To us here at D3sports.com, Division III is the highest form of purely amateur athletics in the U.S. It’s where students — note, not “student-athletes” — play for love of the game. Division III competitors get no special treatment, no scholarships, no special privileges, no separate dining halls, no dorms to themselves. They don’t get preferred treatment from their professors; in fact, it’s far more likely they get treated more harshly from teachers who believe they don’t belong in the school.

But distilling that opinion, plus the opinions of hundreds of other Division III true believers, down into a form that can be easily shared and understood, isn’t easy. Here’s how Division III is positioning itself:

“Follow your passions and discover your potential.

“The college experience is a time of learning and growth – a chance to follow passions and develop potential. For student-athletes in Division III, all of this happens most importantly in the classroom and through earning an academic degree. The Division III experience provides for passionate participation in a competitive athletic environment, where student-athletes push themselves to excellence and build upon their academic success with new challenges and life skills. And student-athletes are encouraged to pursue the full spectrum of opportunities available during their time in college. In this way, Division III provides an integrated environment for student-athletes to take responsibility for their own paths, follow their passions and find their potential through a comprehensive learning experience.”

What’s your take?

For more, here’s the NCAA News article on the unveiling.

While I know it is Christmas Week and not Thanksgiving, there are so many things and people for which your Sideline Guy is thankful. Let’s look at the top ten things I am thankful for after this Stagg Bowl XXXVII.

10. Ustream.tv. For all the press YouTube gets, we forget that the capacity for video broadcasting live events over the Internet is limited. However, D3football.com forged a friendship with Ustream.tv at the beginning of the playoffs this year that allowed us to maximize the possibilities of coverage free of charge (for both us and our viewers/listeners). Saturday was the first time we utilized live video for the site that was produced directly by us. Yes, the results were choppy at times – but we had a skeleton crew due to the weather. For this year’s game, the thing everyone wanted to see for themselves was the state of the weather in Salem before game time – and we provided those shots to put everything in perspective. Thanks again to Ustream.tv for their support and features throughout the playoffs. For those who were not able to see the pregame show, we have placed the 2009 D3football.com All-American Team Announcement portion on YouTube – Part 1 is embedded here:

9. The five-hour delay of the Stagg Bowl kickoff. There are some selfish and unselfish reasons for why I appreciated the five-hour delay. Selfishly, my sleep level was low heading into Saturday morning. Because of the 9:00am EST pregame show scheduling, we had to wake up at around 6:15am to get ready for the big show. The five-hour delay allowed me to refresh a bit more with about three more hours of sleep. Unselfishly, however, the delay allowed the City of Salem to clean up the surrounding roads enough to ensure the safety of the local fans or the fans that had already arrived for the game. In addition, it allowed the field to be completely cleared so that people could not blame the field’s condition for any results in the Stagg Bowl. I have put together a slide show of pictures taken by Peggy Erwin (with her permission to use the photos) to show just how bad the field and outside conditions were overnight at and around Salem Stadium (special thanks also to Peggy for the use of her camera lens for our photo coverage Saturday). Those extra five hours were key in protecting the integrity of the Division III Championship Game from a weather-based fluke, so thanks to Shonna Brown (Assistant Director of NCAA Championships), Dr. Joy Solomen (Chair of the NCAA Division III Football Selection Committee) and all others who were involved in making that key decision.

8. The safety of everyone involved, not just including the players. One thing I noted while patrolling the sidelines for the D3football.com broadcast was that the injuries we witnessed were, overall, minor. There was the need to re-tape a couple linemen’s legs after they got dinged up, and some other minor injuries were witnessed (i.e., Cecil Shorts entered the postgame press conference on crutches). However, the game did not lead to any debilitating injuries – the type of which you might expect from such a hard-hitting and close game. So, while I am thankful for that, I am also very thankful that we know of no injuries that were caused by the weather conditions to fans heading toward the game. Sure, some buses never made it to Salem and many people who did reach Salem had incredible journeys (including the over 24-hour drive experienced by our own Gordon Mann from Philly). Yet, the safety of everyone seems to be accounted for from the looks of the message boards and blogs I have seen. Let’s face it, the weather could have been a tragedy of epic proportions when it came to travel injuries and/or fatalities. The fact that it wasn’t makes us all truly thankful.

