D3football Daily Dose

Keith and I have been on the ground for a few hours, anyway, in Oregon, and since it’s 4 a.m. ET I can safely say we’re pretty beat. Former Linfield defensive lineman Ryan Carlson and his wife have opened their spare rooms to us, thankfully, and I’m fairly sure we need to sleep in in the morning so we can be fresh for the game.

Fairly certain we’re both looking forward to seeing what McMinnville and Linfield’s game day atmosphere is all about, as well as the game between Linfield and Hardin-Simmons.

We’ll have a new gameday blog post tomorrow (hint to Gordon or John — hopefully one of you can get us started) and get you tracking the other games.

Aside from our game Saturday, here’s a few quick thoughts on some other games going on:

Salisbury at No. 20 Christopher Newport: Remember that Salisbury has always been able to run the ball. Now they can throw a little bit, too. This could be a big breakout game for the Sea Gulls. Christopher Newport has to bounce back after getting pounded by Mary Hardin-Baylor last week.

No. 21 Rowan at Wilkes: Two winless teams meet in a rematch of last year’s second-round playoff game. Wilkes could go 0-3 against the NJAC if it can’t win this one, while Rowan has had a week off to get its offense together.

Rhodes at Birmingham-Southern: The Panthers play their first varsity game since 1939 in hosting their new SCAC rival. Last week’s game against the Mississippi College JV was a good warmup, but this one counts.

Wittenberg at Olivet: The Comets are 0-3 against Wittenberg lifetime and haven’t scored either.

I would have to be awake to throw out more nuggets. Talk amongst yourselves.

Michigan Drops To Division III In Polls Following Second Loss

The Onion chose to make light of the “Victors” and their early struggles by plopping the Wolverines into the Division III football poll.

Of course, we couldn’t help but notice that The Onion chose our poll, sliding Michigan in between our No. 6 and No. 7 teams. I’ll try to bypass the obvious “we’d like to play Mount Union against these guys” joke … but it appears we couldn’t.

For the uninitiated, The Onion is a satire publication. And it’s a D3sports.com favorite.

The first piece of the long-expected shuffle of football teams in New England has come, though it wasn’t the wide-reaching change that has been talked about.

In the end, the North Atlantic Conference’s addition of football doesn’t disrupt too many homes. Norwich, which is an affiliate member of the Empire 8 as part of the dispersal that folded the Freedom Football Conference, is the only team switching homes to make this happen. Maine Maritime, which is a NAC member in other sports and could play football in the NAC at any time, is currently sticking with the NEFC. Gallaudet, Becker, Husson, Mount Ida and SUNY-Maritime have no other football home.

But it’s not going to affect, at least at the moment, the possibility that keeps looming over the NEFC — the chance that some of its teams may split off and play with their home conferences.

The 16 NEFC teams come from the following all-sports conferences: MASCAC, six (Bridgewater State, Fitchburg State, Framingham State, Massachusetts Maritime, Westfield State, Worcester State); CCC, five (Curry, Endicott, Nichols, Salve Regina, Western New England); NEWMAC, two (Coast Guard, MIT); Little East, two (Mass-Dartmouth, Plymouth State); NAC, one (Maine Maritime).

The MASCAC or CCC could far more easily pick up one or two affiliate members and be eligible for an automatic bid in two years. The NAC has no real route to an automatic bid right now, as configured.

And none of this addresses the rest of Division III, where a new league (average Kickoff ranking of the six NAC teams: 204 of 238) or a split of the NEFC would eventually add an automatic bid, and take an at-large bid away from someone else.

Then again, by the time we get there … there may be bigger fish to fry, in terms of the potential split of Division III into two divisions.

Miss the weekend games? Did you take the weekend off when your team did? Get up to date with the ATN podcast.

Keith McMillan and Pat Coleman discuss Week 2 in Division III, from the mild surprise out West, to the Springfield offense, to the extreme one-week swing for Christopher Newport. Also discussed: St. John’s, Wesley, Delaware Valley, Albright, Wabash, Linfield, Hardin-Simmons and Salisbury, among others.

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 Around the Nation Podcast [14:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

“It’ll be OK, coach.”

That’s how I would sum up the experience I just had sharing the trip with the CNU trip to Belton, Texas, where the Captains were defeated 51-19. Aside from the score, I took away many positive things from this trip.

