FB: American Rivers Conference

[doolittledog]

This will be a fun run to the end of the season.

Standings...

Central  ...5-1  7-1
Dubuque  4-1  5-2
Simpson  .4-1  5-2
Wartburg  4-1  5-2
Loras  ......3-2  4-3
Coe  ........2-3  3-4
Luther  ....1-4  1-6
NWU  ......1-5  2-6
BVU  .......0-6  1-7

10/27 schedule

Coe @ Central 1pm       
Wartburg @ Loras 1pm 
Simpson @ Luther 1pm 
NWU @ Dubuque 2pm

[D3Dutchman]

If top teams win out, am I wrong that Central gets the auto bid?   Team that's been to the playoffs last?  Long ways to go, but just curious if that was still the 3way tie breaker. 

[hazzben]

If top teams win out, am I wrong that Central gets the auto bid?   Team that's been to the playoffs last?  Long ways to go, but just curious if that was still the 3way tie breaker.

Isn't ARC the Reverse Rosebowl Rule. Whichever team has been most recently is eliminated, then H2H result for the remaining two teams??

[MediaGuy]

If top teams win out, am I wrong that Central gets the auto bid?   Team that's been to the playoffs last?  Long ways to go, but just curious if that was still the 3way tie breaker.

I'm pretty sure they use the "reverse Rose Bowl" rule...which basically means instead of automatically taking the team with the longest playoff drought, they eliminate the team with the most recent playoff appearance from the 3 way tie and then take head to head result...I broke it down in detail about 2 pages ago

[doolittledog]

Well, reverse Rose Bowl rule if 3 teams at 7-1.  But if 3 teams at 6-2 then the 1st team ruled out is the team that took a loss against the worst placed team in the conference I think.  Then the two teams left it goes to head-to-head result. 

Of course, if we have a year like 1978 with four teams at 6-2...I don't want to think of it.  Just looking at the next weeks games and nothing else. 

[Schipper Strong]

Tough to see Central heading for a TD trailing 6 to 3 when Hawkins was injured. Yes, Central didn't have a defensive answer to Sacia, but i don't think Wartburg necessarily had an answer for a healthy Hawkins either. I wish we had gone with Egli at QB right away, but I understand the hesitation to throw a freshman into that situation.

Congratulations to the Knights. They won convincingly.  I just wish we didn't have to say if only. Still a chance to finish in first place and the future is still incredibly bright for Central football. 

[Old Dutch]

Not that I like second guessing coaches, but I think the worst damage was done in the three series immediately after the injury that Hawkins was in.  He was obviously not mobile and it impacted his throws.  Wartburg is a good team and they smelled the blood with Central going against the wind, they pressed the LOS, causing three 3 and outs and three Knight TDs from good field position.  Not that the backups would surely have done any better but would have been nice to see them work when the game was still close. With the Dutch entering the second half down 3 and one dimensional, the knights again took advantage of the windy conditions and scored 3 more to put it away.

Kudos to the Knight O-line for not allowing any pressure,  Sacia had good time to find the open guys and he did it all day.  The Dutch rush D wasn't as bad as the box score would have it, a 60 yard catch and run was apparently a lateral pass, then a 94 yrd run and 154 of the 282 is allowed is on these plays.  Its bend but don't break fellas, that shouldn't o' happened!

Hate to say it but we need to be Simpson fans to assure that Reverse Rose Bowl Rule  stays in effect. And the Red and White need to get back up on their horse and win out, Coe and Loras, both capable of doing damage.

[Outside the Crate]

Wartburg offered up a good old-fashioned shellacking of Central today, and I was as surprised as anyone.  However, there was a clue in Central's squeaker victory over Simpson that perhaps their 7-0 record covered some weaknesses.

As for injuries, Wartburg lost their top two running backs to injuries, too. The # 3 guy, Mason Carter, finished with 144 yards rushing.

Jo Jo McNair is proving he is one of the best players in D3...at times unstoppable.  And then there's Sacia...Matt had five touchdowns today and is Wartburg's career leader with 79 and three games to go.  I suspect he'll have every Wartburg passing record by the end of the season and his career.  (Then, he'll be off to medical school...)

A good crowd from Central and they stuck to the end.  Awful wind...

