By John Regenfuss
D3sports.com
UW-Eau Claire provided Division III with its first stunning upset just one week into the 2004 season, as the Blugolds knocked off defending national champion St. John's on the Johnnies' home field, 30-28. Eau Claire thoroughly dominated St. John's for three quarters, building a 30-7 lead, and then staved off a furious fourth-quarter Johnnies' comeback attempt to hold on for the surprise victory. The win snapped St. John's 22-consecutive home win streak.
Eau Claire used ball-control offense to help secure the win, acquiring a 37 to 23 minute time of possession advantage. Offensive balance also was key, as no one player put up gaudy numbers. Quarterback Nels Frederickson rushed and passed for a combined 133 yards. Tailbacks Joe Gast and Eddy Kaiser gained 78 and 52 yards on the ground, respectively. The Blugold defense did its job, forcing three turnovers and holding St. John's to a paltry 16 percent third-down conversion rate.
There are many elements that make Eau Claire's victory remarkable -- most notably, the Johnnies were ranked No. 2 in the nation and were playing on their home turf -- but perhaps most shocking was that not only were the Blugolds unranked, they were picked to place fifth in the WIAC. That's right folks, fifth out of eight teams.
So, what does this all mean? Does it mean that St. John's was overrated? Does it mean that UW-Eau Claire was underrated? Probably a little of both. But what it does mean for certain is that the WIAC is going to be as competitive, as unpredictable, and as cutthroat as ever.
The Blugolds, now ranked No. 17, also must not rest on their laurels but, instead, place themselves on upset alert as Week 2 brings another challenge -- they must hit the road again, this time to face Illinois Wesleyan of the CCIW. The Titans dropped their opener to 2003 postseason qualifier Simpson, 13-7.
A glimpse of things to come?
The intriguing outcomes of several Week 1 games could serve as a harbinger for teams and for conferences in the season ahead. Let's take a look at potential revelations (and obligatory accompanying questions) that can be gathered from some of these interesting results:
Monmouth 52, Concordia (Wis.) 39: Monmouth, last year's second-place finisher in the MWC, defeated 2003 IBFC champion Concordia (Wis.), despite being outgained by the Falcons. What can be gleaned from this result? It appears that the Fighting Scots, even without 2003 MWC Offensive MVP Rob Purlee, could be the team that provides serious challenge to league power St. Norbert this year. Concordia, which breezed through its conference docket in 2003, might repeat that feat in 2004 but when it meets tougher teams in the postseason, could face another quick exit.
Grinnell 27, Ripon 24: In last week's Midwest Region season preview, I mentioned Ripon as one of the team's that could possibly threaten St. Norbert's stranglehold on the Midwest Conference. After the Red Hawks' loss to Grinnell in its conference opener, that may not be the case. Granted, it is just one game but, with St. Norbert's perennial dominant presence, one conference loss is all it may take to eliminate a team from title contention. For Grinnell, the victory could signify a move up the MWC standings in 2004.
UW-Whitewater 41, St. Norbert 9: It's no secret to anyone who follows Division III football in the Midwest that the WIAC is traditionally a stronger conference than the MWC. But the Warhawks' utter dominance of St. Norbert in this game hardly seems like it was a matchup between two teams on the edge of the top 25. Does this mean the Green Knights could be slipping, leaving the door open for another MWC to rise to power? It's way too early to tell but this early stumble does not bode well for St. Norbert's chances if it should win its league and reach the playoffs.
Thomas More 31, Hanover 30 (OT): Hanover, the favorite to three-peat as HCAC champion, has a brutal non-conference schedule to open the season, featuring Thomas More, Washington and Jefferson, Bridgewater (Va.), and Waynesburg. A big question entering the year was should the Panthers lose its first four contests, what sort of shape, mentally and physically, will they be in when heading into Heartland play? On Saturday, Hanover failed its first test, losing perhaps the least difficult of its matchups in heartbreaking fashion. Hanover's fortune over the next three games will be an interesting situation to monitor along with the progress of its two most viable challengers, Mt. St. Joseph (1-0) and Anderson (0-1).
Augustana 38, Central 7: The preseason consensus among the experts was that Wheaton was the favorite to capture the 2004 CCIW crown with Millikin earning top rival status. But hold on. Augustana served notice to the CCIW last Saturday with a dominating victory on the road against a tough IIAC team in Central. The Vikings' old-school Wing-T offense rolled up an impressive 447 yards on the ground, wearing down the Dutch defense in the win. The non-conference challenges do not end there, though. Augustana welcomes Division II opponent Upper Iowa to Ericson Stadium this weekend. The Peacocks were 33-21 losers to UW-Oshkosh in Week 1.
The Midwest Region -- By the Numbers
39 Midwest Region teams were in action.
20 Midwest Region teams took on opponents from outside this region (and in one instance an interdivision foe) in Week One, posting a 10-10 record.
