FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[DuffMan]

Alright.  Wartburg was really good, especially on D.  They're fast, hit hard, and tackle well.  I'll be interested to see how they matchup with an Aurora team that can give you fits.

SJU again didn't play 4 quarters.  There was flashes of excellence but also some major lapses.  Part of it's due to the level of competition, but things like running into punter...grrr.  Ah well, hopefully that ignites some off-season fires.

Great tailgate.  Aside from the regulars, it was nice to share a few brews with Wartknight and his son, Logan Hansen, and even Pat Coleman.

[Pat Coleman]

I am told bethel left at 1:12 am this morning for Oregon-nice screw job ncaa if accurate.

What?  They charter flights for playoffs, so I find that hard to believe.

Bethel was scheduled to leave about 6 hours earlier, but one of the pilots was ill and it presumably took a bit to get a replacement.

[Pat Coleman]

Great tailgate.  Aside from the regulars, it was nice to share a few brews with Wartknight and his son, Logan Hansen, and even Pat Coleman.

Same! It was worth getting there early, and also missing the first quarter of the east coast games, to come hang out with you folks and Sagatag Sam.

[Ice Bear]

Ice Bear...last post for the night (Ice says **** he posts this much after not even being able to watch any of the games) as he's officially OOC at this point. Ice just wants to congratulate SJU on yet another hell of a season. Ice says the Johnnies are one hell of a ****ing program. Ice sends all kinds of respect their way. Ice says with that being said he'll be sure to club a couple seals to garner some mojo for Bethel's hopeful revenge against the Johnnies next season for the late season ass kicking they gave the Royals.

[FarAwayCat]

Great game today by the Royals. I think you win that matchup 7 out of 10 times at least. Good luck vs MHB, they're gonna be tough.

[art76]

• BU led the time of possession 34:00-26:00

FWIW...

[MadRedFan]

I apologize if I missed this somewhere here, but, what happened to SJU kicker Murphy?  They were saying he was out later in the game?  Missed that watching and listening. Not paying attention???

[SJU13]

Caught the end of the game while on the road. Tough one for SJU but they had their chances despite the 4 picks, 3 points from two drives inside the Wartburg 10, and the special teams TD. The seniors and Covid year returns dealt with quite a few ups and downs this season. Feel for the guys like Vouk, Trost, and Mohr who returned but were hit with the injury bug.

Not sure there were many who expected to see a Wartburg vs Aurora matchup, but with the chaotic season we've had it shouldn't be a surprise. Good to see Bethel continue to represent the MIAC; hopefully the road magic continues in Texas.

[84SJU]

Any word on Van Erp's injury? It looked truly nasty!

[DuffMan]

It did look nasty!  He was on the sideline later in the game, so it wasn't hospital nasty, at least.

[D O.C.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8PsURqkXOk
LINFIELD post game

[hazzben]

It did look nasty!  He was on the sideline later in the game, so it wasn't hospital nasty, at least.

Glad he wasn't required to head into the hospital...it looked brutal on the video feed.

[sfury]

Ice Bear says while on a bus returning upstate from NYC and pulling his tiny polar bear tail out of his ass, great ****ing W today Bethel! Ice admittedly couldn't watch a second of it (although his ass followed it while hanging in Hell's Kitchen eating some macaroni) and hopes to catch a replay. Ice says that's a huge W over a very storied top notch program in Linfield. Ice says to win up there in the playoffs is something very few D3 schools could do, very few. Ice sends his congrats and makes the claim that come hell or melting polar ice caps, he'll be tuned in next week as his polar balls hopefully grow back throughout the week.

Ice,
We were pretty damn close today! As you were following Bethel in Hell's Kitchen I was agonizing at 59th Street as the Johnnies fell short.

Popping back to say congrats to the Johnnies at the end of another fun and fantastic season, even if it ended in frustration. Again. And congrats to Bethel. UMHB seems quite beatable as well.

Saw this stat in Frank's writeup: "SJU is 45-6 since 2018. All six losses were decided by four points or less."

Reusse had in his column that Larson's coming back but Wozniak isn't.

There was no response, but after five falls here, and a finance degree, and good job lined up with what he called the "Johnnie alumni network," Wozniak later reiterated what he said on Friday:

"I love this place, I love my teammates, but I'm done.''

Incredible career.

Was thinking of the Johnnie playoff losses since I became a fan. There are levels:

MOST PAINFUL
2000 title game loss. Coming within 3 points of national title.

EXCRUCIATING
1991--10 turnovers and still only lose 19-7 in semis. Probably win national title if they could have limited turnovers to, well, 5 like today.
1994. Again in the semis, this time at home, controversial possible bounce pass by Albion leads to winning score. Also again, probably win the title if they'd advanced.
2002 (Fall way behind -- sounds familiar -- against Trinity but battle back only to lose in the end. This isn't quite as bad as 91 and 94 because while I think they could have given Mount a game, Mount would have been pretty heavily favored.)
2018 and 2019--Both games end with the ball in hands of best QB in school history, absolutely could not have asked for more and then...
1999: An extremely limited offense after Linnemann injury but dominant defense. Probably should have beaten Pacific Lutheran, who then went on to dominate on their way to the title so this loss then hurt even more.

COULD HAVE WON, DIDN'T WIN
1996: 30-8 lead at Lacrosse vanishes in the mud. Don't think it was national title caliber team though.
1998: Maybe best defense in SJU history, offense good, lose 10-7 to Eau Claire at home. Feel like they could have gone long way but Mount was so dominant, not sure they could win a title.
2022: 5 turnovers and a stop on the 1-yard line and only lose by 3. Almost impressive in a way. But also very frustrating. Felt like they could beat anyone in the country, but also lose to any good team in the country.

NEAR UPSET, CLOSER THAN WE REMEMBER
2006 against Whitewater. Had chances against the budding dynasty.

EH, GOT BEAT BY BETTER TEAM.
2001 Mount Union
2005 Whitewater (was sort of crushing at the time but we didn't know what Whitewater was becoming).
2008 Whitewater
2015 St. Thomas
2016 Oshkosh

INEXPLICABLE BUT ALSO, EXPLICABLE?
1993 Mount Union. Highest scoring team in history. Destined to win the Stagg. And then...lose by 50? To some team who's never won a title? At the time it was bizarre, in the mud, totally destroyed. As time went on this loss started to make more sense, though I still think they could have given them a better game in better conditions.

DISAPPOINTING BUT NOT HORRIBLE
2007 Tough end to Kofoed era at Central
2009 Unbeaten but Boyle banged up, fall to Coe.
2014 A fun Johnnie team as they get back to playoffs but limited, lose to good Wartburg team.
2017 Struggle against North Central
2021 Team wasn't going to win title after Syverson injury but still wish they could have won a game or two.

[SJU13]

It did look nasty!  He was on the sideline later in the game, so it wasn't hospital nasty, at least.

Glad he wasn't required to head into the hospital...it looked brutal on the video feed.

I believe the word was dislocated elbow.

Seems he's taking it in stride with a bit of humor: https://twitter.com/vanerp_nick/status/1596627314707570688?s=46&t=oiprmrz3BRCclgY_HrLyug

[sju56321]

Add 1989 to the 91 Dayton debacles