FB: American Rivers Conference

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Speaking of helmets...

http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/

Cool website to check out!

It's a great website!  I always wished the Iowa Conference SIDs would have some of their interns work on providing information so that each institution would have a more updated history of the various school helmets.  Does the Simpson SID still read this message board?

It would be neat to see the history of the IIAC helmets the way that we can all access the Big Ten or Big XII.  Outside of Iowa Conference talk, the ISU uniform from 1977 that was worn in the Iowa game this year was the best Cyclone uniform I have seen since 1977.  Is it too late to change the mind of the ISU AD about what the uniforms will be next year? 

On that website they also have a photo of what UNI wore in the mid-1970s that looks pretty solid.  At one point in the late 1970s Iowa, ISU, and UNI were all wearing some version of a gold/yellow helmet. 

[Purple Heys]

Purple, you don't moonlight as the Cornell Head Coach or SID do you?    The game on Saturday actually reminded me a little of the Luther-Cornell game in Mount Vernon from 2005 in which the Norse were actually way ahead and barely held on to win 29-23.  I remember that day clearly since Iowa blew the game late against Northwestern in Evanston.

From the Cornell Football News Release:

"It's frustrating to play that well offensively in the second half and play that poorly in the first half," said second-year head coach Matt Dillon, whose team committed three first-half turnovers. "We dominated offensively in the second half, but we dug ourselves too big of a hole. We came out sluggish. Part of it was the (bye week) layoff, but that falls on my shoulders to get the kids ready to play."

The Rams offense appeared ready to play after facing a 16-0 deficit midway through the third quarter. Senior quarterback Anthony Kobler tossed two touchdown passes – a 4-yarder to tight end Alex Macey ( Oceanside, Calif./ Vista) and a 32-yard strike to Kyle Krogmann (DeWitt/Northeast) – and Travion Hardman scored on a 1-yard run for all of the Rams' points in the final 21 minutes of the game.

Cornell was held to 250 total yards of offense, 223 below its season average heading into the game. Kobler completed 9-of-22 passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns with a pair of interceptions. Hardman rushed for 86 yards on 15 carries (5.7 ypc).

Good luck to both the Beavers and Rams on Saturday as that will be a huge game for both programs.  The good news for B.V. is that if they lose they still get the Norse the next week.  There are lots of kids in elementary school that are not old enough to have been alive when Luther last beat B.V.

Actually its a new form of mind control that I have been practicing...Now that I see it works I am going to try it out on Game Day...Get the ball to my kid...get the ball to my kid.

I do share Coach Dillon's frustration...I thought we'd come out a little better prepared to play football in the first half.

Remember that I said before that Luther's Defense and their O-Line deserved a lot of credit for Luther's win.  When the Rams came out totally flat in the 1st half, it looked like a blowout in the making...we were lucky to be down only 13-0.  In fact, if it weren't for the 3rd turnover of the half it would have been only 10-0.  The Rams were in the red offensively after the 1st Qtr.  They fared a bit better in the 2nd Qtr...but not much.  Luther certainly looked strong up front on the D-line, they got good pressure on pass plays but it was easy to see that the middle of the field was wide open because everyone was dropping deep.  Things looked ripe for a QB draw or a regular draw but it never came.  I videotaped the game as I always do and reviewed Monday night and saw all sorts of things that drew "What was that guy thinking?" with respect to a missed block, etc.  Good Luther D combined with some bad Ram O made for a terrible half.  I thought the Ram D did a relatively credible job with Sherden in there.

In the 2nd half, the Ram Offense ran approximately the same 4 or 5 plays...even though Luther took the opening kick for a field goal; at 16-0 and just under 2 Qtrs to play teams are not emptying their bench.  The Rams got rocking and were getting good chunks of yards on most plays.  At 19-13, I got the sense that if we could hold Luther and get the ball back that the Rams would win the game.

The only problem was that the Ram D could not stop Luther from putting together substantial drives that resulted in Field Goals...this, as I said before, was a credit to the Norse O-Line.  With Sherden out, the Norse allowed 0 sacks and they methodically moved the ball, keeping the Ram Offense off the field.

Warning, Purple-Colored Glasses Analysis Follows:  Had the Rams' Offense put the same effort together in the 1st half as they displayed in the 2nd half, with their seemingly better ability to get the ball in the end zone relative to what the Norse did all game long; then I sit here believing the Rams could have and possibly should have won this game

[Thunderbolt]

  Yea, its not every day you see the words," We dominated offensively " in one paragraph, followed by " We were down 16-0 midway through the third " in the next paragraph, followed by " held to 230 yards below their season average " in the next.
  I'm sure he's doing what all good coaches would do in his position. Trying to get his young men to understand that every play is important, and that most games come down to a few key stops, or first downs.
  I will admit to not feeling very comfortable at half time, loking at the scoreboard. A feeling that reoccured two more times fefore it was over. The longer this streak continues, the more pressure that builds on the Rams opponents. It's like musical chairs, the music is going to stop.

[old school ENP Tiger]

I've been taking my boys to games for 3 years to games and it works well.  last few weeks of the year are pretty rough.  Mrs. ENP is a fan of football and likes going so that always helps.  my oldests first game if it counts was a week before he was born at BV.  Next year went when he was 9 months-1 year.  Child number two was last year he was 2 months when he went to the first one and is back for another year.  they have a good time mostly throwing balls around in the endzone or grassy areas of the different fields.  High lights of the games is when they are over so they can have "their turn"  Just a few more years before we will be watching them....It goes fast:)

[DutchHawk]

I remember going to Central games with my dad way back. Its one of my best memories as a kid and I also remember sitting on the south end zone hill and telling my dad that I wanted to play for Coach Schipper one day...that didnt happen but I did end up playing at Central! I think its one of the best things you can do with your kids!!