Of the 30 games featuring at least one Midwest Region team, 13 were victories by three touchdowns or more with Elmhurst scoring the biggest lopsided win, a 60-14 win versus Benedictine.
6 of the 30 games were decided by six points or less with Franklin (34-33 win over Ohio Wesleyan) and Hanover (31-30 loss to Thomas More) involved in one-point finals.
5 Midwest Region teams scored 50 or more points (Elmhurst, Carthage, Beloit, Monmouth, Illinois College).
Notes
The WIAC posted a perfect 4-0 record in Week 1, getting wins from UW-Eau Claire, UW-Platteville, UW-Oshkosh, and UW-Whitewater.... The MWC was the only Midwest region league to feature intraconference matchups in Week One with two on the schedule (Grinnell 27, Ripon 24; Lawrence 30, Knox 7). ... The Blue Boys of Illinois College scored on its first six possessions en route to a 53-20 pounding of independent Blackburn. ... Beloit sophomore running back Lee Rankinen rushed for 180 yards and scored four touchdowns in the Buccaneers' 58-14 rout of Macalester. ... Receiver Mike Carter of Lake Forest caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Maheney with 24 seconds remaining to propel the Foresters to a 16-10 win over Carleton. ... Grinnell quarterback Sean Pfalzer connected with receiver Trey Raney for a 2-yard score with 33 seconds left on the clock to lead the Pioneers past Ripon. ... Preseason All-American running back Dante Washington of Carthage amassed 145 total yards in the Redmen's 52-14 drubbing of Carroll. ... Elmhurst's offense amassed 561 total yards, third-most in school history, in its 60-14 defeat of in-state opponent Benedictine. ... Mt. St. Joseph receiver Andy Wellendorf caught 11 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Lions past non-conference foe Wilmington, 21-10. ... Franklin overcame a 14-0 deficit to gain a come-from-behind win over Ohio Wesleyan, 34-33. ... Aurora quarterback Andy Hornung passed for 317 yards and three touchdowns in the Spartans' 35-32 loss to Cornell. ... Washington U., chosen to take the top spot in the UAA this season, served as the first sacrificial lamb to 2003 national runner-up Mount Union team, falling at home 38-0.
Games of the Week
No. 3 UW-La Crosse (0-0) at Division II Minnesota-Duluth (0-1), Griggs Field, Duluth, Minn., 6:00 p.m.: In its first action of the 2004 season, No. 3-ranked UW-La Crosse takes aim at the first of two consecutive Division II opponents, Minnesota-Duluth. The Eagles are no strangers to playing outside the confines of Division III, as they knocked off South Dakota last season, 28-24. Chances are good that UW-La Crosse's high-powered offense will be able to flex its muscles against UMD, as the Bulldogs surrendered over 400 yards of offense in a 38-6 Week 1 loss to Concordia-St. Paul.
No. 17 UW-Eau Claire (1-0) at Illinois Wesleyan (0-1), Illinois Wesleyan Stadium at Wilder Field, Bloomington, Ill., 1:00 p.m.: What can UW-Eau Claire do for an encore after beating the defending Division III national champions in Week One? Rest assured, the Blugolds will just be satisfied to leave Bloomington with a win, whether it be by one or 20 points. To gain a second consecutive win, Eau Claire must, first, guard against a letdown and then against a talented Illinois Wesleyan team. The Titans proved they are no pushovers after falling on the road last weekend to Simpson, a playoff team of a year ago, 13-7. In 2003, Illinois Wesleyan gave fellow WIAC team UW-La Crosse a tough game before losing, 22-12.
Washington and Jefferson (1-0) at Hanover (0-1), L.S. Ayres Field, Hanover, Ind., 2:30 p.m.: Hanover will try to get back on track, after losing its season opener as a result of a blocked extra point in overtime, versus visiting Washington and Jefferson (Washington, Pa.) of the Presidents' Athletic Conference. The good news for the Panthers is that, despite losing starter Rick Webster to injury in the game, backup quarterback Greg Gogel threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns in the defeat. The Presidents, who went 9-2 in 2003, blanked Division III newcomer Tri-State in Week 1, 31-0.
Grinnell (1-0, 1-0) at Lake Forest (1-0, 0-0), Farwell Field, Lake Forest, Ill., 1:30 p.m.: A good measuring stick game for both teams. Grinnell opened its MWC slate with a big come-from-behind 27-24 win over Ripon in Week 1. Lake Forest won but struggled in its opener versus non-conference opponent Carleton. Is Grinnell for real? Is Lake Forest a true contender for the MWC crown? The outcome of this contest may shed some light on these questions and the MWC race.
Other games of interest: Carthage (1-0) at Lakeland (1-0); Monmouth (1-0, 0-0) at Ripon (0-1, 0-1); Thomas More (1-0) at MacMurray (1-0); Division II Upper Iowa (0-1) at Augustana (1-0).
