FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Tom Thumb]

Anyone hear Chuck Foreman's comments during the game? Looks like his son had a pretty bad experience at Augustana. The poor kid called his dad after the first day of practice. Also, was it just me or did Foreman pretty much say that he feels like UST's staff is better than the Gophers?

[tmerton]

Wow, I return from a 2 week vacation to find evidence of civilization - flash is back!  Good news indeed - looking forward to the news and views from Janesville.  Was especially glad to have have that news after reading someone compare UST to Notre Dame.  The only things UST and ND have in common are I.A. O'Shaughnessy (his name is on a classroom building at ND) and being Catholic (I'm assuming UST is).

[Mr.MIAC]

Anyone hear Chuck Foreman's comments during the game? Looks like his son had a pretty bad experience at Augustana. The poor kid called his dad after the first day of practice. Also, was it just me or did Foreman pretty much say that he feels like UST's staff is better than the Gophers?

Based on what I heard, correct on all counts.

[Mr.MIAC]

Wow, I return from a 2 week vacation to find evidence of civilization - flash is back!  Good news indeed - looking forward to the news and views from Janesville.  Was especially glad to have have that news after reading someone compare UST to Notre Dame.  The only things UST and ND have in common are I.A. O'Shaughnessy (his name is on a classroom building at ND) and being Catholic (I'm assuming UST is).

Oh, and you forgot to mention that the Holy Cross Fathers (you know, those guys that run Notre Dame) also administered UST...

[Walter Eagle]

Having two fewer prep days is a lot like Stagg Bowl week, actually. If the Stagg is on Friday, it's a six-day week but one of those days is a travel day.

Caruso wanted two more days to prepare for the J's. 

It would be nice to hang 80 on them.

Of course 80 would show poor sportsmanship; let's keep it in the low 60s... 

On an unrelated note, I found this story interesting.  Maybe even our SJU brethren will enjoy it...

http://www.stthomas.edu/news/2013/09/10/markell-icon/?WT.ac=UR10-Sep-2013.usthp&utm_source=UR10-Sep-2013.usthp

I would never predict a score this lopsided in a rivalry game, especially considering UST's historical tendency to turn the ball over and rack up 100+ yards in penalties.  O'Connell has been a bit erratic in his throwing in the scrimmages and the second half of the first game, so if St. John's can stop his running an force some bad passes, this could be a very close game.   On the other hand, if St. John's can't run the ball a lot better than it did in last year's game (24 net yards on 24 carries) they're going to have a long day.  Last year's margin of victory can be found in the difference between the running games; otherwise both teams were very close.

[Mr.MIAC]

Having two fewer prep days is a lot like Stagg Bowl week, actually. If the Stagg is on Friday, it's a six-day week but one of those days is a travel day.

Caruso wanted two more days to prepare for the J's. 

It would be nice to hang 80 on them.

Of course 80 would show poor sportsmanship; let's keep it in the low 60s... 

On an unrelated note, I found this story interesting.  Maybe even our SJU brethren will enjoy it...

http://www.stthomas.edu/news/2013/09/10/markell-icon/?WT.ac=UR10-Sep-2013.usthp&utm_source=UR10-Sep-2013.usthp

I would never predict a score this lopsided in a rivalry game, especially considering UST's historical tendency to turn the ball over and rack up 100+ yards in penalties.  O'Connell has been a bit erratic in his throwing in the scrimmages and the second half of the first game, so if St. John's can stop his running an force some bad passes, this could be a very close game.

I agree.  That's why I went with 66 - 10.  It's an improvement (for both teams) on the UST 63 - 7 blowout...pushing it to 80 is not likely.  By the way, pretty sure Bench was joking on that one.

[Retired Old Rat]

Wow, I return from a 2 week vacation to find evidence of civilization - flash is back!  Good news indeed - looking forward to the news and views from Janesville.  Was especially glad to have have that news after reading someone compare UST to Notre Dame.  The only things UST and ND have in common are I.A. O'Shaughnessy (his name is on a classroom building at ND) and being Catholic (I'm assuming UST is).

I can think of one other thing the two institutions have in common, but I'll keep it to myself.   

[retagent]

It's not if you score 60 or 80. It's the way it happens. If the reserves can run up the score - more power to 'em. You can't, and shouldn't ask the reserves to not play as well as they can. However, if you leave the starters in well past the time the game is in question, that might be called poor sportsmanship.

I fell like everyone should know this by now, but I forget, when you haven't been there, you don't know how to act when you get there.

[ron doney]

Who has more pressure this weekend, SJU to prove they're back or UST to prove they're worthy of moving to a higher division?

That's actually a good question.

My knee jerk was SJU. But UST isn't without pressure. They've now won a two straight games against their rivals, but they aren't that far removed from over a decade of ineptitude. Losing despite superior talent (I think SJU is much better this year, but hasn't totally closed the gap) would be a dangerous return to form for the culture Caruso's trying to build.

All that said, I still think it's SJU. This game is at Clemens. And while they may not be the favorites, losing 3 straight to a surging UST program hurts on multiple levels, but especially recruiting. I have no idea, but when was the last time SJU lost 3 straight to UST? Gotta think that would be another serious blow to Johnnie pride. And then there's always the blowout factor. I'd be really surprised if this game got out of hand and shocked if SJU won in a blowout (but they've done that sort of thing before, 2001 Bethel  ). But you don't lose to a team 63-7 and not have a little something nagging the back of your mind going into the game next year. They need a good first quarter/half. If the Tommies get rolling the doubt could creep back in.

