FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[TUAngola]

Alma is the real deal...or Trine isn't...probably a combination of the 2.  Alma 40 Trine 21.  Alma has a couple of terrific Freshman that were the players of the game.  QB Carter St. John has very good accuracy.  Trine's secondary played very soft and let Alma throw the ball in the flat all day.  It was easy pitch and catch and our defensive staff was stubborn to make any adjustments.  RB Eddie Williams is also outsanding with good quickness and shiftiness.  Alma's defense is very good at creating turnovers and had 4 today plus a sack of Trine QB Alex Price in the end zone for a safety.  This result will undoubtedly open a lot of eyes in the rest of the conference.

[Stinger]

Alma is the real deal...or Trine isn't...probably a combination of the 2.  Alma 40 Trine 21.  Alma has a couple of terrific Freshman that were the players of the game.  QB Carter St. John has very good accuracy.  Trine's secondary played very soft and let Alma throw the ball in the flat all day.  It was easy pitch and catch and our defensive staff was stubborn to make any adjustments.  RB Eddie Williams is also outsanding with good quickness and shiftiness.  Alma's defense is very good at creating turnovers and had 4 today plus a sack of Trine QB Alex Price in the end zone for a safety.  This result will undoubtedly open a lot of eyes in the rest of the conference.

Carter is the son of former K bball PG Steve St. John.  Finally won the starting job going into this week. 

[HOPEful]

Not impossible they get two, but I stand by it being not very likely.

My money is on Albion running the table and Trine losing another one, either to Hope, Adrian, or Olivet. Then it's a moot argument.

Or just losing to Alma... I did not see that coming. Alma and Adrian completely dismantling the preseason favorites to contend with Albion for the MIAA. 

Hope's defense feels like it's regressing, not improving as the season goes on. Hope put together one nice drive in the second quarter against Adrian going the length of the field after incepting them on the 6 yard line. It was their only TD for the day.

I think Adrian and Alma are better than they're given credit for and Trine and Hope are both not as good as advertised. Maybe the schedule maker knew more than any of us, since Albion at Alma on November 12th could very well be a de facto conference championship game the last regularly season game of the year.

[TUAngola]

Week 2 conference games completed.

Albion looked terrific against Hope.  Bush to Tocco is a lethal combo.  Tocco made wise choice switching from basketball to football.  Bush with sort of an unorthodox throwing motion bringing ball completely behind his head, but it is very effective and accurate.  I don't think anyone else in the MIAA will be able to hang with the Brits.

Trine with ugly win against Adrian.  Both offenses were offensive.  Adrian with 4 big turnovers and that was the difference. 

Olivet runs over Kzoo.

Next week finds Hope@Alma, Trine@Olivet, and Kzoo@Adrian.  Big games for the Scots and Comets to keep pace with Albion.

[TUAngola]

Week 3 MIAA games are complete:  Alma over Hope, Trine over Olivet, Adrian over Kalamazoo.

Alma hangs on with big win over Hope, remain in first tied with Albion.  Trine comes back from 15 pt deficit in 3rd quarter to win an exciting game at Olivet in 3OT.  QB Alex Price was outstanding for the Thunder, his accuracy is night/day better than he has ever shown.  Olivet would have been in a 3way tie for first with a victory but couldn't close it out.

Next week finds Albion @ Trine, Alma @ Kalamazoo, and Olivet @ Hope.  Huge game for Trine if they want to at least claim a share of the conference title.  A win by Albion eliminates Trine and could possibly set us a season ending showdown with Alma for the championship.  I still think Albion is a notch above everyone else in the conference. 

[TUAngola]

Heartbreak in Angola for the Trine Thunder.  Outplayed Albion all day, our defense was big time.  But 2 big plays turned the tide in the second quater for the Brits.  Albion with a pick six midway thru the quarter, and then just before half we had a bad snap on a punt and our punter couldn't gather in the snap and Albion tackled him on the 5 yard line.  Two plays later a shovel pass to Tocco tied the game going into the half.  Very deflating.

Second half we controlled the clock but only came away with field goals.  Against Albion you can't do that.  Albion only with one drive of any significance in the second half, took the opening kick and drove it for a touchdown.  Other than that our defense was solid.  We had on final drive in the last couple minutes...picked up 3 first downs to get the ball in Albion territory but on a 3rd down Price rolled out and fired a pass on the run over the middle but didn't see Albion's safety who had an easy pick.  Ballgame.

The guys played their hearts out against the 22nd ranked team, but just wasn't meant to be today.

[GoKnights68]

Football is coming to Calvin..

https://calvin.edu/news/archive/football-is-coming-to-calvin-university

[ziggy]

Hello? Is this my new home?

[TUAngola]

Football is coming to Calvin..

https://calvin.edu/news/archive/football-is-coming-to-calvin-university

This is awesome news!  It's always been awkward with just 7 MIAA institutions with football progams.  During conference play each team has a bye week which isn't ideal.  Finlandia was a football only member for a few years but that didn't work out for the Lions.  I wonder what the time frame is for Calvin football to begin competition?

[KnightSlappy]

Football is coming to Calvin..

https://calvin.edu/news/archive/football-is-coming-to-calvin-university

This is awesome news!  It's always been awkward with just 7 MIAA institutions with football progams.  During conference play each team has a bye week which isn't ideal.  Finlandia was a football only member for a few years but that didn't work out for the Lions.  I wonder what the time frame is for Calvin football to begin competition?

The news release says fall of 2023 but I can't imagine playing games 10 months from now with no coach even in place. Who knows, but I'd bet on first games in 2024 with a JV-ish team of mostly freshmen.

[Pat Coleman]

Yeah. Their news release is intentionally vague. I think our reporting might add to that:
https://d3football.com/notables/2022/10/calvin-to-add-football

[TUAngola]

It took Calvin adding football for the MIAA football board to start blowing up.  There's been more activity today than in the past few years combined. 

[Ralph Turner]

Yeah. Their news release is intentionally vague. I think our reporting might add to that:
https://d3football.com/notables/2022/10/calvin-to-add-football

Great News! I can imagine that the Hope fans are the second happiest fans in Michigan!

[Grutte Dirk]

Any chance the MIAA presidents/ ADs would allow Holland v. Calvin to end the season yearly?

[ziggy]

Any chance the MIAA presidents/ ADs would allow Holland v. Calvin to end the season yearly?

Wow. Literally came to this board this morning to pose this exact question as it just came to mind. I come humbly to ask because I don't know anything about how the conference has handled scheduling or if it would have any intention of setting up Calvin-Hope football at the end of the season like Michigan-Ohio State. One of the interesting things about rivalries in college football is some have consistent traditional dates and some don't.

(I should also add that I don't take for granted that Calvin will create a football program out of nothing then quickly build a program that makes a final week rivalry game especially important beyond the rivalry itself.)