FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[stanbob]

A Wartburg Knight was in his car when he was hit by a semi truck. He decided  to take the the other party to court. In court the trucking company's fancy lawyer was questioning the Knight. "Didn't you say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine'?" asked the lawyer.

Warty responded, "Well I'll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the...."

"I didn't ask for any details," the lawyer interrupted, "just answer the question.  Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine'!"

Knightburg said, "Well I had just got Bessie into the trailer and I was driving down the road...."

The lawyer interrupted again and said, "Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question."

By this time the Judge was fairly interested in the man's answer and said to the lawyer, "I'd like to hear what he has to say about his favorite mule Bessie."

Knighty McWartburg thanked the Judge and proceeded, "Well as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other.  I was hurting real bad and didn't want to move. However, I could hear ole Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. Shortly after the accident a Highway Patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her, he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes.  Then the Patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me. He said, 'Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?'"

Was the lawyer a tommy?

[OzJohnnie]

[MiacMan]

Attended the Tommie/Wartburg game Saturday. 1) Wartburg fans, game staff and everybody else were very gracious and accommodating hosts. They have like a "Pit BBQ" set up as you enter the stadium. Get the Pork Pattie Sandwich/burger it is fabulous! they have most of the fixins, but no onions, so bring those yourself and you'll have a mouth watering delight! 2) Johnnie fans, get ready to play yourselves, very similar teams, both have a very good runningback, a very good receiver and a solid QB that seems to make plays when you need it, great O-line play as well.. Defensively, again, very similar, on the smaller side but very quick and loaded with playmakers. 3) Crowd was somewhat sparse, not sure of the actual attendance but, It appeared to me that it was 2/3rds Wartburg, 1/3rd UST and probably around 4000-5000 total. The way SJU travels I would guess with a little extra effort you could outnumber the Wartburg faithful. Hopefully you'll have nice weather for the game. Both teams should get ready for a real war with two very evenly matched teams. I know Johnnie fans don't really want to hear this but you would have been much better off with a UST victory on Saturday. I would guess your odds dropped about 20% from 75% chance for a win to about 55%(+, -) Should be a great game! Don't let our friends from our southern border run the table on us.

[AO]

Attended the Tommie/Wartburg game Saturday. 1) Wartburg fans, game staff and everybody else were very gracious and accommodating hosts. They have like a "Pit BBQ" set up as you enter the stadium. Get the Pork Pattie Sandwich/burger it is fabulous! they have most of the fixins, but no onions, so bring those yourself and you'll have a mouth watering delight! 2) Johnnie fans, get ready to play yourselves, very similar teams, both have a very good runningback, a very good receiver and a solid QB that seems to make plays when you need it, great O-line play as well.. Defensively, again, very similar, on the smaller side but very quick and loaded with playmakers. 3) Crowd was somewhat sparse, not sure of the actual attendance but, It appeared to me that it was 2/3rds Wartburg, 1/3rd UST and probably around 4000-5000 total. The way SJU travels I would guess with a little extra effort you could outnumber the Wartburg faithful. Hopefully you'll have nice weather for the game. Both teams should get ready for a real war with two very evenly matched teams. I know Johnnie fans don't really want to hear this but you would have been much better off with a UST victory on Saturday. I would guess your odds dropped about 20% from 75% chance for a win to about 55%(+, -) Should be a great game! Don't let our friends from our southern border run the table on us.

too long-didn't read to the end; bring your own onions

[grboob]

Wartburg stands at 3-0 against MIAC teams in 2014.

Johnnies should be reminded that the Knights are not the Saints  from the far reaches of Minn.

[hazzben]

2) Johnnie fans, get ready to play yourselves, very similar teams, both have a very good runningback, a very good receiver and a solid QB that seems to make plays when you need it, great O-line play as well.. Defensively, again, very similar, on the smaller side but very quick and loaded with playmakers.

