FB: American Rivers Conference

[footballdaddy]

Good Luck to everyone today. Everyone stay healthy.

[warthog]

Apparently footballdaddy couldn't sleep the night before the big game.


The cooler is filled with Pepsi products.   

Mrs. Warthog and I are getting the Wartmobile packed and will be heading out to Tuliptown in the next half hour or so.  We'll stop in Kalona for breakfast and make an early arrival in Pella.  Mrs. Warthog thinks we should spend some Knight Dollars in downtown Pella before heading over to campus.  She can shop, I'll just get a bag of Dutch Letters and wait.  It should be a great day for a game. 

Everyone drive carefully.  Now that harvest is winding down combines and tractors are mostly off the roads, but the whitetail deer still think they can out run a vehicle doing 70 mph.

[coocooforcoekohawk]

Apparently footballdaddy couldn't sleep the night before the big game.


The cooler is filled with Pepsi products.   

Mrs. Warthog and I are getting the Wartmobile packed and will be heading out to Tuliptown in the next half hour or so.  We'll stop in Kalona for breakfast and make an early arrival in Pella.  Mrs. Warthog thinks we should spend some Knight Dollars in downtown Pella before heading over to campus.  She can shop, I'll just get a bag of Dutch Letters and wait.  It should be a great day for a game. 

Everyone drive carefully.  Now that harvest is winding down combines and tractors are mostly off the roads, but the whitetail deer still think they can out run a vehicle doing 70 mph.

What a beautiful description of a great day of Iowa small college football...
...go Dutch!

[5 Words or Less]

What determines an assisted tackle?

[hazzben]

What determines an assisted tackle?

Usually when the box score lists a tackle in the 'assisted' column versus the 'solo' column 

Here's the official rule from the 2009 Football Statisticians Manual:

SOLO TACKLE: If a ball carrier is stopped solely or primarily
because of the effort of one defensive player, that
player should be credited with a solo or unassisted tackle.
Not more than one solo tackle can be credited on any
one play. Tackles for losses and pass sacks should result
in a player getting credit for that action and a solo tackle.
NOTE: When a player trips or falls without any contact
from a defensive player, or contact from a teammate, a
tackle may not be (given to an individual(s)) awarded.

ASSISTED TACKLE: If two defensive players contribute
equally to the stopping of a ball carrier, credit both players
with an assisted tackle, but give neither a solo tackle.
NOTE: In a situation in which there is not a solo tackle,
there should not be more than two assists credited except
in rare instances. In other words, on any given play
one of the following may be credited: (1) one solo tackle,
or (2) two assisted tackles. Only in the rarest of cases
would more than two assisted tackles be credited.

In reality, I think this can be a lot of conjecture. A lot depends on who records the tackles in the press box and what his philosophy is (i.e. does he even know this rule and how sharp a football eye does he have watching the game live) and whether coaches go back and review/make changes after watching film.

For example, in the case of elite defenses that swarm well to the ball, how often is the assist simply given to last two guys emerging from the pile of players at the end of the play because the stats man didn't see who got their first

[AZDutchman]

Congratulations to Wartburg on their win!

Thank you to the Dutch for a great season! 

[hazzben]

Congratulations to Wartburg on their win!

Thank you to the Dutch for a great season! 

The West Region just got a little more interesting. UWW, UST & Wartburg should all finish out unbeaten. Coe, Bethel, Linfield, Cal Lutheran, PLU are all in a dog fight for Pool C. Interesting to see how some of these close games out on the West coast finish up today...

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Congrats to Trevor Theobald in his final home game for Luther as he played great in the 30-23 win over the Spartans.  He had a great INT to close out the game, but the entire 4th quarter he was playing very physical around the line of scrimmage.  He had a lot of injuries during his five years in Decorah, but he was a good player with lots of athletic ability.

The 2nd annual Luther Coaching Search bowl was won by the Norse, so it now stands 1-1 between the final two candidates in the 2008-09 coaching search.

Luther is the definition of a .500 program at this point, but they have a chance for a 6-4 mark with a 5-3 IIAC record next week against Loras.  Here are the seasons since 2002:

4-6
6-4
6-4
6-4
2-8
5-5
5-5
5-5
5-4 (with the Loras game next week)

By the way, congrats to Wartburg for extending the streak in Waverly over the Norse last week.  Iowa against Indiana today and Luther against Wartburg last week both showed how you can out gain the opposition by over a 100 yards, pick up around 450 total offense, only turn the ball over once and still only score 18 points.  The difference was that Luther was playing a better team as Indiana just dropped the ball at the end against the Hawks.

Congrats to Wartburg for winning today as well.

