Games of Nov. 7-8, 2008
Offense
QB Keith Ricca, Sr., Catholic
Ricca passed for 530 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-34 win at Guilford, while hitting seven targets, with four of those targets getting at least one score. Each of his receivers made grabs for no less than 21 yards. Ricca was 28-for-42 in compiling the second-highest passing total in Division III this season.
OL Sean Mirkov, Sr.; Chris Gray, Sr.; Ben Garvey, Jr.; Eric Russo, Sr.; Jake Queener, Jr., Ithaca
The line carried the load as Ithaca lost its starting quarterback and a 1,200-yard rusher to injury in the second quarter of a 43-35 win. Alfred, which had recorded 26 sacks coming into the game, was held without a sack. Second-string running back Dan Ruggiero ran for 194 yards on 25 carries behind this front five.
RB Josan Holmes, Fr., Albright
Holmes led the Lions past Widener with a 21-10 win, as he rushed 31 times for 195 yards and 2 TDs to put Albright alone atop the MAC.
RB Eric Donoval, Sr., UW-La Crosse
Donoval rushed 19 times for a career-high 248 yards and three touchdowns in UW-L's 49-19 victory over UW-River Falls. He also caught two passes for 25 yards and a touchdown. He scored on runs of 7, 79 and 62 yards while catching a seven-yard touchdown pass.
WR Michael Jennings, Jr., Illinois College
Jennings caught 19 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-27 loss to St. Norbert, setting Midwest Conference records in both categories. His 110 catches on the season shatters the previous league mark.
WR Trevor Bork, Sr., Alfred
Bork caught 11 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown as the Saxons fell to Ithaca, 43-35. Eight of his receptions resulted in Alfred first downs.
WR Jared Jenkins, Jr., UW-Stevens Point
Jenkins scored all three touchdowns and had 12 catches for 156 yards as the Pointers edged UW-Eau Claire, 21-20. He accounted for all 46 yards on the game-winning scoring drive, which started with just 24 seconds left in the game.
Defense
DL Ben Bain, Sr., Western Connecticut
Bain led a strong defensive effort against The College of New Jersey with eight total tackles (six solo) in helping hold the Lions to 264 total yards. Bain had two and a half tackles for loss and two sacks.
DL Matt Baldwin, Sr., Emory and Henry
Baldwin recorded a team-best 10 tackles, including seven solo stops and one tackle for a loss, while also forcing one of three W&L lost fumbles on the day in a 17-14 overtime win. Emory & Henry held the Generals to 172 yards of total offense and 82 yards on the ground.
DL Russ Harris, Sr., Maryville (Tenn.)
Harris had 13 tackles, nine solo, one for lost yardage and also forced a fumble in the Scots' 23-20 win against Shenandoah. Three of his stops came on third down to force punts.
DL John Emerson, Jr., Chicago
Emerson was credited with two forced fumbles, a sack, and a pass breakup late in the contest along with seven total tackles as Chicago defeated Washington U. 17-14 to recapture the Founders Trophy.
LB Jordan Blinn, Sr., Westminster (Pa.)
Blinn posted a career-high 20 tackles (11 solo), including two for losses and one quarterback sack, to lead the Titans to a 24-21 win over Grove City. Blinn made a fourth-down-and-2 tackle for a loss with 2:56 to play to gain possession on downs and set up the game-winning TD drive. Then Blinn stopped a sneak at the Westminster 1-yard line on the game's final play to seal the victory.
LB Jim Smith, Sr., Cortland State
Smith made a career-high 19 tackles (nine solo) in Cortland's 42-30 win vs. Brockport. He also picked off a pass at the Cortland 7-yard line to end a Brockport second-quarter threat.
LB Matt DeGrand, Jr., Wooster
DeGrand registered a game-high 15 tackles during Wooster's 27-7 win against Oberlin, and his third quarter interception preserved the Scots 13-0 lead while setting up a short field that led to their third touchdown of the day. DeGrand also had two tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries on the day.
LB Brett Maloney, Sr., Grinnell
With 19 tackles (five solo), Maloney broke the Midwest Conference record for tackles in a season with 161. He had three tackles for loss and also caught a touchdown pass in a 34-12 loss to Beloit.
DB Charles Squitiere, Jr., Delaware Valley
Squitiere had a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions which led to touchdowns as the Aggies extended their lead to 28-13 in a 28-20 win over Wilkes. His pick was returned 53 yards to set up a short scoring drive while the other was snagged in Aggie territory as well.
DB Justin Oelgeschlager, Sr., Hartwick
Oelgeschlager recorded a career-hgih 16 tackles including nine solo hits in a 45-31 loss to Springfield. He picked off a pass and ran it back 30 yards in the fourth quarter to set up a Hawks touchdown.
DB D.J. Romano, Fr., Cortland State
Romano picked off two passes in Cortland's 42-30 win vs. Brockport State, while forcing a fumble and recording eight tackles (five solo).
Special teams
K Josh Huson, Sr., Gettysburg
Huson had a perfect day kicking in Gettysburg's 38-9 win at McDaniel. He went 5-for-5 on extra points and booted a 47-yard field goal, 1 yard shy of the school record that he tied in 2005. His three-pointer came on the last play of the first half and gave his team a 10-6 lead.
P Jeff Collett, Jr., Centre
Collett punted four times for a 47.5-yard average and placed three of them inside the Trinity (Texas) 20 in a 26-17 upset of the Tigers. Only one of his punts was returned, for minus-2 yards.
RET David Langston, So., Birmingham-Southern
Langston helped christen the Panthers' new on-campus stadium in style, returning a punt 44 yards for a touchdown in a 49-0 win against Sewanee. Langston also ran for 136 yards and another score.