By Ryan Tipps
D3sports.com

It took the sharp hands of a defensive back, the breakout abilities of a wideout and the leadership of a returning starting quarterback for Christopher Newport to break the curse that had plagued the team on opening day for six years. From 2001 to 2006, CNU lost its first game of the season. This year, however, was different -- in so many ways. 

CNU not only got the opening-day monkey off its back, it also took down the East region's traditional powerhouse, Rowan, to the tune of 23-17. And, thanks to the recent expansion of the NJAC, it seems that CNU has the last laugh since the Profs and Captains are unlikely to meet again in the near future.

CNU coach Matt Kelchner, son and players celebrate the team's season-opening win against Rowan. CNUphotos.com

Todd Faison stepped back into his role under center for the first time since CNU's heartbreaking loss to Washington and Jefferson last season in the first round of the playoffs. Faison connected with his receivers for 163 yards on Saturday and helped the team to 282 yards overall. But with Mary Hardin-Baylor on tap for this coming weekend, CNU coach Kelchner said about the offense, "Lots of improvements are needed if we are to have a chance at UMHB. ... If it's not improved, UMHB will roll us."

Two saviors of CNU's attack strategy were found among the team's sophomores: running back Tunde Ogun and wide receiver Jesse Bradshaw. Ogun accounted for CNU's only two touchdowns of the day while Bradshaw hauled in five catches for 84 yards. But according to Dave DiPersio, CNU's substitute announcer and well-known "superfan," Bradshaw did much more than just play the game on Saturday. As DiPersio tells it, "Bradshaw also became an emotional leader. ... He was injured on a play. Once he got up, he ran off the field encouraging the crowd. The fans couldn't help but get on their feet" for him.

The Captains' strengths, though, probably bubbled the most on defense, where Kelchner said "they overall were excellent." Despite 40 attempts by Rowan, the CNU defense held the Profs' running game to fewer than 100 yards and shut down the Profs' offense for nearly the final 25 minutes of the game. Defensive back Matt Long was the day's individual standout, pulling in three interceptions and setting a new school record. But it was as a team that the defense and its coaches became keen on making adjustments throughout the game, finding ways to counteract Rowan's tricks, such as the no-huddle offense.

Despite the scope of this win, CNU can't dwell on the weekend's accomplishment for too long. Not only does the future hold a conference game against a N.C. Wesleyan team that lost by just 3 points to nationally ranked Wesley, it also holds nonconference matchups against Salisbury and upcoming UMHB. Last year, CNU stunned a highly touted Crusader squad when the game was in Virginia. This year, the Captains will be on the road, armed, as Kelcher told me, with confidence and a corps of starters that is now already "tested in a big game atmosphere."

A team as young as CNU will undoubtedly continue to find ways to be more cohesive and potent on both sides of the ball. And though this first game brought the team far, more work can be expected. "One game doesn't necessarily answer all of the questions a team has for the season," DiPersio said, "but this game does give the coaches a better understanding of where the answers might come from."

Rural rivalry

While most rivalries are played later in the fall, Emory and Henry and Ferrum often collide in some of the earlier weeks of the season. And it was there that Ferrum's recent dominance of this battle of the bluegrass belt crumbled in spectacular fashion last weekend. 

Caleb Moore led Emory and Henry with 82 yards as one of 10 ballcarriers. Photo by Ryan Tipps, D3sports.com

The Wasps' offensive success, which saw them essentially seal the game with a 28-point second quarter, was complemented by the Panthers' own self-destruction. The 50-7 final was by far the largest margin of victory for E&H under coach Don Montgomery and was the largest such victory against FC since the two teams met in the playoffs in 1987.

The initial drives for each team culminated in interceptions, and both sides found the end zone before the first 15 minutes were up. But it was then that the spiral started. Frustration bit through the Ferrum sidelines as Emory & Henry alternated touchdowns on the ground and through the air for the remainder of the day -- piling up 293 rushing yards and 143 passing. Matt Gillespie and Caleb Moore combined to run for 147 yards at an average of more than 6 yards per carry. The two rushers meticulously chipped away at the Panther defense, easily finding running lanes or, at times, using enough strength to simply make their own.

