FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[tmerton]

Congratulations to the Royals.  It's only the post game celebrations that must have been hard for the Johnnies to watch.

[TC]

It's all been said before, most eloquently be Esq a couple pages ago.  St. John's was definitely playing not to lose in the second half and not giving Kofoed any rope to hang himself with. 

The game was eerily reminiscint of last year's:  St. John's had an early lead then simply couldn't take the ball away from Bethel in the second half.  2nd half Time of Possession tells the whole story:  22 minutes for Bethel, 8 for St. John's.  Still, the Johnnies were one miraculous deep ball and a minute of game time away from eeking it out. 

They are who we THOUGHT they were!  (Thanks, Denny!)  St. John's is a good, not great, team who will have a good shot at beating some teams in the playoffs, will struggle if or when they run into Whitewater, and don't have a realistic shot at winning it all unless some minor miracles take place (namely Blake Elliott and Cam McCambridge discovering an unused year of eligibility).

So now their fate is in the hands of the selection committee.  There are worse fates.  At Central sounds like a reasonable destination for the lads.  I'm surprised so many people are convinced that St. Norbert's are getting a home game (and Bethel isn't).  I think St. Norbert's at Bethel is reasonable, and obviously would be a great matchup for the Royals.

Go Johnnies!!!  Let's hit the road--they've done it before.

[DustySJU]

Congratulations to the Bethel Royals for your conference championship and second consecutive season ending defeat of the Johnnies.

The Bethel defense up the middle was certainly enough to stop the repeated efforts of the Johnnie running backs to gain yards.  St. John's had a mere 2 first downs in the second half and 18 total plays.  A complete duplication of Bethel's effort in 2006 when they also significantly controlled time of possesion.

St. John's essentially ran a "prevent-offense" and were unable to do anything other than turn the ball back to the defense.  Very uncharecteristic for the J's to take on such an overtly mundane and conservative approach.  A very simple quick pass and slant pattern wasn't even attempted.  No opportunity again for St. John's to establish any offensive rhythm.

I certainly appreciate the efforts of all the J players but am disappointed in the result.  Good day, great friends, good Johnnie support.  

I just hope the offense can put the ball on their shoulders and look like a team intent on racking up yards and scoring points.  

Flush it! 

[Redtooth]

Tmerts,

The fact that Bethel didn't score in the 3rd quarter doesn't mitigate the fact that for the first 10:33  of the quarter Bethel held onto the ball for 17 plays.  After a 3/out by the J's, Bethel held the ball for another 3:30 and 9 plays.........14 out of 15 minutes and 26 plays......granted the minute and 3 plays that the offense ran were dreadful.....I find it hard to place exclusive blame on the offense or Jim.

How do you sustain a drive when you don't have the ball?

[DutchFan2004]

 Re: Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
« Reply #6925 on: October 07, 2007, 01:44:53 am »   

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No offense to the IIAC but if Wartburg losses at home to Augsburg, do the rest of us a favor in DIII and as a conference give up your automatic bid. 

SJU09  care to have a plate of crow?  How does your post look now?  Our Conference champ is undefeated and yours has a loss to our middle of the road team. 

Bethel congrats on the win!  No disrespect to you or your accomplishment this season.  You earned another MIAC crown and that is a tough thing to do. 

[sjusection105]

Congratulations to Coach Johnson and the Bethel Royals. They had a plan and worked that plan. The Johnnies can't score if they don't have the ball. The big O line for Bethel did exactly what they needed to do and they won the game and the MIAC title.

Now the Johnnies sit and wait.

See my game re-cap story @ www.JohnnieFootball.com

[johnnie_esq]

Tmerts,

The fact that Bethel didn't score in the 3rd quarter doesn't mitigate the fact that for the first 10:33  of the quarter Bethel held onto the ball for 17 plays.  After a 3/out by the J's, Bethel held the ball for another 3:30 and 9 plays.........14 out of 15 minutes and 26 plays......granted the minute and 3 plays that the offense ran were dreadful.....I find it hard to place exclusive blame on the offense or Jim.

