FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[shepherd]

https://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2021/09/20/atn-podcast-286-the-bell-the-poll-and-why-you-arent-ranked/

From this picture it sure didn't take long for NCC players to break the Little Brass Bell!

Again, didn't this happen before? Darn kids always breaking stuff.

[BIG BLUE BEN]

Alright fellas, if its okay with everyone else, I want to talk about a big (yes I know its not the Bell game) CCIW ballgame.

Millikin vs Carrol @Frank M. Lindsay Field

This should turn out to be a great competitive contest that is highlighted by the cool connection of Carrol's Coach Buda and Coach Dan Gritti. Buda flurished at Millikin for 3 years 2 of which he spent shattering the offensive record books with nicco stepina. His offense has had success everywhere he has went and if he is ever able to steal recruits from the other WI conference then I think he can scheme with the best in the country. With that said, I think Millikin will have there hands full with a team that is also coming off a big win last week (upset IWU).

I excpect Millikin's offense to be improved from last week and continue to move the ball with a balanced run/pass combo. Millikin's strength is there O-line (have not given up a sack this year) along with there AA WR Colton Lockwood requiring so much of the attention that it opens up the rest of Millikin's talented young WR's. Millikin offense has only been stopped this year when they shoot themselves in the foot. Finally getting to play at home should help them play more relaxed and hopefully turnover free football.


Defensively, Millikin has the advantage on the line of scrimmage and on top of that, Carrol lacks a mobile QB which will allow Gritti to dial up a variety of blitzes/stunts. Carrol's air raid is scary when they are clicking. They have big bodied WR's which will have a big advantage on Millikin's undersized corners. With that said, I think Millikin will create tackles for loss/sacks and will be able to get off the field when ot counts Saturday.

Special teams,
No surprise Coach Gritti leads the CCIW in blocks through 2 games.
-Week 1 (Blocked punt for TD)
-Week 2 (blocked opening punt/blocked game winning field 25 yard field goal)
-Well see if we can one against Carrol but for nothing else, teams having to waste practice time prepping extra for PUNT is point for Millikin.

Turnovers have plagued the Big Blue but I think they find their groove playing at home for first time in really 2 years; Millikin plays their most complete game so far and wins a close shootout at home. Millikin 34-Carroll 29

[HAMBO]

Thanks Big Blue Ben for the Millikin update.  I think it is time for some of those wide receivers, that you noted, to step up.  So far Lockwood has carried too much of the load.  Speaking of Lockwood -- his very unique game last week is worthy of more fanfare.  Whenever did a wide receiver catch 2 touchdown passes, one in overtime to win, and block a the field goal that put the game into overtime?  So far he is playing like an All-American.

The Big Blue victory over Augustana last week may have set an NCAA football record never to be broken --  that is, when one team beats the same team twice in the same calendar year, both games in overtime, and both played at the losing team's home field.  mmm?  With just a little luck, Augie could have won both.

[kiko]

Alright fellas, if its okay with everyone else, I want to talk about a big (yes I know its not the Bell game) CCIW ballgame.

Millikin vs Carrol @Frank M. Lindsay Field

This should turn out to be a great competitive contest that is highlighted by the cool connection of Carrol's Coach Buda and Coach Dan Gritti. Buda flurished at Millikin for 3 years 2 of which he spent shattering the offensive record books with nicco stepina. His offense has had success everywhere he has went and if he is ever able to steal recruits from the other WI conference then I think he can scheme with the best in the country. With that said, I think Millikin will have there hands full with a team that is also coming off a big win last week (upset IWU).

I excpect Millikin's offense to be improved from last week and continue to move the ball with a balanced run/pass combo. Millikin's strength is there O-line (have not given up a sack this year) along with there AA WR Colton Lockwood requiring so much of the attention that it opens up the rest of Millikin's talented young WR's. Millikin offense has only been stopped this year when they shoot themselves in the foot. Finally getting to play at home should help them play more relaxed and hopefully turnover free football.


Defensively, Millikin has the advantage on the line of scrimmage and on top of that, Carrol lacks a mobile QB which will allow Gritti to dial up a variety of blitzes/stunts. Carrol's air raid is scary when they are clicking. They have big bodied WR's which will have a big advantage on Millikin's undersized corners. With that said, I think Millikin will create tackles for loss/sacks and will be able to get off the field when ot counts Saturday.

Special teams,
No surprise Coach Gritti leads the CCIW in blocks through 2 games.
-Week 1 (Blocked punt for TD)
-Week 2 (blocked opening punt/blocked game winning field 25 yard field goal)
-Well see if we can one against Carrol but for nothing else, teams having to waste practice time prepping extra for PUNT is point for Millikin.