[Klompen]

Congratulations to Wartburg on their win today.  It isn't easy to beat Central at home.  Unlike the Coe game, I didn't walk away knowing the better team won.  Not saying Central was the better team, I don't know that either team stood out from the other one.  Wartburg did what they had to do when they had to do it and that's what counts.  I thought both defenses played better than the offenses today.  Wish that the Wartburg offense would have had to actually put together a real drive on their first two TD's as Central mistakes lead to give-me TD's.   It would not have changed the outcome, but I would have felt better about not winning.     The second one was really hard to take as I thought Central should have gone for it on fourth down instead of punting with less than a yard to go.  In a big game, you have to go for it when you get those chances.  But they don't pay me to coach. 

I wish both Wartburg and Coe good luck for the rest of the season and hope they both make the playoffs and do well.  Since our season is over, I will probably move on to basketball.  Sure wish the men had not graduated all five of last year's starters.  It could be a long season, but time will tell.   Hopefully we got in some really good recruits and maybe some of last year's JV squad will really step up to help the returning letter winners we do have. 

[DutchFan2004]

Congrats to the Knights they seemed to want it more.  Not that the Dutch didn't play hard but the Knights just flat out made the plays.  The fumble returned to the 8 the blocked punt to the 3 and the long drive in the 4th to go ahead were the keys and showed that the Knights wanted the game.  I agree to a point about what Klompen said.  The Dutch won everywhere but where it counted.  I know how that feels to win that way.  A sign of a really good team IMHO is that you win when you aren't winning the stats.  A team that finds a way to win is a sign of a good team and that is what the Knights were today.  If you Knights fan have some room on the bandwagon I am up for a ride on it till you guys win it all or until you lose in the playoffs if you'll have me.  Good luck next week and in the playoffs.  If you get a home game I will venture up to Waverly and cheer you on. 

[AZDutchman]

Congrats to the Knights they seemed to want it more.  Not that the Dutch didn't play hard but the Knights just flat out made the plays.  The fumble returned to the 8 the blocked punt to the 3 and the long drive in the 4th to go ahead were the keys and showed that the Knights wanted the game.  I agree to a point about what Klompen said.  The Dutch won everywhere but where it counted.  I know how that feels to win that way.  A sign of a really good team IMHO is that you win when you aren't winning the stats.  A team that finds a way to win is a sign of a good team and that is what the Knights were today.  If you Knights fan have some room on the bandwagon I am up for a ride on it till you guys win it all or until you lose in the playoffs if you'll have me.  Good luck next week and in the playoffs.  If you get a home game I will venture up to Waverly and cheer you on. 

OK...Try to make some room for me also, but I'm not wearing orange. 

[AZDutchman]

Congratulations to Wartburg on their win today.  It isn't easy to beat Central at home.  Unlike the Coe game, I didn't walk away knowing the better team won.  Not saying Central was the better team, I don't know that either team stood out from the other one.  Wartburg did what they had to do when they had to do it and that's what counts.  I thought both defenses played better than the offenses today.  Wish that the Wartburg offense would have had to actually put together a real drive on their first two TD's as Central mistakes lead to give-me TD's.   It would not have changed the outcome, but I would have felt better about not winning.     The second one was really hard to take as I thought Central should have gone for it on fourth down instead of punting with less than a yard to go.  In a big game, you have to go for it when you get those chances.  But they don't pay me to coach. 

I wish both Wartburg and Coe good luck for the rest of the season and hope they both make the playoffs and do well.  Since our season is over, I will probably move on to basketball.  Sure wish the men had not graduated all five of last year's starters.  It could be a long season, but time will tell.   Hopefully we got in some really good recruits and maybe some of last year's JV squad will really step up to help the returning letter winners we do have. 

I have to disagree. Many fans turn into turn coats when it comes to going on fourth down. Fans are over anxious to scream out, Go for it! Then when the coach does go for it and doesn't make it, it turns into..Why did he go for it?

Central stuck to their game plan and came up short. I enjoyed watching the passing game. They did "go for it" many times through out the game.
Wartburg stuck to their game plan and come out ahead. They looked very strong on the line and on their ability to run the ball.

It was a very exciting game to watch and definitely worth the wait. The whole game I was on the edge of my seat. I tip my hat to both teams.

[footballdaddy]

This was a great game to watch, as long as you didn't have a dog in the fight, but fot those who did it was cardiac arrest time. The outcome really was in doubt from the opening kick until the blocked field goal. Both teams left it out on the field. Not to say that there weren't mistakes made by both teams, but everything was earned. Central played a great game and should be proud of their efforts. Wartburg may have the trophy, but we won't have the title until we take care of business next week 

[NewKnightDad]

Central fans = class. 

Great game day atmosphere today and only talked to security once at the tailgate.   

Two quality teams left it all on the field today. 

[5 Words or Less]

UD vs. Luther similarily thrilling