Rowanfootball.com

By Keith McMillan
D3sports.com

Linfield and UW-Whitewater are meeting for the first time ever and Bridgewater hasn’t played Wesley in more than a decade, but the playoff round of eight isn’t all about unfamiliarity. Capital led Mount Union in the fourth quarter of their Oct. 1 Ohio Athletic Conference matchup before the Purple Raiders pulled away.

And what about Rowan and Delaware Valley? Besides the Aggies still steaming from last year’s 56-7 loss to the Profs in the same round of the playoffs, the teams are intimately familiar for another reason.

Profs strong safety Brandon Tolbert and cornerback Dawaine Whetstone have been teammates since high school just outside Atlantic City, N.J. They spent their first two college seasons on the field for the Aggies, and make a return trip to Doylestown to face teammates they used to play alongside. While Delaware Valley defensive lineman Anthony Silver says some teammates keep in touch with the Aggies-turned-Profs, particularly before Rowan began the playoff against Wilkes, a Del Val conference rival, he also says all friendships are on hold until late Saturday afternoon.

Aggies coach G.A. Mangus says he supported the New Jersey natives, both starters for him in 2004, going back to their home state, where college tuition at public Rowan is significantly cheaper than at private Delaware Valley in Pennsylvania. Of course the coach hated to lose two players he grew fond of and started, but he says they had to do what was best for them.

This week isn’t so much about getting back at those two. It sure as heck sounds like a grudge match though.

“This season would have meant nothing if we didn’t get a chance to play them again, or at least get back to the same point,” said Silver, a junior on pace to break the school’s sack record. 

“It’s a new year, and obviously we’re different teams,” Mangus said. “But ever since last Dec. 4, my birthday, since we got our tails kicked over there in the ‘boro, I’ve been wanting to play them again. If you want respect in the East, as a football program, you’ve got to beat those guys.”

The Aggies have an unconventional way of dealing with last year’s shocker, which ended a 12-game winning streak. Mangus, who also coached on an Ursinus staff that lost 55-0 in the second round at Rowan in 1999, is self-deprecating about his success against the Profs. But he also mentions being in Salem in three weeks so matter-of-factly that he exudes a distinct confidence despite the seemingly impossible-to-scale wall in front of his team. Add that to the psyche of a team that’s won more games in the fourth quarter than anyone cares to count over the past two seasons, and it’s plain to see why the Aggies wouldn’t want any challenge but this one.

A few things are different this time around. Instead of playing on turf, which Rowan had installed for the 2004 season, the game will be on a field in Doylestown that desperately needs it. It was dry on game day for Delaware Valley’s clash with Hobart last week, but an unstable, slightly muddy surface affected the game tremendously. Statesmen coach Mike Cragg said he expected the game to be in the 40s, and said the field conditions limited the Aggies offense.

“Absolutely, no doubt about it,” he said when asked if it would benefit Delaware Valley to play on turf.

Both teams are built on speed, but any wet weather in the days leading up to the game may partially neutralize it.

Rowan comes off of last week’s 28-24 win over Union with another significant player out. Top running back Ulysses Encarnacion joined quarterback Mike Orihel and defensive end Brian Bond as Profs stars sidelined.

"I was honestly thinking about it, and it sounds like a jinx, I was thinking (standout defensive end) Brian Bond is probably the next worst guy to lose," Rowan linebacker Zach Garren told the Gloucester County Times after Orihel was hurt against Cortland State. “Sure enough, (Bond) got hurt. Football's a game of attrition, anyway. Everyone has injuries — just not usually to their two best players.”

Make that three … but Mangus, whose team is also banged up, doesn’t think that changes much.

“The last eight I guarantee are all banged up somewhere,” he said.

What the Aggies coach wants to avoid is going score-for-score with the Profs, who have enough offense to spare.

“To win championships it takes running the football and playing defense,” Mangus said of two things his team probably does better than they are given credit for. “If you’re going to play shootouts, you’re going to get beat in this tournament. Eventually, you’re going to have to win a 21-14 game.

The Aggies almost played an entire slugfest last week. They were tied with Hobart at zero before the teams scored five offensive touchdowns (not to mention the shots into the end zone by the Statesmen in the closing seconds) in the final period.

