FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[FatalImpact]

usee,
I believe that Freund is a better QB anyway......probably shoulda started last year......but no matter...he was also making one heck of a TE

[RedmenFB44]

as for Carthage/Elmhurst:

this is definately the game elmhurst can make a statement to the rest of the conference that they have arrived under coach Journell. up in kenosha, under the lights, against a great defensive team and a great coach......the table is set.

these two teams appear very similar upon first glance. they play a good defensive game and rely on the opportunities created by dominating defense to create points, any points, that they turn into necessary margins for victory.

I think elmhurst has a more veteran defense but carthage's defense creates more problems for an offense.

I think carthage has a more veteran offense but elmhurst's offense appears to be more productive.

special teams on paper appear pretty equal.

I think this game comes down to who blinks first. whomever makes the key mistake will give the game away. be it special teams or turnovers, the winner of that battle wins the game.

If kudyba was the elmhurst qb I would definately be picking elmhurst in this game. without him its a tough proposition to go up to kenosha under the lights and face that defense for the first time live.

I give the edge to Carthage in this game by a slight margin. low scoring affair. 14-10 carthage.

Very good analysis usee. It should be a close game for sure. As I perdicted on the pick-ums board, Carthage wins 24-13. I think the game will be close for about 3 quarters but the Carthage defense will force a big turnover late and that's that  

[diehardfan]

LOL... and now it's 3 vs 1.... if we can get usee and Jim to join in, Card Alum is going to be running for his momma

I am incredibly upset with the lack of support from my fellow Cardinals.  Here I am getting abused by a bunch of WHEATIES, 10 days before the Bell remains in it's comfortable surrounding of Naperville!

They're hiding, cause they've already realized what you have failed to thus far.... you're going down!

I included in my previous post who I thought would compete for the CCIW title and I don't think a team who loses at home to an IBC team (i dont' care how good anyone thinks they are) can compete for a cciw title.

and let there be NO MISTAKE about where I stand on this: you better get your looks and licks in now because in 10 days the BELL IS COMING HOME BOYS AND GIRL!! AND IT WON"T BE CLOSE!!

there we go... 4 vs 1

Do you feel a little ambushed CardAlum? Cause it's nothing even close to as much as what your offense is going to feel when your come up to our house.  8)

LOL... and now it's 3 vs 1.... if we can get usee and Jim to join in, Card Alum is going to be running for his momma

Uhhh Mom....u there?   

Pssst... I think she is hiding too.

Okay, I'm done for at least a few hours, I think you deserve some karma for being a good sport.

[RedmenFB44]

Hey Pat -

Is there a rule in the NCAA or D-3 about the Horse-Collar penalty?
That is by far the worst penalty they could have made up. So while a player is running full speed trying to catch a ball carrier, lets think about how to or how not to tackle that player. Maybe I'm just too old school  

Sorry I'm on a rant for some reason

[jdean]

LOL... and now it's 3 vs 1.... if we can get usee and Jim to join in, Card Alum is going to be running for his momma

Uhhh Mom....u there?    

I'm here boy, I'm here.

The only reason I'm posting here is a funny thing that happened at a Mount game Vs Capital several years ago. Cap was so bad that no fans and not many parents/relatives came to their away games. I wasn't a Mount season ticket holder at the time so I plopped down in what would normally be the middle of the visitors section. Mount was doing to Cap what they normally do to weaker teams (check their last 3 scores). Its the second half and Cap's QB drops back to pass and by some coincidence Mount is blitzing, and it looks like about 100 guys break thru whatever little blocking the OL gave. All 100 met the QB at the same time and this woman's voice from about 5 rows behind me screams: "Don't hurt my baby". I don't have to tell you it wasn't the QB's girlfriend. I think everyone who heard that (except the QB) laughed their _ _ _ off.

So, leave my boy alone and GO CARDINALS.

