I've seen the University of Sioux Falls football team play before...
It was at last year's NAIA title game where, on a field that turned into chocolate pudding with all the rain and mud, Kalen DeBoer's Cougars took it to the Carroll College Saints for a title...
Now, they haven't lost a game in, like, 45 years coming in to this Saturday's game against Lindenwood ((Missouri)).
It's number one versus number three.
It's the last game on grass at Historic Barron Stadium in Rome, Georgia before they install SprinTurf and $3.6-million in capital improvements before next year's game.
And it's a game where a lot of people don't give the Lions a shot of winning before the Cougars head off to NCAA's Division II in 2010.
If you look at the offensive numbers these two teams have put up, it went past gaudy three months ago.
These two teams have top-ten offenses ALL TIME. Not just all time in the NAIA, but we're talking all versions of organized college football. Both are averaging over 53 points per game- USF at 53.6 and Lindenwood at 55.5. USF even put an 80 on someone early in the year.
Sioux Falls has an average margin of victory of 43 points to go with their 28-game win streak. Lindenwood has cleared 60 five times this year. This went past Arena Football numbers and went straight for XBOX 360-type stuff...
Here's your USF refresher... their 49-21 win against Augustana that gave them another conference title from a month ago...
((HT: USF SID))
Here's your Lindenwood reminder from the semi-finals...
A 42-35 win over Carroll in a freaking blizzard...
((HT: Helena Independent Record))
USF's motto this year is "Plus One." It surrounds the whole idea that you want to be one better than you were before- whether we're talking a play, a day, a game, a week, a month, or a season...
DeBoer says the players dig the notion of having a bull's eye on their back...
You look at QB Lorenzo Brown and he's been here before. He knows the drill...
Lindenwood isn't happy looking like they're just playing with house money in their first-ever championship game...
They're looking for a different kind of first-ever come Saturday afternoon...
More from the "Enchanted Land" tomorrow...
Showing posts with label Kalen DeBoer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kalen DeBoer. Show all posts
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
TWTW: NAIA Title Game Set For The 19th...
And we have a bit of a surprise...
Instead of a rematch of one versus two from last year, we have one and three...
The Cougars from the University of Sioux Falls are in and they get the Lions of Lindenwood...
The Cougs get to go to the title game for the fourth consecutive season. USF (14-0) earned their way by defeating No. 4 Saint Xavier University (13-1) 48-6.
Lindenwood upset Carroll 42-35 in a blizzard out in Carroll. Lindenwood marched 88 yards in just over a minute to score the winning touchdown against the Saints with 55seconds left. The Lions snapped Carroll's 25-game home winning streak.
Tim Peters from KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls has your highlights and post...
The title game is November 19th in Rome, Georgia at Barron Stadium.
Coverage will be here at OSG Sports in the coming weeks...
Instead of a rematch of one versus two from last year, we have one and three...
The Cougars from the University of Sioux Falls are in and they get the Lions of Lindenwood...
The Cougs get to go to the title game for the fourth consecutive season. USF (14-0) earned their way by defeating No. 4 Saint Xavier University (13-1) 48-6.
Lindenwood upset Carroll 42-35 in a blizzard out in Carroll. Lindenwood marched 88 yards in just over a minute to score the winning touchdown against the Saints with 55seconds left. The Lions snapped Carroll's 25-game home winning streak.
Tim Peters from KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls has your highlights and post...
The title game is November 19th in Rome, Georgia at Barron Stadium.
Coverage will be here at OSG Sports in the coming weeks...
Friday, December 19, 2008
Revenge At The Rivers- USF Style
"You guys finish scouting us yet...?"
USF Director of Athletics William Sanchez showed up at practice and noticed all the coaches looking at his team prepare for a title game.
Some were college coaches. Some were even local high school coaches looking for another day or two of looking at a sport they love so much...
Shorter Hawks Assistant Head Coach Mike Bartik was at a USF practice during Championship Week. He and Offensive Coordinator Tony Lundy were sitting on one of the metal benches on the track next to the practice field.
I asked why coaches come to these kinds of practices. You think, on some level maybe, it stings a little bit since the home town team is watching USF and Carroll playing for a title and you're hosting the party.
"This is what it's all about," Coach Bartik explained. "You're looking at some of the best in NAIA Division one football."
Maybe it's a practice habit. Maybe it's a routine. Something you can add...
And in USF's case, they run the same defense Shorter does.
It's pointers and compare/contrast...
University of Sioux Falls Head Coach Kalen DeBoer ((pictured, thanks usfcougars.com)) is a legacy...
Went there, played there, coached there, now head coaching there...
And he's this/close to being in his third straight title game...
38 and 3 in his time as a Head Coach...
Not bad...
He's a guy in his mid-30's who looks like he could still run you over if he felt like it.
He'll go over a pass play at practice with his high-powered offense step-by-step in a warm-up suit if he has to in order to get the point across...
He's been up against Carroll before in a lot of big games... recently, it's been on the losing end. Two games in particular stick out- last year's loss in the title game and the blow-out loss in the semi-finals in 2005.
"We, probably, learned more from losses sometimes than wins," DeBoer says. "And they've improved our program. We looked at how we trained and how we recruited. We even changed our defense after the semi-final loss in 2005- going from a 4-3 to a 3-4 which is what we have now."
But he also admits that you have to live in the now.
