FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[CardinalAlum]

That's ok, you probably would have just piled on what they were giving me about how bad you guys beat us back then!    All I had to hang my hat on was the score from Saturday!

[Augie6]

Getting spanked by you guys two of the past three years is a good way to put some of the games from the 80's even further in the past.

[CardinalAlum]

There was a discussion earlier of the top qb's of the last 25 years.  I wonder if anyone here has been around long enough (or is conversant enough with CCIW history) to judge whether or not Ken Anderson (Augie, 1967-70) was THE best qb ever in the conference?
Any rival candidates for ALL-TIME best qb?

Mr. Ypsi,

I was BORN in 1968!    Just from plain numbers, Bishop was the man.  A couple of old timers from NCC I know actually talked about Laub and his abilities, so I guess that he was obviously very good.

[CardinalAlum]

Getting spanked by you guys two of the past three years is a good way to put some of the games from the 80's even further in the past.

Not when my first collegiate start was lining up against Lynn Thomsen!  Talk about a rude awakening!

[dansand]

There was a discussion earlier of the top qb's of the last 25 years.  I wonder if anyone here has been around long enough (or is conversant enough with CCIW history) to judge whether or not Ken Anderson (Augie, 1967-70) was THE best qb ever in the conference?

I saw him against IWU his first three years - I knew he was a very good qb, but was not unduly impressed.   There are 3 main possibilities: A) he was distinctly sub-par against IWU (we WERE usually better than Augie in that era); B) I was a very poor judge of talent back then; or C) he was a late bloomer (he won the Art Keller [I assume that is offensive POY?] in 1970, after I graduated, despite Augie being 3-5).

Since he was drafted out of d3 by the NFL, was a starter by his second year, and was NFL MVP in 1981, I suppose A or C are possible, but I'll admit that B seems more likely!

Steve Laub (IWU, 1963-66) was the Art Keller winner in 1966, and got a long, hard look by the Cowboys, but didn't stick.  '66 was my freshman year, and I STILL remember one sequence Laub had.  First down, sacked.  2nd and 18 (yardages are memory guesstimates, but you get the idea!), sacked.  3rd and 27, sacked.  4th and 34, TOUCHDOWN!  He was also pg on the bball team - greatest competitor I think I've ever seen live.

Any rival candidates for ALL-TIME best qb?

Needless to say, Anderson's college career was before I started following the program (I guess I'd have been about 7 when he graduated). Based on collegiate stats alone, he probably wouldn't be ranked anywhere among the best. I see Kniss is closing in on 10,000 yards. What'd Bishop throw for? Like 12,000? Kenny still holds Augie's career record with a relatively modest 6131 (although that's still about 2500 more than any other Viking QB ). But I remember seeing a documentary where Paul Brown claimed that he had stolen the best QB in the draft by getting Anderson in the 3rd round. Probably a little hyperbole there (although it turned out he may have been right--Plunkett, Manning and Pastorini were the first three picks in that draft), but nonetheless, he obviously saw something in Anderson and it paid off.

[robertgoulet]

No, but I will say Jeremy Walsh was one of the toughest football players I have ever seen. 

No argument here......I honestly think he was a victim of the system. His arm didn't appear to be that bad. The offensive playcalling on the other hand....

[robertgoulet]

Obviously, next year's loss of Kniss will be the biggest loss the program has had, BUT NCC is fairly young in terms of guys playing right now on both sides of the ball.  Success on the field does nothing but help recruiting.  Preliminary plans are in the works for a new rec center which will put the NCC facilities up against anyone in D-3. 

What the heck took them so long!? Don't get me wrong, I love Merner, but what I would have given for a place to go play ball at without fear of basketball....or volleyball....or track.....or classes....going on there at random times of day and night. Dang you'z!

[Jim Matson]

For all-time, I'd have to agree with Kenny Anderson.  He does have the NFL on his side of this argument.  Bishop did play for the Minnesota Vikings for a couple of games during the strike, but I don't believe he played after the strike finished up.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Thanks, Jim.  If we include NFL performance, the debate is obviously over!  As far as college, the only one I'm sure could help out here would be Dennis Prikkel, but I don't think he ever appears on the fball board.

But I do recall Dennis onetime saying something to the effect of the greatest pg he ever saw in the conference was Steve Laub - not that his skills were all that great, but he would NOT allow the team to lose!  As I said, greatest COMPETITOR I think I have ever seen live.

So for now, despite individual stats, I'm going with Anderson all-time #1, and Laub #1a.  And that is in NO way meant as a slur on Bishop, Kniss, or anyone else.

[Jim Matson]

Well Ypsi, you may be right.  But I was hoping someone would agree with me on Brylka.  Was I the only one who thought he was great at his position?

[Mr. Ypsi]

Well Ypsi, you may be right.  But I was hoping someone would agree with me on Brylka.  Was I the only one who thought he was great at his position?

Jim, that was WAY after my time at IWU, yet prior to d3football.com (or at least my involvement with it!), so I'll have to leave that one to other folks.

[usee]

I agree w Augie6 on his take on NCC being in the top 3. Elmhurst is well below that in my view. Elmhurst is  on the rise but has not accomplished near what NCC has been able to do. keep in mind NCC basically beat Augie each of the last 3 yrs if you take away a phantom flag on the last play of last years game (just playing devils advocate here). I also agree they had the 6 best players at their positions last year and lost 5 of them and still are on track to win a conf championship. the only thing they have not yet done in my book is beat a top 3 team on the road. if they go on the road to capital or another top school in the playoffs and win, they have officially arrived. there is no arguing a distinctly different trajectory to NCC than elmhurst.

[usee]

on replacing Kniss: you don't replace one of the top 5 qbs to play the position in the cciw. what yo do is continue to get talented players. NCC will not have a kniss type qb for a while (i hope). but they will have stars at other positions. much like wheaton has done and IWU used to do in the 90's. you always have a couple stars and some all conference players to go along. wheaton had musso with some all conference qbs to throw to him, they haven't seen a keith bishop or jeff brown recently though.

[usee]

to you pbrown fans from carthage:

pbrown was a great athlete and an all conference player on some average teams. he sweat blood for the success of the current program to be successful. As a pure qb, relative to the others on the top 10 list, he does not make the cut. each of those guys was without question the best qb in the conference at their time and many of them for a few years. in addtion most of those guys were the OPOY at least 1x if not more. Many all american's on that list. PBrown, as good an athlete as he was, was never even the best qb in the conference, or at least not clearly the best.

He was good, just not on that list.

[Redmen96]

So I guess that means Eric Corbett is out as well? 

Just kidding that was just a little jab at EC.