I recently wrote in The Daily Press for this game that there would be no southern hospitality in Belton, Texas. I was wrong about that. Everyone in Texas, no matter what town, was extremely hospitable. When we finally arrived at the Killeen/Ft Hood airport, hours later than planned, a representative from the hotel was waiting for us. She would provide the escort to the hotel. At the hotel, a bevy of staff members greeted me with smiles, balloons in CNU colors, and quickly pointed me to my room key and elevators. Exiting the elevator on the third floor, more staff members greeted and directed me to my room where I found a nice basket of goodies waiting, adorned in CNU blue ribbon.

Later that evening, the few donors that contributed to the athletic department in order to hitch a ride with the team were taken to dinner by two CNU Athletic Department employees, Heather Moody, Athletic Director of Development and Jon Waters, Associate Director of Athletics and Assistant Men’s basketball coach. They took us to a Texas steakhouse. You can’t go to Texas without finding a good steak and having Texas style Bar-B-Q. Heather found a good place in Temple. Now, I’ve always heard the saying that, “Everything’s big in Texas.” I can prove it. At this restaurant, on the children’s menu, I saw an entrée for a 12 oz. Rib Eye!!!

Saturday morning I was able to eat brunch with the team. After picking out a table at random, I found myself eating with four CNU coaches, Justin Long, whom I mentioned in my previous blog, Justin Wood, former All-American linebacker and Aztec Bowl player, Curfew Speight, and Jonathon Dean. They treated me like I was one of them. I sort of was. Coaches Speight, Dean, Woods, and I all went to the same high school. Go Bruins!

As time progressed, many times I encountered CNU players and coaches. Whether it was at breakfast, in the elevator, or after the game, I was always addressed as “Sir”. It reminded me about all the positive influences sports has on people such as respect, teamwork, discipline, and being a part of something bigger than yourself. Being addressed as sir was something minor, yet extremely impressive. I cannot put into words the experience of being able to be that close to the inner workings of a college football team as they travel and prepare for a game on the road.

The CNU players impressed me beyond words. I kept in mind that these players are not here on scholarship. They love the game. They love being a part of a team. They love and appreciate what football has to offer them. When we finally landed in Newport News at about 4 a.m. and we were leaving the plane, a player came up to me and thanked me for coming to “watch us play.” I’m not even sure who that player was (no jersey with a number), but it was nice to hear. I could tell he meant it. He appreciated someone coming to watch him play.

Which brings me full circle to my opening comment. After the game, while waiting for the players to shower, Coach Kelchner came up to each donor and personally apologized for the outcome of the game and took total responsibility, simply saying, “it was my fault.” I quickly responded with, “It’s OK coach. We have next week.” I don’t think he heard me. He was focused somewhere deep in his thoughts.

For the rest of the trip I watched Coach Kelchner as he interacted with others. He always seemed deep in thought, somewhere else. I started to think about this. A head coach has to figure out, after games like this, how to approach his coaches and players in the week ahead. As a former youth baseball and basketball coach, I realize you have to approach everyone differently. Some you have to get in their face, some you have to push hard in practice, some need to see their mistakes and learn from them, some just need a pat on the back and be told, “It’ll be OK.”

That’s what I want Coach Kelchner to hear. Who tells him that? Who consoles the head coach? Who points out the mistakes? Who gets in his face? Who just says, “It’ll be OK, coach”?

It’ll be OK, coach!

This is one of those weeks where I’ll be following basically any possible game from home.

The world of live video is still relatively new. I’m watching a game where the one camera missed the entire first touchdown, the broadcasters have given the starting quarterback two incorrect names in five seconds.

Waiting for the UW-Oshkosh/Huntingdon video to start at 1 p.m. Lots of games kicking off — feel free to keep us up to date on anything big you notice and we’ll do the same.

Those broadcasters just mentioned a punt rolling to the 55-yard line. Yikes. I know I wasn’t a great broadcaster in college but I knew when I wasn’t in Canada.

In previous seasons we’ve used Around the Nation and the Daily Dose to highlight the upcoming weekend’s action. But why use two when one will do? (Well, you probably want to comment, so we’ll do two.) So instead we’ll highlight a few games each week to help you focus on the ones that matter other than those involving your favorite team.

