By John Regenfuss
D3sports.com
By the narrowest of margins, No. 5 (10-0, 7-0) Wheaton clinched its second consecutive CCIW championship and earned the league's automatic berth to the postseason, defeating rival Augustana (7-3, 6-1) in a back-and-forth battle, 28-27. The conference crowns are the Thunder's first back-to-back titles since the 1958-59 seasons.
With just 22 seconds remaining in the pivotal contest, Wheaton quarterback Chad Bradley connected with Andrew King for a game-winning 5-yard scoring pass and catch. The touchdown connection put the finishing touches on a five-play, 79-yard drive. Kicker Andrew Day's extra-point conversion provided the Thunder with the winning margin.
"We have too many athletes to not make the plays when it counts," Wheaton coach Mike Swider told the Daily Herald. "I have said all along that we have a Cadillac on offense and that was proven here."
Augustana had an opportunity to win the game, but a 55-yard field goal attempt by Mike Clark fell just short as time expired.
For the game, Bradley completed 17 of 25 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns. Bradley's favorite target, Brad Musso, caught six balls for 152 yards and two touchdowns.
UW-La Crosse (9-1, 6-1), the No. 7 team in the nation, also seized the opportunity placed before it, beating UW-Whitewater (7-3, 5-2), 36-23, to secure the Eagles' second-consecutive WIAC title and the conference's automatic postseason bid. The championship is La Crosse's 32nd WIAC crown and earns it its ninth playoff appearance in school history.
Running back Andrew Mocadlo carried the load for the Eagles on a marshy track, gaining 223 rushing yards on 28 attempts and one touchdown, a 77-yard scoring scamper in the third quarter. With his effort versus the Warhawks, Mocadlo became the WIAC's second-leading all-time regular season rusher with 1,630 yards.
"I like to think I am going to make a play when given a chance," said Mocadlo to the La Crosse Tribune. "I have so much confidence in this offensive line, and everyone on this offense, that we will get it done. When they (the linemen) play great, it gives me a chance to have those kind of stats. It's a reflection on them.'
"He has such great vision and a high octane motor," veteran UW-La Crosse head coach Larry Terry told the paper. "He's a great back, and we've had some great ones here. He presses the line and sets up his blocks really well, then is able to cut into the hole."
Eagle signal-caller Steve Tennies threw for 225 and two touchdowns. Receiver Jason Ketterhofen hauled in four passes for 124 yards and one score.
UW-Whitewater's offense was powered by running back Chad Wurth. The senior gained 219 yards on 39 carries.
Good teams left out
With just 28 playoff spots available, there are certain to be quality and deserving teams from around the nation that did not receive invitations. Highlighted below are squads from the Midwest region that were postseason-caliber and had noteworthy years.
UW-Stevens Point (8-2, 5-1 WIAC)
If a two-loss team ever was worthy of a berth to the postseason, UW-Stevens Point is that team. Evidently, the D3football.com pollsters share their respect for the Pointers, as they are ranked as the No. 12 team in the nation in the latest vote. Their 2003 resume is impressive. In non-conference action, Stevens Point knocked off Augustana and hammered Division I-AA non-scholarship Butler, 56-7. After two tight WIAC losses, including a three-point setback to league title-winner UW-La Crosse, the Pointers reeled off five consecutive conference wins to finish the season. Included in that stretch was a 60-30 thrashing of then-first-place UW-Whitewater.
Monmouth (8-2, 8-1 MWC)
Led by senior quarterback Rob Purlee (25 TDs, 2,561 yards), the Fighting Scots finished in sole possession of second place in the Midwest Conference. Their lone conference setback of the 2003 season was a 38-15 loss to MWC powerhouse St. Norbert. After falling to the Green Knights in September, Monmouth won seven consecutive conference games, capping the season off with a 39-8 victory over archrival Knox. Also, in that streak, the Scots gained a win over Ripon, its first against the Red Hawks since 1989.