[dansand]

Inexperienced QB and OLine?  What has happened in Rock Island?  What year is McGinnis?  As you know, IWU has a first year starter as QB but he is a senior and seems to be a pretty good decision maker so far.

McGinnis a junior and has played a lot at the JV level with some mop-up duty with the varsity (although he was injured for a portion of last year) and ran a similar offense with a lot of success in high school. I hope people don't misinterpret my previous comment as a criticism of Ryan McGinnis. It was more a questioning of their play calling.  

As I've said before, I don't think inexperience is that much of an issue with their offensive line. They have at least four returnees who were starters last year, although two (Don Gelsomino and Jim Clinton) aren't currently starting. In Gelsomino's case, I think he's still working his way back from a gruesome broken leg last year. I'm not sure why Clinton, who replaced Gelsomino at center without missing a beat last year, is second on the depth chart this year.

In any case, I've seen them win national titles with less experienced o-lines (1986) and less experienced QB's ('84 & '85).

[devildog29]

This is really which came first, the chicken or the egg?  I think the same argument can be made that as Elmhurst, NCC, and Carthage improved their facilities, got some tremendous coaching hires, and improved their teams, it now became more competitive for IWU/Augie/Millikin to land the same recruits they landed in the past, prior to 2000 or so.  It's all a bit of snowball now, but I don't think it's necessarily the old top half's slide led to the others' success.  Rather, I think it's more of the others' success led to the old top half's slide.

I think we're saying the same thing aren't we? 

Perhaps I was misinterpreting what you were saying, but I took it to mean that you're saying NCC, EC, and Carthage have improved and attracted better recruits because of the slide of IWU and Millikin.  I'm saying I think it's the other way around.  IWU and Millikin have slid because NCC, EC, and Carthage have gotten better.  Again, maybe I'm just not reading it properly, and it's probably a bit of semantics anyway.

[usee]

LOL... and now it's 3 vs 1.... if we can get usee and Jim to join in, Card Alum is going to be running for his momma

Uhhh Mom....u there?    

I'm here boy, I'm here.

The only reason I'm posting here is a funny thing that happened at a Mount game Vs Capital several years ago. Cap was so bad that no fans and not many parents/relatives came to their away games. I wasn't a Mount season ticket holder at the time so I plopped down in what would normally be the middle of the visitors section. Mount was doing to Cap what they normally do to weaker teams (check their last 3 scores). Its the second half and Cap's QB drops back to pass and by some coincidence Mount is blitzing, and it looks like about 100 guys break thru whatever little blocking the OL gave. All 100 met the QB at the same time and this woman's voice from about 5 rows behind me screams: "Don't hurt my baby". I don't have to tell you it wasn't the QB's girlfriend. I think everyone who heard that (except the QB) laughed their _ _ _ off.

So, leave my boy alone and GO CARDINALS.

excellent story JDean. I would have fell in the aisle laughing had I been there. I think all of us have had a seat near an outspoken parent at some point.

[devildog29]

In a somewhat related story about moms in stands yelling.....I don't mean to be a curmudgeon, but as a defensive player, it always drives me batty to sit in the stands and have mom's yell "get him, get him, get him" to their sons as they play defense.  I just want to say, trust me, they're trying to "get him."  So, I was at the Trinity-DePauw game on Sat. before the storm postponed it, and I got stuck sitting next to a player's mom (I think it was the fact she was wearing his jersey that gave it away, but I digress).  So, now I'm not only subjected to the neverending and unimaginative "get him" chant on every single play, but I also have to listen to it in a high pitched Texas drawl which perverts the phrase to "git 'im y'all, git 'im y'all, git 'im y'all."  I kid you not, she yelled the phrase no less than 5 times between the snap of the ball and the tackle after only a 1 yard gain.  Ok, that's all for my venting.  I just had to get that one off my chest.  Or I mean "git" it off my chest.

