FB: Northwest Conference

[desertcat1]

From the NCC football webpage: "Linfield is a great team," said North Central head coach John Thorne. "I thought their guys played hard. I think we're better than we showed today. Our guys were in finals all week and were just a little off today. Linfield played well and deserved to win this game for sure, but I don't think people got to see how well our players can actually play."

For those of you at today's game is this a fair observation?

After watching(not in person)NCC play today, I sure hope so. It looked like they were playing their first game of the year!

Actually, it did look like their first game of the year. Except they had only 6 turnovers in that game.

In 9 wins, NCC had 15 TOs; in 3 losses, they had 17 TOs.  Obviously the defenses had something to do with that, but a fair amount of them (including 3 or 4 today) were definitely giveaways rather than takeaways.  For whatever reason, some games they just get sloppy.

IF they can solve that problem, they will definitely join the elite of d3 (they significantly outdid Linfield today in both first downs and yardage); if not, they will forever be on thin ice against good teams (or even halfway decent ones like UW-LaCrosse).

It's hard for me to agree with you on that.. 
they were held to the low score out put of the year today i think? The cats BIG D had something to do with that too?  you can have the first downs and yardage totals ,  I'll take the + turnovers and points everytime  my friend.      I think it was some of the same things in round one?..

Go Cats
Go Big D

[NCF]

From the NCC football webpage: "Linfield is a great team," said North Central head coach John Thorne. "I thought their guys played hard. I think we're better than we showed today. Our guys were in finals all week and were just a little off today. Linfield played well and deserved to win this game for sure, but I don't think people got to see how well our players can actually play."

For those of you at today's game is this a fair observation?

After watching(not in person)NCC play today, I sure hope so. It looked like they were playing their first game of the year!

Actually, it did look like their first game of the year. Except they had only 6 turnovers in that game.

In 9 wins, NCC had 15 TOs; in 3 losses, they had 17 TOs.  Obviously the defenses had something to do with that, but a fair amount of them (including 3 or 4 today) were definitely giveaways rather than takeaways.  For whatever reason, some games they just get sloppy.

IF they can solve that problem, they will definitely join the elite of d3 (they significantly outdid Linfield today in both first downs and yardage); if not, they will forever be on thin ice against good teams (or even halfway decent ones like UW-LaCrosse).

completely agree.

[MonroviaCat]

From the NCC football webpage: "Linfield is a great team," said North Central head coach John Thorne. "I thought their guys played hard. I think we're better than we showed today. Our guys were in finals all week and were just a little off today. Linfield played well and deserved to win this game for sure, but I don't think people got to see how well our players can actually play."

For those of you at today's game is this a fair observation?

After watching(not in person)NCC play today, I sure hope so. It looked like they were playing their first game of the year!

Actually, it did look like their first game of the year. Except they had only 6 turnovers in that game.

In 9 wins, NCC had 15 TOs; in 3 losses, they had 17 TOs.  Obviously the defenses had something to do with that, but a fair amount of them (including 3 or 4 today) were definitely giveaways rather than takeaways.  For whatever reason, some games they just get sloppy.

IF they can solve that problem, they will definitely join the elite of d3 (they significantly outdid Linfield today in both first downs and yardage); if not, they will forever be on thin ice against good teams (or even halfway decent ones like UW-LaCrosse).

It's hard for me to agree with you on that.. 
they were held to the low score out put of the year today i think? The cats BIG D had something to do with that too?  you can have the first downs and yardage totals ,  I'll take the + turnovers and points everytime  my friend.      I think it was some of the same things in round one?..

Go Cats
Go Big D

Yes!  Besides, if you add up all the yards we gained on Defense we then had more yards anyway (We had 114 yds in interception returns).  Not to mention, we spent several minutes in the 4th quarter just trying to run down the clock which mean less passing---I think total yards and first downs aren't a great measurement but clearly the turnovers were a huge problem for NCC and a huge success for the Cats!  Some may have been giveaways as Ypsi says but sometimes giveaways are the result of good defense as well (pressure on the QB, quickness by the DBs/LBs, etc.).....  But we Cat fans no how turnovers kill....(Whitworth 2006  we held them to 86 yds total offense and lost thanks to 5 turnovers).....

[CalCat]

From the NCC football webpage: "Linfield is a great team," said North Central head coach John Thorne. "I thought their guys played hard. I think we're better than we showed today. Our guys were in finals all week and were just a little off today. Linfield played well and deserved to win this game for sure, but I don't think people got to see how well our players can actually play."

For those of you at today's game is this a fair observation?

After watching(not in person)NCC play today, I sure hope so. It looked like they were playing their first game of the year!

Actually, it did look like their first game of the year. Except they had only 6 turnovers in that game.

In 9 wins, NCC had 15 TOs; in 3 losses, they had 17 TOs.  Obviously the defenses had something to do with that, but a fair amount of them (including 3 or 4 today) were definitely giveaways rather than takeaways.  For whatever reason, some games they just get sloppy.

