FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[ncc_fan]

Deep thoughts on a Friday evening...

If MIAC is pronounced MY-ack
and SCIAC is pronounced SKY-ack
why is WIAC pronounced WEE-ack?

[Pat Coleman]

Deep thoughts on a Friday evening...

If MIAC is pronounced MY-ack
and SCIAC is pronounced SKY-ack
why is WIAC pronounced WEE-ack?

Depends on who you ask. When I asked that question a few years ago, I was told NOBODY says it that way. But that's not true, many in Wisconsin do.

Regardless, it seems WHY-ack is the more accepted pronunciation.

[oldnuthin]

More seniors back in the line up today, hopefully it translates to a Big Blue win.

http://herald-review.com/sports/millikin/it-s-been-a-good-bye-at-millikin/article_126e569c-2802-11e3-87e9-0019bb2963f4.html

[Titan Q]

Final:

IWU 14
Hope 7

* T.J. Stinde: 17 rushes, 129 yards
* Alex Garvey: 8 catches, 105 yards
* Rob Gallik: 22-38, 227 yards, 2 TD/1 INT


IWU really struggled to get anything going offensively in this one (and not a very strong game by QB Rob Gallik), but the defense was outstanding.  IWU's defense should keep the Titans in every game this season -- need the offense to bounce back from this one, and I think it will.

Not quite sure what to make of IWU's performance in this one.  It sure looked to me like Hope is a good team.

[FishHack76]

NCC 27, UW-SP 7 ... 100th win for Coach Thorne

[AndOne]

FINAL:

NCC-27, UWSP-7

No Offensive Player Of The Week for NCC QB Spencer Stanek this week after a pedestrian 27 of 37 for only 364 yards and 4 TDs. 

* On the game's 1st play, Stanek hits Demarco Tillman for a 75 yard TD
* Peter Sorenson with 9 receptions for 98 yards.
* TE A.J. Thomas with 3 catches, 2 for TDs
* The NCC rushing "attack" was honestly just plain stinky with a sickly 41 yards on 28 rushes. 
* Defense led by Nick Slezak's 14 tackles (9 solo)
* Connor Douglas with a 36 yard INT return, and Michael Monterrubio with 2 INTs, including one on the goal line.                                   

[AndOne]

Final:

IWU 14
Hope 7

* T.J. Stinde: 17 rushes, 129 yards
* Alex Garvey: 8 catches, 105 yards
* Rob Gallik: 22-38, 227 yards, 2 TD/1 INT


IWU really struggled to get anything going offensively in this one (and not a very strong game by QB Rob Gallik), but the defense was outstanding.  IWU's defense should keep the Titans in every game this season -- need the offense to bounce back from this one, and I think it will.

Not quite sure what to make of IWU's performance in this one.  It sure looked to me like Hope is a good team.

Pretty impressive performance by Stinde. Playing on a bum knee, and still racking up 129 yards in a close game

[iwu70]

Hope is a pretty good football team, esp. their senior QB with quick feet and quick accurate release.  Titans D won this one for sure, as the O had problems, sputtered a bit, with too many penalties and TOs.  Titans got it done and will be glad to get out of this one with the W.  Good to see Stinde make such a strong contribution.  Special teams, place kicking hurt IWU a bit today too.  Some things to work on, straighten out for games deeper in the CCIW season, for sure.   IWU has some excellent new receivers. 

Absolutely beautiful day on campus, huge crowd, almost full house at Tucci for Family Weekend -- but surely too hot (in the mid-80s) for football in late September.  Global warming?

A W is a W.  IWU.

(I see the Illini put up 50 today -- a welcome change, now at 3-1 early in the season). 

IWU70

[iwu70]

Jimmy Milliken over Aurora -- 52-49.  Defensive coaches (and players) gonna have a bad week.

NCC beat WI-SP 27-7.  Stanek with another big day.

IWU70

[iwu70]

Great to see two of the Titan all-time greats in the house @Tucci Stadium @ Wilder Field today -- football great Deon Hornsby and basketball great, 7-time NBA All-Star, Jack Sikma.  IWU's football facilities look so so nice on a sunny windy day, with a huge crowd there -- all the South and SW stands filled -- for Family Day.  Glad we got out with a win vs. Hope, who played our Titans very very tough today.  The game wasn't really decided until the last minute or so on a Titan INT, as Hope was driving for the tying score -- with the Final 14-7 IWU.

I heard that the two new transfers to play for the IWU men's basketball team are for real, playing exceptionally well, healthy in pre-season open gym scrimmages.  More good news to come too, for other IWU sports teams.  Stay tuned.

IWU70

[USee]

my guess is Sean Dunning for Millikin is the likely POW with 25 rushes for 186 yds in a 52-49 win for the Blue.

[USee]

CCIW 14
MIAA 7

I watched a lot of this game and the the Titans played pretty well on offense but couldn't convert 3rd downs (just 3 of 14). That's for a team that lead the league coming into the game on 3rd down conversions (10-16 for 62%). You are looking for a productive offense to be near or over 50% on 3rd down. Also, the Titans struggled in the Red Zone (2-4 with 2 missed FGs) and one other time they turned it over on downs at the Hope 28.

I agree the IWU defense was very good. I didn't see them dominate between the 20s but they made some brilliant stands to keep Hope off the scoreboard. Gallik thew a pick at his own 40 and IWU gave up nothing. Atwell completed just 45% of his passes and was sacked 5x. He came in completing 57% of his passes and they had given up 2.3 sacks a game. Hope was 45% on 3rd downs but when they crossed the IWU 50, the Titan defense was solid.

It appears Hope is better than they have been in the past, I would expect them to contend for their league title this year. With any luck the CCIW may see them again in the playoffs if they can make it past that "next level" defense in Crawfordsville. 

[CardinalAlum]

I was impressed with Stanek as his throwing is much improved but the rushing attack was not very good.   Lots of work to do before next week.  Rushing defense and containing the QB I'm sure will be huge points of emphasis this week.  The NCC front 7 need to step it up.  The secondary is pretty solid, but did lose a couple of Pointer receivers at times.  The "pre season" is over.  Time to take care of business in Elmhurst next week!  Congrats to Coach Thorne on his 100th victory at NCC! 

[Mr. Ypsi]

I'd expect Hope to definitely be a contender, but Trine and Adrian are also looking tough - and perennial doormat Olivet should move to 5-0 next week at Alma!!  I still doubt Olivet is for real, but the games amongst Adrian, Hope, and Trine should be doozies (and at least one of them will probably lose to Albion or Kalamazoo).  The MIAA is as wide open as I can ever recall, though I think there is a definite 'top 3'.

But also note that IWU always has trouble with Hope, even when they (Hope) are way down - the 35-0 a couple of years ago is the anomaly of the series.  That game was the only one in the whole series decided by more than a TD.  (For example, in 2009 we beat Wheaton, NCC, and Wabash in consecutive games before being eviscerated by eventual national champion UWW; we beat Hope by 3 - and they went 3-7 that year!)

[iwu70]

CCIW only 14-10 in the pre-conference portion.  Not very impressive.  Top three contenders, of course, all 3-0, ready to contend for the CCIW crown.

Hope is a pretty good team.  Their QB is pretty darn good, made some good plays with his feet and with his quick release, even under pressure.  Yes, the Titans D got to him, but he still had a pretty good game.  Their little scat back also played pretty well.

Titans gotta cut down on mistakes and penalties.   Missed FGs, the TO on the punt, etc. all made the game too close for comfort.

Ypsi, you coming over for Homecoming -- NPU game on October 12th?  Nice to have NPU on Homecoming and not NCC, as in recent years.

IWU70