FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[repete]

Let's all agree that both Bethel and Mount will be playing the best teams they have faced all year.

I'm comfortable in saying HALF is this statement is correct.  I still have my doubts about whether Bethel is up to the task of pushing MUC harder than Capital, Baldwin Wallace, Ithaca and St John Fisher did.  If they can, congrats to them, but MUC has a very nasty reputation of killing one dimensional teams. 

The question is; Will Bethel be able to do what no other team has done this year? It is doubtful, but if they can get any momentum early by maybe surprising MUC with a competent ground game and a Green Bay style dink and dunk passing game, they have a chance. Although, VERY good UWW teams in the last two years were not able to do so, which doesn't bode well for the Royals.

Bethel better hope they win the coin flip, take the kickoff and then go on a long scoring drive to start the game.  Otherwise MUC will run them off the field in the 1st quarter. 

Honestly, I hope Bethel is up to the challenge because my only serious concern heading into the Stagg Bowl (especially against WWW) is that Mount will get complacent.  And winning the semi's by 30+ points could lead to this destructive thinking at Salem VA.

FWIW, the spread on the OAC pick-em's is Bethel (+34.5)

Baldwin-Wallace? As for Ithaca and SJF, who knows? I haven't been that impressed with Eastern teams and they haven't fared well in their past few matchups against the West.

Plus I don't think there's as much difference between UWW and the West champ as you believe. For example, UWW won its North semis and final by an average of 35.5 points this season. Last season, in the West ... 3 points.

But that said, I agree that Bethel's lack of an air game plays right into MUC's hands. It had enough offense (with help from special teams) to beat an inconsistent SJU and get past Central. But the inability to stretch a defense as well as Johnson's sometimes bizarre  game management/playcalling could lead to a long day.

Plus if you get MUC on a good day and opponent on a bad, the Raiders will make anybody in d3 look lousy. It's happened to a lot of decent teams.

I'd like to see a great, competitive game, but ...

[seventiesraider]

If your wondering about Alliance weather, here is a web cam from the roof of the Administration and Weather conditions from the roof of the science building

Chapman Hall Weather and Webcam

[DuffMan]

Bethel's corners suck.  Carr is really their only star in the backfield.  The pressure they put on the QB with their guys up front is what can make opposing QBs look bad.  With an o-line and QB like Mount has, Bethel will be in for a long day.

You have absolutely no grounds for this statement.  First, I'm assuming you saw them play ONE time all season (please correct me if I'm wrong).  The only long pass SJU completed against them was the TD pass just after halftime, and they were in cover 2, which means the corners did not have "don't get beat deep" responsibility on that play.  I could break down each game for you, but in the end it's my opinion against yours, and frankly yours is wrong .  All three (Ryan Herm - SR, Nate Holm - JR, and Tim Cornish - SO) are great cover guys as well as great playmakers, with different strengths: Herm is the most disciplined and being a senior, understands the defense as well as anyone on the team.  Holm is tough as nails, and is as good against the run as any corner I've seen, as well as being an excellent cover corner.  Cornish is just a flat-out playmaker (who reminds me of my old comrade and All-American Ben Matthews), who has 2 pick-sixes on the season and made an SJU special-teamer look FOOLISH on a kick return he took to the house.

You're right on two things: 1) Carr is a star, and 2) Pressure on the QB is any team's best "pass coverage."

But you don't have to be pre-season all-american to not suck, so back off Bethel's corners... please.

Agree to disagree, then.  I stand by my statement.  Bethel's secondary even gave up 384 yards through the air to Augsburg.  IMHO, Matthews wasn't that good, either.  He made a lot of picks, but his tackling left a lot to be desired.

MUC will make them look foolish.

[bennie]

Heisman time!

If Dixon would have not torn his ACL, would he be the front runner for the Heisman?
 

All the Duck fans around here certainly think so!!

[AO]

Bethel's corners suck.  Carr is really their only star in the backfield.  The pressure they put on the QB with their guys up front is what can make opposing QBs look bad.  With an o-line and QB like Mount has, Bethel will be in for a long day.

You have absolutely no grounds for this statement.  First, I'm assuming you saw them play ONE time all season (please correct me if I'm wrong).  The only long pass SJU completed against them was the TD pass just after halftime, and they were in cover 2, which means the corners did not have "don't get beat deep" responsibility on that play.  I could break down each game for you, but in the end it's my opinion against yours, and frankly yours is wrong .  All three (Ryan Herm - SR, Nate Holm - JR, and Tim Cornish - SO) are great cover guys as well as great playmakers, with different strengths: Herm is the most disciplined and being a senior, understands the defense as well as anyone on the team.  Holm is tough as nails, and is as good against the run as any corner I've seen, as well as being an excellent cover corner.  Cornish is just a flat-out playmaker (who reminds me of my old comrade and All-American Ben Matthews), who has 2 pick-sixes on the season and made an SJU special-teamer look FOOLISH on a kick return he took to the house.

You're right on two things: 1) Carr is a star, and 2) Pressure on the QB is any team's best "pass coverage."

But you don't have to be pre-season all-american to not suck, so back off Bethel's corners... please.

