week about how they got handled in the last meeting. They’ll be motivated. That said, I can’t imagine they weren’t motivated in the last game. All I know is what I saw and I’m not sure it will be different this time around. That doesn’t mean Shepherd won’t win because they’re capable in many ways.

Shepherd is the unstoppable juggernaut. Why even play the game. :-)

[EyeoftheHawk]

I absolutely agree with EyeoftheHawk. The line play on both sides of the ball was significant in the first game. I wouldn't expect that to be different. On the other hand, Shepherd has a potential 2-time Harlon Hill winner. Should be just as interesting as the first matchup.

I imagine the O and D lines down in Shepherdstown are hearing all week about how they got handled in the last meeting. They’ll be motivated. That said, I can’t imagine they weren’t motivated in the last game. All I know is what I saw and I’m not sure it will be different this time around. That doesn’t mean Shepherd won’t win because they’re capable in many ways.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I’ll gladly eat the crow later this week, but I’m having a hard time believing the Rams are just inferior on the line play. IMO it was just their worst game of the season. They can move IUP off the ball and they’ll need to at times in order to move to the next round.

I don’t think it needs fixed, just needs opportunity. Brown must have 20-25 touches, otherwise I don’t know what they are doing. Bagent will be that much better if they just give it a chance… which they have the last 2 weeks and Brown has dominated.

Three weeks ago might as well be three years ago. What happened that day is irrelevant. Players are back. Others are now out. List goes on.

Only thing any of us dopes know is the ball is kicking off Saturday at 1 p.m. -- rain, sun, snow, wind, whatever. They are both good. Somebody has to win.

[iupgroundhog]

I’ll gladly eat the crow later this week, but I’m having a hard time believing the Rams are just inferior on the line play. IMO it was just their worst game of the season. They can move IUP off the ball and they’ll need to at times in order to move to the next round.

I don’t think it needs fixed, just needs opportunity. Brown must have 20-25 touches, otherwise I don’t know what they are doing. Bagent will be that much better if they just give it a chance… which they have the last 2 weeks and Brown has dominated.

I absolutely agree with EyeoftheHawk. The line play on both sides of the ball was significant in the first game. I wouldn't expect that to be different. On the other hand, Shepherd has a potential 2-time Harlon Hill winner. Should be just as interesting as the first matchup.

[Ram040506]

Interesting to see Shep fans in the IUP thread arguing with each other. I hope we’re not rubbing off on y’all.

It’s still a few days from Saturday so the forecast can change. One thing I do expect is for the Rams to at least attempt to run way more than in game one. That said, if you watch the game back you’ll see the real issue is the Shep O-line couldn’t get a push and as I mentioned after that game, that’s not something you fix in a few weeks time. It’s all about Johnny and Jimmy in the trenches and both lines of scrimmage were controlled by IUP. The combination of that, plus falling behind, is why the ball was in the air so much.

I do believe IUP will have an advantage in bad weather, plus, Brown is back and will be at or at least close to 100%. Based on how he caught the ball in the downpour against Slippery Rock, it doesn’t seem like the weather impacts him. Sexton also seems to throw the ball well in the rain.

I’ll gladly eat the crow later this week, but I’m having a hard time believing the Rams are just inferior on the line play. IMO it was just their worst game of the season. They can move IUP off the ball and they’ll need to at times in order to move to the next round.

I don’t think it needs fixed, just needs opportunity. Brown must have 20-25 touches, otherwise I don’t know what they are doing. Bagent will be that much better if they just give it a chance… which they have the last 2 weeks and Brown has dominated.

[EyeoftheHawk]

Interesting to see Shep fans in the IUP thread arguing with each other. I hope we’re not rubbing off on y’all.

It’s still a few days from Saturday so the forecast can change. One thing I do expect is for the Rams to at least attempt to run way more than in game one. That said, if you watch the game back you’ll see the real issue is the Shep O-line couldn’t get a push and as I mentioned after that game, that’s not something you fix in a few weeks time. It’s all about Johnny and Jimmy in the trenches and both lines of scrimmage were controlled by IUP. The combination of that, plus falling behind, is why the ball was in the air so much.

I do believe IUP will have an advantage in bad weather, plus, Brown is back and will be at or at least close to 100%. Based on how he caught the ball in the downpour against Slippery Rock, it doesn’t seem like the weather impacts him. Sexton also seems to throw the ball well in the rain.

[IUPNation]

Don't forget us fans. We gotta sit in that sh!t again for 4 hours lol. It will at least be much warmer. I think even with the rain it's going to be in the high 50s. That's pretty sweet for December in Indiana.