7. WarhawkTrombone. I figure since WarhawkTrombone has been such a loyal follower of these “Sideline Guy” blogs, I need to thank him for his unending support and information. For those that did not see the comments of the prior “Sideline Guy” entries (especially “Gagliardi, the matchup, snow”), WarhawkTrombone and the rest of the Wisconsin-Whitewater band did not reach Salem due to the conditions. Instead, their bus stopped at an Indiana Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and watched the game there. While both bands’ presences were missed, the Wild Wings story proves the dedication of the Division III Football fan base as much as any story I could tell. So, thanks WarhawkTrombone for keeping the weekend informative and light with your upbeat spirit. We all appreciated it.

6. Karen from US Airways. Yes, I had my own travel nightmare after the Stagg Bowl. Pat Coleman and I shared a car but arrived and departed from different airports (Pat at Greensboro, but Raleigh-Durham for me). After we ended the D3football.com broadcast, I received a message from JetBlue that my 7:00am return flight was canceled. I quickly tried to find new accommodations and found a US Airways flight from Raleigh-Durham to LaGuardia Airport through Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. at 3:25pm. As I pulled in to return our rental car at 1:45pm, I received a robo-call that my flight to Washington was canceled. After waiting in line for about 90 minutes, Karen, the check-in manager at the US Airways counter, helped me. I was nice to her because I knew it wasn’t her fault and that she was already frazzled – the positive energy I think she appreciated, as she immediately rebooked me to a direct flight to LaGuardia at 5:58pm. While the flight was further delayed, we did take off at around 9:40pm from Raleigh-Durham. I can feel some of the pain the fans that had long journeys to the game endured Friday and Saturday (and so can Keith McMillan after his 16-hour return drive home from Salem to Northern Virginia – normally a three-hour trip). As for Karen, thanks to her for her quick work getting me on the flight home and for referring to me as the “cute Italian guy” when using me as a point of reference for a customer she needed to help next.

5. A more competent ESPN set of commentators. I won’t sit here trashing previous play-by-play broadcasters and color commentators over the years since I try not to be negative in these columns. However, I think it’s appropriate to relay that, for the first time I have attended the festivities, this year’s commentators (Clay Matvick, David Diaz-Infante and Quint Kessenich) actually attended the players’ banquet on Friday and mingled with the fans for a large portion of the day and night preceding the game. These guys showed a genuine interest in the game and in getting names, statistics and stories correct (and promoting things like an offensive lineman winning Division III’s highest award). Diaz-Infante, who won two Super Bowls in the late 1990s, came up to Pat Coleman and me Saturday morning in the hotel lobby to let us know he was impressed with the work we had done on the site and with the blog entries to that point. While I did not get to watch the broadcast, I have a feeling that these guys did a quality job handling a college football scene that was somewhat foreign to them (Clay Matvick even said after the Friday luncheon that the way the player representatives wished their opponents luck was a breath of fresh air compared to what he was accustomed). Thanks to those guys for the hard work they put in (and I hope they made it to the New Orleans Bowl Sunday night without problems).

4. The officiating crew. I bet you didn’t really think much about the officiating crew during the game, right? That generally is an indication that they’ve done an excellent job. In this case, I can vouch for their performance. First, the crew made sure the game moved along with minimal stoppages. With the colder weather beginning to set in during the second half, this again helped keep the weather from playing a major role. Second, whenever there were questions and necessary stoppages, they minimized those situations. There were three questionable touchdown calls in the game. The officials knew that there were questions each time, quickly discussed the appropriate “on the field” call amongst themselves and then proceeded almost immediately to an instant replay position since the calls needed to be confirmed or overturned. So, to the Northwest Conference officials, thanks for being a real non-factor in Saturday’s game.

