Long time UNW offensive coordinator Bryan Johnson has announced his retirement after 29 years at UNW.
https://unweagles.com/news/2023/12/18/coach-johnson-announces-retirement-from-unw-football-coaching-staff.aspx

UMAC goes 4-2 on opening weekend?  How unUMAC like. 

MN - Morris wins on a go ahead TD with less than two minutes to go to win at home 17-16 over Macalester.  Hansen had Macalester as a slight favorite.

Martin Luther Slaps Lawrence 35-7.  28 point margin for the home team was 10 more than Hansen predicted.

Westminster dominates 23-3 over Manchester.  This was a serious upset as Hansen had them as a 6 point dog. 

Greenville whips Concordia-Chicago 54-23 on opening day for GUs new football facility.  GU far exceeded the spread projection of -7.6.  GUs freshman QB went off throwing for 245 and 2 TDs and running for 171 and 4 more TDs.

St. Olaf beat Northwestern by 18 which was right in line with Hansen's 17.7 line.  Hamline beat Crown by 21 which was also right on Hansen's number of 20.9. 

 

New facility? Do tell!

Here is an engineering article from the time the project was launched.  The project, while not totally complete, will be done very soon.  During the football broadcast Dr. Faulkner kept referring to new facilities, how nice the concourse was, etc. 

https://www.prairieengineers.com/pages/58156e963a7545369fc37c8ef276a5c3

This is going to be great for Football and Baseball.  Baseball, a close geographic neighbor to football, has done a gut rehab of their facilities, new turf, new dugouts, bullpens, etc. https://www.instagram.com/gupanthers/p/C_npQTuunay/?img_index=1

In addition, a baseball museum was put in to house the baseball collection of the recently deceased, former President of GU and former President of USA Baseball and World Baseball Association, Dr. Robert "Ish" Smith. https://www.usabaseball.com/news/usa-baseball-mourns-the-passing-of-robert-ish-smith 

Lastly, the school also built a new 240 student dorm which has a good size workout space although I don't know how much (if at all) this will be used by football. 
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-tUEhsONJs/

5 road games for the UMAC this week.  Only one favorite with GU looking to knock off a second NACC opponent. 

Week 2

GU (-8) at Eureka  - I'll take GU and the points.
UM-M (+6) at Hamline - UM-M to cover. 
Westminster (+25) at Sewanee - Westmin to cover.
Martin Luther (+10) at Macalester - ML will win outright.
Crown (+25) at Simpson - Crown will not cover.
Bethel (-48) at Northwestern (MN) - Northwestern will be lucky if Bethel takes their foot off the gas and not win by 60. Simpson to cover the 48.

Quote from: GU1999 on September 11, 2024, 04:08:57 PM5 road games for the UMAC this week.  Only one favorite with GU looking to knock off a second NACC opponent. 

Week 2

GU (-8) at Eureka  - I'll take GU and the points. [Cover. GU wins by 20]
UM-M (+6) at Hamline - UM-M to cover. [UM-M covered -5] 
Westminster (+25) at Sewanee - Westmin to cover. [did not cover]
Martin Luther (+10) at Macalester - ML will win outright. [ML does indeed win outright 10-7]
Crown (+25) at Simpson - Crown will not cover. [Crown does not cover.  Loses by 38]
Bethel (-48) at Northwestern (MN) - Northwestern will be lucky if Bethel takes their foot off the gas and not win by 60. Bethel to cover the 48.

Bethel was indeed generous to Northwestern.  After scoring to make it 49-0 with 11+ minutes left in the third, they did not score for the rest of the game and won 49-3, thereby not covering. 

Pretty safe to say that I killed it last week.  And the fact that approximately zero people read the UMAC board empowers me to say just that. 

Here we go for my second week trying to predict week #3.  Into the vast UMAC void I do prognosticate...

My GU Panthers giving up 55.5 to UW-RF (@ UWRF).  I think that GU covers, but arely.  something like 63-10.

Stout (-39.4) hosting Northwestern.  Give me Stout to cover.  Stout 54-6.

Westmin hosting William Woods (-5.6)  Give me Woods to cover.  Woods 31-20. 

Martin Luther hosts Augsburg (-17.5) ML keeps this one close but loses.  28-24.

Crown hosts St. Scolastica (-13)  Crown also keeps it close but loses 24-13

UM-M goes to Carleton (-24.9) and get WAXED.  Give me Carleton by 42.  48-6.
 

 - Off Week -

Obligatory Nicholas Morrow (GU '17) wins the Superbowl as an Eagles LB (primarily playing special teams). 

James Gladstone (WestMO) tabbed as GM of the Jaguars.