FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Tailgater]

I just love some of the definitive comments people post on here...like they have a window into the future...very amusing.  I wonder if most of you who do this realize that you immediately lose credibility with everyone else?  Example, NCC is going to beat Carthage by 21 points...because they are unstoppable.  Might as well just say..."I'm a very large tool and please don't even bother reading the next paragraph."

With all that said, NCC blows out Carthage 42-14.  Its definitely going to happen!    

Tool !!     Just funning with ya washdup, couldn't pass up the opening

[NCC_alum62]

What a weekend indeed.  I have some responses to some of the posts out there.

First of all the Cardinal O-Line is a way different entity this year.  The interior is made of big men (all 280 or better I believe with two over 300) the tackles are taller more slendor and built for pass protection (big surprise considering almost everything is outta the gun)  The two starting Tackles for the year were the two 2nd team DE's (Matt Spicer a tight end from last year and John Guzaldo a freshman D-end who was one of the hardest I ever tried to block in practice).  It appears as though the two guys that were originally supposed to be the tackles came into camp outta shape and the coaches took the two next strongest guys that could move and put them there to protect Kam.  These guys are fast and from what I see on the field exceptinally strong for being between 230-260 lbs and playing the position for the first time this year.  They are the athletic tackles a spread pass heavy offense needs...

With that said NCC has run a rotation on the D-Line for sveral years (as do many schools with enough good d-lineman) without the solid number 2's the Dline is still experiencing growing pains when they rotate in younger inexperienced players.  I did see some great play from the #2s against Wheaton in the second half so I think they will continue to solidify over the course of this season.

The running game is completly different.  Steve isn't getting the same number of carries that he got last couple of years...less of power traps and lineman pulling and more spread option and delay hand-offs this year.  Steve not getting the same workload is a double edged sword...yes he is the most explosive back I ever played with, but wwhen we kept him in ALL the time last couple years he got worn down by injury.

All in all it looks like a great conference race and I will be watching Carthage and NCC hoping to see the cards go 6-0 (3-0)...I agree with alot of you by saying Augie is going to be really tough at home for the cards...getting Millikin and Carthage at home this year is huge though

GO CARDS

[RedmenFB44]

After being at the Carthage vs. Augie game this past weekend, Im not so quick to say that Carthage is going to beat NCC. Not because of their defense (who was amazing) but because of their so called offense. Carthage's offense looked terrible. Sharp looked like a scared rabbit out there. Part of that was because the offensive line couldn't block anybody. Sharp also needs to get some mental toughness. His mind was not in the right place. The fans at the game were all yelling for Carthage to put in the freshman QB on the last drive for Carthage.

NCC is a tough team as we saw last year (Carthage-27 NCC-24) and they have already knocked off Wheaton. Plus Carthage has to go down there and play.

The Redmen really have to show the CCIW something this week (and by Redmen I mean the offense, we all know how the defense will do). If they don't then they could be looking at a 5-5 or 6-4 year.

Trust me its not the coaches there. I love those guys. If it wasn't for them we wouldn't even be talking about Carthage as a contender. The offense has lost too many key players from last year and it looks like it's catching up to them. Don't get me wrong, I love my Redmen but they need this game this weekend or their season looks like it could be over.

GO REDMEN!!!

[augiedogie]

Redmen44:  There were a couple of instances in the game Saturday that I thought were interesting. One of them being a 3rd and 1 where Carthage threw the ball instead of trying to pound it inside. I believe that was in the 4th quater when they ran the would have been successful fake punt on 4th down, but still was kind of interesting they would pass in that situation. 

Also I find it interesting that Anthony was player of the week this week. He did have the interception in the endzone which was huge, but he also had a PI pentatly, a 15 yard personal foul (on offense), and got burned a couple of times (once on the drive at the end of the 2nd quarter) where if the reciever would have caught the ball, it would have made it a different story (especially the one in the 4th quater late in the game). I thought he played much better last week, but as Pat said the week before, the quality of the team plays a big impact.

[augievike]

I think you are thinking about Simpson getting burned.  But you are right about the Personal Foul.  Another comment made earlier about the linemen late in the game that was a late hit.  It is fine a very good play to go till the whistle, but after they blow it you can't keep pushing someone until they go over a pile.

[devildog29]

Jaybird, I was no longer in school for the mudbowl game that you refer to with IWU in 2001, but matblake is also correct.  In 1997, the last game of the year, we played Elmhurst in Bloomington.  It snowed the night before the game and the field was all snow and slop.  We won the game 6-0 on a snap that went over the EC punter's head into the endzone, which we recovered for the only score of the game. 

[NCC_alum62]

My picks for this week...

Ill. Wesleyan @ Augustana

IWU played good run defense against NCC but this is a whole different running style, Auggie runs all over the Titans and play action passes make it a blowout...Augie by 28

Carthage @ North Central

Huge game, Cardinals came close last yeat and fell just short, they get it done at home with a pass happy offense and sneaky delay run game by Kniss and Holden.  Carthage defense and an NCC defense that has yet to truely shut a team down keep it close...NCC by 7

Wheaton @ Elmhurst 

Wheaton got away with one this last weekend and Elmhurst hasn't played anybody yet, and thier offense hasn't been the point scoring juggernaught against conference teams, but watching the films as a player they really get up for Wheaton and have played them close...Wheaton by 10

North Park @ Millikin

Millikin should have had Wheaton if not for a half a quarter of miscues...Millikin pounds NP winning by 35 behind thier O-Line

[RedmenFB44]

Augiedogie,
The reason Carthage passed the ball on 3rd and 1 was because they have no confidence in their running game like they did last season. Here is another situation that happened with 2:27 seconds in the 4th quarter.

