Billy Carr returned for an extra year, as so many people have recently — for the friendships as much as for the chance to advance in the playoffs. Springfield athletics photo

By Greg Thomas
D3football.com

The first thing that Division III fans think of when Springfield College comes up is their triple option offense. That’s a natural reaction, not just because of the leather-helmet nostalgia that an option offense conjures, but because the Pride run their version of it with such high levels of precision and execution. This season, however, as the Pride have run all the way to the national quarterfinals, the defense in Springfield has emerged as equally important piece of their historic season.

In playoff wins over Mass-Dartmouth and Cortland — two of the highest-scoring offenses in Division III — Springfield’s defense showcased its readiness to compete with the Division’s elite. The Pride held both teams to 130 fewer yards than their season averages and kept Cortland scoreless for the game’s final 25 minutes.

As the Pride prepare to face top-ranked North Central, their defense, led by a mix of seasoned veterans and emerging stars, will again be under a great deal of scrutiny.

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Defensive coordinator Louis DiRienzo credits the unit’s success to a combination of experienced leadership and team commitment.

“We’re really fortunate that on both sides of the ball we have a bunch of fourth and fifth-year players who have now been through this process,” DiRienzo said. “They are a special group of kids who really focus on process-driven results and believe in our culture. They come to work every single day and give this thing their best.”

While Springfield’s triple option offense garners most of the headlines, DiRienzo sees the program’s overall success as a testament to complementary football. “Springfield College is known for the triple option and our rushing attack,” he said. “As a program, we play great complementary football — offense, defense, and special teams. Nic Keene, our special teams coach, is as good as there is in the country, in my opinion.”

Practicing against one of the nation’s best rushing offenses has shaped the defense’s physicality and approach. “We take pride in stopping the run,” DiRienzo said. “Obviously, we get to do that first and foremost in practice every day. We have one of the best rushing attacks in the country, and we take great pride in being multiple and physical on defense as well.”

For DiRienzo, the lessons learned against the triple option carry over to preparing for more traditional offenses. “When you run that style of offense, it takes on the mindset of the entire program,” he explained. “It prepares us to be a physical football team. I like to call it the modern-day triple option. There’s still a dive phase, a quarterback phase, and a pitch phase. It just might be a bubble or an RPO. While it might look completely different, the meat and potatoes of what we do is still there. In many ways, the traditional offenses we face are just an extension of the triple option.”

Senior linebacker Billy Carr has been a cornerstone of the Pride’s defense and was recently named the NEWMAC Defensive Player of the Year and to the D3football.com All-Region first team in Region 1. But for Carr, individual accolades are secondary to team success.

“It’s not necessarily the goal,” Carr said. “The goal is to be the best player, the best leader, the best brother that I can be for this team. That award was just a byproduct of that.”

Carr’s decision to return for a fifth year reflects his commitment to his teammates. “Coming back was something I wanted to do simply because of the teammates that I got to be with,” he said. “Some of my best friends and brothers for life are here. This season has been special. These have been the fastest 17 weeks of my life, but also some of the greatest.”

DiRienzo praised Carr’s leadership as central to the unit’s success. “Billy’s an outstanding leader,” he said. “I think his best attribute is the respect his peers have for him. He doesn’t say a whole lot, but he works extremely hard. Our defense follows him, just like our other two defensive captains, Joe Maurer and Will McKay. The hardest workers on the team being the best players on the team is usually a good recipe for success.”

Springfield’s defense has repeatedly risen to the occasion when it matters most. Against playoff-caliber offenses, they’ve managed to disrupt a pair of great Division III quarterbacks in Dante Aviles-Santos and Zac Boyes, limit big plays, and deliver game-changing stops in key moments.

One defining moment against Cortland came late in the fourth quarter. “Cortland was driving, and Cam Hart made a beautiful play,” Carr recalled. “He tackled both the running back and quarterback on fourth and short to stop them from potentially making it a one-score game. As a defense, we’ve bent at times, but we didn’t break.”

DiRienzo praised the contributions of key players like Colby Richardson and Nick Gonzalez. “Colby’s versatility in man coverage and blitz packages can affect the game in so many ways,” he said. Against Cortland, Richardson led the team with 11 tackles and added an interception.

“Nick Gonzalez is a sophomore who gets better each week,” DiRienzo added. Gonzalez tallied eight tackles and three pass breakups in the Cortland win.

Springfield’s next test will be their biggest yet: a showdown with No. 1 North Central. The Cardinals boast one of the most balanced and explosive offenses in the nation led by another outstanding quarterback in 2023 Gagliardi Trophy winner Luke Lehnen.

“When you turn on the tape, they’re as advertised,” DiRienzo said. “They’re the standard of Division III football right now. They’re very multiple, extremely well-coached, and a violent, physical football team. They’re equally effective in the run and pass game. It’s going to be a tremendous challenge for us, but we’ve earned the right to be here and are excited for the opportunity.”

Springfield’s defense has been characterized by the same kind of relentless determination and unity that underpins their option offense. “We play as a family,” Carr said. “If you watch us, you can see the attitude, effort, and grit we bring to the field at all times.”

Reaching the national quarterfinals is rarified air in Division III football. It takes excellence in all phases of the game to get this far. While Springfield’s rushing offense garners most of the attention, their defense’s stellar performances against elite offenses have propelled them into title contention. This week the Pride are preparing for the biggest challenge in Division III, but you can be certain they’re doing so with unbridled confidence and unity.