FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

I assume, Greg, your reference to the health of DJ Jones pertains to his stature.

Nope. Just a general reference to the fact that this is a rough, injury-filled sport, and that starting RBs typically take a pounding. I'm not singling him out as injury-prone at all.

He is no doubt the smallest college football player I have ever seen.  He's listed at 5'2" 175, but I think he's closer to 5'2" 135.

He weighs a lot more than 135. Have you seen D.J. up close, Mark? Dude is cut. He is no stranger to the weight room, that's for sure.

Big kudos to him for being in uniform.  I can't wait to see him take swing passes and make three guys miss on long scampers.

He can do that, but he can also get tough yards in traffic. One of the virtues of being that short is that it's hard for defenders to get their pads low enough to get in a good lick on him.

5'2 and 135lbs?   Very tough to compete physically at that size for an entire season but I hope he does as it would be fun to watch!

Again, he's not 135 lbs.

Jones had 62 carries for 279 yards last season (4.5 ypc) and caught 12 passes for 97 yards. He had a 128-rushing-yards, two-TD day against Millikin last season. He has CCIW experience against every team except for NCC and Augie (he hurt his hand early in the IWU game and missed the next two weeks). Those of you who think he's too small to play in this league are severely underestimating him. Check out the 12-yard touchdown run he had at Millikin last year, which appears at about the 3:10 mark of the 2013 NPU highlight video. Jones bulled through half of the MU defense on that play and carried people into the end zone with him. It was one of the most remarkable TDs I've seen in a long time, and it made a believer out of me. That Jones kid is one tough little son of a gun.

[DadofBashWarrior..]

Anyone know of a preseason scrimmage this week in the Chicago area?

[Green Jello Shots]

Illinois Wesleyan is scheduled to scrimmage Illinois Benedictine in Lisle at 10:30AM on Saturday

[USee]

Anyone know of a preseason scrimmage this week in the Chicago area?

The Thunder travel to C'ville this weekend for the annual scrimmage with Wabash. Not in this area, but of interest!

[Pat Coleman]

Kickoff 2014 is released!

We went live at 11 a.m. CT today. As always, we appreciate those of you from this board who have subscribed. This helps us pay the bills, keeps the site free of pop-up ads and the like and makes sure we can provide quality Division III coverage across the board.

If you haven't subscribed, we would love it if you would. Thanks for supporting everything we do here at D3football.com!
https://www.d3football.com/notables/2014/08/kickoff-subscription

[USee]

Bought mine today and already have reviewed top 5 conferences and their predicted order of finish as well as profiles. Good stuff.

Interesting where the CCIW ranks in the conference rankings. Some good articles involving CCIW teams.

I'll post this elsewhere but I was surprised at the teams Keith did NOT put in his top 25 when comparing them to the teams he thinks will make the playoffs......

[wally_wabash]

Bought mine today and already have reviewed top 5 conferences and their predicted order of finish as well as profiles. Good stuff.

Interesting where the CCIW ranks in the conference rankings. Some good articles involving CCIW teams.

I'll post this elsewhere but I was surprised at the teams Keith did NOT put in his top 25 when comparing them to the teams he thinks will make the playoffs......

Being in the top 25 and making the playoffs don't always go hand in hand. 

[Pat Coleman]

As Wheaton fans know of late ... 

[wally_wabash]

And Wabash fans.

[USee]

I am pretty sure I understand how the playoffs work relative to the top 25 poll.  So much for trying to drive subscriptions for Kickoff.   

[Titan Q]

Jack Warner will become the first freshman to start a season opener in Norm Eash's 28 years as coach at IWU.  Junior Tyler Hook, who was in a neck and neck battle for the job, has left the team.

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/freshman-qb-earns-iwu-starting-nod/article_67262520-9c1a-5274-9805-b9d903fef004.html

[USee]

Jack Warner will become the first freshman to start a season opener in Norm Eash's 28 years as coach at IWU.  Junior Tyler Hook, who was in a neck and neck battle for the job, has left the team.

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/freshman-qb-earns-iwu-starting-nod/article_67262520-9c1a-5274-9805-b9d903fef004.html

Wow. That's a huge development

[Dr. Acula]

I read the article and I have a question.  Did Hook leave the team before the decision was even made?  That's kind of how the article made it sound.  That he and Warner were neck and neck and after the scrimmage he went in and told Eash he was leaving the team Monday before Eash had decided on the depth chart. 

[wally_wabash]

Players and coaches know what's up before the media does- if I got to guess (and I'm about to), I'd say that the distribution of 1st team snaps became less and less balanced and not in favor of Hook.  Eash may not have been planning to release a depth chart until Tuesday, but here in the last few days of training camp, I'm pretty sure they all know who was winning that starting position. 

Or he could have left for any of a hundred other reasons that have nothing to do with football.  That can happen also. 

[ncc_fan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WKBwTizvVM&feature=youtu.be

"John Thorne in Naperville"  --Swider is ready for bell week?

Coach Eash responds:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=751502958226844&set=vb.176950935682052&type=2&theater

This is awesome. Kudos for these coaches to get in on the fun. Great team builder and friendly rivalry. Come on Thorne!

John Thorne:

http://youtu.be/bKU4Zx5GHyg