FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[tmerton]

They were in cover 2. Point being they had only one safety back on first and essentially 80, with 17 seconds left.

Also, why not go for 2 after the go ahead TD for SJU? It would put you up 6 and force Auggie to make Xtra point to win-which they missed twice. Maybe coaching?

Just watched the highlight.

That was not Cover 2. For some inexplicable reason the safety bites up on the receiver and the completion is made over his head. It looks like player, not coach error to me. But the corner is deep as well. Granted, they could have been in cover 4 or full on prevent, but they weren't in Cover 2.

Here are exhibits A & B   

I don't understand.  1st down from their 20 - tackle the receiver and take the 15 yard penalty, then do it again if necessary.  Sure beats giving up 48 yards.  Worst case they're on the 50 with one play left, not at the 32.  But give it up to the Auggies for coming back.

In the interview after the game, Jimmy said he wanted to go for 2 after the touchdown but there was too much confusion.  Uh, Jimmy, maybe you should have set that up ahead of time?

[faunch]

They were in cover 2. Point being they had only one safety back on first and essentially 80, with 17 seconds left.

Also, why not go for 2 after the go ahead TD for SJU? It would put you up 6 and force Auggie to make Xtra point to win-which they missed twice. Maybe coaching?

Just watched the highlight.

That was not Cover 2. For some inexplicable reason the safety bites up on the receiver and the completion is made over his head. It looks like player, not coach error to me. But the corner is deep as well. Granted, they could have been in cover 4 or full on prevent, but they weren't in Cover 2.

Here are exhibits A & B   

I don't understand.  1st down from their 20 - tackle the receiver and take the 15 yard penalty, then do it again if necessary.  Sure beats giving up 48 yards.  Worst case they're on the 50 with one play left, not at the 32.  But give it up to the Auggies for coming back.

In the interview after the game, Jimmy said he wanted to go for 2 after the touchdown but there was too much confusion.  Uh, Jimmy, maybe you should have set that up ahead of time?

BINGO!!!  Does anyone doubt what the real issue is in Collegeville.  Most high school football coaches would have known to go for 2. 

[OzJohnnie]

My disappointment is not that the Johnnies are losing (although that is a disappointment) but it is that they are playing poorly and making bad decisions. Bad decisions and skill errors frustrate the hell out if me because they are what make the difference between playing well or not. A team down on talent but playing smart still does well.  A talented team that makes bad decisions still loses.

Anyway, I feel like it's a discipline and thinking problem from what u hear over the radio. Too much 'why did they do that?' and not enough 'they did all they could.'

[OzJohnnie]

They were in cover 2. Point being they had only one safety back on first and essentially 80, with 17 seconds left.

Also, why not go for 2 after the go ahead TD for SJU? It would put you up 6 and force Auggie to make Xtra point to win-which they missed twice. Maybe coaching?

Just watched the highlight.

That was not Cover 2. For some inexplicable reason the safety bites up on the receiver and the completion is made over his head. It looks like player, not coach error to me. But the corner is deep as well. Granted, they could have been in cover 4 or full on prevent, but they weren't in Cover 2.

Here are exhibits A & B   

I don't understand.  1st down from their 20 - tackle the receiver and take the 15 yard penalty, then do it again if necessary.  Sure beats giving up 48 yards.  Worst case they're on the 50 with one play left, not at the 32.  But give it up to the Auggies for coming back.

In the interview after the game, Jimmy said he wanted to go for 2 after the touchdown but there was too much confusion.  Uh, Jimmy, maybe you should have set that up ahead of time?

And what's particularly frustrating about your tackle-and-take-the-penalty suggestion, tmert, is that the Auggies did exactly that against the Johnnies on the previous series, although they didnt prevent the TD. All the coaches had to tell the defense was "Do what that guy just did." but then maybe the coaches feel that intentional penalties are not in the sprit of the competition, which you have to respect.

(Intential delay of games are accepted as in the spirit, though)

[tmerton]

... but then maybe the coaches feel that intentional penalties are not in the sprit of the competition, which you have to respect.

Good to see you're keeping your sense of humor, Oz.   

[BU Faithful]

So many questions about why the Johnnies have lost a couple of games.  Is it coaching?  Is it recruiting?  Is it something else?

To investigate the recruiting question, I looked at four sources to identify the best Minnesota high school players in the class of 2011 - Minneapolis Star-Tribune All State Team, St Paul Pioneer Press All State Team, Associated Press All State Team and the High School All Star Game rosters.  I then cross checked those against the rosters of the nine MIAC football schools.  Yes, I have too much time on my hands.  Here is what I found...

1   Augsburg
3   Bethel
0   Carleton
4   Concordia
3   Gustavus
0   Hamline
7   St John's
0   St Olaf
14  St Thomas

On the surface, it appears that the quality of player entering St John's is still high compared with most of the league, though you have to admit St Thomas seems to be leaving everyone in their well funded wake.  My guess is that some of those kids now going to $t Thomas would have been at St John's prior to Caruso and the facility upgrade.  Still, it's not like the Johnnies aren't getting some top notch players.

[Pat Coleman]

Freshmen may not be making much of an impact right now. I wonder what it would be like if you did this with 2010 all-state players?

[Lone Auggie Backer]

I should be pulling into Collegeville about 9am with 56321 and, most importantly, the Chicago Polish sausages.

Looks to be a great day in Collegeville.

BTW, anyone know what happened to Lone Augie Backer?  Miss his posts.

