FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[kiko]

And, for the first time since 1968, the Vikings have shut out two opponents in the same season.

Worth noting also that this isn't the product of scheduling a pair of delicious cupcakes.  Millikin is not a good team, but there is CCIW-bad and D3-bad, and those are typically not the same thing.

[Gregory Sager]

And, for the first time since 1968, the Vikings have shut out two opponents in the same season.

Worth noting also that this isn't the product of scheduling a pair of delicious cupcakes.  Millikin is not a good team, but there is CCIW-bad and D3-bad, and those are typically not the same thing.

That's exactly what I had in mind when I said this:

Again, that's at minimum a couple of tiers better than the "really bad" space North Park has inhabited on occasion in the past.

I specifically added "on occasion" because most seasons, even when the Vikings have met with dismal results against CCIW foes, when compared to lesser leagues such as the MWC, the HCAC, the NACC, and the UMAC, they would've been generally competitive (although not necessarily a threat to win that league).

[Augie6]

True, but I'll take it -- because when you hold a really bad team to 100 yards total offense and beat them 38-0, it means that your team isn't itself a really bad team. You're something better than that, regardless of how anyone defines whichever tier your team is actually on.

Agreed, North Park fans have to be pleased with the team so far.

I am curious about that Wheaton-Augustana game if anyone has thoughts.

I was able to go to the Augie-Wheaton game and saw a great game, if you like offense.  Augie is definitely improved and probably has their best team of the Bell era.  Multiple 5th year players, so that certainly helps. Augie has a solid O line and a couple of pretty good backs, that both played well against Wheaton.  I think they have a solid receiving corps and they were able to get open against Wheaton.  I wasn't (and haven't been) particularly impressed with their QB play.  I thought he definitely left some plays on the field, and because of a very unique throwing motion (3/4 sidearm), has a tendency to sail the ball over the heads of open receivers.  For Wheaton, they did a lot of good things on offense, both throwing and running the ball.  Weeks is an excellent RB and I thought Thorson played well, getting the ball out quickly and accurately on short to medium throws.  However, he missed several open receivers on long throws during the game, but don't know if that has been an issue all season.

Defensively, I wasn't particularly impressed with either team. Augie was not able to generate much of a pass rush and the scheme seemed to be to play a lot of soft zone, so Wheaton was able to move the ball at will on the short to medium routes.  For Wheaton, this is not a Top 10 team in the nation defense, or at least it wasn't on Saturday night.  Augie was able to run all over the Thunder D, generating 248 yards on 33 carries, for a 7.5 ypc average.  Even backing out the 72 yard Tyler Rivelli run that led to Augie's first TD, Augie still averaged 5.5 ypc against the Wheaton D. 

I don't know if Wheaton may have been looking forward to their match up against NCC this weekend, but based on what I saw Saturday, I don't see that game being particularly close.  If Wheaton plays the run like they did against Augie, NCC might rush for 400 yards. 

[WUPHF]

Interesting recap, thanks!

[Gregory Sager]

Congrats to NPU junior linebacker Jaydin Miller, who followed up his selection as CCIW Defensive Player of the Week with being chosen for the D3football.com Team of the Week.

Miller had a monster game against Millikin last Saturday, registering nine tackles (seven solo, and three for a loss), three sacks, and an interception. An All-CCIW second-teamer last season as a sophomore, he's becoming one of the league's premier defensive players.

[OzJohnnie]

Hey, folks.  We've noticed that Yspi hasn't poked his head into the MIAC lately.  Is he a resident of the CCIW?  Have you all seen him around lately?

[Pat Coleman]

Hey, folks.  We've noticed that Yspi hasn't poked his head into the MIAC lately.  Is he a resident of the CCIW?  Have you all seen him around lately?

He last logged in on July 31. Chuck has always been more of a basketball guy, but he also is in failing health, sadly. Hope he is still able to follow his Titans.

[Cardinal773]

In one of the segments in the Around the Nation podcast, Greg and Pat did a little game called "C C I Double You", where Greg had to pick victors from the week's slate of CCIW games, winners who will double their opponents' scores.  Since one of the recent topics has been the lack of competitive games in our conference, why not play along?

Here are the matchups for 9/30:

Carroll @ Augustana
Elmhurst @ Carthage
Wesleyan @ Millikin
North Park @ Wash.U.

I think that's all, but I might be missing one.

[Cardinal773]

Augustana 14 Carroll 28  (2x) -- Exactly double.  Carroll can pass. They'll score.

Elmhurst 20 Carthage 30  (1.5x) -- Poor Elmhurst.  Our league is better when you're better.  This will be as close to a win you will see for the next 10 months.

Millikin 6 Wesleyan 21  (3.5x) -- Wesleyan with 21 4th quarter points.

Wash.U 16 North Park 20  (1.25x)  -- Setting the stage for a big game in Chicago on October 28th.

Wheaton 13, North Central 42  (3.24x)  -- Remember when no one thought NCC would drop almost 50 on UMHB last year? 

[Gregory Sager]

In one of the segments in the Around the Nation podcast, Greg and Pat did a little game called "C C I Double You", where Greg had to pick victors from the week's slate of CCIW games, winners who will double their opponents' scores.  Since one of the recent topics has been the lack of competitive games in our conference, why not play along?

