Triple Take: Let’s get this 2015 thing started

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Keith McMillan

It’s been a long time since we last saw a Division III game that counted. The Stagg Bowl was way back on Dec. 19, a mere 258 days ago. It’s been a longer wait for the 240-odd teams whose seasons ended before Salem, and still longer for McMurry, which returns to D-III after leaving following the 2011 season. Belhaven comes over from NAIA, and has never played a D-III game; Neither has Finlandia, which plays its program’s first game Saturday against Alma.

There are six Thursday night games, 12 on Friday and 92 on Saturday. Subtract the seven non-D-III opponents, and 195 of the record 247 teams that will play D-III football this season are in action on opening weekend.

Enjoy it. Whether you’re playing, watching or involved in game day some other way, it’s a three-hour break from everything else in the world. It’s a chance to see old friends and make new ones, to watch some players dig deep and pull out something from inside that they didn’t even know they had. It’s a chance to watch student-athletes who won’t forgo the first part of that deal.

I played tackle football for 13 consecutive seasons, between Pop Warner in Somerville, Mass., high school in Runnemede, N.J. and at Randolph-Macon in Ashland, Va. In that picture below, which was taken in one of my first seasons writing for D3football.com, I’m 23. Which reminds me that I’ve now not been playing football for more consecutive autumns than I played. All of which is to say, this weekend, if you’re a player, coach, parent or fan, take it all in and savor it. It goes by quickly. Teams only get eight to ten game days a season, unless they play really well and advance through the playoffs. But as those accustomed to playing 15 weeks would tell you, greatness happens one game at a time (a UW-Whitewater standard) and starts with respecting your opponent (something I’ve heard more than once at Mount Union).

Respect the game. Enjoy it. Savor it. Finally, it’s back.

— Keith McMillan

Triple Take is our weekly predictions column. Typically it appears on Friday morning, but with games kicking off on Thursday night, we’re presenting it a few hours early.

Game of the week

Keith’s take: No. 19 St. John Fisher at No. 23 Thomas More. You can’t really go wrong with a clash of ranked teams to kick things off. There’s lots to see here; The Saints (that’s Thomas More, not the school with ‘Saint’ in its name) opened with Wesley last year and stood up to the national power in a 35-21 loss. This game will be a challenge as well, and maybe one the Saints can pull off on the way to a PAC title. But TMC will have to do it without graduated All-American running back Domonique Hayden. SJFC is among the best in an expanded Empire 8, and the Cardinals will have a rough game nearly every week. They can’t afford to start 0-1.

Ryan’s take: No. 10 Wabash at Hampden-Sydney. As a Wabash grad, I’m coming out of the Triple Take gate playing the homer card. Wabash will probably be a better team than it was in 2014; Sydney is projected to be down a little. But that doesn’t take away from the quality of this matchup. As I talked about last year in my preseason Around the Nation column, the meeting between them is historic, as Wabash and H-SC are the only two D-III schools that abide by an all-male classroom atmosphere. And this is the first home-and-home series between them on the gridiron. I had talked with coaches and administrators at the schools as far back as 2008 about something like this taking place, and I’m excited that their enthusiasm translated into reality. Last year finished with a 34-21 Wabash win in Indiana. Kudos to both schools for putting a challenging nonconference game on their schedules. (Also, this is where I’ll be spending opening weekend.)

Pat’s take: Rowan at No. 12 Widener. There are a lot of good games this week, right out of the chute. I like this one, in part because it’s now Rowan’s only non-conference game, and I wouldn’t mind at all if these teams played every year. There’s reason to have at least a couple of questions about Widener this year, based on who graduated, but I’ll also be intrigued to see how Rowan’s retooled offense works out. Goodbye spread, hello power offense. Should be interesting. Rowan would like nothing more than to slip back across the Commodore Barry Bridge with a signature win.