E&H's sophomore quarterback, emerging from the shadow of Todd Woods, nailed 50 percent of his passes and three touchdowns. Daniel Booher appeared to grow more in sync with the offensive schemes the deeper into the game he went.

However, the Wasps' offense wasn't the only side to do its job -- the defense performed nicely, too. Prior to the start of the weekend, Ferrum coach Dave Davis noted that this game will "give us a chance to evaluate where we are as a team. ... We need to find out where we are." Seeing the offense stall on drive after drive, it's certain that Davis will be putting his rotating quarterbacks under a microscope. After playing much of the game with freshman Shawn Lloyd, sophomore Matt Dobson stepped in, only to be pulled later for another freshman signal-caller, Marcus Mayo. This juggling act netted only 78 passing yards for the day and two interceptions.

Davis' squad also stumbled in other key areas: fumbles (two); third-down conversions (2 for 11); and red-zone defense (no stops in six attempts). The bright spot was No. 32 emerging from the backfield. Ronnie Edwards could be the saving grace for a team that has traditionally armed itself with a solid run game. The junior carried the ball 13 times for 112 yards, a feat even further exaggerated by the lack of experience and cohesion in the Panther front five.

The lopsided nature of Saturday's game at W.B. Adams Stadium in Ferrum is rare in this rivalry. As the only two teams from Southwest Virginia, geography helped pit the two teams together since 1985. Last year was the first time in that span they did not play.

Prior to this season, the Wasps led the overall series 13-9, though Ferrum had won the past three contests. Ten games have been decided by 10 points or less, and four have been settles by a field goal or less. Davis said "history, location and great competition" are among the reasons there is such intensity when these two teams meet, and those aspects are likely the reasons that a 43-point victory can sting so badly.

Five-year hiatus ends

Gallaudet began its return to Division III football with a convincing win over fellow new program St. Vincent. The Bison, which played its last game in Div. III in 2002, was led by quarterback Jason Coleman, who went 20 of 33 through the air while connecting with the end zone three times. Senior Rob Shannon had an impressive day on defense, compiling seven tackles, including two sacks.

350 games and counting ...

Lycoming had every reason to want a win on Saturday, and among those was to honor the 350th game of coach Frank Girardi. In his 36th year, Girardi has turned Lycoming football into a family business: His two sons, Jerry and Frank Jr., are assistant coaches. Despite all of the possibilities going into the weekend, the Warriors dropped the game 31-6 against Empire 8 opponent Ithaca. Girardi, though, still has a chance to emerge with a positive milestone this year as he is pursuing what could be his 30th winning season in Williamsport.

Thursday night lights

Ursinus kicked off the weekend -- and the season -- in powerful fashion Thursday night with a 28-0 drubbing of Division I FCS (non-scholarship) opponent La Salle. Last season, the Bears limped to a 6-2 win over the Explorers. This year, however, there was no doubt about the better team, which had racked up 14 points by the end of the first quarter. Overall, Ursinus returned two turnovers for touchdowns, and sophomore running back Aaron Harper also pushed past the goal line twice. LaSalle sniffed the end zone once in the third quarter, but the Bear defense stalled that drive at the 3-yard line. With the Bears debuting such a decisive win, they have helped to established themselves as the conference's team to beat, a status that was reinforced by the CC preseason coach's poll.

MAC-transplant Moravian also began its season Thursday, logging a seven-point win over former conference foe Susquehanna. After taking an early lead, the Greyhounds fell behind midway through the third quarter. They bounced back by finding the end zone with a with a 9-yard toss from junior Marc Braxmeier, who threw for 215 yards total and tied a school record with 4 touchdown passes. On defense, Moravian linebacker Derek Protasiewicz was key with nine tackles as well as a fumble recovery.

Some other highlights from the Centennial: Overall, teams from the CC started the year with a 6-1 record, a marked improvement over last year's 3-3 opening week. For the third year in a row, New Jersey fell to Muhlenberg, which posted its first shutout victory since October 2004; Gettysburg was led by tailback Tom Sturges, who ran for a career-high 220 yards and three touchdowns, in its 49-25 win over the MAC's Lebanon Valley. 