Agree to disagree, then.  I stand by my statement.  Bethel's secondary even gave up 384 yards through the air to Augsburg.  IMHO, Matthews wasn't that good, either.  He made a lot of picks, but his tackling left a lot to be desired.

MUC will make them look foolish.

Augsburg had perhaps the best passing attack in the midwest this season.  The Johnnie aura must have killed the passing game when they played Auggie, but they had a lot of success against everybody else.

[GoldandBlueBU]

That percival kid is huge.  He was a full helmet above the rest of the johnnies  coming onto the field at bethel.  Did he get any pt this year? Is he just not very fundamentally sound to not be a starter with that size?

[oldbethel27]

Agree to disagree, then.  I stand by my statement.  Bethel's secondary even gave up 384 yards through the air to Augsburg.  IMHO, Matthews wasn't that good, either.  He made a lot of picks, but his tackling left a lot to be desired.

MUC will make them look foolish.

15 interceptions in a season, 5 in one game, and you say he wasn't that good... then NOBODY is good.  I agree, his tackling was subpar, but if he missed a tackle he'd just pick it off the next play.  Deion Sanders couldn't tackle either, and I think his career turned out alright.

Regarding giving up 384 yards to Auggie, did you see the game?  If not, it sounds like you're saying someone "sucks" based on a number on a sheet of cyberpaper, and that's a shame.

[AO]

That percival kid is huge.  He was a full helmet above the rest of the johnnies  coming onto the field at bethel.  Did he get any pt this year? Is he just not very fundamentally sound to not be a starter with that size?

If Percival and this Kottom kid are coming out of the huddle for the johnnies, they'd probably be well on their way to having the biggest o-line of the decade in the MIAC.

[tmerton]

These just came in over the transom; I've seen some of them, but not all -

"At Georgia Southern, we don't cheat. That costs money and we don't have any."
Erk Russell / Georgia Southern.

"After you retire, there's only one big event left....and I ain't ready for that."
Bobby Bowden / Florida State

"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it."
Lou Holtz / Arkansas

"When you win, nothing hurts."
Joe Namath / Alabama

"Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated."
Lou Holtz / Arkansas

"If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold, you gotta know the password,
"Roll, tide, roll!"
Bear Bryant / Alabama

"A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall."
Frank Leahy / Notre Dame

"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
Woody Hayes / Ohio State

"I don't expect to win enough games to be put on NCAA probation. I just want to win enough to warrant an investigation."
Bob Devaney / Nebraska

"In Alabama, an atheist is someone who doesn't believe in Bear Bryant."  
Wally Butts / Georgia

"You can learn more character on the two-yard line than anywhere else in life."
Paul Dietzel / LSU

"It's kind of hard to rally around a math class."
Bear Bryant / Alabama

When asked if Fayetteville was the end of the world.
"No, but you can see it from here."
Lou Holtz / Arkansas...

"I make my practices real hard because if a player is a quitter, I want him to quit in practice, not in a game."
Bear Bryant / Alabama

"There's one sure way to stop us from scoring-give us the ball near the goal line."
Matty Bell / SMU

"Lads,you're not to miss practice unless your parents died or you died."
Frank Leahy / Notre Dame

"I never graduated from Iowa, but I was only there for two terms - Truman's and Eisenhower's."
Alex Karras / Iowa

"My advice to defensive players: Take the shortest route to the ball and arrive in a bad humor."
Bowden Wyatt / Tennessee

"I could have been a Rhodes Scholar, except for my grades."
Duffy Daugherty / Michigan State

"Always remember .... Goliath was a 40 point favorite over David."
Shug Jordan / Auburn
[Note: And USC was a 42 point favorite over Stanford]

"They cut us up like boarding house pie. And that's real small pieces."
Darrell Royal / Texas

"Show me a good and gracious loser, and I'll show you a failure."
Knute Rockne / Notre Dame

"They whipped us like a tied up goat."
Spike Dykes / Texas Tech

"I asked Darrell Royal, the coach of the Texas Longhorns, why he didn't recruit me and he said:  "Well, Walt, we took a look at you and you weren't any good."
Walt Garrison / Oklahoma State

"Son, you've got a good engine, but your hands aren't on the steering wheel."
Bobby Bowden / Florida State

After USC lost 51-0 to Notre Dame, his postgame message to his team: "All those who need showers, take them."
John McKay / USC

"If lessons are learned in defeat, our team is getting a great education."
Murray Warmath / Minnesota

"The only qualifications for a lineman are to be big and dumb.  To be a back, you only have to be dumb."
Knute Rockne / Notre Dame

"Oh, we played about like three tons of buzzard puke this afternoon."
Spike Dykes / Texas Tech

"We didn't tackle well today but we made up for it by not blocking."
John McKay / USC

"I've found that prayers work best when you have big players."
Knute Rockne / Notre Dame

"Gentlemen, it is better to have died a small boy than to fumble this football"
John Heisman

[DuffMan]

Agree to disagree, then.  I stand by my statement.  Bethel's secondary even gave up 384 yards through the air to Augsburg.  IMHO, Matthews wasn't that good, either.  He made a lot of picks, but his tackling left a lot to be desired.

