FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[AO]

Agreed. GAC has a nice team this year.  GAC/U$T will be a battle (again).

The MIAC is two leagues right now.

Top:
SJU, BU, UST, GAC, Cobbers

HUGE GAP

Bottom:
St. Olaf, Hamline, Carleton, Augsburg

I think the Oles have proven they're above the bottom tier.  Might be able to play with a couple of the top 5.

[hazzben]

That's probably fair. Though from where I sit, I'd love to see the top tier destroy Olaf this year to stick it to the Cowardly Lion, aka Pres. Anderson.

[OzJohnnie]

So it would appear the SJU win against GAC was a good win??

Stout trying to make it a good (better) win for both SJU and GAC up 19-0 at half v Cal Lutheran @ Thousand Oaks

Man, the Stout oline has five inches and sixty pounds over the CLU dline.  Big boys.

[BDB]

Line size wise they matched up with SJU, were a little larger than GAC and have some difference with the SCIAC Cal Lutheran squad.

This Cal Lutheran stadium is pretty cool. Not Natural Bowl beautiful/unique but pretty cool.

Edit: game is here if you want some video

  https://portal.stretchinternet.com/clu/portal.htm?eventId=542932&streamType=video

[57Johnnie]

Line size wise they matched up with SJU, were a little larger than GAC and have some difference with the SCIAC Cal Lutheran squad.

This Cal Lutheran stadium is pretty cool. Not Natural Bowl beautiful/unique but pretty cool.

Edit: game is here if you want some video

  https://portal.stretchinternet.com/clu/portal.htm?eventId=542932&streamType=video

I got it. Go Blue Devils! 

[RoyalsFan]

Exciting game at GAC today, could have easily gone into overtime. With that said, it really shouldn't have been that close IMO for several reasons.

1st: mid 2nd quarter, Bethel up 14-0 at their own 30 with 4th and 1 and they go for it and get stopped. Why would Coach J go for it in that situation, especially against a good team? Bethel had all the momentum up till that point, but that changed the game giving GAC momentum and a short field and they scored a td. That really changed the game.

2nd: I normally don't like to rag on refs since I know it is a difficult job, but this game had to be the worst, most lopsided I have ever seen. Well into the 4th quarter it was 1 penalty for 5 yards against GAC versus 11 for 122 against Bethel. They seemed to be looking for anything to call against Bethel, but was letting obvious holding calls against GAC go uncalled. I don't think this crew even knows what offensive pass interference is. There were 2 blatant offensive PI calls that should have been called on GAC but were called against the Bethel defense instead. They finally did call a defensive PI and holding call in the 4th quarter against GAC, but it was still very lopsided. I'm not saying Bethel didn't deserve any of the calls, but the refs were not calling it the same both ways.

3rd: GAC scores a td and does a pooch kickoff (which they did on their previous kickoff so it shouldn't have come as a surprise). The middle tier blockers for Bethel turn their backs on it and the kick hits one of the blockers in the back and GAC recovers giving them another short field and they get a td out of it. Terrible special teams blunder. So with the 4th down turnover deep in their own territory earlier in the game and the pooch kick recovered deep in Bethel territory, GAC capitalized and turned both short fields into 14 points, plus and a short field goal by Bethel that hit the upright, makes it a 17 point swing.

4th: another questionable targeting call. GAC receiver lays out diving for the ball so of course he is leading with his head. Defender goes for the ball but they collide and of course the defender makes contact with the receiver's helmet as the receiver is basically diving into the defender (I don't believe it was helmet to helmet though). But because there was contact with the receiver's head, they call targeting and that is an ejection which was Bethel's best pass defender so they had to play about a half without him.

So along with those reasons and Bethel getting 4 interceptions, the game was a lot closer than it should have been IMO - but that is why they play the game and give credit to GAC to take advantage. Glad Bethel was able to still come out on top.

[art76]

So, can the Tommies come back from a 14 point deficit at the half?

[Pat Coleman]

So, can the Tommies come back from a 14 point deficit at the half?

I'm certain they can. But will they?

[art76]

So, can the Tommies come back from a 14 point deficit at the half?

I'm certain they can. But will they?

Nope.

[sjujohnnie]

Sayonara, St Thomas!

[jamtod]

Ouch. A rough game.

Really impressed with the UWEC production and broadcast crew.

