FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Touchdown Tommy]

So if it comes down to field position, a head coach with a habit of going for it on 4th and 2 from the SJU 45 and who loses the coverage game could give the edge to the Jays.

ZING

[johnnie_esq]

Pick'ems are up-- early (Thursday night) game this week, so don't forget that.

[TC]

Why is it that Bethel alums are too afraid to predict a royal victory? 

Just because you make a ridiculous, outlandish prediction with no basis in reality doesn't make it any more likely to happen.

Say what you want about Bethel posters, but at least they have figured this out.


(Edited for spelling, and to mention that Bethel is Bad!)

[retagent]

My hope is that Bethel wins................ in two weeks. The MIAC may be suffering a down year as a conference, and it would be a bit of a rise in prestige to have two teams win in the first round.

[sju56321]

That reminds me-SJU should have some success with the shovel pass against Bethel.

[oldbethel27]

I'm back for the big week, and I'm preparing myself for the Stiftungsfestivities!! Can't wait to visit Collegeville (the best place in America, probably the world for that matter, to watch a footbll game) on Saturday.

Coach J had better not pull out his fake punts, and hopefully he won't even feel tempted. Two point conversions are also a horrible decision any time before the fourth quarter, but I'm sure he'll stay true to himself andtry a couple; I just hope it does hurt 'em like it has in the past.

[DustySJU]

Speaking of old coaches, JoePa will be laid up for a while but isn't slowing down. Wonder if he'll get a golf cart too?

I have just scanned the stat sheet and I tenatively like the Jays' chances. 

Johnnie Esq. out on the limb again.....

[VOJ]

Bethel has some weapons, unfortunately for them, they are a one dimensional team and one demensional teams usually get it handed to them by the Johnnies.  Yes Porta is a stud and the offensive line is good...but have they played a D-Line as good as SJU's yet?  No and if they could not run on Carleton, what makes you think they can do it on SJU...

The one thing I like about Kofoed is that he has come out in big games and played well, especially early...he tore apart the Ole's completing his first 12, (13 if you count the pick, that was overturned by penalty)and did well in the early going at St. Thomas, and minus the fumbles...which were not totally his fault SJU was 40 points better than the Toms...

Bethel has not blown out anyone in the top 4 in the MIAC this year and they won't do so on Saturday, can they win?  probably not, will they win...definitely not  Don't forget to pick up your "second place to SJU again in football" T-shirts as you leave Clemens,  Tom Stock will be handing them out along with your Gary's Pizza as you get on the bus...

Q:  What do Bethel and the Cubs have in common?
A:  They always can point to next year for that championship or in bethel's case an NCAA playoff win...

[BUdefense]

My reason to not come out and predict a Royal victory comes down to this: During my time there, there was an ever-pervasive cloud of doubt that hung over the team when it came to Johnnie week. It was never a question, and this year is no different, of whether we had the athletes to compete. There is an abundance of talent on this Royal team, and on paper I would put them against anyone and say they'd win. But that is why the saying "Thats why they play the games" exists.

All I know is there is a mental block on the Bethel sidelines, a nervousness that is always present when we play St. Johns. There is a deer-in-the-headlights look, almost as if we know its not a question of if we get hit by a car, but when. We EXPECT bad things to happen, and when they do, there is nothing but panic on the sidelines. There isnt a sense of urgency, but rather one of dread, a look in the eyes like "this cant be happening, not yet. We have to do something, but who will make the play?" Nobody comes out and says it, but all you have to do is look at body language. A 7 point Johnnie lead might as well be 77, and we backpedal the rest of the game, afraid to attack.

In addition, the refusal of the Bethel coaching staff (mainly the offensive minds) to alter their game plan to better attack the opposing team will continue to hamper the Royals ability to win. A perfect example of this is last year against St. Johns, when the offense continued to run stretch when the defense of St. Johns was built to stop it. What kills stretch plays? Speed, and lots of it, and from the front to back the Johnnie defense was assembled with speed in mind. So what does the offense do? Stubbornly refuses to acknowledge this and adapt, putting them further and further in a hole.

