Wow, what a day of football. And the day ended for us a lot like the Miracle in the Mud day ended. In this case, it was with both Pat Cummings and Keith McMillan driving home glued to their cellphones as I had two phones, one to each of them, sitting on the speakers of my laptop.
That’s how it came down in 2000: Keith and I were driving back from a game at Widener and my wife set up a phone next to the computer speaker, allowing me to listen and relay the play by play to Keith.
I hope this wasn’t the de facto national championship game in McMinnville, today. I have to believe Mount Union is going to have something to say about it. But kudos to UW-Whitewater for carrying the WIAC flag into the semifinals and not just phoning it in.
Kudos also to Wesley, for taking its Cinderella run to the semis as well. I don’t know if they’ve got much of a chance at Whitewater, but not sure how many gave them a chance at UMHB either. This is a great run for that program.
Capital put on a good show as well in falling short. Lewis Howes, who set a Division III single-game receiving record a few years back at Principia, wanted to see what he could do at a higher level. Today we found out (12 catches, 245 yards, four TDs).
What’s left of Rowan makes the trip to Alliance, Ohio. The two haven’t met since Dec. 11, 1999, when Rowan upset Mount Union and ended the Purple Raiders’ then-record win streak.
Should be an interesting week.
Sorry Ditchman
my last post should have been for WIAC Watcher
Bigmucfan….
Just remember you do not represent all Mount Fans…. And Everyone else should remember that as well…. I, for one, am a big MUC supporter and have a nephew that starts at DE. However, even though we have 7 titles… there are always room for more and in that process there are many VERY GOOD teams that want to duplicate those accomplishments…
But I must say… with 10 straight National Semi-Finals… it is hard for me to say that any team is better over the same period of time..
That does not make me cocky.. That makes me proud.. VERY PROUD…
but as a MUC supporter this tradition is hard not to expect year in and year out… to be honest… other teams just do not know what it is like… it is hard not to expect success…. therefore it is a hard comparison to compare other teams the same…
Bigmucfan… just don’t make the rest of us look bad… We (as most MUC supporters) respect every team for their accomplishments…
Also, all this conference talk is junk… Isn’t this why we have the playoffs… To crown a true champion… At this point… conferences do not mean anything… it is who walks away with the Walnut and Bronze that matters… It’s just that this conference trash talk is getting and has been mentioned over… and over… and over again…
we will all see who is the BEST TEAM on the 17th….
Good Luck to all… But primarily… GO RAIDERS!!!
Caveat emptor!
Past results are no guarantee of future performance. But I’m waiting for someone to put it on the line like Joe Willy did pre-Super Bowl III. Any takers?
mikeb525 – Gotcha !!
I was really just trying to get something started. Gets things heated, if you know what I mean. I apoligize if I offended anyone….seriously !!
Pa_Wesleyfan,
You want to compare your offense with WW and Linfield, Have at it!!
NCAA Total Offense as of 11/26.
#8 Linfield
#9 UWW
Unranked in the top 35 Wesley
Just for the record….if anyone cares…Mount is #1 with 543.1 yards per game and #2 in Total Defense giving up 198 yards per game. Just if anyone cares !! OUT….
That came out harsher than I meant it to. Still learning about your team and conference but you have some impressive wins in the play-offs so far. I was just giving Linfield’s Brett Elliot his due because he made me a fan. It was not meant to take away from WW. They have an incredible offense as well and the points Linfield put up does nothing to deminish that. It was the #1 against the #2 afterall!!
bigmucfan.
Just for the record. St. Johns was 3rd in total defense when they played UWW and without the punt-return fumble giving them the ball on the 30, it probably would have been a shut out!
and they gave up 34 to WW……
wiac watcher…
I understand what you’re saying…really I do….but I’m not impressed with St. Johns schedule to justify #3 defense in Div III. Either
wiac watcher, if UWW does go on to win it all and Linfield was their toughest game, it’s really too bad the rest of the country wasn’t able to see a game like this on ESPN in a couple of weeks. Could you imagine the nationwide reaction to everyone being able to watch a guy throw for over 500 yards and 5 TDs with 3 receivers having 140 yards or more? And Beaver’s performance running for 200 yards and another 300 passing for the UWW QB and WRs on the other side? And with all that offense, sounds like some great defensive stands late in the game for those who love defense. I bet it would have been an unbelievable game to have on national television, providing it would have been the same sort of outburst in Virginia.
