I’m having a good time in Connecticut — once you take away the high gas prices, the traffic, the Joe Lieberman/Ned Lamont ads, the fact that my family is 300 miles away, etc.
Hmm, let me rephrase. Living in Connecticut has given me the opportunity to see three new D-III fields already and five new teams. It’s never been my goal to see all 234 football teams or stadiums (think about it, that would take almost another two decades at one game a week) but it’s nice to get a look at some different environments.
Hobart at RPI is a game I wouldn’t have considered making the trip to if I still lived in Virginia, but it’s only a three-hour trip for me now. Even if upstate New York doesn’t repeat last season’s success, it’s better than anything I could have gotten to in the D.C. area.
Life begins at 30: Trinity (Conn.) gets back on the field this weekend, hosting Colby and putting its 30-game winning streak on the line. We get this question so often I think I’m going to put it in the FAQ: How come Trinity has won 30 in a row and I’ve never seen them in the playoffs? FAA: The NESCAC chooses not to participate. NESCAC’s loss. FAQ: How come Trinity doesn’t get ranked? FAA: Our voters don’t think they’re good enough and without any non-conference play it’s hard to tell. FAQ: Wait, doesn’t the Ivy League get ranked? They don’t go to the playoffs. FAA: Yeah, but Ivy League teams play non-conference games. When was the last time Trinity played someone from outside the NESCAC?
Colby went 7-1 last year but did not play Trinity. There are 10 NESCAC teams, so each team could play a limited schedule and still hit all nine opponents, but no, it only schedules eight games. The ninth is a scrimmage.
But then again, this is the league that listed its standings alphabetically until not that long ago.
Defying convention: Let me be the first to say … at least the first on this blog … that this year the Ithaca/St. John Fisher game will not come down to the last play. Three years ago, Ithaca won 20-19. Two years ago, St. John Fisher won in double overtime. Last year, Ithaca won in overtime. This year … Ithaca wins comfortably. A hunch. We’ll have John McGraw there to undoubtedly tell me otherwise.
Military madness: SUNY-Maritime is still looking for its first win. Even last week the Privateers lost to the club team from Gallaudet. When Gallaudet returns to varsity status next year it will have a 30-plus game losing streak, the longest in Division III, to shake off. They’ll face Norwich, which still has some military ties.
Then, just plain madness: Washington and Jefferson travels to Oberlin this weekend. Why, why, why? W&J, preseason Kickoff ranking, 15, at Oberlin, the preseason 186. And that 186 is about the highest Oberlin’s been.
Another upset pick: Gordon Mann and I each told Around the Nation’s Keith McMillan that Lycoming is the pick against Delaware Valley this week. Gordon and I both saw Delaware Valley struggle offensively last week and that is a big part of the reasoning. But I’ll throw out another and say UW-Stout will beat Whitworth. Couple reasons — first is the long trip for Whitworth to Menomonie, Wis., likely flying to Minneapolis and then piling in the bus for another couple hours. Second reason? Ask Hardin-Simmons about its trip to Stout a few years back.
Seriously, people like to pooh-pooh the concept of an air trip having an effect on a team but a prominent coach told me a few years back it absolutely makes an impact. Similarly, a team that hasn’t made an overnight trip all year could have trouble when taken out of its rhythm, say, in the postseason.
Someone tried to get me to say UW-Oshkosh would beat UW-Whitewater, but I don’t see it. We’ll have a photographer there anyway, however, just in case.
Major Payne: Note to Howard Payne — you guys are not in the NAIA. Play some D-III schools in non-conference play so we can find out how good you actually are. This week? Paul Quinn College, which is — not surprisingly — 0-2 after playing Division I-AA Jackson State and Division II Western New Mexico on the road.
In-house rivalry: The much-ballyhooed Catholic/Randolph-Macon rivalry returns this weekend. Not familiar with it? Well, it’s the D3football.com staff rivalry — Catholic is my alma mater and Keith McMillan played for Randolph-Macon. I first came to learn of Keith when he was picking off four passes against Catholic in a game I called on campus radio after graduation. It’s also Catholic’s longest-standing current rivalry, as the teams have played every year since 1987. Randolph-Macon leads the series 14-12-1, though Catholic leads 10-8-1 since the series was revived and leads by just 32 points over those 19 games.
