FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[usee]

Wheaton's defense played pretty well today. Augie got the 76 yrd run by Guzman on a busted assignment by wheaton and a safety who took a bad angle and then fell down. other than that augie had 200 yds. wheaton's offense could not catch the ball. in terms of the play calling, it was fine. if i was picky i think they should have thrown the ball down the field more often. Also the first play of the game was an out cut to the slot and they could have run that about 10x more because augies OLB was buzzing the flat to get under the WR routes. there was nothing wrong with the play calling.

I do think rotating the qb's is a problem for the rythm of the offense. as maddening as the two interceptions chupp has thrown in the last two games are, i think he should play all the time and give ullrich a couple sereies in the first half only. Chupp has a better command of the offense and makes more plays than ullrich right now. others may think differently.

[redman04]

Wheaton 14 Augustana 17  ARRRRGGG!!! DISAPOINTED!!!!!   Wheaton decided to play one quarter of football in a game that decides the conference.

Don't be so sure that Augie and Wheaton are the only contenders.  There are still four more weeks

[usee]

From the CCIW site the football handbook has the following as the tiebreaker:

If the conference ends in a tie or is unable to finish the season due to some type of disaster, the representative will be chosen in the following manner:
   1.    Head to head competition
   2.    Best record by tied teams against the next best team or the next          best tied teams in conference standings
   3.    Point differential between tied teams in conference
   4.    The fewest defensive yards given up versus tied teams in             conference
   5.    Random drawing by CCIW commissioner


This happened in 2000 I think and Millikin was the OAC sacrificial lamb that year (tied w IWU and Wheaton)  based on point differential

[usee]

Wheaton 14 Augustana 17  ARRRRGGG!!! DISAPOINTED!!!!!   Wheaton decided to play one quarter of football in a game that decides the conference.

Don't be so sure that Augie and Wheaton are the only contenders.  There are still four more weeks

Wheaton and Augie are certainly not the only contenders. NCC is very much alive in this. However, the only teams in the conference that can earn a pool C bid as a second team in the playoffs would be wheaton and Carthage. one of those two has to win out for that to be possible (they play each other in a few weeks). In reality the most likely pool C is wheaton since carthage winning out will result in them being the only rep as the AQ (all others will have 2 losses). Wheaton winning out makes the Augie/NCC game the key of the season.

[Tailgater]

Tailgater, did you receive the package I sent you in the mail?  I hope you did and would like to hear your reflections on it.  Best of luck to Carthage tomorrow. M

79jaybird;
Yes I did thanks much! I read it front to back. I'll send you an e-mail with some comments and thoughts. If you would, can you summarize again for me your mission statement for the publication so I can keep my thoughts on track? Thanks. Sounds like Elmhurst was in a dog fight with NCC for the better part of the game. Last score we heard reported during the Carthage game was 10-6 NCC in the third qtr. What happened?

[Tailgater]

Wheaton 14 Augustana 17  ARRRRGGG!!! DISAPOINTED!!!!!   Wheaton decided to play one quarter of football in a game that decides the conference.

Sorry to be questioning another one of your statements, but are you really handing Augie the conference championship after today? I'm hoping this post will serve as good bulletin board material for Carthage as they prepair to head to Augie next weekend.  Seems to me at least 4 teams are still in the hunt to take the CCIW title.

[Tailgater]

The way I see it, the CCIW championship comes down to Augie, NCC and Wheaton. 

Wow Mugsy, more bulletin board material for Carthage The Red Men play all three over the next 4 weeks. Carthage certainly controls their own destiny.

[Tailgater]

Tailgaiter
Sorry what I meant is that this game could be the game that decides the conference.  This game certainly changed the completion.  Also I give Carthage the best shot at beating Augie because of matchups and they have played Augustana tough the past few years. 

