By Matt Florjancic
D3sports.com
Notre Dame had Jerome "The Bus" Bettis and Auburn had Carnell "Cadillac" Williams.
While those two rushers had great careers, the Oberlin Yeomen have their own impact player at running back. Although, for the Yeomen, it is not a bus or Cadillac that have opposing defenses on their heels. The Yeomen ground game is running across the goal line in the form of an R.V.
The man rewriting the record books at Oberlin is junior sensation R.V. Carroll. The R stands for Robert and the V for Vincent, the names of his grandfathers.
Carroll owns seven school records spanning from single-game to career marks. As a sophomore, Carroll ran for 1,260 yards, along with setting the records for touchdowns and yards in a game. Against the Kenyon Lords in 2006, Carroll ran for 336 yards and five touchdowns.
"My favorite memory as a Yeoman would have to be the Kenyon game last year," said Carroll. "Playing against Kenyon is always fun because of the offenses both teams deploy, but that game really gave not only me but my offensive line confidence that we were a great unit. I also set the single game record for rushing yards in Oberlin's history and touchdowns in a game. It proved to me that hard work does pay off."
All great running backs have one thing in common, an offensive line willing to fight the battles in the trenches to open the holes in opposing defenses. At Oberlin, Carroll runs behind five the best offensive linemen in the North Coast Athletic Conference in left tackle Mark Miller, left guard Chris Pottmeyer, center Caleb Buck, right guard Justin Catalano and right tackle Max Roessler.
"My relationship with the offensive line is very positive," said Carroll, a psychology major with a minor in law and society. "I hang out with the offensive linemen almost daily. I just like to be around them so they know I wouldn't be anywhere without them.
"To develop a relationship off the field with them allows them to trust me more on the field and enables us to have a very blunt way of communicating," Carroll added. "We are able to tell how the defense is trying to stop us and make changes to be successful."
Producing at the college level has not been a problem for the former Perry High School running back. Carroll has 961 yards in nine games this season, and averages 5.1 yards per carry. He also reset Oberlin's record for rushing touchdowns with 16 scores.
Carroll felt he had some unfinished business to take care of on the field once he graduated from high school.
"When I began my career I thought I would be successful because I always have high expectations for myself," Carroll said. "I also had a chip on my shoulder coming out of high school because I thought I could have been more productive and there was a stigma for going to a Division III team. Now I didn't know if I would break any records, but luckily I have been able to achieve these records."
As determined as he is to make plays, Carroll directs praise toward his teammates for giving him the chance to succeed.
"It's kind of surreal, in high school I never put up the stats like I have been able to accomplish while at Oberlin," Carroll said. "I am just very fortunate to be at Oberlin, playing with my teammates and being able to share these moments with them. I attribute all of my success to the guys that I play with.
"Our offense is very dynamic, we have a great offensive line, our receivers (Chris Schubert leads the way) force defenses to respect them and not put eight men in the box, and we have one of the best quarterbacks in the conference (Greg Mangan)," he added. "All of these pieces allow me to gain the success that I have."
With all of the records he has broken at Oberlin, comparisons to great running backs are sure to follow. However, there is a famous runner who Carroll shares one thing in common with, Detroit Lions Hall of Famer Barry Sanders. Neither has a championship ring to show for their hard work. Carroll is hoping to change that in 2008.
"I think all the records mean something to me but the most important thing is winning," Carroll said. "I came to Oberlin to start a winning tradition and although we haven't gone as far as I would have liked I still have one more year to initiate more change.
"An NCAC Championship is what I have been working toward since I decided to attend Oberlin," he added. "A championship means everything to me. It's the only type of success I want to be a part of. Breaking records is great but wins are more important. The seniors from years past have led us in the right direction but it will be my job and the other seniors' job to make sure winning is the most important thing for our team."
Carroll believes an NCAC Championship will validate the dedication of everyone who has put on an Oberlin jersey.
"Football is the ultimate team sport and to win a championship says that you were the best team in your conference and no one can take that away from you," Carroll said. "A championship would bring legitimacy to our program and finally let other people know who Oberlin is. A championship would also give our program more respect than it has received in the past."
UAA Champs on East 115th Street
Four years ago, Case Western Reserve hired Greg Debeljak to lead the football program. The powers-that-be were hoping to improve the team and contend for championships.
With just four student-athletes in his first recruiting class, Debeljak has quickly turned the Spartans from the hunted to the hunters. Case was predicted to struggle with the University Athletic Association's Carnegie Mellon and Washington U. squads, but they jumped to the top of the league ahead of schedule.
In the second to last week of the season, the Spartans played host to Washington University, defeating the Bears 35-27 on the strength of two fourth down stands and a pair of blocked extra points. The win gave Case its first-ever outright UAA championship, while the victory was the first over the Bears in 16 years.
