FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[devildog29]

washedupcard, first you are absolutely correct that coach thorne (former titan) has done a great job with your program, and you all should absolutely be very proud of the amazing improvement the cards make year after year.  if you do end up winning this thing, i certainly wish you good luck in the playoffs, and wouldn't it be something for a cciw team to finally knock off the mount in the playoffs.  first things first though, you have a big game against augie to worry about before looking ahead that far.  secondly, it's been mentioned on here before, but i couldn't help but get a knot in my stomach after you mention how great it is to be having these conversations about ncc and going out each and every week knowing you can beat anyone you play.  i have the exact opposite feelings every week thinking just how far the titans have fallen since i played and even since after i played.  it seems unfathomable to be the underdog almost every week.  there was a time when we absolutely knew we had the talent to beat every single team we played.  of course any given saturday anything can happen, but we knew if we played up to our capabilities, we had as much talent as anyone in the conference.  now to go out and be considered in "the bottom half" of the confernece is truly mind boggling, though i know today there really is no top half/bottom half of the conference in the same way as 5-10 years ago.

[79jaybird]

Interesting weekend as always in the CCIW.  As one of the Redman and Cardinal alums have posted, I too understand what it is like to shed your heart on the field for a losing team, then x amount a years later they win something meaningful.  Case in point Prospect HS  When I played we were lucky to win 4 games.  Now they are winning State Championships. Last year it was Carthage, this year NC, (hopefully) Elmhurst next year, then (really hoping) North Park someday.  (Obviously I'm an optimist)
The Elmhurst/Augie game was not a great day if you're a defensive minded person.  Here are my thoughts:
1) The game was decided when in crunch time and Augie was down 42-35, the Vikings stuck to their bread and butter and made the key plays to win.
2) Elmhurst Special Teams let them down. We had problems kicking that didn't cost us the game, but deflated our momentum when we had opportunities.
3) Tom Kudyba is a rising star.  That's the best I have seen our offense operate all year. 42 points against Augustana is very impressive.  My only question is where was this O when we needed it against Wheaton and NC?
4) Tom Journell is moving Elmhurst in the right direction.  The road to building up a great program is very difficult and will have some peaks/valleys.  You can see the building blocks starting to fall into place.
5) Augie and North Central will be the 2 representatives in post-season.  The only question is who will bring home the CCIW trophy.  After seeing both teams, I think Augie is going to be tough to beat, because they have so many ball carriers, it's not just 1 or 2 guys you have to shut down.
6) I am amazed, but Augie attempted 2-3 passes and scored a passing TD, after going 4 quarters without 1 pass attempt in Elmhurst last year.

[Jim Matson]

I was listening a bit to the Elmhurst broadcast this past Saturday (I was in the area for an appointment).  You guys do a great job jaybird.  I know you had a temp helping out but it was still good to listen - although when you had him reviewing the Top 25, you had a step in and help more than once.  It was kinda funny...

The Wheaton game and the Elmhurst game were good to hear as both teams performed better than expected against their opponents.  It was good to see Wheaton take care of Carthage - that sets the stage for a good performance against North Park.

[zorbadagreek]

Well, the showdown of the week is on. I firmly believe that Auggie will hand NCC its lunch. Should be a tight game early on, but the grind it out style of offense Auggie brings will outmatch NCC. Go Auggie!!

[matblake]

Ball control and defense are the name of the game in the NCC v Augie showdown.  The Rumble by the River (I know it's dumb, but I couldn't resist) is very interesting.  Augustana traditionally is great at keeping the ball away from other teams by being on offense forever.   That being said, it seems this year that the Cardinals are very explosive and don't always need a lot of time to score.  The question is can potential quick strikes beat out potential time of possesion advantage?  That will be settled on the field. 

I think most posters would agree that Augustana's defense has been thought above the NCC's defense all this year, until this week. The game might come down to defensive takeaways. 

Should be a good battle.  Do both North Central and Augustana have ways you can listen to the game?

[NCC_alum62]

NCC games can be listened to on WONC 89.1 or online at www.wonc.org and clicking on listen now at game time.  They travel to all the away games.

I know they may not have played the best non-conference teams on the road, but the cards can win on the road travelling to Minnesota and then St. Louis in consecutive weeks before comming home to face Wheaton at home.  I know it was a concern for coach that the team stay rested and energized for that stretch and they performed.  I think they will be ready to travel to Rock Island and take care of business.

[79jaybird]

Hiker Jim,  thank you for the compliments.  Yes I had a substitute as my Color Analyst.  His daughter usually sings the Nat'l Anthem at Augie games and plays on the Vikings Soccer Team.    Plus her boyfriend is on the football team and he's an Elmhurst Resident, so I offered to have him accompany me.  The second half was o.k. however in the first half, he made life a little difficult because he didn't know what to say, or would have a long pause prior to speaking.  I give him credit for trying because it's not easy filling in with somebody new.  On the flipside, it makes you appreciate your normal color analyst.  Finising up 5 years I have gone through 3 color analysts.  Now I have a regular guy that only has trouble with the longer road trips  (Augie, MU, IWU)
Thank you again for the compliments and I'm glad you were able to hear us. 
I hope NC (assuming they make the playoffs)  gets a home game.  I would go out to Augie for a game, but it's convenient going from Mt. Prospect to Naperville, as opposed to Rock Island.