Surprisingly close game

Keith’s take: MIT at WPI. The Engineers … oh wait, they’re both Engineers. MIT had a magical undefeated season last year, but they pulled out multiple close wins, and that will be difficult to replicate, especially with five of the first six games on the road. I think they do it once more in this Week 1 Friday nighter, even though Zach Grasis and WPI will grind it out and make MIT earn it.

Ryan’s take: Mount St. Joseph at Augustana. I’m not ready yet to buy into this Lions team as being one of the better ones of recent years — we’ll see in a few weeks if they’re competing for the HCAC’s title. They lost a lot of starters and will have to break in a new (potentially young) quarterback. Last year, Mount St. Joseph showed no mercy against Augustana, being up 37-17 going into the fourth quarter before surging to a 58-25 win. Augustana has a new coach and is tailoring its offensive approach, giving them room to put more points on the board this time around.

Pat’s take: Alma at Finlandia. I mean, Finlandia isn’t surprisingly close to anyone in a geographic sense. Alma is the closest in-state rival and the Scots will still need to take a seven-hour bus ride to get to Finlandia. (I’m closer and I live two states away.) I’m hoping for a good game in Finlandia’s first-ever football game. A win might be too much to ask for but Alma (six wins in four seasons) hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire of late.

Most likely Top 25 team to be upset

Keith’s take: No. 12 Widener, against Rowan. Considering Thomas More over St. John Fisher would be fudging, this is the only logical option. The Profs bring back their star on offense, might find a role for a former star from Lafayette, and will take a short trip over the bridge, possibly bringing along the support a home team would have. Rowan isn’t favored against a Widener team that was in last season’s final eight, but they have a shot.

Ryan’s take: No. 20 Bethel. There’s not much jumping out in the inaugural week of college football as a safe — or even likely — bet for this category. Bethel graduated its conference MVP-winning quarterback, so if there’s ever going to be rust on the wheels that a team like UW-Stout could exploit, it’s going to be in Week 1.

Pat’s take: None. And considering this is the first week, and the first-week poll always has the most questions, that’s saying something. I’ve mentioned Widener above and there’s another team out there who tends to struggle with its Week 1 opponent but honestly, they always win when I pick against them so it’s time to stop trying. Chalk in Week 1.

Which team that finished strong in 2014 is going to have the biggest Week 1 letdown?

Keith’s take: Curry. The Colonels won their final three after an 0-7 start, but it was slightly misleading, because two of the wins were against 1-9 Nichols and 3-6 Maine Maritime. To start 2015 off right, Curry must win under the lights on Friday night at Bridgewater State, which brings back seven on each side of the ball from a 5-5 team. The Colonels have about the same number of starters back, and the benefit of unfamiliarity; The schools, not far from one another in Massachusetts, south of Boston, did not play last season.

Ryan’s take: Rowan. The Profs ended the last regular season with three straight wins, a share of the NJAC conference title and a trip to the playoffs. But also like last year, they’ll kickoff another season going up against Widener. The thoroughly battle-tested Pride are shaping up to be just as formidable as they proved to be in 2014, and the Profs are going to have a tough go of it right from the start.

Pat’s take: Morrisville State (vs. St. Lawrence). This is the week we’ll get to find out how much of the Mustangs’ 2014 surge was the Lemar Johnson show. Meanwhile, St. Lawrence has legitimate reasons to think it can contend for the playoffs, and not in a 5-5, manage-to-snag-the-automatic-bid way. SLU slipped early last season but isn’t likely to let that happen again.

Which lopsided matchup would you most like to be more competitive?

Keith’s take: No.13 Johns Hopkins at Randolph-Macon. In Week 1 last year, my alma mater was a seven-win team with its star quarterback back, going up to face the perennially ranked Blue Jays. They lost, 42-3. The quarterback is now a member of the coaching staff. And Johns Hopkins is still ranked 13th. Do I need more than that?