MUC will make them look foolish.

15 interceptions in a season, 5 in one game, and you say he wasn't that good... then NOBODY is good.  I agree, his tackling was subpar, but if he missed a tackle he'd just pick it off the next play.  Deion Sanders couldn't tackle either, and I think his career turned out alright.

Regarding giving up 384 yards to Auggie, did you see the game?  If not, it sounds like you're saying someone "sucks" based on a number on a sheet of cyberpaper, and that's a shame.

I don't consider someone "great" just because they're good at one aspect of the game.

You can argue with me till you're blue in the face, but I still maintain my stance that the Bethel corners are not good.

[DuffMan]

Augsburg had perhaps the best passing attack in the midwest this season. 

I feel dumber each time I read one of your posts.

[DuffMan]

That percival kid is huge.  He was a full helmet above the rest of the johnnies  coming onto the field at bethel.  Did he get any pt this year? Is he just not very fundamentally sound to not be a starter with that size?

He got some time with the 2nd team line.  He's still young.  I think we'll see more of him next season.

[sfury]

You could have a book of just John McKay quotes from his days at Tampa Bay. The first one remains my favorite.

* On the execution of the Bucs offense: ``I think it's a good idea.''

* On why he rarely had bed checks: ``You usually wind up staying up all night, or until your best player comes in.''

* On the significance of experience: ``If you have everyone back from a team that lost 10 games, experience isn't too important.''

* On the weaknesses of linebacker Hugh Green: ``He's not twins.''

* On Bill Capece, who was waived in 1983 after missing a field goal and extra point: ``Capece is kaput.''

* On place-kicker Pete Rajecki having a bad camp with the Bucs because McKay made him nervous: ``I don't think he's got much of a future here, because I plan on going to all the games.''

* On the Bucs' 42-0 loss to Pittsburgh on a very cold day: ``I remember in Pittsburgh we had no players and the ones we did have wanted to stay at the hotel by the fire. I was ticked because that's where I wanted to stand.''

* On the importance of an older quarterback's mobility: ``As a person gets older he doesn't get faster. Our quarterback will run from fright or lack of protection.''

* On fan mail he received as a Tampa Bay coach: ``It was about three-to-one that I was not an SOB. But there were a lot of ones.''

* On why coaching an expansion team is a religious experience: ``You do a lot of praying, but most of the time the answer is `No.' ''

* On the Bucs early games: ``Every time I look up, it seems we're punting.''

* On O.J. Simpson carrying the ball 47 times in a USC game: `` He doesn't belong to a union. Anyway, the ball doesn't weigh that much.''

* On blocking strategy: ``Hold when you're at home and don't hold when you're on the road.''

* On his disdain for the Packers: ``If a contest had 97 prizes, the 98th would be a trip to Green Bay.''

* On opening days: ``Opening games make me nervous. To tell the truth, I'd rather open with our second game.''

[VOJ]

Those in Collegeville with knowledge of both programs say the Royals might give the Raiders their toughest game of the season, but that said they predict a 21 point Raider win...

VOJ; 

What are the "voices" saying in Collegeville about "the waiver wire"?

Could there be a quarterback in the mix? 

I have not heard about anything like that...but next time I am out I will inquire...

[AO]

Augsburg had perhaps the best passing attack in the midwest this season. 

I feel dumb.

PASS OFFENSE             G   Att  Cmp Int  Pct.  Yds  Avg TD Yds/G
------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Augsburg College....  8   435  251  10  57.7 3041  7.0 30 380.1
2. Univ. of St. Thomas.  8   372  224  14  60.2 2511  6.8 17 313.9
3. St. Olaf College....  8   279  170   8  60.9 2493  8.9 24 311.6
4. Gustavus Adolphus...  8   331  184  11  55.6 2292  6.9 17 286.5
5. Saint John's Univ...  8   279  186  10  66.7 2208  7.9 25 276.0
6. Carleton College....  8   337  167  23  49.6 2078  6.2 13 259.8
7. Bethel University...  8   192  118   9  61.5 1482  7.7 12 185.2
8. Concordia College...  8   177  101   6  57.1 1405  7.9 14 175.6
9. Hamline University..  8   256  124  13  48.4 1196  4.7  9 149.5

PASS OFFENSE             G   Att  Cmp Int  Pct.  Yds  Avg TD Yds/G
------------------------------------------------------------------
1. UW-La Crosse........  7   237  144   7  60.8 1804  7.6 15 257.7
2. UW-River Falls......  7   263  155  12  58.9 1503  5.7 10 214.7
3. UW-Stout............  7   206  107  11  51.9 1344  6.5  7 192.0

PASS OFFENSE             G   Att  Cmp Int  Pct.  Yds  Avg TD Yds/G
------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Central College.....  8   266  147   7  55.3 2086  7.8 23 260.8
2. Wartburg College....  8   248  151   5  60.9 1930  7.8 16 241.2
3. Buena Vista Univ....  8   283  159   9  56.2 1824  6.4 12 228.0
4. Coe College.........  8   295  151   6  51.2 1692  5.7 12 211.5