FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[sjusection105]

Today I was talking with a very credible source who is involved with fundraising over at UST and there is a very real concern of losing Caruso to the upcoming opening over at the U of M if the Tommies are able to have another deep run into the play-offs in 2010

Developing.....

This has been said with some regularity in the past year. The last time a D-III coach went directly to a BCS head coaching job was in the '90s -- that's a gigantic leap that I don't think many athletic directors would be willing to make.

Pat, we are talking about Minnesota who thought they were getting  the best deal since sliced bread when hiring Brewster, who had no head coaching experience 

[Pat Coleman]

Today I was talking with a very credible source who is involved with fundraising over at UST and there is a very real concern of losing Caruso to the upcoming opening over at the U of M if the Tommies are able to have another deep run into the play-offs in 2010

Developing.....

This has been said with some regularity in the past year. The last time a D-III coach went directly to a BCS head coaching job was in the '90s -- that's a gigantic leap that I don't think many athletic directors would be willing to make.

Pat, we are talking about Minnesota who thought they were getting  the best deal since sliced bread when hiring Brewster, who had no head coaching experience 

Fair enough -- we do have to assume some level of incompetence. Still, though.

[USTBench]

With the apparent concern with the Johnnies' offense - particularly, it seems, with the passing game - it's worth noting the Tommies have scored a whopping eight more points than SJU this year. SJU has scored 40-plus three times already. First time they've done that in a season since 2007. And it's the same St. Thomas players - for the most part - who did nothing on offense last year until the late SJU mistakes. I think when it comes to this series, the St. Thomas offense has just as much to prove tomorrow as the Johnnies' offense.

Section: I've seen commenters on the Strib site who want Mike Grant for the Gophers. Don't they know he's going to take over SJU when John leaves in 2024?

A whopping 8 more points true. But a whopping 8 more points without Northwestern and Auggie Tech on the schedule.

40 against St. Norbert's - a perrenial favorite to win their conference
27 on UWRF - a WIAC team. Not a great WIAC team, but a WIAC team nonetheless

49 on St. Olaf - a team that will finish above .500
56 on Concordia - the only common opponent, but both STO and Concordia should do better than Auggie Tech


Granted UST's offense is mostly the same as last year, but I think SJU's defense will have more to say about how the Tommies fair this year. I don't think they're anywhere as good as last year's D, but we shall see.

Speculate, prognosticate, evaluate...doesn't really matter '03 was supposed to be a blow out but our 3 -7 Roney led squad played SJU tougher than anyone that year and that was supposed to be a blood bath. So, regardless of who wins, I imagine it will be very close.

[USTBench]

Granted a lot of UST's offense is predicated on getting Waldvogel the ball but out of the 69 completed through 4 games, 27 have been to Waldvogel. 10 other guys have receptions, and Ricky Margarit is averaging 20 yards a reception, so there's some others with big play capability. It's kind of like when SJU had Blake Elliot - find a way to get a ball any way possible because he's just that good.

(Before you all tweak out, I'm not saying Fritz is as good as Johnnie Jesus, just saying he's our versatile go to guy.)

The nice thing is we have a great running game with Wartman and Tobin. I'm guessing Caruso is keeping Wartman's status close to the vest, but if I were to bet, he'll play and get at least 15 touches.

I understand the rules governing double posts however in this case I must add immediately that anyone using the word "predicated" should immediately be dismissed.

I can see getting kicked off for using that word on the WIAC board, but it should be allowed here.

[sju56321]

St. Norbert-not real good this year and that was fairly close at half.
If SJU can score first, I like SJU's chances, added pressure on the favorite.
Yes, the D needs to step it up-and that can happen. It would not surprise me to see SJU win, only to lose next week at Bethel and end up with a three way tie in the MIAC, with Bethel and UST then going to the playoffs.

[Ryan Coleman]

I'm not much of a writer, but I have a collection of photos of the crowds, the face painting, the shirts from the UST/SJU games in the past few years up on the d3photography.com blog: http://blog.d3photography.com/2010/10/whats-in-a-rivalry-game/

I try to post a couple of blog entries a week, and you can follow our recent game galleries and posts through our facebook page.

Thanks!