Ryan’s take: Guilford at Greensboro. I’m certainly not begrudging Guilford for stepping up its game and showing on the field that it is ready and determined to make a playoff run this fall. But this crosstown rivalry represents something more than just a W or an L for the teams — it’s also charity event known as the Gate City Soup Bowl. People who come get their admission fee waived if they bring canned goods to donate. Success of the food drive means getting people to the stadium; getting them to the stadium means presenting them with an exciting game to watch. Guilford has owned most of the history of this series, capped with last year’s 52-0 victory. It would be fun to see these two teams grind out a close matchup in this 19th meeting, but I fear that may not come to pass.

Pat’s take: Bethany at No. 2 Mount Union. I mean, just for variety’s sake. Let’s see the new Mount Union offense put through its paces for more than a couple of quarters. Not expecting anything outlandish, but wouldn’t it be nice to see the Machine need to disengage the cruise control?

Pick a color: Green or yellow

Keith’s take: Yes. We’ll be watching to see if Illinois Wesleyan (green) is a CCIW challenger, in its opener against usually-the-class-of-the-HCAC Franklin (yellow). Since I’m supposed to choose, give me our preseason No. 59 IWU, with its eight returning starters on offense and nine on D, in a mild upset over No. 50. Kickoff projected the Titans to go 8-2 off a 4-6 2014.

Ryan’s take: Green, of Belhaven. Good riddance to the NAIA and welcome to Division III! And, of course, welcome back to D-III Coach Mumme. It’s likely the Blazers will begin their tenure here with a win.

Pat’s take: Green. With St. Norbert, under a new coach again, its third in three years, hosting Carthage, which has fallen so far that they’re a unanimous pick to finish behind North Park, the CCIW’s doormat of the decades.

They’ll be on your radar

Keith’s take: McMurry. Both teams in the St. Lawrence-Morrisville State game intrigue me, but since Pat touched on that one above, and Ryan mentioned Belhaven, let’s go with the War Hawks. I’m curious about what kind of team they’ll field after recruiting scholarship athletes in Texas for a few years, only to lose some of them when they moved back to a non-scholarship model.

Ryan’s take: Stevenson. The Mustangs made some noise en route to their best performance in the MAC ever. But can they sustain having improved their record so drastically? Moreover, can they really make the surge count and compete for a title spot (or at least a Pool C bid)? The opener against N.C. Wesleyan is winnable, but it’ll be more challenging this year to put up 40 points like in 2014.

Pat’s take: Delaware Valley. Also green, and yellow (OK, really it’s gold). And those things I said about what Widener lost over the offseason go triple for Del Val, which lost an NFL prospect wide receiver, one of its best-ever quarterbacks, and basically starts over in terms of returning starters. But Montclair doesn’t have the type of offense that will let them run away and hide from people, so I expect the Aggies to hang in this game and keep it close longer than one might otherwise expect from them this season. Should be an interesting year in Doylestown, Pa.

We invite you to add your predictions in the comments below. Download the Around the Nation podcast on Mondays, where Pat and Keith review the picks that were prescient, and those that were terribly off base.

Triple Take: Stagg Bowl XLII predictions

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Keith McMillan

We can recycle last year’s trophy, uniforms and helmet photo, but not last year’s predictions. (City of Salem photo)

Over the past 10 years, every time Mount Union and UW-Whitewater have been in the 32-team field, they’ve met in the Stagg Bowl. For the teams’ ninth clash in Salem, we rounded up an expanded group of prognosticators for Triple Take.

Once we get past the novelty and hype, there’s a game to be played. And no two matchups are the same — casts change, strategies change, weather changes. Last year’s lucky bounces may go another way this year. To break it all down, and give you an idea of what to expect tonight, is our seven-man panel.

We predicted last season (everyone was way off) and every Stagg Bowl since 1999. Don’t like any of the picks you see here? Make your own in the comments below; your insight is welcomed.

