Greetings from IIAC-land.  I'm a Central guy wondering what there is to do in Albion on Friday nights before we come up in a few weeks.  Also, what kind of tailgating goes on over there?  Thanks!

2007 Central Highlights are now up on YouTube.  Is it Football Season yet?

Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3EF7jJD4EU

Part 2 -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jp-x12lco4

Quote from: DustySJU on November 21, 2007, 08:04:24 AM
DutchHawk;  You appear conflicted in your analysis of your team... so what are they?  Are they young or are they old?  "Older more mature" followed by "young but talented Offensive Line".

I'm all for picking apart flawed arguments, but a team can have a young o-line and remain a veteran team overall.

Quote from: DustySJU on November 21, 2007, 08:04:24 AM
Unfortunate for your squard however as the "seasoned" Johnnie defensive front will enjoy smacking around your talented group of young offensive lineman.

For all the yapping about your MVP laden offense, expect far less production on Saturday.  If the strength of your squad was the defense you might be able to hang for 2 quarters.  As it is the match-up does not look favorable.  Great Johnnie Defense, Prolific Johnnie Offense.  The J's have picked the right time of year to start playing "Johnnie Football".

Developing.....

Yapping?  I never knew how much hot air could come rolling in from our neighbors to the North.  I must say I have been educated, though, in the last 4 days or so.  Things I've learned:
1)Gagliardi/staff are unbeatable.  How they've ever lost a game is beyond me.
2)The Johnnies will win no matter what kind of game it becomes.  They score at will on turf and dominate track meets. 
3)Johnnies=Good...Central=Lucky. 

Teams make their own luck.  Were the Johnnies 'lucky' last year converting 4 of 6 4th downs?  I don't think so....I'd call that making plays.  Same goes with the Central teams of the last few years, especially this year...they've made plays when it counted.  Would I like to see more convincing wins and better stats?  Sure, but 11-0 and counting is fine with me.

Now go ahead and rattle off how history and stats favor SJU.  We all know what the score is on that front, but history is history and stats don't win games.  I'm looking forward to another great game on Saturday between two great teams/programs.

Developing...

I'm with dutchfan1 on this.  Let's put to bed the Wartburg-bashing.  They were a very good team that had one major slip-up really haunt them.  Let's move on and focus on the task at hand.  Does anyone have any info on Olivet?  Did I hear right that they won the tie-breaker over Hope to get in?

Quote from: footballdaddy on November 11, 2007, 03:11:18 PM
They were not the better team,they just played better when it counted.

Based on what...stats?  Doesn't playing better when it counts = being the better team?

Wartburg is a great team with an extremely stingy defense and playmakers on offense.  It's a shame as an IIAC fan that both these teams couldn't have made it to the playoffs, as I know WB is better than a good chunk of the teams that did make the field.  This could have happened if your so-called 'better team' would have taken care of business at home against the 'lucky' and apparently inferior Central team.    

Quote from: Dutchster on November 08, 2007, 07:18:58 PM
After hanging around here for several years, I feel compelled to post for the first time.  First, I highly doubt anyone has been promised anything as an incoming recruit at Central for a long...long time.  Second...90 down to 9 at Wartburg in 4 years?  If that rate of attrition is true, with all due respect to the success Wartburg has had, that sends up some red flags for me if I'm looking at playing football there.

I agree about the supposed 'promises' made by Central's staff.  FootballDaddy has (repeatedly) made it pretty clear that he was not a fan of his son's recruiting experience at Central, and his most recent comments about the staff promising playing time to keep kids there seem unbelievable to me as well.

Quote from: davedevine on November 07, 2007, 12:02:42 AM
as far as the WB-Central games-  from what I remember, it seems that one team will pretty much dominate for an entire half and then it will flip after half time or stay pretty even.

Walston, agree?  that's the way it seemed to me from 98-00' anyway, can't speak as much on the games since then. 

I'm not Walston, but I can say that the 02-05 were somewhat the same.  Momentum played a larger role in the Wartburg games that I was involved in than games we had with any other team.

02- Tight until the McIntyre(sp?) pick-6.
03 - Let's not go there.  Wartburg's d-line was absolutely sick.
04 - First play from scrimmage set the tone and it was an uphill battle from there.  Wartburg probably dominated the stats, but Central still had an opportunity to win it at the end.
05 - Both teams moved the ball well, but the kick return and blocked punts were huge for momentum.
06 - Wasn't playing, but I saw that one as more of a back and forth affair than a game with huge momentum shifts.  Wartburg just had too far to drive almost every time they got the ball, thanks to Vermeer.
07 - ? I expect a close game either way.  I've come to expect a close game (win) no matter who Central has on the schedule.

