FB: American Rivers Conference

[TheOne89.1]

Finally had a chance to thaw out after a cold, cold day in Wisconsin.  I will post later about the actual football game that I saw on the field.  As for the atmosphere and experience at Whitewater today...

I am taking off my orange tinted glasses to post this, but I was very VERY disappointed in the sportsmanship I saw from some players and fans (both sides).  I realize that due to visitors seating at UWW not being available today that the opposing teams fans sat right behind the home team.  Obviously there would be some words from Knight's fans to the Warhawk players.  I admit I have done my fair share of "razzing" an opponents players, but I don't ever recall shouting things like "d**chebag, d*ckhead, c*cksucker, etc.".  Unfortunately these words were overheard many times coming from the Wartburg student section.  I was even more surprised to see some of the UWW players talking back to the Knight fans, not sure if UWW coaches were unaware this was going on, but I assume they would not be pleased to know their players were more concerned with the crowd and not the game at times.  Then of course there was plenty of classless actions from a few Whitewater fans.  One guy just barely out of college and a guy in his forties both quite a few adult beverages into the game giving the Wartburg crowd the finger and acting as if Whitewater had never won a game before.  I won't even write my feelings toward the WIAC poster (former Knight player) who continued to show his classless personality at the end of the first half and into the second half.

Overall, I was ashamed today to say I graduated from Wartburg with the way some of our fans were acting.  Hopefully this isn't the trend D3 football and it's fans will start to follow.

[TheOne89.1]

Time for the actually game I saw today.  Congrats to UWW.  They are tough and definitely know how to win games.  Never really made any HUGE mistakes or turnovers and were great at turning Wartburg turnovers into points.  That is what wins you games.  Glad to see the Knights never gave up.  They came out firing in the second half and proved that this wasn't a "scrimmage" and hopefully shut-up a few people who said "Wartburg shouldn't even bother making the trip".  Just a few catches and obviously hitting the FG to tie instead of blocked and brought to the 50 and it could have been a totally different outcome.

Overall, great season for the Knights.  Way to win out the end of the regular season and win two playoff games for the first time in school history, usually when their backs were against the wall.  Congrats to Coach Willis for stepping in and having a big year at Wartburg.  Time to give these guys a few weeks rest before off season workouts begin and the work for next years conference championship starts.

[davedevine]

Dear Scottie,
RE: Walston Hoover's post: 

I believe he was just making a statement on what the line was supposedly set at  and how many people were smart enough to take WB & 24 points. "The 2.5 million credits" were probably fake money  &   I seriously doubt Vegas was taking bets on the game, but who knows.
  If they did, I can't fathom they would get very many bets because you have to be in person to place them out there and 95% of people don't even know these schools exist.   However, there are a lot of degenerates out there and for a playoff game 24 is a ridiculous number so maybe they did. 

"Jason Lansing, The SAFETY, had 13 tackles today including 4 for loss with 2 sacks."

the 4 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks  is a season's worth typically for a DB.   
I think he's got a good shot at being an  All-American- he  avg 10 tackles/game for a quarterfinal team.

Before people start talking about how a Safety shouldn't be making that many tackles,  WB's Defense is structured for safeties to make a ton of plays- and not 10-15 yds downfield

[AENeumann Jr]

Also many congrats to the knights this year, as a third year Wartburg student, but a lifelong wartburg fan, im anxious for next year to begin already.

We lose a lot of seniors, especially on defense, but im very hopeful for next year. With Yordi and boom/harvey and a handful of lineman starters back, it oculd be a great 2009 for the Knights!

Congrats to the seniors for getting that IIAC championship that had eluded them, and congrats to the coaching staff for fighting through the short off season

[Thunderbolt]

                                   Random thoughts on the day

The better team won.
A bunch of Knight Seniors realize the better team doesn't have to win. A couple missed tackles, a couple poor decisions, a couple mistakes  cost them a chance to beat the defending champs.
After watching Jason Lansing play four games and watching him in three others on the net, I love that kid.
Teams that want to make a serios run in the playoffs need to be able to run the ball and stop the run, period. (At least in the North.) Teams like Monmouth can have there fun in October and nice days in November, but to win in December requires a different makeup.

Congrats to Wartburg on a fine season and great playoff run. I will now burn my blaze orange hunting garb.
      GO NORSE!!!