How do you sustain a drive when you don't have the ball?

Here's the problem:

SJU first downs in the 1st half: 10 TOP: 16:24
SJU first downs in the 2nd half: 2 TOP: 8:06

When you don't take advantage when you do have the ball, that is a problem.  The defense gave up 7 points in the second half.  The offense scored 0. The defense held up its end of the bargain, the offense didn't.

[DustySJU]

Tmerts,

The fact that Bethel didn't score in the 3rd quarter doesn't mitigate the fact that for the first 10:33  of the quarter Bethel held onto the ball for 17 plays.  After a 3/out by the J's, Bethel held the ball for another 3:30 and 9 plays.........14 out of 15 minutes and 26 plays......granted the minute and 3 plays that the offense ran were dreadful.....I find it hard to place exclusive blame on the offense or Jim.

How do you sustain a drive when you don't have the ball?

RedTooth;  You're Montana math and analysis is confusing me.  

[Redtooth]

Dusty and Esq,

Help show me what I missed during the 3rd quarter.....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Play-by-Play Summary (3rd quarter)
  S 2-10 S43   Start of 3rd quarter, clock 15:00, SJU ball on SJU30.
--------------- 1 plays, 0 yards, TOP 00:05 ---------------

               Russell Gliadon kickoff 70 yards to the BU-FB0, touchback.
      B 1-10 B20   BETHEL UNIV. drive start at 15:00.
      B 1-10 B20   Logan Flannery rush for 3 yards to the BU-FB23 (Joe Luke).
      B 2-7  B23   Ben Wetzell rush for 9 yards to the BU-FB32, 1ST DOWN BU-FB (John
                   Cloeter).
      B 1-10 B32   Dusty Wahl rush for 3 yards to the BU-FB35 (Mike Schumacher).
      B 2-7  B35   Ben Wetzell rush for 7 yards to the BU-FB42, 1ST DOWN BU-FB (Mike
                   Schumacher).
      B 1-10 B42   Ben Wetzell pass complete to Kyle Lee for 8 yards to the 50 yardline
                   (Dominic Haik).
      B 2-2  B50   Logan Flannery rush for 7 yards to the SJU43, 1ST DOWN BU-FB
                   (Josh Rose;S. Foertsch).
      B 1-10 S43   Logan Flannery rush for loss of 1 yard to the SJU44 (Mike Schumacher).
      B 2-11 S44   Logan Flannery rush for 8 yards to the SJU36 (John Cloeter).
      B 3-3  S36   Ben Wetzell rush for 4 yards to the SJU32, 1ST DOWN BU-FB (John
                   Cloeter).
      B 1-10 S32   Logan Flannery rush for no gain to the SJU32 (Joe Luke).
      B 2-10 S32   Ben Wetzell pass complete to Nick Otto for 5 yards to the SJU27 (Kevin
                   Boegel).
      B 3-5  S27   Ben Wetzell rush for loss of 5 yards to the SJU32 (Joe Luke).
      B 4-10 S32   Ben Wetzell pass complete to Kyle Lee for 21 yards to the SJU11, 1ST
                   DOWN BU-FB (S. Foertsch).
      B 1-10 S11   Logan Flannery rush for no gain to the SJU11 (Ethan Eid).
      B 2-10 S11   Ben Wetzell rush for 7 yards to the SJU4 (Joe Luke), PENALTY BU-FB
                   holding 11 yards to the SJU22, NO PLAY.
      B 2-21 S22   Timeout Bethel Univ., clock 07:17.
      B 2-21 S22   Ben Wetzell pass complete to Aaron Bernstett for 11 yards to the SJU11
                   (Dominic Haik).
      B 3-10 S11   Ben Wetzell pass complete to Kyle Lee for loss of 1 yard to the SJU12
                   (Kevin Boegel).
      B 4-11 S12   Nate Gutshall field goal attempt from 28 BLOCKED, recovered by SJU TEAM
                   at SJU4 spot at SJU4, clock 05:57 (blocked by Nick Gunderson), TEAM for no
                   gain to the SJU4.
--------------- 17 plays, 68 yards, TOP 10:32 ---------------