Bethel has to get on top early, and continue to make timely plays throughout the game if they plan on winning.  If the Johnnies go up by 10 or more at any point of the game, its over. Bethel has never been, nor will be under Johnson, a come-from-behind team. They dont have the killer instinct that is needed to shrug off temporary setbacks and play with aggression and tenacity while being in a hole.

oh, and sju56321, you make a nice point on the shovel pass remark. However, to attack the Royals blitz package, I would recommend the Johnnies opt for heavy doses of screen passes, not shovels.

['gro]

Johnnie fans... it's been a while since gro has ventured into these frigid parts.

Looks like the Johnnies are getting it done again this year. 4 Monkey Stomps (including 1 monkey stompout) on the season.  RPI not fairing well at 5-3, although we put 2 monkey stomps and 1 stompout under our belts. The semi final rematch will have to wait for '07.

MIAC AQ on the line this week, good luck. It's rivalry week in Troy. Union Sucks.

[BUdefense]

Expanding on my previous post, I want to take into account the attitude of many on the Bethel football team. Out of the 100 people on that team, I would estimate that 40 of them have the belief, I mean THE BELIEF, that they WILL win. Any person can tell you that a true champion never doubts the outcome of a game before they begin. What I mean is that there are 60 people on that team that know that Bethel can win, and that hope that they do. But in those 60 people, there is still doubt, the fear that I talked about, like "I HOPE we beat St. Johns", not knowing that they WILL.

I believe that if you ask St. Johns players if they think they will beat Bethel, they would answer something to the effect of "Think? We dont think we'll win, we KNOW we will."  And therin lies the reason Bethel will always be behind St. Johns in the heirarchy of the MIAC. I'm not saying Bethel will lose this weekend, far from it. I'm merely explaning why the top tier of the conference will always be the realm of one team, while great teams like Bethel will come in and take a conference title away every five years, they will never overtake the Johnnies for good.

[The White Silly]

Rumor has it that Bethel is completely altering there offensive game plan for the SJU game.  They will be strictly running the Flysweep Offense mixed in with a little Wishbone.  They've also been perfecting the "31 dirt" in which the running back runs right over the center.  This will be a key to victory.

[frank uible]

While running over the center, does he run on the center?

[johnnie_esq]

Rumor has it that Bethel is completely altering there offensive game plan for the SJU game.  They will be strictly running the Flysweep Offense mixed in with a little Wishbone.  They've also been perfecting the "31 dirt" in which the running back runs right over the center.  This will be a key to victory.

I'd love to see that-- Wetzell would be on his back most of the afternoon if they try that!  Besides, ask UWRF how going into the bone formation worked for them against the Johnnies.

BUdefense, great impartial analysis of the BU program.  I think you are absolutely right in that it is an attitude thing. The problem is that the continued "falling short" against SJU makes it a circular path downhill.  So it really depends on early momentum, and if the Johnnies can steal it early, it'll be uphill running the rest of the day.

If Bethel plans on blitzing a lot look for Giesen and Lofboom to have a big day, as sending one guy into Kofoed likely means one of these two will be able to break open.  I personally would look to send a base rush with deep LB drops and force SJU to beat you with 3 yard passes.  Gustavus had some success defensively doing this-- when the Oles blitzed the Johnnies, the numbers on the scoreboard could hardly catch up.  We'll see what Johnson wants to do, however.  I personally would try and make Kofoed make mistakes-- he fumbled against the Tommies and has a habit of throwing back across the field to make something huge happen, and that's where a good defense could capitalize.

Wetzell needs to have time and patience.  If the Johnnies can rattle him early, and stop Porta (believe it or not, it is possible), it could be a long day for the Royals, because a few INTs on thirds and longs will stick a fork in them.

Dusty, you know it- cautiously optimistic here... If we can run the ball at all against Bethel, we'll be in great shape, but if its windy, rainy and we can't throw...we're in for a dogfight.

[sumander]

Dusty, you know it- cautiously optimistic here... If we can run the ball at all against Bethel, we'll be in great shape, but if its windy, rainy and we can't throw...we're in for a dogfight.

-Esq - I was told once by a wise man " The sun always shines on Johnnie Football".