FB: American Rivers Conference

[Willie University]

DDog's analysis was spot on. Tough one for the spartan faithful to swallow. This team is so much better then its 4-4 record would indicate. Great time for a bye to give the Spartans a rest before BV.

[notlongago]

DDog's analysis was spot on. Tough one for the spartan faithful to swallow. This team is so much better then its 4-4 record would indicate. Great time for a bye to give the Spartans a rest before BV.

And one could argue they aren't as good as their 4-4 record indicates. Funny how fans are quick to point close loses as "could haves", but forget to do the same with close wins....

[Klompen]

DDog's analysis was spot on. Tough one for the spartan faithful to swallow. This team is so much better then its 4-4 record would indicate. Great time for a bye to give the Spartans a rest before BV.

And one could argue they aren't as good as their 4-4 record indicates. Funny how fans are quick to point close loses as "could haves", but forget to do the same with close wins....

So true, though with Central, Ithink we caught such a break with BV going from near tie score with almost no time left to adding the insurance TD in one play.  I still think we were lucky to get that win.   On the flip side I still think Central deserved to win the Simpson game.  UD I did not see, so can't really feel strongly one way or another about.  But having watched a lo of games now, I would argue that Central was not undisciplined or compare them to the UD teams of the past as Wiilie claimed after the Central game. 

Interesting game yesterday for the Dutch and a good week to have had a big win giving us some game time to look at our options.  Given some sluggish offensive output in other games, are we preparing to change things up early if necessary against either Wartburg or Coe with Boerm getting some QB time?  Gives WB more than one thing to need to prepare for.  Throw in a couple trick plays along the way and make the defense less certain about what will be coming. 

[notlongago]

DDog's analysis was spot on. Tough one for the spartan faithful to swallow. This team is so much better then its 4-4 record would indicate. Great time for a bye to give the Spartans a rest before BV.

And one could argue they aren't as good as their 4-4 record indicates. Funny how fans are quick to point close loses as "could haves", but forget to do the same with close wins....

So true, though with Central, Ithink we caught such a break with BV going from near tie score with almost no time left to adding the insurance TD in one play.  I still think we were lucky to get that win.   On the flip side I still think Central deserved to win the Simpson game.  UD I did not see, so can't really feel strongly one way or another about.  But having watched a lo of games now, I would argue that Central was not undisciplined or compare them to the UD teams of the past as Wiilie claimed after the Central game. 

Interesting game yesterday for the Dutch and a good week to have had a big win giving us some game time to look at our options.  Given some sluggish offensive output in other games, are we preparing to change things up early if necessary against either Wartburg or Coe with Boerm getting some QB time?  Gives WB more than one thing to need to prepare for.  Throw in a couple trick plays along the way and make the defense less certain about what will be coming.

I think every team is right where they should be, Dutch included. They won games they maybe shouldn't, and lost games they could've won... Jus like nearly every other team.

[Old Dutch]

Remaining games for 5 contenders

Wartburg (4-1)   Central
                         @ Loras

Simpson (4-1)   BV
                        @ Luther

Central (3-2)    @ Wartburg
                       Coe

Coe (3-2)         Luther
                       @ Central

Dubuque (3-2) Loras
                       @ BV

BV is definitely good enough to be a spoiler for somebody, but as it stands Wartburg has the head to head advantage of Simpson if they both win out.  If both lose a game, then a multiple team tie for first would most benefit Simpson via the Rose Bowl Rule correct? so the Dutch would have to count on winning two and Simpson losing two.  Long odds there, and probably not a good year for them to go on anyway, given their offensive impotency.  With the numbers the Simpson QB has been putting up it would be fun to see them in the playoffs.  I just hope the Dutch have put something together and get beyond adequate, 7-3 with 5 straight wins would be a hell of a finish.  Go Dutch!

[NewKnightDad]

Warthog you nailed it, I can't remember ever watching a Wartburg game where the offense didn't score a touchdown.  We drive deep in to Coe territory four times in the first half and don't score a point.  I know it was windy but going for it four times on 4th down while in field goal range and not converting any of them.  That seemed out of character to me.

Coe dropped three sure interceptions in the first half or maybe the score is even worse than it ended up.

Jacobsmeyer didn't finish the game, had ice on throwing shoulder and elbow, Schrader missed the whole game with a concussion.  JJ Hanus is the 3rd string QB and may well be the starter next week.

Going to be an interesting finish to the season to say the least.