Turnovers have plagued the Big Blue but I think they find their groove playing at home for first time in really 2 years; Millikin plays their most complete game so far and wins a close shootout at home. Millikin 34-Carroll 29

This may very well be the most Millikin content (and Carroll content, for that matter...) that we've had in one post in the 20-ish year history of this board.

More, please.

[Kovo]

Alright fellas, if its okay with everyone else, I want to talk about a big (yes I know its not the Bell game) CCIW ballgame.

Millikin vs Carrol @Frank M. Lindsay Field

This should turn out to be a great competitive contest that is highlighted by the cool connection of Carrol's Coach Buda and Coach Dan Gritti. Buda flurished at Millikin for 3 years 2 of which he spent shattering the offensive record books with nicco stepina. His offense has had success everywhere he has went and if he is ever able to steal recruits from the other WI conference then I think he can scheme with the best in the country. With that said, I think Millikin will have there hands full with a team that is also coming off a big win last week (upset IWU).

I excpect Millikin's offense to be improved from last week and continue to move the ball with a balanced run/pass combo. Millikin's strength is there O-line (have not given up a sack this year) along with there AA WR Colton Lockwood requiring so much of the attention that it opens up the rest of Millikin's talented young WR's. Millikin offense has only been stopped this year when they shoot themselves in the foot. Finally getting to play at home should help them play more relaxed and hopefully turnover free football.


Defensively, Millikin has the advantage on the line of scrimmage and on top of that, Carrol lacks a mobile QB which will allow Gritti to dial up a variety of blitzes/stunts. Carrol's air raid is scary when they are clicking. They have big bodied WR's which will have a big advantage on Millikin's undersized corners. With that said, I think Millikin will create tackles for loss/sacks and will be able to get off the field when ot counts Saturday.

Special teams,
No surprise Coach Gritti leads the CCIW in blocks through 2 games.
-Week 1 (Blocked punt for TD)
-Week 2 (blocked opening punt/blocked game winning field 25 yard field goal)
-Well see if we can one against Carrol but for nothing else, teams having to waste practice time prepping extra for PUNT is point for Millikin.

Turnovers have plagued the Big Blue but I think they find their groove playing at home for first time in really 2 years; Millikin plays their most complete game so far and wins a close shootout at home. Millikin 34-Carroll 29

This may very well be the most Millikin content (and Carroll content, for that matter...) that we've had in one post in the 20-ish year history of this board.

More, please.

I agree.  It would be nice if more teams were regularly involved in the posting.  Quite frankly, if NCC isn't playing I'm always looking for a CCIW contest to enjoy.  For those of you who watched it, Carroll vs. IWU was a treat for the neutral observer.  I'm hoping for the same from MU vs. Carroll.

[kiko]

Today:

Wheaton 58, North Park 27 at Foster & Kedzie
Carthage 62, Illinois Wesleyan 35 in Kenosha
North Central 58, Augustana 6 in Naperville
Wash U 27, Elmhurst 7 in St. Louis

Tonight:

Millikin 32, Carroll 25 in Decatur

[Stagg Again!!]

Today:

Wheaton 58, North Park 27 at Foster & Kedzie
Carthage 62, Illinois Wesleyan 35 in Kenosha
North Central 58, Augustana 6 in Naperville
Wash U 27, Elmhurst 7 in St. Louis

Tonight:

Carroll at Millikin

Changing topics for a moment... I just watched the entire MHB v. HS game.  I have two questions:  1) How was this game even close? and 2) How was HS ranked so high coming into the game?  While I don't know enough about HS, I don't see a team in the Top 25 that wouldn't be favored to beat the Cowboys on any given Saturday.  Heck, I believe that HS would have a very difficult time keeping pace with the "run and gun" Aurora Spartans based on what I saw tonight.  Would love to hear what others saw in tonight's game... maybe I just missed it!

[Pat Coleman]

Clarify for me -- did you watch the whole game or just the second half?

[Kovo]

Today:

Wheaton 58, North Park 27 at Foster & Kedzie
Carthage 62, Illinois Wesleyan 35 in Kenosha
North Central 58, Augustana 6 in Naperville
Wash U 27, Elmhurst 7 in St. Louis

Tonight:

Carroll at Millikin

Changing topics for a moment... I just watched the entire MHB v. HS game.  I have two questions:  1) How was this game even close? and 2) How was HS ranked so high coming into the game?  While I don't know enough about HS, I don't see a team in the Top 25 that wouldn't be favored to beat the Cowboys on any given Saturday.  Heck, I believe that HS would have a very difficult time keeping pace with the "run and gun" Aurora Spartans based on what I saw tonight.  Would love to hear what others saw in tonight's game... maybe I just missed it!

I didn't see the UMHB game so I defer to SA.  What I did see is that Aurora dropped another 70 today which by my count is 173 points in three games against teams not named North Central. 

