2013 Division III football playoffs

December 21, 2013 The 2013 Division III football playoff bracket The 2013 Division III semifinals featured a pair of thrilling, one-point games. The following week, it was a different story.

December 21, 2013 Warhawks channel near perfection UW-Whitewater’s offense channeled near perfection on Division III’s biggest stage, and Mount Union discovered just how unforgiving Warhawk momentum can be.

December 20, 2013 After bending, Mount Union defense broke It took one possession and less than four minutes for Mount Union’s defense, which bent as far back as it could to preserve a perfect season to this point, to break.

December 22, 2013 ATN podcast: We wrap up the season In addition to wrapping up the game, Keith and Pat talked about which players might have played themselves into All-America status, discussed how they would rank the top teams after the playoffs and announced the postseason awards.

December 20, 2013 A player's final thank-yous On the eve of his final career football game, Zach Howard had some touching things to say in thanks to his teammates, coaches and family. We suspect many D-III football players feel the same.

December 18, 2013 Recharged Warhawks ready to return One year removed from a 2012 campaign that saw the Warhawks’ 46-game winning streak snapped and the team out of the postseason, Whitewater is back in a familiar place. A Road to Salem feature by Joe Sager.

December 17, 2013 Purple Raiders offense follows its leader Driven by a loss from last decade that still bothers him, Mount Union's fearless quarterback, Kevin Burke, has done nothing but succeed in a Purple Raider uniform. A Road to Salem feature by Adam Turer.

December 17, 2013 Burke gets a Heisman vote Kevin Burke surely appeared in the top two on a number of the Gagliardi Trophy ballots. But he also received a second-place vote for the Heisman Trophy. Why? We asked the voter.

December 16, 2013 ATN podcast: 2x1 = 8 With Mount Union and UW-Whitewater needing two one-point games to reach their eighth Stagg Bowl meeting, it should be clear that the two are very close to the pack. Pat and Keith talk more in this week's podcast.

December 14, 2013 Same as it ever was: MTU, UWW to reunite at Stagg In two thrilling one-point games, Mount Union and UW-Whitewater each punched their return tickets to Salem and will face each other for the title for the eighth time.

December 14, 2013 Mount Union holds on with 31-second drive Game story: Quarterback Kevin Burke threw a touchdown pass with just over a minute to play to rally No. 1 ranked Mount Union to a 41-40 win over No. 4 North Central.

December 14, 2013 Warhawks top Crusaders, back to Stagg Bowl This isn't a formula UW-Whitewater would like to continue or anyone would want to copy, but the result is what counts. For the second week in a row UW-W fell behind, then came back to win, beating UMHB 16-15.

December 12, 2013 Purple Raider secondary battle-tested The young Mount Union defense has been tested, sometimes burned this season, but has always done enough to win. Adam Turer takes a look at the Purple Raiders in a Road to Salem feature.

December 11, 2013 UMHB QB situation goes from 404 to A-OK Replacing LiDarral Bailey hasn't been easy for UMHB. The quarterback situation seemed a little lost in September, but the Cru may have found a formula that works. A Road to Salem feature by Joe Sager.

December 19, 2013 Triple Take: Our Stagg Bowl predictions Our Triple Take crew is joined by others this week as we continue a D3football.com tradition that's been running since 1999: our Stagg Bowl predictions.

December 11, 2013 Stagg Bowl re-ups for Salem The Stagg Bowl will remain in Salem through 2017.

December 11, 2013 Facing champs, North Central 'D' needs its 'A' game The talk leading up to the Cardinals' first national semifinal game centers on their uptempo offense. But how do they plan to stop Kevin Burke & Co., and with whom?

December 11, 2013 Rising to the occasion Jake Kumerow wasn't necessarily expected to be Whitewater's top receiving threat when the season began, but the Warhawks have needed him to step up and he has. A Road to Salem feature by Brian Lester.

December 10, 2013 The postgame show D3reports, highlights and postgame interviews from the quarterfinals, including D3reports from all four games, as well as highlights.

