FB: Northwest Conference

[George Thompson]

Best wishes to the 'Cats the rest of the way. I think we've got a serious dogfight brewing for the NWC runner-up. The battle in Spokane this weekend will be interesting and then we get both those teams at home.  It's nice to be in the hunt again...and I think we'll be there the next couple years as well.

D-train, that was a very good PLU team.   Linfield had to work very hard for the win.   While Willamette, Whitworth and Lewis and Clark are all unbeaten, my bet is PLU will do quite well against them.   

The scary part is PLU's QB and top receivers are only sophomores!!!    Looks like the NWC has returned to their strength like the 80s and 90s.    The Wildcats will have their work cut out for them every week.

Good luck the rest of the way, Lutes!

GO CATS! GO!

[wildcat11]

That was about as bad as start as the 'Cats could have had but loved they way this team responded by slowly taking control of the game.  Another great team win vs another good opponent. 

GHC already broke down the why the white hat threw the flag on the illegal kick.  The ref say they couldn't use this small piece of tape as a spot so Funk grabbed a blade of white turf that was next to him that had been churned up on the field.  The official still thought was out of bounds and threw the flag and cost Linfield a lead into half.  Terrible interpretation of that rule, IMO. 

I won't comment on J-Hill until the staff or paper does but he's a great young man.  As for Steele, 38 game starting streak was broken yesterday as he's out for the remainder of the season.  Tough to lose such a force in the middle.  He'll taking a medical redshirt and will be back next season.  You can count on that. 

Other guys in those spots get a chance to show what they've got and yesterday was a great showing that we have some depth and young talent coming up.

[RedandPurple]

Perhaps the refs in yesterday's Linfield/PLU game were back from officiating as replacements in the NFL. 

[bluenote]

Perhaps the refs in yesterday's Linfield/PLU game were back from officiating as replacements in the NFL. 

There were a few strange calls. There were several times when guys got locked up in tangles after the plays....I was curious to here from Wildcat11 on some of those. It seemed like there was some rivalries going on there. Liked it.

Does anyone have an opinion on the new touchback rule on kickoffs. In my opinion if you catch it and take a knee in the end zone, rather than than having it come out to the 25, the kicking team should be rewarded and have the offense start on the 15 rather than the 25. That seems to penalize the great kickers and reward the return team for doing nothing.

[Pat Coleman]

I don't like the kick touchback coming out to the 25. I agree we should keep players' safety in mind, but I don't believe adding 5 yards to a touchback is the way to go about it.

[D O.C.]

On the 20 suits me.
Love a kicker who consistantly puts it over the line. Becomes part of the game plan.

Anyone with a son who you've steered toward soccer should also enroll him in a kicking school.  LINFIELD needs a guy who can put the ball over the line.

So does every scholarship school.

[criswyly]

I have to admit that for a while there I thought that Westering Jr. wasn't made of the right stuff...but...Oh no...the lutes are back.

[RedandPurple]

From Wildcat11: ..."I won't comment on J-Hill until the staff or paper does but he's a great young man."
Sounds like more than an injury is going on. Hope the kid isn't in any trouble.

Perhaps the refs in yesterday's Linfield/PLU game were back from officiating as replacements in the NFL. 

There were a few strange calls. There were several times when guys got locked up in tangles after the plays....I was curious to here from Wildcat11 on some of those. It seemed like there was some rivalries going on there. Liked it.

Does anyone have an opinion on the new touchback rule on kickoffs. In my opinion if you catch it and take a knee in the end zone, rather than than having it come out to the 25, the kicking team should be rewarded and have the offense start on the 15 rather than the 25. That seems to penalize the great kickers and reward the return team for doing nothing.

Never thought of it that way before. I agree. Reward the kicker and not the receiver. Gave you good karma. 

[D O.C.]

Yawn.

Another bye week and it  looks like all we've got to discuss is if hocking a loogie on the turf before a field goal is a penalty.