When do they return to the top 25, next week or the week after?

[USee]

Wheaton 58 North Park 27

Pretty sloppy game by the Thunder in Chicago today. Not a game I was expecting after the loss last week. 2 more special teams miscues led to NPU TD's. Wheaton had 6 first half penalties and got beat several times by NPU WR's, 2x for TD's. Wheaton's second unit gave up the other 2 TD's. Offensively they looked a lot better but they had a massive advantage at the LOS in the run game. I came away feeling if they play that way next week in St Louis they may get punched in the mouth by what appears to be a pretty good WashU team.

[Stagg Again!!]

Clarify for me -- did you watch the whole game or just the second half?

Whole game Pat.  IMO HS had fewer positives in the 1st half than MHB had negatives.

[Gregory Sager]

I have no complaints about today's game at Hedstrand Field. Wheaton put up 58 on NPU, which is what I, and basically everybody else, expected. What I don't think anybody expected was for the Vikings to score two touchdowns on Wheaton's first-team defense, and then add two more in the fourth quarter against Wheaton's second-team defense when NPU's backup QB and RB were in the game.

The D1 transfer QB, Matt Little, was finally healthy enough to practice this week, in which he split time with incumbent starter Matt Eck. Kyle Rooker decided to give Little his D3 debut as a game-time decision, and it paid off immediately. After North Park opened the game by recovering an onside kick, on Little's first play from scrimmage as a Viking he threw a 30-yard pass down the right sideline to A.J. Harris, who rambled 13 more yards down to the Wheaton 11. Two plays later Little threw a TD pass to Harris just inside the right side of the end zone.

His numbers on the whole over the course of the game weren't impressive, which, given the defense he was facing, shouldn't surprise anybody. But he did throw two TD passes without an interception, and he showed enough with his arm and his leg to make NPU fans hopeful that he's going to turn into something special once he learns the playbook in full and is playing somebody other than Wheaton or North Central.

[Gregory Sager]

When's the last time that anybody put up 62 points against Illinois Wesleyan? Today's game at Keller Field wasn't nearly as close as the final score indicated; it was 48-7 going into the fourth quarter, and Dustin Hass liberally emptied the Firebirds bench in the final stanza.

Wash U and Elmhurst didn't have live stats for the early part of the game. Then, when they appeared, Elmhurst was the team scoring all the points -- so in the Hedstrand Field press box, we thought that the Bluejays might be on their way to a big upset. Then I noticed after an apparent touchdown by EU that the PAT had been kicked by Chris Vartanian, whom I know is the kicker for the Bears, not the 'jays. So, after a cursory glance at the individual stats, I figured out that the live stats had been flipped, with Wash U being referred to as Elmhurst and Elmhurst being referred to as Wash U. No upsets in the making there. We got a good laugh out of that.

Millikin and Carroll may be the league's middle-of-the-pack barometers, since they're playing close games against everybody (including each other).

[lmitzel]

When's the last time that anybody put up 62 points against Illinois Wesleyan? Today's game at Keller Field wasn't nearly as close as the final score indicated; it was 48-7 going into the fourth quarter, and Dustin Hass liberally emptied the Firebirds bench in the final stanza.

NCC hung 69 on the team in green in '19 (6 of those coming on that SportsCenter Top 10 play from Andrew Kamienski). Wasn't that the game where Norm Eash made some comment about NCC not being that much better than his squad?

[Kovo]

When's the last time that anybody put up 62 points against Illinois Wesleyan? Today's game at Keller Field wasn't nearly as close as the final score indicated; it was 48-7 going into the fourth quarter, and Dustin Hass liberally emptied the Firebirds bench in the final stanza.

NCC hung 69 on the team in green in '19 (6 of those coming on that SportsCenter Top 10 play from Andrew Kamienski). Wasn't that the game where Norm Eash made some comment about NCC not being that much better than his squad?

I think that you are absolutely correct sir.   I also think that is is apparent that the game has passed Norm by, and that long cold autumns of darkness are descending upon Weenieville.

On another note, the attendance at North Central yesterday is reported as 4955.  This is up from the 4700 or so against Aurora (For comparison Illinois State vs. Southern Illinois drew 8618 yesterday).  To me, that is some great news.  Obviously, this is the Golden Era of North Central football, but to see the growing interest in the program and CCIW games is really heart warming.  I hope that the Cardinals keep marching toward sellout crowds, since it will be fun for both teams (a little more fun for the Cardinals I suppose). 

A CCIW game will never be the Tommies vs. the Johnnies of the not so distant past, but I love small stadiums packed with enthusiastic fans.  A real benefit to everyone involved.  Not sure who else around the country is really packing them in.  Maybe some you guys who are more plugged into the national scene can comment.