Gotta disagree a little bit here. Wart's QB Schrader is a totally different animal than Martin.

PASSING    GP    Effic    Cmp-Att-Int    Pct    Yards     TD    Long    Avg/G
Schrader     11    182.7    166-262-5    63.4    2742    28    70    249.3

And I don't know that SJU has a WR like Jacobsmeier, he's fast, fluid and long (I'm guessing his reach far exceeds his 6'2" frame). That's not a knock on Voshell or Bungum, but they are different wideouts and used in very different ways.

Both teams are very good up front. Both have plenty of speed on Defense.

Domeyer is a really good RB, but I'd argue Sura is a tad better (that's not a prediction of who will have the better game against the opposing D, mind you).

This should be a great matchup. Playmakers, fast & physical D's, good coaching, etc. The Johnnies have been exceptional at creating turnovers in key situations this year. The last few times Bethel played Wartburg, they were susceptible here. That could be a factor.

Warburg's biggest advantage against SJU might be playoff experience (who would have imagined typing that 10 years ago  ). The Knights have played in some really big post season games the last few years, while SJU only has the St. Scholastica game to draw on. Obviously that only includes players, SJU's staff is plenty familiar with playoff football and winning big games.

I'm expecting a really good game. Too bad it's so early and on the Thanksgiving weekend, so the crowd will likely be a little sparse.

Wartburg stands at 3-0 against MIAC teams in 2014.

Johnnies should be reminded that the Knights are not the Saints  from the far reaches of Minn.

Ya don't say I think everyone on this board and everyone in the SJU locker room is very aware of 1) the quality of SJU's opponent 2) their record against common MIAC opponents 3) that this is a far cry from CSS

Cue Oz or Duff noting that Wartburg should be aware that SJU is not Augsburg, Bethel or UST  (I need to take a shower after typing that  )

[RoyalsFan]

Attended the Tommie/Wartburg game Saturday. 1) Wartburg fans, game staff and everybody else were very gracious and accommodating hosts. They have like a "Pit BBQ" set up as you enter the stadium. Get the Pork Pattie Sandwich/burger it is fabulous! they have most of the fixins, but no onions, so bring those yourself and you'll have a mouth watering delight! 2) Johnnie fans, get ready to play yourselves, very similar teams, both have a very good runningback, a very good receiver and a solid QB that seems to make plays when you need it, great O-line play as well.. Defensively, again, very similar, on the smaller side but very quick and loaded with playmakers. 3) Crowd was somewhat sparse, not sure of the actual attendance but, It appeared to me that it was 2/3rds Wartburg, 1/3rd UST and probably around 4000-5000 total. The way SJU travels I would guess with a little extra effort you could outnumber the Wartburg faithful. Hopefully you'll have nice weather for the game. Both teams should get ready for a real war with two very evenly matched teams. I know Johnnie fans don't really want to hear this but you would have been much better off with a UST victory on Saturday. I would guess your odds dropped about 20% from 75% chance for a win to about 55%(+, -) Should be a great game! Don't let our friends from our southern border run the table on us.

Agree with most of what you said about the teams except I think Wartburg has a big advantage in the passing game. Wartburg's qb has been solid all year, while Martin has been sporadic at best although he has been doing better lately.  Wartburg averages more than double the passing yards per game at 262 compared to 124. Yes, I realize it's hard to compare when they don't play the same teams but I did see both teams play against Bethel. It still should be a great game this weekend and am looking forward to watching it (hopefully I won't have to depend on Stretch and Wartburg will provide a stream like they did last weekend). 

[USTBench]

2) Johnnie fans, get ready to play yourselves, very similar teams, both have a very good runningback, a very good receiver and a solid QB that seems to make plays when you need it, great O-line play as well.. Defensively, again, very similar, on the smaller side but very quick and loaded with playmakers.

Gotta disagree a little bit here. Wart's QB Schrader is a totally different animal than Martin.

