By Ryan Briggs
Grove City SID
For the general public, "Decision Day" came Nov. 2. For the Division III community, Decision Day is Saturday, Nov. 13 as the 28-team playoff field is solidified. Right now, only one Great Lakes Region team has a guaranteed berth. That, of course, is Ohio Athletic Conference champion Mount Union.
As the nation's only current 10-0 team, Washington and Jefferson is all but assured a Pool B berth. Beyond that, it is a mess. Wooster is 9-0 but is not in. None of the other OAC teams have a strong shot at Pool C bids due to multiple losses. At 5-4, Ohio Wesleyan can still get in. The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has a three-way tie at 5-1, but things will shake down pretty easily this weekend. More on that later.
The tenth week of the 2004 season saw playoff hopes dashed, seasons end, careers end and streaks continued. It also featured a true classic and the token surprise, also. Let's rock and roll our way through the first weekend of November.
Surviving the eye of the tiger
Wooster survived a furious Wittenberg rally Saturday and pulled out a 64-58 overtime win over the visiting Tigers at John Papp Stadium, snuffing Wittenberg's NCAC title hopes.
The Fighting Scots led 48-17 in the third quarter and still held a 58-37 lead with less than 13 minutes left. But Wittenberg continued to chip away and forged a 58-all tie with 15 seconds left on a three-yard touchdown run by quarterback Ryan Holmes.
In overtime, Wooster cornerback Keith Adams intercepted a Holmes pass on the first play of the fifth period, giving Wooster an opportunity to win the game. To one's surprise, Wooster gave the ball to All-American running back Tony Sutton on back-to-back plays to open the possession. Sutton picked up a first down at the Wittenberg 13, and then put the game away with a 13-yard touchdown burst up the middle.
"I'll tell you what, I've been around football as a coach for about 30 years and I've never been involved in a game like that," Wooster head coach Mike Schmitz told the (Wooster) Daily Record's Aaron Dorksen.
"I am just so proud of this team, they kept playing until the end and that's what it took," Schmitz continued. "There have been so many tough losses when this program's gotten close in big games. The scars, they all accumulate, but this makes it all right. This is a great win for Fighting Scots' football."
It appeared as if it would be a convincing win for the Fighting Scots, who used 35 unanswered points over the second and third quarters to take a 48-17 lead. Quarterback Justin Schafer ran for a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter and also threw a 71-yard touchdown to Richie McNally. Sutton tacked on a pair of rushing touchdowns in the first five minutes of the second half and the rout was on -- momentarily.
Wittenberg halfback Tristan Murray slashed the lead to 48-31 with touchdown runs of seven and three yards during the middle portion of the period. Another Sutton score pushed the lead back to 24 but Holmes threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Braden Freeman late in the third, pulling Wittenberg to within 55-37.
McNally started the fourth-quarter fireworks with a 24-yard field goal. Then Wittenberg's rally really kicked it in gear. Will Block returned the subsequent kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, cutting the margin to 58-44 with 12:26 left. Eight minutes later, Holmes threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Eric Kubilus, making the score a basketball-esque 58-51.
The Tigers forced a three-and-out and regained possession with 2:38 left. Wittenberg moved 74 yards in nine plays, capped by Holmes' fourth-down touchdown run.
The game produced a number of mind-boggling statistics. Wooster gained 638 yards while Wittenberg had 552. Both teams averaged eight yards per play. Wooster had the ball for over 10 minutes in the fourth quarter and was outscored 21-3.
It's a true classic that could very well end up as "Game of the Year" in the region, if not the whole country.
Dustin the wind
Albion running back Dustin Louwaert rambled for 182 yards on 39 carries, lifting the Britons to a 35-10 win at Alma. While Louwaert did a good portion of his damage in the second half, scoring a pair of touchdowns, quarterback Steve Wasil took the reins in the first half.
Wasil threw a pair of short touchdown passes and added a 1-yard scoring run with 3:23 left in the first half as Albion stormed to a 21-3 halftime lead. While Albion featured a balanced offense (184 rushing yards, 166 passing), the Scots were quite one-dimensional.
Alma quarterback Josh Brehm threw for 301 yards on 32 of 56 passing but the Scots could generate no ground game at all. Alam had just 18 yards on 18 carries. It's hard to win when you can't run or stop the run.
Albion's Anthony Russo picked off two Brehm passes as Albion finished the day plus-3 in turnovers.
