FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[wildcat11]

The issue is that PLU did something that Linfield has never done...beat SJU. 

That's it....we're not longer friends, Duff!

[desertcat1]

Sorry to hear that.  I know you'll be in St. Paul in spirit.

You mean the home seating on the visitor's side of the field? 

YES,  I will be there IN SPIRIT,  GO CATS, GO BIG D..

And Yes seats behind the visitor's bench..$$$ boys..Wine and cheese or i have another name But not on here ..

Still no takers on 42 -21  spread:o  but , then again would they pay up too

[SJUrube]

The UST front page feature is up.
http://d3football.com/playoffs/2015/st-thomas-playing-roles

I'm confused. Are they healthy or not? A few pages back there were concerns about the RB position. Is Sag behind these rumors as well?

[Retired Old Rat]

The UST front page feature is up.
http://d3football.com/playoffs/2015/st-thomas-playing-roles

I'm confused. Are they healthy or not? A few pages back there were concerns about the RB position. Is Sag behind these rumors as well?

The storyline that they are a bunch of unknowns is BS.  This is D3.  Unless you are Pierre Garcon you are unknown to most except for hard core d3 fans.  I can name more UST players than any of the other teams on the semis.  They are getting plenty of press locally.  They are in the biggest press market of any of the remaining teams and the Strib and PP have been good to very good to them lately.  And the UST PR machine (and I say that with some jealousy) has been working non-stop to get the names out.

Much better angles than this Caruso created meme for a story.

Jordan Roberts, anyone?

[USTBench]

I hear ya, and as a PLU guy I'm really conflicted here. See we were clearly SJU's first PacNW crush. We had a playoff date with them 4 years in a row ('98-'01). We had the cute Frosty and Gags thing going. Invested in the relationship; enlightened conversations about the Reformation and Scandinavian traditions; we don't tackle at practice either; all smitten.

Then in 2002...tap, tap on the shoulder. Fricking Linfield cuts in and they've been making out with the Johnnies ever since. WTH?

See, now, I will always have a bit of a soft spot in my heart for PLU.  The 1998 and 1999 games were epic.  Our trip out there in 2000 was a blast, our 2001 game in the awful Fargodome was so fun, and I eventually wore out my PLU shirt.  The issue is that PLU did something that Linfield has never done...beat SJU. 

Interesting Fargodome take Duff. NDSU needed a new football stadium, that can't be debated, and the Fargodome was new and shiny in the mid-90s, but it just doesn't feel collegiate to me. Same with the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. UND had a great, on-campus, stadium that needed some renovations, but I just don't like the indoor, corporatey, feel of both facilities. When they're more concerned putting "Gate City Bank Field" in huge letters on the playing surface, rather than a Bison logo, or UND logo, it just doesn't do it for me.

I played a few games at the Fargodome in HS and at the time it was the coolest thing ever. Of course playing on super abrasive astroturf laid over concrete is not ideal, but playing in the State Playoffs in the marquee stadium/arena in the State is pretty fun. But, as a spectator, it just makes me tired.

The caveat is obvious. Went to a late November game at the Alerus in 2011. UND v. USD. It was 11 degrees with a 40 mph wind and 30 below windchill. So glad UND had an indoor facility that day. Likewise, went to NDSU v Furman playoff game in 2013 and it was 20 below outside. Red River Valley is a whole different kind of cold from southern Minnesota. No topography to block wind. Still, it would be nice to watch a game in September or October outside. UND has a master plan to renovate Memorial Stadium and turn it into a 20,000 seat stadium with a retractable roof, but that's at least another 10-15 years from happening.

[miac952]

The UST front page feature is up.
http://d3football.com/playoffs/2015/st-thomas-playing-roles

I'm confused. Are they healthy or not? A few pages back there were concerns about the RB position. Is Sag behind these rumors as well?

The storyline that they are a bunch of unknowns is BS.  This is DC.  Unless you are Pierre Garcon you are unknown to most except for hard core d3 fans.  I can name more UST players than any of the other teams on the semis.  They are getting plenty of press locally.  They are in the biggest press market of any of the remaining teams and the Strib and PP have been good to very good to them lately.  And the UST PR machine (and I say that with some jealousy) has been working non-stop to get the names out.

Much better angles than this Caruso created meme.

Jordan Roberts, anyone?

It is a good time of  year to get on the local PR gravy train. Not much exciting news out of dinkytown, other than volleyball. Wolves and Wild are early in the seasons. The Vikings will always get there's of course, but for the most part some of the columnists are searching for material. Once you are past that second week of the D3 playoffs you have almost assuredly surpassed  any gopher football excitement. It is pretty par for the course this time of year. Reusse, Sansevere, and company have jumped on the Bethel train when they have made it this far as well. Some solid special interest stories and PR come out of deep playoff runs.

There will be a big void locally for the MIAC when Reusse retires next year from writing.

On the injuries my sense is the two RB's have some nagging one's that cant get worse, but both can play. I have no inside knowledge though.

[DuffMan]

Interesting Fargodome take Duff.

It's a fine facility, but my gripes are/were:
1) At the time, it had the most abrasive turf imaginable.
2) It was hot and stagnant.
3) With only a few thousand fans there, it felt like it was a JV high school game.

Of course, we shredded our field in the rain the week prior, and then it snowed 18" on top of that, so choices were limited.

[Gig Harbor Cat]

Your OL may be big, but they are all the same size around the ankle.  Root em out Cats.  Timberrrrrrr !!!  The LBs will clean it up from there.  This is one SALTY D !!  Fasten your seatbelts. 

Phone it in.

