Time for a catch-all blog entry, as the weather has caused things to be a little erratic around your broadcast crew. I’ll update the weather situation, among other things, throughout this entry.

GAGLIARDI TROPHY

For the first time in any of the Divisions’ highest college football awards (the Heisman, Walter Payton, Harlon Hill and Gagliardi Trophies), we finally have an offensive lineman as a winner in Blaine Westemeyer. I know the arguments will be forthcoming concerning whether the Gagliardi is akin to a “player of the year” award, but that’s not what Gagliardi night is about. It’s about showcasing the epitome of Division III Football — great student-athletes playing the game simply for the love of it. We met Blaine Westemeyer earlier in the day during the initial interview pool for the Stagg Bowl teams, and it was obvious right away that Westemeyer was a confident, smart and poised individual who does not embody the unfortunate stereotype many people bestow on linemen. It was a whirlwind week for Westemeyer, with a trip to Mexico City, a flight from there to Roanoke, Va., and then a return flight to Mexico City for the Tazon de Estrellas all-star game. If he was tired, you couldn’t tell it throughout the day.

Westemeyer’s speech was classy and a tribute to offensive linemen who have played and currently play football at any level. Keith Jackson used to call linemen the “Big Uglies” in the trenches, but there was nothing ugly about the setting nor the situation Thursday night. I think the interview Pat Coleman did with Westemeyer that we’ve linked below speaks to Westemeyer’s handling of the moment and the fact that the soon-to-be medical school attendee was a great recipient of this tremendous award.

THE GAME

I sensed a lot of frustration from fans concerning the idea that Mount Union and Whitewater are back for the fifth consecutive year. Sure, there have been plenty of tongue-in-cheek jokes about the teams’ familiarity with the area and the game. In reality, though, how true is that?

I think we often forget that a 52-man roster means that only about 30-35 underclassmen on average will have the chance to participate in the events of the week. How many of those 30-35 players were sophomores or freshmen? Not that many. With our fifth consecutive year of the matchup, we’re essentially guaranteed a complete turnover of players on both teams that have had Stagg Bowl experience (and likely a second turnover if you consider the shrunken rosters). Whitewater experienced a coaching change a couple years ago, meaning that, in essence, the only real high-profile stalwart in this fifth rendition of the matchup is Mount Union Head Coach Larry Kehres — and he always provides a certain level of unpredictability and wisdom to everyone that knows or meets him.

So is Division III football stuck in a rut? No. Two things make me answer that way. First, looking at the semi-finals, we had some real good competition for both teams, meaning that the “gap” may be closing between the rest of the Division and these two teams. Second, as I’ve said above, for as much as we hate to admit it, there are plenty of new faces every year appearing on the field at Salem Stadium for the Stagg Bowl. The mascots may be the same, but the game is different every year.

That’s why I’m still energized by this game for a third year on the sidelines.

THE WEATHER

As of this writing (1:15am EST Saturday morning), Roanoke, VA has seen about seven inches of snow fall — with some slowing over the last few hours. However, The National Weather Service has advised that there may be up to 12 to 15 more inches of snow overnight and into Saturday afternoon. There could be white-out conditions during the game, assuming the game kicks off at 11:03am EST. However, that is still an “if” — it is highly unlikely that the game will be pushed to Sunday since both teams and the officials are in place in Salem. The only possibility that seems possible is pushing the start time of the game to a later point Saturday if the weather appears to allow for improved conditions past the 11:03am kickoff. Could ESPN2 still broadcast the game? There is no other live event scheduled for the network until around 4:00pm, so there is some chance for a push of the kickoff. ESPN also has other networks, including ESPN Classic and ESPNU that could potentially broadcast the game in the event of a major problem. The answer to this question will not come until an early morning meeting of the key players of the NCAA and grounds crew. When we know more, we’ll fill you in.

For now, plan to join us live on the D3football.com Pregame Show, being videocast live starting at 9:00am EST. We’ll have a lot more on the weather story and will release the D3football.com 2009 All-American Team live.

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On Friday, Team Stars & Stripes had its final walkthrough before the big game.  The Tazon de Estrellas kicks off on Saturday, December 19 at 12:00 (1:00pm ET) as Team Stars & Stripes take on the Tec Monterrey All-Stars.  The action will air live via a webcast on GlobalFootball.com

Before the walkthrough, the players and staff took a team photo. Multiple local media outlets attended the photo opportunity. Also, visiting Mexico to enjoy the experience, not to mention the warmer climate, were numerous loyal family members of Team Stars & Stripes who made the trip here to support the hard working football players.

