We (EMU) had a bad loss in hoops to UIC but it is one game of an entire season. We were on the road, during finals week, etc. facing a very good team which shot absolutely lights out from behind the arc.

Yet, I really feel much more for the Toledo Rockets in their bowl game yesterday.

On the FIRST play of the game, the kickoff, first team all-MAC ILB, Dan Molls, was knocked out of the game. Presumably a concussion.

Not long afterwards, first team all-MAC RB, David Fluellen, was re-injured and gone for the game.

QB, Terrance Owens, who was hurting from a late season injury didn't play until late.

Amazingly UT was close in the 4th quarter until the winds came out of their sails and their defense just gave up and Utah State started scoring like crazy (it had been 13 - 6 a little earlier and UT had the chance to get a tying TD).

Without the injuries would UT have won easily?

As someone once said: "I'd rather be lucky than good". And Toledo had as much BAD LUCK as any one team can have in one game.

Utah State might be a good team, but Toledo's bad luck was the story of the day.

What was the final score?

(12-16-2012 10:45 AM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  What was the final score?

With 7 minutes left it was 13-9.
The final was 41-15.

(12-16-2012 11:09 AM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 10:45 AM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  What was the final score?

With 7 minutes left it was 13-9.
The final was 41-15.

I feel for you now. That sucks.

I guess on the bright side at least you've got your coach back for next season unlike NIU and WMU.

(12-16-2012 11:36 AM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 11:09 AM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 10:45 AM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  What was the final score?

With 7 minutes left it was 13-9.
The final was 41-15.

I feel for you now. That sucks.

I guess on the bright side at least you've got your coach back for next season unlike NIU and WMU.

True but there was also some questionable play calling, not sure I would celebrate him coming back too much but at least he is young and can improve.

(12-16-2012 12:01 PM)seeds99 Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 11:36 AM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 11:09 AM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 10:45 AM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  What was the final score?

With 7 minutes left it was 13-9.
The final was 41-15.

I feel for you now. That sucks.

I guess on the bright side at least you've got your coach back for next season unlike NIU and WMU.

True but there was also some questionable play calling, not sure I would celebrate him coming back too much but at least he is young and can improve.

I'm not sure how good play calling is going to be w/out Owens and Fluellen.

Owens and Fluellen could make a mediocre coach look good.

(12-16-2012 12:13 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:01 PM)seeds99 Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 11:36 AM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 11:09 AM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 10:45 AM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  What was the final score?

With 7 minutes left it was 13-9.
The final was 41-15.

I feel for you now. That sucks.

I guess on the bright side at least you've got your coach back for next season unlike NIU and WMU.

True but there was also some questionable play calling, not sure I would celebrate him coming back too much but at least he is young and can improve.

I'm not sure how good play calling is going to be w/out Owens and Fluellen.

Owens and Fluellen could make a mediocre coach look good.

Definitely, one thing maybe a toledo fan can answer, was molls always on special teams, love the enthusiasm but as a coach you just can't allow it, kickoffs are so damn dangerous, they probably won't be around in a few years.

Given injuries to key players, Toledo held together pretty well until the end. Unfortunately, people who did not see the game will only see the final score. Utah St is a good team but it might have been a different story with Toledo at full strength (IMO).

It also gives me a little encouragement for BG vs SJSU. I figure BG is a little worse that Toledo (both at full strength) and SJSU is a little worse than USU plus SJSU losing their coach, BG has a good shot.

Next up Ball State vs, UCF. Does anyone know if Wenning will play. Page is still pretty good so even if Wenning is out, they are still in it.

(12-16-2012 12:37 PM)seeds99 Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:13 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:01 PM)seeds99 Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 11:36 AM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 11:09 AM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  With 7 minutes left it was 13-9.
The final was 41-15.

I feel for you now. That sucks.

I guess on the bright side at least you've got your coach back for next season unlike NIU and WMU.

True but there was also some questionable play calling, not sure I would celebrate him coming back too much but at least he is young and can improve.

I'm not sure how good play calling is going to be w/out Owens and Fluellen.

Owens and Fluellen could make a mediocre coach look good.

Definitely, one thing maybe a toledo fan can answer, was molls always on special teams, love the enthusiasm but as a coach you just can't allow it, kickoffs are so damn dangerous, they probably won't be around in a few years.

Agree. The kickoff needs to go.

Sure it is exciting but the cost/benefit is not good.

I'd use maybe a free kick (essentially a punt) from say the 40 yard line, but don't know if that is enough.

(12-16-2012 12:45 PM)Siborg Wrote:  Given injuries to key players, Toledo held together pretty well until the end. Unfortunately, people who did not see the game will only see the final score. Utah St is a good team but it might have been a different story with Toledo at full strength (IMO).