[Knights2013]

One of the plays that took the wind out of the sails of Central, IMO, was the 4th and 1. Wartburg brings out their heavy two TE/FB goal line set, TO is called...they come back out in it and PA towards the 2 tight ends and throwback to the tight end who snuck across the middle. Great call for a TD.

Also, Jojo McNair is the real deal. Fantastic player who has done an amazing job learning the offense, and stepping up for the Knights, who were really missing a playmaker like him on the offensive side of the ball.

[Schipper Strong]

Wartburg offered up a good old-fashioned shellacking of Central today, and I was as surprised as anyone. However, there was a clue in Central's squeaker victory over Simpson that perhaps their 7-0 record covered some weaknesses.

As for injuries, Wartburg lost their top two running backs to injuries, too. The # 3 guy, Mason Carter, finished with 144 yards rushing.

Gosh, I forget, how big was your win over Simpson? Don't point out your opponent's weaknesses by pointing to a squeaker win over a team that beat you. All that does is points out the fact that all 3 teams are on an equal level. Which they are.

Central has three very good running backs also. We would have been short handed, but gotten along okay if two of them had been injured. I am not sure Wartburg would have been fine if Sacia had gone down in the first quarter. He was still playing in the 4th quarter with a 40 point lead when Central's league leading QB had been injured in the first quarter.

I give credit to Wartburg for taking advantage of our weaknesses and mistakes as any team would in a battle for first place.

[Schipper Strong]

Not that I like second guessing coaches, but I think the worst damage was done in the three series immediately after the injury that Hawkins was in.  He was obviously not mobile and it impacted his throws.  Wartburg is a good team and they smelled the blood with Central going against the wind, they pressed the LOS, causing three 3 and outs and three Knight TDs from good field position.  Not that the backups would surely have done any better but would have been nice to see them work when the game was still close. With the Dutch entering the second half down 3 and one dimensional, the knights again took advantage of the windy conditions and scored 3 more to put it away.

I could not agree more. We gave them great field position way too often during that period.  I also don't understand why we chose to let them have the ball first both halves. Yes it was windy, but why volunteer to give a good opponent an extra possession?

[D3Dutchman]

I would think each team wins out, and that should take care of business.  That said, who knows...especially if Hawkins is out.  We 3 way tied with Coe and Wartburg in 02 and got left out with a non conference loss to Auggie (tons of turnovers and overall rough day).  That was a tough pill to swallow, as I'm sure it would be for Wartburg.  Kind of a dumb tiebreaker...but, who cares if it benefits the Dutch this year.  Seems like they have been snakebitten for too many years.  Also, not to second guess, but this is a message board...don't give up a possession...just not very smart, and not a good message to the team.  Also, say everyone wins out but Simpson, do the Dutch get an at large if Wartburg gets the auto bid?  Hope it doesn't come to that. 

[Old Dutch]

Not that I like second guessing coaches, but I think the worst damage was done in the three series immediately after the injury that Hawkins was in.  He was obviously not mobile and it impacted his throws.  Wartburg is a good team and they smelled the blood with Central going against the wind, they pressed the LOS, causing three 3 and outs and three Knight TDs from good field position.  Not that the backups would surely have done any better but would have been nice to see them work when the game was still close. With the Dutch entering the second half down 3 and one dimensional, the knights again took advantage of the windy conditions and scored 3 more to put it away.

I could not agree more. We gave them great field position way too often during that period.  I also don't understand why we chose to let them have the ball first both halves. Yes it was windy, but why volunteer to give a good opponent an extra possession?

I was baffled by that too,  Dutch kicked with the wind in the first, so I assumed they chose the end to defend (North!). But then they kicked into the wind in the second half.     The Dutch got one 3 and out, but then had their own and Warty started the next drive at the 50, score, score, score, game over.  Time for crying in my beer.

[doolittledog]

If you have some time give the Around the Nation Podcast a listen.  Our conference gets a short mention from Pat and Keith.

http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2018/10/22/around-the-nation-podcast-215-three-weeks-to-selection-sunday/

[Schipper Strong]

Time for the Dutch to put Saturday firmly behind them and move on to finishing 9-1 and hoping for a playoff spot. I don't know what the status is on Hawkins, but have a lot of faith in Brayden Egli being able to do the job against Coe and Loras. The defense needs to look at stepping up to help out the offense and the special teams will take care of sticking them in a hole and giving us good field position. Go Dutch.