FB: American Rivers Conference

[Purple Heys]

Excerpted from today's Cornell Football press release...

Day OK – Cornell starting nose guard Jeremy Day ( Carrollton, Texas/Creekview) sustained a neck injury during the second half of last week's contest. The senior was carted off the field and air-flighted to University of Iowa Hospitals after losing feeling in his arms and hands. Day, diagnosed with a strained ligament in his neck, has regained all feeling and said he could be back on the playing field in 3-4 weeks.

This is great news for the Rams and hopefully provides an extra bit of energy on Saturday.

Thanks go out all of you posters for your thoughts and prayers.

[Purple Heys]

Kongrats to Kobler 

I have said all along that Cornell would not miss the defection of Mr. Mills.  I daresay they are better off.

Good job by Coach Matt "Marshall" Dillon to adjust when Alma put 8 and 9 in the box to committ to stopping the Wing-T running game.

It's a tribute to Dillon's confidence in Kobler and his receiving crew...plus the O-line getting Kobler the time to throw.

Youngblood, Krogmann and Macey are all big, athletic targets with good hands.  I think Cornell is better this year on offense because they are more versatile.  For the second week in a row Macey carried multiple would-be tacklers into the endzone...a trend perhaps?

Youngblood had the kind of day a receiver dreams about and stepped up as Alma took away the running game.

A note on Mr. Krogmann.  I heard that he went both ways last weekend as a Nickle DB against the Alma spread offense.  Then set a career high for catches and yards on offense.

Kudos to Krogmann!

[dbljay21]

Congrats to Kobler and the Rams.

But for a home game against LUTHER??
Maybe week 11 but game 1 of the conference?

You are right Alfred!   The Norse had as tough of a season last year as the 1950 team.  Just sit both of the Dutch standouts and hold the QB out just in case so that they are all healthy for future games like when they play Wartburg.

The Dutch hold a 46-21-1 lead in the all-time series. Central won just nine of the teams’ first 23 meetings but has prevailed in 37 of the last 45. Luther’s most recent win in the series was a 30-24 overtime decision in 2004 (From the Central Athletic website).

That was a great game in 2004...both squads played well and there was a lot of energy in Carlson Stadium that day.  On to this weekend's matchup: I know that the coaching staff will be preparing for Central as if everyone is healthy and going to play.  That is the only way to prepare for any game.  Assume that the opponent will be full strength.

Question for the board: As players/coaches/fans, do you feel relief if an opponent has a "major" player on the sideline due to injury when your team is playing them?  Or do you want to play them at full strength?

[DutchFan2004]

Well part of you IMHO says whew we don't have to worry about that guy, but another part of me says ok what do we have to prepare for now.  At least with a known player you know what to expect and prepare for.  With players that have not played its an unknown and how do you prepare for the unknown.  Will they blitz more on d, play more zone, or come up with something totally new.  On offense do they run the ball more, less, have more gadget plays.  I think with players being gone there is an unknown you can not prepare for so I think I am one that hopes to play a team at full strength.

[Walston Hoover]

Question for the board: As players/coaches/fans, do you feel relief if an opponent has a "major" player on the sideline due to injury when your team is playing them?  Or do you want to play them at full strength?

Give me the opposing team's personnel that gives me the best chance to win. If that means the whole team got in trouble the night before and can't play-more power to whoever bought them the beer. (speaking from a HS coach's perspective) I hate to see any kid get hurt, and at a personal level, I would never with that on anyone, but don't think any coach at any level doesn't get a little excited inside when he hears the opposition's best player won't be playing.

[Walston Hoover]

I don't mean that to sound too harsh, but, that's the way it is, like it or not. No coach would ever say that to the media, like a lot of things, but its true.

[dbljay21]

Question for the board: As players/coaches/fans, do you feel relief if an opponent has a "major" player on the sideline due to injury when your team is playing them?  Or do you want to play them at full strength?

Give me the opposing team's personnel that gives me the best chance to win. If that means the whole team got in trouble the night before and can't play-more power to whoever bought them the beer. (speaking from a HS coach's perspective) I hate to see any kid get hurt, and at a personal level, I would never with that on anyone, but don't think any coach at any level doesn't get a little excited inside when he hears the opposition's best player won't be playing.

Walston: does beating a team at less than full strength take away from/diminish/de-value the victory (quality of the win)

[dbljay21]

You know what people say after a win against a team that isn't at full strength: "Yeah sure Iowa beat Wisconsin, but Wisconsin didn't have Hill in the ball game because he was hurt."

And you can interchange any teams in there at any level when some team beats another team that is at less than full strength.

