FB: American Rivers Conference

thehouse76 · October 24, 2005, 07:39:03 AM

The Loras/WB game seemed pretty close, what was the difference in WB taking the game? Did Loras have some close chances to win the game?

lorbec47 · October 24, 2005, 09:28:06 AM

Loras/WB thoughts---
Dang Wartburg has a physical offensive scheme! I honestly felt at halftime that Loras would win. Wartburg went up and down the field in the first half, but turnovers and a blocked field goal really hurt the Knights. In the second half, it was just a blood bath. I credit Hoskins/receiving corps (spelling) for making some big plays to keep drives going. Overall, good football game on a beautiful afternoon.

coocooforcoekohawk · October 24, 2005, 02:31:31 PM

How many people were at the Rock Bowl on Saturday?

About 750 people at K. Ray Clark Bleachers.

NorseFan · October 24, 2005, 04:16:49 PM

Any Luther fans at the game fill me in? It seemed as though we were headed for a promising season.

Injuries, talent, communication, fundamentals? Whats going on?
Defense used to be the strong point of the Luther squads, now it seems to be the missing link.
Hopefully the guys keep fighting and end on a good note. I'm sure they will.

Charlie Kohawk · October 24, 2005, 11:40:06 PM

Central is 13th and Coe is tied for 14th on the quality of wins index. Still lots of football to play, but at this point it would be a shame if either team misses the playoffs.

dbljay21 · October 25, 2005, 07:40:15 AM

Norsefan...defense is struggling, IMO, for one reason. The Norse graduated the strength of their defense last season. You cannot replace a Scott Romens or a John Jaeger. And those guys were the heart of the defense.

DutchFan2004 · October 25, 2005, 12:00:33 PM

Charlie Kohawk,

I agree with you that it would be a shame if they missed the playoffs. However it is all up to the Dutch and Coe to take care of their own business. If they can't win out I don't think they deserve a playoff spot do you? If Wartburg wins they get the out right bid and have earned it. If the Dutch win out I think they deserve an at large spot. If the Dutch win out and Coe does not then I am not sure Coe deserves an at large bid. Do you agree? It has been a good season so far for both teams but with 3 games left there is alot of football left to be played.

Charlie Kohawk · October 25, 2005, 12:18:43 PM

Dutchfan2004,
Yes, it goes without saying that Central and Coe must win out to earn a playoff spot. I'm not taking anything for granted either. You can throw out the record books when Cornell comes to town this Saturday. Regardless of their record, the Rams always bring their A game against Coe. Loras and Simpson always give us fits too -- last year we had to go to overtime to beat them both. It was premature for me to even mention the playoffs when there's so much football yet to be played.

norseguy8 · October 25, 2005, 12:35:33 PM

norsefan,
We do remember the days of the old Luther Defense, but just like everything else, things have to change. That is not saying that Luther's defense is bad, its just a different defense. This year unlike others the corners are the rock of the defense. Its usually pretty tough when the guys that you have to look to are on the corners. Lets not give up on these guys yet, I've been around this group and I know that its not an effort deal. They just have to find that knack to make things happen. My prediction is that the guru Dan Marlow and Mr. Benny Boyd will have these guys playing their hearts out these next 2 weekends. They will finish strong sending those seniors of with a couple of wins! Go Norse!

oversees observer,
Are you the tallest person in that country?

dbljay,
Go Sox!

Floyd in Iowa City · October 25, 2005, 12:56:15 PM

Romens and John Jaeger were not playing when they beat Simpson and Wartburg, so I don't think that reason should count for the defense not showing up against B.V. and Central.

Turnovers have been the big difference from what I saw earlier in the season and last season. I haven't been to the last two games, but earlier in the year Luther was forcing them in the Coe, Simpson, and Wartburg contests. I am not sure if they forced any against either Central or B.V.

The Luther Offense turned the ball over a ton early last season but cleaned that up when they played well down the stretch. This year started off like early last year with lots of turnovers every week, but the difference is that it has never been cleaned up as the season has gone on.

