Believe it or not, this weekend marks the halfway point of the 2016 regular season in Division III football. After games conclude Saturday night, just five weeks remain until the selection of the NCAA playoff field.
Stevenson (5-0), 4-0 MAC) is the lone remaining undefeated team remaining in the Middle Atlantic Conference. The Mustangs and Widener (3-1, 3-0 MAC) are the only teams in the conference that control their own destiny but expect Delaware Valley (4-1, 3-1 MAC) and Albright (3-2, 3-1 MAC) to make it interesting.
In the Liberty League, St. Lawrence (5-0, 2-0 LL) and Hobart (5-0, 2-0 LL) appear to be headed for a November 5 showdown to determine the conference championship. WPI, RPI, Merchant Marine and Springfield remain alive with just one conference loss each.
In the Empire Eight and New Jersey Athletic Conference, seven of the nine members sit at least .500 or better. Alfred (5-0, 3-0) and St. John Fisher (5-0, 3-0) each remain unbeaten at the midpoint. They could faceoff on the season’s final weekend for the conference title but if you’ve paid attention to the E8 over the past few seasons, expect the unexpected. At this point, even the teams with two conference losses still have a shimmer of hope.
In the NJAC, Salisbury (4-0, 3-0) is the only remaining unbeaten but has the bulk of the remaining contenders ahead on their schedule starting with Rowan (3-1, 2-1), Christopher Newport (4-1, 3-1), Wesley (2-2, 2-1) and Frostburg St.(3-1, 2-1). With each with just one conference loss, it could get as messy here as we’ve seen in the E8 in the past.
Here are my thoughts on some topics for the first half of the season.
Best team: In the running are the unbeatens, in the order of their rankings: Salisbury (13), St. John Fisher (14), Stevenson (19), St. Lawrence (21), Hobart (22), Alfred (25). The Sea Gulls have the best non-conference win in the group beating a then ranked Albright handily. They’ve cruised through their first three conference games with the highlight being a 20-point win over Montclair St.
St. John Fisher is also scoring points in bunches but have been more suspect on defense than usual. Senior quarterback Matt Naton has 13-to-2 touchdown pass to interception ratio for an offense averaging nearly 430 yards a game, although a freshman backup is currently playing because Naton is injured. The defense has been allowing nearly 390 yards a game.
Stevenson continues to take the ball away on defense, but perhaps their offense has finally gained the consistency to put them in the playoffs. We’ll find out on October 15 when they face a stingy Widener unit.
St. Lawrence has been fantastic on both sides of the football but can they do it against a tougher nonconference opponent than Morrisville State, Endicott or Norwich.
Hobart has a great passing game but their run game appears suspect and they have a key injury on defense. They are three Houdini acts away from being 2-3. So while they deserve credit for the grot required in four quarter comebacks against Brockport, Union and Merchant Marine, you have to wonder when playing from behind so much will finally catch up to them.
Alfred won three conference games in a row, which is tough for any E8 team. While I’m impressed with the number of veterans returning, the Saxons also have five straight tough E8 games to finish the season.
My Pick: Salisbury. The Gulls beat Albright who beat Delaware Valley (who could have an argument too if not for a last second loss to the Lions), who beat Wesley. In senior quarterback Ryan Jones, Salisbury has probably their most efficient passer since going to the triple option around 15 years ago. If the Gulls can make plays in the pass game, your defense is in for a long day. Their defense is playing at high level too currently ranking 13th in the nation.
Most disappointing start: In the running are Wesley (2-2, 2-1 NJAC), Cortland (3-2, 1-2 E8) and Albright (3-2, 3-1 MAC). The Wolverines dropped started 1-2 for the first time since 2003 and have fallen out of the Top 25 for the first time since 2005. Expectations are high at a program that has reached at least the quarterfinals every year expect 2007 in a during 11-straight playoff appearances. Still Wesley has a chance to get back to the tournament if they can run the table. Rowan and Salisbury appear to be their stiffest tests.
Albright, defending champion of the MAC, lost its first two games (Salisbury and Stevenson) but has rallied to win three straight including knocking off then unbeaten juggernaut Delaware Valley in the final seconds. Among serious MAC title contenders, only Widener remains on the schedule so if they can win out and get some major help (i.e. a couple of losses by Stevenson) a return to the tournament is possible.
The Red Dragons were flying high with a 2-0 start in non-conference games but an injury to starting quarterback Steven Ferreira played a role in back-to-back E8 losses to St. John Fisher. The program showed some grit last week by coming back from a 30-14 halftime deficit to beat Hartwick in the final seconds 50-47.
My Pick: All three of these teams won at least a playoff game last season, but Cortland has the toughest road to return with two conference losses in an already deep E8. Albright and Wesley appear to have a better chance at recovery.
Most Improved Player: Dan Williams of Stevenson. The junior was a record-setting prep quarterback in South Jersey but battled injuries and inexperience over the past two seasons. So far he’s completed 66 percent of his passes for 1140 yards with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. With the Mustang defense still taking the ball away at a ridiculous rate (15 interceptions after be among the nation’s leaders in 2015) his development makes it look as though the offense may have caught up.
