By John Regenfuss
D3sports.com

Some of the Midwest Region's most exciting football is being played by a team located in the territory's lone Kentucky outpost, Thomas More. Located in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, Thomas More, an independent and a playoff qualifier last in 2001, is a solid 4-3 this season but it's the pattern of how it has won and lost some of its games that deserve notoriety. 

Two of Thomas More's four wins have been one-point overtime victories. In its season opener against two-time defending Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference champion Hanover, junior defensive tackle Dan Ollberding blocked an extra-point attempt in the extra period, giving the Saints the upset 31-30 win and new head coach Mike Hallett his first victory at Thomas More. Four weeks later on the road at Huntingdon, the Saints used a little trickery to earn a second overtime victory. After quarterback Nate Berkley hooked up with receiver Adam Morancey on an 18-yard scoring pass to pull Thomas More within one, Hallett made the bold decision to go for the two-point conversion instead of kicking the game-tying extra point. Hallett dug deep into the playbook for the fullback throwback pass and it worked to perfection. Nick Partin hit Berkley for the winning score, providing the Saints with a second memorable victory.

Hallett, a Mount Union graduate, took over this season after Dean Paul, a fellow Mount alumnus, left to take over the Ohio Northern program.

Thomas More has also gained a win in thrilling come-from-behind fashion. Last week, versus their second HCAC opponent of the season, Anderson, the Saints were in serious trouble early, down 28-0 late in the second quarter. Embarking upon a furious rally, they scored three touchdowns and 23 points in the quarter's final 3:41 to make the game 35-23 at the break. The second half belonged to Thomas More. The offense scored three touchdowns and the defense notched a safety and limited a potent Anderson offense to just 27 second-half yards. Berkley, a junior, led the team to the 45-38 victory, rushing for 73 yards and adding 245 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

The Saints have even managed to lose in the waning moments of a game this season. On the road versus nationally ranked Wittenberg of the NCAC, the Saints surrendered two fourth quarter touchdowns, including the game-winner with just 11 seconds remaining to suffer a heartbreaking 35-31 defeat.

Thomas More finishes the season with games against Maryville (Tenn.) (3-3), Rockford (6-2), and Mt. St. Joseph (7-0).

The Insider
In JJ McDowell's latest Insider installment, Augustana's leading rusher this season touches on what it takes to be a complete back, the ins-and-outs of an Augie practice, and wraps up the Vikings' win against Millikin. You'll find it at the bottom of this column.

Back on track 
Two teams, St. Norbert and UW-La Crosse, after uncharacteristic performances two weeks ago reverted to their former dominating forms this week with convincing victories.

A week after St. Norbert nearly shocked the Division III world with a subpar performance against a scrappy Carroll team, the Green Knights were like their old selves again, rolling up 50-plus points and rolling over defenseless Ripon, 58-14. The win was St. Norbert's 16th-consecutive Midwest Conference victory and its sixth in a row against the Red Hawks. The Green Knights have posted 51 or more points in five of its six conference victories this season and remain in the driver's seat for yet another MWC championship. Its remaining big game is against second-place Lake Forest, just two weeks away.

Quarterback Ryan Hartman spearheaded the offense, throwing for 290 yards and three touchdown in just three quarters of work. Running back Casey Meehan amassed 164 total yards. The Green Knight defense held the Ripon option attack to 107 yards rushing, an average of 2.3 yards per carry.

UW-La Crosse rebounded nicely from a devastating loss to UW-Eau Claire the previous week, dominating UW-Platteville, 42-14. The win was the Eagles' 19th consecutive Homecoming victory and keeps them in the thick of the WIAC title race.

The La Crosse offense accumulated a season-high 548 yards of offense, led by Corery Geldernick's 146 rushing yards. The Eagle defense did its part, not allowing Platteville to convert a single third down attempt (0-for-14).

While La Crosse remains very much in the mix for a WIAC championship, it cannot afford another letdown. Wins over UW-River Falls (2-2) and UW-Stout (1-3) would set up a showdown with a fellow first-place team, UW-Whitewater, in the final week of the regular season.

Musso the Magnificent
Much of the credit for Wheaton's 7-0 start must go to its prolific offense. Averaging 544.3 yards per game, it is the nation's No. 1-ranked offense. Similarly, much of the Thunder's offensive success can be attributed to wide receiver Brad Musso, the nation's most prolific receiver with 10.5 receptions per game. The 6-0, 204-pound senior is also ranked No. 2 in Division III in receiving yards per game (143.8) and 10th in all-purpose yards per game (175.3). Already the CCIW's all-time leading receiver by over 700 yards, Musso moved into 11th place in career receiving yards in Division III history with last week's 163-yard performance versus Illinois Wesleyan. He is now just 143 yards away from becoming just the ninth player since Division III's inception in 1973 to record 4,000 or more receiving yards in a career. 