  S 1-10 S04   SJU ball on SJU20.
  S 1-10 S20   Mike Patnode rush for no gain to the SJU20 (John Edwards).
  S 2-10 S20   Alex Kofoed pass complete to Brett Saladin for 7 yards to the SJU27 (Tim
               Cornish;Kurt Erickson).
  S 3-3  S27   Alex Kofoed pass incomplete to Mike Patnode.
  S 4-3  S27   Russell Gliadon punt 21 yards to the SJU48, downed.
--------------- 3 plays, 7 yards, TOP 00:00 ---------------

      B 1-10 S48   BETHEL UNIV. drive start at 04:28.
      B 1-10 S48   Logan Flannery rush for 4 yards to the SJU44 (Dusty Clintsman;Nick
                   Gunderson).
      B 2-6  S44   Ben Wetzell rush for 2 yards to the SJU42 (James Shockman).
      B 3-4  S42   Ben Wetzell rush for 3 yards to the SJU39 (James Shockman).
      B 4-1  S39   Logan Flannery rush for 2 yards to the SJU37, 1ST DOWN BU-FB
                   (John Cloeter).
      B 1-10 S37   Logan Flannery rush for 11 yards to the SJU26, 1ST DOWN BU-FB
                   (Kevin Boegel;James Shockman).
      B 1-10 S26   Logan Flannery rush for 3 yards to the SJU23 (Josh Rose).
      B 2-7  S23   Ben Wetzell rush for no gain to the SJU23 (Mike Schumacher).
      B 3-7  S23   Ben Wetzell pass incomplete to Kyle Lee.
      B 4-7  S23   Ben Wetzell pass incomplete to Aaron Bernstett.
--------------- 9 plays, 25 yards, TOP 03:33 ---------------


By my MONTANA math, Bethel held the ball for the first 10:32 of the quarter, that would indicate the offense was not on the field during that time.  We had a 3 and out that took less than a minute (stats are obviously wrong...you can't have a 3 play series taking no time off the clock).  Bethel followed the first series of the 3rd quarter with another 9 play drive that took 3:33 off the clock.

17+9=26 plays  10:32+3:33=14:05 minutes........at last check the quarters are still only 15 minutes.

I realize the offense clearly sh1t the bed the one series it had the ball in the quarter, I just am not clear on what the offense could have done to get the defense off the field

[johnnie_esq]

Esq-if it plays out like that seeding wise, I don't think SJU goes back to Central, two years in a row for the first round game. Still think that would be SJU at Norberts and Bethel at Central-because the NCAA will not stick Central.

I know what you mean, and I think if the Committee were going to be subjective, they would do as you suggest.

But because of the loss today, SJU would be behind BU in the rankings because of the head to head.  So it would penalize Central to have the higher ranked team-- which would be Bethel. 

The West region seems to really hinge upon what happens with Occidental tonight.  They are losing in the second quarter-- if they lose, the NCAA will take likely one team from the SCIAC; if they win, the NCAA could take up to three.  If the NCAA takes four teams from the West coast, that would be a lot of fixing around...

Here's what I am thinking now:
If Oxy wins:
8. Cal Lutheran at 1. UWW
4.  Bethel at 3. St. Norbert's

7. Redlands at 6. Occidental
5. St. Johns at 2. Central

This would require one flight here and one flight to wherever Whitworth gets sent-- whatever region that may be.  I think Whitworth should make the playoffs, as they have only one D3 loss.  I realize there is a SCIAC rematch, but I think the NCAA would do it to save a flight.

