FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[OldAuggie]

MIAC Week 4 2017

With one week of conference play under our belts, this week's games are the better match-ups in the MIAC, when compared with the games from this past week. As we look forward to games yet to be played this season, this may also be the best week in the conference concerning parity amongst the 8 teams in play.  More on this later. Concordia has the bye this week.

Game of the week has to be the game at Target Field.  You have to be living under a rock to not know that the Johnnies travel down to play the Tommies in what may be the largest game in MIAC or NCAA D3 history, attendance wise. It might also be one for the history books, but we have to wait until the game is played to find that out. It'll be a close game and it is my opinion that the Tommie defense won't have the answer to the Johnnie offense, in the way the game will play out when the fortunes are reversed. From what we have seen so far this season, the Johnny D is, to steal a word, stifling. I just don't see Roberts and company getting a foothold against it.

The remaining 3 games also look close to me. Augsburg travels down to Carleton to take on the Knights. The Auggies come into town wanting to put the tough loss to Gustavus this past week behind them. For the Knights, they'll be trying to stop a 0 and 4 start for this season, and a seven game home stand loss streak that stretches back into last season.  Unfortunately, it looks to me like the Auggies have enough to pull off a close win - they sure gave it a good shot last week.

St. Olaf at Bethel will also be close, and BU is also trying to stop going 0 and 4 at the beginning of its season, and sporting a 3 game home stand loss streak, reaching back to their loss to St. Thomas last year. The Oles were spirited in their play and never really gave up in their loss to the Johnnies this past weekend. And Bethel is banged up pretty bad already, but I think they will figure out a way to score enough points to secure their first win of the season.

The last game in the MIAC this weekend has Hamline traveling down to St. Peter to take on the Gusties. Hamline had an extra week to lick its wounds after losing to Macalester in week two. The Gusties only loss was to UW River Falls. So both of these teams come in with a loss and at least one win and look remarkably even to me. I think this one is too close to call, but I'm sure the odds makers will find something about them to hang their projections on. This could be as good a game as the Tommie-Johnnie game on the field.

Looking ahead, but not getting ahead of ourselves, things are already interesting with the schedule of who plays who when, at least concerning the now top 3 teams in the conference. The Johnnies and the Tommies play each other this week. If the Johnnies win, they do not see the Cobbers until the last week of the schedule and the only way the Tommies have a shot at the post season is for them to beat the Cobbers when they meet in week 6 at St. Thomas.  If the Tommies win this week, then it has the potential to be a lot messier, especially if the Cobbers can close the deal this year and win against the Tommies. But all of that is "ifs and buts" and having plenty of candy come Christmas.
It really looks to be a fairly competitive week all around the MIAC this week.

Despite the fact that you seem to hate Augsburg, I still like reading your posts Art! Nice work.

[RoyalsFan]

By the way, are Manny's and Murray's still the go-to steakhouses in town? I don't see many other options on Yelp. Any other recommendations?

I've always liked Ruth's Chris and if you get to St. Paul Mancini's is a good choice.

[RoyalsFan]

It would really piss off the Twins, too. The last thing they want is for a football game to be played in the wet on their field.

My guess is that they are planning on re-sodding after the game anyway, so don't see it being that big of an issue.

[art76]

Yowzers.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-wheaton-college-football-hazing-met-20170918-story.html

Just checking in before crashing and all I can say is double yowzers - this is just so bad in so many ways - so disappointing on so many levels.

[jamtod]

A "root beer kegger" ... OK.

I think they were confusing Wheaton for Bethel 

If I understand correctly, Bethel is like Wheaton Lite in some of those matters.

[Pat Coleman]

A "root beer kegger" ... OK.

I think they were confusing Wheaton for Bethel 

If I understand correctly, Bethel is like Wheaton Lite in some of those matters.

Indeed. Wheaton is actually pretty famous for this sort of stuff in Division III circles. (The lifestyle, not the hazing.)

[OzJohnnie]

Oh, boy, it's getting close.  Lots of Johnnie football news out tonight:

The A-Z FAQ on everything anyone going to the game may need to know:

http://www.gojohnnies.com/news/2017/9/18/football-a-to-z-guide-to-saturdays-johnnie-tommie-game-at-target-field.aspx


BARWICK NAMED MIAC SPECIAL TEAMS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:

http://www.gojohnnies.com/news/2017/9/18/football-barwick-named-miacs-special-teams-athlete-of-the-week.aspx


SJU FOOTBALL RANKED NO. 6 IN TWO NATIONAL POLLS:

http://www.gojohnnies.com/news/2017/9/18/sju-football-ranked-no-6-nationally-in-two-national-polls.aspx


The AFCA poll is here: https://www.afca.com/afca/Article?aname=POLL_DIII_2017_WEEK1

Johnnies are 6th
Tommies are 11th
Cobbers are 18th

[faunch]

Rain Friday night.  NWS calls for 60% chance on Saturday and Weather Channel has it at 90% chance. Will be interesting to see how the field holds up.

[DuffMan]

The A-Z FAQ on everything anyone going to the game may need to know:

"Bus Transportation
Saint Benedict, Saint John's and St. Thomas students with current student identification and a ticket
will be able to bus from St. Thomas to Target Field and return after the game. Sober CSB/SJU and
UST students may present their student id to get on the bus. The first bus leaves at 10:45 a.m. and the
last bus departs St. Thomas at 12:30 p.m. to get to Target Field. Buses will depart Target Field after the
game. Bus drop off and pick up at Target Field is on 7th Street by Gate 14."

What about the non-sober students?

[OzJohnnie]

The A-Z FAQ on everything anyone going to the game may need to know:

"Bus Transportation
Saint Benedict, Saint John's and St. Thomas students with current student identification and a ticket
will be able to bus from St. Thomas to Target Field and return after the game. Sober CSB/SJU and
UST students may present their student id to get on the bus. The first bus leaves at 10:45 a.m. and the
last bus departs St. Thomas at 12:30 p.m. to get to Target Field. Buses will depart Target Field after the
game. Bus drop off and pick up at Target Field is on 7th Street by Gate 14."

What about the non-sober students?

It's a long walk.

[SaintsFAN]

A "root beer kegger" ... OK.

obviously there's WAY too much "sugar" in that root beer

[SJUrube]

The A-Z FAQ on everything anyone going to the game may need to know:

"Bus Transportation
Saint Benedict, Saint John's and St. Thomas students with current student identification and a ticket
will be able to bus from St. Thomas to Target Field and return after the game. Sober CSB/SJU and
UST students may present their student id to get on the bus. The first bus leaves at 10:45 a.m. and the
last bus departs St. Thomas at 12:30 p.m. to get to Target Field. Buses will depart Target Field after the
game. Bus drop off and pick up at Target Field is on 7th Street by Gate 14."

What about the non-sober students?

Traditionally the schools place a ban on non authorized busses entering campus for this game. The city of MPLS has no restrictions so I envision a healthy dose of Rum Runner & Party on Wheels from Stearns County and STP to be arriving for the game.

[HansenRatings]

So if I'm in the area of Target Field on Saturday, where can a guy find a tailgate welcoming to someone wearing neither red nor purple?

[57Johnnie]

So if I'm in the area of Target Field on Saturday, where can a guy find a tailgate welcoming to someone wearing neither red nor purple?

At Macalester. 

[USTBench]

So if I'm in the area of Target Field on Saturday, where can a guy find a tailgate welcoming to someone wearing neither red nor purple?

At Macalester. 

+K

Your odds of finding four hippies playing hackysack are much higher than a finding a tailgate at Macalester.