FB: American Rivers Conference

[Charlie Kohawk]

A restless night's sleep, a family Thanksgiving gathering and a long nap after completing the Moorhead 500, I still haven't quite come to grips with Saturday's Coe-Concordia playoff game. I congratulate the Cobbers and believe they have an excellent football team. Concordia has superb facilities and were most hospitable hosts. That option offense will give Linfield trouble.

Coe gave a noble performance and has nothing to hang its collective head about. I can't help but wonder what it would have been like if the football game hadn't resorted to a mud-wrestling match. I have no problem with Concordia getting the home field advantage and I understand that the playing conditions were the same for both teams. But I think the muck favored Concordia's run-oriented offense over Coe's balanced running and passing attack.

I'm not sure the outcome would have been different at the Fargo Dome, but at least it would have been a level playing field and both teams would have been able to play their game. I'm sure attendance would have been higher and we would have known for certain which team was better.

Maybe we'll find out next year. The seniors who have experienced IIAC championships in three out of four years have established Coe football as a force to be reckoned with each year. Much as I've enjoyed watching them play, I know coach Raeburn and his staff will reload.

As my son said after the game, now what are we going to do on Saturday?

[wildcat11]

Concordia has superb facilities and were most hospitable hosts. That option offense will give Linfield trouble.

Charlie,

I think that Concordia runs an offense that plays into the strengh of Linfield's defense.  If Concordia can't hang onto the ball it might get ugly for the Cobbers.

[KoHawk01]

Hate to do this, but what does everyone see for next year's teams??

Coe - return Suckow and Northern which is a big plus.  Defense should remain solid, hopefully we can keep this coaching staff together for a long time to come.

Central - great numbers returning from the way it sounds, should be a contender again next year.

Wartburg - well Wartburg is Wartburg, never count them out.

Luther and BV - Not really sure about these 2, I kind of picture them as middle of the road right now since I couldnt tell ya a thing about what they return.

Loras - Outstanding D last year, looked like they return 2 (?) all-conf. players in Hall and Laffey, both on D.  Offense struggled greatly this year.  If loras finds an 'o' over the offseason look out.

Simpson - Lost some big time players, it will be interesting to see what they do next season.

Cornell and Dubuque - If Loras doesn't find an O they will find themselves downhere, Dubuque is coming off the huge win against Loras though, maybe that is the motivation they need. Cornell needs to pull in some solid recruits to jumpstart their program.

Congrats to all on a great season and good luck come 2006!

[flyingdutch]

DutchFun2004,

Thanks for the kind words--yeah, he's a tough kid but his mom can take him!  (just kidding)  Let's hope he and your son can keep this train going and hook up many more times in the future.

[DutchFan2004]

FlyingDutch,

I think that if those two put the time in in the offseason it will pay off big time next year.  I give alot of credit to #83 for the success this year. The whole team did alot of "growing" up this year.  Can't wait for the kickoff next August this time of year is always kind of a let down.  See you at the banquet.

[sportsknight]

Does anyone still want to argue with me about whether Suckow shows up in big games?  110 total yards on Saturday and 0 touchdowns.  Yeah, he had big days against Cornell and Westminster, but in the playoffs he gets dip.  I actually feel sorry for the kid that he has so much talent and Coe misuses him so horrendously.  It is almost a crime that a kid like that only touches the ball seven times in a big game.

Or maybe its just him.  Is he not tough enough to play running back 100% of the time?  Is that why they've had to put him out at receiver and try all other kinds of BS with him.  Would he break down if he had to carry the ball 25-30 times like Schuring or Sherden did?

As far as next season goes, I think I have to give Central the favorite nod right now.  I was one of the many that thought their youth would hurt them this season, but they were able to accomplish a lot despite having very few starters back.  I think they build on that success in 2006. 

Wartburg and Coe would probably be a toss-up for the runner-up spot.  The Knights have some obvious areas to address in the off-season (QB, DB, D-Line, Special Teams), but will have a nice base with some quality young guys that saw a lot of time this year.  Coe has to figure out just what they're going to do with Suckow.  The fact of the matter is that he is being underutilized and Coe needs to figure out how to get the ball in his hands more often. 

My sleeper for '06 is Loras.  Another young team that had some flashes of excellence this year, but injuries hurt this team big time.  They get Burds and McCarron back next year, along with some experienced guys on offense and they could be a very dangerous team.  They lose some horses on D, though.

That's all for now.  See you on the basketball board.

[Charlie Kohawk]

I'll argue with you sportsknight. The Packers just lost, so I'm in a fighting mood anyway.

