FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[CardsFan1988]

Tremendous performance by NCC against an excellent Wartburg team. I know a lot of the discussion last week was about NCCs warts (no pun intended) and where this tream belongs amongst the great teams of the last 25 years. That's a conversation that can be had if they win next week, but I just want to recognize and appreciate that this team, missing multiple all Americans, just played the numbers 6, 4, and 3 teams in the country (likely 6, 3 and 2 if they ranked today), including the last 2 on the road and they're still standing. Regardless of what happens next week, that's an amazing accomplishment. Proud of this team and program.

[Cardinal773]

... a few minutes later and we were somehow in goal-to-go. No idea how!

How?  Destiny, my friend.  Destiny for the dynasty.

This is the way.

[USee]

Incredible game. Played out about how I thought it might with Wartburg scoring 27 (I thought 24-34) while also holding NCC to their lowest offensive output of the season. In the end, the young guys on defense who stepped in made some great plays and the offense produced just enough highlights to head to Salem for a 4th straight year. Very impressive performance.

Most may have not noticed but my absolute favorite play of the game was the 4th and 1 for Wartburg at the NCC 5 yard line with 2:28 left. Wartburg subbed in Owen Grover as an H-back to block and NCC subbed in AA starting left Tackle Jeske Maples as the DE over Wartburg's left side. Grover ended up blocking Maples on the play and was in on the tackle as NCC stopped Wartburg for no gain. An AA defensive player playing offense and an AA offensive player playing defense on the most important play of a semifinal with a trip to Salem on the line. Absolutely classic.

[USee]

I want to give my outside perspective and props to the NCC coaches and in particular Shane Dierking. Brad Spencer is 29-0 since taking over, which is unreal but I have to shout out Dierking, who lost a huge number of players from last years defense, which was one of the historically great NCC defenses, and he pieced together a group of guys this year that have performed at a very high level. He had 3 AA/All conference DL that aren't playing for him this year and he still produced the CCIW and likely AA DE Martin Egbo, got senior Will Kettelkamp to play arguably his best game ever yesterday, inserted a freshman at DE when Egbo went down who performed incredibly, subbed in for BJ Adamchik yesterday in the 2H, replaced the best cover corner in D3 with Soph Ethan Groak, who was a train wreck early this season but ended up making a few huge plays yesterday. All of these guys (including Jeske Maples) made 2 absolutely monstrous 4th down stops when they had to late in the 4th yesterday. They did so because they were prepared and in the right places. Wartburg is great at outflanking defenses and exploiting matchups with shifts and motions. The final 4th down was a great example where they overloaded the left side with their WR's and then got Hunter Clasen out on the weak side for what would be a sure fire first down against most teams. But LB Zack Orr was where he was supposed to be and made a great tackle against an AA RB to end the game.

I hope Dierking gets a chance to lead a D3 program (hopefully in a conference far, far away from Chicago) this year. He is as deserving a coach as there is in the division. His results since he has been DC at NCC speak for themselves and this year might have been his best coaching job ever.

[NCC2010]

Incredible game. Played out about how I thought it might with Wartburg scoring 27 (I thought 24-34) while also holding NCC to their lowest offensive output of the season. In the end, the young guys on defense who stepped in made some great plays and the offense produced just enough highlights to head to Salem for a 4th straight year. Very impressive performance.

Most may have not noticed but my absolute favorite play of the game was the 4th and 1 for Wartburg at the NCC 5 yard line with 2:28 left. Wartburg subbed in Owen Grover as an H-back to block and NCC subbed in AA starting left Tackle Jeske Maples as the DE over Wartburg's left side. Grover ended up blocking Maples on the play and was in on the tackle as NCC stopped Wartburg for no gain. An AA defensive player playing offense and an AA offensive player playing defense on the most important play of a semifinal with a trip to Salem on the line. Absolutely classic.

Shoutout Pat Coleman who got a great video of this play.  You will also notice AA/All-region RG Sam Pryor #58 was in on the defensive line for this play as well. 

https://x.com/d3football/status/1733636555552534780?s=20

[USee]

Interesting. I hadn't noticed Sam Pryor in there as well. I know Wheaton did this at the end of their game v UWW with AA OL Trevor Gabriele and Paul Fay playing DL. I wish it worked like this!

[NCC2010]

Does anyone know if ESPN has any influence over the uniform combos for Friday? 

NCC has traditionally worn their white helmets, red jerseys, white pants for the past 3 Stagg Bowls.  wondering if they will go with the all black look or the black helmet, red jersey, black pants combo on Friday since it seems Cortland's away jersey is white helmet, white jersey, red pants.  kind of hoping they wear the all black just so the jerseys for both team aren't so similar. 

[robertgoulet]

I do want to give NCC props for punching back. First time trailing all season and you could understand if they'd have folded. Haven't really had to play a full 4 quarter game until the prior game vs UWL and even then they never were at risk of going behind. Then to go behind for the first time in the 4th quarter and give Wartburg the ball and a chance to extend the lead, that could have (I expected it to) ended badly.