Notes
CCIW: In Wheaton's 42-25 win versus Illinois Wesleyan, running back Garrett Granberg moved into third place on the Thunder's career rushing yardage list with his 150-yard effort. ... Augustana remained on track for a showdown of CCIW undefeateds on Nov. 13 when Wheaton comes to Rock Island by narrowly getting by visiting Millikin, 24-17. ... Carthage cornerback Brett Barnes registered three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, three solo tackles, three pass breakups, and blocked a field goal that led to its other score in the Redmen's 13-10 win over North Park. ... North Central defensive end Ben Hare collected six tackles, three for loss, and two sacks for a loss of 18 yards, in helping the Cardinals top Elmhurst, 31-20.

HCAC: Hanover's 37-20 win against Bluffton was its 10th in a row against the Beavers. ... Bryan Hamrock threw for three touchdowns and Ricky Story rushed for two scores to lead Mt. St. Joseph past Defiance and keep the Lions undefeated in the HCAC and on the season.

IBFC: Aurora amassed 391 yards rushing, including 173 from Daniel Whalen, in beating Eureka 45-3, maintaining its perfect IBFC record and first-place position. ... On the strength of a 170-yard, two-touchdown performance from Aaron Gillespie, Concordia (Wis.) routed Greenville, 47-7. ... Lakeland's Ryan Maiuri, a junior quarterback, accounted for 342 yards (193 passing and 149 rushing) and four touchdowns, lifting the Muskies to a 47-6 win versus Concordia (Ill.)... MacMurray outgained Benedictine 568-59, holding it to -36 yards rushing, as the Highlanders crushed the Eagles, 51-7.

MWC: Monmouth's streak of three consecutive shutouts was ended by Illinois College but the Scots got the bigger prize, a 31-17 win. ... Monmouth is tied with Curry (Milton, Mass.) with the nation's best turnover margin, at plus-17. ... Lake Forest remained alive in the MWC race with a 23-19 win over Carroll; a matchup with undefeated St. Norbert is just two weeks away. ... Led by quarterback Sean Pfalzer (27-of-54, 314 yards, three touchdowns), Grinnell came from 18 points down to knock off Lawrence, 30-27. ... Knox and Beloit combined for 462 yards rushing but completed just 12 passes between them, as the Buccaneers came from behind to douse the Prairie Fire, 21-13.

WIAC: UW-Eau Claire's Eddy Kaiser (136) and Joe Gast (119) each recorded 100-yard rushing days in the Blugolds' 30-14 non-conference win over Gustavus Adolphus of the MIAC. ... Kicker Jedediah Jensen broke the UW-La Crosse record for career extra points with 106 and became the school's all-time leading scorer with 187 points in the Eagles' WIAC matchup with UW-Platteville. ... Junior defensive back Chase Kostichka picked off a Nick Wara pass in overtime to preserve a 22-16 UW-Stevens Point win over UW-Oshkosh. ... UW-River Falls scored on four of its last five drives to gain a 28-10 victory over UW-Stout. ... Falcon linebacker Ben Gillett notched 16 tackles, one forced fumble, and one sack to secure River Falls its second WIAC win of the season.

Elsewhere: Washington U. won its fourth consecutive game, upping its record to 5-3 on the season, by defeating Carnegie Mellon, 21-16. ... Robbie Coleman ran for 216 yards and three touchdowns in Westminster's (Mo.) 74-0 thrashing of Principia, securing for the Bluejays the UMAC's south division championship. 

In addition to the five nationally ranked Midwest region teams, four other squads are receiving votes in the latest D3football.com poll: UW-Stevens Point (24), Mt. St. Joseph (23), St. Norbert (8), Carthage (2). ... My top 10 Midwest region teams through eight weeks: 1. UW-Eau Claire (6-1), 2. UW-Whitewater (6-1), 3. Wheaton (7-0), 4. UW-La Crosse (4-2), 5. UW-Stevens Point (4-3), 6. Augustana (6-1), 7. St. Norbert (7-1), 8. Mt. St. Joseph (7-0), 9. Monmouth (7-1), 10. UW-Platteville (4-3).

Games of the Week
Lakeland (5-3, 4-1) at Aurora (5-2, 5-0), Aurora University Field, Aurora, Ill., 1:30 p.m.: The game of the year in the Illini-Badger Football Conference. Should Aurora get by Lakeland, the Spartans will just need a win versus fourth-place MacMurray in their final league game to secure the program's first conference crown since 2000. A Lakeland victory renders a three-way tie at the top of the IBFC standings with Lakeland, Aurora, and Concordia (Wis.) poised to claim a share of the 2004 title heading into the conference's final weekend of play. The strength of both teams is their rushing attacks. Aurora's backfield duo of Daniel Whalen and Travis Paro have combined for over 1100 yards and 20 touchdowns while Lakeland has four rushers with 350 yards or more and has scored 35 touchdowns on the ground this season.