Either WW has a hell of an offense or St. Johns defense was over-rated based on their schedule….just an opinion.
I don’t mind a heated argument…. but lets not look disrespectful… the best way to heat thing up is with facts…. like 7-National Championships …. 10 striaght Semi-Apprearances… #1 Offensive Yards doesn’t hurt either….. Just remember…. the “What If” factor always applies… Cockiness will get us (as proud MUC Fans) nowhere….
Rowan is no pushover… And Everyone in D3 is out to knock-off MUC…. and unfortunately… it has happened 2 straight years….
Let’s just hope that we win and everyone (including Rowan stay healthy) …. I will definately be great competition…. GO RAIDERS!!!
Should of’s and would of’s are only good in horseshoes….is that how it goes. Offense is great, but you still win championships with DEFENSE !!
bigmucfan….
Let’s hope that our pass defense is better this week… we got burned for alot of pass yards last week… mainly to #10 and #17 of CAP… Two great players there… Boy that was a great game… good thing we stepped it up in the 4th quarter… alot more pressure on the QB… who is pretty good himself…
However, it is hard to stop our O… we have so much depth at all positions… pass… run… could you imagine both Kmic and Robinson in the backfield together… wow!!! that would/will be impressive… I can’t wait to see that….
First time on and a lover of Linfield football! Anyways great game UW-W, you guys are good but there is nothing that has convinced me that you guys are the better TEAM! MIkeb525, yeah ten straight Semi appearances are nice but sorry fella’s, you gotta admit that none of you guys can touch “THE STREAK” that Linfield has compiled of 50 consecutive winning seasons. In that period we also won 4 national championships to go with that (3 NAIA/DII, 1 DIII)!! Linfield, The Most consistent and best program of All!!
d3forme,
Words do not discribe what an incredible game that was to watch! It was the greatest game I have ever seen and many say the same. It is a crime that the top 2 teams go at it for a regional final and not a national final but the stupidity of the NCAA is old news! 10 or 11 lead changes, (depending on the newspaper you read) and over 1000 yards of offense and yes, some great defensive plays as well!! Hell, yes, it should have been on ESPN. It is a shame that that game wasn’t shared with everyone who loves the game of football!!
Congrats to the Whitewater Warhawks. For the first time in NCAA history, a single team has a 3000 yard passer, 2000 yard rusher and two wide receivers gaining over 1000 yards at any division level!!!
wiac watcher, I’m with you. I think that would have been the ideal game to show just how talented these players are and how exciting DIII football is for those who don’t already know it and only see it once a year on ESPN. Instead of 10’s of thousands (or maybe 100’s of thousands – I don’t know how many people watch the Stagg on ESPN) of football fans witnessing it, only a few thousand Oregonians and a couple hundred Wisconsonites saw it. Thanks a lot NCAA, you may have done everyone the ultimate disservice this season with your ridiculous seedings. Hopefully, this year’s Stagg will be entertaining, there have been some good ones the last few years.
Wow…. I never knew that… 50 seasons… Very Impressive…. I don’t know history very well… did MUC even have football then…. lol
but 54 and 55 in a row ain’t bad either… Many teams, no matter how good, could only dream of such a “STREAK” As competition gets closer and MORE D3 schools get better…. I honestly (not bias) don’t see those happening again…
Linfield could have a losing season… and in 20 years it could be beaten.. I think that the consecutive win “STREAK” is virtually untouchable…
Just like yourself to our team… I have not been impressed with Linfield myself… In the short term.. Great Players, but might will you be in a few years.. Hopefully not for Linfield’s sake, becuase they have a good program… but probably back in the playoffs and win a game or two.. but not to the Semi’s every year… I was just saying it is an impressive STREAK and that you must make arguments/discussions with facts…. just like yourself…
BS trash talk…. is too easy…. ya know..
