FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[kiko]

Around the conference today:

Carthage 36, Carroll 7 in Kenosha
Millikin 41, North Park 7 just downwind of Charcoal Delights
North Central 46, Wash U 13 in St. Louis
Augie 55, Elmhurst 13 in Rock Island
Wheaton 24, Illinois Wesleyan 10 in Wheaton

Next week:

Wash U at Carthage
Elmhurst at Carroll
Augie at Illinois Wesleyan
North Park at North Central
Wheaton at Millikin

Good test next week to see what sort of progress Augie may have made this year.

[USee]

What a performance by the Thunder tonight. IWU did not turn the ball over and Wheaton held an elite offense to 151 total yds on 57 plays. Wheaton executed their game plan really well due in large part to the play of the defensive and offensive lines. IWU has crazy good skill players on offense and wheaton's Defense was incredible.

TJ Williams was as advertised. If the Thunder stay healthy they have to be the CCIW favorite with home games against NCC and WashU

[USee]

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-wesleyan/williams-wheaton-gain-revenge-against-iwu/article_7ad667fc-2693-534c-b233-398f93fa0e45.html#tracking-source=home-the-latest


"Our backs are against the wall a little bit. We're being challenged right now," said Eash. "We knew we had a tough road schedule. The first two games were really tough. Last week we had a heartbreaker in double overtime (a 33-27 loss at Wisconsin-La Crosse) and this week we went on the road and Wheaton had two weeks to prepare for us."

Norm, Wheaton had 2 weeks to prepare last year too. Sometimes the other team is just better.

Eash has done a tremendous job at IWU, especially recently. He has never been able to really give another team any credit.

[jaybird44]

Before tonight, I hadn't seen North Central and Broc Rutter for a while.  What a difference a couple of years makes...

The Cardinals rang up 640 yards of total offense, to wear down WashU tonight 46-13.  Rutter was exceptional, 34-45 for 398 yards and 5 TDs...and becoming the NCC career leader in completions and passing yards.  WRs Andrew Kamienski had 15 catches (single-game NCC record, I believe) for 181 yards and 2 TDs, and Blake Williams added 8 more catches for 138 yards.  RBs Ethan Greenfield and Terrence Hill each were over 100 yards rushing. DeAngelo Hardy had 2 short TD receptions.

The offensive line might win another spot of the d3football.com Team of the Week selections.  WashU brought every blitz and stunt packages it could think of, to try and get to Rutter.  Instead, he was able to consistently go through his progressions and pick apart the Bears' defense.  The 2 sacks of Rutter were coverage sacks.

Speaking of defense, the Cardinals' unit is pretty good too.  Held WashU to 311 yards of total offense (60 on the ground), had 4 sacks of Johnny Davidson, and it made adjustments during the game to keep Johnny from having scrambling lanes to utilize.  It evidently also saw something in film study...or at least Braden Lindmark saw a tendency that allowed him to sit on a short pass and intercept Davidson on a 1st-and-goal at the NCC 1.  Johnny tried to sneak a dart just inside the pile-on on the short side of the field and Lindmark was ready for it and picked it off when WashU was trying to stay in contention midway through the 3rd quarter, down 36-13.

This is a very savvy group.  When one tandem crossing route by two NCC receivers worked the first time to end the first half (receiver that set up wide cut on an inside slant, while the slot receiver ran to the end line and then to the far corner for a TD catch), it went back to that same play in the 4th quarter for the same payoff.  Adjustments were continually being made by players on the field.  And, it didn't unravel when WashU blocked a 25-yard FG attempt and returned it for a TD to end the first quarter tied 13-all.  The Cardinals kind of shrugged their shoulders and went back to work.

Very impressive performance by North Central tonight.  I can clearly understand why they are #5 in the country.

[Marmac]

Wheaton was the better team tonight, but it's worth pointing out that the game seemed to turn on a poor officiating call in the 2nd quarter. Up 10-7, Wheaton's RB Williams fumbled short of the goal line and it was recovered by IWU. The ref claimed the ball crossed the goal line before the fumble, but clearly it did not. Wheaton was penalized on the play, so the ball was moved back, but Wheaton maintained possession and scored on the next play to go up 17-7.