— Keith McMillan

Pat Coleman, D3football.com publisher and executive editor
I’ve heard a lot of people compare this game to last year, saying, “how can Mount Union make up 38 points?” The point is, this isn’t 2013 and these are not the 2013 teams. Mount Union just has to score more than UW-Whitewater this time around. What Friday night will show is whether Mount Union has improved enough on defense to hold UWW down. Or whether the 2014 UWW defense can keep Kevin Burke contained, or account for Taurice Scott and Roman Namdar, whom they have never had to deal with before. Because of some of those things, I don’t expect this to be a defensive battle. I expect there will be points scored. This game could come down to a special teams play, and Mount Union has the edge there. But not enough to turn the tide. I look for UW-Whitewater, which has been tested more regularly, to show that here in Salem. UW-Whitewater 34, Mount Union 31.

Keith McMillan, D3football.com national columnist and managing editor emeritus
Mount Union hung 70 on an elite D-III team last week. Two-time Gagliardi Trophy winner Kevin Burke, who will go down as one of the best in D-III history, is playing like a man on a mission. Wesley coach Mike Drass, after his own team had its butt whooped, said the Stagg Bowl might feature another butt whooping.
UW-Whitewater, meantime, has a hobbled cornerback in Marcus McLin and has had up-and-down safety play. They’ve won their past two games by 4 and 6, and last year’s 52-14 Stagg Bowl win over the Purple Raiders is a distant memory. Shoot, it’s probably what’s fueled Mount Union’s ridiculous run back to Salem.
Realistically, I see three potential outcomes. 1. Burke has a game for the ages and lights up the UW-W defense, even if no passes go near Brady Grayvold. 2. Mykael Bratchett, John Flood IV and the Whitewater defensive line dominate the line of scrimmage, not letting Burke keep on read-option runs and not allowing him time to throw. 3. Tony Koepnick, Johnny Wiederholt and the UW-W offensive line dominate like they did last year (201 rushing yards at 4.9 per carry, no sacks of Matt Behrendt allowed or interceptions thrown); Whitewater keeps the ball out of Burke’s hands and in Dennis Moore’s while the Warhawks win ugly, like the 13-10 game in 2011.
All common sense says take Mount Union. But I’ve watched every one of the Purple Power Stagg Bowls, and what these teams do against everyone else often is little indication of how the game in Salem goes. Backing Burke and his team is perfectly reasonable. But Koepnick, Wiederholt, Spencer Shier, Eli Slonaker and Connor Peters make the difference for me. UW-Whitewater 31, Mount Union 28.

Ryan Tipps, D3football.com Around the Nation columnist
Some things in life you just can’t unsee – and the total dominance that Mount Union dealt Wesley last Saturday is one of those things. The Purple Raiders are so fast on both sides of the ball, and their special teams are able to ruin an opponent’s drive almost before it starts. Several times on Saturday, Wesley was pinned at or inside its own 10-yard line. Cases like that, it’s possible to have a 60- or 70- yard drive and come away empty-handed. It requires more than momentum to overcome the kind of long field that Mount leaves its opponents. And then there’s the defense. The Purple Raiders can get so much pressure up front, and they have linebackers and a secondary that flock to the ball so that it’s tough for offenses to stretch their legs in the least. That side of the team is so much improved from a year ago that it should completely change the dynamic of the Stagg Bowl. Hanging in the back of my mind, too, is the fact that UW-Whitewater has needed some extra magic toward the end of the season to win some of its games. Does that sound familiar? It should — it reads like the Mount Union of 2013, the one that ultimately got throttled in the Stagg. I give credit to Whitewater for having the will to win and the poise to regain the upper hand in these games, but this kind of thing will catch up to a team in the end. And the end is Salem: Mount Union 41, UW-Whitewater 24