Mikeb525, just like you guys we have a very large and successful program with lots of talented kids coming in! We had something like 180 guys try out for the team and had to cut about 50! It’s definitely not a one man team, and trust me, I don’t think we’ll be like SJU and have a lackluster season after a great run like 23 straight wins!
Mike,
If you’re not that impress with Linfield then nobody besides Mount must impress you…..44-3 over the past four years at Linfield isn’t too bad…..and it’s not like Linfield plays in the east bracket during the playoffs either.
I must admit….after reading a lot of these Mt. Union posts, you guys really are a bunch of dorks…..I’m not saying Rowan will win. Far from it. But jeeze, they have gone against every single odd that has been tossed at them. When Mike Orihel when down in the regular season, they went to a sophomore QB with little experience (Joe Rankin). They had to win 2 tough games on the road, one of which in the snow and another a come from behind victory after a 14 point deficit. In the snow game, they lost their #1 back who is a major aspect of that Rowan offense (Encarnacion)….
It’ll be a tough road game for Rowan to beat, no doubt about that. Just take a look at Linfield last year, who deserved to win the Stagg Bowl. But Rowan is resilient. During the regular season, beating a D1AA school in OT in the fashion they did was near impossible feat.
So if Rowan wins, awesome. If they don’t, then they don’t. But for the love of God and all that is Holy, you Mt. Union fans (who from what I read here can be as obnoxious as Yankees fans) should really just take it graciously and not be the “In your face.’
I read an earlier post that was true: I can guarantee Mt. Union is thinking in the back of their minds ’99 and have studied how Rowan has been this year. They are going to respect and not underestimate Rowan and vice versa.
no..no… I’m not putting down the Linfield program… or any program for that matter… I’m simply stating that recently MUC has been the team to beat… I feel that 50 consecutive winning seasons is amazing… I would have never even looked at it over the long term… I was looking at how things are now..
I was simply making the argument that you just don’t trash talk to trash talk… Trash talk with facts… and the fact is that MUC has been the team to beat recently.. and someone… whether it be Rowan, Wesley or Whitewater has to beat MUC… MHB did it last year and Ohio Northern did it earlier this year…. This is football… Anything can happen…
O.K. So, let’s look at another streak…. USC has won 30 something in a row and counting… And for the same argument, I don’t see that happening again for a long time…. like I said, competition is too close and it get closer every year(in every division)… MUC cannot win the National Title every year ( even though MUC fans wish they could) and that is fact… but when you will you see 54 or 55 wins in a row again and 6 titles in 7 years… That is a strong statement no matter who you root for.. As a football fan in general…. whether high school or college (not much of a pro fan) it is almost unimaginable…
And you put down SJU… and they have a great program as well… every one of us will agree that tradition is what makes great football….
Wildcat1144— the bracket comment is a low blow… NCAA determines the brackets…. Not MUC… they just win them…
O.K… O.K…. I appoligize for falling into the “my team is better than you team” comments… I’m done now… GO RAIDERS!!
Anyway… Is Linfield playing in some type of European Tournament of exibition game… I thought I heard that and was wondering more about it… Any details would be nice…. It must be a nice honor if it is true…
Yeah, they are supposed to play the European champion of some conference and I think they’ll start fund-raising for it soon!
WIAC watcher —
Yes … WW stomped SJU and deserved to win, but you can’t have it both ways — saying that only a WW fumble prevented a shutout and then boasting the 34 points WW put up. Eight fumbles — yes, WW had a huge role in causing them — also set WW with some short fields (only one TD drive was of more than 51 yards). And it’s not like SJU didn’t put up some yards on the WW defense (377-329) and threaten more than just after the WW fumble.
WW was the far better team on that day and definitely better this season (best in the country I think), but WW did not see SJU at its best. That does not diminish WW’s dominating effort. If you’ve been around the game as long as I have sometimes good teams implode. If you that hasn’t happened to you, you’ve likely either had a very short career or have been very lucky.
