Once upon a time in Indiana there was a man named Steward Faught. Steward preferred to be called Red and Red played quarterback for the Indiana State Sycamores. About ten years after he graduated, Red joined the faculty at Franklin College where he became the face of Grizzlies football. Red served as Franklin’s Head Coach for 29 years, instituting an aggressive passing attack during his tenure.
Though Red passed away, two parts of the Franklin football program bear his legacy. One is the field’s name — Steward “Red†Faught Stadium. The other is the tradition of a strong passing offense now overseen by Head Coach Mike Leonard.
This year Franklin leads the HCAC in passing yards per game and Grizzlies Quarterback Chad Rupp leads the conference in total offense. Rupp has put up 1,182 yards and 12 TDs to only 2 interceptions for the Grizzlies (5-0, 3-0 HCAC). On Saturday Franklin faces their most important test as two-time defending conference champion Mt. St. Joseph (5-0, 3-0) comes to Red Faught Stadium. Powered by senior running back Mike Lovell (124.4 ypg, 9 TDs), the Lions are close to breaking into the Top 25. A win over Franklin might put them into the Top 25 for the first time since 2004. It definitely would put them in the driver’s seat in the HCAC.
D3football’s Wes Anderson and Steve Powell will be at Franklin to bring you the action live starting at 1:15 PM for our first broadcast of an HCAC football game.
Elsewhere…
Wish you were here:We’ll have lots of people at Saturday’s battle between No. 2 UW-Whitewater and No. 6 UW-La Crosse. K-Mack is kicking off his Run to the Playoffs Tour with this WIAC showdown while Ryan Coleman and his photography phriends do their thing.
Just to be different, if I could go anywhere this weekend, I’d head to Ada, Ohio where No. 17 Ohio Northern hosts No. 4 Capital. In most years the game between the OAC’s second and third best teams has been a de facto playoff game with Mount Union providing the crippling second loss to whichever team loses this game, effectively quashing their postseason hopes. Since the OAC put a second team in the playoffs at 8-2 last year, the situation may not be quite as dire now. But ONU needs to bounce back off the 49-7 thrashing they took in Alliance last weekend. I’d love to be on hand to see if they could do it.
Don’t sleep on this one: Sticking with the North Region, the NCAC also has a big game as Wittenberg (3-2, 2-0 NCAC) hosts Wabash (4-1, 3-0 NCAC). After losing their first two games, the Tigers will try to knock off NCAC contenders Wooster and Wabash in consecutive weeks. But Wabash knows they need a win here, particularly after dropping their opener to Franklin.
Super Ridiculous Pick of the Week: Two weeks ago I made the following predictions for the Major League Baseball Playoffs.
Dodgers over Mets in 5
Padres over Cards in 4
Twins over As in 4
Yankees over Tigers in 3
Um, not so much. I hereby place myself on a one week suspension from making any more predictions.
Most likely Top 25 team to lose: Since I’m suspended, you can play this game without me. Remember, you can’t pick a team who is playing another Top 25 team. That still leaves some intriguing prospects — No. 16 Cortland State at Western Connecticut, No. 19 Wheaton (Ill.) at Augustana, Brockport at No. 22 Springfield.
And finally…
It’s not Browns-Steelers, but it should still be fun Undefeated Carnegie Mellon plays 3-2 Case Western Reserve as the UAA opens conference play.
Well Gordon, you beat me to it, but not by much. During the slow parts of my shift today, I’ve been working on this:
Oh, I so wanted to title this “getting it crackin’ for Week 7,” but some of older readers might not appreciate the slang.
So, as those of you who read Around the Nation may have noticed, I completely bagged every regular department in order to complete the ATN Midseason Report by 4 a.m. Thursday morning (and if you see any minor errors, attribute it to that).
Most of the departments were completely bag-able and will function fine when they return next week. But I should still serve up my national Five Games to Watch, upset special and Surprisingly Good Game.
So here goes.
Five games to watch
No. 6 UW-La Crosse at No. 2 UW-Whitewater
A no-brainer as the top game, with the rare matchup of accomplished top 10s. Whitewater has hardly played a tense moment since losing last year’s Stagg Bowl. La Crosse has been rolling since it’s 17-3 win at Division I-AA scholarship South Dakota State to start the season, although it needed a pick from national interceptions leader Steve Teeples at the 3-yard line with :01 left to outlast UW-Platteville last Saturday. It’s the annual Hall of Fame Game and Homecoming Day at Whitewater, where the AD has put out a plea to break the stadium attendance record of 8,717.
No. 4 Capital at No. 17 Ohio Northern
A return home may be comforting for the Polar Bears, who were shellacked 49-7 last week in Alliance. Since Capital is expected to be Mount Union’s biggest OAC challenge, however, Ohio Northern must look at this as an opportunity to get right. The Crusaders just edged John Carroll themselves, so this could be a big turning point for both. Have the Polar Bears’ overcome their inexperience (they had only six returning starters to begin the season)? Has Capital, No. 6 in the nation in total offense and No. 9 in total defense, been tested enough by its early competition?
No. 19 Wheaton at Augustana
This had been a great second-week of November rivalry for years, although Wheaton kept pulling out the close ones (by two in ’01, by one each in ’03 and ’04) until Augustana stamped their playoff ticket with a 28-7 win last season. The Thunder come in unbeaten and hoping to take charge of the CCIW race; the Vikings bounced back from Baldwin-Wallace and UW-Platteville losses with two solid conference wins. Their m.o. hasn’t changed; Augustana is playing great defense and rushing for 250 yards per game. Wheaton’s shown good offensive balance and is getting a superb season so far from defensive lineman Andrew Studebaker.
