FB: American Rivers Conference

[Alfredeneumann]

Coe Field
If Coe doesn't want to foot the bill for fieldturf themselves, they should partner with the city and install it @ Kingston Stadium. That field is used for 4-6 high school games/week and usually is a wreck by this time of year as well or sooner.

1 drawback would be it would have the yellow soccer lines too because the HS use it for soccer as well. But Coe needs soccer field as well.

Just my $.02

WH how luck are you that little Hoover sleeps  'til 0500?

[Dsquared]

Coe needs to adopt the Jack R. Ohle ideal when it comes to their institution.  Appearance is everything!  Substance might be a close 2nd, but it is still 2nd.  It seems like a tough sell with the location of the college, especially the football field, to get funding for a project like that... but isn't it worth it to take your football program to the "next level".  I haven't been to Pella in quite some time, but last I was there it was still grass on the field.  Truth-be-told, with the Big Ten-like style of play in the IIAC, I can't believe 80% of the institutions don't switch over to field turf. 

Alfred... what are Mike Taestro's (sp?) feelings about upkeep on field turf?

[Charlie Kohawk]

What kind of shape is Coe's field in today? Will they be able to play anything there the rest of the year? Any thoughts of Fieldturf in the offseason? Sounds like it was in pretty sad shape Saturday?

Rectangular.
There's a football game scheduled for Nov. 4.
Yes.
Indeed, but I think that favored Wartburg's style of play. (Not making excuses here, just stating an opinion.)

[The Show]

Show-- After talking to the Kuemper coach, it sounds like JS made all the big plays on Friday night. After watching BV/Loras on Saturday, the Beavers made all the big plays too. If I were you I would have gone straight to a casino after the game. Not that your teams didn't made their own luck, but you've got a streak going. I tip my hat to your teams.

Had the Hawkeyes came through at the Big House, I was off to buy a lottery ticket... 

It didn't help Kuemper that their QB threw as many completions to one of our DB's as he did to the rest of his WR's.

Sounded like the Beavers came out firing.  I think Hawkins is one of the best QB's in the conference IF given the time to throw.

[Alfredeneumann]

D2
What's not to like up fieldturf maintenance? The only thing Mikey does before a game is make 24 trips across the field with a 15' wide drag w/ tines  attachment to the tractor that flufs up the black rubber pebbles. Instead of spending a day mowing and collecting clippings, thew hoping for a somewhat warm dry day to paint with all the work that they did mixing paint etc.  Plus all the work they were having to do all summer. Sometimes mowing 2 times/wk.

How'd you play @ HC Alumni outting?

[dbljay21]

WH and Floyd,
Since you two are the top researchers on this board, I would like to know a couple of things that might shed some light on the struggles for the Norse this year. 
1. Turnover margin since 2003 by year
2. Turnovers in the redzone this year
3. Redzone efficiency this year both offensively and defensively

Anyone who has been around the conference since the Coach Hefty era at Luther knows that the offense has changed drastically.  For some reason, the Norse have been able to move the ball almost at will on offense this season but have not been able to capitalize on their opportunities inside the redzone.  At least, this is what we have mentioned on this board all season long.  Do the numbers reflect our thoughts about the Norse offense and their inability to score in the redzone?  Or is there something else going on in Decorah that needs to be addressed if the Norse are going to compete for an IIAC title in the future?

[DutchFan2004]

dbljay21,

I don't know if this helps, but when I watched the Norse offense they ran a lot of hitch paterns to Pearson when they played Central.  The corner would drop to his zone and pearson would just stay at the line of scrimage.  They would get nice gains with the route.  Well when you get down into the red zone there isn't the ground to defend and then the receivers are covered.  Maybe they need to work on other plays to score with.  Just a thought.  The Dutch really play that bend but don't break type of D.  The D really gets stiff and hard to move on in the red zone.  From the IIAC web site

Luther right now is 7th in Red Zone offense

26 out of 38 trips with points
17 TD's  9 FG with 4 missed FG
2 fumbles 2 INTs 4 on Downs

The other stat I found interesting is the top 3 Red Zone D's have only allowed 1 pass each the rest have been runs.  Maybe that is the telling stat.  Luther has to get better at the run?  Maybe this helps.