[The Show]

My wife has found that as long as she has plenty of Kix along and there is good music played, The easier it is to control a 19 month old at a football game. We will try our third Wartburg game with her in 2 weeks at Homecoming, but we've got through 3 ISU games, and 3 double header nights of HS football games. Saturday's weather is supposed to be nice and warm. Its nice to have a daughter that likes football, as long as she doesn't like football players 

The same goes for a 13 month old daughter. The Friday night halftime band performance is her favorite, that and anytime the crowd cheers.  She'll be in attendance at BV this weekend for Homecoming, hopefully watching her uncle run around the Rams.

As for liking football players...way too early for that topic Walston!!!

[Purple Heys]

When I coached, I brought my oldest son to practice when he was 2 years old, the best babysitters were the players and trainers on the sideline.  It was a great way to have him around, because coaching can be so all-consuming and pull you away from your family.

It is a tremendous pleasure to have watched him grow (and grow) and now have the opportunity to see him play in college.

[warthog]

Well, the first liar never has a chance.

Mrs. Warthog and I began taking Peacock/Warthog to Muskie football games when he was five months old.  Three years later Little Warthog was born and we kept our Friday night fall ritual of bundling up and heading out for football games.  When the boys were very young we missed a few away games, but once they got in the later grade school years we were generally on the road  Friday nights to Burlington, Clinton, Davenport or wherever the Muskies were playing.  With the exception of the Friday nights when we may have headed out to Wartburg for Kastle Kapers or to Lincoln for the Iowa State/Nebraska game we didn't miss a Muskie home game for 20 seasons or a Muskie road game for 10 seasons.   Of course during seven of those seasons at least one kid was in high school so we didn't miss any.

That my fellow football fans is a whole bunch of high school football, but it was some of the best family time we ever had.  For some of you younger parents on the board, I want to tell you this time slips away quickly.  Don't miss an opportunity to share this time with your children.  Be it hugging them close to your body to keep them warm on a frosty October evening or walking down the track with them on Senior night; these are special times.

[doolittledog]

Good idea about having a ball to throw around in the endzone Old School!!!  I will remember that.  And bringing my dad along with me serves a bunch of purposes.  First, he is an extra set of eyes to keep on little doolittle.  Second, he can't help but buy food if he is near it so he will probably fill us up on pop and hotdogs.  Third, in between watching the game and watching the little one the two of us can talk about games we went to when I was a young one. 

[Purple Heys]

Speaking of helmets...

http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/

Cool website to check out!

I kinda would like to see Cornell go to the old L.A. Rams Helmets back when Deacon Jones and Roman Gabriel were there.  The Dark Blue with the Large White Horn from the 60's and 70's.

As it stands I like the White with the smaller Purple Horn better than the predecessors Purple with smaller White Horn.

And although it may be a bit harder to read, I like the new Home Black shirts better than the purple.

Also, I think Luther should have the Double Blue stripe on the pants.

[SJFF82]

Just visiting friom the E8 board...good topic of conversation...I hope to be bringing my 4 year old son to more Fisher games this fall; the weather has been summer like so far this fall. 

[Old Dutch]

Wow, all this old reminiscing (wish this had spell check!!).  As far as old school jerseys go, Penn State is the bomb, no wavering for fashion at any time for Jo Pa.  I think Central's C on the sleeves showed up around 1977, when the then Kuyper Stadium was new.  I like their current edition better, but the old ones were so heavy and hot its hard to remember them fondly.  I know the National Championship year they were plain at home and Central on the front in whites.  I don't think BV did themselves any favors with the yellow pants this year either.

You just can't beat a FB game with the kids, especially after they start understadning the game.  The best times are in the upper half of the UNI-Dome watching all the HS playoffs you can handle and picking out the yet to be named all-staters.  Unless of course your fotunate enough to be on the field!

As far as this week goes, the IIAC parity is really starting to show.  I think at least 3 teams are very close behind Wartburg and Central (Coe, DBQ, Luther) and on any given Saturday . . .  Coe/DBQ, BV/Cornell and Luther/Loras are all real tough calls.

s**t, Big Z just gave up a dinger, I better start paying attention to my Cubbies.

Good luch to all IIAC teams, especially the Dutch!

[Charlie Kohawk]

I love all this reminiscing about father-son bonding at football games. I didn't arrive on the IIAC scene until 2001 (after Coe had thankfully dumped the ketchup and mustard look), but have since cherished many a gameday with my son, usually roaming the sidelines with a camera. Road games are especially memorable, be it to Waverly, Pella, Storm Lake, or Collegeville (brrr).

Now that he's playing high school football, it means even more.

I can't imagine what it must be like to be Dan Breitbach, watching his son, Tommy, shine for the Kohawks. Or Steve Staker, roaming the same sideline with his son and fellow coach, Tyler. Or Liz Raeburn, entertaining three young children while remaining as focused and intense as anyone in attendance.

Talk about for the love of the game!

[Purple Heys]

I've got one more entering High School next year...he can't wait to play under Friday Night Lights.  I can't wait to watch.

[Purple Heys]

When I was 11, my folks moved to us to another state, too late for tackle football.  So I got signed up for Flag Football.  Our coach was a kid from a local small college...he was a baseball player there.  The coolest thing was that we got "Friends of the University" passes.

That got us into all games for all sports for the entire year.  I went to every football, basketball and baseball game that I could talk my parents into taking me to.

Cornell has a "Purple Pass" available to Mount Vernon and Lisbon residents to get in free to all games.  I think it's a great idea.