Unfortunately, the real world! I quit working for someone else and started doing in home personal training on my own and as such now get 3x the money but work 5x the hours! I also am an assistant coach at Minneapolis SW (along with former SJU WR Brandon Royce for all you Johnnie fans out there) and had my first child in April (Son). So, I no longer have that college-life-provided thing called free time~! I actually came on here to read first hand accounts of Saturday's game. My only connection to the game was to call Coach Saturday night when KARE11 put the score on their 10 pm news. He was busy celebrating and so I didn't want to keep him to get the details. I was hoping to get some in-game perspective from some of those that may have seen the action first hand, but all I've gathered is the typical shoulda-woulda-couldas that follow any loss (trust me, after SW lost to Washburn Friday night, I'm doing plenty of those myself!).

I no longer have anyone on the squad that I played with at Auggie, and as such, am officially old, and also, not as much in contact with the team. I train clients seven days a week so haven't been able to attend any games for the last couple of years. I truly miss it, but as many of you that played can attest, the first couple of years away are the hardest - you miss the camaraderie with the guys, the hitting and being hit, and so going back was a bit tough as well. 

Congrats to my Auggies. I still don't know much more than the headline post on the main page. I don't know if a sniper killed all the SJU studs, or if Augsburg is now the powerhouse of D3 (look out MU+UWW? --- KIDDING!!! I'm not that delusional, ya'll!).  Though I've not gleaned much more info from these posts, I can make a pretty healthy guess - SJU made some mistakes, Auggies played well and came out of a hostile environment (no matter the accurate number) with a win they will be glad to have.

I'll try to get on here more frequently than every 4 years or so, but cannot promise much! These days the only scores I know are _ bottles vs. _ diapers.

Go Auggies!

[OldAuggie]

First post and finally I have something to post about. Been lurking since I found this site in July. This board needs some Auggie input so here I am. Some Diversity if you will. I attended the game on Saturday and what a classic finish.  First of all Marcus Brumm is one of many very good recruits that Augsburg has landed in recent years. Look at the roster like I did and you will see some talented players. Players win games, you can't coach what Marcus did in those last seconds. That was pure guts. Reminded me of a former Packer/Vikings gunslinger without the attitude. The game is never over until it is over.

Good things happen for every team in the MIAC when the level of competition is raised. That is what has happened in the MIAC and I like how it looks. I am enjoying this win for now and I hope the Johnnies knock the !@#$ out of the Tommies next week.

[USTBench]

First post and finally I have something to post about. Been lurking since I found this site in July. This board needs some Auggie input so here I am. Some Diversity if you will. I attended the game on Saturday and what a classic finish.  First of all Marcus Brumm is one of many very good recruits that Augsburg has landed in recent years. Look at the roster like I did and you will see some talented players. Players win games, you can't coach what Marcus did in those last seconds. That was pure guts. Reminded me of a former Packer/Vikings gunslinger without the attitude. The game is never over until it is over.

Good things happen for every team in the MIAC when the level of competition is raised. That is what has happened in the MIAC and I like how it looks. I am enjoying this win for now and I hope the Johnnies knock the !@#$ out of the Tommies next week.

OldAuggie,

+k. Welcome to the board. I hate you.

Bench

[OzJohnnie]

If anyone is interested and has two and a half hours to spare, I've just found that then entire Hawks v Collingwood game is posted on YouTube.  I watched a few minutes and it looks like the poster edited out the commercials, which is even better.

It's at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9kCJzTMzJY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[faunch]

Freshmen may not be making much of an impact right now. I wonder what it would be like if you did this with 2010 all-state players?

Better yet...go back and look at how many SJU players from the 2003 National Championship team were on any of the All-State, All-Metro teams etc in 1998, 99, 2000.  Was Blake Elliot on any of the All-State teams during either his junior or senior year?  I have no idea but maybe somebody out there does.

[retagent]

Ceding losses to Bethel and UST, can the Johnnies take care of STO, Carleton, Hamline and the Gusties to get a winning season. When you set the bar high, getting over a low hurdle seems so much sadder.

[DuffMan]

Better yet...go back and look at how many SJU players from the 2003 National Championship team were on any of the All-State, All-Metro teams etc in 1998, 99, 2000.  Was Blake Elliot on any of the All-State teams during either his junior or senior year?  I have no idea but maybe somebody out there does.

I don't remember hearing anything about Elliot in high school, and being both of us are central MN boys, I think I would have heard of him if he was a phenom in high school.  In fact, he was injured at SJU in '99 (our freshman year), so really the only reason I knew him that year was because we lived on the same floor.  He really turned it on after that, though!

As for the 2002 SJU squad (which wasn't too shabby), we had a decent number of all-state guys (off the top of my head Jason Pflipsen, Ross Denne, Justin Bundy...), but I think we got it done with a lot of "under the radar" type guys, for the main part.  I don't think Jeremy Hood would have been the player that he was at a lot of schools.  He didn't really have the physical tools.  Heck, he was a linebacker when he came in.  They sure utilized him well, though.

In summation, I don't necessarily think that the "getting out-recruited" excuse is spot on.  I think there are lots of very talented players at SJU.  They are just not playing well right now.  A lot of outsiders seem to think that the teams SJU puts on the field could be playing at a higher level.  In my experience at SJU, that is not the case.  Sure, there are some guys that could play D2 ball, but the majority of the guys (even the 2003 team) wouldn't see the field in a D2 program.

[sju56321]

Now that I am settled in from my trip back to SJU for homecoming and not trying to post on the iphone, want to thank ROR and TDT for getting me from my hotel in Richfield to and from the game-thanks guys!
The tailgate was great-thanks to Veek, JR, Dusty, Johnnie Tats, Finsleft and the rest-fun time before game.
Veek-thanks for grilling and the bevies.
By the way-that game reminded me of the Bemidji State game in '97-unfortunately I was at that game also, but that was a true hail Mary at the end.