Game Day from Salem

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Alright, so here we are, at the culmination of more than 1,100 games and after 236 teams have been eliminated from contention for the 2007 Division III football national championship, with Mount Union and UW-Whitewater. The fans are already tailgating in the parking lot, getting ready for our 4 p.m. kickoff. We’ll keep you updated here throughout the day on all the goings-on and help you follow along.

Don’t forget to turn down the audio on ESPN (Pam Ward on play by play) and turn up our audio broadcast. Those of you with a DVR may find the delay is manageable by pausing the television. We’ll pronounce names correctly, etc. 🙂

Join Gordon Mann, Frank Rossi and Ryan Tipps on our game day show starting at 2 p.m. Keith McMillan and I will take over leading up to the 4 p.m. kickoff, with Frank on the sidelines.

Some more audio to tide you over until we hit the air at 2 — I was interviewed on Western Wisconsin Sports Saturday this morning about the Stagg Bowl and recorded most of it for the audience here.

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214 thoughts on “Game Day from Salem”

  1. Here is the forecast for today’s game:

    ICE STORM WARNING in effect from noon today until 9 am EST Sunday.

    Cloudy. A chance of rain…freezing rain with a slight chance of sleet this morning…then rain and freezing rain this afternoon. Ice accumulation around a trace. Much cooler with highs in the mid 30s. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 90 percent.

    Y’all stay safe, warm and good luck to both teams and their fans today.

  2. Good luck to both teams! Here’s hoping for a well-played and exciting game. I hope the weather doesn’t have too big an impact.

  3. As I sit in the airport waiting for my flight heading the other way, good luck to you guys, both calling and shooting the game. May you get a classic game that those of us unable to be there will get to enjoy.

  4. Way I see it, weather today is better than it would be in Wisconsin or Ohio 🙂

    Right now it’s cold, but I see no sign of precipitation currently or on the way.

    Pam Ward dis … so wrong.

    (Well not SO wrong)

  5. WeatherUnderground for Salem says 90% chance of rain at game time. I attended the Stag Bowl in 2000 under similar conditions and in 2003 with wind, cold, and intermittent snow flurries. Today, the Salem weather will be 15 degrees warmer than in Duluth Minnesota where there is no forecast precipitation. I know it is heresy on this board to complain about the location of the Stag Bowl but the Virginia weather this time of year is unpredictable. I’ve heard all the argument pro and con concerning Salem and I’ve been there twice. They do a nice job with a game that there wouldn’t be much competition for from warmer climes but I hate the weather in Salem.

  6. Early in the Division II broadcast, they talked a bunch about the Division III game. Typical stuff like “is it just me, or does it seem like Mount Union owns the rights to play in that game?”

    Reply: I think they book hotels as soon as the previous year’s game ends.”

    Kind of funny that they know that too. 🙂

  7. Virginia weather this time of year is unpredictable.

    Well I definitely agree with you there. A weird weather state, you can get New England weather and Myrtle Beach weather in the same week.

  8. Hey Pat. are you saying that ESPNs announcers are less then what they should be.
    I’m going to check you guys out but I’m sure I’ll have Alliance tuned in.

  9. So what are the chances we see the opening kickoff on ESPN. UAB and Kentucky hoops have and hour and fifteen minutes to play the final three minutes and the whole second half?

  13. downtown
    Starting to look like a replay of last year. UAB and Kentucky still have 2:40 to go, we are a couple of minutes until kickoff, and a very real possibility that the b-ball game will go into OT.

  14. This stupid game better not go into OT! You would think after last year ESPN could plan a little better.

  23. Great start for UWW obviously. Interesting to hear from Frank Rossi on the sideline report that Mount Union came out with too much excitement. Raebel commented during the week that the Warhawks are “all emotioned out” and that this is all business this year as opposed to two years ago.

  24. All I can say so far is WOW! I think this is going to be a good one! MUC did look confused on UWW’s first drive. Let’s see if they made any adjusments.