[CardinalAlum]

LOL... and now it's 3 vs 1.... if we can get usee and Jim to join in, Card Alum is going to be running for his momma

I am incredibly upset with the lack of support from my fellow Cardinals.  Here I am getting abused by a bunch of WHEATIES, 10 days before the Bell remains in it's comfortable surrounding of Naperville!

They're hiding, cause they've already realized what you have failed to thus far.... you're going down!

I included in my previous post who I thought would compete for the CCIW title and I don't think a team who loses at home to an IBC team (i dont' care how good anyone thinks they are) can compete for a cciw title.

and let there be NO MISTAKE about where I stand on this: you better get your looks and licks in now because in 10 days the BELL IS COMING HOME BOYS AND GIRL!! AND IT WON"T BE CLOSE!!

there we go... 4 vs 1

Do you feel a little ambushed CardAlum? Cause it's nothing even close to as much as what your offense is going to feel when your come up to our house.  8)

LOL... and now it's 3 vs 1.... if we can get usee and Jim to join in, Card Alum is going to be running for his momma

Uhhh Mom....u there?   

Pssst... I think she is hiding too.

Okay, I'm done for at least a few hours, I think you deserve some karma for being a good sport.

Wow, when Mugsy comes out of the closet , he is going to have a field day!

[FatalImpact]

RedmenFB44,
I believe that the score...when all is said and done....and the smoke cleears....Elmhurst will be the victors

[RedmenFB44]

RedmenFB44,
I believe that the score...when all is said and done....and the smoke cleears....Elmhurst will be the victors

FatalImpact -
Wow a war of words 
I guess we are rivals on this board now, I like it
Are you an Elmhurst alum or father or student or just someone that feels very strong about the Elmhurst program?

[FatalImpact]

I am just an outside observer......I keep an eye on these two conferences (this one and IBFC) because I know enough people in both conferences and keep an eye on both conferences as close as possibel...and carthage is not as good as they were a few years back....Im not sayin they are not good, I am just sayin that Elmhurst is better

[RedmenFB44]

FatalImpact -

Carthage might not be as good as they were during that magical 2004 season but they are a very soild team with a great coaching staff. Elmhurst has been on the rise the past few years but they are not yet in the top 4 in the CCIW (Augie, Carthage, NCC, Wheaton in alphabetical order). Carthage lost to those 3 teams last season and beat the rest of the conference so I would say as of now they would be 4th. Have you seen Carthage or Elmhurst play in the past year? Where do you live if you don't mind me asking?

[79jaybird]

I don't think the underlining factor is who's a better team on paper Carthage  or Elmhurst?  Because any way you slice the cake.. .both teams appear to be very close to equal. 
Elmhurst,  great defense, strong coaching staff, decent offense that has been providing enough O, special teams have been unreal, and had to face a good defense in U. Chicago
Carthage great defense, Rucks is a great coach and good buddy, and likewise has a good offense, with decent special teams.

I said it a few pages back, I think a turnover or special teams play is going to be the difference.
"Under the lights, in a mud bowl, swimming along the 50, etc."  those are elements both teams have to deal with.  We aren't in HS and by now, these kids know how the weather all elements- rain, snow, sleet, hail etc."
I know Elmhurst will not be intimidated under the lights at Art Keller Field.
This is exciting!  How often to ARCH RIVALS get to face each other on CCIW Conf. opening day?
I agree that this is going to be a low scoring affair and reminiscent of a chess match. Hopefully EC will be the one's to mention Check-mate,  by the time all is said and done. 
CardinalAlum-- you must have a strong backbone.  As a hockey goalie, I can understand the feeling of being faced with a 3-1 oncoming rush.  Hang in there.
I would love to say that NC is going to keep the Bell, however after seeing Wheaton's Defense just dismantle a very good Albion team, I think the Cardinals have to be 110% to keep the Bell this year.  That's still 2 weeks away so I'm not looking ahead.  In this conference, if you start looking ahead- that's when you get beat.