Best Individual Performance, Offense: The candidates are: Billy Pine (Hartwick), Darrel West (Morrisville State) and John DiStefano (Montclair State). Pine threw for 521 yards and three touchdown passes against Cortland in a 50-47 loss. He ran for another 82 yards to finish the game with 603 yards of total offense. His 603 yards is the second-highest single game total in NCAA Division III football this season.
West rushed for a career-high 256 yards on 28 attempts against Utica in a 28-21 loss. He ran for all three Mustang touchdowns on the night (3, 26 and 89 yards). Interestingly, West has just 105 yards in the Mustangs other three contests.
DiStefano carried 26 times for 184 yards and two touchdowns, and added well as a 70-yard TD reception in a 25-15 win vs. FDU-Florham. His 74-yard run in the third quarter gave MSU the lead and he punctuated his evening with a 2-yard TD run for the final score.
My Pick: DiStefano, since the Red Hawks won the game.
Best Individual Performance, Defense: Shawn Miller, Delaware Valley vs. Wesley on Sept. 2. The junior recorded three second half interceptions, 14.5 tackles, 2.5 TFL and a sack as the Aggies upset Wesley 21-14 on the opening weekend of the season.
Best Offense, Team: Candidates: Salisbury and Hartwick. The Hawks are the only teams averaging more than 500 yards a game (527), are third in DIII in passing pass offense (395 ypg) and lead the region in scoring (40.3).
My Pick: Salisbury with honorable mention to Stevenson and Brockport.
Best Player, Offense: The candidates are: Dan Andrews (Brockport), Ryan Jones (Salisbury), Tyler Johnson (Alfred), John DiStefano. (Montclair State), Shane Sweeney (Hobart), Dan Eckler (WPI), Deshawn Darden (DelVal), Brandon Shed (Hobart), Taylor Louden (CNU).
My Pick: Ryan Jones, Salisbury. His numbers may not be as gaudy as some of the others but his leadership, grit and toughness give him the edge so far in my book. The has 396 rushing yards and highly productive passing numbers, 19-of-34 for 472 yards and three touchdowns.
Best Defense, Team: St. Lawrence. The Saints have recorded three shutouts in five games and the defensive unit alone has outscored their opponents this season 30-28. They rank second in the country in total defense (190 yards per game), scoring defense (5.6 points per game), 11th in turnovers gained (15), third in passing yards allowed (110) and second in red zone defense. Salisbury with their triple option attack ranks third in rush offense (368) and fourth in passing efficiency.
Best Player, Defense: Chyron Brown-Wallace from St. Lawrence. Great defense starts up front and the senior defensive lineman is the foundation of a Saints defense that includes high caliber players like linebacker Alec Dietsch and corner James Grisham-Holley. Brown Wallace has seven tackles for loss and three sacks this season.
Best Newcomer: Candidates are Sean McAllen (WPI) and Brian McKean (Brockport). McAllen, a freshman, rushed for 215 yards his debut against MIT and has helped the Engineers to a 4-1 start. He added another 114 yards in a 28-23 loss against Springfield and has total 516 yards and two touchdowns in all.
My pick: McKean, a junior transfer, has stepped into a starting role and is directing the Eagles (2-2) to nearly 40 points a game. He has completed over 72 percent of his passing for nearly 1,000 yards with seven touchdowns and just one interception.
Best game: Though Hobart could be on here about three times, I’m going with the Courage Bowl a 42-38 victory by St. John Fisher at Brockport. In a game that featured two ties, six lead changes and a game-winning Matt Naton touchdown with 17 seconds left, that was for a great cause, there were no losers.
Games to watch this week
Merchant Marine (2-2, 1-1 LL) at WPI (4-1, 1-1 LL) Neither team is likely to knock conference leaders Hobart and St. Lawrence from the top of the Liberty League, though the Mariners gave Hobart a scare last week before falling with 17 seconds left. Still both these teams look like they have a great shot at competing for an ECAC Bowl bid. Quarterback Robert Moore is directing the Mariner offense to 381 rushing yards a game, while WPI quarterback Dan Eckler is posting some great numbers too.
Salisbury (4-0, 3-0 NJAC) at Rowan (3-1, 2-1 NJAC) The Profs have the most physical defensive unit that Salisbury has seen this season. But while Rowan may slow the Gulls’ triple-option attack, will they be able to score enough points? Salisbury won last season 31-28.
Hartwick (1-3, 0-2 E8) at Ithaca (2-2, 1-1 E8) The Bombers showed they aren’t dead yet by knocking off previously unbeaten Utica last week. The Hawks couldn’t hold off Cortland last week and lost 50-47. An interesting matchup of good offense (Hartwick) versus good defense (Ithaca). But maybe how a struggling offense (Ithaca) deals with a porous defense (Hartwick) determines the outcome.
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