December 9, 2013 ATN podcast: Down to the final four Pat and Keith analyze all four quarterfinals and preview the national semifinals in this week's podcast. What did they see on Saturday and what do they see for the next? Tune in.

December 7, 2013 Three No. 1 seeds and a No. 2 advance to semis Wesley gave Mount Union all it could handle, while UW-Whitewater rallied past Linfield, UMHB put St. John Fisher away in the second half and North Central cruised past Bethel.

December 5, 2013 St. John Fisher goes on the road again Winning on the road in the postseason isn't easy, but St. John Fisher has been up to the challenge -- four road wins in 2011 and 2013. Now they face No. 2-ranked UMHB at their "Cruthedral."

December 4, 2013 North Central again has a big opportunity The Cardinals have come into the postseason highly touted several times, but have never advanced to the semifinals. Saturday, they face Bethel with another chance, and this time, they say they're more mentally tough.

December 3, 2013 Coming into their own Concern was in the air for both Mount Union and Wesley, although the teams experienced it at different points in the season. Brian Lester has more in a Road to Salem feature.

December 2, 2013 The postgame show D3reports, highlights and postgame interviews from the playoffs, including reports from Wesley, St. John Fisher, UW-Whitewater and UMHB as well as highlights from Bethel, Mount Union and North Central.

December 1, 2013 For this year's quarterfinals, we rounded up the usual suspects Over the past eight years, the Division III football quarterfinals have looked surprisingly similar. And it's not just the color purple, either. But indeed, 53 of the last 64 spots in the Elite Eight can be summed up in simple groupings.

November 30, 2013 Wrapup: Linfield rallies, Bethel survives, Fisher rolls Linfield scored the final 28 points to rally from a 21-3 deficit, while Bethel lost its starting quarterback but held Wartburg out of the end zone on their final play. St. John Fisher pulled the predicted upset. Full playoff wrapup.

November 27, 2013 Hobart, Fisher square off in other's backyard Backyard football games are a tradition for many during Thanksgiving week. For St. John Fisher and Hobart, just an hour apart, they’ll take the backyard game to a new level Saturday. A Road to Salem feature.

November 27, 2013 For trip to Linfield, Tigers must adjust on the fly Hampden-Sydney has been playing with its backs against the wall for weeks, but boarding a plane from Virginia to Oregon to face No. 2 Linfield is a new challenge. A Road to Salem feature.

November 27, 2013 Stanek and Kelly making the most of it Spencer Stanek of North Central and John Kelly of UW-Platteville each overcame missed time in their careers. Now they lead two of D-III's top offenses into the biggest clash of the Round of 16. A Road to Salem feature.

November 27, 2013 The rare Ohio showdown When Wittenberg and Mount Union take the field together Saturday, it will be for the first time since 2001, and in front of a big crowd. More in a Road to Salem feature.

November 26, 2013 Pooch punt goes awry Generally a pooch punt is a good way to pin a team deep. Problem is when the punt is fielded. And then returned. It's the D3football.com Play of the Week.

November 26, 2013 Knight and day difference for Wartburg Wartburg’s journey to the IIAC title hit a speed bump with a loss to conference rival Coe. But since that loss, the Knights' ground game and defense have propelled them to the second round. A Road to Salem feature.

November 24, 2013 ATN's Snap judgments: Who answered the bell Some of those who shined in the first round of the 32-team playoffs weren't the nationally elite teams who have a chance at a Stagg Bowl a month from now, but those who were seizing the day.

November 23, 2013 Wesley wins in final minute, JCU out The first round of playoffs had a couple of thrillers, with Ithaca, Franklin and Wesley rallying, as well as St. John Fisher doing what St. John Fisher does in November. That and more in our full wrapup.

November 22, 2013 Triple Take: We predict the scores All 16 games are big games, so we can't tell you what the big games are. Instead, our three-headed prediction team will predict the scores. High scoring? Close game? Split decision? Find out.