The mighty are falling

A 15th-ranked team has the right to high expectations going into the season, but sometimes reality hits home early. That's the way it was for Wilkes, which was upset 17-16 by William Patterson of the New Jersey AC. The Colonels sank under the weight of five costly turnovers and an offense that "sputtered in a big way in the second half," as one Wilkes fan who wrote to me put it. True enough, Wilkes put up all of its points in the first half. The day also brought to an end a 17-game regular season win streak for the Colonels. Yet all one has to do is look back two years to learn that Wilkes can be down, but not necessarily out. A bottom-of-the-pack William Patterson stunned Wilkes with a loss in 2005, though the Colonels bounced back and finished the regular season 8-2, including a playoff bid. This year's team must remember that just like then, there's always next week.

Also in the MAC pack, which limped through the weekend winless, was Delaware Valley. The perennial conference contender lost on the road at Division I FCS (non-scholarship) Iona by a score of 14-12. Iona piled on 382 yards Saturday, while the Aggies were able to answer with only 170. However, DVC was able to keep the game close, and with six minutes left went for a 2-point conversion that could have tied things up. The pass was batted down at the goal line, and the Aggies' fate was sealed.

Hot out of the gate

The ODAC walked away with a good opening weekend, starting off 5-1 and raking in a couple of big-margin wins thanks to Guilford and Bridgewater. The Old Dominion, which has long been a top-heavy conference, impressed with wins from the bottom-rung teams: Randolph-Macon and Catholic. The Yellow Jackets had no trouble beating Denison from the North Coast, and Catholic edged out Shenandoah again this season. It's one thing for a conference's best team to have a strong playoff run, but the measure of a good conference is the top-to-bottom scale. Your lower-tier teams need to show that at least they can beat the other guy's lower teams, and that was exactly the positive step the ODAC took this weekend.

High Five

The Around the Region top teams:
1. Christopher Newport
2. Wilkes
3. N.C. Wesleyan
4. Bridgewater
5. Ursinus

So this weekend threw my expectations for the High Five into disarray. Surprises came with the Wilkes and CNU games, and the Captains will have even more on the line next weekend in Texas against Mary Hardin-Baylor. But for now, there's still a fine line between who will win their conferences and who are truly the best teams in the region, two aspects that don't always align perfectly 

At the head of the class

By grade level, here are the mid-Atlantic's players of the week:

Freshman
Alex Lachman, kicker, Johns Hopkins: Booted the go-ahead point in a victory over Hampden-Sydney. Also nailed a 43-yard field goal, the longest for a JHU freshman in at least 17 years.

Sophomore
Matt Long, linebacker, Christopher Newport: Set a school record with three interceptions in one game, helping to seal the win against East region powerhouse Rowan.

Junior
Josh Vogelbach, quarterback, Guilford: An ODAC record was broken with eight passing scores en route to a 70-26 win.

Senior
Phillip Carter, running back, Bridgewater: Broke an Eagles record with five rushing touchdowns. Four of those scores came in the first half alone.

Upcoming games of the week

Widener at N.C. Wesleyan: These two teams are among the favorites to win their conferences, and while the Battling Bishops have already shown some mettle this year, the Pride will be stepping onto the field for the first time. I look forward to being in attendance on Saturday.

No. 12 Christopher Newport at No. 4 Mary Hardin-Baylor: The big question is whether CNU can repeat -- and not only repeat last year's win against the Crusaders but also repeat a win against a ranked opponent in back-to-back weeks. Yet most importantly for CNU: Unlike last weekend, this coming Saturday will be in-region.
Delaware Valley at No. 7 Wesley: Last weekend, Wesley showed vulnerabilities for a team that has made it to the South region finals in the past two seasons. However Delaware Valley needs to rebound after dropping its opener to a non-Division III team. Any slipup could leave them in trouble if the automatic qualifier doesn't come through.

Contact me

I would be happy to hear from anyone who has questions or feedback regarding the Around the Mid-Atlantic column. Please write to me at ryan.tipps@d3sports.com. Or, if there is an idea you'd like to see me write about, I'm always open to hearing about that, too.