FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[burly]

Wow. 

How did it end?  Incomplete on 4th down?

Incomplete pass on 4th down.  Wheaton showed an enormous amount of resolve tonight.  This team can come back when down - the mark of a great team.

[DIIIinVA]

That was a scary last minute of football for a Thunder fan. 

Who did most of the damage for Wheaton on offense?  Were they throwing a lot in the second half?  Any of the RB's step up to the challenge?

[burly]

That was a scary last minute of football for a Thunder fan. 

Who did most of the damage for Wheaton on offense?  Were they throwing a lot in the second half?  Any of the RB's step up to the challenge?

Wheaton WRs had a big day - don't have the stats yet.  Hershey avg. 4.4 yards a carry (I think).  Sulo for NC had 76 total yards, held to 15 in the second half.  NC sophomore QB Aaron Fanthorpe ran wild - created some big plays.  He is and will continue to develop into a great player.  Sorry, that's all I have right now.

[matblake]

Hats off to North Central.  They came to play.  Sounds like Fanthorpe was excellent this evening.  Another running quarterback eats up the Thunder. That has me extremely worried about Augustana, a team Wheaton has had trouble with the past 2 years.  

Getting out of Naperville with a win is a good thing for Wheaton.  

Other than the obvious go ahead touchdown, the big play for me was the QB sack of Fanthorpe which forced North Central to take its last time out.  

[DIIIinVA]

Any injuries reported?

[burly]

Hats off to North Central.  They came to play.  Sounds like Fanthorpe was excellent this evening.  Another running quarterback eats up the Thunder. That has me extremely worried about Augustana, a team Wheaton has had trouble with the past 2 years.  

Getting out of Naperville with a win is a good thing for Wheaton.  

Other than the obvious go ahead touchdown, the big play for me was the QB sack of Fanthorpe which forced North Central to take its last time out.  

NC should probably not have spiked the ball on the last 3rd down.  I am surprised there wasn't a series of plays called or he didn't audible after the 2nd down gain.  20 secs, 3rd and short on approximately the 20 - should have taken a few secs to get a play called and go for the endzone, sidelines or first down stopping the clock and then spiking the ball.  Instead, NC spikes the ball and sets up 4th and short for the game.  Tough call, but those our my initial (hindsight) thoughts.

[burly]

Any injuries reported?

Studebaker, ankle - didn't play after second or third defensive series of the game.  Not sure the severity, but he did sit out the entire game.

[ncc58]

The game ended with the North Central coaching staff receiving an unsportsmanlike penalty.

It's 4th and 8. Wheaton is changing personnel. One Wheaton player is running to get off the field but is nowhere close when the ball is snapped. Fanthorpe throws to Sulo. It looked like he might have caught it but it is ruled incomplete.

But why was there no penalty for Wheaton having more than 11 players on the field? It should be 4th and 3 when ~20 seconds to play.

Spiking the ball on 3rd down was the right thing to do. You have to get the clock stopped and your players set for the right play in a critical moment.

[CardinalAlum]

Spiking the ball on 3rd down was the right thing to do. You have to get the clock stopped and your players set for the right play in a critical moment.

Disagree with you big time here.  Wheaton had taken a timeout right before this.  NCC should have had more than one play called and ready to go.  To spike the ball in that situation is stupid!! 

[CardinalAlum]

timeout Wheaton.  37 seconds to go.  2nd and 22 from Wheaton 40

Here is where NCC should have had more than one play ready.  They completed a pass of 15 yards inbounds to make it 3rd and 7.

[shepherd]

Just got back from the game.  North Central was playing a boxing seen on their scoreboard throughout the game.  How appropriate as NC gave it to Wheaton on the jaw in the first five minutes of the game.  Wheaton was staggering the whole first half.  NC gave a tremendous effort for the Whole game.  Not one lineman standing around watching the play.  Wheaton was losing the first half on the line of scrimmage giving an OK first effort and getting beat by North Centrals second effort.  Defensive linemen over penetrated allowing big wholes and seams up the middle for the second week in a row.   The second half both the defensive and offensive linemen for Wheaton looked great.  The offensive linemen were downfield blocking and overall hustling.  The defensive linemen started working as a unit and looked great pursuing to the ball.  Andrew Hershey (RB) gave a giant effort for the whole game.  So to say this game was one and loss on the line would be an understatement.   NC gave one of the best efforts I have seen in the CCIW.

[burly]

NC gave one of the best efforts I have seen in the CCIW.

Outscoring NC 28-7 in the second half and coming back from 17-0 deficit at half...now, that has to be one of the best efforts the CCIW has seen in a long time.

[burly]

Spiking the ball on 3rd down was the right thing to do. You have to get the clock stopped and your players set for the right play in a critical moment.

Disagree with you big time here.  Wheaton had taken a timeout right before this.  NCC should have had more than one play called and ready to go.  To spike the ball in that situation is stupid!! 

I'm with you CardnalAlum.  As I stated above, why weren't a series of plays called?

[usee]

I am back from Naperville. First off I have to say congrats to North Central for how they played. for most of the game they made the catches, runs and tackles they needed to make. They had a great plan and executed it extremely well. Up until about the end of the 3rd quarter NCC had won every phase of the game. The Thunder had missed tackles, couldn't get off blocks, lost the battle at the LOS and generally was the inferior team. I was very impressed with how hard the Cardinal played. Fanthorpe created a lot of problems for the Thunder and the NCC secondary had great coverage. I think the NCC linebackers, particularly Wenger, are beastly and athletic.

I know what its like to be on the losing side of a game like this and its no fun. It is too bad one team had to lose tonight because that was a classic battle with 2 very good teams leaving it all on the field.

Winning on the road in the CCIW is never easy.

[usee]

I will add that both NCC and Wheaton seemed to have settled on 1 quarterback. Fanthorpe for NCC took all the snaps and I thought he did a great job managing the game. he took some monster hits and stayed in there to throw the ball. the 60 yd td took a lot poise as he got killed just as he threw it. he also made some big plays running, particularly on 3rd downs.

For the Thunder, they appear set on Sean Norris as the trigger man and he made many plays with both his feet and his arm.