By John Regenfuss
D3sports.com
It was not a good week to be a nationally ranked team in the Midwest Region. Save Augustana, four teams rated in the Top 25 in last week's D3football.com poll went down in defeat to an unranked conference rival. This phenomenon can be looked on from two perspectives -- either the Midwest Region is fraught with talented teams and, therefore, laden with parity or it is a year destined to be mired in mediocrity. Only time and the outcome of a few playoff contests will tell.
Easily the biggest upset of the weekend was Carthage's 39-21 win over No. 4 Wheaton -- its first victory over the Thunder since 1987. Carthage got the win by jumping on Wheaton early. It sprinted to a quick 17-0 first quarter advantage en route to building what would prove to be an insurmountable 32-14 halftime lead. All-American running back Dante Washington ran wild over the Thunder, rushing a conference-record 57 times for 231 yards and three touchdowns. Washington's efforts on the ground helped Carthage amass an astounding 41:00-19:00 time of possession advantage. Wheaton countered with an outstanding performance by receiver Colin Sinclair. The senior hauled in 13 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns.
Carthage's win was awarded with its first top 25 ranking of the season. The Redmen are slotted at No. 23 this week. With the loss, Wheaton slipped to No. 15.
Another team reaping the benefits of the Wheaton loss, coupled with a win of its own, is Augustana. While Wheaton was being upset, Augustana was steamrolling Elmhurst to the tune of 49-27. The win moved the Vikings into sole possession of first place in the CCIW and vaulted them from No. 21 to No. 11 in the latest D3football.com poll.
Augustana got off to a sluggish start and Elmhurst capitalized, taking a 21-6 lead into halftime. The second half, though, told a different story. Augustana exploded for 43 points while holding the Bluejays to six. Mike Guzman scored three of the Vikings' six second-half touchdowns and finished the game with 174 yards on 18 carries.
What should be to no one's surprise, three of the weekend's four upsets took place in the WIAC. UW-Platteville continues to play the role of giant-killer, knocking off its third ranked team of the season by defeating No. 6 UW-Eau Claire 20-17. Pioneer running back Damian Droessler scored from 1 yard out on the last play of the game to provide Platteville with its second WIAC victory.
Once again turnovers proved to the be the death knell for UW-La Crosse, as the No. 11 Eagles committed six, three fumbles and three interceptions, in their 31-21 loss to UW-Stout. Blue Devil quarterback Nick Ohman helped end Stout's three-game slide with a monster effort. The senior signal-caller completed 30 of 41 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns. He also led all rushers with 125 yards. Ohman accounted for 472 of Stout's 560 total yards.
UW-Stevens Point won its third consecutive WIAC contest, edging No. 13 UW-Whitewater 15-12. Stevens Point quarterback Brett Borchart hit receiver Kurt Kielbock with a game-winning 23-yard touchdown pass to lift the Pointers to victory. Whitewater running back Colin Burns, one of the nation's top rushers, amassed 197 yards on the ground in a losing effort.
The fallout from "Upset Saturday" renders the WIAC standings a veritable mess. Four teams, Eau Claire, Whitewater, Stevens Point, and La Crosse, are tied for first place with 3-2 records. The conference's other four teams, UW-Oshkosh, UW-River Falls, Platteville and Stout, are knotted in fifth place, one game behind, with 2-3 marks. And since all the 2-3 teams play all the 3-2 teams this week, the entire conference could be tied for first next Saturday night.
It is typically cliché to remark that every game matters, but when referring to the WIAC and the remainder of the season, no other expression is more appropriate. Buckle up and stay tuned.
The Insider
In this week's installment, JJ McDowell discusses Augustana's come-from-behind win over Elmhurst, previews this weekend's North Central contest, and gives credit where credit is due to one of his teammates. Scroll down for the Insider at the bottom of this column.
The Mount climbing
Three years ago, the Mt. St. Joseph program looked to be going nowhere fast. An 0-10 season, including an 0-6 conference mark, in 2001, had the Lions looking up at not just its HCAC rivals but most of Division III. However, a lot can change in three years and, thanks in large part to the efforts of coach Rod Huber, a lot has at Mt St. Joseph.
