Last year when Springfield traveled to St. John Fisher in mid-October, I was able to witness one of most amazing performances by a single player of the season and perhaps in Springfield football history. In my D3sports.com travels, I’ve seen Allison Coleman of Eastern Connecticut State take over a women’s basketball game and will her team to win in the NCAA tournament. In my first year with D3football.com, I was able to see an injured Tom Arth drag John Carroll into the national semifinals with a gutty performance against Brockport on a frigid day in Rochester. Those are just two of many that come to mind.
But, nothing tops the performance last October by Springfield quarterback Chris Sharpe. Sharpe ran for seven touchdowns and 280 yards in a 55-38 win by Springfield over St. John Fisher. Each run was more mind-boggling than the next, including a 69-yard scamper for a touchdown on a broken play.
The two teams met in the playoffs at Springfield and St. John Fisher came away with a victory and generally held Sharpe in check.
Today, the Cardinals and the Pride step onto the new turf at Benedum Field for their third meeting in the last two years. The game will be videocast as part of the D3football.com East Region Game of the Week. Before the season, I’d have told you this would be a barnburner and be a battle of top 10 teams. And I still think it will be a scorefest since Sharpe is one of the most versatile quarterbacks in Division III and St. John Fisher’s offense can light up the scoreboard; the two teams have just taken different roads to get here.
Each team will be fighting potentially for their playoff lives as opposed to battling for first place a season ago. After haughty preseason expectations, Springfield’s come back down to earth and enters today’s game 3-3. Teams have slowed up Chris Sharpe and his numbers this year appear mortal. The good news for Springfield is that the majority of their remaining games are at home (after five of its first six on the road) and they can boost their own stock over the next few weeks with wins over teams in front of them in the Empire 8 – Fisher, Ithaca, and Hartwick.
While St. John Fisher is ranked eighth nationally, the Cardinals need a victory this afternoon. The Cardinals loss to Hartwick several weeks ago means that they need to win out in conference play and hope that Alfred stumbles in the final weeks of the season to clinch the Empire 8 auto bid. Alfred has yet to lose in conference, Fisher has one loss. The two teams will meet in the final week of the regular season. St. John Fisher certainly has a chance at a Pool C bid, but a second loss may knock them out of contention.
What will happen in this year’s meeting between St. John Fisher and Springfield? Tune in to the this afternoon to find out.
http://www.d3football.com/news.php?item=1292
Elsewhere this afternoon, every Top 25 team is in action and St. Norbert can virtually clinch a playoff berth with a win today. The only game where two Top 25 teams will meet is in Wisconsin where No. 20 UW-Stevens Point will host No. 3 UW-Whitewater.
The Saturday blog is open.
… ue is driving and loses a fumble of its own. Headed to 3rd OT.
Pardon me for the burp …
62 – 17 Mary Hardin – Baylor over Mississipi college. Bad snap on the extra point.
UMHB’s Jarvis Thrasher broke the ASC rushing yardage record with 324 yards rushing so far.
…..and it’s only the third quarter.
Near pick for Dubuque, but 30-yard FG — which was tipped — wins it for Central … 37-34
Mississipi College puts it in the end – zone, but misses a field goal. 62 – 23, UMHB leading.
More points for MC. The announcers were saying 62 – 31, but MC must have 30 as it was 62 – 23 earlier.
Now it’s 69 – 30 as UMHB went for a 71 run with it’s second unit on the field.
Final, UMHB 69 and Mississipi College, 30
Of course next week at UW – Whitewater will really tell what UMHB is made of. They may roll over the ASC teams, but they aren’t going to roll over Whitewater. I can’t wait to see what happens in that one.
Howard Payne 48, Hardin-Simmons 47 in OT
Now that one is amazing! Way to go HPU, even though I am a Crusader’s fan.
Well, I’m pretty limited in how much I can post this evening, but those three OT game jump off the scoreboard.
Central 37, Dubuque 34 in 3OT was it? Central doesn’t like being called “lucky,” but they sure have a “knack”
Also Kean over Rowan in OT and Howard Payne over Hardin-Simmons in OT, as mentioned I think in the post directly above.
Also, did I see the Gulls hang 79 on Becker? Good Lawd!
“they aren’t going to roll over Whitewater.”
What makes you so sure?
I’m just askin’ …
I think the horsecollar thing is an NFL rule only. At the Wylie-Wimberly HS game in Texas, one of the parents was yelling about a horsecollar tackle, and it got me thinking it wasn’t a HS rule. One of the posters with official experience might be able to say more definitively though.
Re: Capital in Pool C. 8-2 might do it, or somehow beating MUC, but generally you have to sweep the OAC’s “other guys” to lock up that Pool C spot since we chalk up the MUC loss to begin with.
Was mad at myself re-reading Triple Take this morning for not putting Bethel/St. Olaf as Top 25 most likely to lose. Just saw the 35-13 “upset” score.
Dangit!
Cortland and TCNJ each win by large margins. NJAC Championship and an automatic tourney bid on the line next week at TCNJ. Should be a great football game.
