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Also in Kickoff 2018:Welcome to Kickoff '18Here's who did what, how and why we did it and what it means for you, the fan.Beyond the Top 25: The sleepers, surprises, final 32Beneath the same ol' suspects who end up Stagg Bowl-bound lies a vibrant tier of D-III filled with turnover, surprise and possibility. Keith McMillan introduces you to those teams -- the unusual suspects.Poorman's transfer elevates QB competition to national stageEx-Purple Raiders quarterback's move to UMHB inspired by a chance to lead a similarly talented team to the Stagg Bowl, and a love of competition fostered in Alliance.You QB'd Mount Union to a title? Great. Do it again.Like Kevin Burke and Greg Micheli before him, D'Angelo Fulford led the Purple Raiders to the championship as a sophomore. Expectations for 2018, however, are same as they ever are.Wesley begins its life after Mike DrassThe gregarious and beloved coach of one of Division III's powerhouses died unexpectedly this summer. Jason Bowen was there when longtime assistant and new head coach Chip Knapp reconvened the team for its first look at an uncertain future.How can the Tommies and Johnnies encore 37,355?This year's rivalry game won't be held in a major league baseball stadium, but St. Thomas-St. John's game will have just as much riding on it and won't be any less intense in front of 20,000 fewer people.Team-by-team previewsEach preseason we talk to every school. Who are the key players? Who needs to step up this year? And then we write a preview for every team and predict how each team will finish. That's the biggest section of Kickoff.Where does your team rank?Each year since 2005, Pat Coleman and Keith McMillan have ranked all of the Division III football teams from top to bottom. This year there are 250. Where did your team come in?2018 conference rankingsEvery year we rank all of the conferences from top to bottom (other than the NESCAC). Where does your league fit into the Division III football pecking order?Inside the D-III numbers gameWe were told there would be no math. But that didn't matter to Logan Hansen, who, if you've followed us for more than a year or so, might ring a bell as someone trying to apply analytics to D-III football. If math isn't your thing, he also explains in plain language how to read a team preview and draw your own conclusions about their chances. Give it a shot!Beyond No. 1, OAC finds balanceLast year, three teams finished 6-3 in the OAC, and three more finished 5-4. And they're all chasing No. 1. And it could happen again.For Dubuque, pretty good is not good enoughNot all that long ago, Dubuque was a perennial bottom-feeder in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. But even though they've comfortably left that behind and have made the playoffs twice this decade, Stan Zweifel isn't satisfied.Who's the new leader of the PAC?Thomas More, winners of eight of the past ten PAC crowns, is an independent this year before leaving for the NAIA. The Saints earned the league's automatic bid six of the past ten years. Several individual stars from other PAC teams graduated. Who will emerge as the new top dog in the PAC in 2018?When home is sold, move in with the neighborsMount Ida College closed up shop in the spring, leaving 60-plus football players without a 2018 team. Six former Mustangs, reluctant at first, are finding a home at former rival UMass-Dartmouth.Emmanuel Stewart won't let you downWhen missing the mark by one letter grade forced Adrian running back Emmanuel Stewart to miss a year of football, he made up for it by doubling down on his responsibilities as a father and in the classroom.Getting to know Eureka's LeAnthony ReasnoverThe senior running back will be getting to know a lot of new opponents, and vice versa, with Eureka moving to the NACC. He talks about the heavy workload he had down the stretch of last season, practicing patience and preparing for a new slate of opponents.Getting to know Worcester State's Noah BrumThe Lancers senior quarterback talks about leaving sunny Hawaii for snowy Massachusetts, not dwelling on interceptions and the feeling of seeing a teammate score.Getting to know Berry's Mason KinseyThe Vikings junior wide receiver talks about choosing Division III over bigger schools, the contagiousness of energy and Fortnite.Under center, Ithaca and RPI are in good handsGeorge Marinopoulous and Wahid Nabi played for rival high schools. While the circumstances in college are a bit different, their teams are still battling each other.Dean's daring D built on the Maize and BlueThe Bulldogs' Steve Tirrell learned learned alongside Don Brown at Plymouth State. While Brown is now a big-time defensive coordinator, the second-year D-III team is running the same aggressive schemes.Getting to know Occidental's Carlton O'NealCarlton O'Neal and his Occidental teammates suffered through a 2017 season in which the cancellation of games, then the entire season, then potentially the program as a whole hung over their heads. Carlton O'Neal, slated to repeat his junior season this year, might well miss the entire season because of injury, and an already-small Occidental roster can't afford to miss too many players.On the cuspShenandoah joined the ODAC seven seasons ago, receiving an unkind welcome. A coaching change and a few recruiting cycles later, and the Hornets are poised to contend for their first ODAC title.Getting to know Monmouth's Tom LesniewskiMonmouth defensive end Tom Lesniewski prefers to let his play do the talking on the field and on the sidelines, but he talked to us about the assistant coach that convinced him to come to Monmouth, what it's like having a big rival at the end of the schedule and what pregame traditions there might or might not be for Scots seniors.Springfield returns with business to finishSpringfield's 10-win 2017 was one to remember, but now they have to put it behind them and look ahead.Getting to know Brockport's Joe GerminerioThe Golden Eagles junior quarterback talks about what it'll take to play in December again, how an all-American can improve, and having a brother competing for a starting QB job elsewhere.Getting to know Millikin's Nicco StepinaThe Big Blue senior quarterback talks with Brian Lester about leadership, opening on a Friday night, and what he's worked on after Millikin's breakout season.Getting to know UW-Platteville's Mark JohnsonThe Pioneers senior wide receiver talks about going from two catches to 93, being perhaps slightly undersized and what he expects from Platteville's new quarterback.Getting to know Allegheny's Tyler BallaThe Gators senior running back talks about playing college football with his brother, how he ended up at Allegheny and where he sees the Gators' program going in 2018.Getting to know Becker's Mike BiancoThe Hawks junior linebacker talks about the differences between third base and linebacker, the importance of taping the girdle, and how it feels to earn an individual honor when the team isn't having a good season.Getting to know George Fox's Caleb DalzellThe senior defensive end talks about the sport he was planning to play in college, his goals for the season and game day at George Fox.Getting to know Hardin-Simmons's Jaquan HemphillThe Cowboys running back talks about leadership, managing free time and the best parts of game day.Getting to know F&M's Joe GranahanThe Diplomats senior defensive end talks with Phil Soto-Ortiz about Franklin & Marshall's new stadium, new traditions and hopes of winning the conference title.... And lastly, we predictWe asked a seven-man panel 20 questions about the upcoming season, everything from last team in the playoff field to most surprising upset. Enjoy. |