FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Mr. Ypsi]

d3football.com All-Americans were announced today.  From the CCIW:

Pete Ittersagen, Wheaton, 1st team CB and 2nd team return man
Bryan Bergman, Carthage, 2nd team TE
Don Kasper, North Central, 3rd team G
Bo Osburn, Illinois Wesleyan, HM S

Congratulations to all!

[FormerCard]

d3football.com All-Americans were announced today.  From the CCIW:

Pete Ittersagen, Wheaton, 1st team CB and 2nd team return man
Bryan Bergman, Carthage, 2nd team TE
Don Kasper, North Central, 3rd team G
Bo Osburn, Illinois Wesleyan, HM S

Congratulations to all!

Congrats to all of these players!

I was more impressed with Ittersagen and Bergman getting the AFCA award.  It is a much more prestigious award as there are no 2nd, 3rd teamers...just the best players at their position voted on by the coaches.  I dont believe that there are many Wheaton players who have been named AFCA All-American, but I could be wrong.

[FormerCard]

Justin Beaver earned every award he received just based on his performance today.  (plus the thousands of yards he has rushed for the last 3 years)   
As a former card, and having watched them play against this years national champ, it should give the cardinals a boost of confidence as they had a good showing against the Warhawks up in Whitewater this year.    Without a few of those untimely turnovers, it could have been considerably closer in the final quarter.

Congrats to Whitewater on a big win for the not only their conference, but the mental challenge that all teams have when playing Mount Union.

[Carthage Fan]

CONGRATS TO WHITEWATER!  Great game, great season and great careers for the guys who are done.  Congrats to AJ Raebel OLB from Cary-Grove!

Justin Beaver is outstanding and I am sure he will buy his OLine some great Christmas gifts because those were huge holes they were blowing open for him.  Read all the interviews with him and he is a great kid and gives credit to his teammates.  Gotta love DIII to produce fine young men like this, no scholarships, no real chance to play in the NFL, just guys who love football and play for the sheer competition.  Damn, I am getting verklempt!  HA!

Happy Holidays to all and may we all have a safe, happy and winning 2008!  Well, except all other CCIW teams.....Just kidding...NOT!   

[formerd3db]

Mount Union is just too good, too balanced, too strong and athletic.  They have across the board talent (and depth) that nobody in D III can match right now, IMO.  Even if UWW can stop the run, they'll kill you through the air - although with today's predicted weather (still dry here so far) maybe the air attack won't work for them as well.  Still, I've seen them respond to the D taking one thing away by simply switching gears to kill the opponent in a different way too many times in too many Stagg Bowls to pick against them.  I'd love to see UWW beat them, and it's possible - maybe about a 20% chance.  But I won't be expecting it.

DIIIinVA:

Yes, Mount Union is good, however, if you were a betting man, you'd have lost your 20% (and more)!   UWW didn't totally stop Mount's runs or passing, but they did at crucial times and capitalized on the mistakes which, as we all know, is what it takes to beat a great team like Mount.  Aside from great performances by UWW's QB, LB and, of course, Beaver, I was impressed by their offensive and defensive lines.  Overall, UWW just seemed to have the intensity and determination to win it, a little more than Mount did yesterday.  Anyway, it was a great game.  Although I had originally wished I could have made the trip to see the game in person, after seeing the rain and cold, and with the monster snowstorm we're having right now, I guess I'm glad I stayed home, was dry and warm watching the game on ESPN and now don't have to drive 12 hours back home in horrendous conditions! .  Still, being there in person is a totally different experience.  

[Pat Coleman]

d3football.com All-Americans were announced today.  From the CCIW:

Pete Ittersagen, Wheaton, 1st team CB and 2nd team return man
Bryan Bergman, Carthage, 2nd team TE
Don Kasper, North Central, 3rd team G
Bo Osburn, Illinois Wesleyan, HM S

Congratulations to all!

Congrats to all of these players!

I was more impressed with Ittersagen and Bergman getting the AFCA award.  It is a much more prestigious award as there are no 2nd, 3rd teamers...just the best players at their position voted on by the coaches. 