3. Stone Station. Just because the Old Dominion Athletic Conference hosts the Stagg Bowl doesn’t mean that the ODAC is responsible for a tailgate party. Normally, that would be the fans’ doing – but the distance fans travel and the tough feasibility of planning a consistent tailgate party due to potentially different participants makes tailgating a special challenge in the Stagg Bowl context. Enter Stone Station – Bridgewater’s collection of parents and fans that put on an absolutely spectacular tailgating event annually in the Salem Stadium parking lot. The challenges this year with the weather were especially acute, making our appreciation stretch even further. When we arrived to set up for our pregame show, plates of food were sent automatically to us without us having to even ask – and I had yet to eat due to the time issues we encountered following our slow drive into the facility. Stone Station kept this Sideline Guy running – and even gave him some postgame fuel when Keith McMillan and I stopped by. Thanks again for everything!

2. Carey Harveycutter and his crew in Salem. For those of you that watched my interview with Carey on Friday before the game, you saw a somewhat pensive but upbeat Director of Civic Facilities mentally preparing for the challenges that laid ahead with the epic storm yet to hit. At 6:15am Saturday, I was awoken by a phone call from an energetic voice with a slight southern accent, but I really discounted the idea that Carey could be the man on the other end with that much energy. Well, it was him asking us to spread the word that the kickoff was pushed to 4:03pm EST. When Pat and I went to leave for the stadium, we were forced, with hotel cleanup’s help, to remove about 20 inches of snow from our car and said to each other how the field conditions could not be very good. We could not have been more wrong – as Warhawks quarterback Jeff Donovan told us, the field conditions were perfect for football. There was not a speck of snow on the playing field. Thank you to the entire Salem, VA crew (always numbering at least 12 people) who worked throughout the evening, night and day to make the weather a virtual non-factor in this year’s Stagg Bowl. If you do not receive special 2011, 2012 and 2013 bid consideration for your efforts this year, I will be the first one to cry “foul.” As always, it was a great three days of events, even without the snow removal situation.

1. 28-28 with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter. Just because the field was clear and the teams were appearing for their fifth consecutive matchup did not guarantee a good game. Yet, the net result of everyone’s efforts on and off the field was a success from a competition standpoint. It appeared for a few minutes that we were destined for overtime until Levell Coppage’s 31-yard touchdown moved us away from that scenario. The game was fast-paced, exciting and energetic from start to finish, and that is a credit to the players, coaches, the City of Salem, the NCAA and ESPN for switching start times, the officials and many others. We may not all agree on the 32nd team selected to the NCAA Playoffs this year, but we can all agree on the excitement the final game provided and the final result on the scoreboard. That’s what truly matters in the end – and congratulations to both teams for putting on the show that entertained us all until the very end. Stagg Bowl XXXVII will certainly never be forgotten – and not just because of the snow.

Until next year, folks, thanks for reading my Stagg Bowl XXXVII entries. Feel free to leave your own stories and memories in the comments below, as we love your responses.

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This question pops up like clockwork this time of year, as fans who are tired of seeing the same teams in the Stagg Bowl every year campaign to get either Mount Union or UW-Whitewater out of Division III, if not both. But my message now is the same as it always has been: no.

For 15 years, Mount Union has been the single team on top of the Division III world. In some years, the Purple Raiders have come into the season as the foregone conclusion favorite to win the national championship, without any reasonable hope for any other team.

Is that what we want?

I think the dynastic duo is better for Division III than the alternative. Those who remember when Rowan was that second team in position to challenge for the title know that the Profs gave the Purple Raiders some tests, even if they didn’t finish it off. But since then, teams have come and gone. St. John’s is the only other team to beat Mount Union in Salem, but has lost its last three playoff games by an average of three touchdowns. Bridgewater challenged Mount Union once, then lost 66-0 in the semifinals. Mary Hardin-Baylor beat the Purple Raiders in Alliance but wasn’t able to live up to its “program No. 3″ status this season. Linfield could get itself onto that list but has never played Mount Union.

I would much, much rather have UW-Whitewater and Mount Union in the Stagg Bowl every year than have one of those two teams dominate all comers and roll over someone in Salem. I have personally seen enough teams lay eggs in the Stagg Bowl.

All I ask is the same thing every year: I don’t care who wins the national title, as long as there’s some doubt when the season starts. If it’s a foregone conclusion for one team or the other every single year, that’s a problem.

What we have is not a problem.

What the other 236 programs need to do is step up. Good luck this offseason.

A delayed webcast of the game will be available at GlobalFootball.com from 8pm ET on Saturday, December 19.