[MediaGuy]

Remaining games for 5 contenders

Wartburg (4-1)   Central
                         @ Loras

Simpson (4-1)   BV
                        @ Luther

Central (3-2)    @ Wartburg
                       Coe

Coe (3-2)         Luther
                       @ Central

Dubuque (3-2) Loras
                       @ BV

BV is definitely good enough to be a spoiler for somebody, but as it stands Wartburg has the head to head advantage of Simpson if they both win out.  If both lose a game, then a multiple team tie for first would most benefit Simpson via the Rose Bowl Rule correct? so the Dutch would have to count on winning two and Simpson losing two.  Long odds there, and probably not a good year for them to go on anyway, given their offensive impotency.  With the numbers the Simpson QB has been putting up it would be fun to see them in the playoffs.  I just hope the Dutch have put something together and get beyond adequate, 7-3 with 5 straight wins would be a hell of a finish.  Go Dutch!

As with the conference tie-braker, I believe it is the Reverse Rose Bowl Rule, meaning the team who received the automatic bid most recently is eliminated from the 3-way tie then the head-to-head is taken into account. Example...(Wartburg beats Central, Central beats Coe, Coe beats Wartburg, all have identical conference records...Coe is eliminated having received the auto bid last year, Wartburg wins head-to-head over Central, Wartburg gets auto bid, that's the way things were decided in 2002, the last time there was a 3-way tie, also all 3 teams share official conference championship and split the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd points for all-sports trophy standings)

I'm not good at math but I'm not sure if a 4 or 5 way tie is possible with our current format.

Hope that helps

[doolittledog]

I wish duhawkin would come back to fill us in on the coaching situation at Loras. 

There was a Dubuque Telegraph-Herald article recently announcing the start of a new pledge drive at Loras.  Saying it was crucial to raise the endowment at Loras because the current average pay for professors there is $20k less than the average in the region.  I wonder if that also included coaching pay?

I have also heard that the Loras pipeline to the Chicago area Catholic leagues has dwindled due to some Chicago area Catholic colleges adding football over the last decade or so.  St. Xavier and St. Francis in the NAIA are the ones I can think of. 

All of that might have worked against coach Mierk, from the 20 years he had been away from the Loras campus.   

[Duhawkin]

I wish duhawkin would come back to fill us in on the coaching situation at Loras. 

There was a Dubuque Telegraph-Herald article recently announcing the start of a new pledge drive at Loras.  Saying it was crucial to raise the endowment at Loras because the current average pay for professors there is $20k less than the average in the region.  I wonder if that also included coaching pay?

I have also heard that the Loras pipeline to the Chicago area Catholic leagues has dwindled due to some Chicago area Catholic colleges adding football over the last decade or so.  St. Xavier and St. Francis in the NAIA are the ones I can think of. 

All of that might have worked against coach Mierk, from the 20 years he had been away from the Loras campus.   

Mierk was forced to sign his resignation and did not want to leave. I would say the timing was terrible due to it happening the day before the game and Mierk being the offensive play caller.

My thought is that retention and record was the key to this move happening.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

So I looked it up, Simpson has BV and Luther left.  Go Dutch, Go Beavers!  And Norse for good measure.

I am not sure what the Norse are going to bring in two weeks that is going to stop Simpson from scoring LOTS of points.  I hope I am wrong on this one.

No excuses on this as Luther has two wins this year and won three games in the previous two seasons.  A program that is 5-23 in the last 28 games clearly has huge issues as it pertains to depth of talent and quantity of numbers.  It would make sense that the depth issues even look worse now that the Norse have played 8 games this year and no longer gets to play Loras and St. Olaf.

It was fun to watch parts of this 2013 season regardless of how St. Olaf and Loras are doing.  I did not expect much going into the season or after the loss to Presentation College, but the Ole, Duhawk, and even the Wartburg game offered some hope. 

The decision makers at Luther have to realize that most alumni do not want the College to be viewed as only a Carleton or Macalester hopeful when there is so much tradition in the academics, music, AND athletics!  I think they do, but sometimes I wonder about the depth of support.  MAC is a nice school, but MAC probably didn't beat the Northwestern Wildcats in baseball for over 10 seasons, produce lots of pro players in baseball or great student athletes like Kent Finanger.  Don't run away from the strong traditions!

Congrats to B.V. by the way as many 0-6 teams would find ways to lose more games.  The Beavers are clearly better than Loras and Luther at this point.  The Luther Defense maybe deserved better this time, but 8 fumbles and losing 6 by the Norse Offense is rough.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

I wish duhawkin would come back to fill us in on the coaching situation at Loras. 

There was a Dubuque Telegraph-Herald article recently announcing the start of a new pledge drive at Loras.  Saying it was crucial to raise the endowment at Loras because the current average pay for professors there is $20k less than the average in the region.  I wonder if that also included coaching pay?