If Oxy loses;

8. Concordia (WI) at 1. UWW
4. Bethel at 3. St. Norbert's

5. St. John's at 2. Central
7. Whitworth at 6. Redlands

Sounds familiar, doesn't it?  Only one flight needed in the first round this way. 

[OzJohnnie]

Here's my assessment, fwiw:

* The defense put in a great effort
* The offense, in the biggest game of the year, put in a poor performance
* Special teams were not special

2 out of 3 would have won the game, 1 out of 3 gave the Royals an opportunity to take the win.  And they did.

We needed the piano hauler, in reference to a tale I told at the beginning of the season, and we didn't get one.  Bummer.

[johnnie_esq]

Dusty and Esq,

Help show me what I missed during the 3rd quarter.....

--------------- 17 plays, 68 yards, TOP 10:32 ---------------

  S 1-10 S04   SJU ball on SJU20.
  S 1-10 S20   Mike Patnode rush for no gain to the SJU20 (John Edwards).
  S 2-10 S20   Alex Kofoed pass complete to Brett Saladin for 7 yards to the SJU27 (Tim
               Cornish;Kurt Erickson).
  S 3-3  S27   Alex Kofoed pass incomplete to Mike Patnode.
  S 4-3  S27   Russell Gliadon punt 21 yards to the SJU48, downed.
--------------- 3 plays, 7 yards, TOP 00:00 ---------------

     
By my MONTANA math, Bethel held the ball for the first 10:32 of the quarter, that would indicate the offense was not on the field during that time.  We had a 3 and out that took less than a minute (stats are obviously wrong...you can't have a 3 play series taking no time off the clock).  Bethel followed the first series of the 3rd quarter with another 9 play drive that took 3:33 off the clock.

17+9=26 plays  10:32+3:33=14:05 minutes........at last check the quarters are still only 15 minutes.

I realize the offense clearly sh1t the bed the one series it had the ball in the quarter, I just am not clear on what the offense could have done to get the defense off the field

You know the answer to this.  They could have earned a first down. Or two. Or five.

I don't care if BU was on the field for 15 minutes in the third quarter.  They came away with zero points.  In fact, the 10 minutes on the field without points hurt Bethel more than it helped them.  But we didn't take advantage of it because we didn't use that momentum and gave it right back to them.

[Rugman]

I just am not clear on what the offense could have done to get the defense off the field

Tooth, it's not your math being questioned it's your conclusion.  If the offense had sustained a drive the one time they had the ball in the 3rd quarter, they would have kept the defense off the field.  A good drive might have lasted into the 4th quarter, but nonetheless it would have kept the defense off the field.  

[VOJ]

Fellas, I have to agree with Redtooth...the defense had problems getting off the field ALL GAME...Bethel was 2 for 6 on 4th down, with a few of those taking place inside the red zone...yes the D did its job, holding the Bethel O to 7 points, but those 7 points were the most critical of the game...

OZ was right we did not win two of three phases of the game we virtually tied on offense 10 points for Bethel and 14 for SJU, the defenses were fairly equal, but SJU lost the special teams battle, the TD given up after the 1st score was a huge mistake, one that can't be ignored, Kofoed's second INT was also ill timed and gave the Royals 3 in late in the first half.

You can blame the offense if you want, but truth be told there is blame to share...

[Rugman]

There's been quite a few pats on the back for the defense today and my pat on the back is that they stopped all but one drive without giving up a TD to a team that pretty much ran up and down the field on them.  (BTW some of that might have been Bethel not running the right play or carrying out their assignments to finish off these long drives).

But, bottom line..the defense lost the game because they couldn't protect the lead and the offense failed to win the game because they stopped attacking.  Maybe both got a bit overconfident and resting on the supposed Johnnie Magic.  I thought we had it won until THE PASS.

And, no-one is disagreeing with RT on his analysis and math only nitpicking his way of saying it.