Trailing 17-0 in the final quarter and starting with the ball at their own 29-yard line, Team Stars & Stripes went to the air to move the ball downfield and the passing game paid dividends as quarterback Mike Isgro (Delaware Valley College) moved the chains steadily.

First Isgro hit wideout Riley Curry (Trinity University) for a 22-yard gain and then went long to Patrick O’Connor (Dickinson College) to eat up 45 yards, taking the ball to the six-yard mark.

Another flag backed the Americans up 15 yards, but Isgro reclaimed ten yards with a pass to Orlando Webb (North Carolina Wesleyan College) before hitting O’Connor for a touchdown.  A missed extra point attempt by running back and stand in kicker Jake Parke (Augustana College) left coach Manlove’s team trailing by 11 points with 8.26 to play.

Defensive back Corry Stewart (Hanover College) then recovered a fumble at the Tec 20 to continue the revival.   Quarterback Aaron Fanthorpe (North Central) rushed for five yards, found O’Connor for ten more and then hit Steve Austin (Fitchburg State College) for a five-yard touchdown on third down with the clock down to 5.48 to play.  The two-point pass attempt failed, leaving Team Stars & Stripes down 17-12.

Tec added another score with 1.22 remaining to go 24-12 ahead and then Rodrigo Esbobar intercepted quarterback Fanthorpe with a second on the clock and the Americans only inches from pay dirt.

The first quarter ended scoreless with Team Stars & Stripes forced three and out on both possessions, while amassing 35 yards in penalties before the Tec Monterrey All-Stars took a 3-0 lead.

Defensively and on special teams the visitors impressed early on, producing a blocked field goal and interception to shut out the more productive home team offense.

The Mexicans’ first drive ended with a 29-yard Adolfo Medellin field goal attempt blocked by Kendall Wade (Univ. Wisconsin-Sout) and when Tec was within scoring range, the Stars & Stripes defense came to the rescue

Receiver Duane Michel Mejia and running back Carlos Guillermo both made sizeable gains on the ground as the hosts’ rushing game proved effective.  But when Jorge Martinez Salazar looked for a receiver in the end zone, defensive back Tim Cornish (Bethel University) produced a timely interception at the goal line.

Tec’s third drive began at the 50-yard line and a 45-yard connection between Salazar and Manuel Garza Arias led to a chip shot field goal attempt.  Monterrey was denied a first quarter lead when Medellin’s kick sailed wide of the uprights.

Starting its fourth possession from the home 20-yard mark, Tec moved the ball quickly downfield as Dwein Juarez Gracia stepped in under center and twice connected with Enrique Novelo.  The Stars & Stripes defense held, forcing Medellin to attempt a 40-yard field goal, which this time split the uprights for a 3-0 lead with 6.54 remaining in the first half.

The Americans put together their most productive drive of the first half leading into the break.  Quarterback Kyle Paulson (Univ. Wisconsin-Au Claire) hit receiver Curry for a 23-yard gain and with head coach Bill Manlove regularly switching his signal callers, Isgro produced a 23-yard pass to tight end Brett Schreiner (Lebanon Valley College) to take the ball down to the Tec six-yard line.

The officials threw a flag at the conclusion of the play to move the ball back 15 yards for an apparent unnecessary roughness infringement.  With the clock ticking down on the half, Tec Monterrey defensive back Javier Gonzalez produced a timely third down sack to back Stars & Stripes up 10 further yards from the end zone.  An attempted fourth down conversion came up empty, leaving the visitors shut out at the halftime break.

Team Stars & Stripes again faltered, going three and out on three third quarter possessions and Tec took advantage by opening the gap to 17 unanswered points.

The Mexicans drew three flags to face a first and 25 situation at one point in the scoring drive, but quarterback Salazar twice hit receiver Alejandro Yanez for first downs and gains of eight yards and 20 yards to keep the chains moving.  With the ball on the Americans’ 31-yard line, running back Jose Raul Reyes lined up in a wildcat formation and took a direct snap 31 yards for a touchdown and a 10-point advantage with 4.46 remaining in the third quarter.

