FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[sju56321]

SJU not looking good today against a decent team. 10 offensive points in first half. SJU QB holds the ball too long.

[faunch]

SJU not looking good today against a decent team. 10 offensive points in first half. SJU QB holds the ball too long.

Decent team? 3-4 squad that lost to Carleton 45-28 and Bethel 41-7.
They're a middle of the pack MIAC team and we are giving them hope.

[gobigred425]

A little bit sloppy today, but I still think some positives. Was good to see them get challenged a little bit once more before the playoffs. Need to learn how to win close games. Also was nice to see them run the ball well and control the clock in the 2nd half.

Thought defense played actually pretty good given the couple short fields. The Gustavus QB who has taken over after they went 0-4 is light years better than what they had been showing. They aren't nearly as bad as their record shows.

[hazzben]

It was great to see Viebrock back on the field and healthy again. Getting him back with several regular season games still to play is big. Love to see him back to form and another weapon as teams start to scheme for Rundell more.

[hazzben]

Interesting NPI thought about MOV/MOD. Someone in the recap comments is arguing UWW should be dq'd from the field because they got totally blown out. I think UWW is down, but UWRF played their most complete game of the year with a healthy Blaha. They could have done that to a lot of teams in the NPI Top 40.

What if there was some MOV bonus for any win of say 21+ vs NPI Top 50, and Margin of Defeat (MOD) ding for any loss of 21+ to a team outside the NPI Top 50?

You don't penalize a team for losing big to a top 50 team. Don't discourage a Carleton from scheduling UWW for example. You also don't encourage teams to absolutely run up the score in a blowout. But you acknowledge beating say NPI #30 by 25 is a better result than NPI #29 by 1. And if you're a one loss AQ or on the at large bubble, with a really bad loss, that should effect your seeding or if you get in the field.

I'd also support Pat's idea on the pod that there be some sort of minimum D3 losses threshold. More than 3 losses, no bid. (I think that's what Pat has advocated anyway.)

[art76]

Waiting for the latest top 25 to come out, so I'll ponder a bit about the MIAC dressed in my Captain Obvious costume.

BU hosts Carleton, being the last "tough team" left on the Royals' schedule this fall. (No disparagement towards the Saints of Duluth in any way.) BU did not look sharp in the silent video out of Concordia yesterday. Eventually, they got it sorted out on the field and then tightened the screws on the Cobbers.

The game of the week this coming week in the MIAC is Augsburg hosting Gustavus. They come in to the game with equal records, with the winner taking a .500 record into the last week, where they each play teams they should win against. This game will probably determine which of them ends up in the top half of the conference, and which ends up in the bottom half.

The last three games should go chalk, and if they do, then there will be a little more intrigue during the last week of games, as some teams battle for the final positions in the conference pecking order.

[Pat Coleman]

I'd also support Pat's idea on the pod that there be some sort of minimum D3 losses threshold. More than 3 losses, no bid. (I think that's what Pat has advocated anyway.)

For automatic bids, perhaps. Definitely not for at-large.

[RoyalsFan]

I'd also support Pat's idea on the pod that there be some sort of minimum D3 losses threshold. More than 3 losses, no bid. (I think that's what Pat has advocated anyway.)

For automatic bids, perhaps. Definitely not for at-large.

So if a conference doesn't have a team with less than 3 losses, then are you saying no automatic bid from that conference for the conference winner?

[Pat Coleman]

Short version: yes.

Long version: Wouldn't want to completely disenfranchise a conference long term so there would be some limits as to how often an individual conference's automatic bid could be clawed back.

[OzJohnnie]

Short version: yes.

Long version: Wouldn't want to completely disenfranchise a conference long term so there would be some limits as to how often an individual conference's automatic bid could be clawed back.

I think the gap between programs committed to national success and programs who aren't is too big to be fixed with post-season selection adjustments.  The nationally committed programs are too few and concentrated in too few conferences to fill out the the 32 spots.

Maybe if D3 looked more like FCS with only 14 conferences and just 10 of them with an AQ, the remaining 14 spots mostly going to the power conferences (Big Sky put five teams into the post season while Missouri Valley and CAA each put in four), it could work.  But with 27 D3 AQ's out of 29 conferences and 40 post-season spots, the emphasis on the post-season is participation.  It doesn't make for a selection of all the teams that could put up a good fight.

I don't think it can be fixed for football in D3.

[sjujohnnie]

What were anyone's thoughts on the way the Johnnies played on Saturday? I was surprised to see such a close game, especially the little separation that the halftime score reflected. Was that a combination of improved play by Gustavus & lackluster play by us?

[faunch]

What were anyone's thoughts on the way the Johnnies played on Saturday? I was surprised to see such a close game, especially the little separation that the halftime score reflected. Was that a combination of improved play by Gustavus & lackluster play by us?

It reminded me a little bit of the game down there two years ago when we got out to an early lead and then let the Gusties back into the game. SJU seemed to lose their edge a bit in the first half after getting up early.
Credit to the Gusties for not letting up.

It sounds like the Johnnies lost two running backs on Saturday (Wheeler and McCabe...I think McCabe may have reentered after getting his shoulder popped back into place) and were already missing Bohmert. Any have any intel on any of them?

Another observation was that GAC seemed to have success getting some pressure on Feeney. If I recall correctly from looking at season stats the Johnnies have given up 5 sacks and the Gusties have 2 of them. By my count watching online GAC managed to hit Feeney a half dozen or more times. Wondering if it's an o-line issue or QB holding the ball too long or a combination of both? I'm no D coordinator but if I were scheming against the Johnnie offense I would blitz the bejeezus out of them, especially when the backfield is empty.

[sjujohnnie]

McCabe was already wearing a black brace on his shoulder prior to having his shoulder separated. When he ran to the sideline after it happened, it was very evident that it had been separated. He did reenter the game later on. I would think it would tickle to get hit after having had it popped back in place!

Gustavus certainly got more pressure on Feeney. I thought the line looked frustrated when they came to the sideline on more than one occasion.

I don't think we'll be tested by St Scholastica or St Olaf &, assuming we win out, we should have a first round bye so maybe they can work on things between now & the second round & get healthy!

According to Logan Hansen's latest mock bracket, it looks like we'd face Monmouth in the 2nd round. If we could get past them we'd have to travel to River Falls. That worries me!

[hazzben]

I don't think we'll be tested by St Scholastica or St Olaf

If either of those is close I'd be shocked.

Honestly I wonder if St. Olaf is getting close to pulling the plug on Killian. CSS gave literally fumbled the game away with their backfield miscue on the 5 yd line. Chip shot FG that would have beaten Olaf. Normally it'd seem like a lock for Olaf to beat Hamline and finish 4-6, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that's a good game.

I've never understood why the administration seems to care so little about football at St. Olaf. But what they do care about is Carleton looking down on them in the standings consistently.

[faunch]

I don't think we'll be tested by St Scholastica or St Olaf

If either of those is close I'd be shocked.

Honestly I wonder if St. Olaf is getting close to pulling the plug on Killian. CSS gave literally fumbled the game away with their backfield miscue on the 5 yd line. Chip shot FG that would have beaten Olaf. Normally it'd seem like a lock for Olaf to beat Hamline and finish 4-6, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that's a good game.

I've never understood why the administration seems to care so little about football at St. Olaf. But what they do care about is Carleton looking down on them in the standings consistently.

Maybe the Ole President can lead a campaign to get Carleton kicked out of the MIAC?