Around the Nation Podcast: A crushing finish

Players on the field
In this photo, you can see the Concordia-Moorhead defender just about to control the fumble, with players already well out onto the field.
Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com

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It’s destined to go down as one of the great finishes in Division III football history, and while it doesn’t have a catchy nickname like the Mississippi Miracle or the Miracle in the Mud, the way Concordia-Moorhead’s loss to Bethel went down is going to be talked about for a long time.

If you have not watched this game yet, watch Bethel’s archive now. If you just want to skip ahead to the final couple of plays start at the 2:24:00 mark.

Pat and Keith talk about that and more in this week’s Around the Nation Podcast. It was a sad weekend on both the campuses of Washington and Jefferson and Bates, where young men who played football each died last week. There were also two other games between Top 25 teams and a game that is normally good for the North Coast Athletic Conference title. But will Wabash and Wittenberg do so this year? Pat and Keith point out that it’s not so clear.

We also get a first-person look at Widener, talk about midwest and east coast conference races and much more.

You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast

Postgame shows

Here’s this week’s D3football.com reports and highlight packages, including Bethel-Concordia highlights.

And this week’s photo galleries from our friends at d3photography.com:

8 thoughts on “Around the Nation Podcast: A crushing finish

  1. Wow, what an ending to the Bethel-Concordia game. I was half-way up in the stands on the 41 yard line. In all the years I have played or watched football games I have never seen a game ending like that one. The roller coaster of emotions in the stands around me was amazing. Many fans started walking out shortly after the Cobbers scored their second touchdown and my wife actually leaned over and asked if we really wanted to stay until the end. Being a die hard fan we stayed. I am so glad we did. You guys have covered the end of the game so well that there is really nothing new to add from a team perspective. But I would like to interject that I do believe the officials got this one right, and I don’t say that just because I am a Royal supporter. It was pretty obvious to me that the Cobbers had way too many people on the field during the live play and said as much to those still around me while the refs were huddled at the 50 yard line talking things over. I wasn’t surprised by the unsportsmanlike conduct call. And then seeing the pictures posted on D3 Football later that afternoon confirming the call makes me want to publicly thank that officiating crew in particular for the great service they provided in keeping control of that game. As a former player sitting in the stands, it gets really old listening to the “non-player” fans berate the officials when a call goes against the team they are rooting for when the call is correct. I saw no “bad calls” in this game, even though every one of them up until this one was against Bethel. Again, I say thanks to the officials for all their hard work and commitment to making these games as good as they can be.

  2. I was hoping you would comment this week, art! You mention one thing I hadn’t heard — interesting that people started bailing on the game. They missed out.

  3. I am going to the st. thomas – Bethel game next saturday.. My brother and my mom went to this weeks game against Moorhead. I am so jelous because my brother got to storm the field and just a great day all around. I feel bad for concordia-moorhead because they played a tough game and game Bethel everything. I personaly feel, not as just a bethel fan but the flag had to be thrown at the end because it’s against the rules. It looked very close to an incomplete pass but as i watched it again looked more like a strip. either way Bethel needs to get better and step up their game against st thomas. For all i know that game could end with us losing on a two point conversion. great podcast by the way. Can’t wait for next week!! and i still feel bad for all the cobber fans and hope they can win out because they deserve a playoff spot, maybe even if they lose twice

  4. I was also at the game. And was walking away until I saw the flags. And then decided to stay. Boy am I glad I did I have never seen the fans storm the field like they did in the 13 years I have followed bethel football. Not to mention this sets up a very exciting game for next week!

  5. A detail that we forgot to mention on the podcast … that was Concordia’s only penalty of the game.

    So it would be hard to call the team discipline into question.

  6. I was at the game and the ending reminded me of the Gold Medal basketball game in the 1972 Olympics, where the officials were determined to give the USSR as many chances as it took to score the winning basket.

  7. Besides the clock screw up, which was resolved and the last play being penalized for cobber fans running on the field, i guess i can’t see what else would be a cheap call. Bethel did what they were suppose to do and the refs blew the whistle when they should have. If i were a Moorhead fan than I would feel upset but rules are made for a reason

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