In the spirit of good sportsmanship and fair play and bipartisanship and all that jazz, we’re bringing back the “View from [opponent]” feature from last season. It may only last this week, but there is no better week this season to include it. The MIAC championship is on the line and special situations call for special articles.
But enough rambling (Ramlering?). Our special guest was kind enough to write for us again this year after his excellent piece a season ago predicting a game every bit as close as the outcome. Erik is not including a score prediction this year, but he does have a lot of fantastically exciting things to say about one of the biggest games in Carleton history. Take it away, Erik.
Erik Fisher:
Wow!!! If someone had told me before this season started that Carleton’s final game of the season against St. John’s would be to decide the conference championship I probably would have laughed and said maybe, but not have taken it very seriously. I knew the Knights had some extremely talented upper classmen and would be able to compete with everyone, but they were only 3-7 last season.
What has transpired this year has been nothing short of amazing for us Knight fans and alums. Playing for a conference championship has become something that is almost expected at St. John’s, which is a great situation to be in, but for those of us who root for the boys in Maize & Blue from Northfield it has been a long time coming, 16 years to be exact.
I was eleven then and didn’t have a clue what or where Carleton College was. While Carleton does have winning football traditions from the past, my experiences playing for and watching Carleton football were when we were at the bottom and rebuilding into the team gunning for the top on Saturday.
Part of me thinks that experience makes this all the more satisfying. The bad times make the good times that much better thing. The seniors that will be playing in their last home game for the knights this Saturday have seen it all as well, and their perseverance and belief in themselves and their team are a huge reason why they are in the position they are in. Their senior year in high school the Knights were 2-8 and 6-44 over their last five years, but yet they decided to come to Carleton for the educational challenge as well as the challenge of rebuilding a football team. Their first three years were spent laying the groundwork by winning some games against top of the conference teams and instilling in themselves the belief that that they truly can beat anyone.
This year all that work has come to fruition with the best season since the Knight’s last conference championship in 1992. Regardless of the outcome this weekend, when they graduate this spring they’ll have succeeded in both challenges.
As far as challenges go the Knights face their biggest one of the season this Saturday in the battle for the MIAC title and the automatic qualifier for the playoffs. The Knights have finally broken some long losing streaks to opponents this year including over a decade long streaks to the Oles and Cobbers, but there is one team that they have yet to beat in their entire history…St. John’s. So if the Knights are going to truly make this an unforgettable season and win the conference they are going to have to do something that no Carleton football team has ever done, beat the Johnnies. They came up a minute short last year as St. John’s scored the game-winning touchdown with under a minute left in the game, and played a close game the previous year as well. Coach Ramler seems to always have excellent game plans versus the Johnnies, an advantage in hiring a former Johnnie as a coach. Will this year’s be the one that finally puts the Knight’s over the top?
The game matches up the explosive Carleton offense against the always stingy Johnnie defense as the main event. Having watched most of the Knight’s games this year, I think that they will be able to move the ball and score even against the Johnnies. The key will be turnovers, if the Knights don’t turn the ball over they will put up points. On the other side of the ball, the Johnnies improving offense takes on a Knights defense that has been giving up a lot of yards on the ground recently, but has come up with big plays when needed. The Johnnies will probably move the ball, but can they score enough to keep up with the Knights?
I’m predicting a shoot-out type game where a late possession/big play will decide the game. That being said, with the way the MIAC has been this year the opposite is just as possible. That is why they play the game. If you’re making the trip have a safe journey, and may the best team win. Go Knights!!!
