FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[USTBench]

Looks like I let everyone back in the Pick 'Ems race by failing to turn in my picks. Whoops.

Anyone going to be in Moorhead for the Tommie/Cobber tilt?

No football game is important enough to miss the deer opener.  Haha!

Who doesn't have their deer shot and gutted by 1pm?

[desertcat1]

Looks like I let everyone back in the Pick 'Ems race by failing to turn in my picks. Whoops.

Anyone going to be in Moorhead for the Tommie/Cobber tilt?

No football game is important enough to miss the deer opener.  Haha!

Who doesn't have their deer shot and gutted by 1pm?

Yeah but , it takes a good fire for that fresh heart/liver with the red cup party boys..

[Tom Thumb]

To say I'm slightly concerned about all of the injuries for the Tommies right now would be an understatement. Can anyone provide an status update on some of the key injuries?

Talked at a close relative of Dan Ferrazzo today at a marketing seminar - Dan and Matt O'Connell will be back for the Concordia game.

That's good to hear.  That will open up the passing game and keep Concordia honest this Saturday.  Although I'm concerned about all the injuries, I think the Tommies are relatively healthy in the trenches which, in my opinion, is where this game will be won.  The O-line has been amazing.  No one has been able to stop the run all year.  And the Tommies' defense has been great.  If they can stop a guy like Ayrton Scott and shutout a team like Bethel, they can hang with anyone.   

[DuffMan]

Happy Halloween, fellas! (yep, that's a real cookie-duster)

[GoldandBlueBU]

Happy Halloween, fellas! (yep, that's a real cookie-duster)

If they let you pick your kid up from daycare with that 'stache, you'll know that they have a security issue.

[DuffMan]

If they let you pick your kid up from daycare with that 'stache, you'll know that they have a security issue.

Ha ha ha.  They never did see it.  It went from goatee to 'stache to clean-shaven--the ole push-broom only lasted Friday and Saturday.

[cobbernation]

Regional rankings are in!

WEST
1    Linfield    6-0    7-0
2    Wisconsin-Oshkosh    7-0    8-0
3    St. Thomas    8-0    8-0
4    Bethel    7-1    7-1
5    Concordia-Moorhead    6-1    7-1
6    Cal Lutheran    6-1    6-1
7    Coe    8-0    8-0
8    Pacific Lutheran    5-2    5-2
9    UW-Platteville    6-2    6-2
10    Lake Forest    8-1    8-1

If the Cobbers beat UST in Moorhead this weekend, I think they could leapfrog Bethel in the next reg rankings.  If they lose and keep it close they may drop a few spots, but I think they would be a worthy playoff team.

Any chances that 3 teams from the same conference get into the playoffs?  Pat?

[Pat Coleman]

There's a chance, yes. It's not a big chance but it has happened once in the 32-team playoffs. It's only likely to happen here if all three finish at 9-1.

[AO]

If the Cobbers beat UST in Moorhead this weekend, I think they could leapfrog Bethel in the next reg rankings.  If they lose and keep it close they may drop a few spots, but I think they would be a worthy playoff team.

Any chances that 3 teams from the same conference get into the playoffs?  Pat?

I estimated the SOS for Concordia after a loss to St. Thomas, and it's just not going to improve enough to match up with the 2-loss NWC teams (Pacific Lutheran, Willamette, Whitworth).  It's looking like just one two-loss team will make it into the field.  If Concordia had scheduled and beaten Scholastica, rather than having Whitworth travel to Duluth, it probably would have been enough to stay in position for the bid.

That said, win and you're in.  Win and 3 teams from the MIAC are in. 

[Retired Old Rat]

Any big time Gopher basketball fans out there?

I have season tickets, half court, 16th row.  I am looking to sell off 6 to 14 games.  Please PM me if interested.

[sjusection105]

Happy Halloween, fellas! (yep, that's a real cookie-duster)

LMFAO- that is spot-on Gallagher
Good job Duff!

[DuffMan]

105,
I caused the demise of several melons, too.  Quite fun...and messy!

[sjusection105]

105,
I caused the demise of several melons, too.  Quite fun...and messy!

Was Mrs. Duff impressed with the mess you made 

[DuffMan]

None were smashed at home, so the Mrs. enjoyed it, too!

[MadRedFan]

Belated follow-up to Saturday's SJU victory, a few random thoughts:

Nice day, seemed truly sparse for Family Day (we parked well after 11am and it never filled up in our parking location).  I know what they announced, but students must have been out with Mom and Dad on campus, the end zone was only about half full.  I don't even remember them "feeding the students" with Brudie's pizza, maybe then did and I missed it.  Plenty of the home side "faithful" didn't come.  We were closing up the cabin, so were in town and glad to have been there.

We talked about it possibly being John's last game.  I said I hoped he'd at least be on the field for the game.  He was.  I don't know, I kind of posted something to this effect a few weeks back, that a head coach should be on the field, maybe there's no correlation, but they did win with him on the sidelines.

At one point, I said to my "seat neighbor", he's going to go out in grand style - he was jawing the ref pretty good at one point and it would have been high theater to be kicked out in his last home game.

I asked a friend who works at SJU, in a non-faculty position but with plenty of contact with the monks, what he's been hearing.  He's been hearing John will retire before next year.  For what it's worth.

At the end of the game, there was a moment when Jimmy and Fasching and Haugen all kind of came up to John and shook his hand and patted him on the back, and one could read something into that.  I don't know, maybe I never paid any attention before, maybe that happens every game.  But at the time, I thought, something's up.

Earlier this year, well in September, my wife the Bennie and I were at breakfast at a long-time supper club in greater Collegeville, and we were seated near the owners, who were sitting with a priest with a long history with the athletic department.  It was hard not to overhear Father tell them, this will be John's last year, and Jimmy will leave too.  Again, for what it's worth.

The Johnnies looked pretty good Saturday.  The running game looked a little better.  Martin looks pretty good at QB.  He seems to have a tendency to hold onto the ball too long, but that's easy to say from up in the stands. He can throw the ball for distance. We don't have enough "big play" receivers.  Bungum doesn't get the ball enough.  We miss Freetly, but they still need to find the tight end.  Looking over the starters, whoever's coach, they'll have almost everyone back on offense next year (for better or worse).  The defense was charged up.  I still think they are a couple 225-230 pound linebackers away from being "solid" - too many 200 pound guys flying around. I like Zrust and Blenker in the middle of the D-line, and they've got a pretty good rotation all the way around in the line.  They've already worked in a couple "returning" guys into the starting D backfield and they both look pretty decent - the "California Connection", Warner and Willliams, isn't that it? 

I hope John comes back next year, I think, for the most part.  It would be nice to see him go out "on top", or at least go out fighting.  I have sort of been brought around to the idea maybe the recruiting isn't what it should be - I haven't really believed that, but it's hard not to see that the receivers aren't there and the running backs aren't really there and it isn't really clear there's all that much in the pipeline, skill position wise.  Like I say, I could stand for a little bigger pop at LB.

Here's hoping for a "non-losing" season!