FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Red Dawg]

Since 2003 we've been an above average to good team.  Where are the athletes?  What has happened?

SJU fans are so spoiled it is incredible. They do not realize just how hard it is to maintain the level of success that the program has over the last 15 years. Lets recap 2004-2009

2004- 7-3 with those three losses by a combined 5 points
2005- 11-1 MIAC champs. 2nd round playoff loss to UWW
2006- 11-2 MIAC champs. Lost in West Region Finals to UWW
2007- 10-2 - Lost in 2nd round to Central
2008- 8-3 MIAC Champs. Lost in 1st round to UWW
2009- 10-1 MIAC champs. Lost in 1st round to Coe

By my count that is a 57-12 record with 5 NCAA playoff appearances, 4 MIAC championships, and 1 West Region finals appearance. Not too bad my friends. Ask PLU of Rowan if they would like to have such a terrible drop off from their national title runs.

Now to truly answer your question, part of the "problem" lies in recruiting a national championship level QB to SJU. There are one of two ways that it is going to happen. Either 1. A DI or DIAA bounce back kid ala Ryan Keating or 2. Getting a great local kid to spurn other scholarship offers to come to SJU ala Linnemann, Denne, Koefed. All 3 of those guys grew up within 30 miles of SJU. There has not been a great local kid for SJU to even go after the past 5 years. Hence the QB debacle of 2008.

The other "problem" is that Blake Elliott no longer wears a SJU uniform. He was that good. Now had Eric Decker not gone to that Gophers camp and gotten an offer we most likely are not having this conversation. One elite level skill player hides an awful lot of mistakes and inadequacies.

The problem is the weight room.  Look at the transfers. The kicker went from 170 last year to 210. The receiver from 175 to 190.  What if a DB goes from 170 to 185, a QB from 190 to 210-220 and offensive lineman picked up 30 pounds.  They need to incorporate what these kids are doing to prepare for a year from now. 

[57Johnnie]

Since the 'Cats also lost the only bright spot that I see is:

We probably won't hear much tweeting from the piccolo player of the McMinnville Turkey Rama Orchestra.  

+ I spread some k 

[SJU09]

I guess my point is despite regularly leading the nation in attendance, playing in arguably the best stadium in DIII and getting constant media attention the St. John's program is not as dominate as it used to be.   With all of these advantages we should be better.  I'm sorry but comparing us to Rowan or PLU in not analogues.     The standard at SJU from 1989 – 2003 was to contend for the west region title and a national championship.  The program and talent level has dropped off since the 2003 championship.   

[WashedUp]

Since 2003 we've been an above average to good team.  Where are the athletes?  What has happened?

Now to truly answer your question, part of the "problem" lies in recruiting a national championship level QB to SJU. There are one of two ways that it is going to happen. Either 1. A DI or DIAA bounce back kid ala Ryan Keating or 2. Getting a great local kid to spurn other scholarship offers to come to SJU ala Linnemann, Denne, Koefed. All 3 of those guys grew up within 30 miles of SJU. There has not been a great local kid for SJU to even go after the past 5 years. Hence the QB debacle of 2008.

There was a QB in the MIAC that some would consider pretty good from Watkins, MN (~20 miles from SJU, according to Google Maps) that was a senior in '08. 

[sju56321]

You should have been there in the early to mid 80's, at least this team contends for an MIAC championship alomst every year. Is the talent level at SJU dropping off or others just getting better?

[DutchHawk]

You should have been there in the early to mid 80's, at least this team contends for an MIAC championship alomst every year. Is the talent level at SJU dropping off or others just getting better?

You could make the argument for a larger amount of parity as well.

Tough loss SJU...I fully expect to see you guys in the playoffs though. Good luck the rest of the year.

[RussellT22]

Since 2003 we've been an above average to good team.  Where are the athletes?  What has happened?

Now to truly answer your question, part of the "problem" lies in recruiting a national championship level QB to SJU. There are one of two ways that it is going to happen. Either 1. A DI or DIAA bounce back kid ala Ryan Keating or 2. Getting a great local kid to spurn other scholarship offers to come to SJU ala Linnemann, Denne, Koefed. All 3 of those guys grew up within 30 miles of SJU. There has not been a great local kid for SJU to even go after the past 5 years. Hence the QB debacle of 2008.