Reyes continued to torment the visiting defense as he rushed for gains of 8, 10 and 20 yards before punching the ball into the end zone for his second touchdown from five yards out on third down with 10.59 remaining in the contest.  A second Medellin extra point increased the lead to 17-0.

After the visitors reduced the deficit to five points, Salazar found Jorge Balli for 52 yards in the air on a time-consuming drive that ended with Reyes breaching the end zone on first and inches with only 1.22 available for Team Stars & Stripes to make up 12 points.

Their chances looked good as Fanthorpe sought out Austin and O’Connor, each for 15-yard gains.  He then went to Austin again to take the ball to the one-yard mark with a second to play after a 17-yard catch before an interception ended the contest.

Starting with the ball at their own 29-yard line, Team Stars & Stripes went to the air to move the ball downfield and the passing game paid dividends as quarterback Mike Isgro moved the chains steadily.

First the Delaware Valley College passer hit wideout Riley Curry (Trinity University) for a 22-yard gain and then went long to Patrick O’Connor (Dickinson College) to eat up 45 yards, taking the ball to the six-yard mark.

Another flag backed the Americans up 15 yards, but Isgro reclaimed ten yards with a pass to Orlando Webb (North Carolina Wesleyan College) before hitting O’Connor for a touchdown.  A missed extra point attempt by running back and stand in kicker Jake Parke (Augustana College) left coach Manlove’s team trailing by 11 points with 8.26 to play.

Defensive back Corry Stewart (Hanover College) then recovered a fumble at the Tec 20 to continue the revival.   Quarterback Aaron Fanthorpe (North Central) rushed for five yards, found O’Connor for ten more and then hit Steve Austin (Fitchburg State College) for a five-yard touchdown on third down with the clock down to 5.48 to play.

The two-point pass attempt failed, leaving Team Stars & Stripes down 17-12.

GAGLIARDI TROPHY

For the first time in any of the Divisions’ highest college football awards (the Heisman, Walter Payton, Harlon Hill and Gagliardi Trophies), we finally have an offensive lineman as a winner in Blaine Westemeyer. I know the arguments will be forthcoming concerning whether the Gagliardi is akin to a “player of the year” award, but that’s not what Gagliardi night is about. It’s about showcasing the epitome of Division III Football — great student-athletes playing the game simply for the love of it. We met Blaine Westemeyer earlier in the day during the initial interview pool for the Stagg Bowl teams, and it was obvious right away that Westemeyer was a confident, smart and poised individual who does not embody the unfortunate stereotype many people bestow on linemen. It was a whirlwind week for Westemeyer, with a trip to Mexico City, a flight from there to Roanoke, Va., and then a return flight to Mexico City for the Tazon de Estrellas all-star game. If he was tired, you couldn’t tell it throughout the day.

Westemeyer’s speech was classy and a tribute to offensive linemen who have played and currently play football at any level. Keith Jackson used to call linemen the “Big Uglies” in the trenches, but there was nothing ugly about the setting nor the situation Thursday night. I think the interview Pat Coleman did with Westemeyer that we’ve linked below speaks to Westemeyer’s handling of the moment and the fact that the soon-to-be medical school attendee was a great recipient of this tremendous award.

THE GAME

I sensed a lot of frustration from fans concerning the idea that Mount Union and Whitewater are back for the fifth consecutive year. Sure, there have been plenty of tongue-in-cheek jokes about the teams’ familiarity with the area and the game. In reality, though, how true is that?

I think we often forget that a 52-man roster means that only about 30-35 underclassmen on average will have the chance to participate in the events of the week. How many of those 30-35 players were sophomores or freshmen? Not that many. With our fifth consecutive year of the matchup, we’re essentially guaranteed a complete turnover of players on both teams that have had Stagg Bowl experience (and likely a second turnover if you consider the shrunken rosters). Whitewater experienced a coaching change a couple years ago, meaning that, in essence, the only real high-profile stalwart in this fifth rendition of the matchup is Mount Union Head Coach Larry Kehres — and he always provides a certain level of unpredictability and wisdom to everyone that knows or meets him.

So is Division III football stuck in a rut? No. Two things make me answer that way. First, looking at the semi-finals, we had some real good competition for both teams, meaning that the “gap” may be closing between the rest of the Division and these two teams. Second, as I’ve said above, for as much as we hate to admit it, there are plenty of new faces every year appearing on the field at Salem Stadium for the Stagg Bowl. The mascots may be the same, but the game is different every year.

