FB: Northwest Conference

[Wildcat'64]

11,

I agree with your assessment of most of the junk mail over on Oregonlive and figured it was about worth the paper it was written on (none)!

From the times I saw Benzel this year he might well be another All American Linfield QB in the wings.  The kid is flat out good as well as a smart ball handler.  His 72.7% completion rate in 11 games this season compared to BE's 69.6% just is phenomenal.

The Cats might have the makings of three All American QB's back to back....I wonder if that has ever happened in any Division III school?

[frank uible]

Add designating the members of an all-star team to the list of two things which Bismarck said one does not want to witness being done.

[Tuxguy]

'64....Lets keep in mind that when Benzel was in the game he was working with the 2nd and 3rd string against the opps #1 def..

Good point on the back to back to back all-american QB's. I see a trend here. Hope we can keep it up!

GO CATS '06

[bluenote]

...regarding the QB situation at Linfield. I too have heard the rumors and I've heard another name tossed around also, just today. I'm not at liberty to say who was mentioned but he is a legit stud qb D-1A who has local roots and it's not Ainge, although his name has been mentioned also. I too feel our current qbs are great but I thought that when camp opens up the players have to earn their position. We've seen the past couple years that people have come into the program and earned it with their skills, so let's not count any situation or possible recruit/transfer out. This isn't a Park and Rec program,  we've got one of the best programs on the west coast and there is going to be some competition for all positions and there may be some national type talent that would maybe like the cool scene of the CatDome and the smaller campus type life we have here. What we need next year is to shore up the DB's and possibly get a few athletic "playmaker" type skill people like Haze and Keck in there! Guys that can turn a big game around with pure athletic prowess. We have most of both lines back. We also need a good 2-3 physical running backs who are durable and I'd like to see one that is shifty like Ford or Habberburger and one like David Russel or Riley Jenkins, then we'd be ready to rock.

[coco]

I'm guessing the coaches will be recruiting hard for some running backs.  If we got a couple like the 4 you named, Blue, we'd be sitting pretty.

[raiderguy]

Foss

I never called the Linfield Team losers.


Never did never will.

Great team, players, coaches and fans. It is kind of funny we are alot alike. Maybe that is why it hurts some much when we lose. Like Mount last year in the Semi's on basically the last play of the game.
Wow it hurts. But it had nothing to do with the brackets.

I am not the Holidays blues guy you refer too either. I just don't get it when some posters want to blame every failure on someone else. Every team in this tournament controled their own destiny.
Many other posters on this board know me and I don't fly off the handle for no reason. The majority of the posters are not blaming the NCAA for the loss to Whitewater.

Funny, Whitewater people aren't complaining about the brackets either. Why is that? They played the best to be the best.

I know how brackets work and just because the NCAA has done it in the past does not make it a national travisty this year because they didn't do it. It is how the cards were laid out. Everyone knows the rules and you deal with it. Is life always fair?

If I didn't get it explain what you meant when you said at least if we lose we would show everyone the kind of team we are?

I hope you saw the game of the year out there in Oregon.  Don't bother watching on Saturday, it doesn't count.

I stand by my earlier statement.

I feel cheated that it isn't Linfield vs and Mount in the Stagg.

[ATC]

As far as RB's for next year I would like to see Derek Cunningham get some carries.  I watched him run all over the metro league a few years ago and he is a legit running back that with some added strength could be a real contender for the spot.  He's the type of kid that had good speed and moves but could also put his head down and run over you when needed.  Here's a link to his bio on the linfield website.

[bluenote]

ATC...is he the kid out of Glenco? I've heard great things about him. I think he'll challange for the position as he works out and gains some strength. I also like how Montalvo (sp?) runs.

[Pat Coleman]

So losing in the Stagg would prove to the viewers that you are losers on the National stage and that's OK. Just don't make us lose at home. You were the #1 bracket and team with home field advantage throughout the playoffs what more could the NCAA do for you. Give you a free pass to Salem?

I think this is the "loser" post that is being reference, raiderguy.

[Foss]

raiderguy, the way I look at it is when you have 5 top ranked teams in one region, the NCAA really needs to split them up, at least a little. And this goes for any of the regions, not just the West. I would encourage you to look up some of my previous posts if you would like so that you can see I felt this way long before Linfield lost, and know that it's not sour grapes because the 'Cats lost.

I didn't think it was fair that Occidental, who had won 19 out of their last 20, and was ranked #6 in the country, not only had to play on the road, but against the #1 team in the country. They actually led Linfield for a time in the postseason last year, the only team in the playoffs to do so. They proved themselves. They have one of the most talented players in the country at QB. It would have been interesting to see how they might have fared this year. But instead of being given the opportunity they deserved, they were sent to the slaughterhouse. Meanwhile, teams elsewhere (some with a loss) were getting home games against creampuffs. That's just not right.

Regardless of who won the UWW/Linfield game, in my opinion it was ridiculous seeding on the part of the NCAA. Wouldn't you agree that the #1 and #2 ranked teams should not be meeting in the quarterfinals? Especially when there are already a ton of top notch teams in the region and the #2 ranked team is just as close to the North as the West AND this team's conference rep has been placed in the North before? To me it was a no-brainer. Again, I thought this was equally wrong for UWW, no matter who was going to win the game.

I think MUC will give UWW all they can handle, but regardless of who wins the game I still think the seeding was bizarre. The NCAA didn't know who was going to win the Stagg, but they DID know before the playoffs started that UWW and Linfield were the top two ranked teams. Why not split them up, especially when the West is stacked anyway?

To answer your question about what I meant about showing everyone this team on TV. IF in fact UWW and Linfield end up being the top two teams (and again, that is a big IF since MUC will have a lot to say about that - heck, they may beat UWW, who knows), then like many have said, the true Stagg Bowl was played in Oregon on Dec. 3rd. That will be a loss for all DIII fans. raiderguy, the game between these two great teams was unbelievable. For the most part, we couldn't stop each other and there were so many awesome plays and lead changes, I wish everyone in the country could have seen it. And they could have if the NCAA wasn't so cheap. Despite all the offense, at the end there were some great defensive stops on both sides. The game was a classic. Believe me, anyone who isn't big on DIII football would have had a different mindset after this game. And I believe we would have seen a similar performance by both teams in Virginia, if the NCAA would have given us the chance. I don't care if UWW would have won, it would have been a game long remembered in DIII football between the two top teams of 2005.

I love the playoffs. I love that 32 teams get a chance. But there are major improvements that could be made. I think we all agree on that. I hope sometime soon they make these improvements, because I feel they would benefit everyone.

Sorry for the long post, everyone.  

[Wildcat'64]

Mega Kudos to Brett Elliot for the announcement today that he has been selected as the QB for the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All American Team.  This is the second consecutive year Brett has claimed this honor and is the only person to return to the years squad from last year.

Way to go Brett!!!

[coco]

Don't apologize, Foss. You did an excellent job of explaining the way a lot of us feel. The seeding was brutal, and as you said, unfair to more than one team.

Maybe it was an eye-opener to the NCAA, and they won't do that again. It's unfair to the players who work so darn hard during the season.

[SeoulGuy]

Congrats to Brett Elliott as the 2005 recipient of the Gagliardi Trophy. Well deserved!!

[D O.C.]

Yes...Congrats to Brett Elliott.

I will cease to banter for awhile because of the fact I really did not think it would happen.

Well then, congrats to Adam Knoblach  for a wonderful CAREER.

[bluenote]

Foss...that was an excelent post. It's exactly how many of us feel and you've done a great job of expressing it in your last post! Keep up the good work!!!