FB: American Rivers Conference

[warthog]

That's a winner 41-7!

[warthog]

Solid performance on both sides of the ball.  I was somewhat surprised that Wartburg seemed to have noticeably more speed on both the offensive and defensive line.  I figured a top level CCIW and high rated team like Illinois Wesleyan would have faster motors.

[warthog]

Coe has their 2014 schedule posted. 

http://www.coeathletics.com/schedule/12/5.php

09/06 1:00 PM  @  Wheaton College     
09/13 1:00 PM  @  Cornell College 
09/20 1:00 PM  vs.  Wisconsin-Stevens Point

10/04 1:00 PM  vs.  Loras
10/11 1:00 PM  vs.  Wartburg College
10/18 1:00 PM  @  Simpson College
10/25 1:00 PM  vs.  Central College 
11/01 1:00 PM  @  Luther College
11/08 1:00 PM  @  University of Dubuque
11/15 12:00 PM  vs.  Buena Vista University

Oh No! The team that finished 3rd in the IIAC in 2013 has to play the 2013 2nd place team in the MWC on September 13th.  Take the Coe Kohawks and give 28+ points.  The Rams may have returned to the MWC and seen some success this season, but they are still Cornell.  They'd be no better than 7th in the IIAC.

[D O.C.]

Way to surprise a lot of people Knights!

[warthog]

From a pregame writeup about today's Illinois Wesleyan/Wartburg game:

This is the fourth straight year — and seventh time in the last nine — the CCIW has sent two teams to the playoffs.

Eash has guided IWU to the playoffs five times in his 27-year tenure. Past experience has taught the veteran coach it might be harder to win in the CCIW than in the first round of the playoffs.

OK, you got waxed 41-7.  Now which is tougher?

[notlongago]

It's nice to have some of the embarrassment and rep damage done the past few playoffs by the IIAC rep mended today.

[Outside the Crate]

I confess I expected a much closer game, but as others have mentioned this margin will do some good for the reputation of the IIAC.  Wartburg clearly dominated on both sides of the ball.  The prognosticators weren't giving the Knights a chance, so I trust they'll all take notice.  Special kudos to Coach Willis who regularly seems to lead teams to exceed expectations.

[DutchFan2004]

Not having seen Wartburg play I didn't comment on their chances but having seen IW play I thought the Knights could win.  They dominated and I am happy for the Knights and IIAC.  Concentrate now Knights and keep it rolling!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Hawkeyes beat Michigan and Wartburg putting a monkey stomp on Illinois Wesleyan.  Today is a good day!!!

Congrats to the Knights, keep it going!!!

Michigan was my grad alma mater; IWU was my undergrad alma mater - NOT a good day!!

(I didn't watch any of the UM/Iowa game because I had already figured out UM stinks this year, and was watching IWU/Wartburg.)

I have no clue what happened.  Wartburg was CLEARLY the better team today, but that was the worst I can ever recall seeing the Titans play.  SEVEN turnovers!  And in my view, only 2-3 were takeaways - the rest were unprovoked giveaways.  Rob Gallik leaves as statistically the best QB in Titan history (career records for both completions, which he set earlier this season,  and passing yardage, which he set today, despite hardly playing his freshman year and missing 1/3 of last season), but he stunk today, gaining over 1/3 of his yardage on the TD drive which was too little, too late.  I fear his graduation may mean the end (temporarily) of IWU as a contender - his back-up, Tyler Hook, was a freshman last year when Rob Gallik went down.  They were 6-0 at that point, but finished the season 6-4.  I thought Tyler showed some promise, but was just not CCIW-ready.  But this season he shows no improvement; today he played 3 downs: the first was a hand-off for no gain, the second was a 9-yard sack and fumble (recovered by IWU), the third was an INT.

Sincere congratulations to Wartburg, you deserved it.  But which is the better team in general remains unclear in my mind.  The team you beat today (all right, monkey-stomped) was NOT the IWU I have previously watched this season.

[doolittledog]

Maybe IWU was reading the press clippings about how it's harder to win in the CCIW than the 1st round of the playoffs???

Who knows.  Wartburg always comes prepared to play, the Knights aren't always flashy or a sexy team, but they buckle up the chin strap and play hard.  It looked like IWU was looking ahead to the next week and paid the price.

I think the IIAC and CCIW might be more evenly matched now that most people realize.  Last year Coe, the IIAC champ lost by 3 points in the 1st round of the playoffs to the CCIW co-champ in Elmhurst.  Last year Augustana went 4-3 in the CCIW and in the non-con portion of the schedule they lost to Central and Dubuque, two teams that went 4-3 in IIAC play.