Rowan did much the opposite, scoring 14 points each in the first and third periods and playing a scoreless fourth with the Dutchmen.

Though the Profs have an overtime win, an eight-point victory and a 1-point loss in addition to last week, fourth quarters have become the Aggies’ specialty.

“As we advance, it’d be nice if we played in the first three quarters,” said Mangus after Saturday’s win. “We’d be a son of a gun if we did.”

Later though, his mantra was this: “We can win in the fourth quarter the next three weeks. That’d be fine with me.”

Mark my words (or eat ’em) 
This is where the column usually shifts from “nice feature” to “opinion.” Just so you’re aware. I got in trouble a few years back asking for parity, and now that it’s here, we’re all good, right?

Before anyone goes too crazy wondering why I focused on the East final when the region hasn’t produced a Stagg Bowl team since sending the runner-up from 1995-99, the other three games on tap are liable to be barnburners and won’t be ignored here.

So let’s keep the picks going, even though I should recuse myself from a game I am covering. Still, after going just 5-3 last week after coming in at 13-3 in the opening round, I need to get my groove back.

I also figured it would be wise to call on some of the D3football.com staff for insight, since we’ve seen almost every team left in the tournament in the past few weeks. We may not be able to help the die-hards who know what time the quarterback has class on Fridays, but if the other seven teams are new to you, we’ve got you covered. If we have some “insider” info, might as well use it. Hey, that’s the special treatment given the final eight.

No. 2 UW-Whitewater at No. 1 Linfield
Vitals: 12-0 Warhawks are the No. 2 seed in the “West” bracket, while 10-0 Wildcats are the top seed in the entire tournament. The teams have never met, and beat their common opponent handily. Linfield beat UW-Stevens Point 45-7 at home on Sept. 17, while Whitewater won 44-12 at home.
ATN’s Outlook: Oh, to be anywhere but the West Region. That could easily be the Warhawks’ lament, since they would be solid favorites over at least five other teams in the field. But perhaps, unafraid, Whitewater actually wants to measure itself against the defending national champion. Think about what the South Region team traveling to Perkins Stadium would be thinking if Whitewater was coming off a win over Linfield. … What we hear is that the Whitewater secondary could match up well with the Wildcats’ stud receivers. But it’s more about tackling them than covering them. In the open field, Linfield will make a defense pay. … I wouldn’t underestimate the effect of a trip to Oregon on a team that has not been outside the Wisconsin border for a game this year. … The Warhawks have been giving up 10.8 points per game over the past five games — against a range of competition — while scoring between 32 and 36 in each. … One team may be able to gain an edge with the play along the lines, but both quarterbacks (UW-W’s Justin Jacobs and Linfield’s Brett Elliott) are superb. … Both teams have allowed just three opponents to go over 20 points, but neither has a shutout … Last week’s two-TD win was the closest game Linfield has played all season. No team has stayed within 20 of Whitewater since a six-point win at UW-La Crosse Oct. 15. … Comparing scores, both teams beat a MIAC team last week. Concordia-Moorhead and St. John’s basically played to a draw against each other, but Whitewater’s win was much more emphatic. Linfield probably got the struggling out of its system last week, while Whitewater’s dominating-looking score is very much related to St. John’s eight turnovers, including seven fumbles. 
An insider says: “(Whitewater has) an unsung defense with a secondary that gives up yards but seems to be effective in the red zone. They'll have to be able to cover well in space to keep the deep ball out of play for Linfield, since Linfield can score easily from outside the red zone. … On offense, the line, especially the tackle-guard combination of Max Sakellaris and Brady Ramseier, has done a great job opening holes for Justin Beaver and kept the St. John's defensive line off of quarterback Justin Jacobs. He delivered the ball right on the money and in particular Derek Stanley is much improved at wide receiver since midseason. Don't overlook tight end Pete Schmitt in the passing game as well.” 
— Pat Coleman, who saw the Warhawks against UW-Eau Claire and St. John’s.
ATN’s pick: I’m not sure Linfield would be the favorite if they weren’t at home. As much as some think a Linfield-Mount Union Stagg Bowl is a forgone conclusion, Whitewater appears to match up with the Wildcats in the right spots. I’d stick with the Warhawks, but with the partisan crowd at Linfield’s “Catdome” and the fast track turf field, the Wildcats might make one more big play. Linfield 27, UW-Whitewater 25.

