FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[wildcat11]

BREAKING NEWS:

All-world WR Ray Grant has decided to transfer to UST and in an unusual move by the NCAA, has been ruled eligible for this weekend's game against Linfield.

Ha!  That might put a scare in me but I believe that Ray Grant Jr and TDT are tied with the same amount of pass receptions this season.   

[badgerwarhawk]

But wouldn't any playoff team worth it's salt already consider trick plays in the game plan?  Consider them more?  Spend a day practicing against them maybe?

It seems a redundant argument to me..

Why would they waste time in practice if after viewing tape of an opponent they didn't see anything to suggest they might do something?  And if they were going to practice it how would they know what kind of trick play an opponent might try?  You can't waste a whole day practicing every conceivable trick play you can think up.  Particularly if you've never seen them do it.  

By showing it on tape you've forced them to spend time working on it in practice.  Even if you don't do it again you've taken away practice time they would have used working against something you do use.

[tommiegun]

I hope Fritz's ego doesn't get in the way of developing a new offense aimed primarily at getting our new weapon and his skillz touches.

[Gig Harbor Cat]

I got Trick Stuff

[USTBench]

OK, all of you SJU guys, what can you tell us about the Tommies-- Interested in a breakdown of football stuff--not the usual bio on the Girls on their campus !!

GHC

Not an SJU guy as you know but I was at the St Thomas game on Saturday....Scouting our Semi opponent maybe ?

If you have a playbook with every trick play ever devised....St Thomas used that as their game plan.

They had quad reverses on returns, laterals where everywhere, even on an interception!
How bad is it when you are winning by 20-3 and you run a fake extra point for two!?
Oh the double reverse with a pass to the QB out in the pattern. Halfback passes too, you name it was in there. Disciplined defense needed here.

Didn't need it, don't know why you would show it in a game like this. Forget about the "give them something to think about defense"

The QB was very good and broke the playoff record for completion per centage, I think he was 18 of 19 and many were not dink and dunk passes.  Ben Wartman is a load but part of his success was because the Bendictine players were trying to tackle him high and he would just let them jump on board and go for a ride. You needed to tackle him low to stop him. Line was pretty big as I recall too.

Really have mixed feeling about the game coming up between these two teams It could end up as .....Linfield in Alliance.......WOW! 
Orrrrrrrrrr Mount to Minneapolis and a special edition of the Stiftingfest! That is all assuming Mount can hold serve on these next couple of games too.

I've heard this before, and it's a fair analysis. However, if you run 3 or 4 "trick plays" a game, are they really even trick plays anymore? It's very clear to Caruso that Tobin and Wartman won't be able to run between the tackles against Linfield as easily as they did against Benedictine, and Tracy isn't going to be that efficient passing either, so why not put as much crazy stuff on film as possible? If you can get just one DB or LB to blow an assignment because he's got trickeration on the mind, that could result in a big play.

[hazzben]

But wouldn't any playoff team worth it's salt already consider trick plays in the game plan?  Consider them more?  Spend a day practicing against them maybe?

It seems a redundant argument to me..

Why would they waste time in practice if after viewing tape of an opponent they didn't see anything to suggest they might do something?  And if they were going to practice it how would they know what kind of trick play an opponent might try?  You can't waste a whole day practicing every conceivable trick play you can think up.  Particularly if you've never seen them do it.  

By showing it on tape you've forced them to spend time working on it in practice.  Even if you don't do it again you've taken away practice time they would have used working against something you do use.

That's exactly the point. I'm sure that's a huge reason Caruso dialed up all the gimmick plays against an over-matched Benedictine team. He knew he could throw a bunch of plays on film that the Linfield staff now at least has to spend time considering how to defend and spend at least a portion of practice working through.

They might not use any of them, but they might use one or two, and you've got to have your team prepared for that possibility. Of course, some of the trick plays are taken care of by simply stressing fundamentals...a double reverse pass can be as simple as, stressing back side pursuit for your DE, and something tells me Mr. Hedin might be a little more difficult to run that type of play against.

[Bubs1856]

Just remember...most of those trick plays take a considerable amount of time to develop.  Not sure the Cat D-Line allows the opportunity for those to get into full motion.  It's one thing to give those a run in Techmo Bowl, another with Sparky and Hedin breathing down your neck.

[criswyly]

It really sounds strange that UST would go to so much trouble showing trick plays to the Linfield staff.  Any one going to battle knows that "surprise" will overwhelm an enemy....so why give away your suprises.  I would have to think the trick plays are disinformation.

[Redtooth]

Before this conversation on trick plays being put on film for Linfield to prepare for goes much farther, people need to understand how the film exchange in the playoffs works.  Linfield will not get the UST/Benedictine game due to the one game lag that exists on exchange after the first round.  The NCAA Games Committee rep assigned to each playoff game is given 3 game films from each of the teams playing the opposite game; as an example the rep at the UST/Benedictine game had the last 3 Linfield games and the last 3 Cal Luth games.  When Linfield won, their 3 films were given to the UST staff by the rep.  Obviously the game being played the same day is not available or provided, thus the one week lag.  So if Linfield is preparing for trick plays it is doing so without the benefit of seeing the film.

This process continues throughout the playoffs; if you are fortunate enough to make the Stagg Bowl (which we were able to do twice at SJU while I coached) you don't get the semis film from your opponent.  In our case, not seeing Mount Union totally destroy teams in the semis did not hurt us. 

[Gig Harbor Cat]

Listen guys, after dealing with Willamette and PLU year in and year out, gameplanning for the Tommies is cake !!

Phone it in

GHC

[USTBench]

Listen guys, after dealing with Willamette and PLU year in and year out, gameplanning for the Tommies is cake !!

Phone it in

GHC

PLU...isn't that the team that barely beat Ray Grant's Hamline squad? Impressive.

[Life Long Tommie]

Listen guys, after dealing with Willamette and PLU year in and year out, gameplanning for the Tommies is cake !!

Phone it in

GHC

PLU...isn't that the team that barely beat Ray Grant's Hamline squad? Impressive.

27 - 20 I believe... 

[DuffMan]

In our case, not seeing Mount Union totally destroy teams in the semis did not hurt us.  

What about when they destroyed us in the semis???    
I will not soon forget that butt-kicking  

[Johnnie Red]

So any final decision as to where we will be gathering with the Wildcat fans this Saturday before the UST-Linfield game?

To change the subject, go to http://toddfultz.com/ for a great story about a former Johnnie player. Watch the Fox Sports interview of Todd.

[Gig Harbor Cat]

Yea thats the team--Based on your tone, I guess we shouldn't show up at all and let the Tommie's just pick a score and "Phone it in"

GHC  out  (for now)