Huber has spearheaded one of the more remarkable turnarounds in recent Division III history, culminating this year in Mt. St. Joseph's unblemished 8-0 record and, as a result of the Lions' 25-13 come-from-behind win over Bluffton on Saturday, its first-ever HCAC championship and the conference's automatic bid to the playoffs.
The victory versus Bluffton was not only made special by the postseason berth it clinched for Mt. St. Joseph but by the outstanding performances of three players. After spotting the Beavers a 13-3 lead, consecutive touchdowns by running back Mike Lovell in the second and fourth quarters lifted the Lions into the lead for good. Lovell finished with 164 yards, averaging a gaudy 8.2 yards per rush average. Backfield mate Ricky Story also fared well, totaling 119 yards on the ground. However, the star of the game was defensive back Tyler Blair. The 5-11, 165-pound junior was unstoppable, recording four tackles, a blocked punt, a blocked field goal, and an interception. He played an integral role in limiting the Bluffton offense to 189 total yards, including just 79 passing yards.
The Mount can wrap up an undefeated regular season with wins versus Anderson and at non-conference opponent and local rival Thomas More.
IBFC still up for grabs
The outcome of Saturday's key IBFC matchup between Aurora and Lakeland could have gone a long way towards deciding this season's Illini-Badger title-winner. Instead, the 14-13 Lakeland victory only further complicated the championship scenario. While IBFC fans scratch their heads, mathematicians everywhere were grinning from ear to ear, thanks to the conference's dubious margin of victory tie-breaker rule. A win by Aurora would have given the Spartans at least a share of the 2004 crown. A win by Lakeland by 20 or more points would have allowed the Muskies to control their own destiny heading into the final week of the conference schedule. Obviously, neither of those happened. Enter last year's champ, Concordia (Wis.). The Falcons not only remained in the mix by virtue of a 65-0 blowout of Benedictine but may have sneaked their way into decent position to capture a second consecutive championship.
Looking ahead to this Saturday is when things get a bit convoluted. Aurora has, perhaps, the most daunting task ahead of it this weekend because, of the three teams still alive, its opponent is the toughest. To earn their first IBFC title since 2000, the Spartans must beat a 4-2 MacMurray team on the road and hope that Concordia can beat 2-4 Eureka on the Red Devils' home field. For Lakeland to garner the conference's automatic playoff berth, it needs to win at home against Greenville (3-3) and Concordia to be upset by Eureka. Concordia's title aspirations rest partly on it shoulders and partly on MacMurray's. The Falcons will secure the 2004 league championship and spot in the postseason if they top Eureka and MacMurray manages to knock off Aurora.
In summary. ...
-> If all three teams win, Aurora wins the playoff berth. Aurora beat Concordia by 18 and lost to Lakeland by 1, giving them a point differential total of plus-16. Concordia's point differential is plus-1 (an 18-point win over Lakeland and a 17-point loss to Aurora) and Lakeland's is minus-17 (a 1-point win over Aurora and an 18-point loss to Concordia).
-> If only Concordia loses, Lakeland wins the playoff berth because the Muskies beat Aurora.
-> If only Aurora loses, Concordia wins the playoff berth because the Falcons beat Lakeland.
-> If only Lakeland loses, Aurora wins the playoff berth because the Spartans beat Concordia.
-> If all three teams lose, there would be a four-way tie for the title including MacMurray and the final score of the Aurora-MacMurray game would become part of the tiebreaker.
Thanks to David Gallianetti of Lakeland for the breakdown.
Knights earn a piece of crown
With its 45-21 victory over Grinnell, St. Norbert clinched at least a share of its sixth consecutive Midwest Conference championship. Casey Meehan led the way for the Green Knights, rushing for a career-high 254 yards. The junior's three touchdowns tied the program record for touchdowns in a season (21) and set the single-season mark for points (128). Quarterback Ryan Hartman threw for 179 yards, pushing the senior past the 2,000 yard mark for the third-consecutive season, an accomplishment no other signal-caller in St. Norbert history has attained.