[USTBench]

St. Norbert-not real good this year and that was fairly close at half.
If SJU can score first, I like SJU's chances, added pressure on the favorite.
Yes, the D needs to step it up-and that can happen. It would not surprise me to see SJU win, only to lose next week at Bethel and end up with a three way tie in the MIAC, with Bethel and UST then going to the playoffs.

Definitely a possibility. For whatever reason UST seems to have Bethel's number. Even in the Roney era we'd knock them off occassionally. Of course, equally as odd is Bethel's ability to beat SJU.

[USTBench]

I'm not much of a writer, but I have a collection of photos of the crowds, the face painting, the shirts from the UST/SJU games in the past few years up on the d3photography.com blog: http://blog.d3photography.com/2010/10/whats-in-a-rivalry-game/

I try to post a couple of blog entries a week, and you can follow our recent game galleries and posts through our facebook page.

Thanks!

Clicked on the link to Wikipedia's list of 45 DIII rivalries and noticed UST/SJU isn't on there because they don't play for something tangible or haven't named the rivalry.

Since Bennies are notorious for being chubby and according to you guys UST girls are slutty, maybe we could play for Snooki from Jersey Shore. Whoever loses has to keep her on their campus all liquored up for a year.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

On another note....did anybody hear about the Tommie players that came over to Edor Nelson Field to be photographed with a couple of Johnnies?  What's the story??? 

this morning's Strib should answer your question, Faunch. They were sent over in uniform for a photo shoot to accompany today's story on tomorrow's game (and the photo used was awful, IMO. The Stib should have had ROR take the pic- he might have captured some emotion in the players' faces, since the story was about former teammates lining up across the line from each other tomorrow)

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Clicked on the link to Wikipedia's list of 45 DIII rivalries and noticed UST/SJU isn't on there because they don't play for something tangible or haven't named the rivalry.

Since Bennies are notorious for being chubby and according to you guys UST girls are slutty, maybe we could play for Snooki from Jersey Shore. Whoever loses has to keep her on their campus all liquored up for a year.

actually, Bench, there is a traveling trophy, altho it hasnt left Collegeville. I've had the pleasure of seeing The Holy Grail-- it must outweigh the Gagliardi Trophy, if thats possible. Rumor has it THG will be residing at a new address come Sunday AM.

[USTBench]

Clicked on the link to Wikipedia's list of 45 DIII rivalries and noticed UST/SJU isn't on there because they don't play for something tangible or haven't named the rivalry.

Since Bennies are notorious for being chubby and according to you guys UST girls are slutty, maybe we could play for Snooki from Jersey Shore. Whoever loses has to keep her on their campus all liquored up for a year.

actually, Bench, there is a traveling trophy, altho it hasnt left Collegeville. I've had the pleasure of seeing The Holy Grail-- it must outweigh the Gagliardi Trophy, if thats possible. Rumor has it THG will be residing at a new address come Sunday AM.

The fact that there's a traveling trophy I didn't even know about might be the saddest thing I've ever heard.

[TC]

I was on the St. John's Senate when we got together with our St. Thomas counterparts to create the trophy for the 100th anniversary game.  While I thought it was very generous of St. Thomas to pay half the money for a trophy they'd never have, you could tell almost immediately that it would never catch on with the players and fans. 

[TC]

The fact that there's a traveling trophy I didn't even know about might be the saddest thing I've ever heard.

Much better.

[Ryan Coleman]

Clicked on the link to Wikipedia's list of 45 DIII rivalries and noticed UST/SJU isn't on there because they don't play for something tangible or haven't named the rivalry.

Since Bennies are notorious for being chubby and according to you guys UST girls are slutty, maybe we could play for Snooki from Jersey Shore. Whoever loses has to keep her on their campus all liquored up for a year.

actually, Bench, there is a traveling trophy, altho it hasnt left Collegeville. I've had the pleasure of seeing The Holy Grail-- it must outweigh the Gagliardi Trophy, if thats possible. Rumor has it THG will be residing at a new address come Sunday AM.

If it "traveled" we'd have seen it at the last 5 games... I have seen nothing.

[sju56321]

Well, obviously, there was no need to bring the trophy to UST, Ryan.