As for SJU’s No. 3 defensive rank, that’s the problem throughout d3 stats (and to a degree all FB stats) — there’s too broad of a range of competition to know. What are you going to do, only say stats are valid if they come from the OAC or WIAC? Bash the MIAC skeds if you like, but it did put two teams into the second round and took the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the country to oust them.
As I said before the playoffs started, any WIAC team that can go undefeated through that league is special — and WW is proving that. I’m hoping they demolish Wesley and have a great Stagg vs. MUC.
I don’t think demolishing Wesley is going to happen, and that’s coming from someone who was very impressed seeing UW-Whitewater and was likely among the first to bump them into the top 5-10.
I get to speak my piece elsewhere, so I’ll be brief. I think the line play in this matchup is going to be a hell of a battle. I don’t know if I’ve seen a bigger, if not better, DL than Wesley … but the OL at Whitewater has seen some pretty good teams I imagine.
I’m all twisted and backtracking off my old opinions … but hey, that’s part of the game. It changes week to week based on the respect teams earn on the field.
Also, 160-odd blog responses on one and 130-something on another? That’s so much action that these should end up being message board threads after a while.
Nice work.
Oh,
and just so we’re all clear, Rowan got jobbed in ’01 at Bridgewater, there is no doubt about it. Once I saw the tape from the end zone angle, I wished I could have my column from that week back. It is disheartening. On the play BEFORE the game winning play, the clock stops at 0:01 before Lutz even let go of the pass that got them down to the 1. Bridgewater won on the next play, but the clock should have run out, and the winning play never should have happened. Once it did, I’m not sure there was anything anyone could do … well, they could have tried to get Rowan into the game instead of them, but I don’t blame them for not pursuing it. Don’t know if anything could have been overturned once it is official anyway.
I’m from South Jersey and played in the ODAC, I truly would have liked to see either team go to the Stagg Bowl. Bridgewater was plenty worthy and represented well against Mount Union.
Bottom line, the clock operator at Bridgewater cheated. It’s even worse than that phantom pass interference for Ohio State in overtime against Miami in the ’01(?) national title game, because a rule was straight up broken (as opposed to a scared official making a very late call he wasn’t sure about in a critical situation)
The best thing that came out of the BW-Rowan game is that officials pay super-close attention to clock issues in the final 2 minutes of each half now, and probably at many levels of football (since officials often work many levels), not just D3.
But I wouldn’t drop it either if I was from Rowan. They got whored.
rerepeat,
It was never my intention to bring anything negative to SJU with my comments. Just trying to make a point that statistics and a winning tradition don’t mean crap on game day. Just the 2005 teams playing!
Listen, I wasn’t trying to be cocky as a Mt. Union Fan. People seem to forget that Mt. Union took it’s lumps too in the Mid 80’s. They lept running into Augustana or Wisc. Lacrosse before they knocked the door down. Its very obvious that the Linfield’s, WW, Rowna, SJU teams are great programs. They are in the playoffs every year. Just a Raider Fan hoping just like you for a National Championship. Let’s settle it on the field in 4 downs and not five. GO RAIDERS!
bvboom-
You’re an idiot– the 2 WIAC statements prove that.
Re- “Chris Warren was a transfer from D1 UVA, nice try knucklehead.
WIAC has and always will have the best players in D3.
p.s. WIAC is toughest and best D3 conference. “
Unlike today, in “those” days you could only transfer to a D3 school without sitting out a year.
So from your logic- Brett Elliot should be disqualified from receiving the Gagliardi Trophy?
GO WESLEY!!!
I think you see there are a few Raider fans who are caught up in the moment and that is what I hope will happen at this time of year.I understand there was cheering going on at a home game!
Cocky, confident sometimes the same just in how the reader interprets the words. You can’t help but feel a little confident considering the past. It has also become an issue with fans being complacent.