I agree that this win over Wheaton gives Augie the upper hand in the conference race as of this weekend. I'm sure we would all agree that next weekend could once again add to the complexity of determining who takes the title....and then the week after that, the week after that and the week after that. Parity makes for unpredictable outcomes.

[Mugsy]

The way I see it, the CCIW championship comes down to Augie, NCC and Wheaton. 

Wow Mugsy, more bulletin board material for Carthage The Red Men play all three over the next 4 weeks. Carthage certainly controls their own destiny.

Yup... about an hour after posting it, it dawned on me that I had neglected Carthage.  No offense or slight meant by it and I strongly doubt anything posted by an old washed up dope like me is material for bulletin boards.   

You are absolutely correct in that Carthage still has a shot, although a MUCH tougher path.  While Carthage has the defense to do it, their offense needs to step it up - especially facing all three other contenders.

[Tailgater]

Yup... about an hour after posting it, it dawned on me that I had neglected Carthage.  No offense or slight meant by it and I strongly doubt anything posted by an old washed up dope like me is material for bulletin boards.

Give yourself more credit than that Mugsy. A lot of players read these posts for one reason or another and respect your comments. If I were coaching, I'd use anything said by anybody to give my players that emotional edge that may serve to elevate their desire to win. You are correct that Carthage has the most difficult road ahead of them in the next 4 weeks. I'll remain optimistic 1 week at a time as the Red Men now reach that part of the schedule which has concerned me from the get-go.

[Mugsy]

You are correct that Carthage has the most difficult road ahead of them in the next 4 weeks. I'll remain optimistic 1 week at a time as the Red Men now reach that part of the schedule which has concerned me from the get-go.

That is exactly the way Carthage (or any of the contenders for that matter) need to approach it.  One week at a time.  You don't need to remind Wheaton of that with the IWU upset last year.  If you overlook anyone, you are setting yourself up for trouble.  This conference is so cut throat right now.

Hard to believe there is a real chance that in tomorrows new D3Football poll there isn't a single CCIW team.  Wasn't all that long ago (2004) where there were 3-4 CCIW teams ranked.

[Tailgater]

Here are my guesses.

North Park  24 Carthage 38

Go Thunder:
I'm curious to know why you think NP will put up 24 points against Carthage tomorrow? Carroll scored 6, Lakeland 14, Whittier 2, Elmhurst 20 & IWU 28 (2 of IWU's td's were long plays, one on a busted pass play). I've not seen NP play yet this year, but what I've read here about the Vikes doesn't impress me that their offense has much fire-power. I'm sure this is just a hunch on your part, but I'm still curious as to your reasoning?

Carthage 52 -NP 7
Carthage had their second defensive unit playing in the 2nd qtr when NP scored their only points. No disrespect to NP, but they just didn't have the depth in talent to compete with Carthage this time around. Carthage did get some valuable looks at a large number of young players as 4 QB's, 3 offensive lines and a 4th Left tackle saw action in the game. The defense also auditioned a large number of players  over 3 qtrs of the game. Important experience for these players.

[79jaybird]

Strange afternoon in Naperville today.  Both teams offenses were non-existent in the first half with a baseball score of 6-3 at the half.  I disagree with all of those previous posts about "Not impressed with EC's and/or NC's defense etc.  because in the CCIW if you hold a team to 3 and 6 points at the half, your defense is playing well.
I thought the story of the game was the Wenger Interception.  That single play ignited the sleeping Cardinals' offense, and Elmhurst (for some reason) offense didn't respond.
If you have consistently followed the Bluejays from Week 1 to now, you will know that EC employs (and will use) all 3 of their QB's... Freund, LaFleur, and Behar.
The QB slot today was a disappointment.  For some reason they did not look comfortable in the pocket, on their runs, 2 of their interceptions were balls that should never have been thrown, etc.  I don't give credit to NC's defense, as much as pointing the finger at ourselves as lack of execution.
I was not impressed with Kniss today.  I thought the game was won today by Studemann and Sulo on offense.
What baffles me and I am sure I will be tossing in my bed trying to understand how a team goes from  6-3 at the half and playing well on both sides, to 24-6 in a 10:00 span and playing like a deer in the headlights.  Oh well, can't cry over spilled milk.  We have IWU at home for Homecoming and I hope EC can right the ship.
There is still 4 weeks left for the CCIW title and even though Augie is undefeated in the CCIW, I think nothing will be decided until that 4th and final week of the season.
"Augie getting favorable spots"  Does that surprise you    For years there has been criticism with the referees that Augie has. They are from the Quad Cities area and are well known to give preference and questionable calls to the local joes.  Sounds like Wheaton didn't execute (much like Elmhurst) which is why we both take the L today.
Tailgater-- The mission is to promote D-3 Athletics and promote the CCIW, along with the other schools we cover.  Feel free to give me any of your feedback both + and -, as I want to hear what people have to say.