The tie? Only the highest-scoring tie in Division III history, a 50-50 … let’s say spectacle back in 1995. And since there’s overtime now, the tie is built to stay that way.
I think Keith and I need some sort of traveling trophy associated with this game.
Soul-searching: Linfield has a bye this week after starting the season 0-2. Rowan gets back on the field after back-to-back bye weeks.
Kickoff is coming up quickly. Any thoughts in the waning hours?
Some background behind the HPU-Paul Quinn game. This game came about when Austin College left the ASC and traded a game against HPU for a game against, ahh, let’s see…Southwestern Assemblies of God? Yep, that is what it says!
Nevertheless, the trip to Dallas is an easy 3 hours and easy on the travel budget. The HPU-Southern Nazarene (OK) game was the second in the series started in 2004.
HPU could get burned by the in-region winning percentage. If the Yellow Jackets are looking for a Pool C bid, then the best South Region record they can have in Pool C will be 7-1 (.875). Someone else at 8-1 (.889) or 9-1 (.900) can claim a better record.
The incentive for the ASC is to schedule some games in the “Geographic Region 4” (which is Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin westward) to count as “in-region”. The UMHB-CNU game was the first “South Region” ASC regular season contest with a school from the ODAC, USAC, ACFC or Centennial in the last decade.
The cacaphony from the Capital District will be deafening on Saturday. In Schenectady they will be separating the wheat from the chaff when a suspect Union team goes up against a Rochester team that has, thus far, put some major points on the board . Does Union have a defense? Against a feckless Muhlenberg team, yes. Against Rochester, Saturday will tell the tale. This game is crucial for both teams. Union must make a statement if they are to reassert themselves as the big dog. Rochester will be sky high as they look to prove that they have arrived!
Speaking of big dogs, over in Troy the contenders for Union’s title will will probably go fifteen rounds before a decision is reached. It shound be quite a day!
You didn’t come right out and say it, but I know you meant it Pat. SUNY-Maritime is really bad. In comparison Morrisville is not. My pick is for Kean to edge Morrisville today, but I would not be shocked to see Morrisville get their first victory. These are two very different first year teams.
A few years ago I watched Utica play in its first season at Cortland, and it was very ugly. Morrisville looked much stronger than that in week 2, and last week they gave Western Conn a competitive game. I expect before long this will be a solid upstate team and I am very interested in how they fare today with Kean, a beatable team.
Also interesting to note is the Morrisville schedule. Notice they are stacked with NJAC and ACFC foes? Give you any ideas where they intend to go once they are eligible to in 2 seasons?
I’m not sold on the Lycoming upset. I am looking for a very close call win for Del Valley. RPI should win a tight one today against Hobart. The trouble is RPI might need to win by 10+ to impress the voters. Hobart is coming off 2 close calls against mediocre teams, and RPI needs to seperate themselves with a convincing victory.
Another great seperation game is Alfred at Springfield. My take on Springfield is they are back to their previous level. Playing at home, with Alfred facing a very long trip, I cannot see them losing. It would not surprise me to see the Pride win going away and join the Top 25 to stay next week.
All possible, definitely. One note, though — Morrisville is eligible to join a conference at any point. There’s no mandated two years to wait.
Cortland:
Coach Dow at Morrisville told us, as you suspect, that the prevalence of ACFC and NJAC teams on their schedule is no mistake. They are considering both of those conferences for future membership and Dow was pretty confident they’ll be in a conference of some sort in 2 years.
Maritime is also considering the conference membership question but seems more focused on forming an North Atlantic Conference for football with some of the New England schools (Mt. Ida, Husson, Maine Maritime, Becker). Then again, when I spoke with Maine Maritime Coach McKenney, he said he hadn’t heard much about the NAC and thought Maine Maritime was pretty stable in the NEFC given their long standing history with it.
As for the D3 playoffs for SUNY-Morrisville, they are a first year provisional school this year and should be eligible for the playoffs in 2010.