Team Stars & Stripes head coach Bill Manlove and Global Football President Patrick Steenberge attended a press conference, which had a very positive turn out, underlining the importance of the event on the local football landscape.

During the press conference, Coach Manlove was asked questions about Team Stars & Stripes, the event, and comparing football in the United States to football in Mexico.

“Coach Frank Gonzalez is a very good coach and we expect the Mexican team to be very good as a result,” he said.  ”It will be a challenge, and we can only hope our players are ready to play.  We hope we have some playmakers, because one will certainly not do.

“I am an old school coach, so I coach my football teams with special teams, defense, and offense and in that order.

“The main difference in US football compared to here is our players play at a very young age.  Many of our players will have 12 to 15 years experience.

“If you want to improve your football program even more in Mexico, I feel you need to add more high school and youth leagues to bring up athletes to the college teams.”

The Tazon de Estrellas clash between Team Stars & Stripes and the Tec Monterrey All-Stars will air live via a webcast on GlobalFootball.com at 1pm U.S. Eastern Time on Saturday, December 19.  A Spanish-language broadcast will be available from the Tec de Monterrey Campus Estado de Mexico through technology developed and made available by Cambridge, Massachusetts-based YouCastr and will provide all the action to a Global American football audience for a viewing fee of $5.  Fans can access the game through the home page of www.GlobalFootball.com http://www.GlobalFootball.com

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We interrupt our blog entry concerning last night’s Gagliardi Trophy banquet (which I will release later tonight once we’re warm and safe at our hotel) so that we may update you on the weather in Salem — in two words: “it’s bad.”

Below, I am attaching two photos — one from 2:30pm EST this afternoon and one from 3:30pm EST to show the progression of the snow so far. First, though, here is an interview with Carey Harveycutter, Director of Civic Facilities in Salem, VA, discussing the preparations being made for the snowy conditions. He and his crew have their hands full with 18 to 24 inches of snow in the 36-hour forecast.

Here is Salem Stadium at about 2:30pm:

…and at 3:30pm:

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From 32 teams down to the final two, Mount Union and UW-Whitewater meet for the fifth time in the title game and play each other for the seventh consecutive year. The purple haze has already begun to descend on Salem Stadium — which could become whitewashed with lots more snow than we’ve seen here in recent years.

For the final matchup, as in years past, we’ve assembled some team insiders as well as the D3football.com staff to make predictions. Many of the picks point to common hesitance and questioning over how the weather will factor in and whether Mount quarterback Kurt Rocco will be cleared to play after an injury last week.

And perhaps even moreso than in the previous four years, the picks are more balanced. Neither MUC nor UW-W appears the clear favorite. However, it does seem to many that defense will be a crucial component in this matchup.

Previous years’ picks: 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008

Keep reading to see what the crystal ball is telling us for Stagg Bowl XXXVII:

Pat Coleman, D3football.com executive editor
After the Mount Union/Baldwin-Wallace game, I rather publicly changed my No. 1 vote from Mount Union to UW-Whitewater. And I would have a hard time backing down from that now. From what I’ve seen, I stick with Whitewater. It’s a rare occurrence where intimidation is not a factor when facing Mount Union. Last year Cecil Shorts burned the Warhawks for two early touchdowns before Whitewater got its defensive act together, and the Purple Raiders were able to get just enough offense the rest of the way with a boost from Drew McClain’s 78-yard interception return to win the game. If the weather’s bad, UW-Whitewater has the best offensive weapon on the field, and it’s not Levell Coppage, it’s Antwan Anderson. Anderson is more of a power, straight-ahead runner, the thunder to Coppage’s lightning. And the difference between Jeff Donovan 2008 and Jeff Donovan 2009 is striking. I’m counting on Kurt Rocco playing and the weather keeping the score down but believe the team with the running game that can succeed in less-than-perfect conditions to come out with the win.
UW-Whitewater 21, Mount Union 16