[79jaybird]

The way I see things shaping up,  Augie (unless they sputter) will win the CCIW and Wheaton takes second with their only loss being today's game.  Both teams will make the playoffs.  Augie will get a first round home game and depending upon whom they play, Wheaton may also get a first round home game.
BTW, anybody who was at the Wheaton/Augie game,  did Augustana have the AUGIE logo on their helmets this afternoon?  There has been talk that the Coaches took off the Augie logo because they haven't been playing "up to standards".  Is there any truth to that?  And if it isn't true,  anybody know the reason why they decided to go with the plain yellow lids?
I.E. Wheaton changed their logo on the helmet to honor J.R. Bishop's Retirement. That I can understand and think is a great honor.  To take off the Augie logo just because your team is not playing well, isn't very appealing to me.

[dansand]

BTW, anybody who was at the Wheaton/Augie game,  did Augustana have the AUGIE logo on their helmets this afternoon?  There has been talk that the Coaches took off the Augie logo because they haven't been playing "up to standards".  Is there any truth to that?  And if it isn't true,  anybody know the reason why they decided to go with the plain yellow lids?
I.E. Wheaton changed their logo on the helmet to honor J.R. Bishop's Retirement. That I can understand and think is a great honor.  To take off the Augie logo just because your team is not playing well, isn't very appealing to me.

It's true and the logo was back today. I got my first look at Augie today and my take on the game was much the same as usee's. I thought Augie's defense played very well and the offense wasn't spectacular but did everything they needed to, specifically get a lead and then move the chains and run clock.

Wheaton helped them with several dropped passes (many of which weren't very good throws, but definitely catchable) and turnovers. Black's fumble stopped a very effective opening drive for the Thunder, but from that point until early in the fourth quarter Wheaton couldn't do anything against Augie's D. Chupp had a couple long scrambles to set up the Thunder's first score and then Ulrich hit their big receiver (#2) with a long pass to set up their second. It looked like Jordan Evans had pretty good coverage on the play, but the guy had a huge size advantage and just went up and made a great catch over him. I thought that Wheaton would've tried to exploit that size advantage more during the course of the game.

Offensively, McGinnis looked pretty good and it was good to see Guzman finally get untracked. Those two, along with a little Josh Galliart, were pretty much the extent of the Vikings' offense, but it was enough. Coach Barnes showed some real rocks by going for it on fourth-and-one from their
own 22 with about two minutes left and a three point lead. The o-line got a great push on the play and McGinnis got the first down with a  QB sneak. That was huge. Patterson would have been punting into a fierce wind and the Thunder would have almost surely started with the ball in Viking territory.

As far as favorable spots for Augie; I was standing in the West end zone so I didn't have the best vantage point for seeing spots. But, if they were bad, it wasn't because the officials were from the Quad Cities area. A quick Google search showed that they've done many more Elmhurst and Wheaton games than Augie games and I know the linesman is from Hinsdale. Normally I wouldn't even bring it up but I heard the same complaints last year after the North Central game and they weren't true then either.