I’m at RPI and already liking the setting. Reminds me of what I always pictured 1890s football would have been like — two teams lining up and going at it on the quad with fans gathered all around.
Gonna go shoot. Talk more later.
FYI:
THIEL-THOMAS MORE KICKOFF MOVED TO 12:45
The kickoff time for the Thiel-Thomas More football game in Crestview Hills, Ky., originally scheduled for 1:30 p.m., has been moved up to 12:45 p.m. Game officials and coaches agreed to move up the start time due to a potentially dangerous weather front scheduled to move into the Northern Kentucky area mid-afternoon.
10-0 Ithaca at the half… they have dominated the entire game, but only lead by 10. Two trips inside the Fisher 5 results in only a field goal. There have been two very suspect calls by the officials involving an obvious safety by the IC defense and a terrible spot on a 4th and 2 from the Fisher 4. The IC defense has dominated the supposed high powered Fisher offense. Hopefully IC can hang on and make pcole’s prediction come true.
I just spoke to John McGraw, who’s at that game as well, and he said Fisher’s receivers aren’t getting much done.
At this game, RPI isn’t able to stop Hobart’s run game. Jimmy Robertson is just 3-for-11 passing for RPI and Doug Blakowski has 79 yards rushing for Hobart at the break. 10-3 Hobart.
Pat, talk to john lately?
So much for IC winning “comfortably”, SJF has scored 5 second half TD’s and have kept IC’s offense in check!
Indeed, how about that? Looking forward to hearing more about that game.
Unbelievable battle going on between UW-Stout and Whitworth. Trailing 7-0, Whitworth scores a TD with only a few ticks left on the clock to force overtime. Great game out West.
What a great, hard fought inter-conference game between two fine football teams. Both teams missed a field goal in the 1st OT. UW-Stout scores a TD in the 2nd, but misses the extra point. Whitworth scores a TD and converts the extra point. Whitworth wins 14-13.
What a game!
Wow. After the first three weeks where the winners won by a total margin of 160-20, I was quite happy to be in Menomonie. Great game, great atmosphere, could have been nice to have some sunlight or less rain but excellent none-the-less.
Look for photos later on today. Pat, I think you were spot on with your prediction except UW-Stout just couldn’t pull it away. Without a kicking team it is very difficult to put together those small points late in the game.
Congrats to the Cardinals. Keep up the good work!!!!
Division 3 is bad right now there is no parity. Nobody has a chance against MU or Whitewater. Its same story every weekend. Rowan got crushed today, I mean come on. 2 contenders and way way way too many pretenders……. This other teams need to step up their game!
If unranked W&J verses Oberlin is madness, what is #5 Capital verses Heidelberg. Didn’t Heidelberg lose to Oberlin?
It is also madness but Capital doesn’t have a choice. The OAC scheduled that game for them.
Good game for Ferrum. 42-0 over Shenandoah U. is what they are capable of. Don’t think Mat Kelchner and CNU didn’t look at that score and realize the hit and miss success of the Panthers.
Coach Davis cannot afford anything but hits…no misses. Congrats to the players and coaching staff.
D3knowitall – Your name is a sham……it should be D3knownothing!!! Rowan got beat today by a full scholarship granting D1-AA university. Look at the size differences up and down the rosters. The top school in its’ conference (Albany) plays schools like Lehigh, Fordham, Delaware, Cornell, etc. They also play a perennial D2 national powerhouse in Georgia Southern. Let me also say that MU nor Whitewater would stand a chance against the top tier D1-AA programs (and I would also argue that they would not beat the most elite D2 programs either!!). I would like to challenge the top players at the MU’s and Whitewater’s of the world to get themselves into the Lehigh’s, Lafayette’s, Fordham’s, Delaware’s, etc………..get a world class education for free and step it up a level or two athletically!!!
D3……I know that you say things to get a rise out of people and that’s about the extent of it. Outside of the players and their families and those connected with the programs and those of us on this board…….D3 football is not D1 (nor is it D1-AA nor D2) for that matter. Whether or not some team can beat the 230+ players on the MU squad will not make a ripple in the broad spectrum of collegiate football, will not “haunt” the players from every other program for the rest of their lives as being “losers” and will not stop the student-athletes from getting a wonderful experience and carrying it throughout graduate school, the workplace, life, etc.
