Doug Blevins has coached kickers at all levels, but calls Emory and Henry his home once again.

To be a great football coach, you need at least two things: a great football mind and a tireless work ethic. Emory and Henry assistant coaches Doug Blevins and Clayton Matthews have both. That is why their players have never looked at the coaches’ physical limitations as an impediment to their coaching prowess. In their first year together on the same staff, the coaches have a shared appreciation for how fortunate they are to be around the game they love every day.

Blevins is a special teams legend, tutoring kickers at every level, from high school to the NFL. He has coached at Emory and Henry on two different occasions totaling nine seasons. It was a no-brainer for new head coach Curt Newsome to retain Blevins on his staff.

Matthews is in his first season at Emory and Henry, and in his first season on a staff other than his father’s. He previously played for and then coached under his father, Mickey Matthews, at James Madison. He was on the same JMU staff as Newsome, who always admired his perseverance and football savvy.

“It’s not like you see a guy in a wheelchair coaching football every day,” said Matthews. “I tell our players this — I promise you that this chair has absolutely no bearing on how hard I’m going to coach you. To them, it’s not even there.”

The Wasps players quickly looked past their coaches’ disabilities and respect what each brings to the program.

“You know immediately that they know that we know what we’re talking about,” said Blevins.

There is no question that the Wasps’ new coaching staff has made an immediate impact. Newsome and his new batch of assistant coaches have gotten results on the field, leading the Wasps to a 5-1 start. More importantly, they have changed perceptions and expectations within the program.

“We’ve always had the players and talent here,” said Blevins. “I really believe that programs take on the personality of their head coach. Coach Newsome’s done a great job of changing the culture.”

Matthews played for the Dukes before two car accidents changed his life. The two accidents in the span of one year left him paralyzed from the chest down. He never gave up on the game he loved, transitioning from talented athlete to wunderkind coach. He began his coaching career while still obtaining his undergraduate degree at JMU. He coaches wide receivers for the Wasps, who love the enthusiasm he brings to practice each day.

“He comes to practice every day enthused. He’s so knowledgeable about the game and passionate about football,” said senior wide receiver Josh Smith. “I have a whole lot of admiration and respect for him. He’s a guy that not just the wide receivers, but the whole team, looks up to.”

Blevins was born with cerebral palsy and knew that he would have to find an unconventional way to participate in the game he fell in love with as a young boy in Abingdon. He became a kicking guru, helping launch the careers of Adam Vinatieri and Justin Tucker, among others.

“I don’t think the players think of them as anything other Coach Matthews and Coach Blevins,” said Newsome.

Blevins and Matthews got to know one another when Matthews was coaching up I-81. He coached kickers in addition to coaching wide receivers for the Dukes. Matthews recruited and coached kickers who were tutored by Blevins.

“I’ve known Coach Matthews for a number of years,” said Blevins. “He’s a great football coach.”

The fact that Newsome brought the two men together on the same staff is both noteworthy and unremarkable. Newsome was looking for the best coaches he could find to round out his staff. There just so happened to be a renowned kicking coach already at Emory and Henry, and Newsome had spent years seeing what Matthews could do with wide receivers.

The Emory and Henry coaching staff.  EHC athletics photo

Their positions are no different from those of Craig Stutzman, the offensive coordinator Newsome imported from Weber State on the recommendation of Jerry Glanville, or holdover Rob Grande, the program’s associate head coach and defensive coordinator who steadied the ship during the offseason coaching search before Newsome was hired to lead his alma mater. The coaches have blended and bonded and their chemistry has been a key to the Wasps’ fast start.

“We’ve got a staff that gets along,” said Newsome. “That goes a long way in this business.”

The Wasps are enjoying their success on Saturdays, but are also finding joy in the every day minutiae of practice. They joke about having Blevins and Matthews race down the field in their motorized wheelchairs. At the same time, they are paying attention to the instruction provided by all of their new coaches.

“I’ve probably learned more this year than in the other three years combined,” said Smith. “I’m having a lot of fun this year. It’s been really enjoyable.”

Even after the Wasps dropped their first game of the season, at Hampden-Sydney on Oct. 18, the team regrouped with a spirited practice. Matthews, in his first season at a Division III school, compared the high-stakes atmosphere in Farmville to coaching in front of 60,000 fans at Virginia Tech. The team’s veterans have blended with a talented freshman class. They know that Newsome, an Emory and Henry graduate, cares deeply about the program. This staff has brought a much-needed breath of fresh air to campus.

