By John Regenfuss
D3sports.com

What was billed as a potential shootout between HCAC rivals Hanover and Anderson, the nation's two most potent offenses, turned out to be an old-fashioned blowout. The offensive numbers compiled by both teams were, as expected, impressive but the outcome was clearly one-sided. Hanover negotiated one of the major remaining obstacles en route to an HCAC championship by crushing Anderson, 48-19. 

The Panthers and the Ravens combined for 972 total yards of offense, 829 of which were attained through the air.

The conference clash pitted two of the nation's most prolific passers against one another. Hanover quarterback Brett Dietz got the best of the matchup, throwing for 420 yards on 42-for-60 passing and four touchdowns in victory. He also added a rushing score. Anderson signal-caller and two-time HCAC Offensive Player of the Year Joel Steele completed 33 of 58 passes for 407 yards and one touchdown in the loss. 

The quarterbacking duo's receivers also had career days. Terrell Cummings of Hanover caught 11 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns. Anderson's Denny Kimmel collected 14 receptions for 114 yards and Hyman Smith grabbed nine balls for 148 yards. 

The Panthers jumped out to a 27-13 halftime lead and then scored on five of six possessions at one point in the second half to secure the key HCAC victory. Hanover converted on all seven trips into the red zone, all touchdowns.

Hanover held a 36:49-23:11 time of possession advantage in the game. Anderson was crippled by 12 penalties that cost them 128 yards. 

After its non-conference foray this weekend, Hanover has just two final conference hurdles to clear, a Nov. 8 matchup with one of the nation's top defenses in Mt. St. Joseph and its season finale versus 1-6 Franklin on Nov. 15. 

A Whitewater whitewash 
UW-Whitewater is for real. That may not seem like a risky assertion considering its 6-1 record and its first-place position in the WIAC, but the fickle nature of the conference makes it difficult to make such a declaration about any of the conference teams.

The ability to make that statement got much easier after last weekend when the Warhawks fired a shot heard 'round the WIAC by stomping then-second place UW-Eau Claire 45-7. Running back Chad Wurth spurred Whitewater to victory, rushing 34 times for 153 yards. The senior's performance also made him the school's all-time leading rusher. Quarterback Mike Askren complimented Wurth's rushing efforts, completing 11 of 21 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Forcing five Blugold turnovers, including three interceptions and two fumbles, also helped the Warhawk cause.

What makes the Whitewater victory even more impressive is that Eau Claire is the lone team to knock off No. 9 UW-La Crosse this year (24-21 on Oct. 11). The Warhawks will not get their shot at the second-place Eagles until Nov. 15, the final weekend of the 2003 regular season. UW-Stevens Point and UW-Oshkosh must be dealt with first in the coming weeks.

The D3football.com pollsters took notice, vaulting the Warhawks eight slots to No. 13, the largest jump this week.

Despite its success, I have one overriding fear in claiming Whitewater the No. 1 team in the WIAC. In week one of the season, the Warhawks were dominated by the nation's top team, Mount Union, 40-17. Does that mean that the invincible Purple Raiders are 23 points better than the WIAC's best squad? If so, it could be another short and unremarkable postseason for the conference.

Upset of the week
Carroll 13, Lake Forest 7
Carroll has just two wins this season but both of them qualify as significant upsets. The pair of surprise victories came against two of the MWC's potential title contenders. The Pioneers scored the first shocker on Oct. 4, as they downed Ripon at home 13-9. Last Saturday, Carroll notched the second upset by knocking off last season's MWC co-champion Lake Forest 13-7. The one feature these victories have in common: defense. Versus the Foresters, Carroll held LFC to just 202 total yards, including allowing a mere 32 yards rushing. Carroll's next opponent, second-place Monmouth (6-2), should take notice.

Midwest Region Offensive Player of the Week 
Nominees:
Justin Berrens, RB, Lawrence: 40 carries, 310 yards, 3 touchdowns/3 receptions, 24 yards
Luke Bundgaard, RB, UW-Stout: 42 carries, 209 yards
Scott Burnoski, WR, UW-La Crosse: 12 receptions, 204 yards, 1 touchdown
Robert Coleman, RB, Westminster (Mo.): 36 carries, 233 yards, 1 touchdown
Terrell Cummings, WR, Hanover: 11 receptions, 133 yards, 3 touchdowns 
Brett Dietz, QB, Hanover: 42-for-60 passing, 420 yards, 4 touchdowns/6 rushes, 19 yards, 1 touchdown
Jason Gendron, RB, Defiance: 40 carries, 296 yards, 2 touchdowns/2 receptions, 16 yards
Rob Purlee, QB, Monmouth: 26-for-39 passing, 356 yards, 2 touchdowns/1 rushing touchdown
Joel Steele, QB, Anderson: 33-for-58 passing, 407 yards, 1 touchdown
Aljay Wren, RB, St. Norbert: 29 carries, 236 yards, 3 touchdowns/4 receptions, 40 yards

