FB: American Rivers Conference

[doolittledog]

Winning college football games is hard... That being said it is a lot harder when a team in your conference has 21 better players starting than your team does. I am still a strong believer that Brown is the best WR in the league (although he did not have a great game this weekend), but that was the only position that the Duhawks were better than Wartburg. Loras has come a ways over the past few years to get out of the cellar of the conference but they are leagues behind the top end of the conference. Last weekend was my first time getting eyes on Wartburg for an entire game this year but as our friends over on the MIAC board would say the game was an absolute monkey stomping. Wartburg is a great team and have clearly set a new standard in the ARC.

I'd like to give a shout out to Cole Siems at Nebraska Wesleyan.  9 receptions for 121 yards and 2 TD's against Dubuque and then one week later against Loras he had 5 receptions for 232 yards and 3 TD's.  He did, however, come back down to earth against Central with 3 receptions for 27 yards. 

[doolittledog]

Big week for ARC games

10/28/2023
Loras @ BVU  1pm
Luther @ Coe  1pm
Central @ Wartburg  1pm
Dubuque @ Simpson 4pm

I suspect most eyes will be on Central/Wartburg for the battle at the top of the conference.  Luckily, after everybody gets to watch their team play, they can tune into the Dubuque/Simpson game at 4pm 

[Schipper Strong]

Big week for ARC games

10/28/2023
Loras @ BVU  1pm
Luther @ Coe  1pm
Central @ Wartburg  1pm
Dubuque @ Simpson 4pm

I suspect most eyes will be on Central/Wartburg for the battle at the top of the conference.  Luckily, after everybody gets to watch their team play, they can tune into the Dubuque/Simpson game at 4pm 

It would probably be better to keep my eyes on the road coming home from spice boy city.

[Schipper Strong]

Loads of talent going head to head in Waverly Saturday. From the Central pregame press release:

The Knights—It's a Wartburg squad oozing with experience. The projected starting lineup includes 11 5th-year players, seven seniors, three juniors and a sophomore. The defense is especially dominant, ranking third in the NCAA Division III in rushing defense (43.5 yards per game), seventh in scoring defense (9.4 points) and 14th in total defense (233.1 yards). But the Wartburg offense also ranks10th in fewest sacks allowed (0.5 per game), 12th in scoring offense (45.2) and 28th in total offense (454.5 yards).
           
All-American running back Hunter Clasen, a fifth-year player, is the offensive catalyst. He ranks first in Division III in rushing touchdowns (15), fourth in scoring (12.8 points per game), sixth in rushing yards (951), 14th in rushing yards per game (118.9) and 16th in yards per carry (6.4).  Meanwhile, fifth-year quarterback Nile McLaughlin is 14th in Division III in TD passes (22) and 21st in passing yards (138).
           
Among the leaders—Central is 11th in Division III in blocked kicks with five in seven games. That includes two by linebacker Reid Pakkebier (junior, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS), who is eighth individually.

Meanwhile, Central is third in Division III in defensive touchdowns (4), third in fewest fumbles lost (1), fourth in interceptions (14) and fifth in turnovers gained (21). Individually, kicker Logan Sunvold (senior, Monroe, Southeast Polk HS) is eighth in field goals per game (1.1) and 16th in field goal percentage (.800, 8-10) cornerback Gavin Smith (sophomore, Audubon) is fifth in passes defended (1.8) and receiver Ryan Neu (senior, West Des Moines, Valley HS) is 12th in touchdowns (12) and 13th in scoring (10.3).

[DriftlessDuhawk]

If Central were to beat Wartburg what is the current tiebreaker for who would receive the AQ?

[Knights88]

With a three way tie, I believe the "Rose Bowl" rule would decide the AQ.  Last team to qualify that played in the playoffs is Coe, so the would get the AQ.

[MediaGuy]

not to be that guy, but the ARC has the "reverse rose bowl" rule, where in the event of a 3 way tie, the team that most recently got the AQ is first eliminated from the 3 way tie, then head to head results are taken into account.  So in the case of Wart/Coe/Central all ties with 1 loss, Wartburg would be eliminated from the tie as they were the most recent AQ, and then the head to head result of Coe beating Central would make Coe the AQ.

