Imagine yourself being in a parking lot in Indiana about 30 to
40 minutes west of Indianapolis on last Saturday. Forty to fifty
people huddle around a laptop computer while sharing a postgame
tailgate celebration.
Their team, the DePauw Tigers, has clinched a share of the
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference with a 34-23 victory over
Austin College just an hour or so earlier. But the celebration is
not yet complete.
The Tigers have shared a SCAC title before. Back in 2005, they
finished 5-0 in the SCAC, tied with Trinity. But a hurricane
canceled their trip to San Antonio in late September and the Tigers
at 7-2 stayed home at playoff time, while 9-0 Trinity earned the
conference’s automatic bid by virtue of a better overall
record. Never mind that DePauw’s loses were to a semifinal
bound 9-1 Wesley by five and an unbeaten Wabash at 10-0.
And just last season, the Tigers, at 8-2, were probably one of
teams left on the board when the final discussion took place on who
would get the last of the at large bids (Pool C). But despite a
36-15 victory over No. 3-ranked Wabash in the season finale, again,
DePauw stayed home.
So now, back in the parking lot, Tiger players, coaches,
administrators, parents and fans knew that even a victory next week
against Wabash in the annual Monon Bell game to finish at 8-1 and a
second SCAC co championship could guarantee them nothing playoff
wise. DePauw could still being staying home.
So to know their fate, the Tiger faithful will have to wait. Wait
for the result of the Centre/Trinity game in San Antonio more than
1,100 miles away. (Can we really be rooting for Trinity?
There’s some irony for you.)
Centre holds most of the tie-breaking advantages in the SCAC race
that also includes Millsaps, who has already clinched a share of
the crown but whom the Tigers have already beaten. The Colonels,
however, beat DePauw in the SCAC opener 34-24 back in
September.
DePauw fans waited for the good news from San Antonio. |
So as they seconds tick down in the Texas Tigers 27-17 victory
over Centre, a wave of euphoria sweeps the parking lot of remaining
tailgaters in Greencastle or is it relief? It’s both. At any
rate, DePauw is in the playoffs for sure this time. And it’s
the first time.
“We’ve been so close a couple years,” said
quarterback Spud Dick. “To finally get over that hump and
take the next step as a program was something that we talked about
here for a long time. It was really great to be able to accomplish
it.”
The significance was not lost on interim coach Robby Long
either.
“It means a lot, not only to the guys on this team, but to
the guys that have come through here and paved the way,” Long
said. “I am extremely proud of this group and the way
they’ve fought through adversity.”
It was a great feeling after the game to know that we had clinched
at least a share of the conference championship and then to find
out an hour and a half later that we’re in the dance was a
great feeling.
DePauw entered the season as the odds-on favorite in the SCAC, but
the program had to overcome a couple of early season setbacks along
the way this season. The first was an unexpected head coaching
change just a week before training camp began when Matt Walker
resigned. The school promoted Long, in his third season as the
defensive coordinator and fifth overall, into the head role on an
interim basis. Not an easy job on short notice.
“I approached it as ‘I’ve got to do everything
that I can possibly do to put this team in the best situation to
have success,” Long said. “The weight of the situation
didn’t ever really hit me, I just focused on what I had to do
on a daily basis to get this team ready.”
And after a successful season and a first-ever appearance in the
NCAA playoffs, you might think that the powers that be at DePauw
would be ready to remove that interim tag from his job title. But
for Long, in all honestly, he really hasn’t had the time to
think about it.
“It’s never really been an issue for me,” said
Long, a former defensive lineman at Illinois in his playing days.
“I’m focused on getting ready for the next
opponent.”
So despite the coaching change, the Tigers entered the season with
high expectations and the preseason favorite in the SCAC. They
returned Dick at quarterback along with 16 other starters,
including a veteran corps of receivers.
“I’d lie if I told you that we didn’t expect to
become champions,” Dick said of the team attitude at the
start of the season. “That was our goal and everybody was
really buying into it.”
But Long knew it wouldn’t be easy.
“Coaches always have a little different view of
things,” he said. “There are always concerns.
“I knew going into this thing that replacing three offensive
linemen up front, and while we were pretty sure that the guys that
we had stepping in were the right guys. We didn’t know how
quickly they were going to develop and how quickly that whole thing
was going to come together. There were questions there and there
were questions on defense at the linebacker and safety
positions. I knew that we had a lot of work to do to get where
we are now.”
So after burying Anderson 55-7 in the opener, confidence was high
heading into the SCAC opener against Centre. That quickly came
crashing down to earth as the Colonels built an early lead and
downed the Tigers 34-24 in Greencastle.
“To go out and play the way we did against Centre it was
really a huge let down,” Dick said of the loss. “It was
a slap in the face, but looking back on it. It was probably the
best thing that could have happened to us.
“It gave me a new appreciation for how much it takes to
prepare to get a victory. We learned that you’re not just
going to walk out there and win. We used that loss as motivation
and a springboard to push us through the rest of the
season.”
Long echoed the sentiments of his quarterback and worked on
getting his team refocused.
“The Centre game taught us a lesson as a football team and
as a program, he said. “It taught me a lesson as a coach. We
did not prepare well enough to win that football game.