That’s why I’m still energized by this game for a third year on the sidelines.

THE WEATHER

As of this writing (1:15am EST Saturday morning), Roanoke, VA has seen about seven inches of snow fall — with some slowing over the last few hours. However, The National Weather Service has advised that there may be up to 12 to 15 more inches of snow overnight and into Saturday afternoon. There could be white-out conditions during the game, assuming the game kicks off at 11:03am EST. However, that is still an “if” — it is highly unlikely that the game will be pushed to Sunday since both teams and the officials are in place in Salem. The only possibility that seems possible is pushing the start time of the game to a later point Saturday if the weather appears to allow for improved conditions past the 11:03am kickoff. Could ESPN2 still broadcast the game? There is no other live event scheduled for the network until around 4:00pm, so there is some chance for a push of the kickoff. ESPN also has other networks, including ESPN Classic and ESPNU that could potentially broadcast the game in the event of a major problem. The answer to this question will not come until an early morning meeting of the key players of the NCAA and grounds crew. When we know more, we’ll fill you in.

For now, plan to join us live on the D3football.com Pregame Show, being videocast live starting at 9:00am EST. We’ll have a lot more on the weather story and will release the D3football.com 2009 All-American Team live.

Before the walkthrough, the players and staff took a team photo. Multiple local media outlets attended the photo opportunity. Also, visiting Mexico to enjoy the experience, not to mention the warmer climate, were numerous loyal family members of Team Stars & Stripes who made the trip here to support the hard working football players.

Team Stars & Stripes head coach Bill Manlove and Global Football President Patrick Steenberge attended a press conference, which had a very positive turn out, underlining the importance of the event on the local football landscape.

During the press conference, Coach Manlove was asked questions about Team Stars & Stripes, the event, and comparing football in the United States to football in Mexico.

“Coach Frank Gonzalez is a very good coach and we expect the Mexican team to be very good as a result,” he said.  ”It will be a challenge, and we can only hope our players are ready to play.  We hope we have some playmakers, because one will certainly not do.

“I am an old school coach, so I coach my football teams with special teams, defense, and offense and in that order.

“The main difference in US football compared to here is our players play at a very young age.  Many of our players will have 12 to 15 years experience.

“If you want to improve your football program even more in Mexico, I feel you need to add more high school and youth leagues to bring up athletes to the college teams.”

The Tazon de Estrellas clash between Team Stars & Stripes and the Tec Monterrey All-Stars will air live via a webcast on GlobalFootball.com at 1pm U.S. Eastern Time on Saturday, December 19.  A Spanish-language broadcast will be available from the Tec de Monterrey Campus Estado de Mexico through technology developed and made available by Cambridge, Massachusetts-based YouCastr and will provide all the action to a Global American football audience for a viewing fee of $5.  Fans can access the game through the home page of www.GlobalFootball.com http://www.GlobalFootball.com

Below, I am attaching two photos — one from 2:30pm EST this afternoon and one from 3:30pm EST to show the progression of the snow so far. First, though, here is an interview with Carey Harveycutter, Director of Civic Facilities in Salem, VA, discussing the preparations being made for the snowy conditions. He and his crew have their hands full with 18 to 24 inches of snow in the 36-hour forecast.

Here is Salem Stadium at about 2:30pm:

…and at 3:30pm:

For the final matchup, as in years past, we’ve assembled some team insiders as well as the D3football.com staff to make predictions. Many of the picks point to common hesitance and questioning over how the weather will factor in and whether Mount quarterback Kurt Rocco will be cleared to play after an injury last week.

And perhaps even moreso than in the previous four years, the picks are more balanced. Neither MUC nor UW-W appears the clear favorite. However, it does seem to many that defense will be a crucial component in this matchup.