[bluenote]

Yawn.

Another bye week and it  looks like all we've got to discuss is if hocking a loogie on the turf before a field goal is a penalty.

I wouldn't suggest that....makes the ball too slippery.

[George Thompson]

Keith,

I have admired your work for a long time.    But, I would love to see a matchup of this year's NWC against any other conference.   For the last 10 years, my Linfield has dominated the conference.   But this year, after four games, four of our seven teams are 4-0.   And, PLU's two losses came against Top 10 teams!

Also, the NWC has had two national champions since we joined D-3 in 1998, more than any other conference, except for Mt. Union and Wisconsin-Whitewater.   And, we did it with two different teams!   No other conference can claim that.   During PLU's championship run in 1999, their toughest playoff game was in conference vs. Willamette, 28-24.   Plus, they won all five playoff games on the road.   Mt. Union nor Wisconsin-Whitewater have done that.

The NWC was dominate in the NAIA in the 1980s and 1990s, but, as a whole, tailed off in the 2000s.    Now, it appears our whole conference strength is back.     

GO CATS! GO!

[RedandPurple]

From Wildcat11: ..."I won't comment on J-Hill until the staff or paper does but he's a great young man."
Sounds like more than an injury is going on. Hope the kid isn't in any trouble.

Perhaps the refs in yesterday's Linfield/PLU game were back from officiating as replacements in the NFL. 

There were a few strange calls. There were several times when guys got locked up in tangles after the plays....I was curious to here from Wildcat11 on some of those. It seemed like there was some rivalries going on there. Liked it.

Does anyone have an opinion on the new touchback rule on kickoffs. In my opinion if you catch it and take a knee in the end zone, rather than than having it come out to the 25, the kicking team should be rewarded and have the offense start on the 15 rather than the 25. That seems to penalize the great kickers and reward the return team for doing nothing.

Never thought of it that way before. I agree. Reward the kicker and not the receiver. Gave you good karma. 

I hope it's only an injury. Players at Linfield are very outstanding. All the ones I met when my son played there were great guys. They always treated my wife and I with respect.

redandpurple aka john horning
Peoria, AZ

[cawcdad]

On the 20 suits me.
Love a kicker who consistantly puts it over the line. Becomes part of the game plan.

Anyone with a son who you've steered toward soccer should also enroll him in a kicking school.  LINFIELD needs a guy who can put the ball over the line.

So does every scholarship school.

I'm starting to work on our kicker. This season he is 35-35 on PATS and 2-2 FGs. We usually score TDs. He also regularly puts kickoffs in the endzone. He is only a junior right now.

[bluenote]

On the 20 suits me.
Love a kicker who consistantly puts it over the line. Becomes part of the game plan.

Anyone with a son who you've steered toward soccer should also enroll him in a kicking school.  LINFIELD needs a guy who can put the ball over the line.

So does every scholarship school.

I'm starting to work on our kicker. This season he is 35-35 on PATS and 2-2 FGs. We usually score TDs. He also regularly puts kickoffs in the endzone. He is only a junior right now.

Check the stats cawcdad....not sure those are right but I like your optomism....! He's miss a couple FG and is a senior as far as I know.

[MonroviaCat]

On the 20 suits me.
Love a kicker who consistantly puts it over the line. Becomes part of the game plan.

Anyone with a son who you've steered toward soccer should also enroll him in a kicking school.  LINFIELD needs a guy who can put the ball over the line.

So does every scholarship school.

I'm starting to work on our kicker. This season he is 35-35 on PATS and 2-2 FGs. We usually score TDs. He also regularly puts kickoffs in the endzone. He is only a junior right now.

Check the stats cawcdad....not sure those are right but I like your optomism....! He's miss a couple FG and is a senior as far as I know.

Blue--he's referring to the kicker for the highschool where he works----context my man----read DOC's post and it might make sense buddy!