FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[BoBo]

retagent - if you find out how much at a later time, please pass it along. I realize SJU doesn't travel for NC games past Eau Claire or River Falls, but I thought I'd ask you anyway.

Nothing wrong with a cupcake or two.  The Hawks have enjoyed chomping on a Lakeland/St.Norberts cupcake over the last few years.  Atleast, the Johnnies are one of the few teams left that are still willing to play a WIAC team even if it does tend to be from the lower tier of the conference.

OK, agreed, Lakeland/SNU have been cupcakes for the 'hawks, but they did make the playoffs - so let's call them playoff cupcakes.  Don't they taste a little sweeter than your basic, run of the mill cupcakes?  One big difference, though, the 'hawks do go on the road. 

Meant to get over here before the season started but didn't have a chance.  I enjoyed the discussion with all the UWW posters on this board and the OAC board leading up to and after the title game last year.  Just wanted to wish you the best of luck and hopefully we'll be talking about another rematch this winter.

Welcome back to the board and thanks for the well wishes. Good luck to LK and the Raiders this season.  Will be watching and rooting for Kmic to only rush for 2551 yards this season! Can't beat the Beav's record!  Refreshing to read a post from a MUC fan that doesn't end with, "we are going to kick your a$$,"  isn't it, boys?     

Considering the chatter (or lack of it  ) on here, I'm willing to read anything, from anybody. I've looked at some of the other stuff in geographically nearby conferences, but for my money, it's not that attractive to me.  I'm kind of perplexed when I think about the lack of anything substantial being discussed on this board.  There's a game on Saturday with the preseason #1 and #2 in the WIAC, but there appears to be a prohibition on discussion.  I'm sorry, but did someone send out a memo without putting one in my box?.  Maybe, it's the calm before the storm, I don't know.     It is quite baffling, though.  Anybody else in WIAC land wondering a similar thing?

I got so board yesterday, I started reading the WIAC board from page 1. I wasn't around at that time, but it was rather entertaining, much more so than some of the other stuff out there.  I got up to about page 50.  Whatever happened to all those Eau Claire posters and those from Point, Platteville and Oshkosh, too? The Linfield guys were quite hilarious.  I guess something happened a few months later to quiet them down  .  But, anyway, it seemed like good, clean fun.  I think I'll keep reading.

[retagent]

I'd be willing to read some info about UW River Falls, if there's anyone on here who has any.

[footballfan413]

Yes, BoBo, both made it into the play-offs but as automatic qualifiers.  Conference Champion of a cupcake league still makes you a cupcake.   

I have noticed a corrolation between the more success the Warhawks have, the less posters that come on the thread from other programs.  I didn't start reading until the 05 season.  Up until then, the WIAC had such parity with UWW and LAX usually duking it out for the top spot.  They played each other the last game of the season to decide the Conference Championship in 03 and 04 and LAX won both years.  It was quite lively on here.  Then the Warhawks started to dominate the WIAC the last 3 years.  When they started making noise at the national level, our opponents who had enjoyed success in that area would usually join us for some fun.  But as the Hawks continued to climb and prove that this was no fluk, culminating in the National Championship title, the banter slowly died down.  It could be considered a sign of respect, I guess, but makes for a lot less lively exchanges on here.  When parity returns so will many of the posters, I suspect.  Hope that doesn't sound arrogant, just my observation.

retagent.................Wish I could help ya but only have a suggestion.  Find a safety/corner that can shut down Michael Zweifel.   Oh, and................good luck with that!   

[natecook59]

I'd be willing to read some info about UW River Falls, if there's anyone on here who has any.

RF lost a few key players but has a young team looking to improve as they continue to work out the kinks of the new offense.  Harmon is back at QB and should be a great senior leader along with Witte on the O-Line.  There appears to be some retooling on the O-Line as some seniors have graduated.  Zweifel is of course back again to hopefully match the production he had last year.  Key loss on offense to graduation is the RB Nate Anderson.  Looks as though RF has a few young players ready to step up there.  RF has a long tradition of finding great running backs and that shouldn't change.

On defense, RF is smaller on the D-Line, but overall has a quick defense that will look to swarm the ball carrier. 

Overall, RF is young but should be improving from last year.  It's just a matter of whether or not the young players who are stepping in are going to be able to step up or not.

[natecook59]

Yes, BoBo, both made it into the play-offs but as automatic qualifiers.  Conference Champion of a cupcake league still makes you a cupcake.   

I have noticed a corrolation between the more success the Warhawks have, the less posters that come on the thread from other programs.  I didn't start reading until the 05 season.  Up until then, the WIAC had such parity with UWW and LAX usually duking it out for the top spot.  They played each other the last game of the season to decide the Conference Championship in 03 and 04 and LAX won both years.  It was quite lively on here.  Then the Warhawks started to dominate the WIAC the last 3 years.  When they started making noise at the national level, our opponents who had enjoyed success in that area would usually join us for some fun.  But as the Hawks continued to climb and prove that this was no fluk, culminating in the National Championship title, the banter slowly died down.  It could be considered a sign of respect, I guess, but makes for a lot less lively exchanges on here.  When parity returns so will many of the posters, I suspect.  Hope that doesn't sound arrogant, just my observation.

retagent.................Wish I could help ya but only have a suggestion.  Find a safety/corner that can shut down Michael Zweifel.   Oh, and................good luck with that!   

