FB: Northwest Conference

[Kilted Rat]

Well, I guess it's time for me to start wearing my Linfield sweatshirt for the rest of the playoffs!

Wasn't expecting it to happen so early, but what can you expect when the NCAA-holes put the top 3 teams in the same bracket?



Best of luck Cats!  Bring the Stagg bowl victory back to the West for the 3rd straight year!!!

[Foss]

Thanks KR! I'm sure the Johnnies will be in the thick of things again next season. Should be a tough game this Saturday but as long as we hang onto the ball I like our chances.

['Cats Fa Natic]

We do have a lot of guys coming back, but like last year, we do lose a lot of playmakers.  But hopefully we can fill some shoes just like this year.  We lose Schumacher - which is a HUGE loss, along with our entire linebacking core, 3 of 4 out of our secondary, and some good d-lineman.

It will be interesting to see - but i agree, we could make a real run next year.

I hear ya.  We lose A LOT of our own this next year, including both Casey Allen and Brett Elliot, to name just two of the "big ones." I'm trying to enjoy this playoff run as much as possible. Next year could be totally different.

[swede]

Should be a tough game this Saturday but as long as we hang onto the ball I like our chances.

Foss
Need someone like Keck to light a spark with our beloved cats.
They need to get up from the get go and make a statement early. If they play as sloppy as they did in the 1st half of the cobbs game they may find themselves down big early.

[desertcat1]

Good luck Linfield the rest of the way...Like KR said, keep the trophy in the west this year!

Mighty Royal

That's it you big turkey...  ??

[bluenote]

Whitewater will be the best team Linfield has played to date this year bar none. This game is basically the Stagg Bowl in mythical terms. The West is by far the toughest division in all of DIII. There are some good teams scattered here and there but in my opinion, the West Rules. The only other team out there right now that is anything near a power is Mount Union.

With that being said, I would hope that our Wildcats get a chance to regroup/recoup this week and give a great effort this Saturday at the Dome. I'm hoping we still have the fire because you know that Whitewater will be lookin' for a victory.....I beleive they will be much better than what we saw in LaCrosse last year.

BTW...what does Whitewter run on offense?....is it a pro set or something stupid like what the Cobbs did?

['Cats Fa Natic]

The following is off the UWW website.  I thought folks might find it interesting. Not gonna be a cakewalk and I hope yesterday woke the 'Cats out of their lethargy. Anyone hear Elliot on Channel 12 today?  He said coach had been saying they'd been taking it too easy and he (Elliot) hopes this woke people up a bit.

Anyway, here's the info:

"Whitewater is still the number one offensive team in Division III.  The Warhawks are averaging 549 yards per game,  and are sixth in scoring at 44.0.  UW-W is also tenth in passing offense at 321.1.  Balancing that passing is the leading rusher in Division III, Justin Beaver, at 173.0.  QB Justin Jacobs is fourteenth in passing efficiency.  Given Whitewater's 8-0 start you might expect the school record book to be taking a beating, and you would be right.  The team has already set season records for passing yards, 2569, breaking the mark of 2287 by the 1986 team.  UW-W has also broken the mark for first downs passing, with 102, topping the 95 racked up by the '86 team. The Warhawks, with two games left on the schedule, need just 602 yards to break the school season total offense mark.  With less than two seasons under his belt, sophomore tailback Justin Beaver has moved into 19th place in career rushing with 1551 yards, exactly 50 yards behind Sunni Muqqddim (1990-92) for 18th.  Junior QB Justin Jacobs is 11th in career passing yards (3451), just behind Rich Murphy (3510, 1972-75) for 10th.  Jacobs is also tied with Doug Brown (1980-82) for sixth in career TD's passing, with 30, one behind Randy Borgardt (31, 1999-2002).  Continuing with the career lists, senior wide receiver Jim Leszczynski is sixth in receinv yards with 1853, right behind Roger Gename (1875, 1973-75).  He is also ninth in receptions with 113, two behind Mike Bell (1989-92).  In the season categories, Leszczynski is fifth in yards, 818, less than 100 behind second place Steve Tenhagen (914 in 2000).  Junior Derek Stanley and Leszczynski, with 10 and 9 TD's respectively, are both among the top ten.  Leszczynski is also tied for 7th, with Gename, with 48 receptions.  Beaver's season marks include sixth place in rushing yards, 1211, with Colin Burns' 2004 total of 1422 next on the list.  Beaver's 14 TD's rushing is also fifth, four away from Spencer Johnson's (1994) mark.  Jacobs has thrown for 2121 yards, second only to (now head coach) Bob Berezowitz's 2254 in 1966.  Jacobs also had 21 TD tosses, third, and one behind Ty Grovesteen (1998).  Even the special teams are getting in the book, with punt returner Neil Mrkvicka second in season yards, trailing only Ross Headley's 367 in 1997.  Mrkvicka is also third on the career list for number of returns, and fourth in return yards.  Placekicker Micheal Chaulk is among the top five in every field goal and PAT category (season and career, attempts and made)."