[Ice Bear]

Incredible game. Played out about how I thought it might with Wartburg scoring 27 (I thought 24-34) while also holding NCC to their lowest offensive output of the season. In the end, the young guys on defense who stepped in made some great plays and the offense produced just enough highlights to head to Salem for a 4th straight year. Very impressive performance.

Most may have not noticed but my absolute favorite play of the game was the 4th and 1 for Wartburg at the NCC 5 yard line with 2:28 left. Wartburg subbed in Owen Grover as an H-back to block and NCC subbed in AA starting left Tackle Jeske Maples as the DE over Wartburg's left side. Grover ended up blocking Maples on the play and was in on the tackle as NCC stopped Wartburg for no gain. An AA defensive player playing offense and an AA offensive player playing defense on the most important play of a semifinal with a trip to Salem on the line. Absolutely classic.

I did not notice. That is very cool and thank you for pointing that out. Had to watch it again! +k for this post.

[cciwman]

Does anyone know if ESPN has any influence over the uniform combos for Friday? 

NCC has traditionally worn their white helmets, red jerseys, white pants for the past 3 Stagg Bowls.  wondering if they will go with the all black look or the black helmet, red jersey, black pants combo on Friday since it seems Cortland's away jersey is white helmet, white jersey, red pants.  kind of hoping they wear the all black just so the jerseys for both team aren't so similar.

While the all black concept is cool, they can't do it.  Those black jerseys make seeing the numbers almost impossible. Been to a few games in person and you can't see the numbers.  While they have white outline, the inside is like a gradual gradient of red to black.  Very difficult to use when watching the game.

[New Tradition]

Does anyone know if ESPN has any influence over the uniform combos for Friday? 

NCC has traditionally worn their white helmets, red jerseys, white pants for the past 3 Stagg Bowls.  wondering if they will go with the all black look or the black helmet, red jersey, black pants combo on Friday since it seems Cortland's away jersey is white helmet, white jersey, red pants.  kind of hoping they wear the all black just so the jerseys for both team aren't so similar.

While the all black concept is cool, they can't do it.  Those black jerseys make seeing the numbers almost impossible. Been to a few games in person and you can't see the numbers.  While they have white outline, the inside is like a gradual gradient of red to black.  Very difficult to use when watching the game.

Imagine trying to call a game when they're wearing those things!  It's a nightmare...cool as they look. 

[New Tradition]

Incredible game. Played out about how I thought it might with Wartburg scoring 27 (I thought 24-34) while also holding NCC to their lowest offensive output of the season. In the end, the young guys on defense who stepped in made some great plays and the offense produced just enough highlights to head to Salem for a 4th straight year. Very impressive performance.

Most may have not noticed but my absolute favorite play of the game was the 4th and 1 for Wartburg at the NCC 5 yard line with 2:28 left. Wartburg subbed in Owen Grover as an H-back to block and NCC subbed in AA starting left Tackle Jeske Maples as the DE over Wartburg's left side. Grover ended up blocking Maples on the play and was in on the tackle as NCC stopped Wartburg for no gain. An AA defensive player playing offense and an AA offensive player playing defense on the most important play of a semifinal with a trip to Salem on the line. Absolutely classic.

I did not notice. That is very cool and thank you for pointing that out. Had to watch it again! +k for this post.

"Ice didn't notice.  Great ****ing play.  Thank you for pointing that out.  Ice had to watch it again!  +k for this post." 

New, eloquent Ice Bear makes me question which timeline I'm in.  Glad you popped over to the CCIW board!  Always a fan of your takes. 

[Ice Bear]

Incredible game. Played out about how I thought it might with Wartburg scoring 27 (I thought 24-34) while also holding NCC to their lowest offensive output of the season. In the end, the young guys on defense who stepped in made some great plays and the offense produced just enough highlights to head to Salem for a 4th straight year. Very impressive performance.

Most may have not noticed but my absolute favorite play of the game was the 4th and 1 for Wartburg at the NCC 5 yard line with 2:28 left. Wartburg subbed in Owen Grover as an H-back to block and NCC subbed in AA starting left Tackle Jeske Maples as the DE over Wartburg's left side. Grover ended up blocking Maples on the play and was in on the tackle as NCC stopped Wartburg for no gain. An AA defensive player playing offense and an AA offensive player playing defense on the most important play of a semifinal with a trip to Salem on the line. Absolutely classic.

I did not notice. That is very cool and thank you for pointing that out. Had to watch it again! +k for this post.

"Ice didn't notice.  Great ****ing play.  Thank you for pointing that out.  Ice had to watch it again!  +k for this post." 

New, eloquent Ice Bear makes me question which timeline I'm in.  Glad you popped over to the CCIW board!  Always a fan of your takes.

Thanks New Tradition! + ****ing k!

[robertgoulet]

It's me again, back to talk about the size of the O and D lines of NCC's playoff opponent.

Cortland has some beef in the trenches!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NCC2010]

It's me again, back to talk about the size of the O and D lines of NCC's playoff opponent.

Cortland has some beef in the trenches!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the other thing that stood out to me when looking at Cortland's depth chart, they only start 6 seniors.  3 on offense and 3 on defense.  Very impressive run for a relatively young team.