Previous years’ picks: 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008

Keep reading to see what the crystal ball is telling us for Stagg Bowl XXXVII:

Pat Coleman, D3football.com executive editor
After the Mount Union/Baldwin-Wallace game, I rather publicly changed my No. 1 vote from Mount Union to UW-Whitewater. And I would have a hard time backing down from that now. From what I’ve seen, I stick with Whitewater. It’s a rare occurrence where intimidation is not a factor when facing Mount Union. Last year Cecil Shorts burned the Warhawks for two early touchdowns before Whitewater got its defensive act together, and the Purple Raiders were able to get just enough offense the rest of the way with a boost from Drew McClain’s 78-yard interception return to win the game. If the weather’s bad, UW-Whitewater has the best offensive weapon on the field, and it’s not Levell Coppage, it’s Antwan Anderson. Anderson is more of a power, straight-ahead runner, the thunder to Coppage’s lightning. And the difference between Jeff Donovan 2008 and Jeff Donovan 2009 is striking. I’m counting on Kurt Rocco playing and the weather keeping the score down but believe the team with the running game that can succeed in less-than-perfect conditions to come out with the win.
UW-Whitewater 21, Mount Union 16

Keith McMillan, D3football.com managing editor
Since seeing these two teams meet in last year’s Stagg Bowl, I’ve been on record more than once believing they’d be back, and I’ve had UW-Whitewater No. 1 from the start, a shade ahead of a Greg Micheli- and Nate Kmic-less Mount Union. But after last week in Alliance, I strongly considered picking the Purple Raiders. The offensive line won more often than not against a Wesley defense as talented as any I’ve seen. And the defense flat-out put the Purple Raiders on their backs until Cecil Shorts rode in to the rescue. Whitewater was not nearly as impressive, though they overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to outlast Linfield. But the Warhawks do arrive in Salem without the question mark at quarterback, which could tilt the game in either team’s favor. I’m going to stick with my gut and go Whitewater, but Mount Union fans can rest easy knowing I stink at picking the Stagg Bowl (5-4 since 2000, including a bad whiff in ‘03). But I don’t think either defense will allow 30-plus, as each winning team has scored in the four previous matchups.
UW-Whitewater 19, Mount Union 16

Gordon Mann, D3football.com deputy managing editor
“If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, what a wonderful Christmas it would be.” Looking at Stagg Bowl XXXVII, this should be a very merry Christmas. Mount Union has a strong, balanced offensive attack IF Kurt Rocco is healthy, BUT, IF he’s not, then the Purple Raiders won’t be able to throw the ball against the Warhawks like Linfield did last week. And I don’t think a one dimensional offense beats UW-Whitewater this year. IF the weather is okay, Mount Union’s defense has the speed and strength to contain UW-Whitewater running back Levell Coppage. BUT since the forecast shows some precipitation, I think the Warhawks will be able to run the ball effectively. Given all the unknowns, IF you still care what I think, my pick is for another Mount Union title BUT that doesn’t mean much.
Mount Union 21 UW-Whitewater 17

Dan Buckel, Mount Union public address announcer
I believe the story of this game will be the ability of the Mount defense to contain the UW- Whitewater offense and limit their scoring, The Raiders must make sure that Levell Coppage has a difficult day. With the dual threat the Warhawks present on offense, I believe that this will be the toughest test to date for the Raiders. The fun could be watching the chess match between the coordinators and seeing which coordinator has the “hot” hand.  Assuming Kurt Rocco plays and is up to par, the Raider pass offense is very tough to defend; the corps of receivers is as good a group as Mount has put on the field at once. Most people look at Cecil Shorts, however, but the other wide outs and tight ends are fine receivers with very good speed across the board. It will be very hard to cover and shut them down.  It will be even tougher if the O-line of Mount gets a push and the run game is somewhat effective. So far, Mount Union has protected the quarterback very effectively, which has allowed Rocco to grow and gain confidence. Pass protection and keeping Rocco upright is huge. No Rocco and the Mount offense loses at least half the playbook.
With Rocco: Mount Union 31, UW-Whitewater 17
Without Rocco: Mount Union 23, UW-Whitewater 17 (OT)