If I'm not mistaken, Suckow has scored TDs in every game but two in his two years. He's on pace with Carey Bender for crying out loud! I might agree that his talent was being misused if he were all the Kohawks had. But they also have Northern, Rife and TeKippe on offense. Coe is doing well to utilize all of its weapons. It is a team game after all.

And I don't think the Concordia game can be used as any sort of barometer. Unless you were there, you have no idea how bad the playing conditions were.

[ram_this]

I don't like agreeing with a Kohawk, but I have to side with one in this discussion.

I figured this year would be Northern up the middle and Suckow to the outside game after game. Especially after Coe graduated an MVP quarterback.

Truth is no one imagined TeKippe throwing for more yards and more touchdowns than Brannen. No one imagined a 2002 all-IIAC wide receiver in Jon Rife getting back to form so quickly (new single-season reception record). No one figured Northern would average 5.5 yards per carry by running a simple draw out of the shotgun.

Like Charlie said, why not utilize all your weapons.

How many players in the nation, let alone the Iowa Conference, could average over 4 yards per carry with nine rushing TDs, catch 53 passes for 700 yards and 10 TDs, and return a punt for a touchdown. Sounds like good use of a weapon to me.

Dusty Kain won how many titles with Simpson? Tyler Sherden has won how many titles with Luther? Suckow has two – one as a back and one as a receiver.

How can you place blame on a coach for piecing together an offense that generated over 30 points and 450 yards a game?

Coe got to the playoffs twice with Carey Bender (0-2) and once with Fredrick Jackson (1-1). Let's see how it plays out with Suckow.

[tributetothemaninblack]

And I don't think the Concordia game can be used as any sort of barometer. Unless you were there, you have no idea how bad the playing conditions were.

Don't use the field conditions as an excuse, appearently, from what I hear both teams play on the same field at the same time.  
Charlie,
Before you get all bent out of shape, I am taking nothing away from Suckow, he is tremndous talent and has made plays, save a few games, his whole career.  Everyone has a poor game every so often, but weather is no excuse.  Coe ran into a good football team and came up a few plays short.  Congrats to Coe and Central on their respective seasons, but its time for all IIAC teams to  improve, so someone can make a playoff run the next few years.

[coocooforcoekohawk]

It is much easier to run the option in the mud than it is to run a spread offense.  Tekippe couldn't get his footing and a lot of passes ended up off the mark.  Many of those passes were intended for Suckow.  Now, I have not made an excuse as to why Coe lost, I am simply answering the question, "why didn't Suckow get more touches on offense."  Coe has many weapons that are all returning next year on offense.  I will let Coe's offense speak for itself next year.  What is funny is how you heard the Cobbers moan about the Oxy game in the Fargo dome and how that effected Concordia's chances to win that game.  However, this year the conditions had no effect according to Cobber nation cause both teams played in them.  Hypocrisy, I think so.

Go Kohawks!

[Maroon&Gold]

Kohawk-- I think somewhat of the argument from last year had to deal with more of the temperature factor.  Oxy was a team from Cali. who obviously was not used to playing outside in below freexing temps.  While saturday was unbelievably gross field conditions,  both teams were used to playing in cold, windy and muddy conditions.

Just a thought.

[Charlie Kohawk]

Both teams were used to playing in cold, windy and muddy conditions? I'm quite certain neither team had played in conditions like this.

http://www.coe.edu/athletics/football/galleries/concordia05/con080.jpg

[Cord Glory]

Regarless, muddy field or not, we probably still would have pounded the ball down your throat.  We could go back and forth forever on what might have been -  like saying that if it wasn't muddy, out D-Line would have been all over your QB all game.  I don't know what would have happened to you on a regualr field, but I'm guessing it would have improved both teams' abilities to do what they do, and the result would have been the same. 

Congrats on a good season and maybe we'll meet again next year...but if you end up coming to Moorhead again, the feild will be in about the same shape, because its always like that this time of year - thats just the way it goes.

[cobbernation]

I agree with M&G and Cord Glory's comments about the field and the outcome of the game.  The field was not good and both teams had to deal with it.  But Coe did average almost 200 yds on the ground during the year, just not on sat.  Cord has a pretty stout defense.  Also, after a couple of big hits by Cord linebackers on receivers, it looked like Coe receivers were afraid to catch the ball or it could have been their hands were cold.  Not sure though, just from what I saw on Sat.

[Pat Coleman]

Last year the NCAA permitted Concordia to play one home game outdoors and forced the next one into the Fargodome. That seems to be a pattern, and not regarding weather necessarily, but field conditions. Linfield, Brockport and Concordia-Moorhead have each had later-round games moved to neutral fields in recent years.