Adam Turer, D3football.com Around the Mid-Atlantic columnist
Last year, Mount Union’s defense gave up 140 points on its path to Salem. This year, that number is 52. The Purple Raiders defense entered this season with something to prove, and the unit has shown much improvement from a year ago. UW-Whitewater quarterback Matt Behrendt has thrown four interceptions in the past three games, after tossing just three in his previous 26 starts. This year, it was the Warhawks who eked out quarterfinal and semifinal wins which were not decided until the final minutes. As Mount Union showed in last year’s Stagg Bowl, a team can only bend so many times before it breaks. With several emotional subplots on both sides, I think Kevin Burke finally gets his first win over UW-Whitewater and sends Lance Leipold off to Division I with his first Stagg Bowl loss. Mount Union 42, UW-Whitewater 34

Josh Smith, D3football.com Around the West columnist
I can’t wait to see if Mount Union continues its dominant playoff run or if UW-Whitewater’s resiliency comes through one more time. Both teams have star players on both sides of the ball and top-notch coaching, so I expect a close game. I think it’s special teams – either a big play or a crucial mistake – that swings this game. It could be as simple as controlling field position. Maybe a punt return by Tim Kennedy or Justin Howard tips the game one way or another. Or perhaps it comes down to Edward Ruhnke or Will Meyer splitting the uprights when it matters most. The Warhawks have managed to gut out close games the past two weeks. I think they find a way to do it again and send Lance Leipold off with as many championships as career losses. UW-Whitewater 31, Mount Union 28

Gary Douglas Lundberg, play-by-play for KOOL 106.5 Whitewater
Every year there seems to be a new story line. In 2006, it was Bob Berezowitz’s final game. In ’07 it’s a new head coach and quarterback. The final game for Larry Kehres in 2012. And now in 2014, it’s Lance Liepold’s (and most of his staff’s) final game. I’m not sure anyone saw last year’s result coming and this year is equally intriguing. Mount looks to be much improved, especially on the defensive side. Whitewater has “bent” on defense particulary in the last half of the season. With Jake Kumerow back, the offense has found its stride again. And for the Purple Raiders, Kevin Burke is … Kevin Burke. I’ve always been an “intangible” guy and the two that I see the most are: Mount looking to payback after last year’s humbling defeat and Whitewater winning one more for their departing head coach and longtime defensive coordinator Brian Borland. It could be a wild one. UW-Whitewater 35, Mount Union 31

Frank Rossi, D3football.com Stagg Bowl sideline reporter
I originally chose UW-Whitewater to win when I co-hosted the final “In the HuddLLe” show of the season, but that was before Mount Union beat Wesley by 49. So, I decided to take a different approach this year in making my D3football.com prediction, as I have tended to perform badly in the six prior tries I’ve had. We know that in 2013, UW-Whitewater beat Mount Union by 38 points. I wanted to compare the teams through the first 14 games in each year to see what I could learn statistically:

Mount Union:
2014: Scoring — 844-130 (+714, avg. 51.0) — +20 TO Ratio
2013: Scoring — 686-266 (+420, avg. 30.0) — +10 TO Ratio

Whitewater:
2014: Scoring — 558-149 (+409, avg. 29.2) — +25 TO Ratio
2013: Scoring — 501-122 (+379, avg. 27.1) — +31 TO Ratio

Both teams had a better average margin of victory, but Mount Union’s jumped by nearly 22 points. This was likely aided by the improved turnover ratio Mount Union experienced. The question becomes: is this enough to account for more than a 38-point swing Friday night? It seems like the Mount Union defense has leveled the playing field — this didn’t exist in the 2013 stomping and led to the Whitewater dominance in that game. Add the improvement in offensive efficiency, and I believe Mount Union will win going away. Mount Union 38, UW-Whitewater 27

Listen to our annual Stagg Bowl Webcast on Friday night, beginning at 5 p.m. and featuring the first reveal of the All-America team. Download the Around the Nation podcast and keep an eye out for the final D3football.com top 25 after the game, where Pat, Keith and a band of guests wrap up the season.