  31. Is that a bit of overconfidence by MU to continue to go for it on 4th? Maybe they underestimated the UWW D.

  37. UWW really making MUC work for everything on O. Mt just crossed the 50 but lost 1 and are now 2nd and 11.

  39. I said yesterday the only way UWW wins this game if it was extemely low scoring. Looks like they could have a shot.

  40. Yeah, Kmic being held to a pedestrian 50-6o yards. Micheli has approx. 50 yards. Check out the front page for a great shot of the call that was reversed on the goal line stand. Nice work, Mr. Ryan Coleman.

  42. Beaver is showing me just how deserving he is of the Gagliardi! He literally just ran over an MUC player before he went out of bounds. This is a great football game. One that if MUC doesn’t start to mix things up they are going to be in trouble. They are for the first true time this season in unfamiliar territory. Yet all must remember how quickly a team with MUC’s fire power can explode and come up with a big play.

  44. I am so proud the Hawks! Looks like there might be more than one “Machine” in D3 football. Great first half!

  46. I think the more pertinent question is whether Mount has a chance. I think they still have a chance, but clearly they are in unchartered territory. After watching for a half, they are clearly nothing to be afraid of. Two evenly matched teams with UWW playing the better first half. UWW appearls to be slightly the stronger team up to this point.

  47. 30 minutes to go…who’s going to hoist the walnut and glass and bronze?? Doesn’t roll off the tongue quite as well…

  48. Wow, i’m shocked, impressed, and amazed. I missed the ‘review” of Mount’s “almost score”. I thought for sure the game was tied after that, but what a goalline stand by Whitewater.

    Warhawks get the ball first in the 2nd Half. If they can score a touchdown and go up 17-0, they have a GREAT shot. I’m still very nervous about MUC’s big play ability. If Mount closes within 3, Whitewater MUST answer or I think MUC wins this game.

    Beaver looks great, but MUC winning the TOP battle right now 18:00 to 12:00.
    Whitewater needs a few sustained drives in the 2nd half, or MUC will wear down their defense.

    If Whitewater can score another TD without giving up the lead, I like their chances. Right now, i’m going to predict a 17-14 Whitewater win.

    MUC will get their yards, but what a sendoff for Beaver if he could get a touch, get over 200 yards, and win Wisconsin-Whitewater’s first Football National Championship in the last game of his collegiate career!

    EDIT: i was going to say Wisconsin’s First National Championship, but Wis-LaCrosse won two in the 90s.

  49. I would agree with bleedpurple. This is what a championship game should be like. I love lot’s of defense…The question for the second half is; will the Warhawk defense be able to continue the pressure in the second half and prevent MU from making that big play that can quickly bring them back into the game?

  50. I know you guys are all glued to our broadcast on NCAASports.com and that TV network’s broadcast, but glad you’re here blogging with us too.

    I was asked for my take. It’s really not all that different from the past two Stagg Bowls’ first halves, evenly matched. Looking at the numbers, Mount Union is actually outgaining UW-W 212-184. The difference is UW-W taking advantage of its opportunities to score, unlike in previous years when they also drove the ball but were held to field goals while MUC made the big plays. This time, the big plays have been the UW-W goal line stand — Kmic TD run overturned by review on 3rd, and a Warhawks gang tackle on 4th — and the two MUC fumbles in the second quarter.

    The past two games have been decided in the second half, with big plays in the third … would not be surprised to see more of the same.

    UW-W is dictating the tempo and has definitely seized the momentum here, and they are tackling well, as we said they would have to to compete. But down by 10, and having gained 212 yards, Mount Union doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel with its halftime adjustments, they just need to hang on to the ball and finish drives.

    Should be a GREAT second half. So glad the Whitewater fans are getting a chance to see their team play well here in Salem … regardless of the outcome, definitely a lot to be proud of on both sides.

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