Cats get the W here

[jamtod]

The UST front page feature is up.
http://d3football.com/playoffs/2015/st-thomas-playing-roles

I'm confused. Are they healthy or not? A few pages back there were concerns about the RB position. Is Sag behind these rumors as well?

That headline caught me off-guard as well.  Most of our injuries are to the RBs, although they should be able to play, just maybe limited.  Relative to the 2012 run, we are very healthy as I don't see major injuries in other spots on the field.

I imagine most fans can't name 5 guys on a team other than their own. Most UST fans can't name 5 of our guys either.  Dowdle and Roberts are probably the two biggest names. Roberts has gotten a ton of press lately (Newsweek feature also) but he's in his first year here.  TEs aren't typically the most glamorous guys on the field, although a behind the back 2pt here and a fake FG run there can cure that pretty quick.

[USTBench]

The UST front page feature is up.
http://d3football.com/playoffs/2015/st-thomas-playing-roles

I'm confused. Are they healthy or not? A few pages back there were concerns about the RB position. Is Sag behind these rumors as well?

That headline caught me off-guard as well.  Most of our injuries are to the RBs, although they should be able to play, just maybe limited.  Relative to the 2012 run, we are very healthy as I don't see major injuries in other spots on the field.

I imagine most fans can't name 5 guys on a team other than their own. Most UST fans can't name 5 of our guys either.  Dowdle and Roberts are probably the two biggest names. Roberts has gotten a ton of press lately (Newsweek feature also) but he's in his first year here.  TEs aren't typically the most glamorous guys on the field, although a behind the back 2pt here and a fake FG run there can cure that pretty quick.

I know Riddle from Linfield because he played at UND for a year.

[jamtod]

The UST front page feature is up.
http://d3football.com/playoffs/2015/st-thomas-playing-roles

I'm confused. Are they healthy or not? A few pages back there were concerns about the RB position. Is Sag behind these rumors as well?

That headline caught me off-guard as well.  Most of our injuries are to the RBs, although they should be able to play, just maybe limited.  Relative to the 2012 run, we are very healthy as I don't see major injuries in other spots on the field.

I imagine most fans can't name 5 guys on a team other than their own. Most UST fans can't name 5 of our guys either.  Dowdle and Roberts are probably the two biggest names. Roberts has gotten a ton of press lately (Newsweek feature also) but he's in his first year here.  TEs aren't typically the most glamorous guys on the field, although a behind the back 2pt here and a fake FG run there can cure that pretty quick.

I know Riddle from Linfield because he played at UND for a year.

By virtue of us posting here, we're not the typical fans. 

[tommiegun]

Your OL may be big, but they are all the same size around the ankle.  Root em out Cats.  Timberrrrrrr !!!  The LBs will clean it up from there.  This is one SALTY D !!  Fasten your seatbelts. 

Phone it in.

Cats get the W here

Are the projected DL starters Hoff, Farber, Schwartz, and Grate?  If so, they will be giving up about 60 lbs, on average, to the athletic UST OL - I'm supremely interested to watch how things go in the trenches.  In HS I remember going up against some massive lines and just "out-quicking" them (small town football, so a 260 average was huge, we were at like 190, our NG was 150!) - but you've really gotta have a DL that is fully committed to getting physically pounded all day, play after play, for the team, and have great LBs - I suspect Linfield has both, but only time will tell!

Who plays LE? Hoff? I cannot wait to see the battle if it is Hoff v. Simmet. 

[bennie]

Talk about the Fargodome reminded me of the good old days when they would do the MIAC Showcase Day at the Metrodome. You could sit and watch MIAC action all day if you wanted to. The crowds looked extra sparse because of the size and I heard plenty of complaints about playing on the turf, but it was fun to be able to watch multiple games.

[jamtod]

Your OL may be big, but they are all the same size around the ankle.  Root em out Cats.  Timberrrrrrr !!!  The LBs will clean it up from there.  This is one SALTY D !!  Fasten your seatbelts. 

Phone it in.

Cats get the W here

Are the projected DL starters Hoff, Farber, Schwartz, and Grate?  If so, they will be giving up about 60 lbs, on average, to the athletic UST OL - I'm supremely interested to watch how things go in the trenches.  In HS I remember going up against some massive lines and just "out-quicking" them (small town football, so a 260 average was huge, we were at like 190, our NG was 150!) - but you've really gotta have a DL that is fully committed to getting physically pounded all day, play after play, for the team, and have great LBs - I suspect Linfield has both, but only time will tell!

Who plays LE? Hoff? I cannot wait to see the battle if it is Hoff v. Simmet.

Everything I've seen suggests that they bring Hoff from all over the place.

[tommiegun]

Your OL may be big, but they are all the same size around the ankle.  Root em out Cats.  Timberrrrrrr !!!  The LBs will clean it up from there.  This is one SALTY D !!  Fasten your seatbelts. 

Phone it in.

Cats get the W here

Are the projected DL starters Hoff, Farber, Schwartz, and Grate?  If so, they will be giving up about 60 lbs, on average, to the athletic UST OL - I'm supremely interested to watch how things go in the trenches.  In HS I remember going up against some massive lines and just "out-quicking" them (small town football, so a 260 average was huge, we were at like 190, our NG was 150!) - but you've really gotta have a DL that is fully committed to getting physically pounded all day, play after play, for the team, and have great LBs - I suspect Linfield has both, but only time will tell!

Who plays LE? Hoff? I cannot wait to see the battle if it is Hoff v. Simmet.

Everything I've seen suggests that they bring Hoff from all over the place.

Despite this alluring photo, I hope we try to hassle him. http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/1455/hoff.gif