Triple Take: On Semifinal Saturday, same ol’ or surprises?

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Keith McMillan

Logan Nemeth had 60 yards and a touchdown on the ground for Mount Union in the quarterfinals. (Photo by Dan Poel, d3photography.com)

It’s tempting at this point to think with our hearts and not our heads. Nobody except UW-Whitewater and Mount Union fans would object to seeing some fresh faces in Salem, whether it be one team or two. And there have been times in the past where it looked like the other semifinalists could hang (St. Thomas and Wesley in 2011) and they couldn’t, and times when they could (like last year’s one-point wins over Mary Hardin-Baylor and North Central).

Truth be told, the past two years, the semifinal round has been better than the Stagg Bowl that followed, at least from an entertainment standpoint. But no matter what happens this Saturday, onlookers should be entertained. Linfield is inspired by the loss of a teammate and crisscrossing the country like 1999 Pacific Lutheran. UW-Whitewater coach Lance Leipold is heading off to take over a D-I program, and all of D-III has a vested interest in how he does. He’s just trying for a sixth national title before he and half the coaching staff depart. Wesley’s in its sixth semifinal and is just dying to break through to Salem. Mount Union is trying to avenge a 52-14 thrashing by UW-W in last year’s Stagg Bowl, with one of the great quarterbacks in D-III history at the controls.

Whether it’s the same ol’ twosome, the Salem surprises or some combination of both, there’s reason to watch. Publisher Pat Coleman, national columnist Ryan Tipps and I forecast Saturday’s games. We don’t consult with each other on the picks, and don’t get anything for being right. (For picking the wrong team, we get grief). If nothing else, here are three thoughts on how Saturday could go. And at least one wish for the semifinals to live up to the past few.

– Keith McMillan

WESLEY (12-1) at MOUNT UNION (13-0), Noon ET
Keith’s take: By now, you know the story of last season’s quarterfinal in Alliance: Mount Union takes a 31-0 lead, Wesley scores 59 points from there but falls three short. That was last year, but it plays a role on Saturday. Forget being intimdated by The Machine. The Wolverines know they can outplay the Purple Raiders, at least for a portion of the game. That makes Saturday’s clash intriguing from the start. Mount Union is as prolific and mistake-free as always, and thanks to John Carroll, more tested in tight games against high-caliber opponents than they often are at this point. Expect a better day from both defenses, but the key is whether Aamir Petrose, Payton Rose, Roderick Caine and Brenton Barnes can do anything against the Purple Raiders’ offensive line. We’ve seen Mount Union O-lines own highly-touted Wesley D-linemen in the past, but it’s particularly key here because the Wolverines’ secondary can actually match up with Mount Union’s wide receivers, and the Purple Raiders running game could be slowed down but UMU QB Kevin Burke is dangerous with time to throw. Burke can also spark the running game himself, so Wesley needs to keep him bottled up. If Wesley LB Sosthene Kaepepula keeps his emotions in check and plays his best game, and the Mount Union defense can’t force a handful of Joe Callahan turnovers, this can go Wesley’s way, on one condition. The Wolverines better have a two-score lead or the ball last. If Burke gets the final possession and the Purple Raiders are tied or within seven, they’re winning. Wesley 34, Mount Union 27.
Ryan’s take: I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little tempted to go the other way with this pick. However, Mount doesn’t have an obvious vulnerability to justify picking against them right now. There are signs, though, that Wesley will be even more able to compete with Mount this season than the Wolverines have been in years past. Thanks to clear skies expected Saturday in Alliance, some big plays are possible with both teams lining up first-team All-Region quarterbacks under center and them having stud targets to throw to. That could jack up the score and make for a lot of excitement in what should otherwise be a worthy defensive effort for the two teams. Defenses built around Kapepula, Rose and Bender or Kocheff, Lally and Spencer, among a host of others, might get exploited for a big play here and there, but they won’t break. They never break. That’s what makes them so consistently good. This will be a thrilling game to watch, and each team will need to produce its best game of the season if it hopes to suit up next weekend in Salem. Mount Union 38, Wesley 33.
Pat’s take: I consider this a reprise of last year’s game, but better played, on both ends. I suspect Wesley might not give up a 67-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. Or cough up the ball on the 23. Or throw a pick-six, all in the first quarter. And Mount Union won’t let Joe Callahan throw eight touchdown passes or throw for 633 yards. Both of these defenses should be better than last year. The Mount Union offense has more weapons to choose from throwing the ball but the run game might be more banged up than last season. We can throw out the usual intimidation factor as Wesley is no stranger to Mount Union or the national semifinals. Wesley has played in front of more people and has faced a tougher opponent, I think, in Charlotte. But in the end, Mount Union is still the machine, and being down one running back or so isn’t going to be a big deal for a team with as much depth as the Purple Raiders have. Mount Union 38, Wesley 35.