November 21, 2013 New life for St. John Fisher Cody Miller sat anxiously, surrounded by a handful of teammates and coaches. Fingers tapped and feet bounced in nervous anticipation. They were all waiting to hear the same thing.

November 21, 2013 Around the Great Lakes: Sirianni seeing familiar faces Former Mount Union player and assistant coach Mike Sirianni sees the Purple Raiders fairly often as coach of Washington and Jefferson. More in Around the Region.

November 21, 2013 ATN: Our playoff picks, surprises, disappointments In this annual feature, Keith, Pat and others give their playoff predictions: Who will be the surprise teams, who the disappointments and who will be the last team standing in each bracket?

November 21, 2013 2013 playoffs: Mount Union bracket From Mount Union to Washington and Jefferson, how the eight teams in the top-left bracket shake out.

November 20, 2013 Around the West: PLU gets another shot Hoping for a better outcome this time around, Pacifc Lutheran is making another trip down to Linfield, this time with hopes of advancing.

November 19, 2013 Around the Mid-Atlantic: Maryville makes history In just two seasons at the helm of the Scots, Mike Rader has done something that hadn’t been done in decades: win a conference championship. And he’s done it twice, this year earning the team an 11th game with a Round 1 playoff trip to Hampden-Sydney. More in Around the Mid-Atlantic.

November 19, 2013 2013 playoffs: Bethel bracket From Bethel to St. Scholastica, how the eight teams in the bottom-left bracket shake out.

November 19, 2013 2013 playoffs: Mary Hardin-Baylor bracket From Mary Hardin-Baylor to Endicott, how the eight teams in the bottom-right bracket shake out.

November 19, 2013 2013 playoffs: UW-Whitewater bracket From UW-Whitewater to St. Norbert, how the eight teams in the bottom-left bracket shake out.

November 18, 2013 ATN podcast: Breaking down the field Why aren't we even talking about UW-Oshkosh? Did Johns Hopkins get shafted or get a good matchup? How would we make the playoffs better? Keith and Pat break it down in this week's podcast.

November 18, 2013 Football committee chair takes questions With the selection show cut down to less than eight minutes of actual content, there's no analysis, no breakdown. So that's left to the rest of us, like our friends at In the HuddLLe.

November 17, 2013 Join the bracket challenge! Once again this season, the folks at d3photography.com are hosting a Division III football bracket challenge! Make your picks now. Deadline noon ET on Saturday!

November 17, 2013 Playoff bracket released! The Field of 32 is out. Surprised? If you read our projection last night, you shouldn't be, as we correctly projected all of the teams going.

November 16, 2013 Albion, Mount Union, Hampden-Sydney and more punch tickets There were 10 automatic bids left to be handed out today. Some got in via head-to-head wins, while one team only got in because it got some help. Check out the full list of 24 automatic qualifiers.

November 16, 2013 Our 2013 playoff projections Will the committee break the mold and put a two-loss team in the field? We believe they should. Here's our projected playoff teams, and how they could be paired up.

November 14, 2013 Around the East: Ithaca leaves 2011 in the past Just two years removed from the worst season in decades, the Bombers have clinched a spot in the playoffs and have rejuvenated the program’s status. More in Around the East.

November 13, 2013 Around the Great Lakes: Albion builds off 2011 run Two years ago, the Britons took a shellacking in the postseason and used it to learn to be a better team. Now, with one more win, the Britons will be back in the playoffs. More in Around the Great Lakes.

November 13, 2013 Around the West: Saints hope to go one step further St. Scholastica's season has had a recent habit of ending in the first round of the NCAA playoffs. This year the Saints hope to get through that Week 12 barrier.

November 7, 2013 2013 Division III football championships handbook This handbook is no longer publicly available on the NCAA website. However, we've posted it here for your use. It does contain errors and we have contacted the NCAA about the inconsistency: There are five Pool C bids this year.

October 21, 2013 Playoff field: 24 automatic bids The NESCAC will not accept an automatic bid to the Division III football playoffs this year. This shouldn't be big news, but it is, because the NCAA's championships handbook offers one.