[USee]

Wheaton was the better team tonight, but it's worth pointing out that the game seemed to turn on a poor officiating call in the 2nd quarter. Up 10-7, Wheaton's RB Williams fumbled short of the goal line and it was recovered by IWU. The ref claimed the ball crossed the goal line before the fumble, but clearly it did not. Wheaton was penalized on the play, so the ball was moved back, but Wheaton maintained possession and scored on the next play to go up 17-7.

I don't the game turned and it certainly didn't affect the outcome of the game but this was one of the bad calls in the game if indeed they said it was a TD and a penalty. Williams clearly fumbled before the endzone.

[Titan Q]

Wheaton was the better team tonight, but it's worth pointing out that the game seemed to turn on a poor officiating call in the 2nd quarter. Up 10-7, Wheaton's RB Williams fumbled short of the goal line and it was recovered by IWU. The ref claimed the ball crossed the goal line before the fumble, but clearly it did not. Wheaton was penalized on the play, so the ball was moved back, but Wheaton maintained possession and scored on the next play to go up 17-7.

I don't the game turned and it certainly didn't affect the outcome of the game but this was one of the bad calls in the game if indeed they said it was a TD and a penalty. Williams clearly fumbled before the endzone.

It was a bad call for sure.  Had they called it a fumble before the endzone (which it was), IWU would have declined the penalty and had the ball.  And most importantly Wheaton would not have scored.

But then IWU has the ball on their own 2 yard line...and does what with it? 3 and out, punt, and Wheaton ball on IWU 35?  Based on the way the rest of the game went, I don't feel confident the Titans would have marched 98 yards for a TD.

Definitely a bad break for the Titans but I don't think a game-turning moment.  I feel like the game had already turned by then.

[Dr. Acula]

One other thing...if I'm an IWU fan and I watch my team burn not one but two timeouts on 4th and a half yard only to put Bauer in the shotgun and get stuffed on a QB run?  Well, I would have poured the stiffest drink I could find immediately.  That was so demoralizing.

It wasn't good, but for the most part the game felt over before that anyway.

And I didn't mind the play call.  It probably works for a yard most of the time.  Wheaton had a couple guys make big-time plays to completely blow that up.

That whole sequence highlighted the fact Wheaton beat IWU badly on the lines all game long.  IWU obviously didn't feel like they could go under center and hand the ball off for one yard.

Good point, Q.  You're probably right.  I guess that was more the last gasp for IWU.  On the play call it was interesting because right before that they'd tried to sneak from under center and snap exchange was muffed, but they had called TO (thankfully).  Maybe that's why they opted to go back to the shotgun.  I liked the under center sneak only because I'd want to give 54 as little time as possible to beat my OL, but if the QB/C aren't used to under center it could have been a repeat of what Eash had just seen.

[Marmac]

One other thing...if I'm an IWU fan and I watch my team burn not one but two timeouts on 4th and a half yard only to put Bauer in the shotgun and get stuffed on a QB run?  Well, I would have poured the stiffest drink I could find immediately.  That was so demoralizing.

It wasn't good, but for the most part the game felt over before that anyway.

And I didn't mind the play call.  It probably works for a yard most of the time.  Wheaton had a couple guys make big-time plays to completely blow that up.

That whole sequence highlighted the fact Wheaton beat IWU badly on the lines all game long.  IWU obviously didn't feel like they could go under center and hand the ball off for one yard.

Good point, Q.  You're probably right.  I guess that was more the last gasp for IWU.  On the play call it was interesting because right before that they'd tried to sneak from under center and snap exchange was muffed, but they had called TO (thankfully).  Maybe that's why they opted to go back to the shotgun.  I liked the under center sneak only because I'd want to give 54 as little time as possible to beat my OL, but if the QB/C aren't used to under center it could have been a repeat of what Eash had just seen.

Burning two TOs was confounding in that situation. Wheaton's defense was excellent, but the weather also played a role in shutting down IWU's passing game. It rained hard throughout the second half, and both teams struggled to move the ball.

Speaking of passing game, that's the one question mark for this Wheaton team.

[USee]

3 areas that will plague the Thunder and need to be addressed are penalties (9-79 last night) and fumbles. They lost 2 fumbles that led directly to all of IWU's points and the ball was on the ground 4 other times that I can count where they didn't lose possession. Third, they missed 3 Field goals where they needed to get points.

They dramatically improved their 3rd down conversions going 6-13 vs IWU after going 2-18 vs Monmouth.

Wheaton will visit Decatur this week's set up for the Brass Bell game in 2 weeks.