“Win or lose, we’re going to have fun. Nothing great gets accomplished without enthusiasm,” said Matthews. “At the end of the day, players want to know that you care and how much you can teach them.”

The best in all of college football

Muhlenberg sophomore Nick Palladino leads all NCAA quarterbacks with 195 passes without an interception, ahead of Oregon’s Heisman candidate Marcus Mariota. The Mules are one of just ten teams across all NCAA divisions that has not thrown an interception this season. In just 17 games (15 as a starter), Palladino ranks 11th in school history with 3,314 passing yards, and could finish this season in the top six. He passed for 230 yards and three touchdowns as the Mules throttled Gettysburg, 47-6, on Saturday.

Unbeaten no more

Ursinus started 5-0 behind a dominating defense. Juniata scored 38 points and it was the Eagles defense that looked dominant in a 38-10 win. The Eagles held the Bears to just 249 yards of total offense and nabbed two interceptions. Ward Udinski passed for three touchdowns and rushed for another, enough to overcome his two turnovers.

Hampden-Sydney secured sole possession of first place in the ODAC by handing Emory and Henry its first defeat of the season. Holton Walker caught 10 passes for 275 yards and three scores. The Tigers broke open a close game at the end of the first half, scoring twice in a 41-second span. Shreve Rohle’s interception return gave Hampden-Sydney a commanding 35-13 lead and was part of the Tigers’ run of 35 unanswered points.

On the flip side

Washington and Lee earned its first win of the season, hanging on for a 28-25 win over Randolph-Macon. Charlie Nelson passed for 85 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 88 yards and a score. John Carrick came up with two big interceptions for the Generals, who snapped a seven-game losing streak.

Susquehanna also waited until the season’s second half before earning its first victory. The Crusaders snapped a nine-game losing streak by knocking off Moravian, 24-21. Cody Miller had two interceptions and a fumble recovery, and Spencer Hotaling kicked the game-winning field goal with 19 seconds remaining. It was Susquehanna’s fourth straight win over the Greyhounds. Last year, the win over Moravian was the Crusaders’ only win of the season.

Methodist makes a statement

Methodist’s Max Reber made a statement in his team’s 73-28 thrashing of LaGrange. Reber passed for four first half scores and ran for another. The Monarchs built up a 73-7 lead before the Panthers added three late fourth-quarter touchdowns. Reber finished with six passing touchdowns, to four receivers. The Monarchs totaled 643 yards of offense. Methodist faces N.C. Wesleyan on Saturday in a battle of two of the five teams currently tied atop the league standings.

Someone had to lose

Guilford and Bridgewater could not have played a much closer contest. The Quakers came out on top, 35-28. Guilford totaled 413 yards of offense, to Bridgewater’s 410. Neither team turned the ball over. Jacob Wright rushed for three touchdowns for the Eagles, the same as his counterpart Josh Schow did for the Quakers. Guilford quarterback Matt Pawlowski was held in check through the air with just 168 passing yards, but made up for it with his legs, rushing for 84 yards and a score.

Looking ahead

Hampden-Sydney at Shenandoah is the game to look forward to in the ODAC. Remember, last year the Hornets won in Farmville, defeating the eventual conference champions. Shenandoah looks even more dangerous in 2014, but will need to pull off another upset against a Tigers team averaging a margin of victory of 31 points in its first three ODAC games. Cedrick Delaney and Kye Hopkins combined for 194 rushing yards and three touchdowns as Shenandoah joined the Wasps and Quakers in a tie for second place behind the Tigers. The Hornets made Catholic the only remaining team without a conference win, and set up a showdown at Shentel Stadium against Hampden-Sydney on Saturday.

Juniata will try to pull off a second straight upset in the Centennial, as the Eagles go on the road to face Muhlenberg.

N.C. Wesleyan had an extra week to prepare for Methodist, as the Battling Bishops begin a stretch of three out of four games against teams currently tied for first in the USA South. Maryville, on a bye this week, is the only other team among the five co-leaders who will close out the season with games against three of the other co-leaders.

What did I miss?

Do you know about any upcoming milestones, big games or new names in the Mid-Atlantic? Please share them with me. If you have suggestions for next week's column, please reach out to me on Twitter at @adamturer or via email at adam.turer@d3sports.com.