Keith McMillan, D3football.com managing editor
Since seeing these two teams meet in last year’s Stagg Bowl, I’ve been on record more than once believing they’d be back, and I’ve had UW-Whitewater No. 1 from the start, a shade ahead of a Greg Micheli- and Nate Kmic-less Mount Union. But after last week in Alliance, I strongly considered picking the Purple Raiders. The offensive line won more often than not against a Wesley defense as talented as any I’ve seen. And the defense flat-out put the Purple Raiders on their backs until Cecil Shorts rode in to the rescue. Whitewater was not nearly as impressive, though they overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to outlast Linfield. But the Warhawks do arrive in Salem without the question mark at quarterback, which could tilt the game in either team’s favor. I’m going to stick with my gut and go Whitewater, but Mount Union fans can rest easy knowing I stink at picking the Stagg Bowl (5-4 since 2000, including a bad whiff in ’03). But I don’t think either defense will allow 30-plus, as each winning team has scored in the four previous matchups.
UW-Whitewater 19, Mount Union 16

Gordon Mann, D3football.com deputy managing editor
“If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, what a wonderful Christmas it would be.” Looking at Stagg Bowl XXXVII, this should be a very merry Christmas. Mount Union has a strong, balanced offensive attack IF Kurt Rocco is healthy, BUT, IF he’s not, then the Purple Raiders won’t be able to throw the ball against the Warhawks like Linfield did last week. And I don’t think a one dimensional offense beats UW-Whitewater this year. IF the weather is okay, Mount Union’s defense has the speed and strength to contain UW-Whitewater running back Levell Coppage. BUT since the forecast shows some precipitation, I think the Warhawks will be able to run the ball effectively. Given all the unknowns, IF you still care what I think, my pick is for another Mount Union title BUT that doesn’t mean much.
Mount Union 21 UW-Whitewater 17

Dan Buckel, Mount Union public address announcer
I believe the story of this game will be the ability of the Mount defense to contain the UW- Whitewater offense and limit their scoring, The Raiders must make sure that Levell Coppage has a difficult day. With the dual threat the Warhawks present on offense, I believe that this will be the toughest test to date for the Raiders. The fun could be watching the chess match between the coordinators and seeing which coordinator has the “hot” hand.  Assuming Kurt Rocco plays and is up to par, the Raider pass offense is very tough to defend; the corps of receivers is as good a group as Mount has put on the field at once. Most people look at Cecil Shorts, however, but the other wide outs and tight ends are fine receivers with very good speed across the board. It will be very hard to cover and shut them down.  It will be even tougher if the O-line of Mount gets a push and the run game is somewhat effective. So far, Mount Union has protected the quarterback very effectively, which has allowed Rocco to grow and gain confidence. Pass protection and keeping Rocco upright is huge. No Rocco and the Mount offense loses at least half the playbook.
With Rocco: Mount Union 31, UW-Whitewater 17
Without Rocco: Mount Union 23, UW-Whitewater 17 (OT)

Jay Perkins, Uwwfootball.blogspot.com
Big games between evenly matched teams are usually won and lost by a handful of big plays that prove decisive in the outcome. Trying to draw conclusions from a statistical analysis of teams that dominate as consistently as Mount Union and UW-Whitewater can turn into splitting hairs very quickly. In my mind, the key to the game will be how the UW-W offensive line fares against Mount Union’s fast and talented defensive front. If Whitewater establishes a running game and is able to create a balanced attack, they should be able to score enough points to win. Assuming Kurt Rocco is healthy, UW-W’s defense must find a way to slow down the Mount passing attack. However, with weather possibly playing a factor, UW-W’s running game is more reliable than the Mount ground attack. In terms of big plays, few factors rate as high as turnovers. UW-W takes care of the ball exceptionally well having only 12 turnovers in 14 games. Mount has turned the ball over 23 times this year. In addition, UW-W has put the ball on the ground only 8 times all year. The Purple Raiders have fumbled 22 times, losing 13. In addition, UW-W is battle tested having fought through challenges in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. The Warhawks have pointed toward this game since Dec. 21, 2008. Look for them to get it. 
UW-Whitewater 34 Mount Union 21

