FB: American Rivers Conference

[hazzben]

Wartburg looked a lot more like a "reloader" than a "rebuilder."  They've got lots of talent.  Could they win it all?

Whoa big fella. One step at a time.  Could they go undefeated in the regular season. Definitely possible. Beat the likes of UMHB, Wesley, UWW, Mount, etc. Probably need a little more evidence than a blowout win against MacMurray before I'm jumping on that bandwagon.

[doolittledog]

I just looked at school websites and noticed something odd.

Dubuque is the Homecoming opponant of Central on 09/29,  Luther on 10/06, Wartburg on 10/20

Loras is the only road game that Dubuque is not the Homecoming opponant. 

Does that...

A - Spell trouble for UD, as each school will be pumped up to win on Homecoming

B - Make it easy for UD, as these kids will be distracted with all the hub-bub of the big week

C - Not make any difference whatsoever

Do schools still try to schedule an easy win for Homecoming and old perceptions die hard concerning UD???

Do schools throw a dart at the calendar and that becomes Homecoming???

Who cares, as long as there is cotton candy for sale that weekend???

[NewKnightDad]

I think Wartburg tries to schedule homecoming for around the same weekend each year regardless of the opponent.

[NewKnightDad]

Rugby game early in the day, tailgating later before an evening game.  Did NKD remember to put sunblock on yesterday, or is he so burnt he will have to take monday off from work???

I do believe I will take Monday off.   

On another note the Wartburg faithfull are taking the whole tailgate experience to another level.  They have transformed an enclosed trailer (Not the kind UD alum live in  ) with laminate wood flooring and a bar that is sweet.  They pump music and have a WB football shrine in the front of it and food and drink out the back.

Life is good!!

[warthog]

I just looked at school websites and noticed something odd.

Dubuque is the Homecoming opponant of Central on 09/29,  Luther on 10/06, Wartburg on 10/20

Loras is the only road game that Dubuque is not the Homecoming opponant. 

Does that...

A - Spell trouble for UD, as each school will be pumped up to win on Homecoming

B - Make it easy for UD, as these kids will be distracted with all the hub-bub of the big week

C - Not make any difference whatsoever

Do schools still try to schedule an easy win for Homecoming and old perceptions die hard concerning UD???

Do schools throw a dart at the calendar and that becomes Homecoming???

Who cares, as long as there is cotton candy for sale that weekend???

Knights have to schedule around the "Horse Sale".  No kidding a horse sale.  It is a huge event and takes all the lodging for miles around. 
This year UNI and Wartburg share a common homecoming weekend.  Motels for those nights have been at a premium in Cedar Falls, Waverly, and Waterloo for a couple months already.

[doolittledog]

Knights have to schedule around the "Horse Sale".  No kidding a horse sale.  It is a huge event and takes all the lodging for miles around. 
This year UNI and Wartburg share a common homecoming weekend.  Motels for those nights have been at a premium in Cedar Falls, Waverly, and Waterloo for a couple months already.

Hmm, maybe I should rent out the couch and love seat in our family room that weekend

Odd stat from this past weekend.  Simpson beat UW-River Falls 31-22 with 398 yards passing and -1 yard rushing

[warthog]

Observations:
1) You can't learn much watching a 73-0 ass kicking.
2) Wartburg has found a field goal/extra point kicker.
3) I like Land Shark.
4) The National Champions Wartburg Womens Track team are not only good athletes,  they are also gifted academically and they are gorgeous.

Quote:
1) Little Warthog: "It looks like MacMurray players have spent as much time in the lunchroom as Wartburg players have spent in the weightroom."

[Kohawk Krazy]

I was kind of shocked to see that Coe lost votes in the Top 25 poll this week after beating a team that was four spots outside the Top 25 by 30 points.  Granted, I don't think Monmouth was as good as some thought, Coe still looked pretty good.

[wartknight]

Quote:
1) Little Warthog: "It looks like MacMurray players have spent as much time in the lunchroom as Wartburg players have spent in the weightroom."

OUCH!!

[dahlby]

Nice article on former Coe standout Fred Jackson in Monday's Los Angeles Times Sports page 1.

[Purple Heys]

I just looked at school websites and noticed something odd.

Dubuque is the Homecoming opponant of Central on 09/29,  Luther on 10/06, Wartburg on 10/20

Loras is the only road game that Dubuque is not the Homecoming opponant. 