I know EyeoftheHawk has talked about it on here ... but, that SRU game this year was insanity. I had a full rain suit and was still 100% drenched. The rain and wind -- in particular the whole second half -- changed directions about every 2 minutes. Duane Brown made plays in that game that I still have no idea how he caught all those balls. Miller Stadium is kind of right in a natural wind tunnel and both ends are wide open so there's nothing there blocking it. Sexton's second pick last weekend certainly got hung up in it. It was one of the rare routes he has to throw kind of a lob pass (by his standards) instead of his normal 100 mph fastballs.

Maple Street was always a wind tunnel. I walked many a day heading towards my room in Oakland Hall going against fierce winds on that street.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I know it sounds like we are making excuses for the loss and potentially another loss due to weather. Both teams have to play in it for sure and the better team will prevail. It's just somewhat obvious that both teams are designed and built a certain way, and IUP doesn't seem to be as affected by it.

Don't forget us fans. We gotta sit in that sh!t again for 4 hours lol. It will at least be much warmer. I think even with the rain it's going to be in the high 50s. That's pretty sweet for December in Indiana.


I know EyeoftheHawk has talked about it on here ... but, that SRU game this year was insanity. I had a full rain suit and was still 100% drenched. The rain and wind -- in particular the whole second half -- changed directions about every 2 minutes. Duane Brown made plays in that game that I still have no idea how he caught all those balls. Miller Stadium is kind of right in a natural wind tunnel and both ends are wide open so there's nothing there blocking it. Sexton's second pick last weekend certainly got hung up in it. It was one of the rare routes he has to throw kind of a lob pass (by his standards) instead of his normal 100 mph fastballs.

[Ram040506]

This may also be IUP's third bad weather game this year so they should be used to it. The IUP/Rock game was way worse conditions than the IUP/Shep game.

But, as they say, it rains on both benches.

I know it sounds like we are making excuses for the loss and potentially another loss due to weather. Both teams have to play in it for sure and the better team will prevail. It's just somewhat obvious that both teams are designed and built a certain way, and IUP doesn't seem to be as affected by it.

[Ram040506]

Duh…therefore no balance.

Your quote was "Shepherd won’t be able to sustain balance on offense." Weather didn't have anything to do with the balance shown in that last game.

That isn't because of the weather, it's because they completely abandoned the run game. Why throw it 56 times in a rain storm if your receivers are struggling with drops? Why throw it nearly every down and not just hand it off to the most explosive player in the country? This is a play calling issue from that game, and I'm encouraged as it has gotten better so far in the 2 playoff rounds thus far. Just need to keep it going for this game and really it shouldn't be too hard to accomplish as the weather should dictate that it is ill advised to throw it 50+ times in a tight game.

This is football 101, if you force them to at least respect the run game by calling the play even if its for short or no gain THEY MUST RESPECT IT. It'll open up the rest of the offense simply by running the play. Completely abandoning it like our last visit up there, and the Rams lose again.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Teams this time of year have established identities and IUP identity trumps Shepherds identity in bad weather. IUP has physical RB’s, Shepherd does not. Passing games fail in bad weather…it’s not rocket science..if there is a lot of rain Saturday the clear favorite is IUP..

This may also be IUP's third bad weather game this year so they should be used to it. The IUP/Rock game was way worse conditions than the IUP/Shep game.

But, as they say, it rains on both benches.

[RamPride]

Teams this time of year have established identities and IUP identity trumps Shepherds identity in bad weather. IUP has physical RB’s, Shepherd does not. Passing games fail in bad weather…it’s not rocket science..if there is a lot of rain Saturday the clear favorite is IUP..

[RamPride]

Balance? You threw 500 times in the rain to WRs who couldn't catch the ball?

Duh…therefore no balance.

[EdinboroFB]

[QUOTE=IUPbigINDIANS;n724044]


IUP won. Had Team Tort lost, the crowd would have been the reason (or, the excuse). I guarantee that much.

Saturday is projecting to be another weather crap show. So, it could be another bad crowd on the home side. But, the band being there makes up for it.

However, the first Shepherd game had a relatively small home side but it was a very engaged group.

As of now this is going to be another wet one -- at times perhaps heavy rain and windy. So, saddle up.

IUP needs to do everything possible to appease the Rain Gods. Sacrifice a chicken .. whatever it takes. LOL. They need the worst possible weather in this game.[/QUOTE]


Maybe a bucket of KFC.