FB: American Rivers Conference

[Purple Heys]

Good luck to the Dutch this weekend.

I know a lot of time has passed since Bethel traveled to BV week 1 and obviously they've improved, but I still couldn't get over the fact that they had the ball inside the 40 on 6 possessions in the 1st half and came away with 0 points.

Sounds like the weather could be a little chilly on Sat.

Yeah around 55-60...brrrrrrr     

[The Show]

Divided by 2!!!

[doolittledog]

A little chilly according to who???  Purple Heys chilly or Minnesotan chilly???

I won't really care a whole bunch about the temp on saturday since I will be inside celebrating my father-in-laws 59th birthday and trying to sneak away from time to time to get updates over the web.  Central better put it away early because I will be away from home and unable to pull out the lucky mower to help them out.  Not that I probably would have pulled it out anyway with the temperature the way it is supposed to be on saturday

Good luck to Central on saturday.  Congrats to all on here that will be able to make it to the game.  Try to stay warm and drive safely to and from Pella. 

[The Show]

I didn't have the chance to play on the same team as Cody, missed it by a year, but it appeared that he always played hard and more importantly, smart.  I think I missed the anonymous posting, but regardless, he was a heck of a player.

[DutchFan2004]

dollitttledog ...

Thanks for the heads-up on UD's schedule for next year.  Living in west Michigan, I would love to see the Spartans schedule an MIAC (Olivet or Hope are the closest) team.  I even would be willing to host a pre-game alumni gathering (with the help of the Alumni Office, of course) for the die-hards that would show up.

Go Spartans!

With losing Wisconsin Lutheran on the schedule somewhat late in the game it might get interesting who Dubuque ends up scheduling.  UD has a trustee that is also a trustee at Marietta College in Ohio.  I know the Spartans played them once in the early part of this decade and they might be a possibility.  That trustee is also on the board of the Ohio council of independent schools...or something like that, so he might have some pull with other DIII schools in that state.  Waldorf is a usual suspect.  Upper Iowa might be as well.  Maybe UW-Platteville comes back on the UD schedule.  One last thought is Dubuque has had a pretty good pipeline of Michigan talent on their roster recently.  It might not be a bad idea to schedule some MIAA teams.  With Wisconsin Lutheran leaving the MIAA to join the new Northern Athletics Conference next year there might be a lot of MIAA teams with a spot to fill on their schedule.  And if the Spartans do that we might have a ready made tailgating organizer in DBQ1965...maybe he will let all the travelling UD fans crash at his place that weekend

Why dont they schedule someone good...Augustana, Wheaton, North Central, LaCrosse, Bethel, Eau Claire??

Maybe UD is trying to schedule those teams...I don't know either way.  I was just throwing out possibilities.  I know UW-Platteville has had trouble filling out their schedule and they are close by Dubuque.  Same goes for Upper Iowa.  Waldorf seems to be an IIAC favorite lately.  I also mentioned it might make sense to take on MIAA teams with Dubuques history of recruits from that state in addition to that conference losing Wisc Lutheran some of those schools might have open dates to fill.  That and Dubuque has a trustee with strong Ohio ties and the OAC is a traditionally strong conference.  Made sense to me but I have nothing to go on other than hunches.  I would be happy if Dubuque was able to schedule any of the teams you mentioned as well.  

Central hasn't exactly been playing playoff caliber teams in St. Thomas and Hope the last 2 seasons and it's gotten them into the playoffs both years!!!  Maybe Dubuque is trying to follow the Dutch way

Doolittle,

Hate to burst your bubble but Hope was in the playoffs last year.  They were the first round sacrifice to MUC last year.  They also ties with Olivet this year and lost the AQ due to the loss to Olivet not that they are a pwerhouse but a decent team. 

[dbljay21]

Won't make it this Saturday as I will be in Minnesota preparing to attend the Sunday afternoon contest between my beloved Lions and those purple-clad Vi-Queens...but I will make it a game in Pella during the 2008 season. 

Hope those little Lions are ready to play.  Vikes are tough to beat at home.  I bet Kitna is going to have a hard time sleeping the night before after seeing what they did to Eli Manning.  If you remember the Lions barely squeeked one out in OT last time.  If we had a decent kicker we would have ended it before OT.  A lions win at home means a walk for Minnesota at home.  Vikes big D scores 3 TD's Little O ( man that is so backwards for me) scores 3.  24-9 Vikings.  This also would make us in the playoff hunt!

The main difference between Kitna and Manning is that Kitna has had success beating the blitz and is well respected throughout the league as a guy who can see the blitz coming and makes the proper adjustments.  Eli is horrible with pressure in his face and that was my biggest complaint with the Lions game versus the G-men...not enough pressure on Eli and he picked the Cover 2 apart.  Minnesota brought the heat and Eli returned in kind by throwing 4 picks and just looked terrible.  Lions still had a chance to win that game against the Giants though so I am still confident my guys can get it done against Minnesota.  Look for the Lions to spread the Vikes out defensively and toss the pill around alot on Sunday as Minnesota has one of the toughest run defenses in the league and it might be hard for Kevin Jones to find running lanes.  Lions win a tough a game in the Cities 24-20. 

