FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[titanalum94]

This never got posted, but Matese Scott and Liam Keffer are both out for the season for IWU. Scott the #2 RB and Keffer the #3 WR coming into the season. Sounding like Scott tore a ligmanet in his knee and Keffer a broken based on tweet from Jim Benson.

[USee]

For IWU v Wheaton:

This is a huge game in the CCIW race. For IWU they have to win to keep from getting a 2nd loss. They could lose, then win out and still capture the AQ if Wheaton loses at least 1x.

The Titans showed me some things in their first game: They have play-makers on offense. Bauer along with those receivers are dangerous. Bryce Dooley is a great add to this offense. Bauer is aggressive with his throws and his feet. I like some of their new offensive linemen from a talent perspective but those guys, after their first career start (4 of them) will have to take a huge step forward. Defensively, I was surprised at how poorly they played. The problems I saw are not fixable after a few practices and film sessions. They have some great talent. I like the Defensive line. Hilliard and Dubose are all conference type players and the mix of other DL I saw were athletic and explosive. Urbanski and Zima at DE showed some promise. Looks like Eash wants Dubose at DE more though so I suspect we will see Hilliard  and Mike Murphy at DT or they may go with a 3 man line and play 4 LB's. The LB's are a pretty big drop off from last year in level of physicality. I was most surprised by the defensive backs as they didn't cover well against UWLX. Part of that appears to be from playing a lot more man coverage than zone in the first game. IWU brought a lot more blitzes than I have seen in the past, possibly in part to put pressure on the QB. That may be one reason Eash wants Dubose at DE, as he can pressure the QB without blitzing and take pressure off the DB's. Either way, thats something to watch tomorrow night.

For Wheaton, their defensive performance was outstanding and I suspect they will be one of the top 1-2 defenses in the league this year. They have 3 POY type players on defense and some other pieces that really make it hard to consistently move the ball. My biggest concern for the defense is pass rush. There is no heir to Chase Greenlee on that line. I like McRae and O'Connell at DT, those two are dominant, but at DE they will have to figure some things out. I suspect Tyler Sigler will match up all game with Healy and Fox will likely take Walsh when they go Man and in key situations. On offense, McWilliams can't turn the ball over (3 INT's last week) and the running game has to be more consistent. Lots of play makers on the Wheaton side of the ball and if IWU can't get pressure on McWilliams, it's going to be tough on the Titan secondary.

Overall, this Wheaton team is a better overall team than IWU played last week, certainly defensively and I don't see the Titans scoring 30+ pts. This game will turn on whether the Thunder can be efficient on offense and put up enough points to distance themselves from the Titans. I think IWU wants to get turnovers and keep this a low scoring game in order to win.

My prediction is Wheaton 28 IWU 24

[Titan Q]

This never got posted, but Matese Scott and Liam Keffer are both out for the season for IWU. Scott the #2 RB and Keffer the #3 WR coming into the season. Sounding like Scott tore a ligmanet in his knee and Keffer a broken based on tweet from Jim Benson.

These are big losses - two really solid players with a lot of experience.  But, these injuries seemed to get sophomore Bryce Dooley on the field last week and he is really talented.  Dooley is a lightning-fast, athletic slot guy that you can get the ball to in a lot of ways and let him do his thing.  He might be IWU's most dangerous offensive weapon.

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-wesleyan/kindred-ex-leroy-star-dooley-finds-home-with-titans/article_4fe507d8-b1bd-553d-ad95-94b52554b32e.html

[Titan Q]

IWU did not play very well against UW-La Crosse, but the Titans always seem to get it together vs Wheaton.  I'm hoping the offensive line and defensive secondary figured some stuff out in the last week and are ready to go.

IWU is talented enough to win this game.

[CardinalAlum]

For IWU v Wheaton:

This is a huge game in the CCIW race. For IWU they have to win to keep from getting a 2nd loss. They could lose, then win out and still capture the AQ if Wheaton loses at least 1x.