In the span of six years that St. Norbert has dominated the MWC, it has lost a total of two games. One of those losses came at the hands of the team that stands in the way of the Green Knights en route to winning the 2004 championship outright -- Lake Forest. For those who remain on the team from two years ago, redemption will surely be on their minds. In the final game of the 2002 season, the Foresters shocked St. Norbert 17-0 to claim part of the conference title and steal the MWC's automatic bid to the postseason.
Monmouth still remains in the mix for both a conference championship and the MWC's automatic postseason bid. The Scots' 39-24 win over Carroll last weekend boosted their record to 7-1 and kept them in a second-place tie with Lake Forest. The Scots must beat Knox and hope that the Foresters can take out St. Norbert this weekend. Should a three-way tie for first occur, a bizarre tiebreak involving the number of quarters a team has led in league play kicks in. Check below for all the scenarios and the details.
Scenario, Outcome
St. Norbert wins, goes 9-0: Wins title outright and advance
St. Norbert/Lake Forest tie at 8-1: Both share title - Lake Forest advances
St. Norbert/Lake Forest/Monmouth tie 8-1: Tri-Champions - NCAA participant determined by number of quarters ahead in league play
Current No. of quarters ahead in league play: St. Norbert 29, Monmouth 26, Lake Forest 22
Based on the quarters ahead in league play above, St. Norbert only has to lead in two quarters Saturday against Lake Forest to claim the NCAA bid in the event of a three-way tie. If Monmouth leads in all four quarters against Knox and St. Norbert does not lead in any quarters, Monmouth will qualify for the NCAA playoffs. A tie in quarters led by St. Norbert and Monmouth will send St. Norbert to the postseason based on their head-to-head win over Monmouth. Lake Forest can only advance with a win and a Monmouth loss.
Source: Midwest Conference
More on the Saints
To fuel the fire created from my much-maligned piece on then-4-3 Thomas More that led off last week's Midwest Region report and was featured on the front page of D3football.com, a mention in this week's offering about how the Saints added another chapter to their already impressive anthology of 2004 heart-stopping finishes last Saturday is definitely mandatory.
As time expired in its game with Maryville (Tenn.), Thomas More quarterback Nate Berkley hooked up with Mike Rieck on a 57-yard touchdown pass, pulling it within two points of the Scots. However, Berkley's potential game-tying two-point pass was intercepted in the end zone and the Saints fell, 28-26. Five of Thomas More's eight games this season have either been decided in overtime or in the waning moments of a game. That seems fairly newsworthy to me, even though the Saints are 4-4.
Notes
CCIW: Millikin's Joe Albin connected with Chris Katzmark on a 32-yard last-second desperation touchdown pass to propel the Big Blue to a 23-21 win over North Central. ... Albin threw for 349 yards after replacing starter Justin Stessman, who was forced to move to receiver due to injuries to the Big Blue's receiving corps. ... With his 109-yard effort, Millikin's Nathan Wallick set the school record for rushing yards in a season (1,143). ... Marcus Dunlop, a freshman running back, carried the ball 33 times for 222 yards and three touchdowns in Illinois Wesleyan's 35-23 win versus North Park. ... The defensive duo of Tim and Mark Rotenberry combined to register 31 tackles, an interception, and two sacks for North Park in the loss to IWU.
HCAC: Hanover's Adam Stevenson rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns while the Panther defense limited Anderson to just 12 yards rushing in its 21-0 shutout of the Ravens.
IBFC: In its 65-0 romp over Benedictine, Concordia (Wis.) outgained the Eagles 524-49. ... In beating Eureka by a score of 35-28, MacMurray's Peter Ereg rushed for 213 yards, Scotty Washington returned a kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown, and Woodrow Montgomery and Kenneth Nance each brought an interception back for a score. ... Lakeland surrendered the ball three times on downs and fumbled once, all inside Aurora's 30-yard line, but still managed to tip Aurora, 14-13.
MWC: Monmouth's Evan Haffner caught six balls for 116 yards while Carroll's Brandon Wogomon snared 10 passes for 175 yards in the 39-24 Scots win. ... The Lake Forest defense held Lawrence to four first downs and 65 total yards in the Foresters 27-0 blanking of the Vikings. ... Illinois College's Jake Weller returned an interception 99 yards in the second quarter of the Blue Boys' 13-10 victory over Knox. ... After surrendering 52 and 58 points in consecutive weeks, the Ripon defense bounced back and helped the Red Hawks to a 20-13 win over Beloit. ... Grinnell's Sean Pfalzer threw for 343 yards and one touchdown in a losing effort versus St. Norbert.