[Purple Heys]

Final Stats-
Knights minus 3 in TO's and only get points 50% of time in Redzone.
1 time a fumbled snap on 2nd and goal from 3.

Willis picked the wrong game to bring in some of that Cornell influence. 

(Did I just write that?)   

[Purple Heys]

So...what does this all mean?

MUC, UW-W, and M-HB plus one other in the final four...no real shock.

Wheaton from the tough CCIW is very good but I guess we'll see if they really are in MUC's league.

[Purple Heys]

Next discussion point...

Did Wartburg rise to the occasion or wilt in the limelight this weekend?

[Purple Heys]

It was a unique perspective for youse on the Wartburg side.  Feeling that it was right there...that with a play here and a play there, the outcome is very different.

Welcome to my season for 5 out of 10 games for Cornell.   

[Purple Heys]

I wonder...had Wartburg played UW-W in the first part of the season would the game have been anywhere near as close?

My feeling is that the Kaniggets found their identity midway through the season.  A team like UW-W would have exposed them prior to that.

[Purple Heys]

I was wondering what happen to Vetter...did UW-W lock him down?  But then I read over on the WIAC board, that he sustained an ankle injury in the 1st Half.  Too bad.  Although the Kaniggets made do...your top receiver is tough to replace mid-game.

[Old Dutch]

I'll add my congrats to the Knights on the playoff run and a job well done up at Whitewater.  The shoulda woulda coulda game is fun to play and the turnovers plus Vetter's injury were killers.  Regardless, UWW is headed into a UMHB contest that looks like trouble with that score out of the south.

The IIAC is now above 40% wins in the d3 playoff tally and most impressive about it is that Wartburg did not stroll through the conference, it appears several teams are rising towards that caliber of play.

We've got three more games to watch;  any IIAC posters going to Salem?  Thats one venue I'd like to get to

[Old Dutch]

Speaking of venues, here's my list:

ALL IIAC schools
Willy Penn (reminded me a lot of a High School venue?  oh wait . . .  it is!)
UIU (both old and new).
Northwestern (IA)
Augustana
Bethel
Whitewater
North Central
Eureka (college visit)
Illinois Wesleyan
Drake

then there's the big guys
Kinnick
Jack Trice
UNI Dome
Camp Randall (most fun!)
Memorial Stadium (U of M's last on campus venue, vs the Badgers in the snow, was not safe being a Badger fan with all those snow balls)
Arrowhead

[Klompen]

How many D3 stadiums have you been to?  25 plus, I know I have to have missed several, just can't remember all of them.

List them as well. 
Schipper Stadium (Favorite!    )
Wm Penn
Simpson
Wartburg
Luther
Loras
BV
Upper Iowa
Dubuque
Cornell
Coe
Augustana - IL
Colorado College
Nebraska Wesleyan
WI La Crosse
WI Whitewater
St Thomas
Gustavus Adolphus
Bethel
Washington University
Dayton - was DIII - slaughtered us and had rude fans
Concordia - Moorehead
Hope
Stagg bowls in King's Island Ohio and Phoenix City, Alabama - not necessarily DIII stadiums

How many states have you seen a D3 game?  At least 9 and Australia

How many different D3 stadiums did you see in 1 season?  12 - though one was a HS field in Alabama

Same questions...but add in all college football stadiums. 
ISU
Iowa
Northwestern - OC
Again, I'm sure there are more, just can't remember them all.
[/quote]

[DBQ1965]

Now that the last IIAC team has finished its season ... there are only 333 days until the 2009 kickoff!

As far as venues for me are concerned ...

IIAC schools ... including Parsons, William Penn and Upper Iowa but excluding Coe, Cornell and Loras ..."the olden days."

UW Platteville
Bethel, Minnesota
Eureka
Wheaton
Hope
Olivet
Alma
Springfield, Mass.
American International, Mass.

O. R. Latham Stadium
UConn (campus stadium ... not their new one)
UMass
Yale Bowl
Memorial Stadium, Lincoln
Memorial Stadium, Lansing
Memorial Stadium, Champaign
Memorial Stadium, Cal-Berkeley
Memorial Stadium, University of the Pacific (no longer plays football)
Camp Randall, Madison
Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City (back in the days of Mike Reilly)
Metrodome - U. of Minnesota
L.A. Coliseum - USC
"Big House", Ann Arbor
Norte Dame Stadium


SPARTANS FOREVER!