The Titans showed me some things in their first game: They have play-makers on offense. Bauer along with those receivers are dangerous. Bryce Dooley is a great add to this offense. Bauer is aggressive with his throws and his feet. I like some of their new offensive linemen from a talent perspective but those guys, after their first career start (4 of them) will have to take a huge step forward. Defensively, I was surprised at how poorly they played. The problems I saw are not fixable after a few practices and film sessions. They have some great talent. I like the Defensive line. Hilliard and Dubose are all conference type players and the mix of other DL I saw were athletic and explosive. Urbanski and Zima at DE showed some promise. Looks like Eash wants Dubose at DE more though so I suspect we will see Hilliard  and Mike Murphy at DT or they may go with a 3 man line and play 4 LB's. The LB's are a pretty big drop off from last year in level of physicality. I was most surprised by the defensive backs as they didn't cover well against UWLX. Part of that appears to be from playing a lot more man coverage than zone in the first game. IWU brought a lot more blitzes than I have seen in the past, possibly in part to put pressure on the QB. That may be one reason Eash wants Dubose at DE, as he can pressure the QB without blitzing and take pressure off the DB's. Either way, thats something to watch tomorrow night.

For Wheaton, their defensive performance was outstanding and I suspect they will be one of the top 1-2 defenses in the league this year. They have 3 POY type players on defense and some other pieces that really make it hard to consistently move the ball. My biggest concern for the defense is pass rush. There is no heir to Chase Greenlee on that line. I like McRae and O'Connell at DT, those two are dominant, but at DE they will have to figure some things out. I suspect Tyler Sigler will match up all game with Healy and Fox will likely take Walsh when they go Man and in key situations. On offense, McWilliams can't turn the ball over (3 INT's last week) and the running game has to be more consistent. Lots of play makers on the Wheaton side of the ball and if IWU can't get pressure on McWilliams, it's going to be tough on the Titan secondary.

Overall, this Wheaton team is a better overall team than IWU played last week, certainly defensively and I don't see the Titans scoring 30+ pts. This game will turn on whether the Thunder can be efficient on offense and put up enough points to distance themselves from the Titans. I think IWU wants to get turnovers and keep this a low scoring game in order to win.

My prediction is Wheaton 28 IWU 24

I don't see IWU scoring that much against this Wheaton D.    24-10 Wheaties.  We will definitely get a better feel for both of these teams after today. 

[USee]

This never got posted, but Matese Scott and Liam Keffer are both out for the season for IWU. Scott the #2 RB and Keffer the #3 WR coming into the season. Sounding like Scott tore a ligmanet in his knee and Keffer a broken based on tweet from Jim Benson.

These are big losses - two really solid players with a lot of experience.  But, these injuries seemed to get sophomore Bryce Dooley on the field last week and he is really talented.  Dooley is a lightning-fast, athletic slot guy that you can get the ball to in a lot of ways and let him do his thing.  He might be IWU's most dangerous offensive weapon.

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-wesleyan/kindred-ex-leroy-star-dooley-finds-home-with-titans/article_4fe507d8-b1bd-553d-ad95-94b52554b32e.html

Dooley really is the X-Factor for IWU tonight. I think Wheaton is going to try to take Healy (6-5, 220) out of the game with Tyler Sigler. There really isn't a guy like Sigler in our league, or usually at our level. He is 6-3, 210 lbs and runs sub 4.5. There is a reason NFL scouts are taking serious looks at him. If you have a guy like that who can neutralize another team's best weapon, it puts pressure on the rest of the team. IWU will still target Healy, and he will make some plays. But going to him consistently isn't likely going to be a winning strategy and having someone like Dooley is a huge advantage. it will be interesting to see how the Thunder handle Walsh and Dooley. Last year Walsh made the winning catch against 1 on 1 coverage vs Fox.

Overall I still see this game decided by turnovers and the IWU defense's ability to handle the Wheaton Offense.

[USee]

Augustana 35 Elmhurst 0 (in Elmhurst)
North Central 32 WashU 19 (in Naperville)
Millikin 48 NPU 21 (as of late 4th Qtr in Decatur
Carthage 31 Carroll 0 (in Waukesha)

[Titan Q]

IWU 24
#12-Wheaton 14

* Brandon Bauer: 26-40, 303 yards, 1 TD
* Zach Walsh: 9 catches, 138 yards, 1 TD

* Total offensive yards: IWU 387; Wheaton 188
* First downs: IWU 22; Wheaton 9

IWU really played well tonight.  The defense was outstanding and I thought Brandon Bauer was great from start to finish.

Nice win for the Titans.

[Dr. Acula]

IWU 24
#12-Wheaton 14

* Brandon Bauer: 26-40, 303 yards, 1 TD
* Zach Walsh: 9 catches, 138 yards, 1 TD

* Total offensive yards: IWU 387; Wheaton 188
* First downs: IWU 22; Wheaton 9

IWU really played well tonight.  The defense was outstanding and I thought Brandon Bauer was great from start to finish.

Nice win for the Titans.