Carthage has the ball on the Augie 2 yard line 1st and goal:

1st and Goal - Run play (power) that is bounced outside for a 1 yard gain. 2nd and goal from the 1.

2nd and Goal - Pass to the fullback in the flat that went right through his hands and would have been a touchdown. 3rd and goal from the 1.

3rd Down - Sprint out to the right, QB misses a read of a wide open reciever and is taken down for a 2 yard loss, Sharp also "hurt" on the play. 4th and goal from the 3.

4th and Goal - The freshman QB comes in and is sacked before he gets a chance to do anything. Turnover on downs

As you can see that Carthage doesnt have confidence in their running game.

GO REDMEN!!!

[augiedogie]

NCC-Alum:

How many play action passes do you think Augie attempts this weekend during the "blow out"? I don't think it will be a blow out. ALthough IWU is down this year, they have been able to play tough against Augie in years past. Also, Augie has to watch out against a let down/looking forward to the matchup the next week at Milikin. It is also Augie's homecoming which could have a negative effect on their performance as well. I still say Augie will win, but I don't think it will be by 28 pts.  I also don't see Roe passing more than 4 times in the game.

[matblake]

3rd Down - Sprint out to the right, QB misses a read of a wide open reciever and is taken down for a 2 yard loss, Sharp also "hurt" on the play. 4th and goal from the 3.

Did I miss something? Why is hurt in quotes? To accuse somebody of faking injury requires some proof I believe.

[matblake]

I think because of the offense that Augustana runs, the games remain competitive until the second part of the 4th quarter.  How many times in the past have people thought they had Augustana on the ropes only to be surprised that they are suddenly down 20.

[vikes35]

I have to agree with Mat on the Augie comment. That offense can just kill a defense's spirit and strength by the end of the game. If you look at the box scores of games you see for the most part that Augie comes out guns blazin' (or in our case feet blazin) in the first quarter and seems to get something going. Then in the second quarter the opponent's D seems to find a rhythm and tends to hold Augie down. But then comes the second half and Augie's ball control takes it real effect. The endurance trained Vikings run all over the field and look no worse for wear while the D on the other side of the ball seems as if their feet are in cement. That is when Augie put it up the gut, kills the clock and scores with some considerable ease. That is how a game that seems close (7 pts or less) turns into a decisive win (14 pts +). Augie makes it hard to win when they hold the ball for 40 mins and leave the opponent's D feeling as if their legs are jello.

Also with regards to the game against IWU this weekend I am going to split the picks of augiedogie and NCCAlum and say the Vikings win by 21. I think that this game should be a blowout but with it being homecoming weekend and with a huge win last week against Carthage I think it is going to be a slow start for the Vikings and then they pick it up in the second half.  Augie 31 IWU 10.

Also the conversation about weather is a very valid argument as October will usher in colder temps and unpredictable rain and snow. Being that Augie almost never puts the ball in the air it has to help them the most when weather becomes subpar. They don't have to worry nearly as much about slipping on routes, underthrowing passes and other problems that arise with the passing game when it is wet. I am not going to say that it won't be a problem for us, as weather effects special teams and fumbles for everybody, I am just saying that bad weather seems to fit better with our style of play than it does for some of the more pass oreinted teams of our conference.

[usee]

the effect of the weather depends on your perspective and the attitude of your players. my view is bad weather can be an advantage to the passing teams. the recievers know where they are going and the db's have to react. as long as you have a dry ball it shouldn't be an issue. I remember wheaton throwing for 300+ in a torrential downpour at ncc back in 1995 i believe.

[devildog29]

vikes35, i agree with you that if augie does pull away from iwu in this game, it will be in the second half, not the first half.  the titans are always prepared for augie's game, and again, i don't think we should overlook the fact that coach wagner, the d-coord., played for augie and coach reade, and knows their gameplan extremely well.  from a tactical standpoint, iwu will be prepared for augie's running game.  however, as has been discussed, where augie kills you is in the fact they just keep coming at you and coming at some more.  if iwu's offense fails to stay on the field, the iwu defense will eventually tire a bit.  i think they will play with them early, and wags will have the defense aggresively playing that running game with safeties flying up into the run box.  that, however, will leave iwu more susceptible to the play-action, so i think you may see augie run the play action a little more against us than some other teams.  i just don't see the iwu offense giving the defense enough breathers to stay in it the whole game.  i say the second half is the difference in the game.

[augiedogie]

devildog:
With the safeties flying into the box it might be hard for Augie to get off the playaction pass. In the Carthage game, Roe got sacked 2 or 3 times, and just barely was able to get the other passes off while scrambling. I don' t think they will be in a situation where they will need to pass. I don't see them throwing more in this game than against other teams.