Every team would be hurting if their best player or most important player got hurt. Look at what has happened to UNI since their QB got hurt. What is disappointing for the Norse is that the loss of Sherdan has all of sudden resulted in no ground game and an inability to stop the opposing ground game. I know he is a good player, but I didn't think he was that important.

It also hurt that Lamos got hurt at the half against Central as he was the only back that was consistently running well since Sherdan got hurt. He had 89 yards rushing and 27 receiving in the four quarters of time that he split with Chip Smith (last two quarters of the Simpson game, first two of the Central game). Obviously the healthy backs and the OL did not get it done last week.

If Luther is going to beat Loras they are going to need to get Sherdan back or force a lot of Duhawk turnovers like they have the previous couple of years. Being one-dimensional on offense with a porous defense isn't going to get it done against most teams.

Floyd in Iowa City · October 25, 2005, 01:12:51 PM

Warthog,

As an Iowa fan it really doesn't matter to me what Iowa State is doing to whether I am having a good college football day. When the Hawks are playing the Big Ten schedule I personally follow the Big XII about as close as the CCIW or the MIAC.

That is one of the toughest Iowa losses in about three or four years.

The Knights must have bailed you out of a lot of tough days over the last 25 years if were also depending on Iowa losing and Iowa State winning.

dbljay21 · October 25, 2005, 01:52:01 PM

Quote from: Floyd in Iowa City on October 25, 2005, 12:56:15 PM
Romens and John Jaeger were not playing when they beat Simpson and Wartburg, so I don't think that reason should count for the defense not showing up against B.V. and Central.

Floyd,
The point that I was trying to make was more directed towards the BV game. The Norse gave up 189 rushing yards to BV. BV seemed to be dedicated to running the ball against the Norse because they aren't as strong up the middle as they used to be.

As for the Simpson game...Simpson is a passing offense that runs a lot of draws. Simpson was effective at running the ball against the Norse when they did run, but they didn't stick with it. I can't comment on the Wartburg game because I didn't see it or listen to it.

The fact of the matter is that the Norse defense this year is not the same Norse defense that was one of the best in the conference the past 3 or 4 years. The Norse defense this year can be good, but it is not as consistent. Norseguy8 is right on...the strength is on the corners. And that does make it tough on the D for stopping the run.

Anyway, I am not giving up on my guys...the effort will be there these last two weeks and the Norse will get 2 wins to finish the season. Go Norse!!! Go Sox!!!

The Show · October 25, 2005, 03:22:34 PM

BV put up most of those rushing yards with their #2 tailback...

norseguy8 · October 25, 2005, 04:33:00 PM

show-
that may be correct, but he did have a sherden type day with carries...almost 40 carries, thats a lot to only get 160...but taking nothing away from the kid, because being a workhorse like that deserves a ton of credit...so, second string or not with that many carries, chances are you are going to get your yards.

Floyd in Iowa City · October 25, 2005, 04:48:37 PM

B.V. won the game, the Beaver Offense was able to move the ball and score points, and the backup back gets mentioned in the same breath for something he accomplished as Sherdan! I don't think anyone should be trying to take something away from the kid because he only ran for 4 yards a carry.

I have heard the same thing said about Sherdan, and it just doesn't make sense to me. If someone carries it a ton to get his yards and the team is successful and wins the game, why would anyone belittle the player? Troy Davis (ISU back from the 1990s) used to get yards that looked good on paper in blowout losing efforts, but what Sherdan did down the stretch last year and what the B.V. kid did on Saturday were critical to the team getting the win.

Opposing NFL teams sometimes want to say that Jerome Bettis of the Steelers really didn't dominate them in the past, but that he just got a bunch of carries. If the Steelers win and Bettis ran the ball 35 times, maybe those opposing teams should try and stop Bettis and the Steeler Offense a few more times so that Bettis doesn't get his 35 carries and the Steelers don't win.