IWU had a good season, a number of good seasons lately, actually.  They took a blow today, but they will have more good days ahead of them. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Maybe IWU was reading the press clippings about how it's harder to win in the CCIW than the 1st round of the playoffs???

Who knows.  Wartburg always comes prepared to play, the Knights aren't always flashy or a sexy team, but they buckle up the chin strap and play hard.  It looked like IWU was looking ahead to the next week and paid the price.

I think the IIAC and CCIW might be more evenly matched now that most people realize.  Last year Coe, the IIAC champ lost by 3 points in the 1st round of the playoffs to the CCIW co-champ in Elmhurst.  Last year Augustana went 4-3 in the CCIW and in the non-con portion of the schedule they lost to Central and Dubuque, two teams that went 4-3 in IIAC play.

IWU had a good season, a number of good seasons lately, actually.  They took a blow today, but they will have more good days ahead of them.

Maybe, but I doubt it.  There is only one other time I can recall IWU ever being 'upset' in the playoffs, and they have occasionally pulled upsets themselves.  The 'upset' was 2011, against Monmouth.  They had a 2nd team AA senior QB named Alex Tanney (I believe he is still on an NFL taxi squad); we had a sophomore Rob Gallik, who has become quite good, but no Alex Tanney.  IWU was favored, but everyone recognized that with Tanney, Monmouth had at least a 'puncher's chance'.  They won in triple OT.  (Tanney went 32-43, 336 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT; Gallik went 21-43, 280 yds, 1 TD, 4 INTs.)

Even in the regular season, we rarely lose games where we are favored.  Overly believing press clippings (a strange concept in D3 anyway! ) just isn't a program trait.  Today's meltdown was/is totally inexplicable to me.  Certainly a significant part of it is due to Wartburg.  But we also just stunk up the place and I am at a loss to explain why.

[bluenote]

What the ...........     lovin it!

[NewKnightDad]

Maybe IWU was reading the press clippings about how it's harder to win in the CCIW than the 1st round of the playoffs???

Who knows.  Wartburg always comes prepared to play, the Knights aren't always flashy or a sexy team, but they buckle up the chin strap and play hard.  It looked like IWU was looking ahead to the next week and paid the price.

I think the IIAC and CCIW might be more evenly matched now that most people realize.  Last year Coe, the IIAC champ lost by 3 points in the 1st round of the playoffs to the CCIW co-champ in Elmhurst.  Last year Augustana went 4-3 in the CCIW and in the non-con portion of the schedule they lost to Central and Dubuque, two teams that went 4-3 in IIAC play.

IWU had a good season, a number of good seasons lately, actually.  They took a blow today, but they will have more good days ahead of them.

Maybe, but I doubt it.  There is only one other time I can recall IWU ever being 'upset' in the playoffs, and they have occasionally pulled upsets themselves.  The 'upset' was 2011, against Monmouth.  They had a 2nd team AA senior QB named Alex Tanney (I believe he is still on an NFL taxi squad); we had a sophomore Rob Gallik, who has become quite good, but no Alex Tanney.  IWU was favored, but everyone recognized that with Tanney, Monmouth had at least a 'puncher's chance'.  They won in triple OT.  (Tanney went 32-43, 336 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT; Gallik went 21-43, 280 yds, 1 TD, 4 INTs.)

Even in the regular season, we rarely lose games where we are favored.  Overly believing press clippings (a strange concept in D3 anyway! ) just isn't a program trait.  Today's meltdown was/is totally inexplicable to me.  Certainly a significant part of it is due to Wartburg.  But we also just stunk up the place and I am at a loss to explain why.

That same Alex Tanney was 0-3 against Wartburg including a playoff loss. 

Any chance they move the Wartburg @ Bethel game to the HHH Dome next week like they did this weeks game? 

I would almost certainly make the trip if that was the case. 

[ExTartanPlayer]

Has already been said, but congratulations to Wartburg.  That was one of the most surprising first-round results to me.  Well done!  Good luck in the rematch with Bethel!

[hazzben]

Any chance they move the Wartburg @ Bethel game to the HHH Dome next week like they did this weeks game? 

I would almost certainly make the trip if that was the case.

Nope, they've got the Prep Bowl (MN HS championship games) there this weekend. For some reason there was a full week off between the semis and finals this year. Gonna be outside at a location still to be determined. Burrrrrrrrrrrrrr...