What does this mean in the MIAA? If Albion (7-2, 5-1 MIAA) defeats visiting Olivet (7-2, 4-2) Saturday, the Britons are in. Should Olivet win, the winner of the Hope (6-3, 5-1) at Alma (7-2, 5-1) game would get the outright title and the automatic playoff berth. Albion defeated Alma and Hope in successive weeks, giving the Britons the inside track to the title.
Fab four
Hope stayed alive in the MIAA with a 41-27 home win over pesky Tri-State on Saturday in Holland, Mich. The Dutchmen scored twice in the final 7:52 to break a 27-27 tie. The game featured four scoring plays of 46 yards or longer and four scores of exactly 1 yard.
It was an up-and-down day for Tri-State quarterback Jim Oliver Jr. Oliver threw touchdown passes of 69 and 62 yards and also ran for a touchdown. He completed just 19 of 47 attempts and had four passes intercepted. Yet, those 19 completions went for 421 yards. Ben Darnell, who caught the 69-yard touchdown pass, finished the day with 10 catches for 244 yards.
Andy Snyder returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown for Hope and also recorded 17 tackles and an interception. The 90-yard return is a school record.
Proud Marietta keeps on burning
Marietta wrapped up its first winning season since 1998 with a 26-0 home victory over previously ranked Baldwin-Wallace. It is the Pioneers' first win over B-W since 1996. Marietta (6-3, 5-3 OAC) scored a pair of non-offensive touchdowns in the victory. J.J. Wheeler returned a blocked field goal 93 yards for a touchdown while Anthony Banks returned an interception 57 yards to the end zone.
Versatile senior Chris Sidick became Division III's all-time leader in kickoff return yardage with 2,211. Not surprisingly, he is one return away from tying new D-III record for total kickoff returns. He has 103 kickoff returns in four years.
With a win at Ohio Northern on Saturday, Marietta would clinch second place in the OAC. Second-year head coach Todd Glaser certainly deserves some Coach of the Year consideration for the turnaround in southeastern Ohio. Prior to this year, Marietta posted records of 2-8, 3-7, 2-8, 3-7 and 2-8 from 1999-2003.
Back In (red and) black
Washington and Jefferson became the country's first 10-0 team with a 28-6 victory over Washington (Mo.) at historic Cameron Stadium. The Presidents' defense smothered Washington all afternoon, sacking quarterback Adam Meranda six times. Rocco Nori led the Red and Black defense with two and a half sacks while Andy Shook added a sack and a half.
The Presidents also intercepted three passes and held Washington to minus-6 yards rushing. Offensively, President quarterback Chris Edwards produced another efficient outing, going 17-for-28 for 297 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Jacob Shields led the Presidents with six catches for 122 yards.
It is the seventh undefeated regular season in Washington and Jefferson history. More importantly, it gives Washington and Jefferson another in-region victory in its pursuit of the top seed and the benefits it brings: home-field advantage and a bye week. Of course, the Presidents are off this week, so maybe having two weeks off would not be ideal.
I can say this without equivocation: Washington and Jefferson is the best team I have seen this year.
Break On through
Hiram scored its first points in NCAC play but the Terriers fell to 0-9 overall with a 20-12 loss at Kenyon on Saturday. Hiram quarterback Max Kravitz threw touchdown passes to Greg Kibler and Niarchos Kincaid but Kenyon tailback Alby Coombs countered with a 163-yard effort on the ground. Coombs put the Lords (2-7, 2-4 NCAC) on top with a 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and Kenyon never relinquished the lead. Quarterback Nick Stalick threw a pair of touchdowns for Kenyon.
Hiram will host Oberlin (also 0-9) this Saturday.
Flirtin' with disaster
Thiel's playoff bandwagon officially broke down Saturday in Buffalo as the Tomcats dropped an 18-12 verdict at Buffalo State. Thiel committed five turnovers, including four fumbles, in finishing the season 7-3.
It is unlikely that the College Football Hall of Fame will request the game film. Neither team made an extra point. Both squads also missed two-point attempts. Buffalo State committed 13 penalties for 124 yards while Thiel had eight infractions for 61 yards. Thiel went 0-for-5 on fourth down and scored just once in five trips to the red zone. Buffalo State punted 11 times, including seven three-and-outs.
There were some highlights for Thiel, which posted its best season in a generation. Brandon Chambers returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter and also caught 11 passes for 123 yards. He finished with 308 all-purpose yards.
Freshman Steve Minton finished the season with 935 rushing yards, falling just short of becoming Thiel's first 1,000-yard rusher. Still, he became Thiel's single-season rushing leader.