Mount St. Joseph at Franklin
Huge HCAC game here; Frankly, Clyde Hughes about covered it all in Around the Midwest.
Curry at Endicott
The Colonels have given up just 30 points in six NEFC wins. Endicott is 4-2, but the losses are from ventures into New York state. The Gulls outscored opponents 105-17 in four conference wins. Endicott has run second to Curry in the Boyd Division the past three seasons, falling five points short last year. The numbers favor the Colonels, who feature the nation’s No. 6 total defense and No. 3 scoring defense, but the Gulls have been opportunistic, with 15 interceptions and 38-13 first-quarter scoring edge.
I’ll pick my Upset Special and Surprisingly Good Game in a later post, from this list:
Also keep an eye on: No. 7 Mary Hardin-Baylor at Louisiana College, No. 8 Bridgewater at Guilford, Dubuque at No. 13 Central, No. 16 Cortland State at Western Connecticut, Brockport State at No. 22 Springfield, Carnegie Mellon at Case Western Reserve, DePauw at Rhodes, Elmhurst at North Central, Loras at Wartburg, Middlebury at Williams, Montclair State at Kean, St. Olaf at Concordia-Moorhead, Tufts at Trinity (Conn.), UW-Platteville at UW-Oshkosh.
Great job on the Mid year update…fantastic reading…although your points about the MIAC being a three team race…I think you can make it two, St. Thomas is not that good, with or without PJ Theisen…it will come down to Bethel and St. Johns and the game is at SJU where Bethel has never won
I’d have to agree with VOJ. From my vantage point of the games I have attended (and please note that I try to shoot the game rather than watch it) UST probably will be doing well if they stay within 20 points of St John’s.
Whitewater looks as good as last year, definitely deserving of their No. 2 ranking here.
Olaf/Concordia could go either way… a blowout or Concordia wakes up and plays like they had the past two seasons.
Dave, Larry and I will be at the game, hopefully we’ll have a great vantage point if the wind keeps down and you’ll see some incredible shots of the game. We’re packed to the gills on equipment, time and experience. I am not looking forward to the editing but we could have a very large photo gallery from the game.
Best of luck to all teams playing this weekend, and those in the upper Midwest, stay warm and pray it doesn’t snow or rain.
That’s fine, VOJ, but St. Thomas still has its destiny in its own hands and we all remember 2003, right?
Pre-season #10 Union (now unranked) has fallen to pre-season #114 Springfield (now #22), beaten #113 WPI, #116 Rochester, #141 Muhlenberg, and #152 Merchant Marine. The Dutchmen continue to confound us. At mid-season has Angiletta’s absence really been that significant? It is easy to answer “yes” but Union still seems to have some sand in its gears, irrespective of their great WR’s status. #124 F&M should, on paper, pose no real threat. Yet we can’t help but wonder when Union will really fire up, or if they are capable of such. With a high ranked Hobart (#19) looming on the horizon, preceded by a St. Lawrence team emboldened by their RPI victory, and the final game with RPI, is Union on the cusp of weal or woe?
All I can say theduke is let us pray! Your guess is as good as mine. The Dutchmen control their destiny, if they win the rest they are in. I heard Angiletta may be back in a few weeks. Don’t know how much truth there is in this. I was at practice yesterday and I don’t think I saw him out there yet. We shall see.
Pat…the Tommies just didn’t want to be 408 just like Bethel didn’t want to be 409, but they could not overcome the magic of Gags…I see a 4th place finish for the Tommies, third if they can get the Oles…who will continue their slide that was started last week when they travel to Moorhead this week, and no team deserves to slide more….just one man’s opinion
Just a heads-up for all, the Rowan/Buffalo State game originally listed as “cancelled” by Rowan has now been merely pushed back a day and will be played at Cortland State at noon on Sunday.
D3football.com is undertaking efforts to add this game to the broadcast schedule. We’ll let you know.
D3knowitall will be in Perkins Saturday if anyone wants to talk shop!
Perkins Stadium that is watching UWW roll LAX
Heading to the airport.
I like Concordia-Moorhead over St. Olaf at home, but that’s not going that much out on a limb.
Thinking maybe Guilford in a shootout over Bridgewater or Case Western over Carnegie Mellon for my upset. Not decided yet.
D3, I’ll be at the Perk. I might be wearing a striped shirt that happens to be La Crosse colors though. I brought a less-comfortable one that’s neutral (Wesley colors), but I don’t know if I feel like changing.
See you soon. Ryan, in Janesville. Have your cell on, I’ll holler.
Hey Gordon…..”one week suspension”!! Are you kidding me!! A performance like that deserves the Pete Rose Special. On second thought, I’m tired of working for a living. Maybe you could give me a few tips for todays games so I can retire. 🙂
Keith, it would be nice to see someone knock off BC. Don’t see Guilford doing it though. Sure would be nice to have crow for dinner tonight. 🙂
You’ll holler? Heh. You woke me up!
Actually it was time for me to get up anyway. Keith seems to have landed without an issue at O’Hare and is on his way up 90 to Jaynesville. Freshen up in the hotel, breakfast and then we probably are heading out to Perkins. It’s bright and sunny here but Larry’s still zonked out so we’re not all awake yet.
It’s a beautiful day for football.
Guilford 33 Bridgewater 28
YUMMY……CROW!!!!! Barbecue too. That’s why you are there and I am here. Good call Keith!! 🙂
Thanks. Too bad I didn’t have enough guts to narrow it down to that game.