By Matt Florjancic
D3sports.com

ALLIANCE, Ohio -- The Mount Union Purple Raiders have had their fair share, or some would say an unfair amount, of talented players come through the system under coach Larry Kehres.

Many records have been broken by Mount Union players over the years and on Saturday, Division III's all-time rushing mark was the next to fall.

Already with NCAA all-division records for most points (732) and touchdowns (122), Mount Union (12-0) senior running back Nate Kmic passed Grove City standout R.J. Bowers' mark of 7,353 with 235 yards and four touchdowns in the 42-7 victory over Hobart (9-2).

"It's an awesome feeling," said Kmic. "It's a team game. We've got three more games. I'll probably look back on it in awe as a great accomplishment, but right now, it's the team looking forward.

"The O-line played very well today," Kmic added. "We also got great help downfield. It's nothing we practice. They're just pushing their guys 15 yards back. There's really no explanation how it happens, but they just do a great job."

Kmic will take his 7,449 career rushing yards into next weekend's match-up with Cortland State (11-1).

Kmic and the stable of former Mount Union running backs have many things in common. While Kmic is quick, he also runs through tacklers and is able to get out on the edge.

Once Kmic gets to the second and third levels, wide receivers and tight ends allow him to continue on his path toward the end zone.

"The first couple times when they had the ball, he would go to the outside and go around our outside linebacker without us being able to reach out and touch him," said Hobart coach Mike Cragg. "We knew he had great speed, but it's so hard to practice against that. You see it on films, but when you do it yourself, it's tough.

"Mount Union's wide receivers do a better job of blocking downfield than anybody I've ever seen," added Cragg. "Most wide receivers are prima donnas. They're just out there to catch a ball. Kmic's runs are eight and ten yards because they have a great line [and] he's a great running back. The reason they go from ten yards to 50 yards is because the wide receivers do such a great job."

Coach Cragg and Hobart learned that lesson about Mount Union the hard way. After giving up a touchdown on a sustained drive early in the first quarter, Hobart's defense was hit by the big play.

On first and ten from Hobart's 41-yard line, Kmic took the handoff, planted to go left, cut back around right tackle and scored his second touchdown of the quarter.

"[Blocking] is something we looked at Pierre Garcon for," said Mount Union wide receiver Vince Petruziello, who had seven catches for 109 yards and one touchdown. "He was a great downfield blocker. Having him as my roommate and him really talking to me about [blocking] especially when you've got the best running back in the country [was] a big thing."

Kmic added a pair of second half touchdowns in his record-breaking performance.

Gagliardi Trophy finalist Greg Micheli was four of nine for 60 yards at halftime, but turned it around in the second half. He finished the day with 223 yards passing and two touchdowns.

"I really liked what they did in the second half, going to the no-huddle and being able to spread it and run it," Cragg said. "They've got all the weapons. They're tough to control."

"We let the quarterback run the show rather than giving him a play and forcing him to check the play," Mount Union coach Larry Kehres said. "Hobart will try to outnumber you. We let him pick one thing to do and it simplified things. He's capable of that."

If there was one area of concern for Mount Union after the game, it was special teams. Hobart turned a pair of fake punts into first downs. The first was on a run to the left of the line, while the second successful conversion came on a designed pass to the right.

Tyler Vincent's third fake punt attempt went awry when Mount Union's pressure disrupted the plan. Though a pair of Purple Raiders had a hand on Vincent, he launched a 55-yard punt and watched it roll to a stop at the Mount Union 4-yard line.

"Their punter is one of their best athletes," said Kehres. "We were alert to that, but being alert doesn't prevent him from taking advantage of the situation. Athletic punters are hard to prepare for and he made some plays.

"I'm not sure the first one was a called fake punt," Kehres added. "He was in trouble and he reacted like a good athlete, ran out of trouble and made a first down."

Three No. 1 seeds bit the dust in the second round and three No. 5 seeds will play for a spot in the national semifinals. Washington and Jefferson pulled off a second-round upset, along with seventh-seeded Wartburg and fifth-seeded UW-Whitewater, in the NCAA playoffs. The Presidents went down to Jackson, Miss., and took down the "South" bracket's No. 1 in Millsaps, 35-20.

The Presidents advance to the Round of Eight to face defending regional champion Mary Hardin-Baylor, which used six turnovers and seven sacks to oust Wesley, 46-14.

Nate Kmic set the Division III career rushing record as Mount Union pulled away from Hobart in a 42-7 win. The Purple Raiders will host Cortland State, which ended Curry's run with a 42-0 shutout.

Wartburg also won on the road in last-second fashion, scoring with less than 10 seconds left to end Monmouth's playoff run, 30-28. The Knights will travel to UW-Whitewater, which knocked off "West" No. 1 seed Willamette, 30-27.

Playoff toolbox: Updated 2008 bracket | Pick 'em login | Team capsules Gagliardi Trophy fan vote | Features: Franklin | Wash. & Jeff.