Around the MIAA
Adrian did not allow a defensive point and forced five turnovers in a 20-2 victory at Kalamazoo Saturday. Chris Clay led the Bulldog offense with 155 yards rushing on 29 carries. ... Travis Sleight ran for two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass to help Olivet outlast Wisconsin Lutheran, 52-28. Olivet quarterbacks Rick Mason and Marcus Robinson each threw touchdown passes.
Around the NCAC
Ohio Wesleyan stayed in playoff contention with a 24-14 win at Oberlin Saturday. Eric Indiciani led OWU with 127 yards on 20 carries. ... Wabash picked up a 38-7 victory over Denison as Russ Harbaugh threw for 257 yards in the victory. He's now eighth in Wabash history with 3,507 yards. ... Allegheny quarterback Jimmy Savage threw three touchdown passes in the Gators' 26-7 victory over Earlham. Allegheny had five sacks as a team, including two and a half from end Justen Altemus. Allegheny is 18-0 all-time against Earlham.
Around the OAC
Mount Union improved to 9-0 with a 34-7 victory against Muskingum. The Purple Raiders allowed just 156 total yards of offense. ... John Carroll continued its home dominance of Capital with a 19-6 victory. The Crusaders have never won at John Carroll. It is the Blue Streaks' sixth straight home win. Kicker Dino Zucic went 4-for-4 on field goals. ... Otterbein whipped Heidelberg, 31-14, in the Rhine River Cup game. Ricardo Lenhart caught 14 passes for 240 yards in the victory. ... Otterbein hosts Muskingum this weekend. The Cardinals have not won three straight games in 23 years. ... Ohio Northern improved to 7-2 with a 23-6 triumph over Wilmington. Zach Weber became ONU's all-time leader in all-purpose yards with 5,691. He had 130 yards rushing, including an 80-yard touchdown. Corey Minnfield threw for 305 yards in the win.
Around the PAC
Grove City senior linebacker Mike Choby became the Wolverines' all-time leading tackler with 350. He had 11 tackles in Grove City's 9-6 season-ending loss to rival Westminster Saturday. He's also SGA President at Grove City, which will tell you the type of young man he is. ... Jason Lundmark's 33-yard field goal in the fourth quarter gave Westminster the lead and eventual win. ... Waynesburg rolled past visiting Frostburg State in non-conference play, 30-19, at Jack Wiley Stadium. It is the Yellow Jackets' 12th straight home win.
Games to Watch
Wooster (9-0, 6-0 NCAC) at Ohio Wesleyan (5-4, 5-1 NCAC), 1:00 p.m.: You can call it the NCAC Championship Game, because in essence, that's what it is. The winner advances to the playoffs with the automatic berth. The automatic qualifier is Ohio Wesleyan's only way in; Wooster could still get a Pool C bid at 9-1. Each squad owns home victories over Wittenberg in recent weeks. Wooster leads the NCAC in both rushing offense and rushing defense. Ohio Wesleyan is second in rush offense and would is sixth in run defense. The Bishops would be third without that 670-yard meltdown against Olivet early in the season. Ohio Wesleyan, showcasing the balance of the Wing-T, has three players ranked in the top 10 in the NCAC in rushing. As of press time, I plan to attend this game and I'm really looking forward to it.
DePauw at Wabash: Throw the records out when the Monon Bell is on the line. Wabash owns a 51-50-9 edge in the series. This is the 111th meeting overall and the 73rd with the Bell at stake. Host Wabash owns a three-game win streak in the series, including a 37-20 win last year.
Olivet (7-2, 4-2) at Albion (7-2, 5-1), 1 p.m.: Albion can wrap up the MIAA title with a win while Olivet can spoil the Britons' hopes and cap an 8-win season. Olivet is the MIAA's top rushing team, averaging 347 yards per conference game and 5.1 yards per attempt. Albion is allowing MIAA foes to run for just 3.0 yards per carry and 108.5 yards per game, tops in the league.
Fun fact: Albion is averaging 39.2 penalty yards per MIAA game. Its conference foes are averaging 79.8 penalty yards per game against the Britons.
Hope (6-3, 5-1) at Alma (7-2, 5-1), 1 p.m.: This game means nothing if Albion wins; it means everything if Albion loses to Olivet. Neither team will qualify for a Pool C bid with multiple losses, so expect both teams to be saying "Go Olivet!" That's their only hope of getting in.
Oberlin (0-9, 0-6 NCAC) at Hiram (0-9, 0-6 NCAC), 1 p.m.: Something has to give as Oberlin and Hiram clash in search of their first win this season. Oberlin went 5-5 last year but things have not gone well for the Yeomen this year. Oberlin has won two in a row in the series.
