FB: American Rivers Conference

[wartknight]

I just got back from a 3 day cruise up the Atlantic coast on the USS Abraham Lincoln as part of a Tiger Cruise.  There was an IIAC connection there.  The Aviation Supply Officer told me her dad went to Central and her uncle went to Coe.  She told me they went to those schools on athletic scholarships.  So, either...

A - She is just unaware of D3 schools not actually offering athletic scholarships

B - Her dad and uncle, like many former D3 athletes, tell people they ran track on an athletic scholarship

C - They were at those schools prior to 1973 or so before D3 was formed and could have been on some form of athletic scholarship

D - The NCAA needs to investigate Central and Coe right friggen now!!!

Depending on their age, they may have received an "activity grant" to play whatever sport they were involved in. For athletics, I believe this went away in 1979. After that year, I think you could still get money "legally" for non-athletic activities; chorus, band, etc.

[warthog]

Central lost to Whitewater in an NAIA play-off game at the end of the 1966 season.  I think 1967 was some kind of transition year because Central went undefeated but didn't do post season.  I don't know what happened in 1968 but I'm pretty sure in 1969 they wore NCAA 100 year anniversary patches on their uniform sleeves.  Now if I could just remember where I put my keys five minutes ago...

Wartburg went into the NCAA in 1975.  I am fairly certain we were playing Central in the NAIA basketball playoffs in the early 70's.  I remember two of the conference's best football players, Central's Vern den Herder and Wartburg's Conrad Helrich were both also on the basketball teams.

[Fannosaurus Rex]

Ya know what?  Now that I think about it, those patches probably commemorated the 100 year anniversary of the first college football game, not the NCAA.  Never mind.

[notlongago]

I know I should be careful about the conclusions I draw based on stats from the 4th quarter in Dubuque's 2011 blow out of Central, a game I have only read about and saw none of.  But there seemed to be more to the Spartans than Zweifel.  In the whole fourth quarter, Dubuque ran 20 offensive plays.  I don't know how many of them Zweifel was on the field for, but 18 of the 20 fourth quarter plays were, "Kyle Acker rush for X yards."  In 18 carries he averaged 6.1 yards per, including a touchdown.  At some point, I like to think Central must have figured out who was going to get the ball and they still couldn't stop him.  And he was only a sophomore.  I know the game was pretty much over at that point, but it is enough for me to think that Dubuque could be a contender without Zweifel.

Don't draw any conclusions from that fourth quarter. I did watch it, and aside from not having some starters out there, Central was a broken team by that point having been thoroughly decimated by dubuque (specifically Zweifel and Hanus)...not to mention roughly 30 of ackers yards came off a long run where central had him wrapped up at the line, but another would be tackler hit his own defender off the ball carrier thus springing him for the majority of those yards and TD

Kyle Acker is #20; Judge for yourself what kind of running back he is as you will see at least 5 "highlights" of him and not just a 30 yard run. AND if I remember correctly, the one scoring run by him was called back due to holding and he did it again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfYGOFZbaZ8

Im not saying he isn't a capable back, or that he can't end up being very good. I'm just saying given the context of that situation, you cannot draw those conclusions. Central routinely has one of the top rushing defenses in the nation (7th last year), so obviously that game, particularly that situation (late in the game, getting blown out, some starters out, etc.) makes that situation an anomaly, therefore pretty irrelevant.

[Fannosaurus Rex]

I'll try to be more relevant once the season starts.  But I'm not promising anything.

[Willie University]

I know I should be careful about the conclusions I draw based on stats from the 4th quarter in Dubuque's 2011 blow out of Central, a game I have only read about and saw none of.  But there seemed to be more to the Spartans than Zweifel.  In the whole fourth quarter, Dubuque ran 20 offensive plays.  I don't know how many of them Zweifel was on the field for, but 18 of the 20 fourth quarter plays were, "Kyle Acker rush for X yards."  In 18 carries he averaged 6.1 yards per, including a touchdown.  At some point, I like to think Central must have figured out who was going to get the ball and they still couldn't stop him.  And he was only a sophomore.  I know the game was pretty much over at that point, but it is enough for me to think that Dubuque could be a contender without Zweifel.

Don't draw any conclusions from that fourth quarter. I did watch it, and aside from not having some starters out there, Central was a broken team by that point having been thoroughly decimated by dubuque (specifically Zweifel and Hanus)...not to mention roughly 30 of ackers yards came off a long run where central had him wrapped up at the line, but another would be tackler hit his own defender off the ball carrier thus springing him for the majority of those yards and TD

Kyle Acker is #20; Judge for yourself what kind of running back he is as you will see at least 5 "highlights" of him and not just a 30 yard run. AND if I remember correctly, the one scoring run by him was called back due to holding and he did it again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfYGOFZbaZ8

Im not saying he isn't a capable back, or that he can't end up being very good. I'm just saying given the context of that situation, you cannot draw those conclusions. Central routinely has one of the top rushing defenses in the nation (7th last year), so obviously that game, particularly that situation (late in the game, getting blown out, some starters out, etc.) makes that situation an anomaly, therefore pretty irrelevant.

