Stetson game-- score predictions

I'm confused.

But I'll go with Mercer winning over Stetson 38-17

Mercer - 2
Stetson - 0

Remember, #67 is out this week 

Here's the latest line:


Mercer at Stetson - Saturday, September 13, 2014 6:05 PM

Mercer -22


I think they looked at my score prediction and really meant "-2," but accidentally hit the "2" twice. It happens.

I haven't heard an official word, but I believe since it happened in the second half and it was cited by the referee as "fighting" he would have to miss the first half of the game this weekend. I think targeting and fighting are the only two that carry over to the next game if they happen in the 2nd half. I'll also check around and see if there is some confirmation.

I think the ref actually said "#16 is disqualified for fighting." At least that's what we heard, because my buddy and I looked at each other at the same time and said "Fighting???"

I also did some looking around, and I think #16 might be out for the whole Stetson game. Believe it or not, it looks like the SoCon has a conference rule that is actually tougher than the NCAA rule. Disqualified players are actually out for the entire next game, whether their disqualification happened in the first or second half.

Some Mercer Players told me that the SoCon has a rule that doubles whatever penalty the NCAA has...and that Mercer has a rule that doubles THAT! 18-22 year old's are not always the best source of reliable info, but if they are correct, he could miss 2 or 4 (maybe??) games....which SUX. #16 is already a very good player. He is going to be a GREAT player and you can see him learning almost every play he is in the game. So, now, if he misses 2 or more games, that learning process is set back to Game 1 (almost). And it hurt us on Saturday not to have him in there. He was starting to be a major factor on D, from what I saw.

The call was BS...I don't like to complain about officiating (off the field, that is - I KILL them when I'm coaching - sorry ref's - I can't help it), but when it really is out-of-line and hurts 1 kid so much, it gets me pretty upset. Unlike several of my good freenz over at TheUFFP, I am able to watch a football game very objectively and the FU @ MU game was hotly-contested by both sides all night. I've watched the full game video from several angles several times & players from both teams were playing a bit past the echo of the whistle, were somewhat surreptitiously taunting & 'showboating' (nothing major - just young men being enthusiastic young men, really). IMHO, The refs actually did a decent job of letting them play and not getting too overly flag happy on that stuff. They have to control the game and they did for the most part. The call back of Russ' TD was debatable, but at least they made it off-setting & 'equal' - the FU dude was going over the top out of bounds, but the MU player did retaliate. Same thing with the off-setting penalties on the GL before MU's 1st TD - MU guy was playing past the echo and the FU guy retaliated....balanced penalties...OK by me. The ejection of #16 was NOT balanced. Here's what happened - MU kicks off. #16 is 2nd or 3rd guy in on the tackle and, therefore, on top of the pile. One of FU's players (I won't call out his number - but he did get a penalty for an intentional & blatant block in the back on an earlier punt return...and was regularly a WAY-past-the-whistle-guy on all special teams)...reached into the pile...grabbed #16 by the back of his jersey and 'snatched' him up and off the pile in 1 motion. As 16 was 'flying' past the FU player who had 'snatched' him off the pile, he made a half-heart, 5th grade girl, open-hand slap motion at the FU player who had 'snatched' him and did not connect - probably wasn't even really trying to - 99% of football 'fights' are as 'goofy' as basketball 'fights' - they don't really want to 'punch' each other. The ref called off-setting PF's - that's fine...#16 shouldn't have retaliated, but to eject him for that was 'out-of-character' with the rest of the penalties they called. I saw one of FU's Top WR's take the same type of silly swing at an MU DB later in the game on a critical 1st down play for FU (he was away from the play)...and the ref went up to him afterward and gave him a 'good talking-to'...which is fine...but not after ejecting #16 for maybe 2 (or 4?) games! Coach Lamb said on his weekly show that they are appealing the SoCon 'fighting' penalty - as they should. Don't know the results of that appeal. So, in summary...



1) Both sides were gettin' after it - maybe a little too much



2) Ref's did OK, for the most part, in managing a 'chippy' game



3) #16 got SCREWED and it hurt MU last Sat. and it will hurt MU for a while



4) This MU & FU Football rivalry may just get very, very BIG in the years ahead.