Ryan Tipps, D3football.com senior editor
The structure of this UW-Whitewater team doesn’t vary much from last year’s, and the same elements that helped the Warhawks perform well for three quarters in the ‘09 Stagg Bowl will be critical again. Mount Union’s defensive line, with or without its full complement, is scary good. And Whitewater’s best weapon against that is the dual rushing set of Levell Coppage and Antwan Anderson, who can trade carries and stay reasonably fresh against the stout Mount defense. Also of note, with MUC quarterback Kurt Rocco’s status in question, Whitewater has had to prepare for the possibility of different men under center for Mount. While that means the Warhawks won’t be able to tailor their defense to one specific game plan, perhaps it also means that they’ve prepared themselves to be more versatile and adaptable on the field. For each of the past four years, this matchup has showcased critical turning points, whether it was Matt Kostelnik’s blocked punt in 2006 or the breakout years of Greg Micheli or Justin Beaver, and with that history comes the likelihood of more surprises on Saturday (especially with Mount, which is more dynamic with big-yardage plays than most any other squad in Division III). Ultimately, the secret word for success by either team might be “containment” — containment of Mount’s big-play abilities and containment of Whitewater’s ground-game muscle. Defense on Saturday will be the winner.
UW-Whitewater 23, Mount Union 20

Tom Pattison, Warhawkfootball.com
You can call Stagg Bowl XXXVII “One for the Thumb” as Mount Union and UW-Whitewater collide at Salem Stadium for a fifth consecutive year. Being asked to handicap Saturday’s game is an interesting dilemma this year due to the status of two of the prime players for Mount Union. Will Kurt Rocco be back in the line-up after leaving the game last week due to an “undisclosed” injury? Meanwhile on defense, will OAC Defensive Lineman of the Year Joe Millings return this week after sitting out the last two games? Will Cecil Shorts be at wide receiver or at quarterback against Whitewater? The Warhawks have been aching for a return matchup against MUC after falling 31-26 in last year’s Stagg Bowl. The key will be Whitewater’s offensive line giving Jeff Donovan time in the pocket, especially since MUC leads D3 Nation with 49 sacks. Pound the Rock, baby! First one to 30 points wins.
UW-Whitewater 31, Mount Union 21

Ric Brienza, Mtunionfootball.com
Mount Union has won five of six meetings over the last seven seasons against Whitewater, including three wins in four championship games. A late touchdown in 2005 and 2008 made those one score finishes, while the Warhawks late score in 2007 gave them a 10-point win. This year Mount Union is banged up, and Whitewater is confident. So what happens? The Larry Kehres factor. He loses, but not often — 21 times in 24 years to date, with 11 of those loses coming in his first five seasons. Does Whitewater give him his 22nd loss? Or does Mount Union win its 11th national championship? Once again we’ll have someone score late to make the final count.
Mount Union 31, UW-Whitewater 27

Frank Rossi, D3football.com broadcaster
Defense does win championships, and the weather Saturday may make the game much more of a defensive struggle than we’re used to when these two teams play. Mount Union had had the more impressive defensive production so far, shutting down a hot Wesley offense for most of last weekend. Whitewater’s defense has not looked as strong, and it looks like Mount Union has its quarterback scenario in hand. I give the Raiders the slight edge — enough to pull out a close victory.
Mount Union 20, UW-Whitewater 17

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Team Stars & Stripes completed their final full practice at the Tec de Monterrey Campus Estado de Mexico before taking on the Tec Monterrey All-Stars in the 2009 Tazon de Estrellas on Saturday, December 19.

“It has been a great experience to have the opportunity to work with kids at this caliber,” said Offensive lineman coach Jim Lyall. “Not only are they physically talented but they are very emotionally motivated. They want to win and that is a great thing. Every time we come out to practice, the players are eager to learn.”

Following the practice on Thursday, the team drove an hour north of Mexico City to visit the Teotihuacan ruins. It was the sixth largest city in the world in 400 A.D., but then Teotihuacan was mysteriously abandoned 300 years later.  The Pyramid of the Sun is the third largest pyramid in the World.

“The pyramids were definitely my favorite part of the trip so far,” said defensive end Cory Lowe (Willamette University). “It was cool because you got to bond with your teammates and also see a historical monument in Mexico. We really got to know the culture.”

“They were awesome,” added defensive back Tim Machan (Washington University-St. Louis). “I’ve seen them in pictures and movies but it was a ton of fun to actually climb up there and see the view.”

Other players’ thoughts on the trip to the Teotihuacan ruins:

Defensive Tackle Mark Worrilow (Ursinus College)

“I thought the pyramids were an incredible experience. Just being exposed to something that is so significant culturally was something I wasn’t used to. It was exciting. I am a history buff, so I could have spent a whole day there. I thought it was the pinnacle of my trip experience wise.

Defensive Lineman Darryl Jackson (Kean University)

“The pyramids were pretty good. I actually thought I was in Egypt for a second. The climb to the top was interesting. I didn’t think I was going to make it, but I fought through and made it up there.

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