[quote author=knightlife06 link=topic=3785.msg800165#msg800165
Hate to say it but it was the tackle's fault.  After the first punt was blocked it set the tone for the rest of the game.  Anyone who doesn't think that momentum looms large in college football doesn't know the game.   
[/quote]

I know how big a factor momentum is in college football, but I still don't think you can blame all 3 punt blocks on the one guy.  By that logic, if a guy gives up a sack in the first quarter, he is then responsible for every sack given up the rest of the game, just because he 'set the tone'?

WH-
I realize everyone practices special teams.  I guess what i was trying to get at more was that it's not a secret punt-block scheme that no one can figure out, and that it is by no means 'unstoppable.'

Footballdaddy-
I think the punt block/special teams talk stemmed from the discussion of the last several Central/Wartburg games and wasn't intended (at least on my part) to imply that Central is gonna block 12 punts against Wartburg.  We can all toss around any stats we want, and that's about all we an do until kickoff.

I don't buy that it was one weak link that did the Wartburg punt team in that day.  The left tackle was hurt on the first punt, but the other two blocks came from the punter's right edge.  The last one was a result of a bad snap, but the right up-back was beaten twice. 

There's no secret formula to the Dutch special teams.  It is more a result of preparation/execution (read: repetition, repetition, repetition) and making sure the people on the field are able to get the job done. 

Quote from: lorbec47 on October 23, 2007, 10:30:15 AM
I couldn't even see what happened, all I know is that the result of the play would have made it 4 &15. That hurt bad.

I agree...that was a huge turn of events.  Extended the drive and led to a touchdown.  It looked like UD d-back thought he had a pick and spiked the ball in frustration with either himself or the official.  Nothing flagrant but as high as the ball bounced, I don't think the ref had any choice but to pull the flag.  Any idea of who instigated the second flag from the UD sideline?  I know the coach was out on the field a ways, but it could have been a comment from anywhere over there.

It was great being able to watch all 3 OT's up close from those bleachers, though.  I enjoy the fields where the crowd has the option to get right down by the field.  As much as Coe's playing surface needs work (which sounds like is in the works), it's great to walk the sidelines and watch the game up-close.  Love the field at Central, but I'd like to see bleachers right behind either goalpost.  I think the track/fence detaches the players and fans from each other.  UW-W has a great atmosphere with both the home and visitor fans right on top of the field. 

Quote from: lorbec47 on October 22, 2007, 09:09:11 AM
Having to listen to the 5 idiot, fat Central fans behind me all day was a real treat. Yelling about how the "Rhinos" were playing "Central football." Hey fellas, I hope a couple of you read this: SCHURING HAD 65 YARDS ON 25 CARRIES!

You are way off base on this one, Chief.  Yelling supportive comments to a young offensive line makes someone an idiot?  It's no mystery Central has struggled to run the ball all year, and two (admittedly fat) former o-linemen were just trying to encourage and fire up the young o-line.  I'm not sure why this ruffled your feathers.  Maybe the fact that the 65 YARDS ON 25 CARRIES was enough to beat your team?

I don't recall anyone yelling about playing "Central Football."  I do know that "UD Football" was used to describe the gift 1st down and 30 yards that resulted from consecutive unsportsmanlike conduct calls on the Spartans.  If this got under your skin, was it because you are sick of it as a UD fan? I know I'd be frustrated if my team gave the opponent new life on a drive and 30 yards, only because they couldn't keep their composure. 

The UD contingent in the front few rows of those bleachers showed a lot of class, I suppose?  Mocking a 7 year-old kid for cheering for his older brother on the field?  Calling out individuals by name and/or number, saying they suck?  Real original.  Oh, and the ever-popular (and decidedly premature) "over-rated" chant.  Real classy.  Which one were you, lorbec?

Bleacher antics aside, it was great game to watch.  Both teams fought extremely hard and had multiple opportunities to win.  Jackson is a stud, no doubt about it.  It's too bad he and UD won't have the opportunity to make some noise in the playoffs.  Central finds a way....again.  On to the next week.