I have also heard that the Loras pipeline to the Chicago area Catholic leagues has dwindled due to some Chicago area Catholic colleges adding football over the last decade or so.  St. Xavier and St. Francis in the NAIA are the ones I can think of. 

All of that might have worked against coach Mierk, from the 20 years he had been away from the Loras campus.   

Mierk was forced to sign his resignation and did not want to leave. I would say the timing was terrible due to it happening the day before the game and Mierk being the offensive play caller.

My thought is that retention and record was the key to this move happening.

Why couldn't it wait until the end of the season?  Were recruits not visiting campus?

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Simpson beats Dubuque 50-46.  Two high powered offenses going at it tonight.  Congrats to Simpson. 

And a special shout out to the Simpson announcer.  Sounds like a college kid, in the booth all by himself, and he did an excellent job.  Not too much of a cheerleader, got names pronounced correctly and wasn't afraid to say if his own team maybe got fortunate on a play.  Well done by that kid. 

Chris Bagley had 4 receptions for 65 yards and 2 TD's in the 1st half and went out injured right before half time.  I think that really hurt the UD offense in the 2nd half.

Game of 2 quarterbacks...

Bryan Bradshaw 27-40-500 yards 4 TD's passing and 7-13 yards rushing

Taylor Nelson 23-26-318 yards 3 TD's passing and 29-91 yards rushing and 3 TD's

Big games for Simpson and Coe!  The finish to the league race might be a lot of fun this year, especially for the schools that are relevant in football.

Luther did some things in sports this fall, but when football is 2-6 and the cross country teams even finish 3rd in the IIAC it kind of makes it easy to start thinking about basketball and wrestling season in Decorah.

[NewKnightDad]

Simpson beats Dubuque 50-46.  Two high powered offenses going at it tonight.  Congrats to Simpson. 

And a special shout out to the Simpson announcer.  Sounds like a college kid, in the booth all by himself, and he did an excellent job.  Not too much of a cheerleader, got names pronounced correctly and wasn't afraid to say if his own team maybe got fortunate on a play.  Well done by that kid. 

Chris Bagley had 4 receptions for 65 yards and 2 TD's in the 1st half and went out injured right before half time.  I think that really hurt the UD offense in the 2nd half.

Game of 2 quarterbacks...

Bryan Bradshaw 27-40-500 yards 4 TD's passing and 7-13 yards rushing

Taylor Nelson 23-26-318 yards 3 TD's passing and 29-91 yards rushing and 3 TD's

Big games for Simpson and Coe!  The finish to the league race might be a lot of fun this year, especially for the schools that are relevant in football.

Luther did some things in sports this fall, but when football is 2-6 and the cross country teams even finish 3rd in the IIAC it kind of makes it easy to start thinking about basketball and wresting season in Decorah.

Did someone say wrestling???   

[Duhawkin]

I wish duhawkin would come back to fill us in on the coaching situation at Loras. 

There was a Dubuque Telegraph-Herald article recently announcing the start of a new pledge drive at Loras.  Saying it was crucial to raise the endowment at Loras because the current average pay for professors there is $20k less than the average in the region.  I wonder if that also included coaching pay?

I have also heard that the Loras pipeline to the Chicago area Catholic leagues has dwindled due to some Chicago area Catholic colleges adding football over the last decade or so.  St. Xavier and St. Francis in the NAIA are the ones I can think of. 

All of that might have worked against coach Mierk, from the 20 years he had been away from the Loras campus.   

Mierk was forced to sign his resignation and did not want to leave. I would say the timing was terrible due to it happening the day before the game and Mierk being the offensive play caller.

My thought is that retention and record was the key to this move happening.

Why couldn't it wait until the end of the season?  Were recruits not visiting campus?

It was a shock to most close to the program. There are still recruits visiting, there may be some more information out as time goes on.

[Klompen]

I hear Wartburg has packed it in for football after the loss and has moved on to wrestling.     

It would be nice to see the knights lining up in punt formation a lot on Saturday so the hometown boy can shine!  The other team's punt formation has been such a nice setup for Central scores over the past few games.  It would be nice for Larson to have a spectacular day. 

Central coach's weekly radio talk tonight will only be online as the Pella Dutch will be trying to reverse last year's playoff loss to Williamsburg and that will be on the radio.  Hope that pipeline goes from Pella to Central as opposed to letting the good ones not only get away, but into the enemy camp!

Okay, all together now, get in practice for Saturday, "BLOCK THAT PUNT!  BLOCK THAT PUNT!" 

Showing my age here, but as Sargent Carter would say, " I can't hear you!"