By John Regenfuss
D3sports.com
If there were any whispers being bandied about Division III circles that St. Norbert's grip on the top spot in the Midwest Conference might possibly be loosening, the Green Knights quashed any notion of that with a resounding 55-19 victory vs. Monmouth on Saturday. The Fighting Scots were widely thought to be the one team that could challenge St. Norbert for the MWC crown in 2004. If that is indeed the case, blowouts will be a weekly routine for the Green Knights' throughout the remainder of their conference schedule.
The St. Norbert offense lead the way, amassing 607 yards of total offense, the third-highest total in program history. Tailback Casey Meehan rushed for 148 yards while quarterback Ryan Hartman passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Through three games, Hartman has yet to throw an interception.
The Green Knight defense was also impressive, holding Monmouth to just 48 yards rushing and 145 yards passing and recording five sacks.
Falling just short
The WIAC's top two teams, No. 4 UW-La Crosse and No. 9 UW-Stevens Point, each took a hit last Saturday, losing tough, hard-fought non-conference contests.
La Crosse's 45-44 defeat was the least damaging as it came at the hands of Division II South Dakota. The Eagles comported themselves well, matching the Coyotes point-for-point until, after Ken Halvorson returned a fumble 38 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, kicker Jedediah Jensen's would-be game-tying extra point was blocked.
La Crosse used big plays to keep pace with South Dakota's high-octane offense, scoring on runs of 34, 69, and 82 yards and a passing play of 42 yards. Matt Pagel led the Eagle ground game with 132 yards rushing while Scott Burnoski headlined the passing game, catching four balls for 74 yards. South Dakota entered the Division II coaches' poll at No. 25.
UW-Stevens Point's 46-35 loss to No. 2 Linfield could prove to be detrimental to the Pointers' playoff hopes. One loss does not ruin a season but, with how competitive the WIAC appears to be once again this year, another defeat could severely hinder Stevens Point's postseason aspirations. The loss to Linfield was the Pointers' first regular season loss to a non-conference Division III opponent since 1981.
Offense told the tale of this game, as the teams combined for 953 yards. Stevens Point quarterback Brett Borchart accounted for 321 yards (259 passing and 62 rushing) of offense and two of the Pointers' five touchdowns. But it was Linfield quarterback Brett Elliott who would rule the day. The Utah transfer threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to victory.
Stevens Point had a 35-25 lead heading into the fourth quarter but Linfield scored 21-straight points to secure the win.
A much-needed makeover
When No. 13 UW-Eau Claire takes the field at Carson Park for its home opener versus No. 21 UW-Whitewater on Saturday, it will do so with newly installed turf under foot. And, for the Blugolds and for every visiting WIAC team, it will be a welcome change. Carson Park is a municipal field and not only hosts UW-Eau Claire home games but three area high schools' home contests. That means, in most weeks, at least one and possibly two games would be played on the grass field.
Not surprisingly, by early fall the field was rendered bare or nearly bare between the hash marks and reduced to a quagmire when rain fell. That will no longer be a concern and what a better way to christen the new turf with a matchup of nationally ranked teams.
Thanks to Tom Pattison, Publisher of WarhawkFootball.com, for his contributions to this piece.
No contests
Week 3 saw an amazing 11 games involving at least one Midwest Region team decided by 32 points or more. Wheaton scored the most dominating victory of the week, clobbering IBFC opponent Greenville 65-6, while Manchester and Greenville shared the worst defeat, a 73-14 beating at the hands of then-No. 23 Waynesburg. Hanover's rough start to the 2004 season was made worse by a 72-24 loss at No. 19 Bridgewater and things are likely to get much better anytime soon, as the Panthers take on the now 20th-ranked Waynesburg Yellow Jackets in Week 4. Also in the HCAC, Franklin's defense was rendered defenseless once again, as the Grizzlies surrendered 63 points to an opponent for the second consecutive week. Three teams, UW-Oshkosh, Carthage, and Blackburn, were on opposite ends of shutouts than Aurora. The Titans downed Albion 40-0, the Redmen knocked off Benedictine 42-0, and the Beavers topped Trinity Bible 35-0, while Aurora was blanked by Alma, 45-0.
What's blowin' in the wind
The kickoff for the Oct. 30 CCIW matchup between Carthage and Wheaton, originally scheduled for 6:00 p.m., was moved up to 1:00 p.m. because of a Bob Dylan concert at Carthage's Tarble Athletic and Recreation Center.
