FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Ice Bear]

Ice Bear says he favors the Mighty Johnnies here by two scores. Ice feels Sus will score as they have a very good offense and he would ****ing suspect Sus would be able to score on almost any defense in DIII. Ice predicts the River Hawks will not be able to keep up with Mr. Syverson and company, hence the two score prediction. The Bear predicts 34-17 Johnnies 

[GoldandBlueBU]

I'm with you Ice Bear - I think we tend to be cautious / guarded sometimes about the prospects of our own teams - but I think the SJU game isn't particularly close, and the Johnnies will move on to the BU / Wart winner with relative ease.

[WashedUp]

Speaking of Susquehanna, is there any discussion about this being is the first time a famous Amos Alonso Stagg team is playing against the famous John Gagliardi team? Two of the most famous football coaches in the history of football and finally their teams are meeting up?

Not the first meeting if you look at all the teams they coached.  Carroll University has played the University of Chicago in basketball.

I don't see any record of University of Chicago playing Carroll (Mont.).

Bah, mixing up my Carroll's

[Johnnie]

There are actually 2 Carroll schools:  Carroll University in Wisconsin, and Carroll College in Montana.

I agree with Pat.  Carroll (MT) seems to have never played the University of Chicago.

Hence, a Gagliardi-affiliated college seems to have never played an Amos A Stagg-affiliated college -- until now.
(And yes Stagg Sr. was coaching at Susquehanna with his son Stagg Jr.)

So it seems this Saturday we will finally witness in Collegeville, MN a very first meeting between schools once affiliated with two of the greatest college football coaches of all time.

As a Johnnie alum now living out East, I can state emphatically that my Susquehanna alum/friends with deep football roots also view this meeting as a most momentous and humbling occasion involving the intersection of our two great football coaches.

[hazzben]

Of note, Sus didn't just play Cortland close this year, they were also the National Champs only loss of the season last year. They can clearly play football. That said, I think Cortland was better last year (especially at WR).

My read is that you've got two elite offenses, but only one brings a really high caliber D to the table (SJU). My money is one the SJU D and Syverson & co. To Duff's point, the way the Johnnie Dline plays from a scheme and fundamentals standpoint is very unique. Tends to be very challenging for teams the first time they face it.

FWIW, here's Hanson's Advanced Stats Preview of SJU vs. Sus.

[GoldandBlueBU]

To Duff's point, the way the Johnnie Dline plays from a scheme and fundamentals standpoint is very unique. Tends to be very challenging for teams the first time they face it.

Tell me more.  I have some minor memories about being in the film room with the O-line on SJU week, and the way their D-line tended to not be hard-charging on 1st and 2nd down (more so, held their ground and let the play develop) is the only thing I remember - but I was a dumb 18 year old and probably not grasping much - and only played the one season...

[DuffMan]

I could tell you more, but I'd have to kill you. 

[Redtooth]

I could tell you more, but I'd have to kill you. 

$hit Duff, no damn scouting reports.

[hazzben]

To Duff's point, the way the Johnnie Dline plays from a scheme and fundamentals standpoint is very unique. Tends to be very challenging for teams the first time they face it.

Tell me more.  I have some minor memories about being in the film room with the O-line on SJU week, and the way their D-line tended to not be hard-charging on 1st and 2nd down (more so, held their ground and let the play develop) is the only thing I remember - but I was a dumb 18 year old and probably not grasping much - and only played the one season...

My brother could give you all the glorious/gory details, but he also had a ton of fun/success against those DLines since he was really athletic. One of his favorite games was the chess match against McNamara in the 2006 game. Play is zone right, he knows Mc will read his first step so he takes a false step left as if it's play that way, gets him to move left and then cuts him off backside. Back and forth all game long. If you know the scheme and have the horses (who have feet), it's super interesting. If you're not familiar or have big guys that can't move (or aren't very smart), you're probably in for a really long day. 

Bragging on him for a second, he was awesome out in space pulling on counter and counter sweep. When Meidt was at St. Olaf (and Olaf similar run schemes to BU) he showed their Oline a cutup of Bethel and my brother's highlights against SJU. Had the whole Olie Oline mtg cheering and hollering on a bunch of plays where he was out in front of Porta, blocking two or three guys, with Porta's hand on his hip following him down the sideline. I'll stop being obnoxious now and let myself out ...

[GoldandBlueBU]

yeah - your brother...Tommy Davis...Wendy...those guys were my first exposure to "athletic big guys".  Our HS wasn't particularly good at football, and the O-line was mostly just the largest guys on the team.  They couldn't necessarily move all that well, so even at the D3 level, seeing how different it was, was pretty shocking.

[SagatagSam]

Big Congrats to Gagliardi Trophy semifinalists from the MIAC:

Aaron Syverson, Saint John's
Matt Jung, Bethel (and he's only a sophomore!)

[Johns Knees]

Reusse with a piece on Mendez:

https://www.startribune.com/st-paul-native-marselio-mendez-aka-pops-emerges-as-a-go-to-receiver-for-st-johns/601191378

[hazzben]

Big Congrats to Gagliardi Trophy semifinalists from the MIAC:

Aaron Syverson, Saint John's
Matt Jung, Bethel (and he's only a sophomore!)

Congrats to both.

Also a fun little debate going on the CCIW boards about how Lehnen, Boyles, and Syverson stack up for 1st Team AA. Somehow I found myself hyping a Johnnie as a generational talent ... may God have mercy on my soul!

[robot_the_cat]

To Duff's point, the way the Johnnie Dline plays from a scheme and fundamentals standpoint is very unique. Tends to be very challenging for teams the first time they face it.

Tell me more.  I have some minor memories about being in the film room with the O-line on SJU week, and the way their D-line tended to not be hard-charging on 1st and 2nd down (more so, held their ground and let the play develop) is the only thing I remember - but I was a dumb 18 year old and probably not grasping much - and only played the one season...

My brother could give you all the glorious/gory details, but he also had a ton of fun/success against those DLines since he was really athletic. One of his favorite games was the chess match against McNamara in the 2006 game. Play is zone right, he knows Mc will read his first step so he takes a false step left as if it's play that way, gets him to move left and then cuts him off backside. Back and forth all game long. If you know the scheme and have the horses (who have feet), it's super interesting. If you're not familiar or have big guys that can't move (or aren't very smart), you're probably in for a really long day. 

Bragging on him for a second, he was awesome out in space pulling on counter and counter sweep. When Meidt was at St. Olaf (and Olaf similar run schemes to BU) he showed their Oline a cutup of Bethel and my brother's highlights against SJU. Had the whole Olie Oline mtg cheering and hollering on a bunch of plays where he was out in front of Porta, blocking two or three guys, with Porta's hand on his hip following him down the sideline. I'll stop being obnoxious now and let myself out ...

As a vet of that era of SJU/Bethel...that BU offense was a bear. Would spread us out and pound the rock.

[OzJohnnie]

Also a fun little debate going on the CCIW boards about how Lehnen, Boyles, and Syverson stack up for 1st Team AA. Somehow I found myself hyping a Johnnie as a generational talent ... may God have mercy on my soul!

And Martin Luther wept.  Was it all for nothing?