You had to get here pretty early in the morning to follow what might well end up being the most exciting game of the week. In the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference’s annual Dome Day, MacMurray and Crown led off with a track meet. MacMurray defeated Crown 68-62 in overtime. The game came one score from tying the Division III record for most points in regulation, which was 131, set when Earlham defeated Manchester 69-62 on Sept. 10, 2005.
Once the game got to overtime, the overall scoring record was in danger as well, which was set two years ago, when Hartwick beat Utica 72-70 in quadruple overtime on Nov. 10, 2007.
In the end, though, MacMurray came up with one stop in overtime. I spoke with MacMurray coach Jake Box after the game and the recording is below:
The UMAC has four more games here today, and then we have a hundred more on Saturday, so we’re already set to go. There’s a big game in Washington, Pa., one in Dover, Del., one in Union, N.J., one in Bloomington, Ill., and others elsewhere. The PAC automatic bid could be wrapped up on Saturday, as can the HCAC, IIAC and the MWC, while others could be clinched with a combination of a win and a loss.
The ever-traveling Craig Burroughs is here at Dome Day, who writes for Don Hansen and travels to more games than the entire D3football.com braintrust put together. (Well, close anyway. Between me, Keith, Gordon and Ryan Tipps I think we do out-do Craig, but not by much. We don’t usually see JV games and we don’t go to non-Division III games either.)
I’ll put more MacMurray-Crown observations in the comments.
This game reminded me of the importance of special teams. Neither team has a kicker that can put a kickoff inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, and that really hurt. MacMurray’s average starting field position for the day was the Crown 48-yard line, while Crown’s was only a little worse, at its own 45.
MacMurray’s Kimuel Keller returned a kickoff for a touchdown. But he only needed to run 75 yards to do so. James Rollon, who I mentioned to Box in the postgame interview, got hurt in the third quarter and did not return, but while he was on the field he had seven catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns, rushing twice for 45 yards and also took a handful of snaps in the Wildcat formation.
The teams combined for 56 first downs, for 1,110 yards of total offense, 19 touchdowns, but just 10 extra-point kicks. And three punts. One of which was blocked.
It reminded me of another game that used to grace the early mornings here in the Metrodome: the state 9-man football championship game. Those were always track meets as well.
And game two of the day is at the half: Macalester 0, Minnesota-Morris 0.
If you haven’t been plugged into the Dome Day at all, we’ve had four barnburners and we’re looking like we’re headed for a fifth.
After the morning shootout, with the highest scoring game in Division III this season, we had a defensive battle, with Minnesota-Morris beating Macalester by nearly the minimum possible score, 3-0. Morris kicked its field goal with 1:04 left and Macalester was wide left on a 36-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the game.
Game 3: St. Scholastica led 20-7 at the half, but Eureka came out with a couple early touchdowns in the second half and made them stand up, winning 21-20.
In Game 4, Martin Luther took a 27-7 lead in the final minute of the third quarter, but it was all Westminster (Mo.) in the fourth, as the Bluejays scored the final 21 points, each on drives of 65 yards or longer, then ran out the clock to win 28-27.
Game 5 is 19-10 Greenville at the half, as Greenville and Northwestern (Minn.) traded touchdowns in the final 40 seconds of the second quarter.
The margin of victory of the first four games is a combined total of 11 points, including the six-point overtime final in the opener.
There are links for video, audio and live stats on the scoreboard for this one.
http://www.d3football.com/schedule/
Northwestern just fumbled for the third time on the night, turning it over at the Greenville 21 with 3:00 to go trailing 26-20.
And Greenville ran out the clock. Total margin of victory in five games today was 17 points.
Somebody’s gotta get Saturday talk started. 🙂
It’s an overcast, brisk day at Ferrum College ahead of the game against Christopher Newport. CNU still in the playoff hunt if some chips fall into place. Ferrum’s already out of the running, but games in the past seasons between these two teams have gotten closer, so it should be interesting.
After a punt, CNU gets pinned inside the 10. Two plays into the first drive, quarterback Antonio Epps goes 93 yards for the touchdown
Ferrum answers with a TD of its own, chipping away slowly at the CNU defense with run plays.
CNU does a little trickery with the reverse to score again. Ferrum has the ball, and hit them back with a reverse pass to get across the 50.