I have seen WW play twice this year and they were two really different teams. They beat Stout but not as impressive as a #2 ranked team. I heard after that game they had a CTJ meeting and realized they would have to step it up a notch if they were going to take their season to the next level. Hello…..they sure did that against SJU. I really thought SJU was going to win that day but the combination of a really great WW team taking SJU apart was equally impressive. SJU did have eight turnovers but that is part of the game and you have to deal with it. Those were caused in a good part to aggressive play by WW which is one of their styles of play.
Their QB laid a couple of beautiful passes out where only the receiver was going to catch them and they did. Two terrific teams leaving it all on the field.
Some of you MUC guys……that #2 defense stat ……just that a stat.
Capital laid 300 plus yards on that “D”.
bvboom,
You are correct in saying that the WIAC is the toughest conference in the country. I don’t think there is another team in the country that could have gone undefeated in the WIAC – obviously Linfield and St. Johns couldn’t have, and I doubt Mt. Onion could have either since they can’t even go undefeated in a weaker conference.
bigmucfan,
Bla bla bla. Your hot air is depleating your brain of much needed oxygen. Yes, Mt. Onion has won 7 National Championships, they are a great team, but HAVE YOU WON FOUR IN A ROW LIKE AUGUSTANA DID?! No you have not. You did beat Augustana this year, but they have won FOUR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN A ROW – UNLIKE MT. ONION! Will anyone ever be able to duplicate that? I think one of those years Augustana allowed only 355 rushing yards for the whole season – including the playoffs!
I am going to really enjoy the precious victory UW Whitewater is going to haul in at the Stagg Bowl.
UW Whitewater 44 – Wesley 27
Mt. Onion 35 – Rowan 21 (I would love it if Mt. Onion lost to Rowan)
UW Whitewater 35 (at least)
Mt. Onion 21 (hopefully Rowan)
You say that the WIAC playoff record is not as good as others, but it doesn’t really matter, you are playing this years team.
And if you really must dwell on playoff records, then what you see isn’t really accurate. You only see the records since the playoffs were expanded to the current number of teams. The CCIW would have years of killer wins to add to their total from the years of dominance when they WON FOUR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN A ROW, and made it to the title game the year prior.
Play a WIAC team and see what happens. And, win FOUR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN A ROW. Can you dig it?
#1 thing to point out is the correct spelling is DEFENSE not DEFENCE. (Delwarenians need to learn how to spell) Wesley will not be winning the STAGG BOWL because a real team has respect on and off the field. I saw Wesley play and they were rude and didn’t have any kind of sportsmanship.
They were giving late hits and trying to start fights. To me and many others that isn’t a STAGG BOWL winning team or a team that should represent D3Football.
Oh and people tend to forget that Mt Union has lost to UMHB last season as well and all they choose to remember is Mt Union losing to Rowan.?!?! THATS BS
And all this crap about the South not being as good as ya’ll thought they should’ve been. Let me tell you something UMHB will be on top next year. This year they had to get adjusted to their new offense. UMHB has respect when on the field and have great sportsmanship. When they were getting late hits versus Wesley, they still would help their players up when they were hit on the ground………UMHB will be the future STAGG BOWL next year!!!
Whitewater will take the Stagg Bowl this year=)
In responce to SeanGOP
First off it’s Mt. Union College. And sounds like someone is tired of hearing about The Purple Raiders. Well, All good things eventually end, and it will. Hopefully not for awhile but it will. And when it does. I will promise you that the people of Alliance, Ohio and all of the parents of current and past players will be proud of the Mt. Union Dynasty built by hard work and any type of football you care to play. The Raiders won with airing it out and smash mouth football. We aren’t saying we are going to win the National Championship this year. We are setting our goals that high. We expect to be there every year. If your goal isn’t to be in Salem, Va. Then Go Home! All good teams at any level set their sights high. Just be proud of your team as I am of Mine. Congrats to whoever wins it all. Just remember this folks. If you want win a National Championship. Then Beat the Rowans, The St. Johns, The Linfields, The Purple Raiders and the Wisconsin teams. If you can’t beat those teams then stay home
UhWhoah-
Your excuse for UMHB losing to Wesley is —UMHB needed a year to get adjusted to their new offense –even though Wesley scored 46 on your defense?