Right. If there's just one team, and you can only have one person from each school be on the team, then it's certainly harder to make. No doubt.

[usee]

So MUC gives up a total of 339 yds rushing through 14 games leading up to the stagg and in the stagg bowl they give up 290 (250 to Gagliardi winner Beaver). Unbelievable. This was two evenly matched teams with the one that was a little hungrier coming out on top IMO. Great game to watch.

Now, depression sets in as the football board is moved down on PP page....... 8)

[burly]

"Somewhat surprised"?  He's a starter on a Big Ten team that's going to the Rose Bowl, Ex-Billy. Are you really so intensely wrapped up in Wheaton football that you can't imagine how Ware could be happier in his present situation?

PS Thanks for the Ex-Billy plug.

I still laugh everytime I see that new handle!   

That was a fun bet.  Next year, I'm taking the points!

[Mr. Ypsi]

On the other hand, 'ex-Billy', check out the will and insurance beneficiaries - having redman04 as your daddy could be quite lucrative!   (Maybe he's even on the hook for your student loans. )

[DIIIinVA]

Formerd3db,

I'll own up to being wrong about UWW.  I should have paid more attention to what they did to Wabash.  While realizing they were a darn good team, after watching them play Mt. Union in person last year I just didn't think it was likely for this year's result to be much different.  I thought it was Mt. Uniont - then UWW - then everybody else. 

I was very impressed w/ UWW on Saturday.  The game didn't have the feeling of a fluke win either, the kind of win where an underdog plays a perfect game or a favorite just chokes it away.  It felt like a game between two pretty evenly matched teams, where a few breaks either way was going to determine the winner.  That can't be said about most games Mt. Union is involved in.

[washdupcard]

Am I overreaching when I say that due to the Cards playing UUW tough...they may not be that far away?

[usee]

Formerd3db,

I'll own up to being wrong about UWW.  I should have paid more attention to what they did to Wabash.  While realizing they were a darn good team, after watching them play Mt. Union in person last year I just didn't think it was likely for this year's result to be much different.  I thought it was Mt. Uniont - then UWW - then everybody else. 

I was very impressed w/ UWW on Saturday.  The game didn't have the feeling of a fluke win either, the kind of win where an underdog plays a perfect game or a favorite just chokes it away.  It felt like a game between two pretty evenly matched teams, where a few breaks either way was going to determine the winner.  That can't be said about most games Mt. Union is involved in.

Hey, I have seen both UWW and MUC live and I was as wrong as could be as well. I agree with your assessment. UWW wanted it more and played like it.

[usee]

Am I overreaching when I say that due to the Cards playing UUW tough...they may not be that far away?

"far away" is a relative term. I wouldn't say playing them tough for 2.5 quarters is "MUC close". Ultimately the Cardinals still got blown out. A better indication of NCC's progress is progressive playoff appearances, a win at Augie, at carthage and a strong quarterfinal showing against UWW. going undefeated in conference, getting a high seed with 2 home playoff games and getting to the wire in the regional finals is the next step IMO.

[formerd3db]

DIIIinVa:
Oh, I wasn't trying to bash you, friend, just teasing.  I, too, wasn't sure about them beating Mount Union.  I agree with your assessment - two great teams and it going either way as to who got the breaks.  There have been some great Stagg Bowl games over the years and I think this ranks among one of the best, even though a great Mount team got beat by a great UWW team.

[usee]

d3football.com All-Americans were announced today.  From the CCIW:

Pete Ittersagen, Wheaton, 1st team CB and 2nd team return man
Bryan Bergman, Carthage, 2nd team TE
Don Kasper, North Central, 3rd team G
Bo Osburn, Illinois Wesleyan, HM S

Congratulations to all!

Congrats to all of these players!

I was more impressed with Ittersagen and Bergman getting the AFCA award.  It is a much more prestigious award as there are no 2nd, 3rd teamers...just the best players at their position voted on by the coaches. 

Right. If there's just one team, and you can only have one person from each school be on the team, then it's certainly harder to make. No doubt.

I do think the fact that the coaches vote makes this award special for players. I believe this award and the d3.com awards are the 2 best AA awards.