Big games done, rivalries shine

By Don Stoner, Augsburg SID (posted Nov. 10)

MINNEAPOLIS -- Well, everything has played itself out in the region. The "big games" are history, and each of the eight teams in the region that are in contention for national playoff berths have winnable games this weekend.

So, it's time to talk turkey.

The "Battle for the Bronze Turkey," to be exact.

In the Midwest Conference, Monmouth and Knox have met for the Bronze Turkey trophy for over a century. This year's meeting between the two schools, set for Saturday at 1 p.m. at Bobby Woll Field in Monmouth, Ill., will mark the 111th renewal of the battle. The series is tied 50-50-10, though Knox has won four of the last five games in the series.

Why the "Bronze Turkey?" The series between the two schools began in 1891, but the trophy was originated in 1928, when a Knox player named Bill Collins came up with the idea of awarding a traveling trophy between the two schools. Two newspapers put up $40 apiece for a turkey trophy -- the idea appropriate for a game originally played on Thanksgiving Day -- and the series gained new prestige. 

The series is the second-longest west of the Allegheny Mountains, the fourth-longest series in Division III football and the seventh-longest among all college football rivalries. And with only a handful of interruptions, the series has been alive and well every year since 1946.

The turkey itself has been "abducted" several times, buried under a dirt indoor track, hoarded by each school for a time, and eventually replaced with a new turkey statue in 1985. But the original turkey showed its giblets again in 1993, when it was returned to Monmouth during a Homecoming class reunion.

Amazingly enough, the series has always been close. The 100th meeting between the schools, a 14-0 Monmouth victory in 1989, made the series 45-45-0; the teams have split the last 10 games.

This year's game will mark the first meeting for the senior classes at both schools to play the rivalry game at Monmouth's home field; the 1998 game, scheduled for Bobby Woll Field, was moved to another facility because the Monmouth field was declared unplayable.

Even though both teams enter the game with identical 2-7 records (2-6 in conference play), the rivalry still holds a special meeting. 

"It's a great rivalry," said Monmouth coach Steve Bell, in his first season at the school. "It's great for the game. Obviously, both teams are going to come ready to play no matter what the records are. There are huge momentum swings in games like this. Whoever can limit the turnovers and take advantage of big-play opportunities is going to come out on top."

Stout's Johnson on the comeback trail
This was to be the big year for running back Aaron Johnson of UW-Stout. The team's starter at tailback was going into his senior year when he was struck by a vehicle while on a walk along a rural road after a friend's wedding on Aug. 13. Johnson suffered massive injuries and began a painful road to recovery. His story has been the inspiration behind Stout's incredible unbeaten, Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference season this year. The Blue Devils have already clinched a Pool A playoff berth, and could finish unbeaten with a victory against Division II Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at the Metrodome in Minneapolis as part of the WIAC-Northern Sun conferences' "Border Battle."

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writer Gary D'Amato recently wrote a great piece about Johnson's recovery, which shows how a team can rally around a fallen teammate in a positive way.

This week's top games
Illinois College (5-3) at St. Norbert (9-0), 1 p.m., De Pere, Wis.
St. Norbert aims to finish unbeaten for the first time since 1957, finish with 10 wins for the first season ever and, perhaps, stay in the West Region for its first-round playoff game, instead of being shipped to the North Region as the No. 8 regional team. The Green Knights clinched the Midwest Conference's automatic playoff berth last week with a 47-24 win over Beloit, moving second-year head coach Jim Purtili to 17-0 in MWC games. Running back Matt O'Grady has been a key player in St. Norbert's success, as he is just 23 yards away from the school's single-season rushing record (1,325 yards) and one touchdown away from the single-season rushing TD mark (17). Illinois College was in a position to contend for the MWC title a few weeks ago, but two consecutive losses have put the Blueboys strictly in the position of possible spoiler.

Central (9-0) at Dubuque (0-9), 1 p.m., Dubuque, Iowa
AFCA No. 3-ranked Central has this last test before going into the NCAA playoffs as the likely Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion. Don't expect much of a challenge in this game between the bottom-ranked offense in the IIAC and the league's dominant defense. "If we can be conservative and not show things on film, that would be OK," said Central coach Rich Kacmarynski. Central looks to continue a 12-season winning streak over the Spartans. Dubuque has been shut out six times this season and scored just 27 points in the other three contests.

Loras (4-5) at Wartburg (8-1), 1 p.m., Waverly, Iowa (Waverly-Shell Rock High School field)
While Wartburg's 24-10 loss to Central last week likely cost the Knights a repeat IIAC crown, it still seems that the Knights will get one of the three Pool C bids on Sunday if they can rally for a win in their final regular-season game -- played off campus while Wartburg's regular field, Schield Stadium, is in the midst of a renovation project. The game could be an airborne battle, as two of the top three receivers in the league battle, Loras' Steve Ruden (768 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Wartburg's Ryan Rausch (670 yards, 6 TDs). However, with wintry conditions expected for Saturday, field conditions could play a big role. The high school field in Waverly has gotten a lot of use, with two prep playoff games played in rainy conditions in the last week and a half.

Concordia-Moorhead (4-5) at St. John's (8-1), 1 p.m., Collegeville, Minn.
Can St. John's make the national playoffs for the third season in a row? The outcome of Saturday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game will play a huge factor. SJU is hoping to lock up one of the three Pool C national bids as it plays in its 700th game in school history. The Johnnies are the third-winningest team in Division III history (.687 winning percentage, 468-207-24 in 90 seasons). While St. John's has played 699 games in school history, St. John's coach John Gagliardi has coached in 491 games (52 seasons overall, 48 at SJU), accumulating a 468-207-24 record. 

The game is also special on the other side of the football, as it is the last contest for Concordia coach Jim Christopherson. He is retiring after 32 years of coaching the Cobbers, accumulating a 218-100-7 record. At the MIAC's Metrodome Showcase last Saturday, conference commissioner Carlyle Carter announced that the MIAC's Most Valuable Player trophy will be renamed the "Jim Christopherson Trophy." A fitting tribute to a great coach.

This column is drawn from a variety of sources, including the outstanding work and research of sports information directors from Division III schools all over the Midwest. If you have a note or an interesting story, contact Don at stoner@augsburg.edu. The editor has no response to the shameless plug at this time.

Back to D3football.com