Winner:
A tough decision with so many impressive week-eight performances, so I will name Justin Berrens of Lawrence and Brett Dietz of Hanover as co-offensive players of the week. Berrens' 334 total yards of offense, including 310 yards of rushing, and three touchdowns add up to a remarkable day. The only detraction may be that his efforts were for naught, as his team lost the contest 48-47. What else can be said about Brett Dietz? In short, he is an amazing talent. The senior completed 70% of his passes, totaled 439 yards of offense, and accounted for five touchdowns in Hanover's win versus rival Anderson. 

A closer look
The Division III Football Committee released its first regional poll of the season on Oct. 22. Several interesting observations can be gleaned from comparing the NCAA's rankings with the most recent D3football.com Top 25 poll. Because the NCAA's regional divisions are aligned differently and less specifically than the site's, I have listed below the two regions in which teams I cover with my column are included. 

Don't forget the NCAA's regional polls take only regional games into account, while any Top 25 poll would consider all games.

According to the NCAA, Wheaton, UW-Whitewater, and St. Norbert are right, or close to right, where they should be in the D3football.com poll. Assuming all regions are treated equally, Wheaton should be in the top eight (No. 5), Whitewater should be in the top 12 (No. 13), and St. Norbert should be in the top 24 (No. 23).

Conversely, UW-La Crosse is grossly overrated by the D3football.com rankings. By the NCAA's estimation, the Eagles should be slotted around No. 28. La Crosse is currently ranked No. 9 by the D3football.com pollsters. Only St. John's (No. 2), Linfield (No. 3), and Wartburg (No. 6) are positioned above La Crosse in the poll (from the NCAA's West Region).

What does all this mean? Nothing, but it's always an intriguing endeavor to gauge another impartial perspective in comparison to ours. 

They said it
A sampling of quotes from coaches around the Midwest region:

Mt. St. Joseph head coach Rod Huber on the importance of defense (from The Cincinnati Enquirer): "One thing I learned a long time ago is that if you want to win championships, you better build a defense," Huber said. "We're about that. We're putting a lot of stock in a lot of different players." 

Illinois Wesleyan head coach Norm Eash on his team's performance vs. Wheaton, from The (Bloomington, Ill.) Pantagraph: "They came up here believing they could beat Wheaton, and they showed it. They made some plays, and we did some things that kept us from winning. That's the best way I can put it, and that's been the case all season. It's not because of a lack of desire or anything like that. We're just making mistakes."

UW-Platteville head coach Mike Emendorfer on losing starting quarterback Tom Stetzer to a concussion in the first quarter of its game with UW-La Crosse (from the La Crosse Tribune): "Tom has taken a lot of hard hits over the years, and it was disappointing to lose him," UW-Platteville coach Mike Emendorfer said. "But at the same time, Brent (Nelson) came in and did pretty well against a top-10 team in the nation. It's hard because your second-string quarterback doesn't get a lot of reps in practice. ... Brent made a couple of mistakes, but his execution got better as the game went on."

Ripon head coach Ron Ernst after his team's 44-14 loss to St. Norbert (from the Oshkosh Northwestern): "I'm proud of the way they battled and competed all game long," he said "When you lose your starting quarterback it's hard to make a comeback."

Notes
MWC: St. Norbert held a usually potent Ripon running offense to minus-11 yards rushing in its 44-14 win against the Red Hawks. ... The Green Knights can clinch its fifth consecutive MWC championship and the conference's automatic postseason berth by defeating Grinnell next weekend, or if Monmouth loses to Carroll. ... Lawrence quarterback Eric Aspenson tied a school record by throwing four touchdown passes in the Vikings 48-47 overtime loss to Grinnell. ... Monmouth's 555 yards of offense posted against Illinois College was the fifth-largest total in Scot football history. ... Beloit had just 36 yards passing in its 29-26 win against Knox.

WIAC: UW-Stout alum Tony Beckham recorded his first NFL career interception for the Tennessee Titans' in their game versus the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday .... Despite leaving the game vs. UW-La Crosse early with a concussion, UW-Platteville quarterback Tom Stetzer moved into the 10th place in total offense in Division III history (9,979 yards). ... La Crosse amassed 552 total yards of offense in its 20-13 defeat of Platteville. ... UW-Oshkosh's 13-9 loss to Stevens Point ended the Titans' six-game home winning streak, their longest since the 1976-77 seasons. ... The Oshkosh-Stevens Point game was the 101st meeting between the two squads, the 16th-longest rivalry in Division III history.

