Tag Archives: UW-River Falls

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ATN Podcast 418: Another streak ends

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My goodness. It’s been 38 years since Heidelberg did that — that being winning a football game at Mount Union. This is just the third OAC loss for Mount Union since the turn of the century — how’s that for words we never expected to say — but it seems more impactful than the Ohio Northern game in 2005 or the John Carroll game in 2016 because it’s the Purple Raiders’ third loss in four games. And Mount Union is just 12 seconds away from being 0-3 on the season.

What’s wrong with the Purple Raiders?

This isn’t a question that we take lightly around here. When Mount Union did not win the national titles in consecutive years and then lost a regular season game, there was some glee in the Division III crowd, thinking that the Mount Union run was over.

It was not. This was 2005. Mount Union has won six more titles since then.

Patrick and Greg talk through the game, the repercussions for Mount Union, what might happen to the program this season. Surprise: There is still reason to be hopeful in 2026, Purple Raider fans.

UW-River Falls continued its amazing start to the season, one fueled by its defense in a 31-14 win at Wartburg. Patrick Coleman talks to Falcons running back Trevor Asher, Falcons coach Jake Wissing and Wartburg coach Chris Winter. (Plus more interviews and highlights in the video at the bottom of the page.) Susquehanna and Chapman register big wins against ranked opponents as well.

Our hearts go out to everyone in the UMass-Dartmouth community after the deadly stabbing of freshman running back Marvins Antoine following the team’s Friday night game.

Greg got over to the showdown of restart programs in Southern California, where Azusa Pacific got the win vs. Whittier, and we hear from APU coach AJ Parnell and quarterback Laki Wallwork. We tell you why your unbeaten team isn’t in the D3football.com Top 25. We hand out game balls, find the interesting stats of the week, Jake Wissing is our guest for Fast Five and more. Patrick Coleman and Greg Thomas get you to your 21st night of September in this week’s edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast.

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Photos: Heidelberg athletics by Nikki Miller; Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com

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ATN Podcast 417: Another splashy Saturday

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It seems like Division III football made another big splash this past weekend, and we’re not just talking about that flood that overtook Washington & Jefferson’s field at halftime vs. Keystone. No, we’re talking about another great week of games.

How about unranked Randolph-Macon taking down then-No. 3 Johns Hopkins? No. 1 North Central and No. 9 Wartburg tight going deep into the fourth quarter? No. 6 UW-River Falls taking it to No. 21 Coe? No. 14 Hardin-Simmons winning at No. 12 UW-La Crosse?

And none of that even includes the fact that Mount Union was 16 seconds away from losing its third consecutive game.

Game balls get handed out to some of the top performances and most memorable performances in Division III from Week 2. Plus, which team held the ball for more than 25 minutes in the second half? Yes, you read that right. Who’s hitting a ton in Region 1? What’s the hullabaloo in the 2? What do you see in the 3? Who’s got questions galore in the 4? Who’s taking a long drive in the 5? Who’s getting their kicks in the 6?

Randolph-Macon coach Pedro Arruza joins us for Fast Five. Plus, when Patrick pulls over the podcast car to the side of the road, what is the big question? And didn’t Pumpkin Spice season come even earlier this year? We’ll have a Pumpkin Spice Showdown in the Final Countdown. Plus we take four mailbag questions, and much more.

Patrick Coleman and Greg Thomas deliver all of the goodness to your fall in this week’s edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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: Randolph-Macon athletics; Wade Gardner, d3photography.com; Hardin-Simmons athletics

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ATN Podcast 412: Early look at 1 vs. 2

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The wait is almost over, and the 2026 Division III football season is kicking off with an absolute bang. On this episode of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast, we are breaking down our newly released Preseason Top 25 poll and looking ahead to a schedule that is already shaping up to be, well, we used the term “gobsmacking.”

This edition of the D3football.com Podcast is sponsored by GameStrat, the most reliable & fastest in-game video replay system on the market. Find out more at GameStrat.com.

For the very first time in the 23-year history of the poll, the season opens with a monumental clash between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country. It’s an unprecedented Week 1 blockbuster that breaks the mold of the usual Mount Union, Whitewater, or Mary Hardin-Baylor early-season math. We dive into what this historic matchup, between North Central and Bethel, means for the landscape of D-III football, how the poll numbers set up the early schedule, and highlight the games you absolutely cannot miss.

Plus, we are bringing you newsmakers directly from the sidelines to get you ready for the fall:

Coach Brad Spencer and senior safety Brayden Garrigan from North Central join us. Spencer chats about the mindset in Naperville heading into 2026, how the coaching staff is managing the continued sky-high expectations, and the benefits of playing Bethel once again. We also get Garrigan’s perspective on his busy offseason and what it actually feels like in the North Central locker room in terms of bringing new starters and freshmen into the mix.

Mary Hardin-Baylor head coach Larry Harmon drops in to discuss how the Cru are hoping to improve on offense in their second year since the return of offensive coordinator Steven Lee. While the quarterback situation is a little up in the air, we hear a little about the position, plus what UMHB needs to do to elevate the offense. We also talk about the Cru’s schedule, especially key games against Endicott and Rowan which are sure to help the NPI of the winner.

Plus we answer mailbag questions about the preseason Top 25, share our sleeper picks for the 2026 season, talk about how we go about making our preseason votes, and give a brief prediction for the game between No. 1 North Central and No. 2 Bethel. And … what of UW-River Falls? The Falcons lost key personnel to graduation, more to the transfer portal, and their head coach and offensive coordinator. We know, not everyone has heard. Patrick and Greg do not agree as to where UW-River Falls should be ranked in the preseason, but we’ll offer hope for where they might find success in 2026.

That and more in this edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. The D3football.com Around the Nation podcast is a weekly conversation during the season, twice monthly in the offseason, about NCAA Division III football, and has been running since 2007.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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: Mathieu Starke, d3photography.com; Mary Hardin-Baylor athletics; Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com