FB: American Rivers Conference

[Stom12]

Pre-season favorites? / Pre-season predictions?

[Phred]

Pre-season favorites? / Pre-season predictions?

Early thoughts:

Wartburg champs again.
Simpson slips without the QB to 4 place
Central and UD stay in tied for 2nd
Luther goes up with 1or2 more conference wins. 
BV slips down
Loras at bottom while rebuilding.

OK boys.......let us start our ignorant rumblings.  The season is just around the bend.

[Fannosaurus Rex]

I am a little worried about my Dutch this year.  Last year they only allowed an average of 13 points per game, the most anyone scored on them was 24 and they were still only 6-4.  And much of the 2013 defense graduated.  I hope to see a lot more offense this year.  I am excited to see some new names on the schedule especially Benedictine which is the closest Central has played to Chicago in a long time.  It will also be different to have the first two games of the season under the lights.  I wonder if last year's 100 degree season opener has anything to do with that.

[wartknight]

I am a little worried about my Dutch this year.  Last year they only allowed an average of 13 points per game, the most anyone scored on them was 24 and they were still only 6-4.  And much of the 2013 defense graduated. I hope to see a lot more offense this year. I am excited to see some new names on the schedule especially Benedictine which is the closest Central has played to Chicago in a long time.  It will also be different to have the first two games of the season under the lights.  I wonder if last year's 100 degree season opener has anything to do with that.

I am sure the Knights are planning on showing more offense than the 16 pts they put up last year

[Spurrier]

Get ready Spartan Nation...Ms Spurrier and Spurrier will be in Dubuque for their first Homecoming ever,,,party like it's 1983

[Willie University]

awfully quiet on here especially with most camps starting 

[Duhawkin]

Excited about my Duhawks starting camp! Interested to see what we can do this year.

[Alfredeneumann]

Coe media day
CR Gazette
http://thegazette.com/subject/sports/coe-hopes-to-reload-not-rebuild-20140818

KCRG TV
http://kcrg.com/subject/sports/coe-football-hopes-to-reload-not-rebuild-20140819

[Alfredeneumann]

WCF Couirier Luther preseason story

http://wcfcourier.com/sports/college/article_9a979e0d-78cd-5fe7-9a
b8-6eb56e7d1ae7.html

[Floyd in Iowa City]

WCF Couirier Luther preseason story

http://wcfcourier.com/sports/college/article_9a979e0d-78cd-5fe7-9ab8-6eb56e7d1ae7.html

It looks like the Norse have 95 players on the 2014 roster.  That is up quite a bit (perhaps around 20 players) it seems from the last season or two of Coach Durnin and the first season of Coach Hafner.  It isn't like it is back to 2003-2006 levels though.

St. Olaf had about 80 players last year and I heard over the summer that the projected numbers for 2014 might be much lower.  The person from Northfield thought mid-50s or 60 players, but that could have just been talk.

Still have to play the games and the Norse still have lots of questions (DL as an example), but it would be good if the Norse could get off to a good start this fall.

How will other programs adjust to the Norse Offense now they have played that attack last season?  How much better and consistent can Luther run it this year with more depth and experience on that side of the ball?

[hazzben]

St. Olaf had about 80 players last year and I heard over the summer that the projected numbers for 2014 might be much lower.  The person from Northfield thought mid-50s or 60 players, but that could have just been talk.

That wouldn't surprise me at all. Olaf had a really small recruiting class a few years back and those guys are Sr's this year. Last year they listed only 10 Jr's on the roster.

Sterns was a bad internal hire for them. From what I'd heard, they couldn't get any good external candidates to bite. And they might have picked the wrong internal one. They were a train wreck last year at 1-9 and they graduated without question their two best players in WR's Schmeising and Asp. Their offense was basically verticals to those two, heave it up and hope one of them hauled it in (gross oversimplification, I know). When both guys are 6-4 and 6-5, with speed and hands, it actually works out ok some of the time. But with those guys gone, I think they're looking at a potential 0-6 start heading into their rivalry game with Carleton.

The Luther-STO game is always tight. But I'd maybe set the line: Luther @ St. Olaf (+7.5). Keep an eye on their opener at Northwestern. I know the Eagles left that game feeling like they played with them and gained a lot of confidence. This year, it's in St. Paul and Northwestern is christening their new stadium. If Olaf stumbles, Luther should be smelling blood in the water.

Ok, back to your regularly scheduled IIAC broadcast 

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Thanks for the info and the point spread!  It will probably still be a close game that could swing dependent on turnovers.

It sounds like there are 2013 kids choosing not to come back out this year as well.  That isn't shocking when the team struggled last year, but that combined with new admissions/financial aid changes at St. Olaf might lead to a lean roster.

[Willie University]

Everyone is hush hush this year 

Either no one has anything to talk about or are being cautious about bragging up their team until after the 1st game 

Doolittle is in temporary retirement. It may take some encouragement but I don't think he can stay retired all season 

GO SPARTANS!!

Willie U

[Pat Coleman]

Kickoff 2014 is released!

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[Alfredeneumann]

W-CF Courier article about Wartburg FB and other falls sports
http://wcfcourier.com/sports/college/article_d9bf06f9-5ca4-53d2-a88a-0dbf5ac11c37.html

It's about that time!