[79jaybird]

"rumble by the river"  I like that   on the air I refer to Augustana as "from the shores of the mississippi"  and Millikin  "corn fields of IL and the home of Archer Daniels Midland"
NC vs. EC   the "bird bowl"
EC vs. Carthage  The I 94 Classic
IWU vs. MU   The Corn Bowl on Rt. 51
NC vs. Wheaton  obviously the battle for the little brass bell

All of these are rather corny, but you can't say the same things all the time. 

[matblake]

Jaybird,
Feel free to use that on your broadcast if you happen to get a score from "the rumble"   8)

[FormerCard]

As a former Cardinal Player...who shed blood, sweat, and tears on NCC's behalf, the fact that this type of game is even occurring is amazing.  John Thorne for mayor of Naperville!  Thorne has turned around a program that could not amass consecutive winning seasons...let alone play for the conference title and potentially enter the playoffs as a favorite.  I really don't think those of you who did not play at North Central can fully understand the depth of Thorne's change on North Central and its football team.

And having played under both the former staff and this staff, I must say that I could see the change coming, I just didnt think it would be here this fast.  Some key recruits along with a top of the notch strength and conditioning program has helped catapult this team to the top.  The biggest change by far is Thorne though.  He is a winner, and always has been.  I heard a few cardinal fans posting on here complain about his 3rd and one  play action pass against wheaton that put his up by 2 scores in the 4th quarter....you guys are nuts.  That is PRECISELY the reason he wins.  He makes calls that you would not expect and that is how the game should be played.  The year before he came it was "option right, option left, incomplete pass, punt.  We had the greatest damn punter in the nation because he got so much practice.  I think washedup can agree that offensively we were not playing football for the 4 years before thorne got there.  I dont know what to call it but it was not pretty.  Defensively, we had the athletes and the scheme, but the strength and conditiong program was not there, and when teams were dealing with such a short field, it was very tough to keep them from putting points on the board.  I think that every cardinal fan can agree that John Thorne (and his staff) were a great addition to NCC

[matblake]

How long has Coach Thorne been at North Central now?  The reason that I ask is as far as recruiting.  He had been at Wheaton Warrenville South and did awesome things with that high school program and was very well recognized as an excellent coach.  If he has been at North Central longer than 4 years, some of that recognition might dwindle as high school basically has a complete turnover in participants every 4 years.  Granted, you have some siblings that come later that might remember the past success, but in high school, memory is fleeting. Just a question which is probably a moot point because of the success North Central and Coach Thorne have had this year.  When you think about the place that the Cardinal football team has come from, it makes what Coach Thorne has done even more admirable.

[79jaybird]

MattBlake-  I will  use that and give you the credit. 
I also want to recognize Augustana.  What great people are over there and the hospitality in the pressbox is second to none.  Kudos to Dave Wrath and the people up in the box.  You make that long trip pleasant.

[CardinalAlum]

The biggest change by far is Thorne though.  He is a winner, and always has been.  I heard a few cardinal fans posting on here complain about his 3rd and one  play action pass against wheaton that put his up by 2 scores in the 4th quarter....you guys are nuts.  That is PRECISELY the reason he wins.  He makes calls that you would not expect and that is how the game should be played.  

Former,

I was the one complaining about the call and it was still the wrong call and NOT the way the game should be played.  As a recap, the situation was 4th quarter, 1:30 or so left on the clock, 3rd down and a foot at the Wheaton 11 and 1 time out left for Wheaton.  NCC runs a play action pass, Kniss has a Wheaton defender on his legs as he throws the ball for a wide open TD.  The result worked out this time, but it's still not the genius move you make it out to be.  You have 2 downs to make 1 foot.  With 1 Time out left, Wheaton cannot get the ball back unless you either can't make a 1 foot gain on 2 downs or you throw an interception or fumble.  To take it a step furthur, it wasn't even John Thorne's play call, it was Jeff Thorne's.  I am sorry that you had to play under the former moron that was the head coach, but I think we all agree that the program is where we all want it to be and where it hopefully stays.

[FormerCard]

Former,

I was the one complaining about the call and it was still the wrong call and NOT the way the game should be played. 

It was JT young money's call, but JT old money needed to give an Ok on that one, and he could have nixed it and ran 2 dives.  I loved the call, actually we were debating whether they were going to  run speed option or Play action.  Either way, we are on the way to where we need to be, and all fans can agree on that, even if we dont agree on that particular call.

[Mugsy]

Not that it is too relevant given the NCC/Augie match up this week, but I still think it was remarkable that Wheaton was able to run the ball for 350 yards against Carthage (giving up 59 per game coming in).  I know Carthage D was pretty beat up coming into the game, but still... Chaz Black is the 2nd string running back and ran for over 200 yards by himself.  He could be tough next year as a senior... big back who runs hard.

Wonder how far back you'd have to go to see a Wheaton game with only 6 pass attempts?  That almost looks like an Augie boxscore, not Wheaton. 

In the "hindsight makes a genius out of an idiot" category... makes me wonder what might have happened had Wheaton emphasized the run a bit more against NCC.  Not that it matters, now...