FB: American Rivers Conference

[hazzben]

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!

Wartburg was impressive in the playoffs. Their confidence seemed sky high and they'd grown quite a bit as a team from earlier in the year (not that they weren't good then). I'm expecting a battle in Waverly for Bethel this year. Great early season test for both teams.

Side Note: the pic in the article made me chuckle. Don't strain too hard trying to look tough guys, you might pull something   

[Willie University]

That photo makes them look like goon balls and maybe should have hit the weight room harder if they have to cross their arms to make them look big 

[hazzben]

That photo makes them look like goon balls and maybe should have hit the weight room harder if they have to cross their arms to make them look big 

We always had a couple guys who went and lifted arms right before team pics every year, just to get a good swell before the photos. I was always just like 'really??'

On the flip side, you've got to love what these guys on the Bucknell team did. Love it!

[Willie University]

LMAO!!! 

[TheOne89.1]

Unlike Doolittle who is on "retirement" from the boards, I was just on sabbatical since my previous job kept me too busy during football season to keep up the past few years.  But now that I am back in the land of orange and black I hope to keep better tabs on the Knights athletic teams and other IIAC schools.  Due to my absence on the board these past few years, I won't have much to say until I get familiarized with everything.

However, I do agree hazzben that you have to chuckle a little at staged pics.  I especially liked the one with 3 guys in jeans "catching a ball" from the quarterback.  Good luck to all of the IIAC teams this season.

[hazzben]

However, I do agree hazzben that you have to chuckle a little at staged pics.  I especially liked the one with 3 guys in jeans "catching a ball" from the quarterback.  Good luck to all of the IIAC teams this season.

Yeah, something tells me the ideas for these poses didn't originate with the players! But if they're gonna have you do 'em...go big or go home 

[IIAC-Lifer]

http://www.iowaconference.com/news/2014/8/27/FB_0827141809.aspx

Let's Go!

[Phred]

I can,t believe how inconsequential this message board has become !  Where are the Dolittle predictions?  We are only 6 days away from a Luther-Loras  tie for the IIAC championship !...and yet we hear nothing from the Dutch, Storm, Beavers, Kohacks or the sleeping others. 

Coach of the year will be the new guy at Loras and the Loras administration who kept the conflict hidden from last year.  No replies?

Too bad that Willis will be fired and Stacker retires without a win at Coe this year ! 

Anyone out there....or close this board down so we can see what MIAC and MWC are up to.

[IIAC-Lifer]

Here is what I have gathered ....

Wartburg is still the favorite to win IIAC, and rightfully so. Tons coming back off a very good team a year ago.

Coe is looking at replacing 17 starters from last year ... I have heard reports that they have had a smaller recruiting class, could come back to haunt them in a few years.  Still my pick for second.

Central has some big holes to fill on the defensive side, but did bring in some size on the Oline that was much needed. The Central staff always finds a way to get a good product on the field ... third place

Simpson is also looking to fill many holes left due to graduation ... none bigger than at QB. This staff has proven that they can get kids, another big recruiting class. They will win a game they shouldn't and lose one the same way ... forth place

UD I would guess that the burners may be getting turned up a bit around the UD campus if they do not find a way to be better than a 6-4 or 5-5 team. Alot of cash has been thrown this programs way in the last 5 years, they need IIAC titles to keep the cash flowing.  Same as Simpson I see them winning a game they shouldn't and losing one that the should. Still can't beat Wartburg. ... fifth place

Loras ... I know that they have been a train wreck as of late, but I am hearing great things about the new staff and the kids that they brought in. Going to be young and take some bumps because of it, but if they get out of the non-con healthy they have a shot of a 5-5/6-4 type year ... sixth place

BV the Beavers are always a tough team and the brutal non-con toughens them up even more. I think that low numbers may come back to bite them before it is all said and done. .... seventh place

Luther ... the triple option can be a weapon if the right pieces are in place. I don't know if this staff has had enough time to get the right kids to run the system. give them time to recruit and they will work their way up, just not yet .... eighth place

[Pat Coleman]

Maybe they didn't read Kickoff.

[Fannosaurus Rex]

Central opens Saturday against Benedictine in Lisle, IL.  The forecast is for a high of 73 and a low of 51.  Almost football weather.  I can't wait.  Go Dutch!

[Duhawkin]

Loras seemed to look promising against Concordia. It was only two quarters, but they ended up winning 13-10. Coach H is a great coach and I am excited for what is to come in his first season.

Their first game is this Saturday against Elmhurst.

Here is the article from the scrimmage: http://duhawks.com/news/2014/8/31/FB_0831140314.aspx?path=football

GO DUHAWKS!

[MediaGuy]

Anyone wishing to listen to Wartburg football this year, here are the links:

Wednesday nights around 7:30 is the coaches show at this link
http://www.kwayradio.com/custom/kway/fm.cfm

Saturday games are at this link
http://www.kwayradio.com/custom/kway/am.cfm

Just FYI if you wanted to listen.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Loras seemed to look promising against Concordia. It was only two quarters, but they ended up winning 13-10. Coach H is a great coach and I am excited for what is to come in his first season.

Their first game is this Saturday against Elmhurst.

Here is the article from the scrimmage: http://duhawks.com/news/2014/8/31/FB_0831140314.aspx?path=football

GO DUHAWKS!

Is it common now for schools to be posting information about how scrimmages went?  Good to hear that Loras has some reasons to be excited.

I enjoyed beating St. Olaf the most last year and would have enjoyed the Norse beating Wartburg ( ) if they could have pulled that out, but the Loras game might have been the high water mark with how soundly they won that game.  I see the Duhawks have 102 players or so on the 2014 team.

I see St. Olaf supposedly has 57 players on the roster (from the school website that was finally updated) and several of them are from Florida.  I wonder what happened to local recruiting around Northfield?

This was an interesting outlook about St. Olaf from the St. Cloud newspaper:

Outlook: Stern was not hired until February of 2013, meaning he and his staff got a late start on the recruiting process. And after beating Northwestern (Minn.) 37-18, things went downhill fast as the Oles dropped their final nine games in a row, plunging St. Olaf to the bottom of the league standings - a place St. Olaf has not been accustomed to being in recent years.

The roster this year will be smaller. Stern expected about 65 players at the start of camp, including a class of what was expected to be around 21 incoming freshmen. Of that group, linebacker Gabe Johnson could immediately contend for a starting job and Damone Coachman and Franz Harris could be contributors on the defensive line.

The offense will need to improve on the 20.2 points per game it averaged last season while the defense allowed 40-plus points five times - including in each of the season's final four games.

"We know we're going to be young, and we'll have a smaller roster," said Stern, whose team was picked ninth in the MIAC's preseason coaches' poll. "We went through a bit of a purging in the offseason, but the guys we have coming back are all excited to be here."



I enjoyed Parts #2 and #3 of the T.O.U.G.H. series that Luther put out.  I might have called it something else, but good to see some positive steps (hopefully) in Decorah.

[Spurrier]

I am now a Spartan/polar bear lover...spurrier jr begins his coaching career Saturday...just over a month till ms and mr spurrier rejoin the Spartan nation in Dubuque and party like its 1983