There was a QB in the MIAC that some would consider pretty good from Watkins, MN (~20 miles from SJU, according to Google Maps) that was a senior in '08. 

Shane Henfling was a nice MIAC QB who was from the area you are correct. He did not have a desire to sit behind Koefed for 3 years and ended up having a good career at Carleton. That being said he was not an elite level QB.

[RussellT22]

The problem is the weight room.  Look at the transfers. The kicker went from 170 last year to 210. The receiver from 175 to 190.  What if a DB goes from 170 to 185, a QB from 190 to 210-220 and offensive lineman picked up 30 pounds.  They need to incorporate what these kids are doing to prepare for a year from now. 
[/quote]

I don't quite understand your assertion here. If you are saying the coaching staff needs to take a look at where some kids might grow and develop and anticipate position switches then I can assure you that already happens. At least half a dozen kids every year switch positions in order to try and get them on the field or provide better depth. The gaining of 20-30 pounds in between seasons also has little to do with whether or not someone can play.

[WashedUp]

Shane Henfling was a nice MIAC QB who was from the area you are correct. He did not have a desire to sit behind Koefed for 3 years and ended up having a good career at Carleton. That being said he was not an elite level QB.

He may not have been "elite level", but he was an All-Region player, a distinction that Kofoed never received.  And the original post said that the reason that the QBs were so bad in '08 was because there weren't any local QBs worth recruiting (which is where Henfling comes in).

I would say the WR play has fallen off more than the QB play, though.  I haven't seen a real threat at WR for SJU since Gearman graduated.

[Veek]

SJU lost an OT game to Eau Claire.  It isn't the end of the world and I'm not about to write off the season yet.

Not to take anything away from Eau Claire but I thought the refs made numerous bad calls.  Two of them late in the game were roughing the passer and spotting the ball at the three yard line when SJU intercepted the ball in the end zone.  Can anyone explain how a pass can be intercepted in the end zone and then spotted at the 3 yard line?  Even if the ref who made the call felt that the interception was made out of the end zone it should have been spotted at the one or two FOOT mark, not the 3 yard line.  These two fouls were critical to the outcome of the game IMO. 

Having said this, however, I believe that the entire loss should be blamed on TDT for wearing GOLD shorts to the game.  He later claimed that he thought they were brown.  How in the hell one can confuse gold for brown is beyond me but many have claimed that TDT has always been in the dark.  This just serves as confirmation that he also dresses himself in the dark.

Great road trip with Fins.  I also got to see my aunt and uncle from Menomonie which was a plus.  Carson park is a nice facility, too. 

[D O.C.]

Boo (sniff) Hoo

Any red and white bearer want to join me in a quart (sniff) of ice-cream and some (sniff) re-runs of New Jersey Shore?
We can pretend Saturday just did not (sniff) happen.

[BDB]

Good times at the Johnnie Tailgate Saturday afternoon!

Thanks to Dusty, Ryan (son of Retired Old Rat,) and TDT (sort of) for hosting the event.

Great to see those guys plus Veek, Veeks dad, ROR, Johnnie Tats, tmerton and everyone else and of course my buddy finsleft.  

[MIAC23]

Hey RussellT, that is a killer name, where did you get it?

[OzJohnnie]

Just a quick check in to see how it went and... crud.

See you all again in a week.

PS, Rome is fantastic.  Everything is more impressive than you can imagine.

EDIT: And as we're waiting in the lounge Friday afternoon ready to leave for Europe the Vikes are on the TV playing the Saints.  Crappy football weekend all around.  At least the Twins are still hot.

[Veek]

Good times at the Johnnie Tailgate Saturday afternoon!

Thanks to Dusty, Ryan (son of Retired Old Rat,) and TDT (sort of) for hosting the event.

Great to see those guys plus Veek, Veeks dad, ROR, Johnnie Tats, tmerton and everyone else and of course my best buddy finsleft.  

Great seeing you, too, BDB, along with Samwill.  I would also like to thank Ryan, ROR, Dusty, Tats, and to a much lesser extent, TDT, for the tailgating that night.