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| Once Brenan Kuntz got the offense rolling, it was all Saints on Saturday. Photo by Joe Humphries |
Week 3 was humbling for Top 25 teams facing quality opponents on the road.
Linfield traveled to Belton, Texas and was dealt a 66-27 defeat by Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Wildcats rushed for just one yard. The Crusaders broke the game open in the second half. Bryce Wilkerson's kickoff return started the onslaught, after UMHB entered the locker room with a four point advantage. Two defensive touchdowns followed, and the rout was on.
Wesley was also humbled at Christopher Newport. The Captains reeled off 21 straight points in the fourth quarter to break a 21-21 tie and held on for a 42-28 victory. Christopher Newport put up 531 yards of offense. Even though the Wolverines gained 505, they could not win a shootout against K.J. Kearney (400 yards passing, three touchdowns, zero interceptions) and the Captains. The new look offense is working for Christopher Newport. In the programs' second season in the NJAC, the Captains have adjusted to the conference's style. The Wolverines, meanwhile, continue to learn how difficult it is to prepare for the grind of a conference slate week in and week out.
Thomas More also entered its locker room at halftime engaged in a battle against a ranked conference opponent. Like Mary Hardin-Baylor and Christopher Newport, the Saints blew the game open in the second half, defeating Washington and Jefferson, 35-9. The defense held the Presidents to just 204 yards of offense, 62 of which came on one play in the fourth quarter. Pete Coughlin was limited to just 15-32 for 170 yards, one score and two interceptions. He went nowhere on the ground, losing five yards on 12 carries. He lost a fumble that was scooped up and returned for Thomas More's first touchdown. The score was just 7-3 at halftime before Thomas More's offense got on track in the third quarter. The Saints' defensive game plan brilliantly limited an offense that had been averaging over 60 points and 600 yards per contest.
"We were prepared and that was the key this week. It definitely started last week in practice," said Saints defensive coordinator Chris Norwell. "We knew it was going to be a great challenge. Our guys took a different approach during the week and it really paid off."
The Saints were determined to prevent Coughlin from hurting them with scrambles, and they succeeded. Thomas More's cornerbacks were often on an island, playing press man to man coverage. That allowed the rest of the Saints to disrupt Coughlin's timing. He was never able to find a rhythm with his receiving corps.
"We did a decent job rushing the quarterback and making sure stuff wasn't thrown on time," said Norwell. "We tested our cornerbacks in practice during the week and they responded. That was awesome to see."
It is still early, but the PAC has a clear frontrunner, and the NJAC is wide open for the taking. The Saints improved to 41-2 at BB&T Field. Extra film study during the week prepared the Saints to shut down their biggest rival.
"We noticed some things that they do and we were able to shut it down with some of the defensive calls that we made. They didn't really adjust to it, so that was good," said Saints head coach Regis Scafe. "We held them in check, which is kind of amazing. You always think you can, but to do it is unbelievable."
Following the loss, Presidents coach Mike Sirianni succinctly summed up his team's feelings:
https://twitter.com/Coach_Sirianni/status/777227914433667072
The season is still young, but with each passing week the margins of error shrink across the country. Week 4 will bring us almost exclusively conference games. That includes the NESCAC, whose teams begin their seasons next weekend. Several teams begin their conference slate, eager to erase the memory of disappointing non-conference results. No matter how poorly a team played against its non-conference opponents, there is still plenty of hope. The ultimate goal of a conference title and the resulting automatic playoff bid is still very much in play.
Teams like Linfield, Wesley, and Washington and Jefferson will enter Week 4 humbled, but knowing that there are still seven weeks left to make things right.
On tap:
Here's what to watch for on D3football.com this week.
Later today-- new Top 25 poll released
Monday--Around the Nation podcast featuring Pat Coleman and Keith McMillan. Also, Play of the Week. Submit nominations today if you haven't already.
Tuesday/Wednesday--Around the Region columns
Thursday--Around the Nation column.
Friday--Quick Hits (the new, improved version of Triple Take featuring our panel's predictions and insight into the weekend's games)
Saturday--Game day. You know what Saturdays are for.
We've got great content coming at you all week, every week. Follow along and get to know D-III football beyond just your favorite team.
If you have ideas for an upcoming column or just want to talk some D-III football, get at me at @adamturer on Twitter or adam.turer@d3sports.com.