[Wildcat'64]

dc 1,
Whats your take after the film review?  Don't keep us in suspense....you're the one with your nose under the tent!

[csnarnia]

Yes it is brutal listening to the Cats on the webcast...my only in-game comment was...."This game is to stresssful for me."

I missed the first 30 minutes and got on just as the Cobbers were about to put up the first seven and the first quarter was almost over ...then I checked out when Jared Thomas fumbled as the play action guy says, "Holy jumpin Martha!"

I checked back in when the score was 14 all...went away and came back when we were up 28-14...Whewwwwh 8)

I do want to thank 86 and 64 for their in-game updates where I spent most of the game.

No comments here on next weeks game...yet...although I will probably post my opinions later...based in my insider's info

[raiderguy]

Wildcat 11

Long time no talk.

Happened to catch your post on the MIAC board.

WOW what about a pot calling the kettle black!

How about a "BYE" season?

That last team you called a bye was the #1 rushing team in the country.

[K-Mack]

Wait,
if you don't know anything about Whitewater's offense, what are you basing your "will be the best team to date" analysis on?

(Is nitpicking for no reason; hopes answer is "Around the Nation")

It is the matchup of No. 1 and No. 2, but I wouldn't run around saying the West is the best by far. The North is right up there, it's just that usually no one but Mount Union gets out. And the South has had some years.

The only thing we can definitely say is the East is No. 4 ... but could sprout a championship team again someday. Maybe even soon.

Whitewater will be the best team Linfield has played to date this year bar none. This game is basically the Stagg Bowl in mythical terms. The West is by far the toughest division in all of DIII. There are some good teams scattered here and there but in my opinion, the West Rules. The only other team out there right now that is anything near a power is Mount Union.

With that being said, I would hope that our Wildcats get a chance to regroup/recoup this week and give a great effort this Saturday at the Dome. I'm hoping we still have the fire because you know that Whitewater will be lookin' for a victory.....I beleive they will be much better than what we saw in LaCrosse last year.

BTW...what does Whitewter run on offense?....is it a pro set or something stupid like what the Cobbs did?

[Kilted Rat]

Wait,
if you don't know anything about Whitewater's offense, what are you basing your "will be the best team to date" analysis on?

Probably based on UWW's #2 ranking which is higher than Oxy's #6. Could also be factoring in that UWW beat SJU, Concordia didn't and Oxy's toughest challenge was Cal Lu.

[AZCATDADDY]

Linfield Bean Counter thanks for the insight. Check your email.

DesertCat, hope you can tell the grad assistant to pay close attention to Joe this weekend. Sounds like the defense will have its hands full. Challenges seem to bring out the best in the defense and the coaches. Wish I could be there, but will listen from afar. Cold here. Got down into the 40's last night.
Burrrrr....

[Cord Glory]

I think this weekend is a great opportunity to let Linfield show everyone why the are the defending national champs.  Like I said before, If Concordia did nothing else, they somewhat showed that Linfield can be stopped - at least for part of a game - so maybe the aura of invincibility has left.  And now Whitewater comes in, with a better offense then Concordia, and it sounds like a bigger defense - and a lot of confidence knowing they just took the Johnnies apart.

So what a great opportunity for Elliot and the crew to come out and show everyone why they are the best team in the country.   I don't know a whole lot about Whitewater, other than they beat a good Johnny team, but this weekend is definetely shaping up to what could be an instant classic.  They should televise it on CBS just so everyone else can watch it.

[spiritof86]

This could be a classic. No.1 vs No.2. Two potent offenses ready to go at it. I think that the Linfield players may have been surprised that things did not come easy for them Saturday. Really, they had gotten away with not being as sharp as they can be for a few weeks early in the season, that will not cut it vs good teams like Conc. or potentially great teams like ww.

I am just glad I will be in Mac to see it. The web broadcast has lost its charm for me after 2+ seasons.