I have a few reasons that UMHB won’t roll over Whitewater. I am not intending to downplay the talent of any of the other ASC teams, but UMHB hasn’t had the competition that it will be facing Saturday in Wisconsin. They have had their 2nd and even 3rd units on the field by the 3rd quarter. Secondly, they can be a little slow getting started when facing more challenging opponents like CNU, HSU and MC even though they end up dominated by the end of the 2nd or third quarters. They won’t have the luxury of time to get ”rolling” when facing Whitewater. I haven’t noticed the type of offense Whitewater likes to run, but UMHB often has trouble defending the pass against highly accurate passing games especially on post patterns and no huddle offense. Plus, Whitewater will be ready for their running game that has been so effective against other teams. UMHB also is a very highly penalized team. They will have to clean that up. They can’t afford it at UW-Whitewater wheras they have been able to get away with it in other games. I am a die hard Cru fan but they need to look out next weekend.
I’m sorry ”they end up dominating – not dominated” – type – o
Cool, I just wanted to ask.
As of now, not having given it as much thought as I will by later this week, I can see that game going any which way.
Part of its intrigue is it being a ‘who is for real, and how real are they?’ test for both UMHB and UWW.
One of my original thoughts is that UWW might finally find out how great they were last year, but Warhawks fans are about tired of hearing that.
Certainly both teams have the line and the backs to establish the run and do what they want to off that. And neither is bad on defense. I don’t think weather or field surface will be an issue, so it may really be the Game of the Year in the sense that whichever team puts it all together will pull it out.
Or maybe one will smash the other.
Yeah, that game could go either way. If you recall last year’s match up, the game would have gone into overtime scoreless if Whitewater hadn’t run back a kickoff for a touchdown.
But….if UMHB does win that game, I’ll feel a whole lot better going into the playoffs. They have yet to get past Wesley in a playoff game!
PianoMan…..no OT last year because UMHB kicked a field goal. I look for the game to be a hard fought Cru win over WW. 35-14
Hey Baylor, thanks – I was thinking 7-0, not 7-3. So the Cru would have won it! I hope your score is correct. We are also Baylor fans – my wife is a Baylor grad and I am a UMHB grad. The Bears will get their year one day. It was almost last year.
Each team also missed a field goal off the upright, if I recall correctly, and they both have pretty good kickers. Defenses tightened in the “red zones.”
For a 7-3 game, it was not boring at all.
Here’s a thought – if ESPN can highlight the HS Football game of the week, then why not do the same for D3 games.
Gordon – Back on Septemeber 24 (after the three non-conference games / pre-MAC), you responded to a question about ranking the Top 3 MAC offenses and defenses. Your responses were as follows:
Top Three MAC Offenses:
1. Albright
2. Lebanon Valley
3. King’s
Top Three MAC Defenses:
1. Wilkes
2. Delaware Valley
3. Lycoming
With four weeks down and three to go, how would you now rank the top three offenses and defenses? Also, with three weeks left, given their remaining schedules (Albright – Leb Valley / @ Widener / Delaware Valley……Widener – Delaware Valley / Albright / @ Wilkes……Delaware Valley – @ Widener / Wilkes / @ Albright), who do you think comes out of the MAC?
My gut…….1. Widener – two home games and away game at “dead” Wilkes. 2. Albright – two home games. 3. Delaware Valley – two away games vs. Widener and Albright.
If the Aggies somehow come out of this as MAC Champs, it would be one awesome accomplishment. I sort of smell a three way tie…….what happens in that case??
The Aggies have really taken care of business since MAC play begun … granted against the bottom 4 teams … but I like what I see. I agree with Duke … it’ll be one awesome accomplishment if they come out on top. And if I may add my “2 cents” … Aggies have a #1 defense and are pretty close to the #1 offense based on their recent play … but none of that matters except beating Widener this week under the “Friday night lights” … Oh baby!!
Duke:
My revised rankings would be…
Top Three MAC Offenses
1. Albright: If you told me a team was going to be in a game where they had to put up 30 to win, this is the only MAC team I would feel fairly comfortable picking. Not to say no one else could do it, but this is the one in which I’d have the most confidence.
2. Delaware Valley: Mike Isgro has played very well the past couple weeks. If he continues his strong play, the Aggies have the most balanced attack.
3. Widener: The Pride have some dangerous receivers. The running game may take some time to develop.
Top Three MAC Defenses
1. Widener/Del Val: Widener creates turnovers. Del Val is very balanced. Both teams have held their opponents to less than 50 points in conference. Whoever wins Friday night’s game gets my vote here. 😉
2. Lycoming: Delaware Valley scored 31 points on the Warriors but only one drive was more than 40 yards. Lyco’s defense hasn’t had much help from the offense or special teams. And they are fierce against the run.
3. Albright: The biggest part of the team’s turnaround is the turnaround on defense. Chryst and co. are tough against the pass. Coach Marzka should get a very serious look at Regional Coach of the Year.
As for picking a favorite, I’m not sure I can. Widener has the best schedule and would wrap up the title with back-to-back home wins. Albright has the most explosive offense. Del Val is probably the most balanced across all units, though they get both Albright and Widener on the road.
It should be a lot of fun for MAC fans the last three weeks.
Great work Gordon… I’d love to see you breakdown the LL, if you follow it…
I officiate football in Texas. There is no horsecollar rule.
UMHB-UWW will be a great game. I would go see it but work comes first this week. I have seen the Cru play 3 times this year and they are for real. I predict UMHB 21 UWW 17.
Ha. I knew it!