IF they can solve that problem, they will definitely join the elite of d3 (they significantly outdid Linfield today in both first downs and yardage); if not, they will forever be on thin ice against good teams (or even halfway decent ones like UW-LaCrosse).

It's hard for me to agree with you on that.. 
they were held to the low score out put of the year today i think? The cats BIG D had something to do with that too?  you can have the first downs and yardage totals ,  I'll take the + turnovers and points everytime  my friend.      I think it was some of the same things in round one?..

Go Cats
Go Big D

Yes!  Besides, if you add up all the yards we gained on Defense we then had more yards anyway (We had 114 yds in interception returns).  Not to mention, we spent several minutes in the 4th quarter just trying to run down the clock which mean less passing---I think total yards and first downs aren't a great measurement but clearly the turnovers were a huge problem for NCC and a huge success for the Cats!  Some may have been giveaways as Ypsi says but sometimes giveaways are the result of good defense as well (pressure on the QB, quickness by the DBs/LBs, etc.).....  But we Cat fans no how turnovers kill....(Whitworth 2006  we held them to 86 yds total offense and lost thanks to 5 turnovers).....

The only stat that counts is when the clock was at 000... Cats 30 Cards 14

[Mr. Ypsi]

Don't get me wrong - not trying to take anything away from the Linfield victory.  It was well deserved.

Linfield IS an elite team; just noting that NCC played them dead even (arguably even more than even) EXCEPT that they couldn't hang onto the ball.  That is the big reason why Linfield IS elite and NCC is only a WOULD BE elite team.  I MAY be under-crediting Linfield's defense for the turnovers, but NCC also has a history of sometimes getting very sloppy with the ball (e.g., UW-LaCrosse).

[desertcat1]

Don't get me wrong - not trying to take anything away from the Linfield victory.  It was well deserved.

Linfield IS an elite team; just noting that NCC played them dead even (arguably even more than even) EXCEPT that they couldn't hang onto the ball.  That is the big reason why Linfield IS elite and NCC is only a WOULD BE elite team.  I MAY be under-crediting Linfield's defense for the turnovers, but NCC also has a history of sometimes getting very sloppy with the ball (e.g., UW-LaCrosse).

Hey Mr.ypsi ,  i tried to tell you that you took the wrong horse in the pick'em ?   and they put me in the pick'em too .. oh , well this week i will make my own and see what happens? 

[desertcat1]

good night john boy.

[wildcat11]

"Our guys were in finals all week and were just a little off today."

Have an issue with that line. Probably just frustrated with the outcome.  Maybe I would give finals and the chaos with travel more play but not when his players are tweeting this.

https://twitter.com/Cardinal_CB5/status/271838148114395136

Josh Mitchell ‏@Cardinal_CB5

Going to Oregon tomorrow, after the best week of practice we've had all year! #prepared #excited #TEAMNCC #d3fb #playoffs

NCC is a heck of a squad but Linfield earned every inch of that win by doing the little things right and make the plays they needed.  Hats off to the 'Cats!

[OxyBob]

"Our guys were in finals all week and were just a little off today."

Have an issue with that line.

The rest of the quote:

"Linfield outplayed us in every facet of the game. They wanted it more than we did. We had our chances but we let them slip away, and came up a little short. They caught us on an off day. Turnovers killed us. We beat ourselves. They out-hustled us, out-muscled us, and out-coached us. I take full responsibility for this loss. We didn't get the job done. We weren't mentally prepared, came out flat, and lost our focus. Linfield stepped up and made the plays, and we didn't match their intensity. This is a bitter pill to swallow, and it's going to be a long plane ride home. Not to take away anything from Linfield, but we didn't play like we're capable of playing. But, they won, so I tip my hat to them. The best team won today. We can still hold our heads high, and our players have nothing to be ashamed of. I'm really proud of our guys; it's been a great ride. They own us. (Oh, sorry, that's what Ben McEnroe said, not John Thorne.)"

OxyBob

[emma17]

No doubt Linfield deserved the win today as they were certainly the better team.  Today's game is a perfect example of what winning as a team really means.  It's not just the offense or defense or special teams, but it's the game plan as well.  The only time NCC had to pass as much as they did (39 times) was mid fourth quarter.  They weren't forced to pass in the first half or third quarter, but for whatever reason, they did and Linfield's defense was far superior to NCC's passing game.  Even the long gains by NCC could have been picks.  But it seems any honest evaluation would question why so much passing?  There is no way that Linfield had the answer to NCC's running game, just as NCC had no answer to Linfield's passing game. 
For reasons only the coaching staff can answer, NCC put more of the outcome of the game on the QB than they did on the real strength of NCC- the running game. 
Kukoc averaged almost 8 yards per carry on 25 runs.  Unless he isn't physically capable of more carries, it seems Linfield benefitted from NCC's decision to pass so much. 
I'm not taking anything from Linfield because you absolutely won as a true team.  It's a head scratcher for those that know NCC though.  I believe Linfield was the better team regardless, but NCC didn't seem to play to their strength today- and I don't see how that has anything to do with final exams- unless the coaching staff was taking them too.   

