FB: American Rivers Conference

[fightintitan2006]

Any IIAC posters have predictions for the three MWC-IIAC games in week one?

St. Norbert at Wartburg
Monmouth at Loras
Grinnell at Cornell

[doolittledog]

IIAC goes 2-1 on the week

Any other MWC/IIAC matchups in week 2???

[sportsknight]

Any IIAC posters have predictions for the three MWC-IIAC games in week one?

St. Norbert at Wartburg
Monmouth at Loras
Grinnell at Cornell

I'll take Cornell over Grinnell and Monmouth over Loras.  The Wartburg-SNC game is a toss-up in my mind.  I'd like to see the Knights (black, not green) start the season off with a strong showing, but I'm a bit concerned about how far along some of the new faces on offense will be.  If they're ready to roll, I'll take Wartburg a score or two, but if not I think its a nailbiter.

[DBQ1965]

Any IIAC posters have predictions for the three MWC-IIAC games in week one?

St. Norbert at Wartburg
Monmouth at Loras
Grinnell at Cornell

Cornell wins ... Loras loses ... and Wartburg wins a close one thanks to home field advantage.

GO SPARTANS!

[oldNorse]

This is my distant, uninformed take on the IIAC this year:

!-2)  Of course it is Wartburg and Central fighting it out.  It will all depend on Yordi against the traditionally invincible Central secondary.  Plus to Central. But even Willis can't overcome that def.
3)  Dubuque's new QB (Olen, IA) doesn't have the same swager as Jemar Jackson.  Minus Dubuque.
4) Simpson moves up.  Maybe even over Dubuque.
5) Coe strugglers with coach having left.  Medicore recruiting this year and nothing exceptional returning. Next year they are back in it if they get a recruiting class and one year further head coaching experience.
6) BV stays where they were.  Improving but struggle with retention and recruitment.  Of course they will beat Luther as they have done for a dozen years.
7-8) Loras and Cornell in a pitch battle for 7 and 8th  place.  Loras is an non-entity at this time and Cornell seem to talk about a lot of ZIP. Norse may have a chance with LORAS, BUT......  .
9)  Alas, the Norse are trying to assemble a backfield of some sorts, have an new OL line and have a totally inexperienced secondary compounding on inept play last year.  Doesn't look good.   As much as I regret to have to say it, it appears that the Rams will indeed get their first win in IIAC since 2003 even at Carlson Stadium.

However, Alexander Pope once said, ""Hope springs eternal in the human breast:  Man never is, but always to be, blest".  Who knows.....but even those Norse have a chance.....to be blest.

The Norse finally got B.V. last year as that was the last school that Coach Hefty had not beaten.

Hopefully Thunderbolt feels better about this upcoming season than you do oldNorse!

And I do. I can forgive oldNorse for his moment of weakness. I too, sometimes suffer from self doubt and indecision. But, to concede victory to Cornell?? IN FOOTBALL??? Before the season starts??
Someone needs to check on this mans well being.

Hi Thunderbolt,
I knew that was coming....just waiting.    I had expected the Norse to go 8-2 in 2006 when they went
2-8.  I'm not sure the odds are any better.

[Walston Hoover]

I'll take an IIAC sweep. If anyone loses it will be Loras to Monmouth.
I can't find an SNC season preview, but going off of early season stuff from last year, it looks like they will be VERY inexperienced on offense and that can't be pretty going against the Wartburg D.
They are going to have to score to win, and unless they put up a defensive TD, I don't know that that will happen.
Don't know much about Monmouth other than Loras isn't that good, and don't know much about Grinnell other than that if there's a team in the Land Between Two Rivers that Cornell can beat, its those pesky Pioneers.

[Airborne Dutch]

Klompen, not that I will be in Pella for awhile but will Doc Salamis still have a bar? Thats a key feature of that place.

[doolittledog]

Klompen, not that I will be in Pella for awhile but will Doc Salamis still have a bar? Thats a key feature of that place.

"They took the bar!!!" - Senator Blutarskey 1962

[sportsknight]

if there's a team in the Land Between Two Rivers that Cornell can beat, its those pesky Pioneers.

I thought the Beavers were pesky.  We usually referred to GC as the "high-flying" Grinnell Pioneers.

[sportsknight]

Central Fans and Pella visitors, if you were a fan of Dr. Salami's you will need to find a new place for awhile.  It is currently closed, but will be reopening as a restaurant again in the future.  My understanding is that the new owners were planning to offer many of the same options as before, but until it reopens, we can only speculate.  There is always the Sports Page.

Any idea when they'll reopen?  I was kind of planning on hitting Salami's to celebrate a Wartburg win Sept. 21.  They have (had?) pretty good food when I lived in Pella, and a surprisingly good beer selection.  The Sports Page hadn't opened yet by the time I left town, so I have no basis of comparison there.

[Thunderbolt]

 Yea oldNorse, that 06 team was a real head scratcher. Third or fourth, in the nation, in total offense and two wins to show for it. They developed a knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. I guess I'm hanging my hat on the fact Hefty always preached and practiced, developing quality depth at every position. If you watched them play the last couple yeaes, you know they changed OLinemen and DLinemen like a hockey team. They have a lot of Jrs. and Srs. with more experience than people think. I understand where the skeptics are coming from. If you only saw them once and just read the headlines, you would be right to think they lost everything from a 500 team a year ago. I just don't think thats the case.

C"mon oldNorse- work with me here!!

[Thunderbolt]

 When does Wartburg scrimmage and who? I thought I read somewhere that it was with Plattville.

[DutchFan2004]

Central Fans and Pella visitors, if you were a fan of Dr. Salami's you will need to find a new place for awhile.  It is currently closed, but will be reopening as a restaurant again in the future.  My understanding is that the new owners were planning to offer many of the same options as before, but until it reopens, we can only speculate.  There is always the Sports Page.

Any idea when they'll reopen?  I was kind of planning on hitting Salami's to celebrate a Wartburg win Sept. 21.  They have (had?) pretty good food when I lived in Pella, and a surprisingly good beer selection.  The Sports Page hadn't opened yet by the time I left town, so I have no basis of comparison there.

SK,

The Sportspage has a good selection of food and is pretty tasty. 

[Fannosaurus Rex]

The last time I was out for homecoming, I pulled into the Dr. Salami's parking lot just in time for my headlights to fall on two college age women puking.  It was the first tandem barf I had ever witnessed in the lady's division.  It's not my idea of a good time but if I thought it could have moved Central up in the party school ranking, I would have taken a picture.

[Walston Hoover]

I've seen two female townies puke at Woody's in tandem. Made me think Pella is a town full of degenerates. At the time I remembered SK lived there and realized that was probably true.