Notes
Steve Holden of North Central (2-0) became the program's all-time leading rusher and tied its single-game rushing mark with a 260-yard performance in the Cardinals' 31-24 over Augsburg. He's leading Division III in yards per game through three week. ... Elmhurst (3-0) quarterback Dom Demma equaled his school record with five touchdown passes and moved into second place on the program's career passing list with 327 yards in leading the Bluejays to a 39-27 win against Chicago (1-1). ... In Millikin's 63-14 pounding of Franklin, the Big Blue got touchdowns from seven offensive players, two of which were touchdown passes from two quarterbacks. ... Ripon (1-2, 1-2) quarterback Bob Faulds was just 4-of-5 passing in the Red Hawks' 62-30 win over Lawrence (1-2, 1-2) but all four went for touchdowns of 72, 31, 10, and 79 yards. ...The Illinois College (3-0, 2-0) defense recorded five interceptions to help propel the Blue Boys to a 33-14 win over Carroll (1-2, 1-1). ... Nate Wineinger rushed for 238 yards and four touchdowns and caught four passes for 88 yards and another score in Grinnell's 48-35 win over Macalester. ... Mt. St. Joseph has scored 21 points in each of its three victories this season. The Lions had lost three in a row to Kalamazoo before Saturday's 21-19 victory...Denny Kimmel rushed for 193 yards and Chris McKee passed for 263 yards to help Anderson (2-1) to a 38-21 non-conference victory versus Earlham. Kimmel earned HCAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance. ...Thanks in part to a monster game from linebacker Brandon Ehret (nine tackles, two sacks and three pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and a 61-yard interception return for a touchdown), UW-Platteville (2-0) beat D-I-AA non-scholarship Drake for the second consecutive year. ... UW-Whitewater receiver Jim Lesczynski caught 10 passes for 141 and a touchdown to lift the Warhawks to a 48-28 win against Lakeland and their first 3-0 record since 2001. ...The UW-Oshkosh (3-0) offense outgained Albion's 409 to 139 and the defense forced six turnovers (four interceptions and two fumbles) in the Titans victory over the Britons. ... Dante Washington of Carthage (3-0) rumbled for 203 yards on 25 carries for two touchdowns to lead the Redmen past Benedictine.
Games of the Week
No. 21 UW-Whitewater (3-0, 0-0) at No. 13 UW-Eau Claire (2-0, 0-0), Carson Park, Eau Claire, Wis., 1:00 p.m.: After spending the first two weeks of the season on the road and outside of the state of Wisconsin, UW-Eau Claire returns to the land of clear water to play its first home game at newly-resurfaced Carson Park. Besides the excitement surrounding the home opener and the novelty of the much-needed turf installation, the Blugolds have another advantage -- the always-welcome extra preparation time afforded by a bye week. UW-Whitewater enters the crucial WIAC matchup rolling, having won its first three games of the season, including a 41-9 dismantling of MWC power St. Norbert in Week One. A year ago, Whitewater hammered Eau Claire, 45-7.
MacMurray (2-0, 0-0) at Concordia (Wis.) (1-2, 0-0), Century Stadium, Mequon, Wis., 1:30 p.m.: The IBFC opener for both teams looks like a matchup of teams already going in opposite directions. Concordia, last year's conference title-winner, has looked very suspect thus far in 2004, losing badly in its first two games. Defense has been the problem for Concordia, evident by the 119 points it allowed in those losses. The Falcons were able to turn things around in Week Three, although it was over winless and previously scoreless Wisconsin Lutheran. Conversely, MacMurray has been impressive through two weeks and appears primed to make another run at the league crown. The Highlanders will likely enter the contest with payback in mind -- in 2003, MacMurray, the two-time defending IBFC champion, was embarrassed on its home field by the Falcons, 35-14.
No. 24 Augustana (2-0) at UW-Platteville (2-0), Pioneer Stadium, Platteville, Wis., 6:00 p.m.: A rematch of a 2003 thriller, which saw Augustana tip UW-Platteville, 27-26. In their two victories thus far this season, the Vikings' running game has been an unstoppable force, rolling up 776 yards and eight touchdowns. Augustana should be well prepared, as it is coming off a bye week. UW-Platteville also has started the 2004 campaign in successful fashion, gaining wins over Thiel (40-14) and D-IAA foe Drake (33-23). The Pioneers forte is their passing attack. Through Week 2, they have amassed 633 yards and totaled seven touchdowns through the air.