13:30 in the second quarter. 14-7 CNU
20 minutes into the w&j/tmc game and tmc has 19 yards of total offense….w&j is up 7-0 and driving…………
Del Val 34
King’s 7 – HALF
Playing in place of the injury of injured starting QB Mike Isgro, Mark Hatty throws three touchdowns passes and Del Val has 5 scoring drives.
blocked kick by tmc…tmc now moving the ball…drive stalls inside W&J 30….no chance to make FG into wind at this distance…..2 min left in half…still 7-0 (W&J)….definitely a victory for tmc if they can go in at half only down 7-0.
Scots lead Illinois College 7-3 after a 1 minute scoring drive. The interesting thing is, prior to the TD it was the first time Monmouth trailed all season when IC got the FG on their first drive of the game.
Ferrum/CNU was tied at 14 going into the break. First drive of the second half, CNU plows down the field to make it 21-14.
Monmouth leads IL-COL 14-3 after a 27 yd TD pass from Tanney to Blodgett. 10 minutes left 2Q.
tmc driving
td for tmc…..score is now 7-7
IC gets a 1 yd score after converting two 4th downs. 14-10 Scots 6 min left 2Q.
w&j is intercepted deep in own territory…td collier…saints lead 14-7
Monmouth answers with another quick strike. 20-10 Scots late 2Q after a botched XP by Monmouths kicker…his first miss after making 52 in a row.
CNU capitalizes on a fumbled punt return to get to the end zone and essentially seal this game up 28-14. There’s 2:49 left in the game.
w&j has only 50 yds since the first drive..you get the sense that they are going to need a special teams or defensive play to pull it out…..still tmc 14 W&J 7
Mark Hatty caps a great day (267 yards, three touchdowns) and Del Val scores seven touchdowns on its first eight drives to run away from King’s, 47-21. The Aggies offense finishes with 513 yards heading into next week’s big showdown with Albright, who was up big at home against FDU-Florham.
Leb Val shuts out Widener 24-0 to stay in the conference title hunt.
North Central leads IWU 14-7 with 7:22 left 3Q.
Monmouth scores 1:17 in to the 3Q. 27-10 Scots lead IC.
DJ Jackson returns the ensuing KO for a TD. Second this year allowed by MC.
27-17.
IWU scores but misses the XP. 14-13 NCC 5:13 left 3Q.
Kean and Rowan are headed to overtime tied at 17-17. There is live video on this one:
http://bit.ly/40p67j
Scots get a FG after a holding penalty negates a TD. 30-17 Monmouth late 3Q.
IWU scores again but 2ptConv fails. 19-14 IWU leads NCC 12:55 4Q.
19YD TD pass after IC fumbled the KO. 37-17 Monmouth 1:52 left 3Q.
8:58 left in the 4Q IWU 22 NCC 14 after a Titan FG.
Monmouth WR fumbles in the endzone after a 40 yard play. Recovered by IC. 37-17 Scots early 4th. Second turnover by MC.
NCC answers right back with a TD and 2pc. 22-22 8 minutes left at IWU.
MC scores again 44-17 now over IC. Just a few minutes now from clinching the MWC…
Grand total of 392 yards between them in Thomas More’s 14-7 win over W&J.
IWU has almost 500 yards and is driving again on NCC.
Final numbers are in from Washington PA. Thomas More defense held W&J to 71 yards in the final 45 minutes, including 25 in the 4th Quarter to hold on. After their scoring drive, W&J was held to 2 firstdowns or less on each possession.
Now I’d be remiss to say this was totally due to TMC’s defense, but I can’t believe the offensive numbers for W&J put up today. TMC totally shutdown the run… they couldn’t block the guys in white.
When W&J was forced to pass in the 4th Quarter, Thomas More got pressure from a 3 man rush — forcing 3 INT’s.
14-7 Final. Playoff bound. Love the frontpage, Pat.
Now its onto Geneva, and unfinished business with DeMarco’s crew.
Union regains the Shoes in a 20-15 victory over rival RPI and stays in the lead for the LL’s Pool A.
Susquehanna beats SLU 21-7
Hobart wins big over WPI 41-20
Rochester is crushed 51-14 by Alfred.
Scoreboard shows a tie between NCC and IWU, but according to the live stats page, IWU won 28-22 in OT.
Wondering if it helps Wheaton’s pool C chances for NCC to have lost. On one hand, it hurts their OWP, but on the other hand, if they beat IWU, they’ll tie NCC for the conf. champ.
I suppose since Wheaton plays both teams, it won’t change the OWP anyway. (But if it had really been a tie it would have!)
Scoreboard is fixed now.
Big game this weekend …Albright at Del-Val…any predictions?
Here’s one Del-Val 31 Albright 24