[speedybigboy]

"Our guys were in finals all week and were just a little off today."

Have an issue with that line. Probably just frustrated with the outcome.  Maybe I would give finals and the chaos with travel more play but not when his players are tweeting this.

https://twitter.com/Cardinal_CB5/status/271838148114395136

Josh Mitchell ‏@Cardinal_CB5

Going to Oregon tomorrow, after the best week of practice we've had all year! #prepared #excited #TEAMNCC #d3fb #playoffs

NCC is a heck of a squad but Linfield earned every inch of that win by doing the little things right and make the plays they needed.  Hats off to the 'Cats!

I hope they did better on their finals then they did on their Wildcat Exam.

[criswyly]

"I hope they did better on their finals then they did on their Wildcat Exam."
Classic SpeedyBigBoy.

Linfield won the game for a lot of reasons....but I got to go to work now.

[ncc58]

"I hope they did better on their finals then they did on their Wildcat Exam."
Classic SpeedyBigBoy.

Linfield won the game for a lot of reasons....but I got to go to work now.

<Sigh> The "finals" issue comes up every year, although usually it gets raised before the 2nd round game is played. North Central's academic calendar is based on trimesters, rather than semesters (like most schools). Finals occurs the three days preceding Thanksgiving. The players are students first and it does cut into preparation time. Add in Thanksgiving, which for most of us is a time to be with our families. Then, a long travel day before Saturday.

It is what it is. Is it the reason NCC lost? No. But it is a deviation from the normal football routine and you don't know how each player is going to deal with it. The flip side is that if NCC can figure out how to get through the second round, then they become full time football players after that.

Most schools are eliminated before their Finals Week. And when UWW reached Salem, their Finals Week was after the Stagg Bowl. It's all part of being a D3 student-athlete. It's never an excuse, but it doesn't need to be mocked at the same time.

Being on trimesters does hurt a playoff football team a little, but it's a plus for other sports. The 2nd trimester ends near the end of March, and allows athletic teams such as baseball, tennis, and golf to travel to warmer areas without worrying on incomplete classwork. Plus, it provides a nice transition from indoor to outdoor track.

The NCC cross country team won the national championship, and the track team will be one of the top squads. The men's basketball team is ranked in the top 10, so NCC remains a force in d3 athletics.

[MonroviaCat]

"I hope they did better on their finals then they did on their Wildcat Exam."
Classic SpeedyBigBoy.

Linfield won the game for a lot of reasons....but I got to go to work now.

<Sigh> The "finals" issue comes up every year, although usually it gets raised before the 2nd round game is played. North Central's academic calendar is based on trimesters, rather than semesters (like most schools). Finals occurs the three days preceding Thanksgiving. The players are students first and it does cut into preparation time. Add in Thanksgiving, which for most of us is a time to be with our families. Then, a long travel day before Saturday.

It is what it is. Is it the reason NCC lost? No. But it is a deviation from the normal football routine and you don't know how each player is going to deal with it. The flip side is that if NCC can figure out how to get through the second round, then they become full time football players after that.

Most schools are eliminated before their Finals Week. And when UWW reached Salem, their Finals Week was after the Stagg Bowl. It's all part of being a D3 student-athlete. It's never an excuse, but it doesn't need to be mocked at the same time.

For what it's worth, Speedy is a PLU fan and we all know that his guys failed the Wildcat midterm and final

[wildcat11]

"I hope they did better on their finals then they did on their Wildcat Exam."
Classic SpeedyBigBoy.

Linfield won the game for a lot of reasons....but I got to go to work now.

<Sigh> The "finals" issue comes up every year, although usually it gets raised before the 2nd round game is played. North Central's academic calendar is based on trimesters, rather than semesters (like most schools). Finals occurs the three days preceding Thanksgiving. The players are students first and it does cut into preparation time. Add in Thanksgiving, which for most of us is a time to be with our families. Then, a long travel day before Saturday.

It is what it is. Is it the reason NCC lost? No. But it is a deviation from the normal football routine and you don't know how each player is going to deal with it. The flip side is that if NCC can figure out how to get through the second round, then they become full time football players after that.

Most schools are eliminated before their Finals Week. And when UWW reached Salem, their Finals Week was after the Stagg Bowl. It's all part of being a D3 student-athlete. It's never an excuse, but it doesn't need to be mocked at the same time.

For what it's worth, Speedy is a PLU fan and we all know that his guys failed the Wildcat midterm and final

Heck, Cal Lutheran has yet to pass Wildcat 101.