Thursday, June 9, 2011

"Catdomealumni: Numbers" starts this Monday

61, 22, 56, 22 are numbers you'll remember after this series is wrapped up.
WC11 knows it's been a little staggnet on the ADvantage/Catdomealumni for the past week but it isn't because I've been slacking.  We've been working feverishly in the back ground on a cool 4-part video series that I'm dubbing "Catdomealumni: Numbers".  Sports is largely defined by numbers.  People use numbers to compare teams and players of present to those of the past and anybody that follows or knows of Linfield know the biggest number that grows with each winning season (55).  But Linfield is more than just that number as the 'Cats have collected 4 National Titles, 34 conference titles, 43 1st team all-Americans, and 22 playoff appearances.
 
But what about the other numbers that have been accumulated on the field that have help propel Linfield to those numbers that I just listed off?  In thinking about some of those year long or just single game performances that when you looked at the stat sheet afterwards you just say "Did that really just happen?"

Linfield Football often puts up impressive numbers but there are 4 incredible single game or season long numbers that stand alone in the Linfield College Record Book and thought it would be worth taking a look back at these performances.

61, 22, 56, 22

Starting next Monday we'll kick off our Catdomealumni: Number series in looking back at Brett Elliott's NCAA record setting season as he tossed 61 touchdown passes.  The clip will included all 61 touchdown passes during the season and in putting this together it's freaking incredible.  We all know that was a magical season and team but when you watch all 61 TD's in a row it's jaw dropping how good the Linfield passing attack was in 2004.

The next week will tackle the number 22 and that's just what Darren Causey did in 1994.  Causey set the Linfield single game record of total tackles at 22 vs Western Oregon State College in a 7-0 battle in which tackle number 22 was the biggest of the game.  What I loved about this clip, besides all the extra curricular after the whistle, is about 3 of these tackles came via horse collar, which is now illegal, but was perfectly acceptable in 1994.

After Causey's 22, we'll take a two-week break as it's Linfield Football Camp time and WC11 loves putting together a highlight clip of one of the very best Football Camps on the West Coast.

The next number is 56 and no it's not about the 'Cats reaching 56 consecutive winning seasons this year.  We'll be grinding out all 56 carries David Russell had vs Whitworth in 2002.  I've been around some wet and soggy days at the 'Catdome but this day in 2002 might have been one of the worst.  The wind and rain were so bad that day and Linfield had the perfect weapon: a bruising offensive line and David Russell.  This clip is just a display of force and will by the 'Cats as Linfield would hammer the Rats 35-0.

Then we'll wrap it back up by going back to the number 22 and this time we're talking about sacks and Eric Hedin.  The 2010 season is still fresh in everyone's mind and so is Hedin's monster year and thought it would be fitting to clip off 22 sacks of his season together and go out with a bang.    

So be sure to check back in with us on Monday as we kick off Catdomealumni: Numbers

2 comments:

Dennis Anderson (hawaiigrown@comcast.net) said...

GREAAAAAT IDEA, RYAN. AWESOME PROJECT. I look forward to sending the link to Number 56 to a former co-worker who is an unapologetic, pathetic Whitworth alumnus. I missed the 2002 season and it will be a special treat to watch my friend David Russell run again! He was, and is, very special.

I have long wanted to do a different numbers project. I would like to make a list of uniform numbers and all the great Wildcats who wore them. I think Ad Rutschman's number was 32. It was the first Linfield number to be retired and I remember seeing his jersey in a display case in Melrose Hall the season after he completed his unequaled career in 1953. The numbers of my teammates Vic Fox and Howard Morris also were retired and I don't think any others have been.
LOOKING FORWARD TO MONDAY. GO RYAN. GO CATDOME ALUMNI. GO ADVANTAGE CATDOME. GO 'CATS ! ! !

Wildcat 11 said...

Thanks Dennis. These should be a fun series of videos. Loved the jersey number project. Very good idea indeed!