HCAC: Defiance kicker Keith Wilson nailed two clutch field goals, one to force overtime and another to win the game, in the Yellow Jackets 34-31 thrilling victory against Franklin. ... Mt. St. Joseph registered its second consecutive shutout and held Bluffton to 183 total yards of offense in the Lions' 24-0 win against the Beavers. ... Hanover has beaten Anderson in nine of its last 10 meetings.

CCIW: Wheaton's win on Saturday versus Illinois Wesleyan was its 16th-consecutive regular season victory, a new school record. ... Titan free safety Josh Addis led all tacklers with 13 and recorded a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the loss to the Thunder. ... Augustana drove 55 yards in 43 seconds, setting up kicker Mike Clark for a game-winning 22-yard field goal, to edge Millikin 24-22. ... By beating North Park 30-23 last Saturday, Elmhurst notched five wins in a season for the first time since 1987.

IBFC: Concordia (Wis.) outgained Benedictine 563-96 in the Falcons' 48-0 blanking of the Eagles. ... Greenville pounded Concordia (Ill.), 48-23, despite being outgained offensively by over 100 yards.

In addition to the five nationally ranked Midwest region teams, four other squads are receiving votes in the latest D3football.com poll: Concordia (Wis.) (11), Hanover (7), Augustana (7), UW-Stout (1) ... My top 10 Midwest region teams through eight weeks: 1. UW-La Crosse (6-1), 2. Wheaton (7-0), 3. UW-Whitewater (6-1), 4. UW-Stevens Point (5-2), 5. St. Norbert (8-0), 6. Hanover (6-1), 7. Augustana (5-2), 8. Concordia (Wis.) (7-1), 9. Mt. St. Joseph (6-1), 10. North Central (6-1).

Games of the Week
No. 13 UW-Whitewater (6-1, 4-0) at No. 22 UW-Stevens Point (5-2, 2-2), 1 p.m., Stevens Point, Wis.: A game that could amount to be the ultimate upset trap for UW-Whitewater. The Warhawks must take to the road to meet the Pointers and will face a Stevens Point squad with its WIAC title-hopes in the balance. For the Pointers, the game is do or die; win and they are still alive for the league championship and a postseason berth, lose and all aspirations for the playoffs disintegrate. Whitewater currently has a one-game lead in the WIAC standings and is the team for which the entire conference field is now gunning. The Warhawks have passed their last two tests will flying colors, beating Stout and Eau Claire in consecutive weeks. The teams have split their previous four meetings, with Stevens Point edging Whitewater in 2002, 17-14.

No. 5 Wheaton (7-0, 4-0) at North Central (6-1, 3-1), 1 p.m., Naperville, Ill.: Another key game in the battle for the 2003 CCIW championship. For highly ranked Wheaton, the contest is an opportunity to extend its seven-game winning streak, preserve an undefeated season, and stay on course for a conference title while, for North Central, the matchup is a measuring stick. A NCC victory would place it in good position to procure at least a share of the coveted CCIW crown. Furthermore, the Cardinals, who have already lost to Augustana, must secure a win to remain in the conference race. Also at stake is the Little Brass Bell, a trophy awarded annually to the winning team. Wheaton has recent history on its side for the matchup, as the Thunder has beaten North Central by an average of nearly 31 points in each of their last four meetings. 

Hanover (6-1, 4-0) at Washington and Jefferson (6-1, 4-1), 1:30 p.m., Washington, Pa.: A very intriguing and what should be a competitive midseason non-conference tilt. Washington and Jefferson of the Presidents' Athletic Conference will most likely greet the Panthers in a foul mood after experiencing its first loss of the season last week, a 27-17 defeat to conference rival Waynesburg, and will have a considerable home-field advantage. For Hanover, the game will be an opportunity to prove itself against top-shelf national competition, but the long road trip east will not make that task easier. Last year, the Panthers hammered the Presidents at home in L.S. Ayres Stadium, 35-14.

UW-Stout (4-3, 2-2) at No. 9 UW-La Crosse (6-1, 3-1), 1 p.m., La Crosse, Wis.: Stout enters this game needing a win to keep its head above water in the WIAC while La Crosse is desperate for a victory in order to keep pace with first-place UW-Whitewater. The Blue Devils already have two league losses and are in search of consistency after having lost every other week through seven weeks of the season. Even though the UW-L Eagles are ranked higher in the most recent edition of the D3football.com poll, they remain one game behind the Whitewater in the conference standings. The last three matchups between Stout and La Crosse have been decided by a total of eight points and the previous four meetings have been split between the two teams.