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ATN Podcast 422: Some of the numbers almost mean something

Week 7 in Division III football brought dominant defense, dramatic finishes and a playoff picture that is beginning to take shape, even if the current NPI still needs much more data before it tells the full story.

UW-Platteville put together an almost incomprehensible defensive performance against UW-River Falls, while Maryville forced five turnovers to upset Trinity (Texas) and continue its remarkable turnaround after an 0-3 start. St. John’s survived a serious challenge from Concordia-Moorhead, and Hope erased a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat Adrian.

Hope coach Peter Stuursma joins us to discuss the halftime adjustments, his three-headed backfield and an electric homecoming atmosphere.

We hand out game balls to two big backfield performers from Saturday, talk about why two Division III football teams keep playing each other and a which conference contender is getting its injured quarterback back at exactly the right time.

Logan Hansen returns with Analytics 301 to examine the race for those coveted top eight seeds, likely at-large candidates and four Week 8 games that could reshape the postseason picture.

Then we go region by region: For example, Bridgewater wins with eight points after the clock hits zero, Texas Lutheran’s Malik Johnson makes NCAA history, Baldwin Wallace keeps building its case, Millikin and Illinois Wesleyan go wild in the final two minutes, and UW-Eau Claire takes another step forward.

We also revisit some of the “drunkest” games we’ve ever seen, ask whether anyone is truly driving the Centennial Conference race, and discuss Division III’s unusual run of in-season coaching changes.

Patrick and Greg cover it all in Around the Nation Podcast No. 422.

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You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast

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Photos: UMass Dartmouth athletics file photo by Calder Troutman Photography cgtshots; Andy McNeill for UW-Platteville athletics; Maryville athletics file photo

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ATN Podcast 420: No consensus, plenty of contenders

UW-Whitewater found a freshman-sized answer to a championship-sized challenge, while St. John’s turned shovel passes into an avalanche against Bethel and WashU broke through with the first top 10 victory in program history. Across Division III, defenses joined the scoring spree, long field goals delivered big wins and the playoff picture got a whole lot more interesting.

Which two defenses each produced three pick-sixes on the same Saturday? Which quarterback ran for three fourth-quarter touchdowns on just four carries? Which offense somehow scored 335 points on 336 plays? Oh yes, we did the math.

Who came up with the key defensive plays to get a game ball in Trinity’s revenge win against Berry? Who became a one-man Falcon wrecking machine in Whitewater? Who hit from 54 yards to give Luther a win, and who earned the nickname “Patty Ice” while kicking St. Olaf to a win?

Plus, WashU coach Aaron Keen joins us for Fast Five, the analytics say what they’re going to say, and Dickinson produces a third quarter unlike just about anything we’ve seen. Who survived an even longer delay than the one at St. John’s? Who scored three touchdowns before the opponent even recorded a first down? And who finally got to see the St. John’s tailgate?

And looking ahead: Can Whitewater follow its biggest win of the season by winning at UW-La Crosse? Will Rowan’s defensive prowess continue at Salisbury? Might Howard Payne make a statement at Mary Hardin-Baylor? Can Ohio Northern throw a great big … bear paw … into the OAC race? And most importantly, what happens when No. 1 North Central and No. 2 Wheaton meet for the Little Brass Bell?

Patrick and Greg tackle all this, plus your mailbag questions, in the latest edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast.

Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device.

You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast

Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps:

Photos: Semanco Media for WashU athletics; Evan Laserstein for UW-Whitewater athletics, Ella Carlson for St. John’s athletics

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ATN Podcast 247: The one with buy or sell

There are lots of teams in Division III which you have questions about, and you’re not alone. We have the same questions about a handful of teams, and in this edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast, Pat Coleman and Keith McMillan tackle a few of them. Are they on track or overperforming so far? It’s buy or sell on the podcast.

And then, we have lots of questions for Salisbury coach Sherm Wood. His team is back in action this week after two consecutive bye weeks, and the win against UW-Oshkosh is kind of a distant memory, even though it’s the last game they played. How did the Sea Gulls keep the guys busy for two weeks? Plus, Wood talks about whether he ever thought he would be a long-time head coach at his alma mater, where the program has grown, and whether it can break through past the national quarterfinals. Also, Wood and one of his proteges are two of a small number of black head coaches in Division III football, and he talks about that as well.

This edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast is sponsored by Gotta Have It: 3D Fan Foam Wall Signs for the D-III fan in your life.

Plus, everyone talks about their games to watch, we get Keith’s one-liners, Pat has to spell his name and Keith has to keep it close, and much more in Podcast 247: The one with buy or sell?

Pat and Keith talk about it all in the latest D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast. The D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast is a regular conversation between Pat Coleman and Keith McMillan and guests covering the wide range of Division III football.

Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device.

Full episode: [display_podcast]

You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast

Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps:

Theme music: DJmentos. Photo by Salisbury athletics