FB: American Rivers Conference

[Floyd in Iowa City]

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!!

OK, Thunderbolt......I see LC Norse is on the board as well.
I only saw the Homecoming game last year and heard of the others so I can't say I am an expert.  However, looking at the Norse roster it seems the Dline is strong but not deep.  The Oline is 1/2 experienced and the backfield is essentially new. At least one corner can play with the best, other DBs are working on it.  Backers are new.

The game against Cornell was called "smash mouth football" by one of the coaches.  The only problem is that it was the Norse who were smashed for half of the game.  Lucky for us it didn't go into overtime.

I still will go with Alexander Pope...."Hope springs eternal in the human breast........"  Maybe we can see a resurgance of the Norsemen of old.

I'm sure one of the coaches did call it "smash mouth football." It would not have been politically correct to say, We just got done playing St. Olaf, Central and Wartburg. We are beat up pretty bad and  started a QB who had never taken a varsity snap. So we ran the same 5 plays all day long, because they couldn't stop us. (until we got to the red zone.)
I'm not sure which half the Norse got "smashed" in. The Rams had about 100 yards of offense in the first half, but never threatened. The Norse scored a TD and two field goals while missing another and fumbling on the Ram twenty. The second half started with Sherden joining Stavast and others without pads on. LCNorse could probably enlighten us on the game plan, but it looked pretty simple to me. Don't turn the ball over, grind out the clock and lets go home with a win. Thats pretty much what I saw in the 2nd half. They slowed the game to four possessions each. The Norse drove down the field and kicked four more field goals. The Rams had two nice drives they scored TDs on. And yes a third in the closing seconds against a (prevent what?) defense. Go to the IIAC site and look in the archives at the drive charts and stats. At the end of the day, you can argue the Rams D. came up big or the Norse stumbled in the red zone, or a little of both. You will have a hard time arguing the Norse got "smashed"
I'll leave you paraphrasing Samuel Clemons: If you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to re-evaluate your position.

That is how I remember the game as well.  In addition to what Thunderbolt said about the play calling, I can add that the Norse called two different running plays for most of the 4th quarter.  I think it was the textbook version of sitting on a lead.  Luckily it worked just well enough.

The crazy close game of the Luther wins over Cornell in recent years was the game at Mount Vernon in 2005.  Pearson had all of those receiving yards as Luther ran up a huge lead, but Sherden and Lamos were out for the season and the Norse couldn't run the ball to close the game out.  Luther finished 6-4 that year, but that game almost was a horrible finish to a season that started so well.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

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!!

OK, Thunderbolt......I see LC Norse is on the board as well.
I only saw the Homecoming game last year and heard of the others so I can't say I am an expert.  However, looking at the Norse roster it seems the Dline is strong but not deep.  The Oline is 1/2 experienced and the backfield is essentially new. At least one corner can play with the best, other DBs are working on it.  Backers are new.

The game against Cornell was called "smash mouth football" by one of the coaches.  The only problem is that it was the Norse who were smashed for half of the game.  Lucky for us it didn't go into overtime.

I still will go with Alexander Pope...."Hope springs eternal in the human breast........"  Maybe we can see a resurgance of the Norsemen of old.

I'm sure one of the coaches did call it "smash mouth football." It would not have been politically correct to say, We just got done playing St. Olaf, Central and Wartburg. We are beat up pretty bad and  started a QB who had never taken a varsity snap. So we ran the same 5 plays all day long, because they couldn't stop us. (until we got to the red zone.)
I'm not sure which half the Norse got "smashed" in. The Rams had about 100 yards of offense in the first half, but never threatened. The Norse scored a TD and two field goals while missing another and fumbling on the Ram twenty. The second half started with Sherden joining Stavast and others without pads on. LCNorse could probably enlighten us on the game plan, but it looked pretty simple to me. Don't turn the ball over, grind out the clock and lets go home with a win. Thats pretty much what I saw in the 2nd half. They slowed the game to four possessions each. The Norse drove down the field and kicked four more field goals. The Rams had two nice drives they scored TDs on. And yes a third in the closing seconds against a (prevent what?) defense. Go to the IIAC site and look in the archives at the drive charts and stats. At the end of the day, you can argue the Rams D. came up big or the Norse stumbled in the red zone, or a little of both. You will have a hard time arguing the Norse got "smashed"
I'll leave you paraphrasing Samuel Clemons: If you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to re-evaluate your position.