PASSING    GP    Effic    Cmp-Att-Int    Pct    Yards     TD    Long    Avg/G
Schrader     11    182.7    166-262-5    63.4    2742    28    70    249.3

And I don't know that SJU has a WR like Jacobsmeier, he's fast, fluid and long (I'm guessing his reach far exceeds his 6'2" frame). That's not a knock on Voshell or Bungum, but they are different wideouts and used in very different ways.

Both teams are very good up front. Both have plenty of speed on Defense.

Domeyer is a really good RB, but I'd argue Sura is a tad better (that's not a prediction of who will have the better game against the opposing D, mind you).

This should be a great matchup. Playmakers, fast & physical D's, good coaching, etc. The Johnnies have been exceptional at creating turnovers in key situations this year. The last few times Bethel played Wartburg, they were susceptible here. That could be a factor.

Warburg's biggest advantage against SJU might be playoff experience (who would have imagined typing that 10 years ago  ). The Knights have played in some really big post season games the last few years, while SJU only has the St. Scholastica game to draw on. Obviously that only includes players, SJU's staff is plenty familiar with playoff football and winning big games.

I'm expecting a really good game. Too bad it's so early and on the Thanksgiving weekend, so the crowd will likely be a little sparse.

Wartburg stands at 3-0 against MIAC teams in 2014.

Johnnies should be reminded that the Knights are not the Saints  from the far reaches of Minn.

Ya don't say I think everyone on this board and everyone in the SJU locker room is very aware of 1) the quality of SJU's opponent 2) their record against common MIAC opponents 3) that this is a far cry from CSS

Cue Oz or Duff noting that Wartburg should be aware that SJU is not Augsburg, Bethel or UST  (I need to take a shower after typing that  )

I can't disagree that Sura is a tad better than Domeyer but I will say that Domeyer was surprisingly shifty for his size (6'1" 220lbs) and reads his blocks very well. I know when a similar back, Kaiser from UST got rolling in the SJU game this year, the Johnnies struggled with his size a little bit. I will concede that SJU is a much better tackling team than UST this year, so that may be able to neutralize some of their other threats, such as Schrader scampering out of the backfield (which he did effectively on Saturday) and Brandon Richardson (Who was a very good change-of-pace back to Domeyer). Interested to see how SJU handles Jacobsmeier, who is the second best receiver I've seen this year next to Joey Sonnenfeld.

[DuffMan]

Interested to see how SJU handles Jacobsmeier, who is the second best receiver I've seen this year next to Joey Sonnenfeld.

Sonnenfield:  2 catches for 22 yards vs. SJU.  I'll take that from Jacobsmeier. 

[Retired Old Rat]

There are reasons Wartburg is rated 5th in the country.  Johnnies will need to play their best game of the year to advance.

[OzJohnnie]

Wow, great posts everyone.  Thanks.  I've been distributing karma like the Dali Lama this morning.

[Touchdown Tommy]

The X Factor is absolutely Nick Martin on Saturday.  He has played his best in the biggest games of the year (Bethel & UST).  I thought he was horrendous against CSS.  There were numerous times where he held the ball too long in the pocket, failed to feel the pressure from his backside, and nearly was crushed/fumbled.  He held the ball way too long and several times took significant losses instead of throwing the ball away.  In addition, Martin missed several wide open receivers because he is too slow in his read progressions.  Sundly should've scored twice on identical plays to the flat off play action if Martin had seen him wide open.

I thought the offense as a whole looked confused & out of sorts against CSS.  I noticed they again had issues getting the right personnel/play call in from the sidelines which resulted in wasted timeouts at the line of scrimmage.  Anyone look what the SJU conversion rate to points was on those 8 CSS INTs?   It sure didn't feel adequate. 

It won't fly against a much better opponent in Waverly this weekend.