[dbljay21]

I am self-declaring that I am holding the new record for a Cornell poster this late in the season.

I can't wait for Spring Football!

You get the Most Valuable Poster award for all the Cornell posters Purple...congratulations on great season.  +k for hanging around 

[doolittledog]

DF2K4 - I suppose I should have worded things a bit differently.  Hope has been a playoff caliber team.  But that is helped by playing in the MIAA which I would maybe lump in with the Midwest Conference.  A decent conference but certainly not up to OAC, MIAC, or IIAC standards. 

DutchFan was asking why Dubuque wouldn't try to schedule a "good" team like Augustana or Bethel and some other schools and I was just trying to point out that St. Thomas and Hope aren't necessarily the toughest teams out there.  They are good teams...not cupcakes, but I don't think I would go so far as to say Central has been scheduling non-con D-III bullies to toughen themselves up for conference play the last couple of years. 

[luvd3football]

but I'm sure you'll be able to counter nicely with the most nauseating PA announcer in the history of the free world. 

You've never been to a Simpson game, have you...

I knew someone would say that, I'm just surprised it took so long!     In his defense though - he is 88 years old.....(maybe it's time he retires!!)   He doesn't usually say negative things about the opposing team (that I recall), he just says stupid stuff - even gets the Storm players names wrong!!  I can remember many times where the home fans just looked at each other and laughed....  got to point we just shut him out. 

[sportsknight]

Central hasn't exactly been playing playoff caliber teams in St. Thomas and Hope the last 2 seasons and it's gotten them into the playoffs both years!!!  Maybe Dubuque is trying to follow the Dutch way

Hope made the playoffs last year, and were one win away from going again this season.

As far as other non-con teams for IIAC squads to play, UW-Platteville would be a good one.  I know they have played UD lately, but not Loras.  I know that in Bierie's last couple of years, he said he wouldn't schedule UWP because he didn't want to play someone that he competes with for recruits (whatever).  Now that he's out of there, will Loras start taking on the Pioneers.  I'm also surprised more IIACs don't play the Augustana's, St. Ambrose's, or Grinnell's of the world.

[Klompen]

Sounds like the weather could be a little chilly on Sat.

Most of the weather reports have been for temps in the 26-30 range on Saturday and snow starting to fall Saturday night.  This morning I heard they are moving the precipitation to a little earlier in the day with a possible rain/freezing rain/snow mix.  If that arrives before 3 p.m. I am guessing that hurts Central more than Bethel because we have been more of a passing team this year.  I know it makes it hard for both teams to hold onto the ball, etc. but I have to believe if favors the running team.  I guess Vance better be ready to have that break out game and hope that Connell and his receivers literally have hot hands!

[DBQ1965]

Hey DutchFan2004 ...

Thanks for reminding me of the difference between MIAC and MIAA.  When I typed that out I knew something was wrong.  I guess I've seen MIAC so much lately and the MIAA died very quietly after the Olivet-Central game.

[Walston Hoover]

Monmouth was a conf champ the year before playing Wartburg.

[old school ENP Tiger]

Sounds like the weather could be a little chilly on Sat.

Most of the weather reports have been for temps in the 26-30 range on Saturday and snow starting to fall Saturday night.  This morning I heard they are moving the precipitation to a little earlier in the day with a possible rain/freezing rain/snow mix.  If that arrives before 3 p.m. I am guessing that hurts Central more than Bethel because we have been more of a passing team this year.  I know it makes it hard for both teams to hold onto the ball, etc. but I have to believe if favors the running team.  I guess Vance better be ready to have that break out game and hope that Connell and his receivers literally have hot hands!

Vance can carry the load.  Connell can run if he has to.  81 yards against Wartburg when Central  needed it. 

[D1HawkD3CUI]

Sounds like the weather could be a little chilly on Sat.

Most of the weather reports have been for temps in the 26-30 range on Saturday and snow starting to fall Saturday night.  This morning I heard they are moving the precipitation to a little earlier in the day with a possible rain/freezing rain/snow mix.  If that arrives before 3 p.m. I am guessing that hurts Central more than Bethel because we have been more of a passing team this year.  I know it makes it hard for both teams to hold onto the ball, etc. but I have to believe if favors the running team.  I guess Vance better be ready to have that break out game and hope that Connell and his receivers literally have hot hands!

Vance can carry the load.  Connell can run if he has to.  81 yards against Wartburg when Central  needed it. 

I'm personally hoping the precip. holds off until well after the game, not just for the game but for travel purposes as well after. If it would happen to roll in during the game I think it would probably benefit Bethel a little more but Vance is due for a big one. He was awfully close to breaking a few big ones last week, hopefully this is the week where he can get loose. Bundle up Saturday, should be a fun one...rain/sleet/snow or shine!