188 total yards and 1 for 11 on 3rd down.  That's a heck of an effort.  Excellent W for the Titans.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Aside from the first minute and a half of the second half, IWU dominated Wheaton, and the Titan defense was BEYOND outstanding!  The Thunder got all their 14 points in that minute and a half, and none were really the fault of the Titan defense.  Wheaton ran the second-half kickoff back to the Titan five - one can hardly blame the defense for not stopping a TD.  The other TD was a fumble run back for a score.  Considering that Wheaton is one of the near-elite programs in D3, I'd say the Titan defense was not just outstanding, but dang near perfect!

[Titan Q]

Congratulations to Norm Eash.  With his 143rd CCIW win he moves out of a tie with his mentor, Don Larson, and now has the most conference wins in CCIW history.

[markerickson]

And just a few years ago there was discussion Coach Eash should cease coaching IWU football.

[shepherd]

Football is half a mental game maybe more. 
Wheaten coaches strengths are very strong and weaknesses are very week.
Wheaten coaches believe its very hard to play at IWU.
There belief is so strong that the senior players teach it to the younger. 
To contrast that a winning program like Mount Union believes they win.  They believe so much that the senior players teach it to the new players.

Wheaton believes if you give them two weeks off they will be rusty and look unprepared and the players confused even though the coaches spent massive time preparing the game plan the player always look like they were told the game plan that day.  They have proven it time and again.

What I say now is about the two years fresh and soph in hs coaches taught me how to play football then moved to a big hs school with great athletes who new nothing about football technique and were good at teaching these great athletes they were going to lose.  Thats what they do.  I played 4 years before hs and 1 year d3. football. 


Never did those coaches say we have a hard time playing somewhere.  Or emphasize how rusty we will be in game one.  This winning program the coaches worked their buts off coaching teaching players how to play to believe they are going to win and to always no matter what strive towards perfect technique.  You must always be in the perfect athletic position every practice every play in the huddle and like Delasalle high school ca the winningest hs football program ever the offensive line goes down in perfect sync.  You run off on the field never walk even though a lot of us played every second of every game.  Reading the book about Delasalle I was taught exactly like that as there must be some common tie of were these ideas came from.  Although the coach of the team says other coaches always say you didn't tell all in the book its there they just dont get or believe the phrase quick off the ball.  Practices were so quick at first.  Getting off the ball quick every practice every play in a perfect stance.  My stance was corrected constantly during practice.  The coaches payed so much attention making sure every play the offense and defensive line stances effort quickness off the ball how far first step sometimes big to race the gap sometimes smaller block LB.  We ran wishbone option but that is irrelevant as it was of necessity of having half the athletes starting not very athletic at all. 
****************************
We ere motivated always positively!
We were taught what to think.
example 1
We couldn't afford any penalties off sides.  Every player repeated twice the count and the play running up to the line saying it to yourself or better whispering it to yourself sending it to a better part of the brain. 
Example  2 Defensive line we were all taught hammered to our memory to race to the gap evaluate run pass ensure play not coming to gap then pursue the play perfectly never over pursue the play from backside taking yourself out of the play.  Corrected every practice every play.  This passive sounding scheme with the speed caused many tackles for losses.


Todays game has sped up the passing game to an incredible level while slowing the running and getting off the ball for huge strong linemen who are successful against athletes they can overpower. 

After that going to another hs and on a d3 practice defense team.  It was if they were playing in slow motion.  Most of the athletes didn't practice like they play a game.
As I said before we through the baby out with the bathwater and the game today can be taken advantage of all the bad technique and slow play. 

Point:
The time coaches spend on the practice field is much more important than the time spent game planning.  The system used by teams today is superior but the coaching mental technique motivation and speed off the line or the power of the quick dive and how long and hard that simple sounding play is really hard to teach.  Thats Delasalles td play as the lbs even in playoff games don't know what happened as the speed of the play happened too fast for them.  There is so much technique and speed that must be taght to the back and linemen getting off the ball so quick its the most important thing.  To slow. to slow off the ball.  But only a handful of coaches are able to teach the quick dive today.  They run it in slow motion.
Those coaches changed my life. There is always a way.  You have to learn what to do believe it practice exactly like your going to play every time.  My grades improved my confidence improved. There is always a way a technique you will win you do win!

[Gregory Sager]

Millikin 48
North Park 27

I only watched the first half (which ended MU 27, NPU 14) closely, as just before the half ended the NPU men's soccer match at Dominican started. I was tired of allowing the Millikin radio broadcasters to make my ears bleed, so I muted the sound on the football game and listened to the soccer match until it was time for me to head over to Hedstrand Field to call the NPU women's soccer match. I did catch a few plays on the computer in the press box while waiting for the women's soccer match to start (unfortunately, one of them was a 91-yard TD pass from Nicco Stepina to Jordan Smith), so I got more than a gist of what was going on at Lindsey Field.