Here are the matchups for 9/30:

Carroll @ Augustana
Elmhurst @ Carthage
Wesleyan @ Millikin
North Park @ Wash.U.

I think that's all, but I might be missing one.

Yes, this looks like the most interesting week of the entire nine-week CCIW schedule.

The obvious-at-first-glance game of the week is the battle between the two perennial powers at McCully Stadium. But that game appears to have a different sort of angle this season. Wheaton is still quite obviously a good team, but the results to date seem to indicate that the gap between Wheaton and North Central is wider than it's been in the recent past. The question this week may be less "Who will win?" and more "Can Wheaton hang around for four quarters and even have a chance at the end to pull off the upset?"

But Carroll @ Augustana may be the actual game of the week, rankings notwithstanding. They are the CCIW's two programs most obviously on the rise, and this game is thus very pivotal for both. They will be each other's measuring stick in terms of their progress.

Elmhurst @ Carthage and Illinois Wesleyan @ Millikin appear to be two battles of teams that are seriously down this season. As such, they could turn out to be very competitive contests in a way that the vast majority of CCIW games aren't, even if people aren't naturally inclined to watch teams that are playing less-than-optimal football.

North Park @ Wash U might be the most obvious mismatch of the week. Although NPU is playing much better this season, Wash U is still Wash U -- the team at the edge of the d3football.com rankings, the team with its face pressed up against the postseason candy store window where North Central and Wheaton always gobble up the goodies, the team that annually represents us up in Mad City at the Culver's Isthmus Bowl against the third-place WIAC team. I think that the challenge for the Vikings, realistically, will be to push the Bears hard enough to make them keep their starters on the field into the fourth quarter. Otherwise, it's a strong possibility that they'll be on the wrong end of a CCI Double You.

[wally_wabash]

In one of the segments in the Around the Nation podcast, Greg and Pat did a little game called "C C I Double You", where Greg had to pick victors from the week's slate of CCIW games, winners who will double their opponents' scores.  Since one of the recent topics has been the lack of competitive games in our conference, why not play along?

Here are the matchups for 9/30:

Carroll @ Augustana
Elmhurst @ Carthage
Wesleyan @ Millikin
North Park @ Wash.U.

I think that's all, but I might be missing one.

lol

[D3fanboy]

Augustana 14 Carroll 28  (2x) -- Exactly double.  Carroll can pass. They'll score.

Elmhurst 20 Carthage 30  (1.5x) -- Poor Elmhurst.  Our league is better when you're better.  This will be as close to a win you will see for the next 10 months.

Millikin 6 Wesleyan 21  (3.5x) -- Wesleyan with 21 4th quarter points.

Wash.U 16 North Park 20  (1.25x)  -- Setting the stage for a big game in Chicago on October 28th.

Wheaton 13, North Central 42  (3.24x)  -- Remember when no one thought NCC would drop almost 50 on UMHB last year?

the only way that NCC only scores 42 on Wheaton is if the Cards take their sweet time running the ball over and over, or if there's a major storm that wipes out power and they can't make up the second half on Sunday

[Cardinal773]

Hey man.  This was only my second post!  I can't go pissing off all the Wheaton fans right out of the gate!   

Looking forward to seeing a great game from the Cards.

[Thunderdome21]

Last week's game against Augustana exposed the inexperience of the Defensive Ends and Linebackers of Wheaton.  Last year's front 7 were all 4th and 5th-year Srs that didn't give up the big run plays (except a few against NCC in the 4th Q) all season like they already have this year. Even though 2022's front seven had 6 new starters compared to this year's breaking in 5 new starters in the front 7, their experience as 2nd string backups in 2021, 4 years of practice reps, and a freak athlete at MLB created a solid bend-but-don't-break defense that didn't make big mistakes in the run game. While I do think Wheaton will correct their mistakes from last week, I expect the NCC run game to find other chinks in the armor of the inexperienced Wheaton front 7. This is a year that I wish Wheaton was playing NCC towards the end of the season rather than this Saturday.

Wheaton's offense has the potential to be better than last year's, even though they don't have Galiardi semi-finalist Will Bowers back at QB.  Thorson is a top-tier QB in the conference along with a dominating O-Line, an all-American RB, and its best receiving corps they've had since I first started following Wheaton Football 6 years ago.

IMHO, Wheaton's best chance scenario is its offense sustaining long scoring drives to keep one of the top D-3 offenses in the country off the field and disrupt their rhythm. I had more faith in Wheaton's chances in previous years because Wheaton had top 10 D-3 defenses in 2019 and 2021 and a better offense in 2022 than in previous years. 

On paper, it doesn't look too good for Wheaton to pull off the upset. We'll see what happens this Saturday.

[USee]

I agree with Thunderdome21 the Thunder's chances this weekend rely on their ability to control the clock (top 10 in TOP), score a lot, and try to manufacture a couple stops. And make all their kicks (SMH).

Augie might be a lot better than anyone thinks. 20 returning starters and 10 super seniors. OL has 3 super seniors and all 5 returning starters. QB struggles a bit at times missing WR's. While Wheaton struggled a lot defending the run against them, the Thunder dominated UWO on both sides of the LOS. I haven't seen Carroll but I wouldn't be surprised if Augie rolls this weekend. If UWO is top 25, then Augie is as well. Best team the Thunder have played so far.