Going into that game we had lost our starting qb...and had a backup who was more of a running threat then a passing one...game plan was to give sherdan the ball and get out of Mt. Vernon with a win...As for this year I can see LC having the best d-line in the conference top to bottom. They have 4 returning starters on the line, that includes Webb, who is looking great so far. Linebackers aren't as inexperienced as you think, with Klein and Mirieu both playing in the middle and Theobald and McGivney(soph with a huge upside) playing on the outside. The defensive backfield has some question marks...Humple is really the only proven corner on the team, and I would argue that Luther hasn't had good DB play for a while now so I don't even know if that experience is really good experience. Defense will definitely be the strong point for the norse this year...I'm looking at a 4-6 maybe 5-5 year...but I could also seem them going 2-8 or 7-3...just a lot of question marks like all of the other teams in the conference.

I have liked some of the DB players like Theobald, but I would agree that the Norse have not been strong overall at corner in the defensive backfield since 2005 when McDonald and Shanahan were there.  From those years I also liked safeties Justin Albers (2004) and Zach Wigle (2003).

What is so strange is that Luther seemed very tough at DB around 2003 and 2004.  Given the schemes that they played and that Coach Hefty could recruit, I would have thought that the success in that area would have lasted longer.

[DutchFan2004]

For the Dutch faithful.  Any news on when Central will have their scrimage?  I had heard that they were going to scrimage Auggie again this year at Pella.  Last year it was a Thursday night.  If anyone has heard anything please let me know.

It seems to be a well kept secret, though I have heard rumors about this coming Saturday afternoon. 

Thanks I will try to be in attendance that day.  I am looking forward to seeing the underclassmen and how they have matured.  I also want to get a look at Auggies new offense.  After all the years of the wingT it will be a change to see them in the spread. 

[DBQ1965]

Earlier this month, it took 10 days to go from Page #1160 to Page #1200 ... an average of 4 pages per day.

Since Page #1200 on August 13, we have been going at an average of 5 pages per day, which means we should hit Page #1300 on September 2.

However, as kick-off Saturday draws closer and IIAC excitement builds, my hunch is we will hit #1300 sooner than that.

GO SPARTANS!

[doolittledog]

Earlier this month, it took 10 days to go from Page #1160 to Page #1200 ... an average of 4 pages per day.

Since Page #1200 on August 13, we have been going at an average of 5 pages per day, which means we should hit Page #1300 on September 2.

However, as kick-off Saturday draws closer and IIAC excitement builds, my hunch is we will hit #1300 sooner than that.

GO SPARTANS!

Ooh, which means Klopenheimer buys us all jalapena dogs at quick trip!!! 

[TrainsEqualCrowdNoise]

That is how I remember the game as well.  In addition to what Thunderbolt said about the play calling, I can add that the Norse called two different running plays for most of the 4th quarter.  I think it was the textbook version of sitting on a lead.  Luckily it worked just well enough.

The crazy close game of the Luther wins over Cornell in recent years was the game at Mount Vernon in 2005.  Pearson had all of those receiving yards as Luther ran up a huge lead, but Sherden and Lamos were out for the season and the Norse couldn't run the ball to close the game out.  Luther finished 6-4 that year, but that game almost was a horrible finish to a season that started so well.

Yeah if only the Rams had found their offense a quarter earlier, they may have pulled off another come back victory like they had the week before.  Hopefully soon I won't have to talk about what ifs anymore.

And that '05 game, just another case of the killer turnovers that hamper the Rams.  Turned the ball over 6 times and still had a chance to win the game at the end.  If the Rams are able to limit their turnovers this year, it should most definitely help to improving their chances if not allowing them to win some ball games.

[Kohawk Krazy]

The DM Register has done it again. Is it just me or does the Football preview section of the paper get smaller each year?? Used to be page now all on 1 page not the state paper they claim. Pages and pages on Iowa and Iowa State Football but not a word on the IIAC .