[AndOne]

Before tonight, I hadn't seen North Central and Broc Rutter for a while.  What a difference a couple of years makes...

The Cardinals rang up 640 yards of total offense, to wear down WashU tonight 46-13.  Rutter was exceptional, 34-45 for 398 yards and 5 TDs...and becoming the NCC career leader in completions and passing yards.  WRs Andrew Kamienski had 15 catches (single-game NCC record, I believe) for 181 yards and 2 TDs, and Blake Williams added 8 more catches for 138 yards.  RBs Ethan Greenfield and Terrence Hill each were over 100 yards rushing. DeAngelo Hardy had 2 short TD receptions.

The offensive line might win another spot of the d3football.com Team of the Week selections.  WashU brought every blitz and stunt packages it could think of, to try and get to Rutter.  Instead, he was able to consistently go through his progressions and pick apart the Bears' defense.  The 2 sacks of Rutter were coverage sacks.

Speaking of defense, the Cardinals' unit is pretty good too.  Held WashU to 311 yards of total offense (60 on the ground), had 4 sacks of Johnny Davidson, and it made adjustments during the game to keep Johnny from having scrambling lanes to utilize.  It evidently also saw something in film study...or at least Braden Lindmark saw a tendency that allowed him to sit on a short pass and intercept Davidson on a 1st-and-goal at the NCC 1.  Johnny tried to sneak a dart just inside the pile-on on the short side of the field and Lindmark was ready for it and picked it off when WashU was trying to stay in contention midway through the 3rd quarter, down 36-13.

This is a very savvy group.  When one tandem crossing route by two NCC receivers worked the first time to end the first half (receiver that set up wide cut on an inside slant, while the slot receiver ran to the end line and then to the far corner for a TD catch), it went back to that same play in the 4th quarter for the same payoff.  Adjustments were continually being made by players on the field.  And, it didn't unravel when WashU blocked a 25-yard FG attempt and returned it for a TD to end the first quarter tied 13-all. The Cardinals kind of shrugged their shoulders and went back to work.

Very impressive performance by North Central tonight.  I can clearly understand why they are #5 in the country.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Cardinals dominance over WashU. I think just about everyone who follows the CCIW, including the vast majority of NCC fans, expected a more closely contested battle.
Rutter and Kamienski both personifying All-American level play, and the various units on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball performed admirably.

However, there are two serious deficiencies which need correction quickly least they lead to very likely disaster versus teams domiciled both 20 and 120 minutes from Naperville.
1. Special Teams/Kicking——In just 2 games, the Cardinals have missed three extra point kicks.
They have also hit only 2 of 4 field goal attempts with both misses being from less than 30 yards. One of the misses was blocked and returned 70 yards for a TD. Excelling on both offense and defense isn't going to equate with a championship level season unless the kicking game gets its head straight and gets on the bus.
2. Penalties—-17 penalties in 2 games. The Cardinals cannot afford to continue giving quality opponents extra opportunities, free yards, and possible points through unforced mental lapses.
On two separate plays vs WashU, the Cards took an early 15 yard personal foul penalty on a play on which they had sacked the WU QB for a 14 yard loss. Then just before half a truly boneheaded 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct (taunting, I believe) on a play on which they had tackled a receiver for a 3 yard loss after a catch.
A clean-up in both aisles is mandated

[Stagg Again!!]

Before tonight, I hadn't seen North Central and Broc Rutter for a while.  What a difference a couple of years makes...

The Cardinals rang up 640 yards of total offense, to wear down WashU tonight 46-13.  Rutter was exceptional, 34-45 for 398 yards and 5 TDs...and becoming the NCC career leader in completions and passing yards.  WRs Andrew Kamienski had 15 catches (single-game NCC record, I believe) for 181 yards and 2 TDs, and Blake Williams added 8 more catches for 138 yards.  RBs Ethan Greenfield and Terrence Hill each were over 100 yards rushing. DeAngelo Hardy had 2 short TD receptions.

The offensive line might win another spot of the d3football.com Team of the Week selections.  WashU brought every blitz and stunt packages it could think of, to try and get to Rutter.  Instead, he was able to consistently go through his progressions and pick apart the Bears' defense.  The 2 sacks of Rutter were coverage sacks.