Personally, I think we see a return to the norm. A close fought, hard contested game. Even a horrible UST team in 2003 played the eventual national champs close. Should be a another great one on Saturday.

Thanks for saving me the trouble of writing my response...exactly what I was thinking.  Last year it was a forgone conclusion that UST was going to win.  People that follow the MIAC really weren't surprised by the beat down in St. Paul.  SJU needs this game to be competitive and a win would be huge confidence builder for the program.  A loss on Saturday would mean that only this year's senior class would have only one win against the Tommies.  I would think that could become a pretty big monkey on the back of the underclassmen.

How big is that Monkey anyhow? 

The players can focus one game at a time, but I'm skipping ahead 

[Mr.MIAC]

It's not if you score 60 or 80. It's the way it happens. If the reserves can run up the score - more power to 'em. You can't, and shouldn't ask the reserves to not play as well as they can. However, if you leave the starters in well past the time the game is in question, that might be called poor sportsmanship.

I fell like everyone should know this by now, but I forget, when you haven't been there, you don't know how to act when you get there.

So to explain this using a phrase likely familiar to most of our SJU brethren, you're saying that "it's not the size of the boat that matters, but rather it's the motion of the ocean."  Do I have that right?

[OzJohnnie]

From the it's a small world files...

I was in Sydney again earlier this week to take the division members up there for an end-of-financial-year lunch (afternoon booze-up to be honest).  I was chatting to one of the guys and it turns out he has a son in university going to the US for a six month study abroad program.  "Yeah," I say, "Where?"

"Minnesota," he answers.

"Really?" I ask, "I'm from there.  Which school?"

"St John's," he says.

His kid is going to be there for second semester this year.  I told him it's a bummer that he'll miss football season.  I also told him that it's a very good choice.

EDIT: And I just sent him the link to the Johnnie fight song.  It wouldn't be right to go over under cooked.

[DoubleO]

It's not if you score 60 or 80. It's the way it happens. If the reserves can run up the score - more power to 'em. You can't, and shouldn't ask the reserves to not play as well as they can. However, if you leave the starters in well past the time the game is in question, that might be called poor sportsmanship.

I fell like everyone should know this by now, but I forget, when you haven't been there, you don't know how to act when you get there.

How soon we forget! Ol' Gags was infamous for often leaving the 1's in much "past the time the game was in question." That fact is what made watching his distaste for his own medicine in his twilight years that much sweeter for the rest of us. What goes around comes around-just in his case it was much to long in coming around. Shoe doesn't fit so good on the other foot now, does it?

CT, don't let anyone (excluding perhaps Pat) muzzle your enthusiasm. I can assure you there are plenty of us that enjoy it. Again, it's the shoe not fitting  thing for them.

[DuffMan]

How soon we forget! Ol' Gags was infamous for often leaving the 1's in much "past the time the game was in question."

Also don't forget that we're not that far removed from the days of no automatic play-off bids.  At that time, trouncing teams upped your stock.

[OldAuggie]

It's not if you score 60 or 80. It's the way it happens. If the reserves can run up the score - more power to 'em. You can't, and shouldn't ask the reserves to not play as well as they can. However, if you leave the starters in well past the time the game is in question, that might be called poor sportsmanship.

I fell like everyone should know this by now, but I forget, when you haven't been there, you don't know how to act when you get there.

How soon we forget! Ol' Gags was infamous for often leaving the 1's in much "past the time the game was in question." That fact is what made watching his distaste for his own medicine in his twilight years that much sweeter for the rest of us. What goes around comes around-just in his case it was much to long in coming around. Shoe doesn't fit so good on the other foot now, does it?

CT, don't let anyone (excluding perhaps Pat) muzzle your enthusiasm. I can assure you there are plenty of us that enjoy it. Again, it's the shoe not fitting  thing for them.

I saw it "come around" twice and in person the last two years vs Augsburg. It was sweet although I'll admit that I did feel a little twinge of sorrow for a very brief moment last year. He knew he was getting his payback. 

[AO]

It's not if you score 60 or 80. It's the way it happens. If the reserves can run up the score - more power to 'em. You can't, and shouldn't ask the reserves to not play as well as they can. However, if you leave the starters in well past the time the game is in question, that might be called poor sportsmanship.

I fell like everyone should know this by now, but I forget, when you haven't been there, you don't know how to act when you get there.

How soon we forget! Ol' Gags was infamous for often leaving the 1's in much "past the time the game was in question." That fact is what made watching his distaste for his own medicine in his twilight years that much sweeter for the rest of us. What goes around comes around-just in his case it was much to long in coming around. Shoe doesn't fit so good on the other foot now, does it?

CT, don't let anyone (excluding perhaps Pat) muzzle your enthusiasm. I can assure you there are plenty of us that enjoy it. Again, it's the shoe not fitting  thing for them.

I saw it "come around" twice and in person the last two years vs Augsburg. It was sweet although I'll admit that I did feel a little twinge of sorrow for a very brief moment last year. He knew he was getting his payback.

Gags made it really tough to revel in victory when he'd slowly walk alone right after the handshake at Bethel, looking depressed and cold, just trying to get inside as quickly as possible, which was hard to do at Bethel as the path to the locker rooms required walking the hills with the bethel students on their way back to the dorms/student center.