[wif]

The X Factor is absolutely Nick Martin on Saturday.  He has played his best in the biggest games of the year (Bethel & UST).  I thought he was horrendous against CSS.  There were numerous times where he held the ball too long in the pocket, failed to feel the pressure from his backside, and nearly was crushed/fumbled.  He held the ball way too long and several times took significant losses instead of throwing the ball away.  In addition, Martin missed several wide open receivers because he is too slow in his read progressions.  Sundly should've scored twice on identical plays to the flat off play action if Martin had seen him wide open.

I thought the offense as a whole looked confused & out of sorts against CSS.  I noticed they again had issues getting the right personnel/play call in from the sidelines which resulted in wasted timeouts at the line of scrimmage.  Anyone look what the SJU conversion rate to points was on those 8 CSS INTs?   It sure didn't feel adequate. 

I agree with the above assessment. Actually, the offense has been a little out synch for the last two weeks. Granted the St. Olaf game was played on a skating rink, but I expected a little more crisp execution against CSS than what I observed on Saturday. I can think of a number of excuses, but at the end of the day, the Johnnie O has left some plays on the field against two teams they are much better than. All of us know, that can't happen against Wartburg, or the Johnnies will be handing in their equipment a week from today. As opportunistic as the defense has been, the Johnnie O will have to play it's best game of the season against Wartburg.

It won't fly against a much better opponent in Waverly this weekend.

[OzJohnnie]

The X Factor is absolutely Nick Martin on Saturday.  He has played his best in the biggest games of the year (Bethel & UST).  I thought he was horrendous against CSS.  There were numerous times where he held the ball too long in the pocket, failed to feel the pressure from his backside, and nearly was crushed/fumbled.  He held the ball way too long and several times took significant losses instead of throwing the ball away.  In addition, Martin missed several wide open receivers because he is too slow in his read progressions.  Sundly should've scored twice on identical plays to the flat off play action if Martin had seen him wide open.

I thought the offense as a whole looked confused & out of sorts against CSS.  I noticed they again had issues getting the right personnel/play call in from the sidelines which resulted in wasted timeouts at the line of scrimmage.  Anyone look what the SJU conversion rate to points was on those 8 CSS INTs?   It sure didn't feel adequate. 

It won't fly against a much better opponent in Waverly this weekend.

When your right, TDT...  I'm surprised

But you've got it in one, I think. Martin is the difference. The defence has hit a stride and is playing consistently well. Sura and the o-line are consistent and confident. Martin is the man.

Maybe he over thinks when he has too much time. Put him in a big game where he only has to make sure the other guys are ticking, rather than be the guy as everyone expects from the QB, and the machine works best.

[BDB]

Attended the Tommie/Wartburg game Saturday. 1) Wartburg fans, game staff and everybody else were very gracious and accommodating hosts. They have like a "Pit BBQ" set up as you enter the stadium. Get the Pork Pattie Sandwich/burger it is fabulous! they have most of the fixins, but no onions, so bring those yourself and you'll have a mouth watering delight! 2) Johnnie fans, get ready to play yourselves, very similar teams, both have a very good runningback, a very good receiver and a solid QB that seems to make plays when you need it, great O-line play as well.. Defensively, again, very similar, on the smaller side but very quick and loaded with playmakers. 3) Crowd was somewhat sparse, not sure of the actual attendance but, It appeared to me that it was 2/3rds Wartburg, 1/3rd UST and probably around 4000-5000 total. The way SJU travels I would guess with a little extra effort you could outnumber the Wartburg faithful. Hopefully you'll have nice weather for the game. Both teams should get ready for a real war with two very evenly matched teams. I know Johnnie fans don't really want to hear this but you would have been much better off with a UST victory on Saturday. I would guess your odds dropped about 20% from 75% chance for a win to about 55%(+, -) Should be a great game! Don't let our friends from our southern border run the table on us.

too long-didn't read to the end; bring your own onions

I have to admit, this is funny.