The DVC-Lycoming game was an excellent game today and you know what I didn’t hear from one, single person after the game………”Boy, this was a great game but it really was meaningless because nobody can beat MU or Whitewater”. I would be willing to bet that the only human being to utter those words (or even those thoughts) was my friend, to be known forever from here on out as D3knownothing or D3howmanypeopletrulycare!!!!!
Let’s not go overboard — my understanding is Robert Morris just started giving football scholarships. They are NOT a full scholarship program. Even when they get to the Northeast Conference maximum that will still be at least 30 scholarships short of a “full” load.
I still will not be holding Rowan’s loss against it, but to call Robert Morris full scholarship is nowhere near accurate.
Rowan got reality check today deal with it. Mount Union would pound Robert Morris! So would UWW!!!!
Hey, knowitall — ENOUGH ALREADY. Officially. Dial it down a notch — this isn’t high school anymore. Pretty sure you guys are supposed to act like adults.
Ferrum won!
I still think the Rowan loss has more to do with the 2 straight bye weeks, and not the opponent on the field.
And I do agree that there are 232 teams and their fans in D3 that could care less that Mount Union and UWW are “unbeatable” right now, unless their school faces them this week… There is no need to keep rubbing it in the face. I’m glad Pat stepped in on that one.
pcole – Thanks for turning the lights out (or at least down several notches) on D3knownothing!!!! I’m sorry for the miswording on “full scholarship” regarding Robert Morris, but I think that you understood my general point. By “full scholarship” I meant the opportunity to go to school for free (vs. partial scholarship).
When you start to provide the opportunity for student athletes to step up in competition a level or two and to hand them a world class education……saving them around $160,000 for four years, it should be a no brainer!! If I could go to a Lehigh, Lafayette or any Patriot League school for that matter, Colgate, Albany, Delaware, etc and play at the 1-AA level and come out without $1.00 in student loans…….sign me up.
No slight on MU nor UWW nor any other D3 program, but if my son someday is faced with the choice of going to Lehigh or any other of the numerous top notch D1-AA programs in the Northeast for free (saving me what might be $300,000 by that time!!) or my paying his way to MU to UWW or Rowan (who may very well be a D2 or D1-AA by that time anyway), we won’t have much of a choice!!! He will not say to me, “But Dad, MU has won eight D3 titles in the past ten years”. He probably won’t know that……..if a tree falls in the woods but there’s nobody there…….
Watching the dogfight and incredible parity (yes D3knownothing….parity!!) in the MAC between Wilkes, Lycoming, Del-Val, Widener, Moravian and King’s is a lot more exciting than watching MU and UWW steamroll through their respective conferences. When your program is slaughtering the competition year in and year out, consider stepping it up a level and make it a fair fight!!
Well,
You guys pretty much covered it, but you can ignore “d3knowitall” … he’ll say anything to pump up Whitewater, regardless of whether it makes any sense.
Like Pat, I didn’t hold the Rowan loss against them, I still have them No. 3 overall and Capital fourth.
The Whitworth game really makes me feel better about them and where I had them ranked; I was not sure at all about that one.
The New York stuff and the lightning in Texas sounded like the stories off the week.
And Carleton seems like the upset of the week.
Guess I should post this on that thread.
I’m down for the traveling trophy though Pat, get at me. Maybe we should just bet a dinner on the game each year. Even when they’re both bad, it’s always close … 14-7 yesterday.
I had a great idea for a trophy — you getting a 50/50 ticket from a game at Macon and me from a game at Catholic and mounting them on something.
so now my posts get pulled?
Bonus> fox sports north is rebroadcasting the UWWvs Oshkosh game of last Saturday. It will be on after the brewers beat the Cubs, it is the 9th inning.BYE
Anyway paying attention to Jackson, Mississippi? Don’t sleep on those kids from Millsaps. Scoring is a habit, and the defense is starting to jell in a hurry! They’re get much better every week and starting to play with a swagger! Anyone else see a darkhorse candidate?