Last year's game, in particular, was last year's game.
"There are some key similarities," he continues. "But the defense is our backbone, and on offense we have to find a way to score. This game, you have to look at the spacing of your line on the inside. It's about the passing game and defending the pass. It's the 14th game of the season. You work out and you're moving on. We're not in awe of the championship. It's fun. You get to see the sights, but we're focused on our goals."
DeBoer is also complimentary of his counterpart in Coach Van Diest. He knows the game against Carroll will be a hard fought one. But the thing that seems to impress him the most is the class the program exhibits from the top down.
The word DeBoer uses when describing the Saints' class as a team is "consistently."
"There will be times, when you're playing other teams where they might punch or push after a gain of no yards. They ((Carroll)) don't do that. They play the game of football the right way, the way it was meant to be played. We have a lot of respect for each other."
And he's also glad that the team can feel its fingers...
SIDENOTE: At the Friday "Champions of Character" Banquet at the Forum in Rome, Carroll linebacker extraordinare Owen Koeppen was named NAIA Player of the Year.
The biggest roar came from his teammates, all sitting around him at the banquet. He's a "quiet leader," by his own admission.
"It feels great. It hasn’t really set in,” Koeppen said. “It’s a representation of Carroll College. I’m really honored to accept it as an individual award, but without the team and coaches it wouldn’t be possible.”
You talk to him and get the impression it never has been ((and never will be)) about him on the field. He cuts an imposing figure even at 6-2, 235. And when you talk to his head coach, Van Diest says that he knew what Koeppen was capable of when he transferred from Weber State before his Sophomore season.
AD Bruce Parker was one of a few people who knew the award was going to Koeppen, but the secret was well-guarded. Parker says maybe "three people knew."
Whaddya wanna bet Carroll's number 51 has had a big spot shadow around him in film sessions the last two weeks...?
USF Director of Athletics William Sanchez showed up at practice and noticed all the coaches looking at his team prepare for a title game.
Some were college coaches. Some were even local high school coaches looking for another day or two of looking at a sport they love so much...
Shorter Hawks Assistant Head Coach Mike Bartik was at a USF practice during Championship Week. He and Offensive Coordinator Tony Lundy were sitting on one of the metal benches on the track next to the practice field.
I asked why coaches come to these kinds of practices. You think, on some level maybe, it stings a little bit since the home town team is watching USF and Carroll playing for a title and you're hosting the party.
"This is what it's all about," Coach Bartik explained. "You're looking at some of the best in NAIA Division one football."
Maybe it's a practice habit. Maybe it's a routine. Something you can add...
And in USF's case, they run the same defense Shorter does.
It's pointers and compare/contrast...
University of Sioux Falls Head Coach Kalen DeBoer ((pictured, thanks usfcougars.com)) is a legacy...Went there, played there, coached there, now head coaching there...
And he's this/close to being in his third straight title game...
38 and 3 in his time as a Head Coach...
Not bad...
He's a guy in his mid-30's who looks like he could still run you over if he felt like it.
He'll go over a pass play at practice with his high-powered offense step-by-step in a warm-up suit if he has to in order to get the point across...
He's been up against Carroll before in a lot of big games... recently, it's been on the losing end. Two games in particular stick out- last year's loss in the title game and the blow-out loss in the semi-finals in 2005.
"We, probably, learned more from losses sometimes than wins," DeBoer says. "And they've improved our program. We looked at how we trained and how we recruited. We even changed our defense after the semi-final loss in 2005- going from a 4-3 to a 3-4 which is what we have now."
But he also admits that you have to live in the now.
Last year's game, in particular, was last year's game.
"There are some key similarities," he continues. "But the defense is our backbone, and on offense we have to find a way to score. This game, you have to look at the spacing of your line on the inside. It's about the passing game and defending the pass. It's the 14th game of the season. You work out and you're moving on. We're not in awe of the championship. It's fun. You get to see the sights, but we're focused on our goals."
DeBoer is also complimentary of his counterpart in Coach Van Diest. He knows the game against Carroll will be a hard fought one. But the thing that seems to impress him the most is the class the program exhibits from the top down.
The word DeBoer uses when describing the Saints' class as a team is "consistently."
"There will be times, when you're playing other teams where they might punch or push after a gain of no yards. They ((Carroll)) don't do that. They play the game of football the right way, the way it was meant to be played. We have a lot of respect for each other."
And he's also glad that the team can feel its fingers...
SIDENOTE: At the Friday "Champions of Character" Banquet at the Forum in Rome, Carroll linebacker extraordinare Owen Koeppen was named NAIA Player of the Year.
The biggest roar came from his teammates, all sitting around him at the banquet. He's a "quiet leader," by his own admission.
"It feels great. It hasn’t really set in,” Koeppen said. “It’s a representation of Carroll College. I’m really honored to accept it as an individual award, but without the team and coaches it wouldn’t be possible.”
You talk to him and get the impression it never has been ((and never will be)) about him on the field. He cuts an imposing figure even at 6-2, 235. And when you talk to his head coach, Van Diest says that he knew what Koeppen was capable of when he transferred from Weber State before his Sophomore season.
AD Bruce Parker was one of a few people who knew the award was going to Koeppen, but the secret was well-guarded. Parker says maybe "three people knew."
Whaddya wanna bet Carroll's number 51 has had a big spot shadow around him in film sessions the last two weeks...?
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