Wish you were here: If money and time were no object, at least two games would be worth the trip to see in person. In Texas, No. 4 Mary Hardin-Baylor hosts No. 12 Christopher Newport in an intriguing rematch of last year’s barnburner. Both teams are major players in the South region. Both have extremely challenging non-conference schedules. Both could put a very large feather in their cap come Selection Sunday with a win on Saturday.

The other marquee match-up also involves Top 25 teams as No. 18 Augustana travels to No. 24 Baldwin-Wallace. Last year the Vikings’ defense held Baldwin-Wallace to 151 yards. It was also the only game in which Augustana gained more yards in the air than its opponent. But they still lost to the Yellow Jackets 17-7. On Baldwin-Wallace’s end, it’s strange but not unrealistic to talk about the season opener as a “must-win” for the Yellow Jackets’ playoff hopes. Such is life for teams in Mount Union’s conference.

Don’t sleep on this one: Only one team is ranked but the west coast battle between No. 16 Whitworth and Redlands will give an early indication of which team will contend for their conference title. Defending NWC champion Whitworth was picked second in the NWC preseason poll behind No. 13 Linfield. Redlands is trying to climb back atop the SCIAC now that Occidental begins life without quarterback Andy Collins. And while many SCIAC games kickoff long after its dark on the east coast, this one starts at 3 pm EST. So there really is no excuse for sleeping on this one.

Zzzz: Some games that look good on paper end up being as colorful as cardboard. Two years ago No. 7 Wesley versus Delaware Valley would’ve been a good non-conference battle between playoff contenders. This year it could get ugly early considering the Wolverines’ speed and Del Val’s offensive struggles. In a different vein, Geneva could challenge No. 17 Washington & Jefferson when they meet in Washington, but they won’t challenge them in the standings. The Golden Tornadoes are a provisional member of Division III and are not eligible for the PAC title.

Most likely Top 25 team to be upset: Setting aside games in which Top 25 teams are playing each other, this week’s pick for the upset special is Franklin over No. 23 Wabash. Yes, the Little Giants “always fight” but the Grizzlies are the ones who should be in a cantankerous mood. Franklin missed the playoffs despite a 9-1 finish and a 45-38 overtime win over Hoosier State rival Wabash.

Keith McMillan and Pat Coleman saw a couple of games this weekend and followed the other 80-some from afar. Hear the gurus’ take on Week 1 action below.

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This was a huge week for this Christopher Newport fan. Prior to this week my involvement with CNU sports was fairly minimal, mostly just contributing to athletics and attending basketball and football games.

On Tuesday a few of my snippets about each CNU game was put into the Daily Press, a local paper, by writer Jennifer Williams. It was nice to be recognized by someone as a knowledgeable fan. The article referred to me as, “superfan.” As of Tuesday, my daughter, Casey, had to call me Superfan Dad. Little did I know that the title would change in 24 hours.

On Wednesday I was asked if I could cover for Tracey Cooper, the analyst for CNU radio. The play by play guy, Francis Tommasino and I are friends, neighbors, and fantasy football enemies and he was gracious enough to think of me for the job. Never mind that I had been bugging him about it for years. He asked, “Is Superfan ready for the broadcast booth?” I said yes and now my daughter has to call me, Superfan Radio Announcer Dad. She said, “Loser” is easier to remember!

I’ve never done this before and wanted to make sure I did a good job. So, I went to the official sites for both teams and downloaded stats, media guides, and game day notes. I went to JTs site, Rowanfootball.com and obtained info. Thanks JT! I even heeded some last minute email advice from Pat Coleman. Thanks Pat! This is fun! If I spent as much time preparing for my fantasy league I’d probably do a little better.

I was up at 6:30 on Saturday. It was time to prepare. I was pumped. I had to be there around 10:30. Air time was 12:30 and I was curious about the amount of lead time and preparation needed to go on the air.

When I arrived, Tommasino went over the pregame schedule. I was impressed. What I thought was something fairly casual, was really well choreographed. He told me that we go on the air at 12:30. First commercial break was 12:32 for 2 minutes. Then, we would be on the air from 12:34 to 12:37….and on and on. Now, I was feeling stressed. Timetables!! It was second nature to Francis. He mentioned to me this was his 65th broadcast of CNU football. Add to that all the hoops games and also the games he did at St. Bonaventure, and you get the picture. He’s a professional.

