Also in Kickoff 2015:Welcome to Kickoff '15!If Kickoff were an actual magazine, we wouldn't be able to put 400 pages' worth of content in it for $11. But it would definitely have these beautiful covers! Read on to see what you'll find in Kickoff!Following in the footsteps of the purple passing greatsTwo-time Gagliardi Trophy winner Kevin Burke leaves enormous shoes to fill. But Mount Union has replaced legendary quarterbacks before. We talk to a couple.Bullis takes the keys to to the Whitewater CadillacAfter Lance Leipold and four top assistants took over at Division I Buffalo following the Warhawks's sixth national championship. Bullis could have gone too, but remembered something he was once told about D-III.Sleepers and more: Predictions for the rest of usNearly nine-tenths of D-III resides outside the top 25. So who'll make the playoffs from that group, plus teams that will regress and a projection of the 32-team field.Wartburg trying to crash D-III's purple partyAre the Knights on the verge of becoming a national power, or was last year their big chance? Can they get over the UW-Whitewater heartbreaker?2015 Team-by-team previewsEvery year we preview every team in Division III football. Who are the "X' factors and breakout players? What are the top position battles? Here's the bulk of Kickoff 2015: 247 pages previewing 247 teams.Where does your team rank?Each year since 2005, Pat Coleman and Keith McMillan have ranked all of the Division III football teams from top to bottom. Now we are up to 247 teams! Where did your team come in?Sam Sura helps re-establish St. John's as a powerThe Johnnies returned to the top of the MIAC during the All-American's 1,769-yard season. Sura would gladly give up a few touches to advance the Johnnies even further in 2015.New-look conferences finally make senseThere'll be a new look in the NJAC, Empire 8 and ASC, plus big changes at the purple powers and a familiar playoff term that's on its way out the door.When rivalries grow lopsided, the intensity remainsFor Knox, DePauw, Williams and others, when the season-ending rivalry goes the other guys' way too often, it hurts -- but it doesn't hurt the spirit of the series.Linfield heads into 2015 on heels of devastating 2014The death of a fellow player changed the Wildcats' outlook on life, then they channeled that emotion in a run across seven time zones that nearly ended in the Stagg Bowl. Here's a look at Linfield's mind-set, nine months later.Wabash eager to join the eliteThe Little Giants are an NCAC power, perennially ranked, haven't lost more than two games in a season since 2004, and haven't lost to their arch rival since 2008. Yet they want more.John Carroll likes its post-Myers quarterback optionsBrandon Schaefer gets first crack at replacing the passer who helped the Blue Streaks return to prominence, but as a senior, he's got to outplay the QBs with more eligibility.Crown, D-III's smallest schools gauge success differentlyCrown is in the same metropolitan area as St. Thomas, and shares a landscape and mission with schools such as St. John's. But Crown is miles, if not light-years, away from both.Relentless motor drives Ursinus' Steve AmbsCoaches and players around the Centennial Conference says the Bears' All-American defensive end catches their eyes, because he's always coming.Getting to know Elmhurst's Josh WilliamsBluejays running back spoke with Luke Tanaka about getting advice from his Gagliardi Trophy-winning brother, what he's hoping to get done this season and how law enforcement and communities can work together to make things better.An intriguing quarterback battle brews at MiddleburyOne signal-caller seemed to have the job locked up after a standout season. But then a transfer arrived. From UNLV.Getting to know Framingham State's Nick StanfieldRams center talks with Matt Noonan about the feeling of winning a conference title game, and the feeling of talking over playoff losses with his father, and more.Getting to know Benedictine's Jarrett LecasEagles free safety Jarrett Lecas talks with Austin Walther about what game day is like at Benedictine, the level of competition in the NACC and how he counsels his young counterparts in the Eagles secondary.Marpet and Coleman leave big shoes to fill at HobartThe Statesmen look to stay on top after graduating three all-Americans, including an NFL draft pick and the school's career sacks leader.Getting to know Wesley's Jamar BaynardWolverines running back Jamar Baynard talks with Cory Francer about joining the New Jersey Athletic Conference, how he learned to break down video and what type of classroom environment he prefers.Getting to know Albright's Dan SobolewskiSobolewski talks with Tom Pfaff about how he came to choose football over soccer and baseball, his success so far at Albright and what it means to be on the Fred Mitchell Award's watch list.Getting to know Texas Lutheran's Marquis BarrolleBulldogs All-American running back Marquis Barrolle talks with Brian Lester about his amazing 2014 season, the crazy way it ended, and his and his team's preparations and goals for the upcoming season.DiDonato learning on the job for Grove CityBefore Chris Smith retires, the Wolverines brought his successor, a former player, on board. The unique arrangement should allow for a smooth transition.Getting to know Albion's Mike CzarneckiCzarnecki talks with Greg Chandler about learning from one of the league's all-time great running backs, sibling rivalries, hitting the books as hard as he hits the holes in the line, and trying to make the Britons relevant again as one of D-III's premier programs.Getting to know Emory & Henry's Rennel MarshallWasps linebacker talks with Adam Turer about the recent coaching transition, his reinvigorating 2014 season and preparing for the diverse and potent offenses of the ODAC.Getting to know Chapman's Jeremiah McKibbinsThe Panthers running back talks with Paul Schreel about what it will take to repeat in the SCIAC, where he hopes his college career goes from here and what a D-III running back might be able to afford to buy his offensive line for dinner.Getting to know MIT's Elliot TobinEngineers guard talks with Roei Biberstain about the difference between MIT football and Division III schools in his native Minnesota, the dramatic playoff win against Husson and no longer being perceived as an 'athletically inept nerd.'Macalester looking for an encoreHaving tasted a rare bit of success, Macalester is an easier sell to recruits. But the Scots have to replace a star quarterback in a conference that knows them now. What next?Getting to know Centre's Heath HadenColonels quarterback talks with Brian Lester about the disappointing end to last year's 10-win season, committing to a school he hadn't heard of and what he'll miss after he's finished playing.Getting to know Bluffton's Ryan AelkerBluffton defensive end Ryan Aelker led the nation with 13 regular season sacks last season. He talks with Adam Turer about why he chose the Beavers, how much he loves the game, and how he is preparing for his senior season and the chance to finish with a third winning season in four years.McMurry players find stability amid the back and forthThe War Hawks jumped from Division III to II and back to III again. In the midst of it all, players' college careers are affected, and we talked to two who stayed.Getting to know Maryville's Shaun HayesHayes is a Maryville grad and has been a part of the coaching staff for the past six years, but for 2015, he will be entering his first season as head coach. Hayes talked with Ryan Tipps.Anna Maria, six years in, still trying to unlock the secretSix years after starting up, the program is stuck on six wins. A breakthrough may come, but only if it can keep the players around and develop some depth.And lastly ... 20 questionsOur Kickoff crew of experts predicts how the season will turn out, including the top teams, top rushers and top bounceback performers. |