WIAC: UW-Oshkosh quarterback Nick Wara rushed for 144 yards and passed for 147 yards and one touchdown, leading the Titans to a 28-25 win against UW-River Falls...River Falls fumbled four times and lost all of them, contributing significantly to its three-point conference loss. ... UW-Eau Claire's Joe Gast registered his fourth consecutive 100-yard game, totaling 150 yards on 34 carries, in the Blugolds' loss to UW-Platteville.
Elsewhere: Chicago's Frank Brown ran for 157 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Maroons to defeat winless Bethany 31-7. ... Westminster (Mo.), behind 153 rushing yards and three touchdowns from Robbie Coleman, won its second-consecutive UMAC championship by defeating Martin Luther, 35-28, at Dome Day in Minneapolis. ... Other Dome Day Results: No. 2 seeds-Northwestern (Minn.) 28, Rockford 14; No. 3 seeds-Minnesota-Morris 34, Blackburn 12; No. 4 seeds-Crown College 27, Maranatha Baptist 21; No. 5 seeds-Principia 46, Trinity Bible 22.
In addition to the six nationally ranked Midwest region teams, four other squads are receiving votes in the latest D3football.com poll: UW-Stevens Point (66), Mt. St. Joseph (58), St. Norbert (25), UW-Platteville (3). ... My top 10 Midwest region teams through nine weeks: 1. UW-Eau Claire (6-2), 2. UW-Whitewater (6-2), 3. Augustana (7-1), 4. UW-Stevens Point (5-3), 5. Wheaton (7-1), 6. UW-La Crosse (4-3), 7. St. Norbert (8-1), 8. Mt. St. Joseph (8-0), 9. UW-Platteville (5-3), 10T. Carthage (7-1)/Monmouth (8-1).
Games of the Week
Lake Forest (8-1, 7-1) at St. Norbert (8-1, 8-0), Minahan Stadium, DePere, Wis., 1 p.m.: The matchup will feature the ultimate clash of strengths. St. Norbert's high-powered offense is tops in the conference in scoring while the Foresters' defense is ranked No. 1 in the league in scoring. The Green Knights are averaging nearly 45 points per game while Lake Forest has recorded two shutouts this season. St. Norbert will have the edge, though, when its defense is on the field, as it boasts the best total defensive numbers in the MWC. Having the home field should be a definite advantage for St. Norbert, however, that didn't matter in 2002 when Lake Forest came to Minahan Stadium and shocked the Green Knights, 17-0.
Aurora (5-3, 5-1) at MacMurray (6-2, 4-2), Freesen Field, Jacksonville, Ill., 2 p.m.
Concordia (Wis.) (6-3, 5-1) at Eureka (3-5, 2-4), McKinzie Stadium, Eureka, Ill., 1 p.m.,
Greenville (3-5, 3-3) at Lakeland (6-3, 5-1), Taylor Memorial Stadium, Sheboygan, Wis., 12 p.m.: From Jacksonville to Eureka in Illinois to Sheboygan in Wisconsin, the eyes of all IBFC followers will be on those three locales this weekend. When the smoke clears from the three battles, just the newly-crowned 2004 IBFC champion's season will live on. Two of the three teams with a shot at the title, Aurora and Concordia (Wis.), are on the road with Aurora undoubtedly facing the stiffest challenge of the trio against a dangerous MacMurray team. Lakeland has the advantage of playing the only home contest but also has the disadvantage of not controlling its own destiny. Both Concordia and Lakeland dominated their opponents for this week a year ago, with the Falcons scoring a 78-7 win over Eureka and the Muskies pummeling Greenville, 63-13.