He checked the headsets and equipment, called into the radio station and set things up quickly. He explained technical things to me and we tried to figure out what was wrong with my headset. I had noise in my left ear, which I learned the technical term was “hum.” A nice simple technical term. Also, we were informed that live stats would not be available either. Now I really felt handicapped.

The game started and I began to relax a little. My son, Stephen, sent a text message: “shut ur hole!” OK, he buys his own gas this week!

Tommasino is an ultimate professional. He made me feel comfortable and was re-assuring during commercials. He would also prompt me with cues as he talked in order to let me know when it would be good for some of my comments. It’s more difficult than I ever thought it would be. I would try to add something semi-intelligent between plays. But Rowan was often using a no-huddle, so there were times when I didn’t have much of a chance to talk. I think one thing that I lacked in accomplishing was providing game stats. I could have done a better job. I felt I was talking and thinking about what to say at the same time. I caught myself splitting sentences in the middle, connecting them together by repeating a word. I was very aware of trying to stay away from slang and the dreaded “umm” or “like” too often. I also caught myself starting sentences with “yeah” or “absolutely” whenever Tommasino made a good point. Rookie mistakes. I’m sure when I hear the archived broadcast I’ll not like what I hear. It’ll be my “game film.” I wonder how I will grade out?

When it is archived I would like Llamaguy, Matt, and the gang from Bridgewater to check it out. While giving out scores I mentioned the BC game and gave some recognition to my good D3 friends at Stone Station. I said you were “good people.” I had the honor of hosting a Stone Station communion ceremony at CNU last year. I’m looking forward to the next time!

This radio experience brought me closer to CNU sports and D3 sports overall. I understand better the passion about D3 sports that Pat, Ryan, Keith, JT and others have. It was a different perspective. I’d like to do the radio gig more often. I think I could get good at it. I wonder if Superfan will ever get to be Superfan Radio Announcer again.

One thing I have to mention. I was deeply touched watching this happen. The coaches’ box was next to the radio booth, separated by glass. In the booth was former CNU standout at safety, Justin Long. He graduated last year and is now a coach. Younger brother Matt, a sophomore, stepped into Justin’s position. Matt set a CNU record today by intercepting three passes. The second interception was crucial. It changed momentum. I looked over to the coaches’ booth after that interception. The initial reaction by Justin was that he was pumped up, fists in the air, and he was very intense. I thought he was going to run down to the field and hit someone. Then a few seconds later when I looked over again, he was wiping tears from his eyes. He was extremely proud of little brother.

That one slight moment in time told me a lot about the Long family…..and I’ve never met them. I think that image will stay with me a long time. I get to meet them in Texas next week. I’m sure it will be one of the highlights of my trip.

This week I continue being more than a regular fan. The Captains are headed to Belton, Texas, to take on No. 4 Mary Hardin-Baylor. CNU offered tickets on the team plane to fans. I jumped at the chance. My only worry is that in the snippet for the newspaper, I predicted a large UMHB win. Maybe I’ll have to ride home stuffed in the overhead carry-on compartment!

Hopefully, Pat and the D3football.com gang will be kind enough to allow me to blog my experiences on the team plane.

Keith McMillan here in Dover, Del. getting a look at preseason USA South favorite N.C. Wesleyan visiting two-time semifinalist Wesley, which returns a large chunk of its past two top-10 teams.

The move to watch for them is the adjustment to new quarterback Jason Schatz, who played receiver last year while longtime QB Chris Warrick was running things. The Wolverines are wearing mismatched road whites, despite being at home, apparently because the new dark blue jerseys haven’t come in yet (file that in the Only In D3 files). N.C. Wesleyan’s got the Notre Dame look, and came out with a ritual I hadn’t seen before, with a player swinging a sledgehammer to the field turf as the team runs in from the end zone to their sideline.

I had previously thought I’d rather be at Rowan-Christopher Newport today, assuming that would be a better game, but seeing how jacked up both teams are here, I’m not regretting being here at all.

Feel free, dear readers, to kick in your thoughts from whatever action you’re watching or listening to today.