The positive for North Park was that the Vikings moved the ball well through the air, as Grant Borsch was 26-37 for 210 yards and two touchdowns, with his only interception coming off of a deflection when the ball bounced about twenty feet into the air off of a receiver's shoulder pads. And that was without his primary target, Travis Dworczynski, catching a single pass all day. The negatives were that the O-line didn't protect him well (MU had eight sacks for 46 yards, and none of the sacks I saw were the result of Borsch holding the ball too long), and the defense looked like Swiss cheese to the tune of 48 points and 581 yards given up. Much of that yardage total came in big chunks; in addition to the aforementioned 91-yard TD pass, the Big Blue also got TD runs of 79 and 39 yards from Jazontae Howard (193 yards rushing for the day), both in third-and-short situations in which the Vikings defense didn't appear to have any linebackers or safeties at all backing up the middle of the line of scrimmage. Once Howard broke through the line, he was off to the races on both plays. MU also scored on a 52-yard pass from Stepina to Gerald Perry. The Big Blue have serious talent at the skill positions, so that's no mystery. But I was disappointed that the Vikings didn't do a better job of stopping the big play.

[Gregory Sager]

Please forgive me for bringing up the Millikin radio announcers, but I have to say something about them. I've been known to bash student broadcasters for being uninformed or for acting juvenile on the air, but from now on I'm going to cut them some slack. The Millikin guys were a nightmare. Start with the fact that the PBP guy began the game by referring to Borsch as Jujuan King, and then when he noticed on North Park's second possession that the NPU QB wore 19 instead of 10 he began asking why Mike Conway had yanked his starting QB so quickly. For the entire first half he kept wondering aloud when King was going to come back onto the field, especially since he kept looking over at the North Park sideline and saw the player wearing 10 actively moving about. (That was DB/P Gary Anish; #10 is a duplicate number for North Park.) Look, I know better than anyone how hard it can be to read numbers from the press box, especially if you don't have at least one spotter sitting next to you or corded into your headset. Player-ID mistakes happen, and I've made plenty on the air. But how hard is it to look at the other team's stats before a game, to say nothing of the two-deep that the NPU sports information director sent to MU and that MU sports information director Bryan Marshall no doubt gave to the PBP guy? (King wasn't on the two-deep, since freshman Jason McGovern has been promoted to QB2.) Borsch was the starter in Week One against Anderson, and he started the last three games of 2017 for the Vikings. The next varsity game in which Jujuan King appears will be his first.

That's a technical mistake, and I can overlook that. What I can't overlook was the unprofessionalism, especially since these were radio guys who get paid by a commercial station in Decatur to do this. They carried on and on with inside jokes about their buddies in the stands. The PBP broadcaster almost never identified North Park players after a play; even when NPU had the ball, rushers and receivers were typically neglected altogether while he only bothered to identify the Big Blue defender who'd made the tackle or covered the receiver. (At least make an effort, dude.) When he did identify a North Park player, it was as fodder to amuse the color commentator by making jokes about the name (Grant Borsch sounding like what the Swedish Chef says, while Uati Pati's name provoked about thirty seconds' worth of bathroom humor).

But the absolute worst was when North Park WR Micah Lowe got injured. Lowe was down on the ground for about ten minutes after going up in the air and getting drilled in the leg by a Big Blue DB as he made a catch, and the MU training staff finally had to put an air cast on his leg and cart him off to the ambulance. The PBP announcer, after saying all of the proper pieties for the situation that every one of us PBP announcers do when someone's lying hurt on the field, eventually started in with an observation about what a coincidence it was that Lowe was going to get carted off after taking a low hit. He amused himself with that pun for a little while, much to my disgust.

I caught bits and pieces of the WU @ NCC game and the WC @ IWU game, and it really struck me how professional those broadcast teams sounded and acted. It's not rocket science. Common sense ought to tell you that nobody wants to hear your inside jokes about your and your partner's buddy sitting in the stands; that not identifying whenever possible the other team's players that are involved in a play is bad form; that telling bathroom jokes about an opposing player's name is just immature; and that you never -- never -- make humorous quips about a player who is lying on the field with a serious (and likely season-ending) injury.

Again, I apologize for wasting y'all's time with that complaint, but I just had to get it off of my chest.