“Centre is a great team and a great program. I don’t
want to take anything away from them because they beat us on the
field, that’s all that matters. But the great thing is our
kids learned from that and came to work every week since then.
That’s been a big part of why we’ve had the success
we’ve had this year.”
Making matters worse was that Dick suffered a concussion during
the loss and was out for next week too. The Tigers slogged through
the slop and rain the next week without their leader to defeat
Sewanee 3-0.
But Dick returned the following week with one of his finest
performances. The Tigers knocked off defending conference champ
Millsaps 29-27 with the senior passing for 372 yards and completing
28-of-34 passes with three touchdowns. DePauw was back on
track.
“He’s a very special young man,” Long said of
his four-year starter. Not only is he a good football player,
he’s a great leader.
“He’s grown into a guy who ever body respects and
everybody trusts. On the field he does a great job putting us in
great situations. He’s cool under pressure and makes us a
better football team. He’d be the first to tell you that he
can’t do it without the guys around him. He feeds off of that
approach.”
For the season, Dick has completed more than 72 percent of his
passes while passing for 2,087 yards with 21 touchdowns and just
six interceptions. With at least two games remaining he should top
the 9000-yard mark for his career.
And he just keeps getting better. During his first two seasons, he
completed just under 60 percent of his passes. Over the past two
years, his completion percentage is just a little under 70. He
currently ranks eighth in D-III in passer rating.
“It’s gone by in the blink of an eye,” Dick said
of his college career. “Going back to my freshman year coming
in, I wanted to the starter. I was thrust into the second game and
looking as I look at some of the freshmen now, I get a really get a
true appreciation for how big of a task that was. I didn’t
succeed by any means.
“But offensive coordinator Dustin Ward has done a great job
bringing me along as a student of the game. That’s really
been one of the keys by success over the past couple of years, to
be able learn the defense and know the offense inside and
out.”
So now, with a playoff berth finally secured, DePauw must focus
again entering their yearly clash with Wabash for the Monon
Bell.
Long has played in some of the biggest football venues in the
country as a former Big Ten defensive lineman, including the Sugar
Bowl against LSU. But the intensity of this rivalry compares with
anything seen on the Division I level.
“The difference is the number of people in the
stands,” he said. “The thing that is special about this
game is what it means to both sides. I don’t think that Ohio
State and Michigan fan and alums think about each other all year
long, but that’s the case with this rivalry.
“As a coach you fight to keep your team focused on the
conference games because all they ever hear about from the alums
and their parents is Wabash. It is as fierce as I’ve ever
seen. It is the greatest rivalry in college football as far as I am
concerned.”
The two rivals enter Saturday’s game evenly matched once
again. The series is tied at 53-53-9 after the Tigers have won the
last two years. The game will be broadcast on HDNet starting at 1
pm. EST.
“Monon week, to people that haven’t been in it, is
something that is totally different than the rest of the
season,” Dick said. “You try to prepare for it like a
normal game in terms of the X’s and O’s and
preparation, but the aura around the game is totally
different.”
“It’s the one week where you get to feel like
you’re a Division I player. Three or four media interviews a
day, pep rallies, the game is on national television, the
newspapers come over from Indianapolis to practice. There’s
so much more that’s added to the game. It means so much to so
many people, not just on campus, but alumni and around the
community.
Part of the challenge for Long as rookie head coach is to make
sure they keep doing the things that go them to this point.
“They are fired up,” Long said. “Part of
preparing them to win this game is that we can’t get over
emotional on Tuesday.
“We got to come and prepare the way we have all season long.
Is this a more intense environment obviously, are the stakes
higher---yes. But at the same time you can’t let it get out
of hand and become a negative. We’ve got to get ready to play
before all the emotion and those things start pouring into
it.”
Wabash enters the game fighting for its playoff life at 8-1.
Wittenberg knocked the Little Giants off 10-7 on Oct. 17 and went
on to the automatic bid from North Coast Athletic Conference.
During the last two years, it was the Little Giants that entered
the game with their playoff status secured.
“It’s something where you can’t have a
letdown,” Dick said. “I don’t think we will. I
think the guys are really focused.
“That’s something we haven’t had the last past
couple years. That’s something we have to guard against.
Wabash the last two years has had that guaranteed game. The roles
have kind of switched.”
Oh by the way, if you’re wondering where Dick, whose given
name is Gerry, like his father and grandfather, got his nickname.
He reports that he has had it since at just a few days old. At an
extended family gathering, the beer commercial that featured Spuds
McKenzie came on and an uncle suggested it. The name has stuck.
Mississippi College looks likely to clinch its first Division
III playoff bid this weekend when they host Texas Lutheran. The
Bulldogs have yet to win this season and coach Dennis Parker
resigned effective the end of the season.
Mary Hardin-Baylor looks likely to earn a at large (Pool C) bid if
it can beat Sul Ross State (2-7.)
Huntingdon (8-1) should take home a Pool B bid, reserved for
independents and conferences without an AQ, after beating
Birmingham-Southern 59-28. The Hawks, who are scoring points at
ridiculous rates, after scoring more than 50 for the third time in
four games. They finish on Thursday night against Southern Alabama,
who will be moving into Division I FCS status in a couple of
years.
You can reach me at jason.bowen@capital.k12.de.us, Conrad on Post Patterns or on Facebook at Facebook.com/jasonbowen3