By Pat Cummings
D3sports.com
Conference play will really kick into stride this week for the Centennial, USAC, and ODAC and we will take a few moments to review each as the rivalries get rolling in Around the Region.
Centennial
Johns Hopkins came in as the preseason pick after their 2005 win but have found themselves in unfamiliar territory. Over the last four years, the Blue Jays have been 3-0 through the first four weekends of football, and in two of those seasons, including last year, JHU opened up at 7-0. Now, with a 1-2 start which included losses to Rochester and a narrow defeat at the hands of St. Lawrence, the Blue Jays are pining for conference play.
Dickinson will get an immediate test of their early of their solid 2-1 start as they travel to Baltimore where, in 2004, the Red Devils upset Hopkins under the lights.
Ursinus will have every reason to open the season 4-0 when they host McDaniel. The Bears' box scores are intriguing and after a bye week, Ursinus could get their offense back together with a win against McDaniel, who also come off the bye and their first win of the season against Catholic.
We've said it countless times in the past. The Centennial Conference does not produce primed football teams. But across the board, these seven teams may be the most evenly matched of any conference in the country. That tends to cause some head-scratching, but it also leads to close games and a very fun conference to watch.
USA South
Averett stumbled against stiff competition in their first two weeks and quickly rebounded against Guilford. The Cougars will get USAC play started with a tough test at home with Ferrum. Wesley and Guilford rely on the passing game to an extreme and Mount Union just obliterated Averett in all facets. Ferrum's ground game is well documented and these two combined for 195 points in their last two meetings. The winner in this one will have a key early advantage for the next six weeks when Christopher Newport will host Averett and Ferrum in Weeks 10 and 11.
I thought Ferrum was setup for a step back this season but I am encouraged by their start. Despite the loss to Guilford, the Panthers were incredibly competitive against Bridgewater and nearly knocked the Eagles off. After a 42-0 thrashing of Shenandoah, Dave Davis's troops could fight for the title again despite my preseason misgivings
As an observer to the region, I would be most surprised if any of the three USAC teams mentioned here loses again in conference play until they face each other. Of course, that adds to the importance of this week's USAC opener for the meeting of the mountain lions.
ODAC
There is nowhere near the hype for this year's renewal of the hottest rivalry in Virginia the last few years when Bridgewater hosts Hampden-Sydney. If there is a year for the Eagles to underestimate the Tigers, this is the one.
Washington & Lee can overlook their week one loss at Franklin and Marshall and focuse on the ODAC when the Generals host Randolph-Macon. W&L's offense has not looked as strong as it did last year, but they really took off in week five in 2005 with 44 points against R-MC.
Guilford dropped behind the ODAC eight-ball with a three-point loss to Hampden-Sydney. The Tigers' sophomore running back Josh Simpson had 144 yards of H-SC's 343 rushing yards in leading the win.
I stand firmly behind Bridgewater as the favorite and despite a close game from Ferrum, the rest of the league has not shown anything that dramatically points me elsewhere at this point.
MAC
It's the last year of the 11-team league in its current form and it will open up non-conference play in the region unlike ever before. Despite Wilkes's early successes, King's has opened up their MAC schedule an undefeated 3-0 but won't face the likes of Del Val or Wilkes until the last three weeks of the season. In the meantime, the Monarchs get 1-2 Susquehanna, 0-4 Juniata, and 1-2 Widener. Could be interesting if the records hold up.
Wilkes, of course, remains in the driver's seat and will get a tough test with Lycoming this week. Aggies fans are pulling for a Warriors upset and then some more dominoes to fall in the coming weeks.
Computer-chair coach responds
We asked for your thoughts on Guilford's excessive passing statistics from their loss to Averett. Does it matter that Kevin Kiesel did not get a chance to hear your thoughts before deciding to run the ball 28 times for 176 yards a week after 11 carries for 29 yards?
I said we'd publish some of your thoughts, so let's do it despite the fact Guilford diversified the offense (and, interestingly enough, still lost).
The best response came from long-time Quakers fan Danny Chilton. While a bit long, I found it entertaining and worth the space.
With apologies to Cool Hand Luke, "What we have here is a failure to 'guard the gate.' " We have an almost non-existent defense, but with that being said, now is better than then. There were years when I refused to attend Bridgewater at Guilford or Hampden-Sydney at Guilford because I could not stand to watch both sides of the ball so miserably fail to execute. Sixty-three to seven is not easily digested even if the ride home after the game is only three miles. Some things are so horrible you have to look away. Now, at least, I know we can score and somehow that is more palatable, perhaps even pleasant. We may still lose, and we still often do, but there is a moral victory of sorts in surrendering 62 and 'only' losing by 16. Sometimes, with a break here and there, offensive efficiency can lead to a 49-42 win, albeit a 'deformed' win when viewed through the eyes of a football purist. A win is a win. The rules state the winner is the team with the most points at the end of the allotted time, not the team that played 'conventional' football. Isn't the idea to use your available assets and strengths in the manner that gives you the best opportunity for a victory, regardless of the final score?
Truly, we are the Pistol Pete of D-III football. We score a zillion and sometimes lose because we failed to score a zillion and one. We have floppy socks and floppy hair and can score from anywhere, but we do not play both sides of the ball with equal aplomb. We do not have the Teutonic efficiency of a Mount Union or the defensive tenacity of a (Chicago) Bear, but we are in the football consciousness. We may only be a .500 team, but you care about our boxscore. With morbid fascination, people who could otherwise care less, check to see if we got the obligatory 500 yards and 5 TDs and 65 passes. Would you look if we won 3-0 with 53 rushing plays? I don't think you would. Pete Maravich never won a championship and he rarely played defense, but 40 points a game put him -- and kept him -- in the public psyche long after his number and, sadly, his life retired. Do the Quakers want to win? If someone says run more, I'll pass. I say this is, win or lose, more fun!
Woody Hayes always said three things can happen when you pass -- and two of them are bad. Until he inexcusably punched a Clemson defender, he was always a winner, but his brand of Buckeye football left me cold. Maybe the three yards and a cloud of dust obscured my vision for seeing how beautiful a football spiraling through the air can be.
It gets my adrenaline pumping -- 70 times a game -- and that's rarely happened before. Keep on passing. Go Quakers!
Thanks for writing in, Danny.
Mid-Atlantic Region Top 5
1. Bridgewater
2. Wilkes
3. Christopher Newport
4. Delaware Valley
5. Dickinson
CNU moves up after Del Val's nail-biting win against Lycoming. Otherwise, no changes.
