By John Regenfuss
D3sports.com
With two weeks of the 2003 season complete, non-conference and early-season conference matchups across the Midwest region have unveiled some top contenders while other races are still greatly muddled. One thing that is easily perceptible is that the WIAC is the top league in the region, after posting a 6-1 Week 2 record and collectively outscoring its opponents in those six victories 224-80.
In the MWC, St. Norbert and Lake Forest are playing well while Ripon stumbled in a conference contest. Hanover, as expected, appears to be the class of the HCAC but Mt. St. Joseph remains unbeaten and could make some noise before it is all over. Also, don't count Anderson out quite yet. The CCIW and the IBFC have some quality teams, led by No. 4 Wheaton, but which ones will emerge as favorites and challengers is anyone's guess at this point.
There has been an ongoing debate, that is mostly deliberated informally among fans, over which conference is the strongest from top to bottom in Division III football. To answer that question with my opinion, the Midwest Region's Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is the best Division III football league in the nation.
This judgment is not premature and it has not been made simply because UW-Stout and UW-La Crosse scored impressive early-season victories against highly ranked ASC teams, although those are great reasons and provide ample support for making the contention. History is on the WIAC's side.
When I was a player at Ripon, I often wondered why MWC coaches didn't schedule WIAC teams for preseason matchups consistently. It seemed sensible for geographical proximity reasons and because of the WIAC's strong reputation. Most of the WIAC schools are equidistant to Ripon, St. Norbert, Lawrence, Beloit, or Lake Forest as other MWC schools are. Furthermore, I was always told that if you wanted to be the best, you must challenge the best. My self-determined answer to the question was that coaches did not want to destroy the collective confidence of their team so early in the season by exposing their players to the possibility of a crushing preseason defeat.
I think differently now. I believe that WIAC coaches refuse to schedule MWC teams, not vice versa, because they want to step up their preseason competition, not down. The WIAC has long had the reputation as a very tough scheduling, replete with teams who are unafraid to play nearly anyone, anywhere.
UW-Stout head coach Ed Meierkort referenced this very idea in discussing this past week's opponent. "If we feel we're one of the top teams in the country, we need to play teams like Hardin-Simmons, who year-in and year-out are one of the top teams. I feel kind of privileged to play."
This season is no different. The 2003 WIAC non-conference slate consists of two Division I-AA, four Division II, two NAIA, and four Division III ranked foes, including the Nos. 1, 2, and 5 teams in the nation.
Those who disagree naturally will reference the WIAC's abysmal 1-5 recent playoff record. While I think the conference has underachieved in the postseason, I believe its brutal non-conference schedule is a more dominant factor in its poor performance. Couple that fact with yearly conference-wide parity and the presence of top-notch national talent, it's no small wonder that WIAC teams have little left in the tank by the end of the season.
Mount Union is, without question, the finest Division III football program in the nation and what coach Larry Kehres and the Purple Raiders have accomplished in the last decade is truly amazing and worthy of great respect. It is common knowledge that the OAC is an extremely competitive league with several teams that receive high national rankings on an annual basis. However, I cannot help wondering if Mount Union would be able to achieve what is has in the postseason if, before taking on a challenging OAC slate, its preseason schedule consisted of a Division I-AA team, Division II squad, and/or another Division III powerhouse.
Finally, if a pipeline to the NFL from any Division III source exists, the WIAC undoubtedly is most deserved of that title. No other conference in the nation can boast the number of players the WIAC has placed in the NFL. Players such as Clint Kriewaldt, Tony Beckham, Bill Schroeder, Mike Maslowski, and Matt Turk, to name a few, have put the WIAC on the map and on the agendas of professional scouts.
Uncertainty reigns in CCIW and IBFC
After two weeks, traditional CCIW frontrunner Augustana finds itself in an unfamiliar position, at the bottom of the standings with an 0-2 record. This says more about the Vikings' daunting preseason schedule than it does about the talent of the team. Augustana has fallen by a combined seven points to No. 12 Stevens Point and to No. 21 Central. Expect the Vikings to rise in the standings in the coming weeks. In the current CCIW standings, there is a logjam of 1-0 teams, including title-favorite No. 4 Wheaton, Elmhurst, Millikin, and North Central. Both Elmhurst and North Central earned their first win of the season against Benedictine, by a combined score of 99-13. Carthage and Illinois Wesleyan stand at 0-1. The Redmen were edged by Lakeland 17-16, while the Titans gave No. 9 La Crosse all it could handle before falling 22-12.
In the IBFC, two-time defending league champion MacMurray has struggled early, posting a 1-1 record in unimpressive fashion. The Highlanders barely got by Manchester (3-7 in 2002), 10-6, in week one and lost to Washington U., 17-7, in week two. MacMurray's slow start can partially be attributed to a sluggish offense, as it is totaling just an average of 167 yards in its two games. Lakeland tops the IBFC standings with a 2-0 mark after consecutive victories over Tri-State and Carthage. The Muskies' sternest test thus far will be this weekend when they travel to play UW-Oshkosh. Concordia (Wis.) and Greenville share second place with MacMurray. The Falcons blasted Carroll 63-0, and the Panthers topped Westminster (Mo.) 28-27 in double overtime to earn their respective .500 marks.