No. 10 UW-Eau Claire (6-2, 3-2) at UW-Stout (4-3, 2-3), Don and Nona Williams Stadium, Menomonie, Wis., 1 p.m.: UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout enter this contest with mindsets at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Blugolds are reeling from a tough 20-17 loss to giant-killer UW-Platteville while the Blue Devils are flying high, coming off a 31-21 upset of UW-La Crosse. Eau Claire looked to be cruising towards a WIAC championship with four consecutive before the stumble at Platteville. Fortunately for the Blugolds, UW-La Crosse and UW-Whitewater were also upset, leaving a four-way tie atop the conference standings. Stout was fading fast after three consecutive losses but, by beating La Crosse, proved it is still a force to be reckoned with. The Blue Devils are in second place in the WIAC, tied with three other teams.
No. 11 Augustana (7-1, 5-0) at North Central (5-3, 2-3), Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium, Naperville, Ill., 2 p.m.:Wheaton's loss last weekend cleared a direct path for Augustana to the 2004 CCIW title, making this Saturday's road contest against a talented North Central team a potential trap game for the Vikings. Both teams feature balanced attacks, as Augustana in No. 2 in the conference in total offense and defense while North Central is No. 3 in both categories. The worst kept secret in the CCIW is the power of Augustana's rushing attack. The Vikings have four rushers with 400-plus yards and 25 touchdowns among the quartet. North Central's forte is the pass, with Kam Kniss and Tyke Spencer comprising one of the nation's most lethal quarterback-receiver combinations.
Defiance (0-7, 0-4) at Manchester (0-8, 0-4), Carl W. Burt Memorial Stadium, Manchester, Ind., 1 p.m.
Concordia (Ill.) (0-9, 0-6) at Benedictine (0-9, 0-6), BU Sports Complex, Lisle, Ill., 1 p.m.:
One matchup between two winless teams is rare, but two in one week? That's definitely worth notice. I don't normally offer predictions, but why not?: Defiance 26, Manchester 21; Concordia (Ill.) 22, Benedictine 14.
Other games of note: No. 23 Carthage (7-1, 4-1) at Illinois Wesleyan (3-5, 2-3), UW-Platteville (5-3, 2-3) at UW-Stevens Point (5-3, 3-2), No. 18 UW-Whitewater (6-2, 3-2) at UW-Oshkosh (5-3, 2-3), UW-River Falls (2-6, 2-3) at No. 22 UW-La Crosse (4-3, 3-2).
The Insider
On a weekly basis, Augustana junior wingback JJ McDowell describes his experiences from the practice field to the playing field.
"I love this team." That was the first thought that went through my mind as the final seconds faded from the scoreboard last Saturday afternoon in our 49-27 victory at Elmhurst College. Our team has had to deal with various hardships throughout this season, just like any other football team faces, but one way or another, we have battled through them. This week we were presented with a 21-6 halftime deficit, and won the second half 43-6. Granted, we dug ourselves into that hole, but seeing the comeback really was something special.
Saturday proved to be a tale of two halves, and the last 30 minutes of the game showed us what kind of a team we have the opportunity to be if we actually put together a full 60 minutes of Augie football.
It is always nice to see a player get credit when credit is due. One of the players on our team who truly earned the recognition he received Saturday was junior, Greg Cozzi. Greg has been moved around the whole offensive backfield throughout his career here. Injuries have interrupted his continuity and it has been difficult for him to establish himself in one spot. Ironically enough, injuries gave him his first legitimate shot at proving himself. He did nothing short of 'stepping up' big time and showing that he can help Augustana win. After watching him struggle through practice all week with an aggravated knee injury it was gratifying to see him excel on the field Saturday. It is one thing to play a game with pain, but it says a lot about a person's character and determination when they are practicing every day of the week with a nagging injury just to get a shot to show what they are capable of on Saturday afternoons.
Greg finished the game with 103 yards on 13 carries, along with sophomore, Mike Guzman's 174 outburst that was powered behind another strong effort from our offensive line. The defense was lead by the play of seniors, Steve Szpejnowski and Beau Biagi, who together totaled 19 tackles (five for loss) and two sacks.
This Saturday we hit the road for the second consecutive week, and travel to Naperville to face a talented and dangerous North Central football team. Because of last week's results in conference play and being the only team left without a conference loss, we now determine our own destiny. We have worked real hard to put ourselves into this situation and are excited about the opportunity we have in front of us. Again, I love this team, and I couldn't ask for another group of guys that I'd rather play with this Saturday than this 2004 Viking squad.