I believe it was two weeks ago they had their All-Iowa Football Preview.  They had a feature story on someone from every position, plus a breakdown of the best NFL, University, College and High School players at each spot.  I know there was a feature on Tommy Breitbach in this as well.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

That is how I remember the game as well.  In addition to what Thunderbolt said about the play calling, I can add that the Norse called two different running plays for most of the 4th quarter.  I think it was the textbook version of sitting on a lead.  Luckily it worked just well enough.

The crazy close game of the Luther wins over Cornell in recent years was the game at Mount Vernon in 2005.  Pearson had all of those receiving yards as Luther ran up a huge lead, but Sherden and Lamos were out for the season and the Norse couldn't run the ball to close the game out.  Luther finished 6-4 that year, but that game almost was a horrible finish to a season that started so well.

Yeah if only the Rams had found their offense a quarter earlier, they may have pulled off another come back victory like they had the week before.  Hopefully soon I won't have to talk about what ifs anymore.

And that '05 game, just another case of the killer turnovers that hamper the Rams.  Turned the ball over 6 times and still had a chance to win the game at the end.  If the Rams are able to limit their turnovers this year, it should most definitely help to improving their chances if not allowing them to win some ball games.

That was one of those crazy two games within one game days.  Northwestern actually scored 2 TDs late in Evanston to beat Iowa before the Luther game ended, so I was not a happy camper during the 4th quarter in Mount Vernon watching a 29-0 lead in the 2nd quarter turn into a 29-23 win.

The other game like that for the Norse was against St. Olaf in 2004.  They actually blew a 31-0 lead in the 2nd quarter to lose 32-31.  It was a couple of games after that Tyler Sherden was moved from DB to RB so that the Norse could eat clock and actually close those type of games out.

It was amazing how Coach Hefty could stay so positive during some of that.

[New Storm]

The DM Register has done it again. Is it just me or does the Football preview section of the paper get smaller each year?? Used to be page now all on 1 page not the state paper they claim. Pages and pages on Iowa and Iowa State Football but not a word on the IIAC .

I believe it was two weeks ago they had their All-Iowa Football Preview.  They had a feature story on someone from every position, plus a breakdown of the best NFL, University, College and High School players at each spot.  I know there was a feature on Tommy Breitbach in this as well.

Players but what about the TEAM  They do not care 

[Walston Hoover]

It was amazing how Coach Hefty could stay so positive during some of that.

Marijuana can be a beautiful thing.

[doolittledog]

It was amazing how Coach Hefty could stay so positive during some of that.

Marijuana can be a beautiful thing.

Coach McCarney speak.  We lost the game 44-7...but we won the 4th quarter 7-3...so we can build on that for next week!!!

[DutchFan2004]

It was amazing how Coach Hefty could stay so positive during some of that.

Marijuana can be a beautiful thing.

I think that is a coach's mindset.  If a coach dwells on the negative they would crack up.  I think the coach has to look at the negative and correct it but stress the positive things that the team did.  I don't think Coach Walston really means this.  A coach like McCarney and Hefty have to stay positive. 

Coach McCarney speak.  We lost the game 44-7...but we won the 4th quarter 7-3...so we can build on that for next week!!!

[doolittledog]

Totally agree.  I coach can't go into a post game interview and say the team stunk.  The couple of times I heard Hefty speak after a game I thought he did a great job. 

I also thought the Luther radio broadcasts were pretty good.  Sounded like 1 professional with a student in the box, another student on the field, with another in the control room for halftime. 

[Walston Hoover]

Yes, fortunately I have never, and I mean never been around a bad football team, so if we ever lost and when we do lose, the postgames are plenty negative. I can see how if you are building a team though how you would have to stay positive in the postgame.

It was amazing how Coach Hefty could stay so positive during some of that.

Marijuana can be a beautiful thing.

I think that is a coach's mindset.  If a coach dwells on the negative they would crack up.  I think the coach has to look at the negative and correct it but stress the positive things that the team did.  I don't think Coach Walston really means this.  A coach like McCarney and Hefty have to stay positive. 

Coach McCarney speak.  We lost the game 44-7...but we won the 4th quarter 7-3...so we can build on that for next week!!!

[DBQ1965]

doolittledog ...

My copy of The Iowa Conference Story arrived in today's mail.  Looks like it will be interesting ... and fun ... reading.

GO SPARTANS!