Once I get past the sting, I'll think about my perspective on going for 2 early. I understand the thought but going back and forth on whether I like it or not.

Dolan has to get better. Defense adjusted after the early scores, but can't give up those big plays early and put us behind

[wm4]

Tip of the cap to UWEC, they played great, took advantage of what they had early, and hung on to win.  Congrats to them, they deserved it.

As for UST, where to start.  Turnovers, bad reads, untimely penalties, goofy coaching decisions and a little bit of panic in my view, and they got the result unfortunately they deserved.  Dolan was very inaccurate tonight on anything over 10 yards, and tried too hard, too often to go for the bigger plan downfield.  So much room for improvement in his play, but I think the play calling could have been a ton better as well.  Too much East and West, when North and South was needed in the running game.  5-7 yard hitches and outs were there all second half, but Dolan went down the middle of the field and really nothing worked.

I also think Caruso got way too cute with down and distance and field position late in the 4th quarter.  I'll have to go back and look at the box score, but at about the 5 minute mark they decided to go for it on about their own 45, when a punt was the proper play there.  UWEC wasn't going to throw the ball, wasn't able to run and UST likely would have pinned them back and made them punt from deep in their own territory.  I said this at the time that they should have punted. 

Lots of football to be played, but every big game is essentially a playoff from here on out.  CM, SJU, GA and Bethel all will be tall tasks based on what happened today. 

['95 Blugold]

Tip of the cap to UWEC, they played great, took advantage of what they had early, and hung on to win.  Congrats to them, they deserved it.

As for UST, where to start.  Turnovers, bad reads, untimely penalties, goofy coaching decisions and a little bit of panic in my view, and they got the result unfortunately they deserved.  Dolan was very inaccurate tonight on anything over 10 yards, and tried too hard, too often to go for the bigger plan downfield.  So much room for improvement in his play, but I think the play calling could have been a ton better as well.  Too much East and West, when North and South was needed in the running game.  5-7 yard hitches and outs were there all second half, but Dolan went down the middle of the field and really nothing worked.

I also think Caruso got way too cute with down and distance and field position late in the 4th quarter.  I'll have to go back and look at the box score, but at about the 5 minute mark they decided to go for it on about their own 45, when a punt was the proper play there.  UWEC wasn't going to throw the ball, wasn't able to run and UST likely would have pinned them back and made them punt from deep in their own territory.  I said this at the time that they should have punted. 

Lots of football to be played, but every big game is essentially a playoff from here on out.  CM, SJU, GA and Bethel all will be tall tasks based on what happened today.

Blugold fan here and pretty much agree with everything you said. I also think they should have punted there in the 4th with just under 5 to go. I was surprised at the pass rush the Blugolds were able to come with in a pretty consistent basis throughout the game. Have to think that played into some of Dolan's inaccuracies.

That ineligible player down field on the TD really hurt. I think that drive ended in a missed FG. The missed FGs came up huge overall along with the INT in the end zone.

Take away the turnovers and the three scoring big plays and this game was really dominated by Tommies. Blugold's three scoring plays accounted for 130 yards. Their other 47 plays on the night 137 yards. Blugolds were 1 of 13 on third down and without going through the play by play to confirm, I don't think they got a first down the whole second half. Defense had to be gassed and really was a miracle they were able to hold on the way they did.

Was a great game to watch.

[OzJohnnie]

The Tommies are by no means down and out. They led all aspects of the statistics game and lost only because the UWEC d-line played like it was the last game they would ever play.  20 years from now those UWEC defenders will rightfully be like Al Bundy talking about the four TD's he scored in one game for Polk High. They pressured (and beat up and panicked) the Tommie QB and the UST coaching didn't help on two key decisions (going for 4th and long in a punting situation and going for 2 early when an OT was clearly a Tommie advantage) plus their tendency to call deep, low odds passes.

So the Tommies will likely need to win out to make the postseason and they will be very capable of doing just that. Plus with a chip on their shoulder to make amends for this game I expect them to be very dangerous.

[OzJohnnie]

Mrs Oz and all the Oz cherubs have been out all day so it's just me and the dog at home.  It's given me a bit of peace and the freedom to watch football all day. I just flicked on the replay of the Johnnie/Carleton game and I love the Knights's announcer.  He's like an enthusiastic grandpa and very easy to listen to. Knights fans are lucky to have him.