Please spare us of that gibberish
And I’m sure the Wesley players are sorry for playing too rough with the UMBH players–were there not referees at the game?
Just admit UMHB got beat by the better team.
I am not a true Wesley fan- I just know they are on a roll and everyone keeps underestimating them– that’s a recipe for success.
I prefer Mt. Onion.
QUICK NOTE: Wesley didn’t score 46 points on Defense. They scored 21 points on Offense and the other on Defense. So get it straight before you start talking statistics!!
Our offense scored more on their defense they the other way around. END NOTE!!
I think Mt Union is a great team, I just needed to put out there that they just didn’t lose to Rowan. But yes Mt Union is a GREAT program.
How did Linfield get picked to play a european team…… Was it because they were defending champs…??? Obviously it was an invitation..?? And where will they play.. at Linfield or do they get to travel??
— and before you all say it…. I’m not looking for the “YA GOTTA BE GOOD” comments from anyone… lol
Let’s just hope they put a whoppin’ on those darn Europeans…. What a great experience… good for them…
As a Warhawks grad, I am pleased to see WW get this far in the D3. However wins certainly deserves to do so.
Looking at the sparse attendance at Salem; why does the game continue to be played there? Should WW win on Saturday, I am sure that Warhawk fans would fill all 13000 seats at Perkins Stadium to the brim and this would certainly look better on ESPN then 2500 people who reall had to travel to see the game.
GO WARHAWKS
mikeb525,
Not sure, but there are D3 teams that go overseas every year. I think that Linfield probably put some feelers out and they got a response.
UhWhoah,
“Delwarenians need to learn how to spell”
Classic. You didn’t spell a word correctly in the very sentence you call someone else out on spelling.
SeanGOP,
Just for you… Augustana Sucks! Your CCIW vs WIAC finals fell apart pretty quickly this year, despite the 3 representatives. What’s with you bringing up Auggies’ 4 titles from the past in the same post that you say the WIAC’s past playoff record doesn’t matter, only this year?
For all you true Augustana fans, I really think they had a good team this year. I just like ribbing Sean since he’s a Massey-hugger.
71,
Besides the point of playing the title game at a home field and that you still have to beat a hot Wesley team….what makes you think that Whitewater can fill Perkins?
I’m not even sure why Whitewater has a stadium that big. Don’t get me wrong, it seems like a very nice facility but you guys are only pulled in 1,552 for a first round game and then 4,550 for a game with SJU, when you know the Johnnies traveled really well.
4,550 is still a great number but doesn’t it seem a little hollow when you drop that number into a 13,000 seat stadium?
Just for the record. Those of you who say that Mt. Unions conference Is a weak one. The OAC. Well, since 1973 when the Stagg Bowl started. There have been 13 teams in the Championship game of the 32 games played so far. Those teams are Wittenberg, Baldwin Wallace and Mt. Union. And Before any of you say it. Wittenberg was in the OAC in the 70’s and 80’s and left the conference. So, if my math is right. Then 40% of the Stagg bowl games have OAC teams in them.
Wildcat… Thank you, I did know that teams went every year… That is really neat to be able to experience that…
WW does have a very nice facility… went there when Mount Union had a one-and-one with them a few years back… but they draw 4500 for a 13,000 seat staduim.. huh… I guess there is nothing wrong with thinking big… right?? Maybe planning for the future as a DII program??
In a strange comparison, many of our high-school football teams in NE Ohio draw around 13,000-16,000 consistantly and many times over 20,000… I’ve always thought that was a little odd… good for support of the kids… but that is alot of people…
mizzou_mofia: delawareans (Is that better) Is that better?!
When do we get to see the D3football final four predictions?
That’s perfect Whoah!
So what happened down south? I can’t buy that UMHB was still learning a new offense this late in the season. Was Wesley that much better?
UMHB learned a new offense after making it to the Stagg Bowl last year?