Does that...

A - Spell trouble for UD, as each school will be pumped up to win on Homecoming

B - Make it easy for UD, as these kids will be distracted with all the hub-bub of the big week

C - Not make any difference whatsoever

Do schools still try to schedule an easy win for Homecoming and old perceptions die hard concerning UD???

Do schools throw a dart at the calendar and that becomes Homecoming???

Who cares, as long as there is cotton candy for sale that weekend???

Take it this way...Everyone's fave HC opponent, Cornell, is not in the conference anymore. 

[5 Words or Less]

OK, here's my theory. There's going to be some "duh" statements in this, and it is very rough, so bear with me.
Why I think Wartburg, Central, and UD are the new "top 3" in the IIAC
Simple answer-Coaches
Now the extended answer-
I only have memory of the IIAC back to the mid-to-late 90's. A new program doesn't join the race for the conference title until the coach of one of the top programs leaves.
Starting point, roughly 1997. Wartburg hires Rick Willis after several years of playing 3rd chair to Central and Simpson (as was the rest of the conference) for several years. Schipper retires I believe that same year. Kac is hired. Even though Central continues to win, there is a downward spiral and they gradually change places with Wartburg being that team that is on a course to win a title every 4 years or so.
Simpson then panics seeing Wartburg climbing to the top and just a couple years after some great seasons, they show WIlliams the door.
That paves the way for another team to work their way into the top 3, and Coe hires Eric Raeburn. He takes advantage of the opportunity and leads Coe to a title in '02.
Wartburg learns from Simpson's mistake and goes in house to keep a good thing going, hiring OC Koehler, and Willis stays very close to the program, having an office right in the middle of all the football coaches.
Now Raeburn is gone. Coe did hire from within, but not by choice of their own after getting stiffed by about 5 other guys. That is why I think another team is ready to break into the top 3, and I think that team is UD. It could very well be a new coach that does it, but it won't be any other coach besides Brautigham that coached his current team last year.
I realize there are some holes here. It isn't completely thought out but hopefully the idea comes across. New teams don't work their way into the top 3 until a coach of one of the top 3 is gone. There is a spot open right now. It could go to anyone, I just think it will be UD.

Swami say: WH's vision clouded

[Pat Coleman]

I just looked at school websites and noticed something odd.

Dubuque is the Homecoming opponant of Central on 09/29,  Luther on 10/06, Wartburg on 10/20

Loras is the only road game that Dubuque is not the Homecoming opponant. 

Does that...

A - Spell trouble for UD, as each school will be pumped up to win on Homecoming

B - Make it easy for UD, as these kids will be distracted with all the hub-bub of the big week

C - Not make any difference whatsoever

Do schools still try to schedule an easy win for Homecoming and old perceptions die hard concerning UD???

Do schools throw a dart at the calendar and that becomes Homecoming???

Who cares, as long as there is cotton candy for sale that weekend???

Coaches don't schedule Homecoming, the alumni office does. Coaches very rarely anymore get to hand-pick a Homecoming opponent.

[wartknight]

Some time to waste this am found me comparing the stats posted in the Wat Courier with the stats on the Wart/MacM websites. (only did this as the Knight write up & stat detail had a new school record for amt of yards allowed(-5), which wouldn't be if the courier/MacM #'s were correct(+5)-I assume the schools upload from the same service?). Being anal, I went to the drive charts & found the difference(looks like a keypunch error; a negative 5 yd play listed as positive on Mac detail. Do they(someone-home team) audit the stat detail after the game to arrive @ official stats? Not a big deal, but the particular play would also effect a TFL for an individual player.......
Another interesting item from the stats was the attendance. Even though all students weren't back yet, seemed liked more than the 1,452 listed. Also, you normally don't see that detail of reporting of attendance from Wart games.

[DBQ1965]

Another interesting item from the stats was the attendance. Even though all students weren't back yet, seemed liked more than the 1,452 listed. Also, you normally don't see that detail of reporting of attendance from Wart games.

Speaking of attendance ... the stats on the Iowa Conference webpage showed 3,950 at the Dubuque - Augustana game.  I'm not used to seeing those kinds of numbers for UD football, but then I've never payed that much attention to that stat before.

GO SPARTANS!