FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[DuffMan]

There's a huge difference in fan turnout once the NCAA starts controlling the gate.

I believe that students must pay and season ticket holders must pay for playoff games.  That cuts your attendance big time.  Plus, fair weather fans don't want to sit it 20 degree weather.  And with tomorrow's forecast, we could be in for some ugly playoff weather in MN this fall.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Not to mention that the playoffs come during deer season (or at least it is deer season in Michigan).

[OzJohnnie]

Well, let's not count them post season eggs before they hatch. If we drop against STO the who is in?  CON or UST?

[Pat Coleman]

Yep, here too, and also in Wisconsin.

[Retired Old Rat]

How big a difference do you think Mathis would have made against SJU?  I'm a little surprised none of you Bethel guys mentioned that.

[D O.C.]

Going along with all the wish-listing it will be nice to have Touchdown Tommy and the johns back in McMinnville again.

[RoyalsFan]

How big a difference do you think Mathis would have made against SJU?  I'm a little surprised none of you Bethel guys mentioned that.

It might have made some difference, but the biggest issue was the 5 turnovers plus the goal line stand by SJU in the 1st quarter and Mathis couldn't do anything about those things. Sura had 119 yards on 40 carries, which averages to less than 3 yards per carry, so it's not like Sura shredded the defense.

[retagent]

How big a difference do you think Mathis would have made against SJU?  I'm a little surprised none of you Bethel guys mentioned that.

It might have made some difference, but the biggest issue was the 5 turnovers plus the goal line stand by SJU in the 1st quarter and Mathis couldn't do anything about those things. Sura had 119 yards on 40 carries, which averages to less than 3 yards per carry, so it's not like Sura shredded the defense.

But maybe, just maybe, the focus on him opened up other aspects of the SJU offense.

[RoyalsFan]

How big a difference do you think Mathis would have made against SJU?  I'm a little surprised none of you Bethel guys mentioned that.

It might have made some difference, but the biggest issue was the 5 turnovers plus the goal line stand by SJU in the 1st quarter and Mathis couldn't do anything about those things. Sura had 119 yards on 40 carries, which averages to less than 3 yards per carry, so it's not like Sura shredded the defense.

But maybe, just maybe, the focus on him opened up other aspects of the SJU offense.

True, but that's not what the question was about. Exactly how would the presence of Mathis made much of a difference. Their focus would still have been on Sura if Mathis was playing IMO.

[stanbob]

Poll predictions: The Johnnies move up to 15, maybe 14; BU falls to 16, maybe 17; UST move up two spots and CON are either 25th or the first team out of the rankings.

SJU 13, bethel 18, ust(d) 22, Concordia tie for 29

[OzJohnnie]

Poll predictions: The Johnnies move up to 15, maybe 14; BU falls to 16, maybe 17; UST move up two spots and CON are either 25th or the first team out of the rankings.

SJU 13, bethel 18, ust(d) 22, Concordia tie for 29

That was a more significant Johnnie win than I thought, the Tommie slaughter was right and I thought CON would get more love for their victory over GAC.  CON actually got fewer votes, which is surprising.  They'll drop out the voting all together when they don't play next week.

[Robert Zimmerman]

Not that it would have changed the outcome of the game, and maybe I don't know a rule exactly like I think I do, but on at least two occasions when Peterson on a keeper ran out of bounds the clock kept running. There were a large number of us in the stands that were wondering what was going on. Any one want to comment with clarification?

After the SJU clock operator left .6 seconds on the board against Augsburg a few years back that led to a miraculous Hail Mary loss for SJU, the home clock operator has now been instructed to let the clock run twice a game to ensure that never happens again.

[SagatagSam]

Maybe it's never happened because SJU and UST have not met in a playoff? The  attendance for the regular season game between those 2 teams in 2011 was 16,421 so I'm not sure why you would say 16,500 isn't possible.

SJU and UST have met for playoff games (whether NCAA or MIAC playoffs) in many other sports and its the same story when it comes to attendance. There are a number of factors that drive attendance down for the football playoffs, almost all of which have been mentioned.
1) students have to pay for playoff games -- that cuts student attendance by at least 50-75% (depending heavily on the weather)
2) colder weather
3) final exams are right around the corner
4) usually one of the weekends is Thanksgiving weekend

It might be easier to explain how the 16,421 game from 2010 was a bit of an outlier:
1) it was homecoming at SJU.
2) it was the most beautiful weather anyone could ask for ever.
3) it was the first time the two had met with the Toms ranked in the top 5
4) the winner would be the clear favorite to win the MIAC
5) the previous two meetings ended in epic fashion (Overtime in 2009, and in 2008 UST's Ben Wartman run inside was ruled down before breaking the plane. On second down and inches, Ryan McCarthy fumbled the exchange from Sauer and Kyle Schroeder jumped on the ball to seal the victory, 12-9, for SJU.)

Put another way, 2010 was a near perfect storm for attendance purposes.

[faunch]

So with one week left in the season what's the biggest story in MIAC football this season?

-SJU's resurgence...on the cusp of Fasching's first MIAC championship and the playoffs in only his second year
-UST home for Thanksgiving once again...and only two seasons removed from a run that took them to Salem
-GAC's turnaround
-AUG's implosion
-Hamline takes the Hammer

[OzJohnnie]

So with one week left in the season what's the biggest story in MIAC football this season?

-SJU's resurgence...on the cusp of Fasching's first MIAC championship and the playoffs in only his second year
-UST home for Thanksgiving once again...and only two seasons removed from a run that took them to Salem
-GAC's turnaround
-AUG's implosion