It also gives me a little encouragement for BG vs SJSU. I figure BG is a little worse that Toledo (both at full strength) and SJSU is a little worse than USU plus SJSU losing their coach, BG has a good shot.

Next up Ball State vs, UCF. Does anyone know if Wenning will play. Page is still pretty good so even if Wenning is out, they are still in it.

Wenning is practicing. There hasn't been an announcement that he will or will not play at this point.

(12-16-2012 12:49 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:37 PM)seeds99 Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:13 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:01 PM)seeds99 Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 11:36 AM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  I feel for you now. That sucks.

I guess on the bright side at least you've got your coach back for next season unlike NIU and WMU.

True but there was also some questionable play calling, not sure I would celebrate him coming back too much but at least he is young and can improve.

I'm not sure how good play calling is going to be w/out Owens and Fluellen.

Owens and Fluellen could make a mediocre coach look good.

Definitely, one thing maybe a toledo fan can answer, was molls always on special teams, love the enthusiasm but as a coach you just can't allow it, kickoffs are so damn dangerous, they probably won't be around in a few years.

Agree. The kickoff needs to go.

Sure it is exciting but the cost/benefit is not good.

I'd use maybe a free kick (essentially a punt) from say the 40 yard line, but don't know if that is enough.

why not just take tackling out of the game entirely and just play flag football at all levels? that's what i see as being the ultimate pussification people are trying to do to football. :muttering:

Looks like the MAC has had some bad luck on bowl scheduling vis-a-vis injuries.

Both Toledo (e.g., Owens + Fluellen) and BSU could have benefited from playing later in the bowl season.

Molls was buckling before the hit, and got a concussion after being hit very awkwardly. It was the opening kickoff, where Molls was the leading tackler on the unit all year. No surprise because he was #1 in the nation in tackles going into the game with 169 for 13.69 per game. Tough loss.... but not much we can do about that. Big plays late in the game, when our beaten defense couldn't stop the run.

(12-16-2012 01:49 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:49 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:37 PM)seeds99 Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:13 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:01 PM)seeds99 Wrote:  True but there was also some questionable play calling, not sure I would celebrate him coming back too much but at least he is young and can improve.

I'm not sure how good play calling is going to be w/out Owens and Fluellen.

Owens and Fluellen could make a mediocre coach look good.

Definitely, one thing maybe a toledo fan can answer, was molls always on special teams, love the enthusiasm but as a coach you just can't allow it, kickoffs are so damn dangerous, they probably won't be around in a few years.

Agree. The kickoff needs to go.

Sure it is exciting but the cost/benefit is not good.

I'd use maybe a free kick (essentially a punt) from say the 40 yard line, but don't know if that is enough.

why not just take tackling out of the game entirely and just play flag football at all levels? that's what i see as being the ultimate pussification people are trying to do to football. :muttering:

Standard uniforms might as well be skirts.

(12-16-2012 02:53 PM)GFlash68 Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 01:49 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:49 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:37 PM)seeds99 Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:13 PM)emu steve Wrote:  I'm not sure how good play calling is going to be w/out Owens and Fluellen.

Owens and Fluellen could make a mediocre coach look good.

Definitely, one thing maybe a toledo fan can answer, was molls always on special teams, love the enthusiasm but as a coach you just can't allow it, kickoffs are so damn dangerous, they probably won't be around in a few years.

Agree. The kickoff needs to go.

Sure it is exciting but the cost/benefit is not good.

I'd use maybe a free kick (essentially a punt) from say the 40 yard line, but don't know if that is enough.

why not just take tackling out of the game entirely and just play flag football at all levels? that's what i see as being the ultimate pussification people are trying to do to football. :muttering:

Standard uniforms might as well be skirts.

yep! they can just use the skirts the field hockey team uses when they aren't using them. lol

PS-i don't think i've ever written a sentence before that had three versions of the word "use!" oy!

(12-16-2012 12:37 PM)seeds99 Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:13 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 12:01 PM)seeds99 Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 11:36 AM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

(12-16-2012 11:09 AM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  With 7 minutes left it was 13-9.
The final was 41-15.

I feel for you now. That sucks.

I guess on the bright side at least you've got your coach back for next season unlike NIU and WMU.

True but there was also some questionable play calling, not sure I would celebrate him coming back too much but at least he is young and can improve.

I'm not sure how good play calling is going to be w/out Owens and Fluellen.

Owens and Fluellen could make a mediocre coach look good.

Definitely, one thing maybe a toledo fan can answer, was molls always on special teams, love the enthusiasm but as a coach you just can't allow it, kickoffs are so damn dangerous, they probably won't be around in a few years.

Molls was on special teams all year. Toledo had a major improvement in special teams play this year because of playing key players on the units. Molls specifically asked to be put on special teams at the beginning of the season.