By John Regenfuss
D3sports.com
Lakeland's dominating 53-7 win against MacMurray (2-2, 1-1) on Saturday served to usher a changing of the guard of the IBFC elite. MacMurray's two-year reign as league champion appears to be at an end and the Muskies' 46-point victory vs. the Highlanders certainly qualifies them as a candidate to fill that void.
For Lakeland (4-1, 2-0), the game was never in doubt, as it jumped on top early and never looked back. The Muskies led 32-0 at halftime and tacked on three more scores in the second half to send the Highlanders home with its first IBFC loss in two years.
Running back Marcus Denham rushed for 124 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns and receiver Jeff Taff caught seven balls for 133 yards and one score to lead the Muskies on offense. Ryan Van De Loo had two interceptions and a fumble recovery to pace the Lakeland defense.
Signs of this possible power shift have been discernable all season. After a midsummer coaching change, MacMurray has struggled, even in victory, to put points on the board. The Highlanders top offensive output through four games has been just 21 points. Meanwhile, Lakeland has been impressive, even in defeat. Its lone loss came at yet-unbeaten UW-Oshkosh in four overtimes.
This weekend, Lakeland's crucial showdown with Concordia (Wis.) will shed further light on who will be the IBFC's new power broker in 2003.
Titanic defensive effort
The surprise of the WIAC this season has been the emergence of UW-Oshkosh (4-0, 1-0) as a major player in the competition for the conference title. The Titans proved that to be true last weekend when it defeated then-No. 11 UW-Stout (2-2, 0-1), 15-7.
Oshkosh's rise to power can be primarily attributed to the play of its stalwart defensive unit. Through four games, the Titans' defense has allowed just 36 points total in four games (27 in regulation time). Opponents are averaging only 2.5 yards per rush and 3.1 yards per play against Oshkosh. The Titans have collected 62 total tackles for loss in four games, an average of over 15 per game.
The unit is headlined by defensive end Jason Boehlke. The 6-3, 265-pound junior leads the team in unassisted tackles with 23, tackles for loss with 15, sacks with nine, and is tied with defensive back Jason Manikowski with two forced fumbles. Linebacker Craig Korth tops the team in total tackles with 35.
Wheaton weathers Elmhurst
Seventh-ranked Wheaton (4-0, 1-0) remained on track for a conference title and kept its top 10 national ranking intact by winning a nail-biter against CCIW rival Elmhurst (3-1, 0-1) last weekend 23-19.
Up four points with just over 1:30 remaining in the game, Wheaton could not prevent Elmhurst from driving 68 yards to its 14-yard line. However, after three incomplete passes, Bluejay quarterback Dom Demma was sacked on fourth down to seal the victory for the Thunder.
In the game, Wheaton jumped out to two leads, only to have Elmhurst fight its way back into the contest. The lead changed four times in the second half.
Wheaton quarterback Chad Bradley completed 19 of 36 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns. Brad Musso caught five of those throws for 119 yards and one score. The Thunder's leading rusher for the game was Dan Price (19-88).
St. Norbert walking away with MWC
It looks to be another year, another league title for St. Norbert.
Once again, to no one's surprise, SNC is proving to clearly be the class of the Midwest Conference. The 5-0 Green Knights have yet to be seriously challenged, a trend that might not soon change, having outscored its opponents 178-47 thus far in 2003.
St. Norbert's potent offense features a pair of outstanding running backs in Casey Meehan (507 yards) and Aljay Wren (7.0 per carry, five TDs) and the efficient passing of quarterback Ryan Hartman (64.5% comp. pct., eight TDs). On defense, the Green Knights are led by standout defensive back Joe Masciopinto. The senior has collected four interceptions this season and is fourth on the team in total yardage, thanks to his punt and kick returning abilities. Linebackers Casey Rentmeester and Bill Harrison top the team in tackles with 27 apiece and Bob Latterman, Luke Allison, and Ben Baker have recorded three sacks each.
The only possible roadblocks en route to an undefeated season and the MWC's automatic bid may be Lake Forest and Ripon, but only if both can rebound from disheartening Week 5 losses (and that's a big if) and if they happen to catch St. Norbert looking ahead to the first round of the playoffs (another big if).
Greenwood update
UW-Eau Claire linebacker Justin Greenwood is making small but daily progress in his recovery from brain surgery. In recent days, Justin has responded to commands, squeezed his mother's hand, and opened his left eye briefly.
On Sept. 27, in the Blugolds' game vs. UW-River Falls, the 22-year-old Greenwood was injured in a helmet-to-helmet collision on a kickoff late in the first half. The junior collapsed while leaving the field and was rushed to the hospital in an unconscious state. A CAT scan revealed a blood clot on his brain. Greenwood underwent surgery to remove the clot and stop the bleeding at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where he remains today.
The Greenwood family has set up a Web site to keep the public informed on Justin's progress. The site also has a guestbook where notes of encouragement can be left. Cards or letters can be sent to Justin Greenwood, Regions Hospital, SICU, 640 Jackson St., St. Paul, MN 55101.
What's in a name? Part II
Ever wonder how a school decides upon or why it adopts a nickname? I have, and my curiosity about how some of the teams in the Midwest region with unique and unusual nicknames acquired their monikers prompted me search out the truth. What I found was that there is almost always an interesting and revealing tale to be told. Next up: the Knox Prairie Fire.