Notes
Not surprisingly, Rockford could not duplicate its Week 1 record-breaking offensive outpouring in Week 2, in fact, it had troubles putting ANY points on the board against Wisconsin Lutheran, losing to the Warriors 23-3. ... Washington U. snapped MacMurray's 19-game regular season winning streak in addition to ruining the opening of its new field with a 17-7 road upset of the Highlanders. ... Wheaton's last two victories have come against Alma of the MIAA, one in the first round of the 2002 playoffs (42-14) and the other this week in the Thunder's 2003 season opener (35-24). ... Hard-luck Augustana fell to Central 3-0 one week after being nipped by UW-Stevens Point 19-15. ... Anderson bounced back from its week one 65-13 pasting at the hands of Capital by regaining the Wagon Wheel in its 27-22 win over archrival Taylor. ... Anderson quarterback and two-time defending HCAC Offensive Player of the Year Joel Steele deserves consideration for performer of the week for his 28-for-35, 359-yard, three-touchdown week-two showing. ... Greg Brooks won his debut as Bluffton's head coach with a 35-20 victory against Hiram. ... St. Norbert continued its dominance of Beloit in last Saturday's 41-6 victory -- the Green Knights have outscored the Buccaneers 230-84 in their last five meetings. ... A fast start helped Monmouth defeat Ripon for the first time since 1989. ...UW-Stevens Point rolled up 542 yards of total offense while its defense did not allow the TSU offense to cross the Pointer 40-yard line in its 63-0 whacking of Tri-State. ... Pointer quarterback Scott Krause set the school record for completion percentage in the win, hitting on 18 of 19 attempts. ... Through two games, Oshkosh junior defensive end Jason Boehlke (6-3, 265, Germantown, Wis.), a transfer from Northern Iowa, has recorded five sacks, five tackles for loss, 19 total tackles, two batted balls, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. ... From the did you know file: Legendary UW-Whitewater head coach Bob Berezowitz's brother Dan is the Director of Football Operations/Recruiting Coordinator for Arizona under John Mackovic, at least for now seeing that the Wildcats have been outscored 107-23 in their last two games. ... My top five Midwest region teams through two weeks: 1. UW-Stout, 2. UW-La Crosse, 3. Wheaton, 4. UW-Stevens Point, 5. Hanover/St. Norbert.
Games of the Week
UW-Eau Claire (1-0) at No. 2 St. John's (Minn.) (1-0), Collegeville, Minn., 1 p.m.: The Blugolds, one of the many talented teams in contention for the 2003 WIAC title, will get an early and very stiff test against the No. 2 team in the nation, powerful St. John's of the MIAC. Both squads are coming off impressive opening-week blowouts. Eau Claire crushed MIAC member Augsburg 52-20, while St. John's blasted conference foe Hamline 74-7. UWEC was led by running back Joe Gast (17 carries, 135 yards) while receiver Blake Elliott (eight catches, 112 yards) powered SJU to victory. In 2002, the Blugolds knocked off the Johnnies, 28-21, to open the season.
No. 4 Wheaton (1-0) at Rose-Hulman (2-0), Terre Haute, Ind., 1:30 p.m: Wheaton, ranked No. 4 in the nation, will head east to take on undefeated Rose-Hulman of the SCAC in a border-war battle. The Thunder utilized a balance offense, gaining 269 yards on the ground and 172 though the air, to secure its 35-24 Week 2 victory against familiar foe Alma. Rose-Hulman will face the best team on its schedule thus far, after back-to-back respective wins over Earlham and Sewanee. The Engineers are 2-0 for the first time since 1987. A year ago, Wheaton dominated the matchup, blanking Rose-Hulman 49-0.
DePauw (1-1, 1-0) at No. 15 Hanover (2-0), Hanover, Ind., 2:30 p.m.: DePauw of the SCAC invades Hanover, Ind., to take on the Panthers of the HCAC in an intriguing intrastate, interconference battle. DePauw is in the midst of a rough three-game road stretch and is fresh off a disheartening 26-14 loss to Hope. The Tigers need a boost of confidence, as they will start conference action next week at No. 9 Trinity (Texas). Last week, No. 17 Hanover escaped with a 33-30 overtime road win over a talented Thomas More team. Senior quarterback Brett Dietz accounted for 420 total yards and three Panther touchdowns in the win over TMC. In last year's meeting, Hanover topped DePauw, 31-21.
Lakeland (2-0) at UW-Oshkosh (2-0), Oshkosh, Wis., 6 p.m.: Oshkosh welcomes fellow Badger State team Lakeland to Titan Stadium for an evening clash of undefeated teams. The contest is the Titans' third of four consecutive home games to start the 2003 campaign. Through two games, the Oshkosh defense has allowed just six points total and an average of 166 yards per game. Lakeland, a hopeful challenger for the 2003 IBFC crown, is the only unbeaten team in the league through two weeks. The Titans downed the Muskies, 33-14, in Week 3 of the 2002 season.
Other key games:
D-II South Dakota (2-0) at No. 9 UW-La Crosse (2-0), La Crosse, Wis., 1 p.m.
No. 10 UW-Stout (1-0) at D-II Augustana (S.D.) (1-1), Sioux Falls, S.D., 1 p.m.
Ripon (1-1, 1-1 MWC) at Knox (2-0, 1-1 MWC), Galesburg, Ill., 1:30 p.m.