Except not all of those runs were "late" in the game. Acker was used often throughout the season in every qtr. Not all of his time was garbage time which you suggested iniatially.

[notlongago]

I know I should be careful about the conclusions I draw based on stats from the 4th quarter in Dubuque's 2011 blow out of Central, a game I have only read about and saw none of.  But there seemed to be more to the Spartans than Zweifel.  In the whole fourth quarter, Dubuque ran 20 offensive plays.  I don't know how many of them Zweifel was on the field for, but 18 of the 20 fourth quarter plays were, "Kyle Acker rush for X yards."  In 18 carries he averaged 6.1 yards per, including a touchdown.  At some point, I like to think Central must have figured out who was going to get the ball and they still couldn't stop him.  And he was only a sophomore.  I know the game was pretty much over at that point, but it is enough for me to think that Dubuque could be a contender without Zweifel.

Don't draw any conclusions from that fourth quarter. I did watch it, and aside from not having some starters out there, Central was a broken team by that point having been thoroughly decimated by dubuque (specifically Zweifel and Hanus)...not to mention roughly 30 of ackers yards came off a long run where central had him wrapped up at the line, but another would be tackler hit his own defender off the ball carrier thus springing him for the majority of those yards and TD

Kyle Acker is #20; Judge for yourself what kind of running back he is as you will see at least 5 "highlights" of him and not just a 30 yard run. AND if I remember correctly, the one scoring run by him was called back due to holding and he did it again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfYGOFZbaZ8

Im not saying he isn't a capable back, or that he can't end up being very good. I'm just saying given the context of that situation, you cannot draw those conclusions. Central routinely has one of the top rushing defenses in the nation (7th last year), so obviously that game, particularly that situation (late in the game, getting blown out, some starters out, etc.) makes that situation an anomaly, therefore pretty irrelevant.

Except not all of those runs were "late" in the game. Acker was used often throughout the season in every qtr. Not all of his time was garbage time which you suggested iniatially.

...I looked at the stats, he had 1 carry for 2 yds in the second quarter. The other 17 were in the 4th when the game was 21-49. I call that late in the game when the outcome was decided and Central was thoroughly broken.

[Willie University]

What I "meant" to say is that Acker was often used throughout the entire games throughout the season and was not just in for garbage time. Against central, yes, the 4th qtr was his and I agree central may have felt "broken" but you are crazy to think they weren't doing every thing they could to stop UD from scoring and get back in the game. I have seen teams "pack it in" but never central.

That's last year anyway. I am excited to see how this year plays out!

[Purple Heys]

I'll try to be more relevant once the season starts.  But I'm not promising anything.

What I "meant" to say...That's last year anyway.

More relevant than who...Willie?

[Purple Heys]

Just took a big swig of MWC Kool-Aid...

You know they had themselves TWO (2), count'em two Playoff teams last year, what'd you guys get 1?  Thank goodness Cornell gets out ahead of the landslide in the IIAC!

No Top 25 teams, Monmouth ahead of any IIAC team in the "others" list.  Will any IIAC team even win a game this year?

I'm not even gone a season and look what you people have done around here!

I want you - every one of you - in here right now to clean up this mess!  Don't make me come out there!   

[notlongago]

What I "meant" to say is that Acker was often used throughout the entire games throughout the season and was not just in for garbage time. Against central, yes, the 4th qtr was his and I agree central may have felt "broken" but you are crazy to think they weren't doing every thing they could to stop UD from scoring and get back in the game. I have seen teams "pack it in" but never central.

That's last year anyway. I am excited to see how this year plays out!

Oh I don't doubt that at all... he seemed very capable. I didn't think he was a garbage time back at all.

And the fact that Central took out the majority of their starters in the 4th shows that they understood the game over therefor not really doing all they could to stop him...moral of the story: he may end up being very good, but the Central game proved nothing one way or another. And your right, way too many things have changed for this to be relevant this year anyway.

[DutchFan2004]

I hope the Hanus freshman quarterback at Wartburg turns out to be as good as the Hanus senior quarterback at Dubuque.  Keeping my fingers crossed,

Are they related?

[Bird Dog]

I left town for a few days to the mother-in-law's house which doesn't have computer access (worse yet I have to drive 30 miles to get a newspaper).  I get back and have three pages of posts to catch up on.  I can't wait until next week when I go back to work so I can follow the action in real time instead of catching up every three or four days. 

[warthog]

I hope the Hanus freshman quarterback at Wartburg turns out to be as good as the Hanus senior quarterback at Dubuque.  Keeping my fingers crossed,

Are they related?

I don't know.  The Dubuque variety is from Traer.  The Wartburg variety is from Solon.

[doolittledog]

I've seen a lot of reasons why Dubuque will or won't be a contender this season.  What are your thoughts about why others will or won't be contenders? 

When I look at Dubuque, Simpson, and Wartburg, I see 3 teams that lose 5-6 all-conference players, but also return 5-6 all-conference players.  When I look at Central, I see a team that graduated 9 all-conference players and only return 2.  What are the reasons for Central to be at the top with those losses other than "Central doesn't rebuild, they reload" ?