FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[sju56321]

We were really spoiled by good QB play from Erdmann and Syverson-Feeney stinks today

[faunch]

We were really spoiled by good QB play from Erdmann and Syverson-Feeney stinks today

We didn't handle the pressure and river falls had better athletes.
Another disappointing playoff loss. 4-4 the last 4 playoff appearances.
SJU is at best a top 10-15 D3 program.

[Redtooth]

We were really spoiled by good QB play from Erdmann and Syverson-Feeney stinks today

We didn't handle the pressure and river falls had better athletes.
Another disappointing playoff loss. 4-4 the last 4 playoff appearances.
SJU is at best a top 10-15 D3 program.

Calm down with the hyperbole and Debbie Downer stuff......we just lost to the likely other team playing in the Stagg Bowl (North Central clearly is the best team).  The reality of D3 football is the best teams are clustered geographically and forced to play each other early in the playoffs, thus never allowing for a true 1-2-3-4 bracket.  River Falls is a once a decade team right now with Blaha and his supporting cast is very good. 

Not making any effort to run the ball throughout the season came back to haunt us.  We can't continue to throw the ball 50+ times in playoff games and expect to win.

Final point- let's have some perspective......we ended our season 10-2 with loses to two teams in the Top 5 of the country.  The last time our season ended the way we want the oldest of today's players were 2-3 yrs old, the d3 playoffs are (and always have been) a gauntlet.

[DuffMan]

No ****.  Maybe you should adopt another team, Faunch? 

[gobigred425]

UWRF was the best D3 team I have seen in a long long time. Don't be surprised if they win the whole thing. This year was always going to be a little bit of a transition year, but tons of guys coming back and next year could be a legitimate run.

Bummer, we get to cheer for a top 8 team every year. Cheers to the seniors, put together quite the record in their 4 years.

[sju56321]

Come on Duff-all we want is SJU to be competitive in the playoffs-if they played their best-like you guys-we would still cry over the Mount union loss but be happy we got there

[sjujohnnie]

It's hard to understate the enjoyment I get from watching, following, and cheering on St John's football! I have no doubt all of the players and coaches pour everything they have into making each season as successful as possible! I'm appreciative of all of their efforts, the posters on this board, the Johnnie radio network broadcast crew, and the d3football.com team/coverage. The long wait for the first game of the next season has begun. Go Johnnies! Now my support's behind Bethel to upset North Central and reluctantly River Falls since they're the ones to end our season.

[hazzben]

Bethel with a gritty win today. Down 3 lineman, I was impressed with how we held up up front. Oline especially impressed and imposed their will in the 2nd half.

Couldn't have started out worse with a fumble on the opening play. D with a huge stand, down 7 and UWP with 1st and goal from the 1. Big stops and a sack lead to a FG and momentum shift. Offense got it going and the D settled in.

Didn't notice any injuries today. Hoping we might get a guy or two back next week. We'll need all our bullets against NCC.

Geebli looked great, Drew's with some really gutsy runs on big 3rd downs. Win and advance.

It's a bummer how stacked the NCC and Wart quads were. The 4 quarter finalists in those quads look like they could have been semifinalists if separated. But at least the winners of each won't meet until a potential Stagg. 

[Mister36]

Bethel with a gritty win today. Down 3 lineman, I was impressed with how we held up up front. Oline especially impressed and imposed their will in the 2nd half.

Couldn't have started out worse with a fumble on the opening play. D with a huge stand, down 7 and UWP with 1st and goal from the 1. Big stops and a sack lead to a FG and momentum shift. Offense got it going and the D settled in.

Didn't notice any injuries today. Hoping we might get a guy or two back next week. We'll need all our bullets against NCC.

Geebli looked great, Drew's with some really gutsy runs on big 3rd downs. Win and advance.

It's a bummer how stacked the NCC and Wart quads were. The 4 quarter finalists in those quads look like they could have been semifinalists if separated. But at least the winners of each won't meet until a potential Stagg. 

Really hoping for Conant back on the field next week..

Platteville was higher seeded/ranked than LAX, and Bethel had a better MOV than NCC did over respective opponents. I think the run game is gonna be key next week.

[art76]

It's a bummer how stacked the NCC and Wart quads were. The 4 quarter finalists in those quads look like they could have been semifinalists if separated. But at least the winners of each won't meet until a potential Stagg. 

I was watching the live stream updates on the BU game while listening to the Johnnie broadcast this afternoon while fighting off the crud. So far, I've tested negative - my wife, not so lucky, she tested positive this afternoon, so we're both moping around the homestead trying to stay out of each other's way. I think my body is fighting it as I don't have any of the classic symptoms - just achy and tired.

Sounds like you were at the game today Hazz, or at least could watch it. At one point I wondered if Drews had been knocked out of the game because the stat line showed Rundell throwing the ball a couple of times in a row. I also wondered what was going on in the fourth quarter as Platteville seemed to come alive.

When the Johnnies went up 7 zip early on, my hopes rose. Then they couldn't/didn't run much/very well and it didn't take long for RF to find the chinks in the armor and exploit them. The play by play crew were familiar with the team and all that went with it, but as the realization started to set in that the end of the season was drawing nigh they really started spinning out of control towards the refs.

So, no MIAC Stagg this year, but maybe someday.

[CHUBBS PETERSON]

Sounds like you were at the game today Hazz, or at least could watch it. At one point I wondered if Drews had been knocked out of the game because the stat line showed Rundell throwing the ball a couple of times in a row.

Whoever was generating that live stat fed was on the struggle bus. Had Rundell completing a pass to himself at one point.

[fredfalcon]

art76--I agree about the RF fans on the refs. Also did not appreciate the booing when SJU came on the field before the game.

[OzJohnnie]

Sigh, another year comes to a close. Thanks for the play, boys.  I look forward to next season.

And to get a jump on the beer posts, a bit of Aussie humour that had me thinking of the janesvilleflash.

https://x.com/mickamiousg/status/1997408744242577469?s=46

[Retired Old Rat]

art76--I agree about the RF fans on the refs. Also did not appreciate the booing when SJU came on the field before the game.

Lot of pent up frustration, understandably so. I took it as the fans being confident and a little over anxious to begin showing it. 

[RoyalsFan]

Congrats to the Royals for their win today and moving on to the next round. NCC will be a difficult test.

Bethel didn't play their best today, but the weather and missing 3 linemen (including the center) had something to do with that. I thought Bethel got a bit lucky on a couple of plays which could have changed the outcome today. The first was a long pass after Bethel was down 10-0 that probably should have been intercepted by UWP at the goal line, Drews threw into double coverage. The other big play was a trick play that had Rundell throwing back to Drews which was intercepted and returned deep in Bethel territory. UWP got called for roughing the passer, which I don't disagree with, it's just that this rarely gets called if it isn't the quarterback that is throwing the ball so I was surprised it got called.

The other thing I thought a bit perplexing was the Bethel defense after being up by 3 scores in the 4th quarter. At that point, everyone knows that UWP has to score quickly, so don't give up the huge plays, but they gave up a td in 2 plays of 51 yards and then another td in 3 plays of 63 yards on long passes. Wouldn't you play 2 deep safties and not let receivers get behind you? I realize I am arm chair coaching here, but that defense didn't make sense to me. The receivers were getting well behind the defenders.