I think we'll see some more parity return to the WIAC this year.  I have a hard time believing that in this conference, one team will be able to dominate year after year.  Whitewater is going to be good again, but I do not see them going undefeated through the conference again.  You are right though, once some of the other teams that are close to the top start actually competing for a conference championship again, we'll see some of the posters for other teams come back again.

[TC]

retagent - if you find out how much at a later time, please pass it along. I realize SJU doesn't travel for NC games past Eau Claire or River Falls, but I thought I'd ask you anyway.

Not sure how much St. John's paid ETBU, but I'm sure it was an amount that made the game mutually beneficial, financially, for both teams.  It was a one year agreement, based on both teams having an open date on that weekend.  I'm not sure who backed out on who to make that so, but it was my understanding that neither team was looking for more than a one year commitment. 

Nothing wrong with a cupcake or two.  The Hawks have enjoyed chomping on a Lakeland/St.Norberts cupcake over the last few years.  Atleast, the Johnnies are one of the few teams left that are still willing to play a WIAC team even if it does tend to be from the lower tier of the conference.

OK, agreed, Lakeland/SNU have been cupcakes for the 'hawks, but they did make the playoffs - so let's call them playoff cupcakes.  Don't they taste a little sweeter than your basic, run of the mill cupcakes?  One big difference, though, the 'hawks do go on the road. 

It's been said a bunch of times, but I'll reiterate: the best possible non-conference game for St. John's is one that they can win comfortably enough to be able to get the bottom half of the annually massive roster some game action.  The easiest way to accomplish that would be to do what they were forced/chose to do in 2003 and 2004, destroy an utterly overmatched team from the UMAC like Northwestern or Clown College.  Instead, their non-conference schedule from the last 3 seasons has included 4 games against WIAC schools, an OAC school, and an ASC school--three pretty damn strong conferences.  Say what you want about their unwillingness to travel beyond Eau Claire or River Falls for a non-conference game or scheduling lower-tier teams, at least they schedule from power conferences.

Because of their large roster, stadium setting and crowd, and unique practice style, the Johnnies have every reason in the world to schedule as many NC games at home as possible.  It's the best way to get as many players live game action as possible while maximizing revenue in what is already a short season. 

After the Johnnies looked flat against ETBU, who thinks the Falcons have a legitimate shot at winning this week?

[janesvilleflash]

I do.

[BoBo]

OK, TC, fair enough...retagent - your off the hook!

I picked the johns in the pick'em, but it's really a toss-up the way I see it...in fact, I wish I could change my pick, come to think of it!! 

[footballfan413]

OK, TC, fair enough...retagent - your off the hook!

I picked the johns in the pick'em, but it's really a toss-up the way I see it...in fact, I wish I could change my pick, come to think of it!! 

Go ahead if you are serious. I was given permission once last season to change a pick after posting it and it has already been granted to a poster this season.  As long as the picks are solid by kick off and posters don't get carried away so that it becomes a headache for Nate, it is fine with me if it is fine with him. 

[BoBo]

I was debating over changing it when I made that post, but I'm now comfortable with the original selection and have no plans on changing.

[footballfan413]

I was debating over changing it when I made that post, but I'm now comfortable with the original selection and have no plans on changing.

Smart man.  The Johnnies tend to look a little disheveled the first game most seasons as it appears they did last weekend and while an upset is surely possible, highly doubtful that RF's can pull it off in Collegeville, IMHO.

[TC]

You sure, Bobo?  The Johnnies' All-America defensive tackle Nick Gunderson is out for the season with a blown knee.  Might as well hop on and drive the UW-RF bandwagon early in the week while things are looking good...

[magician]

I think w/ St Johns having a game under their belt, that they will be sharper than  last week.  However, having seen the Falcons a few times this year in practice and the scrimmage, they will be solid.  Smaller up front on both sides but quicker and a little more disciplined.  IMO they will give St Johns all they want if they stay in it early.  GO RF.

[retagent]

If I can go on past experience, I would guess that Zweifel will get his completions and yards. The Johnnies will either  allow that, or if they see that if they shut him down, they force RF to options that will not be productive. They will try to get pressure on the QB, and/or put two DB's on "Z Man." Even without Gunderson, which is a big loss, they have talent on "D" and will come up to the challenge. I predict a fairly high scoring game, maybe 35 - 24 or some such.

[badgerwarhawk]

Stealth,  I believe the WARHAWK/EC game does count in the conference standings and the second meeting later in the season is the nonconference matchup.  It was originally intended to be a nonconference game but I'm pretty sure I remember reading that the two were switched around.