[Walston Hoover]

I could care less what people (fans) say about a win from a coaching perspective. I've been a part of wins against teams that were not at full strength and a part of losses to teams that were at full strength. I'd take the win any day. I don't think I've looked back at any win (as a coach or player) and thought "Oh its a good thing they didn't have so-and-so" I have however looked back on a loss without a player and wished we would of had him.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Question for the board: As players/coaches/fans, do you feel relief if an opponent has a "major" player on the sideline due to injury when your team is playing them?  Or do you want to play them at full strength?

In general it is always more fun when both teams can put everyone out at full strength.  I don't lose that much sleep over the problems that other teams have, but it is fun to win after taking the best shot from the other team.  Depth separates the average programs from the good, but I always liked what former Steeler head man Chuck Noll said:

"Depth, injuries, and deception have been a part of the game for a long time.  At the heart of it, football for me has always been about giving your best shot and taking the best from the opponent.  So if I had my way, we would all line up with our best and just say 'C'mon, let's play!'   If they are spending all of their time trying to fool you, they really just know that they can't match up.  In a perfect world the games would be all about effort and who could block and tackle."

[DutchHawk]

I think it depends on the team too. Deeper teams you wont have to worry as much about. Like I said, if Vance is in fact out then we have two other capable running backs as well as a running qb and good passing game this year so far. However if a team such as Cornell (only using as an example due to small numbers...not trying to start anything:)) were to lose their best player one could say it may have more of an impact. Maybe I have my red blinders on as well! Either way its going to be a dogfight with Luther, OT 2 of the last 3 years and 2005 Central had them down big and it took a pick at the 20 to preserve the game!

[Ash Park]

DutchHawk,

I think you are absolutely right about that. Teams with smaller numbers which is Cornells case even though their numbers are up this year, tend to have trouble when they have some key injuries. Schools like Central and Wartburg it does not hurt as much because they have somebody that can step in and while that person may not be as good as the starter they are probably still pretty solid.

[dbljay21]

Question for the board: As players/coaches/fans, do you feel relief if an opponent has a "major" player on the sideline due to injury when your team is playing them?  Or do you want to play them at full strength?

In general it is always more fun when both teams can put everyone out at full strength.  I don't lose that much sleep over the problems that other teams have, but it is fun to win after taking the best shot from the other team.  Depth separates the average programs from the good, but I always liked what former Steeler head man Chuck Noll said:

"Depth, injuries, and deception have been a part of the game for a long time.  At the heart of it, football for me has always been about giving your best shot and taking the best from the opponent.  So if I had my way, we would all line up with our best and just say 'C'mon, let's play!'   If they are spending all of their time trying to fool you, they really just know that they can't match up.  In a perfect world the games would be all about effort and who could block and tackle."

That is a great quote from a HOF coach.  I guess my opinion would be that you can only beat the team that is on the field.  As a coach, I always tell my team not to worry about the things that they cannot control.  Weather, refs, field conditions, etc are things that you cannot control.  And who plays and who doesn't for your opponent is another thing.  A win is a win, no matter who you beat.

I think it depends on the team too. Deeper teams you wont have to worry as much about. Like I said, if Vance is in fact out then we have two other capable running backs as well as a running qb and good passing game this year so far. However if a team such as Cornell (only using as an example due to small numbers...not trying to start anything:)) were to lose their best player one could say it may have more of an impact. Maybe I have my red blinders on as well! Either way its going to be a dogfight with Luther, OT 2 of the last 3 years and 2005 Central had them down big and it took a pick at the 20 to preserve the game!

Great point Dutchhawk.  And I think that it will be another great game this year.

[TheOne89.1]

Question for the board: As players/coaches/fans, do you feel relief if an opponent has a "major" player on the sideline due to injury when your team is playing them?  Or do you want to play them at full strength?
[/quote]

To me, there is some relief when you see a teams main offensive threat on the sideline with an injury or some other reason to be out....but I always say football is a team game.  If a star QB is out of a game, I expect that the O-line will still give their back-up plenty of time to throw the ball.  If one of the big defensive players is out, it will likely give an opportunity for someone else to have a huge game.  DutchFan makes a good point that you may have been preparing all week to get a blocker out to the middleline backer and now it is the DE who will be a threat.

In the end, even if an opponent has a star player out, if your team comes out on the field and doesn't strive to play "mistake-free-football" and if you make big mistakes (fumbles, missed tackles, wrong blocking assignments) then any team can take advantage of that and beat you.

[Wartburg Fan]

I think you perpare for a team as you would normally no matter who is going to play. I also think player and coachs think about the win or lost no matter who plays.

Coe fans got a question. hows Tate Harrison doing ? watched him play in HS. Try to get him to go to Wartburg, but i knew that wasn't going to happen as his brother and cousin both played for Coe but had alot of fun with him every time i saw him Trying to get him to try on my wartburg clothing. Tate is just a good kid and wish him the best. I believe he will to a very good football play for Coe.