Augustana (7-3, 6-1 CCIW)
Augustana's 2003 season did not begin auspiciously nor did it end to its liking, but what the Vikings accomplished in between was impressive. After dropping two non-conference games by a total of seven points to start the year, Augustana went on a tear, winning seven consecutive games. Wins over UW-Platteville, Millikin, North Central, and Elmhurst highlighted the Vikings' victorious run. In the final game of the season, Augustana gave No. 4 Wheaton all it could handle before losing by one point in the final minute of the contest. In the past three years, Augustana has lost just one conference game each year, each time to Wheaton.
UW-Whitewater (7-3, 5-2 WIAC)
The 2003 season did not start well for UW-Whitewater, but the Warhawks were able to shake off a season-opening 40-17 road loss to Mount Union and have a successful year. After suffering defeat to the Purple Raiders, Whitewater won six-consecutive games, including key WIAC triumphs over UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire. The Warhawks' title-hopes were derailed, though, by a tough loss to UW-Stevens Point in Week 8. Still, Whitewater had a shot at the 2003 WIAC championship heading into the final game of the season but a 36-23 loss to UW-La Crosse ended the Warhawks' fine year.
Notes
IBFC: Aurora wide receiver Troy Blaser caught eight passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns in the Spartans' 44-26 loss to Division I-AA opponent Valparaiso ... A Nehemia Parker one-yard touchdown run propelled MacMurray to a 28-21 overtime victory over Blackburn.
HCAC: Mt. St. Joseph lost its eighth-consecutive matchup with Thomas More in the annual Bridge Bowl game, 38-31. ... Quarterback Joel Steele, still suffering from the effects of a separated shoulder, came off the bench in the second half to lead Anderson to a 22-18 come-from-behind victory over Manchester in his final collegiate game. ... Steele is the NCAA record holder for 200-plus passing games with 34, ranks third on the Division III all-time passing list (11,591 yards) and career total-offense (11,350 yards), and stands in the top 10 in nine Division III offensive statistical categories. ... Hanover quarterback Brett Dietz completed 29-of-44 passes for 354 and four touchdowns to help the Panthers beat Franklin 33-24 and maintain possession of the Victory Bell.
MWC: Ripon receivers Will Springer and Tim Roehrig combined to catch 13 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns in the Red Hawks' 30-27 loss to Lake Forest. ... Lawrence running back Adrell Bullock scored on a three-yard touchdown run with 0:22 remaining in the game to vault the Vikings to a 21-20 victory over Knox. ... Grinnell running back Adam Wallace rushed 44 times for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the Pioneers' 21-11 win versus Beloit.
WIAC: In UW-Stout's 42-14 win versus UW-Platteville, Blue Devil running back Luke Bundgaard used a 53-rush, 328-yard effort to become the WIAC's all-time leading rusher. ... Also in the win, Stout defensive back Steve Anderson recorded three interceptions. ... UW-Stevens Point quarterback Scott Krause finished the 2003 season first in Division III in touchdown passes (37) and completed a school-record 66.1% of his passes. ... Wide receiver Erik Ferguson of UW-Eau Claire snagged five passes (for 142 yards) in its 45-36 win over UW-Oshkosh to establish a new Blugold record for receptions in a season with 60. ... The UW-Eau Claire-UW-Oshkosh contest featured over 1,100 yards of offense.
CCIW: Carthage running back Dante Washington gained 259 rushing yards on 36 carries in the Redmen's 21-3 win over North Park, upping his season rushing total to 1,838 yards. ... With its 49-31 victory against Millikin, the 2003 Illinois Wesleyan team became the 10th-consecutive Titan squad to post at least a .500 record. ... IWU receiver Eric White became its all-time single-season leader in receiving yards (1,215) by catching six balls for 136 yards versus Millikin. ... A controversial incomplete pass call that disallowed a game-tying touchdown pass allowed North Central to gain a 34-28 victory over Elmhurst.