No. 17 Bridgewater (Va.) at No. 24 Wesley
Vitals: The 10-1 Eagles are the fifth seed in the “South” bracket, while the 11-1 Wolverines are the third seed. The teams have never met before in the NCAA playoffs. 
ATN’s Outlook: Since being shut out, the Wolverines are averaging nearly 57 points per game. The Eagles, while statistically average, have beaten a pair of offensively proficient teams in Washington & Jefferson and Thiel so far in the playoffs. Before the Eagle defense fears the Chris Warrick-led passing attack, remember that Bridgewater has faced the No. 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 ranked passing attacks in the country this season (Catholic, Hampden-Sydney, Guilford, W&J and Hanover). … The Eagles’ season-opening loss during which they failed to protect a lead and lost 36-35 to McDaniel is a distant memory. … Playoff success is still relatively new to both, as the Eagles got their first NCAA tournament win in 2000 and the Wolverines got theirs two weeks ago. … Each team has played one home and one road playoff game this year. The conditions at Wesley (new-style artificial turf) shouldn’t stun Bridgewater and should be better for the Eagles than last week. … The Eagles have a strong one-two punch in running backs Marcus Washington and Winston Young.
An insider says: “I’m not surprised at all (that Wesley beat Mary Hardin-Baylor) ... (Wesley) is a pass-first football team. They can run the ball with (5-foot-3) Kevin Nelson ... but he’s most effective coming out of the backfield or in the screen pass formation … Chris Warrick has an arm. He’ll let it fly. If Bridgewater picks him off a couple of times, that could be the difference in the game. … I’ll stick with what I said in the playoff predictions. (Bridgewater’s) Mike Clark is one of the best game-planning coaches around.
— Pat Cummings, who saw Wesley against Ferrum and Bridgewater earlier this year 
ATN’s pick: Eagles fans will be disappointed as I’m not going to pick against them again and lose. Bridgewater travels like it’s got its own home field advantage, and with the schools in driving distance, a good road crowd can be expected. As a surprise quarterfinal Wesley is probably us-against-the-world-ed out, perhaps Bridgewater 30, Wesley 28.

No. 16 Capital at No. 5 Mount Union
Vitals: In the “North” bracket, the 10-2 Crusaders, in the playoffs for the first time since 1987, take on the 11-1 Purple Raiders.
ATN’s Outlook: The biggest difference from the first game, a 42-24 Mount Union win, is likely the emergence of Purple Raiders freshman tailback Nate Kmic. And if you thought his 361-yard rush day summed him up, think again. Kmic is drawing praise from high places. Larry Kehres and the Purple Radiers have faced OAC teams for a second time in previous playoffs and demolished them.
An insider says: “This kid has an explosive ability that I can’t say I’ve seen from Chuck Moore or Aaron Robinson. … He was unbelievable (last Saturday) … It wasn’t a whole bunch of smoke and mirrors running game, it was up the middle, off tackle, a few toss sweeps … The Augustana defense cold not stop Kmic … Mike Gibbons is “a beast” at linebacker … That, combined with the fact that (wide receiver) Pierre Garcon is a rocket, and Scott Casto is solid. This emergence of Nate Kmic makes them as much of a lock to get to Salem as people think Linfield is.
— Pat Cummings, who saw Mount Union last week against Augustana
ATN’s pick: Mount Union 45, Capital 20