UW-Stevens Point (4-3, 2-2) at No. 13 UW-Whitewater (6-1, 3-1), Perkins Stadium, Whitewater, Wis., 1:00 p.m.: With its 22-16 overtime victory over UW-Oshkosh last weekend, UW-Stevens Point evened its WIAC record at 2-2 and today remains one game out of first place behind UW-La Crosse, UW-Eau Claire, and this week's opponent, No. 13 UW-Whitewater. The Warhawks are coming off a bye week but, before their break, had won two straight league games in convincing fashion. The matchup pits the WIAC's No. 1 pass offense (Stevens Point) versus its No. 1 scoring defense (Whitewater). It will also feature Pointer quarterback Brett Borchart, the WIAC's top rated passer, lining up across from the conference's leaders in sacks in Whitewater's Nick Zolper and Jason Boehlke. Stevens Point has won the last two meetings with the Warhawks, including a 60-30 whitewashing last year. 

No. 4 Wheaton (7-0, 4-0) at Carthage (6-1, 3-1), Art Keller Field, Kenosha, Wis., 1:00 p.m.: Thus far in 2004, Wheaton has done nothing to dispel the notion that it is the No. 4 team in the nation. The Thunder has handily rebuffed all challengers, outscoring its opponents 312-128 this season. Wheaton's strong suit is its offense -- it leads the CCIW in scoring offense, passing offense, and total offense. The Thunder's Achilles' heel, if it has one, might be its defense -- it resides in the middle of the pack of the CCIW in total defense and has surrendered 21 or more points on four occasions this year. Carthage enters the contest boasting the CCIW's top scoring, passing, and rushing defense. However, the Redmen defense (and offense, for that matter) miserably failed its other major of test of the season, a 35-0 pounding at the hands of Augustana. If you are able to attend the game, make sure you catch the Bob Dylan concert later in the day.

Anderson (4-3, 2-1) at Hanover (4-4, 3-1), L.S. Ayres Stadium, Hanover, Ind., 1:30 p.m.: Anderson's road to a share of the 2004 HCAC title is a difficult one and begins this week on the road at Hanover. The Ravens must knock off Hanover, then undefeated Mt. St. Joseph next week, and Manchester on Nov. 13 to claim its stake of the crown. Hanover's championship path might be just as arduous because its destiny is partially out of its hands. The Panthers need to beat Anderson this week and Franklin on the 13th and hope that Anderson can upset Mt. St. Joseph just to earn a part of the league championship. In recent years, Hanover has dominated the series, winning three in a row and scoring 41 or more points in each game. Anderson last won in 2001, hammering Hanover 51-27.

Other games of note: No. 6 UW-Eau Claire (6-1, 3-1) at UW-Platteville (4-3, 1-3), No. 11 UW-La Crosse (4-2, 3-1) at UW-Stout (3-3, 1-3), Bluffton (4-3, 2-1) at Mt. St. Joseph (7-0, 4-0).

The Insider
On a weekly basis, Augustana junior wingback JJ McDowell describes his experiences from the practice field to the playing field.
Coming off a close victory against Illinois Wesleyan last Saturday we came into this week knowing we had to have a couple days of more focused work. As is likely the case on most college practice fields, Tuesday and Wednesdays are the more physically demanding days. By its nature, football practice can tend to be a little redundant, but I feel it is essential to stay motivated. My motivation is to work on making myself the most complete back I can be to help this team bring home a conference championship.

In high school, I was rarely asked to make a block and when the opportunity presented itself, the results were a bit humorous at times. Believe me, my friends on the team let me know about it, especially our middle linebacker and my good friend, Matt Martucci. Matt was a hard-nosed Italian who would much rather have his teammates run over an opponent than put a move on them. Let's just say that I didn't impress him too much in high school.

Every Tuesday and Wednesday here at Augie we go through our warm-up movements and go straight into what we call "stations." Stations have been a staple in the Augustana football program since legendary coach Bob Reade introduced them in the late '70s. The team separates into groups and we all do various drills related to the game of football. One drill emphasizes reactions related to the position of the player grouping, the other works on skills and footwork pending on the position of the player, and the last drill is a contact drill. The contact drill is labeled "The Boards," and here is where my motivation begins. Boards accentuates the fundamentals of blocking for running backs and tackling for defensive players. Thanks to hundreds of reps at the boards I have made vast improvements to becoming a more complete running back. 

I will touch the ball anywhere from 11-20 times out of the 70 or so offensive plays we have a game. I'm not a math major, but that equates to a lot of blocking. Any athlete can take the ball and run with it, but what separates an athlete from a football player are those 50 plays when you are taking on linebackers or defensive backs without the ball. It's those 50 plays during the game that motivate me to go hard at practice, and it's those 50 plays that I take the most pride in. 

This Saturday, the Big Blue of Millikin provided us with another hard-fought CCIW game. The seven point victory produced a few more heroes and moved us to an overall record of 6-1. Senior Travis Temple made three athletic grabs for 93 yards and one touchdown. The other hero of Week 8 was junior Travis Shea. Shea, who sprained his shoulder during Thursday practice, proved to be a gamer by suiting up and pulled down two timely interceptions. 

This Saturday we travel to Elmhurst to take on the well-balanced Bluejays. We anticipate another tough conference game on the road. I am personally looking forward to this game because it is always nice playing close to home and having some familiar faces in the stands.