LINFIELD (11-1) at UW-WHITEWATER (13-0), 2:30 CT
Keith’s take: If you’ve read the features on the site this week, you saw how both defenses were highlighted. And if you are a regular with us this time of year, you know we tend to say things like “line play makes all the difference this deep in the postseason.” That’s still true here, and it’s hard to project, but after watching a relentless Linfield defensive line rough up Widener last week, the Warhawks should have their hands full up front. UW-Whitewater can’t afford to wait until the fourth quarter to get a spark on offense this week. Sam Riddle and the Wildcats’ offense should put up some points, especially with Warhawks CB Marcus McLin expected to be out. Linfield led 17-0 at Perkins Stadium last season before UW-W scored the final four TDs of the game. The Wildcats have already beaten a Whitewater-quality team this postseason in UMHB. I could be getting sentimental with my pick because of Linfield’s story following the Parker Moore tragedy, but UW-W’s shaky performance against Wartburg cast doubt on their ability to give Lance Leipold a story book sendoff. Going against the defending champs isn’t as outlandish at it seems. The Wildcats, in their fourth try, finally get the UW-W monkey off their backs. Linfield 29, UW-Whitewater 27.
Ryan’s take: Consider this a nod to Linfield’s rise the past few weeks to “own it” this postseason: the growth out of the regular-season defeat, the heartbreak and motivation over the death of Parker Moore, the long road trips, the dominance in Belton and the doubters across the nation that come with a “mere” No. 10 ranking. No, this isn’t a pick rooted in not wanting to see the Warhawks in Salem for the ninth time in 10 years or having any ill will toward Lance Leipold for moving to a new level in his coaching career. In fact, this pick has as little to do with Whitewater as it possibly can in a situation like this. The Warhawks are a great team that showed last weekend and several times throughout the season their will to win and their ability to put together something spectacular to make that happen. But the Wildcats, right now with what they’ve accomplished, are playing more spectacularly. The young quarterback, the senior wide receiver, the veteran offensive line and the impassioned defense are playing better than they have all season. It’s a recipe for an upset against the defending national champions. Linfield 28, UW-Whitewater 27.
Pat’s take: Against my better judgment here, perhaps. Linfield has been riding a wave of success and emotion the past five weeks and that is difficult to ignore. Meanwhile, the emotion may have been a detriment for Whitewater this past weekend. But Whitewater has trailed early against Linfield before, like it trailed Wartburg last week. Perhaps they have one more comeback in them, the drive to get one more title for Lance Leipold, Brian Borland and co., not to mention a senior class that is playing for its third title. (Each of the past four senior classes at Whitewater has left with three national championships.) Frankly, I feel Linfield is more talented, but believe the Warhawks will find a way to edge this out. Whether that is home field, better coaching, just a hair more experience in big games, or a combination of the three, I go with UW-Whitewater 31, Linfield 30.