It's the same outcome (this time) if the rose bowl rule was applied, but it's not as simple as just awarding the AQ to the team with the longest AQ drought.

[Schipper Strong]

So I am get mixed information about the weather in Waverly tomorrow afternoon. Is it supposed to rain or not? Not sure I want to sit in a downpour throughout the game, my health is good, but not as good as when I was young. I don't need pneumonia. If odds are low, or rain is brief. I want to cheer on the Dutch. As mentioned, they won't be the playoff team, so this is their playoff.

[MediaGuy]

I've seen a few different weather reports for the game tomorrow, and it seems to be changing by the hour but the official NOAA forecast is showing temps between 28-37 and any precipitation starting around 3ish, so maybe snow, but possibly freezing rain with about .04th of an inch so that's the current local forecast. 

Back in the day, you could take a 12 pack of Busch Light and a Large pizza into Clinton Hall (the dorm right behind the visitor seats) and for some reason everyone in a 3rd story dorm room would leave the door open and go to someone else's room to eat pizza and drink...so you might have an option to sit inside.

[Schipper Strong]

Thanks MediaGuy. I may have to check the morning forecast and go from there. Snow is better than rain when you are sitting in it. Freezing rain might be a deterrent. I don't think I could pass for a Wartburg student to watch from inside. Maybe the wacko Central Grandma type that takes over the dorm room though!  I sure miss being young and invincible.

[OrangeAndBlack]

Wartburg KnightVision commentary. Always talking about what the opponent needs to do to "get back in the game". Good grief. Who you cheering for?

[Schipper Strong]

Wartburg KnightVision commentary. Always talking about what the opponent needs to do to "get back in the game". Good grief. Who you cheering for?

The DUTCH! Sadly we couldn't do it today. Congratulations to the Knights. I don't think there is a let up/down game in the world that has NWU beating you next week. I did not make it to the game, but wished I had been there to support the Dutch. Good game holding the knights well below their scoring average. Not sure why we even bothered trying to run today. The Dutch did a great job answering the first TD. After giving up relatively easy touchdowns to each offense, the defense kicked in for both teams. No "if only" from me. A well played game by both teams. Today we went up against a good one and lost. Two games left to win. Back at it starting tomorrow. Go Dutch!

[doolittledog]

Dubuque beats Simpson 45-21.  Dubuque scored on their 1st play from scrimmage and you could see how the game would play out from there.  Score was perhaps a little more flattering for Simpson than reality as they kept their starters in and were throwing deep late in the game to get two 4th quarter TD's. 

Watched the Central/Wartburg game before the Dubuque/Simpson nightcap.  Central made Wartburg work for it, but the Knights were the better team.  Might watch the BVU/Loras game today as it looked that that game was played in the snow. 

[MediaGuy]

Nice to see that Coe is getting some love in the Top 25 this week, having now seen both Coe and Central in person I think they are both good enough to be considered Top 25 caliber.  I've been around D3 football for 30 years and there was a time when the ARC/IIAC had 1 or 2 decent teams and would feel grateful to have 1 team win a game or two in November, but now think that the ARC has 3 or 4 teams who could win multiple games in the postseason every year. 

Just imagine how competitive we could be if we didn't have the best 3 NAIA teams in the country as well as some good JUCO squads in the state...if all those guys were on ARC rosters, we'd give the MIAC and WIAC a challenge for the best D3 conference in the midwest.

[hazzben]

@mediaguy ... but what if the MIAC didn't have Top 25 D2 schools or WIAC tuition reciprocity to compete against. What if the CCIW didn't have the WIAC recruiting in their dirt, etc.

I don't think that game works. But I'm on record as noting last year how good the small college football has been in Iowa the last few years. It'd be fun to see NWC vs Wartburg, but I'd lean Red Raiders. Pound for pound (population wise) there's not much better small college ball than what you see in IA, MN, WI, and IL.