Sophomore wide receiver Shaun Nicely had arguably the best game of his career with three touchdown receptions from his high school teammate Dan Whalen. Nicely totaled 12 catches for 166 yards against the Bears secondary. Defensively, linebacker Tom Brew led the way with 15 tackles. Jeff Brown and Bobby Bott had 12 and ten stops respectively.
News and Notes
The Olivet Comets needed a 15-point fourth quarter on the road to defeat Hope 28-25 last Saturday. The victory for the Comets pulled them into a three-way tie for first place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association with Hope and Alma. Olivet running back Pat Clasgens rushed 24 times for 119 yards and a touchdown. Comet receiver Chris Smith corralled nine passes for 101 yards and a score.
Defensively, the Comets limited Hope running back David Booko to 92 yards on 27 carries. More importantly, Hope's leading rusher was kept out of the end zone by Olivet.
Wabash put on an offensive display against Denison. The 42-0 victory for the Little Giants gave them an outright North Coast Athletic Conference championship and playoff berth. On the ground, Wabash gained 130 yards, but the real damage was done through the air. Wabash quarterback Matt Hudson was 21-of-25 for 303 yards and four touchdowns against the Big Red. Senior wide receiver Mike Russell made 11 catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
Two Carnegie Mellon seniors brought home University Athletic Association honors for their performances in a 42-19 victory over Bethany last Saturday. Running back Travis Sivek gained 131 yards on 21 carries with three touchdowns. Sivek is just 24 yards short of 4,000 for his career. Punter Matt Adams kicked just three times against Bethany, but made an impact by changing field position. Adams averaged 48.3 yards-per-punt, while his game-high kick traveled 63 yards.
Not many things went well for Bethany against the Tartans, but wide receiver Matt Cruse had a good day. Cruse caught two touchdown passes, which tied the school's single-season record of nine. In addition to his touchdowns, Cruse has averaged 95.4 yards-per-game on the season. He has 52 receptions for 763 yards, averaging of 14.7 yards-per-catch.
A pair of Mount Union Purple Raiders continues assaulting the school and conference record books. Junior running back Nate Kmic is 193 yards shy of the Ohio Athletic Conference rushing record. He is also three touchdowns short of former Raider Chuck Moore's school and conference record of 72 total touchdowns. Kmic is the single-season and career rushing leader at Mount Union and has rushed for four touchdowns in a game three times in his career.
Wide receiver Pierre Garcon is tied for the Purple Raider record for career touchdown receptions. Garcon, a Florida native, is also four touchdown catches away from besting the previous mark of 43 currently held by Ohio Northern standout Steve Vagedes.
Great Lakes teams in D3football.com's Top 25
No. 1 Mount Union (OAC). No change following 53-0 victory at John Carroll
No. 8 Washington and Jefferson (PAC). Up one spot after 42-0 win at Thomas More
No. 9 Wabash (NCAC). Up one spot following 42-0 victory over Denison
No. 17 Capital (OAC). No change following 19-13 win at Muskingum
Others Receiving Votes: Case Western Reserve (UAA). Receiving 48 votes following 35-27 victory against Washington U.
Ohio Northern (OAC). Receiving 43 votes following 35-10 win over Heidelberg
Baldwin-Wallace (OAC). Receiving six votes following 37-27 victory over Otterbein
Great Lakes teams in the regional rankings
North Region
1. Mount Union
3. Wabash
4. Case Western Reserve
7. Capital
8. Wittenberg
South Region
1. Washington and Jefferson
6. Waynesburg
Games of the Week
Alma (5-4, 5-1 MIAA) at Adrian (6-3, 3-3), Nov. 10, 1 p.m.: Alma lost the best player in Division III to graduation, but still find themselves in the hunt for the MIAA championship. Sophomore quarterback Mackenzie McGrady has thrown for over 230 yards-per-game with 14 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. One of his favorite weapons is Joe Cline. The senior wide receiver has 932 yards and five touchdowns on the season.
The defense for Adrian takes pride in limiting the aerial attack of the opponent. They have surrendered just nine passing touchdowns in as many games. Opposing offenses are passing for just 158.2 yards per game, while throwing for 214.2 yards-a-contest. The Bulldog defense has a chance to spoil the MIAA championship dream of Alma. Although, if the Scots win the game, they still need help to claim the conference crown.
Wabash (9-0, 7-0 NCAC) at DePauw (7-2, 5-2 SCAC), Nov. 10, 1:05 p.m.: The Monon Bell is on the line for the 114th time when the Little Giants head to DePauw for a battle with the Tigers. The game between the Indiana powers was such a hot ticket, it is already sold out. Wabash has won five of the last six games in the Monon Bell Classic and could make it six-of-seven with a victory Saturday.
Standing in the way for Wabash's undefeated regular season is a DePauw running attack led by Jeremiah Marks. The senior has only played in six games, but has gained 768 yards with 12 touchdowns on the season. If Marks cannot find a way through the Little Giant defense, DePauw's passing game is more than capable of putting points on the board. The Tigers have found the end zone 16 times through the air.
