FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[wm4]

I ran the numbers quick from the play by play, because I apparently hate myself.
Mount had 244 yards in the second half.
74% of the total. Just under 3/4.

The accountant in me, ha. 

They went to that 2 back set in the second half and all hell broke loose.  If I recall, UST coaches really didn't make any halftime adjustments, yet MU changed things up a bunch.  Boom.

[jamtod]

I'm not sure which final game of the season left me more heartbroken - that championship loss or last year's game.

Ohh who am I kidding, I was fuming over last year's game for days. Although that might have had more to do with the Johnnies sitting in our section just to antagonize us that I definitely didn't almost get in a fight with, just in case my wife is reading this.

I ran the numbers quick from the play by play, because I apparently hate myself.
Mount had 244 yards in the second half.
74% of the total. Just under 3/4.

The accountant in me, ha. 

They went to that 2 back set in the second half and all hell broke loose.  If I recall, UST coaches really didn't make any halftime adjustments, yet MU changed things up a bunch.  Boom.

[OzJohnnie]

I was in the Jakarta airport waiting for my flight back to Melbourne last night and I saw this guy sitting across from me.  I could have sworn he was dead...  (click to embiggen)

 

[OzJohnnie]

Commercial time?  Ok.

This one for Ultra Tune, a car servicing chain, stars Jan Claud VanDamm. My, how low has he fallen. A caricature of himself.

https://youtu.be/oDSWSEjD3Mw

[Robert Zimmerman]

Bitter-sweet time of the year.  One week away from Johnnie football!!!  Back to school on Monday.  Octoberfest beers!!!  Back to school on Monday.

[Oleblue]

Anyone else surprised to see Hamline behind GAC in the preseason rankings?

[sjusection105]

Anyone else surprised to see Hamline behind GAC in the preseason rankings?

They both lost key pieces to their respective puzzles but the thought may be that GAC lost less OR their underclassmen are better than Hamline's.

[Pat Coleman]

Anyone else surprised to see Hamline behind GAC in the preseason rankings?

They both lost key pieces to their respective puzzles but the thought may be that GAC lost less OR their underclassmen are better than Hamline's.

Not that order in ours, for what it's worth.

Often conference coaches' polls are just a reiteration of the previous year's standings.

[sju56321]

Football already? Hopefully a fun and safe year. Big game for me sju v Bemidji state in rugby on the 16th.

[Mr.MIAC]

WTF

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2729443-72-million-for-a-high-school-stadium-in-texas-its-only-up-from-there?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_medium=referral

[Greggers]

WTF

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2729443-72-million-for-a-high-school-stadium-in-texas-its-only-up-from-there?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_medium=referral

It's a different breed in Texas, they truly do live and breath football for those people it's a good use of their tax money.

[sju#57]

Any one interested in the Champions Club Tickets I have for the J/T game at Target Field???   

[art76]

It's the first week of MIAC football - let's get going! For the second year in a row, all 9 teams were able to schedule their non-conference games into the first two weeks of the season. Last season against non-conference foes the MIAC went 10 and 8, a down year for sure.  D3 posted a 13 and 10 record in their Kickoff! article, but that includes the playoffs also. 

Digging in, in alphabetical order:

Augsburg hosts Northwestern, MN and in last year's game the Eagles were able to shut out the Auggies 14 to 0. It was a tough year last season for Augsburg and hopefully they can turn things around. I expect the Auggies will put points on the board this year, but I wonder if they will be able to put an entire game together this early in the season. I'm going to wimp out and call this game a toss-up. This is the only evening game in this week's schedule, so if you wanted to take in a second MIAC game on Saturday, here's your chance.

Bethel hosts Dubuque, in the second game of a home-and-home series where last year down in Dubuque, there was an aerial shoot out, with Bethel losing the game. It's not any secret here on this board that Bethel has changed its defensive coaching in the off-season, and so what teams saw in last year's film will look a lot different from what is on the field this year. Dubuque has the harder preparation week, because they don't know what they will face. But Bethel is more likely to have the harder day on the playing field as the squad works to learn the new defensive schema. As much as I would like to see Bethel win this game, I suspect that it will slip out of their fingers. If Bethel does win this game, I think it will start to set up, potentially, another wild year in the MIAC.