No. 11 Rowan at No. 7 Delaware Valley
Vitals: Rematch of last year’s East Region final.
ATN’s Outlook: We took a pretty good look at this game above, so we’ll pass. We talked to someone who’s seen them both for the insider.part below.
An insider says: “Who do they have? … Let's see. Offensive Player of the Year Phil Silva. Wide receiver, same size as (Sakeen) Wright. Wright and Silva are both tall and long with great speed. At 6-3, they have the height advantage to out jump the secondary and create constant match-up issues. … Rowan didn't throw a lot last week but if the right situation, Rankin got Wright in one-on-one coverage and threw a fade on a timing pattern for Wright … But, its not just those two. Other guys can step up and catch the ball including 6-5 tight end Brian Jenkins and Brad Stys … Jenkins only has 12 catches this year, but the catches he's made that I've seen have been in big spots where he's wide open in the secondary. Hard guy to miss picking up … Really good receivers could give them problems, Union's Steve Angiletta had 12 catches for over 200 yards and had a monster game … had some defensive backs beat a few other times but was overthrown. I think Marshall for DVC will give them fits. But DVC has to give Knoblauch time to throw the ball. Looking back, I still think Union could have won the game if they didn't give up on the run in the second half.
-- John McGraw, who’s seen Rowan against Cortland State and Union.
ATN’s pick: Delaware Valley 22, Rowan 21

Closing thought: Heard someone say “three more” on the way into the Delaware Valley makeshift/under the bleachers postgame run. I guess you have to think this way at this point: that you’re here for something other than regional finals.

Next’s week’s possibilities 
All games kick off at noon local time):
With Linfield win: Wesley/Bridgewater winner at Linfield (McMinnville, Ore.).
With UW-Whitewater win: Wesley/Bridgewater winner at UW-Whitewater (Whitewater, Wis.).
With Delaware Valley win: Mount Union/Capital winner at Del Val (Doylestown, Pa.)
With Rowan and Capital wins: Capital at Rowan (Glassboro, N.J.)
With Rowan and Mount Union wins: Rowan at Mount Union (Alliance, Ohio)

Pool watch
Among the eight teams remaining from the 32-team field, five (Mount Union, Whitewater, Delaware Valley, Rowan and Bridgewater) qualified via Pool A. Linfield and Wesley were Pool B teams, and Capital, the OAC runner-up, is the last Pool C team standing.

Year in review
Around the Nation is publicizing its annual year in review column so that you’ll know to look for it in January. But I’d also like to start on it while the season is still fresh in people’s heads. Just to take last week’s request to another level, feel free to be send us your suggestions in the categories we used last year. Please choose only a few, as I won’t be able to review 50 nominations each from 50 readers (as if 50 people are still reading this column). Be creative, but brief and language-appropriate, and if we agree with your nomination, we’ll shout you out by your real name or message board moniker, plus age, hometown and/or team you root for. Be sure to put “Year in Review” somewhere in the subject line so your e-mail does not get lost among the glut received atkeith@d3football.com.

Here are the 55 categories open for nomination:

Best play
Best regular-season game
Best playoff game
Best rivalry game
Biggest upset
Wildest regular-season shootouts
Most surprising regular-season blowout
Wildest playoff shootout
Most surprising playoff blowout
Most surprising playoff nail-biter
Most bang for the buck (high-scoring or overtime)
Least bang for the buck (low-scoring or weak teams)
Silliest statistics
Season’s turning point
Best moments
Worst moments / Most difficult circumstances
Farewell
Welcome
Best player
Best one-man show
Best two-man show
Best single-game offensive performance, player
Best single-game offensive performance, team
Best single-game defensive performance, player
Most eye-opening offensive stat
Most telling defensive stat
Best regular-season coach
Best coach in the first half of the regular season
Best coach in the second half of the season
Best postseason coach
Best performance by a rookie head coach
Best independent
Surprise team that didn’t make the playoffs
Surprise playoff teams
Took a step forward
Took a step backward
One-year wonder
Next big thing
Comeback kids
Most overhyped
Most underappreciated
We got these right (Our chance to pat ourselves in the back)
We got these wrong (your chance to tell us how wrong we were)
Most painful playoff score comparison
Best postseason conference showing
Worst postseason conference showing
Biggest surprise in Salem
Biggest disappointment in Salem
Alumni awards (D3 coaches and players excelling elsewhere)
The crazy schedule award
The glass ceiling award
The ‘Glad we went to 32 teams this year’ award
The ‘Wish you were here’ award
Thanks for everything
Thanks for nothing
Next year, this should be changed