Jay Perkins, Uwwfootball.blogspot.com
Big games between evenly matched teams are usually won and lost by a handful of big plays that prove decisive in the outcome. Trying to draw conclusions from a statistical analysis of teams that dominate as consistently as Mount Union and UW-Whitewater can turn into splitting hairs very quickly. In my mind, the key to the game will be how the UW-W offensive line fares against Mount Union’s fast and talented defensive front. If Whitewater establishes a running game and is able to create a balanced attack, they should be able to score enough points to win. Assuming Kurt Rocco is healthy, UW-W’s defense must find a way to slow down the Mount passing attack. However, with weather possibly playing a factor, UW-W’s running game is more reliable than the Mount ground attack. In terms of big plays, few factors rate as high as turnovers. UW-W takes care of the ball exceptionally well having only 12 turnovers in 14 games. Mount has turned the ball over 23 times this year. In addition, UW-W has put the ball on the ground only 8 times all year. The Purple Raiders have fumbled 22 times, losing 13. In addition, UW-W is battle tested having fought through challenges in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. The Warhawks have pointed toward this game since Dec. 21, 2008. Look for them to get it. 
UW-Whitewater 34 Mount Union 21

Ryan Tipps, D3football.com senior editor
The structure of this UW-Whitewater team doesn’t vary much from last year’s, and the same elements that helped the Warhawks perform well for three quarters in the ’09 Stagg Bowl will be critical again. Mount Union’s defensive line, with or without its full complement, is scary good. And Whitewater’s best weapon against that is the dual rushing set of Levell Coppage and Antwan Anderson, who can trade carries and stay reasonably fresh against the stout Mount defense. Also of note, with MUC quarterback Kurt Rocco’s status in question, Whitewater has had to prepare for the possibility of different men under center for Mount. While that means the Warhawks won’t be able to tailor their defense to one specific game plan, perhaps it also means that they’ve prepared themselves to be more versatile and adaptable on the field. For each of the past four years, this matchup has showcased critical turning points, whether it was Matt Kostelnik’s blocked punt in 2006 or the breakout years of Greg Micheli or Justin Beaver, and with that history comes the likelihood of more surprises on Saturday (especially with Mount, which is more dynamic with big-yardage plays than most any other squad in Division III). Ultimately, the secret word for success by either team might be “containment” — containment of Mount’s big-play abilities and containment of Whitewater’s ground-game muscle. Defense on Saturday will be the winner.
UW-Whitewater 23, Mount Union 20

Tom Pattison, Warhawkfootball.com
You can call Stagg Bowl XXXVII “One for the Thumb” as Mount Union and UW-Whitewater collide at Salem Stadium for a fifth consecutive year. Being asked to handicap Saturday’s game is an interesting dilemma this year due to the status of two of the prime players for Mount Union. Will Kurt Rocco be back in the line-up after leaving the game last week due to an “undisclosed” injury? Meanwhile on defense, will OAC Defensive Lineman of the Year Joe Millings return this week after sitting out the last two games? Will Cecil Shorts be at wide receiver or at quarterback against Whitewater? The Warhawks have been aching for a return matchup against MUC after falling 31-26 in last year’s Stagg Bowl. The key will be Whitewater’s offensive line giving Jeff Donovan time in the pocket, especially since MUC leads D3 Nation with 49 sacks. Pound the Rock, baby! First one to 30 points wins.
UW-Whitewater 31, Mount Union 21

Ric Brienza, Mtunionfootball.com
Mount Union has won five of six meetings over the last seven seasons against Whitewater, including three wins in four championship games. A late touchdown in 2005 and 2008 made those one score finishes, while the Warhawks late score in 2007 gave them a 10-point win. This year Mount Union is banged up, and Whitewater is confident. So what happens? The Larry Kehres factor. He loses, but not often — 21 times in 24 years to date, with 11 of those loses coming in his first five seasons. Does Whitewater give him his 22nd loss? Or does Mount Union win its 11th national championship? Once again we’ll have someone score late to make the final count.
Mount Union 31, UW-Whitewater 27

Frank Rossi, D3football.com broadcaster
Defense does win championships, and the weather Saturday may make the game much more of a defensive struggle than we’re used to when these two teams play. Mount Union had had the more impressive defensive production so far, shutting down a hot Wesley offense for most of last weekend. Whitewater’s defense has not looked as strong, and it looks like Mount Union has its quarterback scenario in hand. I give the Raiders the slight edge — enough to pull out a close victory.
Mount Union 20, UW-Whitewater 17