FB: American Rivers Conference

[Schipper Strong]

Checking up on the knights from Tampa before heading off on a cruise. Quite the game! 5 minutes left, might come down to who has the ball last. Good luck Knights!

[OrangeAndBlack]

Great effort, Wartburg. You are a classy group of men. Go Knights!

[hazzben]

Awesome game Wartburg. That was the true Stagg IMO.

[New Tradition]

Awesome game Wartburg. That was the true Stagg IMO.

What an incredible game and an incredible team. Much respect to the Knights!

[hazzben]

Turbo reminded me of Nate Kmic. His feet were amazing.

[WRMUalum13]

Turbo reminded me of Nate Kmic. His feet were amazing.

Yes, he was awesome today. Great performance by Clasen. The Knights really gave NCC all they could handle. They were the first team all year that made the NCC offense struggle. 5 Straight stops was pretty darn impressive.

[USee]

According to computer metrics, which I think do a nice job adjusting for opponents, Wartburg's D is by far the best that NCC will have faced all year. Will certainly be interesting.

No doubt the Wartburg defense is incredible and simply does not blow coverages and does not make mistakes. I just wonder if the methods they have used in their games prior will work against a team that has such a prolific run game.

Well, this is big question. Wartburg is the #1 run defense in the country, allowing 1.6 yds per carry. The next best defensive front NCC has faced this year isn't even in the zip code of how good Wartburg is up front on defense. NCC is the #1 offense and has an 8.15 yds per carry stat. Something's got to give. Of some relevance, UWW is the #9 rushing offense at 6.02 yds per carry and Wartburg held them to 94 yds (3.6 yds per carry). Never mind that Tamir Thomas only had 12 carries (at 6 yds per carry) or that UWW inexplicably threw it 39x and only ran it 26 times. That won't happen Saturday. NCC is going to run the ball around 40x at this Wartburg defense, guaranteed. Now, Wartburg hasn't seen an offense like NCC's this year either (UWW's rush offense is close, but not as good) as Lehnen is setting a Guinness Book of World Records for efficiency.

I'll be fascinated to see how this plays out (after the coin toss of course). I wonder what Emma's father will say!

On the other side, which is equally important, NCC's defense was #14, which I would argue is a little inflated, and Wartburg's offense is top 25. Wartburg can run the ball and have a balanced attack. I agree with Hazz, they have great schemes and are very well coached. If NCC is without their DPOY DE Egbo (#9) and/or (what I believe is) the best cover corner in D3, #26 Walker, I have serious concerns about NCC's defense.

My guess is Wartburg can score in the 24-34 pt range (maybe more if those two aren't avail). Can they hold NCC to their lowest output of the season?

Just re-read my pregame thoughts from earlier in the week. #1 D vs #1 O produced about 3.2 yds per carry. Very impressive performance from Wartburg front 7. NCC rushed it 53 times and threw it 19. Wartburg was a little more pass heavy but still fairly balanced (49 pass/33 rush).

DE Egbo started but didn't play after the first quarter or so and NCC's AA cover corner didn't play. NCC's defense was still impressive down the stretch and held Wartburg right in the middle of my prediction (27 pts). Wartburg did limit NCC to their lowest output of the season and this was an instant classic. Congrats to Wartburg on an epic postseason. While it will sting to fall a couple plays short, this team performed at the highest level and over the last two weeks has proven to those who haven't watched as closely as the insiders that they are on an elite level.

Emma, did you watch this with your parents?

[Old Dutch]

I could only put my old bones thru the Waverly flurries until halftime but I could see a great game coming up.  We know the Clausen and Grover are great and showed it last night. the real battle was in the trenches from  both teams.  Congrats To Warty and I cant wait for the next Dutch/Knights match up.  My Pick'em in the Stagg is NC by a million.

[emma17]

Great game and season for Wartburg. The Knights sure know how to play come-back football.
Clasen is one of my all-time favorite players- he is as tough as they come and an incredible competitor. I think he had 28 carries, I would have liked even more in that fourth quarter.
Even my nosey neighbor (the kind that walks in your door as though it's their own) said- "That kids got balls the size of pickle jars".

[WRMUalum13]

Great game and season for Wartburg. The Knights sure know how to play come-back football.
Clasen is one of my all-time favorite players- he is as tough as they come and an incredible competitor. I think he had 28 carries, I would have liked even more in that fourth quarter.
Even my nosey neighbor (the kind that walks in your door as though it's their own) said- "That kids got balls the size of pickle jars".

Even though the play came up short I'm glad he had the ball in his hands on that 4th down attempt at the end of the game. You gotta let your playmakers try and make the plays

[DriftlessDuhawk]

Arguably the most competitive season for the ARC/IIAC in its history (and yes I know Central won a Stagg Bowl in '74 but I was not even a thought at this time so I am choosing to look past this). Two teams in the playoffs and one reaching the semifinals is very impressive. Hopefully, the conference can continue to rise and the recent success of Wartburg can bring national light to the quality of football played in the ARC. I do wonder how the conference teams will compete in the future as the number of fifth-year seniors starts to get smaller and smaller.

[DriftlessDuhawk]

https://x.com/Maniii4x/status/1734299710674923625?s=20

Huge loss for the Duhawks...

Most explosive player at Loras in quite some time.

[DriftlessDuhawk]

Some talk on twitter/X from some Wartburg folks about how they felt that NCC knew all their plays in the semifinal game before they happened. A few folks implied a similar scheme to that that has been described at Michigan. The same accounts indicated that they informed the Cortland staff prior to the Stagg Bowl about this and that they needed to change their signals. Any of our Wartburg fans here know anything about this? Obviously sign stealing has always been a part of sports but if there were rules broken to do it then it is a different matter. Also some pretty big accusations to be throwing around...

[Jonny Utah]

Some talk on twitter/X from some Wartburg folks about how they felt that NCC knew all their plays in the semifinal game before they happened. A few folks implied a similar scheme to that that has been described at Michigan. The same accounts indicated that they informed the Cortland staff prior to the Stagg Bowl about this and that they needed to change their signals. Any of our Wartburg fans here know anything about this? Obviously sign stealing has always been a part of sports but if there were rules broken to do it then it is a different matter. Also some pretty big accusations to be throwing around...

I saw a comment mentioning this on Twitter.  I have to think it would be impossible for a team like ncc to scout on a team they don't even know they are playing, live, in one or two games and have the ability to steal a teams signals. 

Literally zero chance NCC is stealing Wartburgs or anyone signals.  But the thought has to cross your mind because of Michigan but even there we have no idea how much it helped or didn't help. 

[D3fanboy]

Some talk on twitter/X from some Wartburg folks about how they felt that NCC knew all their plays in the semifinal game before they happened. A few folks implied a similar scheme to that that has been described at Michigan. The same accounts indicated that they informed the Cortland staff prior to the Stagg Bowl about this and that they needed to change their signals. Any of our Wartburg fans here know anything about this? Obviously sign stealing has always been a part of sports but if there were rules broken to do it then it is a different matter. Also some pretty big accusations to be throwing around...

I saw a comment mentioning this on Twitter.  I have to think it would be impossible for a team like ncc to scout on a team they don't even know they are playing, live, in one or two games and have the ability to steal a teams signals. 

Literally zero chance NCC is stealing Wartburgs or anyone signals.  But the thought has to cross your mind because of Michigan but even there we have no idea how much it helped or didn't help.

With the way some D3FB games are broadcast with a wide shot of the visiting sideline , it would be easier to gather the signals than from an iPhone a la Connor Stalions