For decades, Knox College athletic teams took to the field of play sporting the nickname of the Siwash. After an intense debate in the early '90s, it was determined by a preponderance of alumni and school administrators that Knox's nickname was racially insensitive to Native American culture and must be replaced.
An assembled committee scrutinized 200 possible suggestions for the new nickname over a two month period before Prairie Fire was unveiled as Knox's new moniker. The name was chosen for its popularity among students, its uniqueness, and its reflection of Knox College's historical foundation and Midwest heritage.
The Prairie portion of the nickname refers and pays tribute to the name originally intended for Knox by its founders: Prairie College. Combined with Fire, the Prairie Fire designation historically relates to the fires that frequently swept through the Illinois plains, an ecologically important natural occurrence that served to revitalize the life-giving prairieland.
Notes
In this week's AFCA coaches' poll, undefeated St. Norbert was slotted at No. 23, but the Green Knights remain 42 votes away from appearing in the D3football.com poll. ... St. Norbert has won 37 of its last 39 MWC contests. ... Carroll broke its 10-game MWC losing streak by holding Ripon to its lowest point output since Sept. 11, 1999, in the Pioneers' 13-9 surprise victory against the Red Hawks. ... UW-La Crosse is 4-0 for the first time since 1996, the year after its second national title. ... UW-Oshkosh will play its first road game of this season, after four consecutive home contests, when it travels to meet UW-Platteville on Saturday. ... Millikin used a game-winning 98-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter by Nathan Chandler to top Carthage 21-17. ... Augustana's 27-7 win versus North Central was the Vikings 23rd-consecutive victory over the Cardinals, dating back to 1980. ... Illinois Wesleyan scored 24-unanswered second-half points to down North Park, 27-7, for the Titans' first CCIW win of 2003. ... After scoring just 35 points in its first three games combined, Aurora exploded for 43 in the Spartans' 43-6 whipping of Benedictine. ... Concordia (Wis.) scored on a fumble return, a blocked punt return, and two interception returns in its 48-0 pounding of namesake Concordia (Ill.). ... After missing all of last season due to injury, 2000 All-American kicker Jonathan Feig is struggling for Washington U., having missed both field goals and one of six extra points. Ben Lambert, who filled in admirably last season, is 1-for-4 himself, successful from 46 yards. ... My top five Midwest region teams through five weeks: 1. UW-La Crosse (4-0), 2. UW-Stevens Point (3-1), 3. Wheaton (4-0), 4. UW-Oshkosh (4-0), 5. St. Norbert (5-0).
Games of the Week
Lakeland (4-1, 2-0) at Concordia (Wis.) (4-1, 2-0): Undoubtedly, the game of the year in the Illini-Badger Conference. With MacMurray exposed last weekend and having seemingly fallen by the title-race wayside, Lakeland and Concordia (Wis.) now comprise the league elite and will battle it out this Saturday for the inside track to the conference crown. The Muskies have their offense rolling, having scored a combined 104 points in their previous two contests. Concordia's bell cow is its stout defense; the Falcons have given up just 45 points in five games, have notched two shutouts, and have forced a Division III-high 23 turnovers. Interestingly, both teams' lone loss has been to UW-Oshkosh. Lakeland lost in four overtimes, 26-23, and Concordia fell, 21-3, both at Titan Stadium.
Millikin (4-0, 1-0) at No. 7 Wheaton (4-0, 1-0): A key game in the CCIW involving two unbeaten teams. Millikin appears to be on the verge of regaining the form that won the Big Blue conference championships in 1998 and 2000. Wheaton is looking to legitimize the top-10 national ranking that it tenuously holds onto. Millikin has been impressive thus far in 2003 while the Thunder has not fully lived up to its high-ranked billing. Both teams scored narrow four-point victories in their CCIW openers a week ago. Millikin and Wheaton have split its previous four meetings, with the road team winning the last two.
No. 25 UW-Stout (2-2, 0-1) at No. 9 UW-Stevens Point (3-1, 0-1): A matchup of teams coming off of disappointing conference losses and whose loser will likely be eliminated from WIAC title contention and from postseason consideration. A win is especially important to Stout, as the Blue Devils must later face La Crosse and Eau Claire on the road in back-to-back weekends. Stevens Point must shrug off the sting of last weekend's close loss to La Crosse, collect a win, and hope that the UW-L stumbles at some point in its remaining conference schedule.
Augustana (2-2, 1-0) at Illinois Wesleyan (3-1, 1-0): After struggling early in the season through a difficult non-conference slate, Augustana is in the midst of a two-game winning streak and is right where it expected to be, at the top of the CCIW standings. Joining the Vikings in first place is their Week 6 opponent Illinois Wesleyan. The Titans have won three in a row and will play its third consecutive home game when Augustana visits Bloomington. The Vikings have won three of the last four games from the Titans.
No. 3 UW-La Crosse (4-0, 1-0) at UW-Eau Claire (2-2, 1-0): By virtue of last Saturday's win over Stevens Point, La Crosse is in the conference-title driver's seat but, in the wild WIAC, the Eagles must guard against a let-down or an ambush each and every weekend. La Crosse has weathered a brutal early-season schedule but still has a daunting conference slate ahead, starting with playing a desperate Blugolds squad on the road. Eau Claire's two 2003 losses have come at the hands of ranked interconference teams and an early WIAC defeat could put the Blugolds' season into a tailspin.