In addition to the four nationally ranked Midwest region teams, three other squads received votes in the final regular season D3football.com poll: UW-Whitewater (37), Concordia (Wis.) (23), and Augustana (15) .... My final top 10 Midwest region teams: 1. UW-La Crosse (9-1), 2. Wheaton (10-0), 3. UW-Stevens Point (8-2), 4. St. Norbert (10-0), 5. Concordia (Wis.) (9-1), 6. Hanover (8-2), 7. UW-Whitewater (7-3), 8. Augustana (7-3), 9. UW-Stout (6-4), 10. Monmouth (8-2).
Games of the Week
North Bracket (Mount Union)
No. 7 seed Hope (7-3) at No. 2 seed Wheaton (10-0), 12 p.m. CT, Wheaton, Ill.
For the second-consecutive year, CCIW champion Wheaton will take on the title-winner of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association in the first round of the NCAA playoffs. A year ago, Wheaton pounded Alma, 42-14. This will also be the second meeting of the two squads this year in Wheaton. On Sept. 7, the Thunder topped the Flying Dutchmen at McCully Stadium, 43-26, behind big efforts from receiver Brad Musso (7 catches for 137 yards, 2 touchdowns) and its defense (5 sacks, 2 interceptions). Hope heads into the postseason on a down note, after losing its final game of the season to Albion, 28-27. Wheaton clinched the CCIW crown in it season finale by edging Augustana by the same score.
No. 5 seed Concordia (Wis.) (9-1) at No. 4 seed UW-La Crosse (9-1), 12 p.m. CT, La Crosse, Wis.
An intrastate battle between the champions of the WIAC and the IBFC. The first-ever meeting of the two schools will feature two teams with divergent playoff histories. UW-La Crosse is 13-6 in postseason play all-time and won the Division III national championship in 1995 while Concordia is making its inaugural Division III playoff appearance. Normally, to the victor goes the spoils but the lucky winner of this game is rewarded with a long trek east to Alliance, Ohio, to face Division III titans Mount Union. A year ago, UW-La Crosse was nipped by Coe College in Cedar Rapids in the opening round of the playoffs, 21-18.
No. 6 seed Hanover (8-2) at No. 3 seed Baldwin-Wallace (9-1), 12 p.m. ET, Berea, Ohio
Hanover draws a difficult first-round assignment, as the Panthers must travel east to clash with OAC runner-up Baldwin-Wallace at Finnie Stadium. The No. 6 Yellow Jackets incurred just one loss this season, a 24-0 shutout at the hands of OAC champion Mount Union. Baldwin-Wallace cruised through the rest of its schedule, gaining notable wins over fellow playoff-qualifier Allegheny (45-26) and OAC upstart Capital (40-22). Hanover won the HCAC with little resistance outside of Mt. St. Joseph. Its two setbacks were non-conference losses to non-playoff teams in DePauw and Washington and Jefferson. Expect a high-scoring affair, as the Baldwin-Wallace offense averages 40.3 points per game while Hanover posts points per game at a 38.6 clip. Hanover fell to Wittenberg 34-33 in 2002 first-round postseason action.
West Bracket (St. John's)
No. 6 seed Simpson (9-1) at No. 4 seed St. Norbert (10-0), 12 p.m. CT, DePere, Wis.
Simpson was a debatable invitee to the 2003 NCAA postseason, but there should be no debate that the IIAC runner-up Storm will represent a worthy first-round adversary for MWC champion, No. 19 St. Norbert. Simpson's only defeat of the 2003 season was a 21-10 loss to IIAC champion and the No. 4 team in the nation, Wartburg. The Storm is making its first postseason appearance since 1997 and holds a 2-5 overall playoff record. St. Norbert breezed through its schedule rarely challenged, outstcoring its opponents by an average of nearly 21 points per game. Undoubtedly, No. 25 Simpson will fall upon a raucous scene when its hits Minahan Stadium, as rampant anticipation for undefeated St. Norbert's first-ever home playoff contest will have the Green Knight faithful whipped into a frenzy. St. Norbert carries with it not only the hopes of its fans and alumni into the postseason but also the banner of respectability for the Midwest Conference. The Green Knights and the MWC are 0-4 in the postseason (since the playoff expansion).