[Walston Hoover]

Don't have time to do that right now, but it really doesn't take too much time. All Stats back to 2001 are on iowaconference.com

[Dsquared]

Alfie...

Jane put me with QUITE the doozy of a group out there.  They hit the ball like I did the summer before coming under your tutelage at the auditorium of your namesake.  Started on #15, was -1 going in to #1 because I made a 25-footer on 17 for bird and chipped within 2 ft on 18 to save par.  Had to hit driver to cut through the wind on #2, escaped the front at -2, ended the day even.  I was responsible for all but 1 putt on our 4 birdies (knocked a GW stiff on #1, someone else ran up for the putt), and every hole I had 1 bad shot on, we bogeyed.  I shot 4th all day... probably would've shot 77 alone.

[Alfredeneumann]

D2
Too bad you don't have ANY friends who would want to tee it up w/ you ....maybe next year we can put together an namesake group.

Did you talk to Jane's kid out there or over the weekend?

[Walston Hoover]

A little lunchtime fun
(Team Name) Football 2006: (Slogan)
Central: We don't need style points
Luther: Losing is our destiny
Coe: What the?
Wartburg: We'll all be back next year
Simpson: We beat Luther
BV: Maybe they'll pay attention
Cornell: New Uniform. New Offense. New Coach. Same Result
Loras: We played 1 good game
Dubuque: Speed Kills....the bad teams.

[Charlie Kohawk]

My head hurts, so I'm letting my heart make my picks this week:

Luther over Cornell
Dubuque over Simpson
BV over Wartburg
Loras over Central

[Floyd in Iowa City]

I would like to know a couple of things that might shed some light on the struggles for the Norse this year. 
1. Turnover margin since 2003 by year
2. Turnovers in the redzone this year

Year - Turnover margin
2006 - (-1)
2005 - even
2004 - (+7)
2003 - (+8)

The Norse are actually protecting the ball now better than in previous years, but in a previous post I noted how much fewer turnovers are now being forced by the defense compared to 2003 or 2004.  The Hawkeyes are having the same problems, and I think the turnovers or lack of them are not bad luck but rather that neither program is playing defense at the same level the last two years.

I believe the Norse turnovers in the red zone were two INTs against St. Olaf, a Bass fumble in OT against Central, and Pearson's "fumble" against Simpson as he was going into the end zone.

[Walston Hoover]

They also came away with no points on 1 or even 2 trips in the redzone against Wartburg.
They are not the only team to do that this year though as in 13 trips inside the redzone, Wartburg has given up 6 scores for just over 46%.
5 of the 10 TD's Wartburg has given up have been more than 20 yards.
Conversely, the Wartburg Offense has scored 15 of 18 tds in the redzone. Not quite the Koehler Offense I was expecting, but quite effective the way they can run the ball.

[Dsquared]

Oh Charlie... you aren't THAT far out of the running to win the conference pick'em this year.  Why'd you go and make those CRAZY picks for this week?  Just think... if your 'hawks had defended their home turf, they'd be undefeated this year.  No business winning conference when you have the most favorable schedule of the year (Loras, WB, BV and Central at home).  WB had the toughest schedule and still is in the midst of the hunt... and Central has taken care of business until this point.

Anyway, off my soapbox... here are my picks for the week...

Luther over Cornell
Dubuque over Simpson
WB over BVU (good run Beavers... unfortunately the run ends with the Knights D clicking in Storm Lake)
Central over Loras... where oh where have the Duhawks gone?

Blackout Saturday in IA City.  I'll be there with Lou and T-Ret sporting the Blackout Tshirt... that's right WH and Alfie... I've officially given up hope AND renounced my allegiance to ISU.  If Pollard cleans house, I'll think about cheering for them again.  Until then, I'll watch the Hawks (and Jake Christensen) have an early struggle with NIU, but end up pulling away.

As for ISU, I really don't know who they play this week (maybe KSU)?  Wildcats take it to the Clones and avenge 2 years of losses in Manhattan and get their 2nd conference win of the year.  Wave bye bye to a bowl game Clowns!