Speaking of defense, the Cardinals' unit is pretty good too.  Held WashU to 311 yards of total offense (60 on the ground), had 4 sacks of Johnny Davidson, and it made adjustments during the game to keep Johnny from having scrambling lanes to utilize.  It evidently also saw something in film study...or at least Braden Lindmark saw a tendency that allowed him to sit on a short pass and intercept Davidson on a 1st-and-goal at the NCC 1.  Johnny tried to sneak a dart just inside the pile-on on the short side of the field and Lindmark was ready for it and picked it off when WashU was trying to stay in contention midway through the 3rd quarter, down 36-13.

This is a very savvy group.  When one tandem crossing route by two NCC receivers worked the first time to end the first half (receiver that set up wide cut on an inside slant, while the slot receiver ran to the end line and then to the far corner for a TD catch), it went back to that same play in the 4th quarter for the same payoff.  Adjustments were continually being made by players on the field.  And, it didn't unravel when WashU blocked a 25-yard FG attempt and returned it for a TD to end the first quarter tied 13-all. The Cardinals kind of shrugged their shoulders and went back to work.

Very impressive performance by North Central tonight.  I can clearly understand why they are #5 in the country.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Cardinals dominance over WashU. I think just about everyone who follows the CCIW, including the vast majority of NCC fans, expected a more closely contested battle.
Rutter and Kamienski both personifying All-American level play, and the various units on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball performed admirably.

However, there are two serious deficiencies which need correction quickly least they lead to very likely disaster versus teams domiciled both 20 and 120 minutes from Naperville.
1. Special Teams/Kicking——In just 2 games, the Cardinals have missed three extra point kicks.
They have also hit only 2 of 4 field goal attempts with both misses being from less than 30 yards. One of the misses was blocked and returned 70 yards for a TD. Excelling on both offense and defense isn't going to equate with a championship level season unless the kicking game gets its head straight and gets on the bus.
2. Penalties—-17 penalties in 2 games. The Cardinals cannot afford to continue giving quality opponents extra opportunities, free yards, and possible points through unforced mental lapses.
On two separate plays vs WashU, the Cards took an early 15 yard personal foul penalty on a play on which they had sacked the WU QB for a 14 yard loss. Then just before half a truly boneheaded 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct (taunting, I believe) on a play on which they had tackled a receiver for a 3 yard loss after a catch.
A clean-up in both aisles is mandated

AO, I generally agree with your comments, but want to make sure that you are not highlighting all Special Teams as the Cards are ranked #1 in the nation in Net Punting and #42 in Punt Returns.  Seems like the Special Teams challenges are really focused on the kicking game right now.  Also, while there weren't a lot of penalties against CNU, one did result in the loss of a long TD run... further supporting your comments.  If Thorne can clean up either or both of these, NCC could position themselves for a nice deep run this year.  BTW, congratulations goes out to #9 for breaking most of #6's career records in the past two Saturdays.

[AndOne]

Stagg,

No, I wasn't harping on all aspects of the Cards' Special Teams play. That's why I said "Special Teams/Kicking, instead of Special Teams/Punting, and specifically referred to PATs and FGs rather than making any mention of punting. But, perhaps, I wasn't precise enough.

Broc Rutter was listed as the 3rd team pre-season AA QB. Granted, I don't have either the time to observe every top QB across the nation or the ability to do so if I had the time, but it's hard to imagine he isn't as good as anyone else out there.

I think the current PAT problem situation is highlighted by the contrast with last season during which I believe the Cardinals only missed one PAT kick all year.

When you drop a pass receiver for a three yard loss after a catch, please give yourself a chest bump/pound rather than standing over him and taunting or berating him in some unsportsmanlike way. This is particularly true if you are an All-American candidate. If you are a true AA, you're expected to make plays like that. You just gave your team a big lift. Nothing wrong with some emotionally charged enthusiasm, but a stupid penalty just negates that advantage. Besides, remember that the next play could result in him making you tackle/block/catch nothing but air. I expect this problem to resolve quickly.

[emma17]

Poor kicking appears to be a contagion.
AndOne, if UWW is a team you're referring to within 120 minutes of NCC, the Warhawk field goal kicker is 2 for 8.

[AndOne]

Emma,

Perhaps it's the winds blowing through, and swirling around inside the purple team's cavernous stadium that helps account for that 2 for 8! 

Actually, another color came to mind and, accordingly, I was referring to a school that's 120 minutes south of Naperville as opposed to north.