Carleton hosts Macalester for the annual Book of Knowledge contest. The Scots pulled off the win last year and on paper, they look like the better team this pre-season. Hopefully, by playing in Northfield, the Knights can pull a minor upset off and take back the trophy for the year, but I don't expect that to happen.

Concordia travels down to one of the newer D3 football teams in Nebraska Wesleyan of the IIAC, where they turned in a .500 season last year, in their first full season of D3 football games. But Concordia is used to seeing NAIA style teams, as they have often scheduled a game against Jamestown, ND. This will be a good tune up game for the Cobbers, and I expect them to win this game with a two to three score margin.

Gustavus hosts the Westminster, MO Blue Jays this year. Last year they went down and won pretty easily. I really don't expect the Jays to pressure the Gusties much, if at all. Another 4 score win is very likely to happen this year.

Hamline travels to Crown College, out on the West side of the twin cities for their first win of the season. There is the distinct possibility that this could be the most lop-sided score from this week's games. I fully expect the Pipers to take all the wind out of the Storm.

St. John's hosts St. Scholastica, meeting for the third time in four years. In both previous meetings the Saints were able to only score a single touchdown in each game. I expect the Johnnie defense to be just as stingy this year. This is the second of three games this week in the MIAC that are vying for the largest winning margin. The Johnnies will get into their third and fourth string rosters to give some up and coming young men some playing time.

St. Olaf hosts Grinnell for a nice home opener win. Grinnell will give the Oles a bit of a tussle, but I suspect that the Oles will pull away and win by 3 or 4 scores.

St. Thomas will be hosting the WIAC Eau Claire Blugolds. This is a match-up consisting of last year's MIAC champ versus the WIAC cellar dweller. This is the third game this week in contention for having the largest point differential when the final whistle is blown. Many, including this writer, will be watching to see how Jordan Roberts does for the Tommies - to see if he has a shot at winning some of the D3 single-season rushing records.

So, after the dust settles, the MIAC record after week one should look close to 6 and 1, with Augsburg and Bethel on the bubble.

[AO]

2017 MIAC PICK-EMS

All are welcome to pick! Please post picks to the pick-ems board here.

The HALL OF CHAMPIONS:
2016: Finsleft
2015: ChicagoTommie
2014: wm4
2013: FCGrizzliesGrad
2012: miacmaniac
2011: Finsleft
2010: Finsleft
2009: sju56321
2008: AO
2007: AO
2006: Piperinsider
2005: Frankrickard/Repete

Week 1 Sep. 2

Non-Conference: 2pts
Concordia @ Nebraska Wesleyan (+14.5)
Macalester @ Carleton (+3.5) for the BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE
St. Scholastica (+45.5) @ #10 St. John's
Westminster (+40.5) @ Gustavus
Dubuque (+2.5) @ Bethel
Grinnell (+55.5) @ St. Olaf
Hamline @ Crown (+28.5)
UW-Eau Claire (+35.5) @ #5 St. Thomas
Northwestern (+6.5) @ Augsburg

National: 1pt
#4 UW-Oshkosh @ #8 John Carroll (+3.5)

[GoldandBlueBU]

2017 MIAC PICK-EMS

All are welcome to pick! Please post picks to the pick-ems board here.

The HALL OF CHAMPIONS:
2016: Finsleft
2015: ChicagoTommie
2014: wm4
2013: FCGrizzliesGrad
2012: miacmaniac
2011: Finsleft
2010: Finsleft
2009: sju56321
2008: AO
2007: AO
2006: Piperinsider
2005: Frankrickard/Repete

Week 1 Sep. 2

Non-Conference: 2pts
Concordia @ Nebraska Wesleyan (+14.5)
Macalester @ Carleton (+3.5) for the BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE
St. Scholastica (+45.5) @ #10 St. John's
Westminster (+40.5) @ Gustavus
Dubuque (+2.5) @ Bethel
Grinnell (+55.5) @ St. Olaf
Hamline @ Crown (+28.5)
UW-Eau Claire (+35.5) @ #5 St. Thomas
Northwestern (+6.5) @ Augsburg

National: 1pt
#4 UW-Oshkosh @ #8 John Carroll (+3.5)

Thank you for running this, once again!