In the "North" bracket, another No. 1 seed fell, as Franklin's Grizzlies avenged a last-second loss in last year's first round with a 38-28 victory at North Central. Chad Rupp threw for 411 yards and ran for 83 more in the win. Franklin will host Wheaton, a 59-28 winner at Wabash, next Saturday.

Today's scoreboard, with links to game recaps and box scores.

By Bill Huber
For D3football.com

The Division III football playoffs started on Nov. 22. For the Wartburg Knights, their postseason began on Oct. 11.

The Knights lost an Iowa Conference matchup to Buena Vista 26-21 on Oct. 4, putting their postseason dreams in dire straits.

"No question, we had ourselves in a position where there was no margin for error in the second half of the season," coach Rick Willis said. "Our football team did a tremendous job on just focusing week to week and finding ways to win football games."

Needing to win out to have any chance at the postseason, Wartburg, the preseason conference favorite, won its final five games, including three victories by a touchdown or less. When Buena Vista stumbled in the next-to-last week of the regular season, the Knights were back in first place, then wrapped up the league title with a 20-13 overtime win over Dubuque in the finale.

Wartburg continued its winning ways by upsetting the WIAC champions, UW-Stevens Point, in the first round of the playoffs. The Knights (9-2) will try for their seventh consecutive victory on Saturday against a familiar foe, the Midwest Conference champions from Monmouth (11-0).

"I definitely think the goal that this team had set, and our seniors especially had set, definitely had some pressure on them," Willis said of the Knights' late-season charge. "They knew we had no margin for error. In order to have a chance to be a championship team in the Iowa Conference, we had to find a way to win each week. I definitely think there was some urgency to our situation."

Certainly, the Knights are among the most battle-tested teams remaining in the playoffs. After playing so many must-win games and playing in so many close contests, the Knights will bring a degree of mental toughness to Galesburg, Ill., for Saturday's second-round clash against the explosive Fighting Scots.

"Basically, as we continue here in the playoffs, it's in essence the same type of a situation that we were in the last five weeks of the season," Willis said. "Plus, we've been in a lot of close football games. Our team doesn't panic in those situations, and hopefully that will help us."

Saturday's playoff game offers an intriguing matchup between the Scots' pass-happy offense against a strong Wartburg pass defense.

Monmouth's sophomore quarterback, Alex Tanney, has thrown for 3,311 yards on 68.4 percent accuracy, with an eye-popping 47 touchdowns against just eight interceptions. Tanney, the conductor of an offensive orchestra that leads Division III with 48.5 points per game, plays no favorites. Mike Blodgett has team highs of 55 catches, 734 yards and 13 touchdowns, but four other players have at least 30 catches and a stunning 12 players have hauled in at least one of Tanney's touchdowns.

Wartburg, on the other hand, has intercepted 17 passes and allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete only 48.4 percent of their passes. While Tanney will be the best quarterback the Knights have faced, the same is also true. The Fighting Scots haven't faced a team of this caliber, either.

"They have a very high-powered offense, and trying to contain that offense is our challenge," Willis said. "They spread the ball around to different people. Their quarterback makes good decisions and is very efficient. So, trying to find a way to contain their offense is a tremendous challenge."

Not that Wartburg's quarterback and offense are chopped liver. Junior quarterback Nick Yordi has completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 2,555 yards, with 23 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. Justin Vetter led the conference with 66 receptions, 1,055 yards and 11 touchdowns. Yordi, Vetter and the running back combo of Lamar Harvey and Alex Boom, who combined for almost 1,000 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, lead a Wartburg offense that scored a conference-high 26.2 points per game.

There is a bit of familiarity between the teams, since Monmouth faced Wartburg to kick off the 2006 and 2007 seasons and won by a combined 55-7. Willis said those games mean little, since both teams have played about 20 games since then. The 2007 opener was Tanney's collegiate debut, so the Knights certainly will be facing a more polished quarterback.

"Both quarterbacks have had tremendous years," Willis said. "Their quarterback at Monmouth has phenomenal statistics and has really developed since we played him last, which was the first game of his career. And our quarterback has progressed, as well. As a junior now, he's made tremendous strides this season and has had a great year, as well."

Willis said this game will be a "tremendous challenge for our team," but the Knights seem well-equipped to handle it. After playing a litany of close games and upsetting the ninth-ranked Pointers at Stevens Point last week, Wartburg doesn't figure to be intimidated. After all, the Knights have played six consecutive must-win games and come out on top each time.

"I think our guys keep battling," Willis said of his team's mind-set. "We haven't always been fancy or pretty in how we've got it done, but our teams have been able to find a way to keep fighting and to keep working and find a way to win. It's really just trying to stay composed and not panic and just keep believing in what you're doing."

By Matt Florjancic
D3football.com

At this point in the season a year ago, the Washington and Jefferson Presidents were looking back at their first round game against North Carolina Wesleyan and wondering how they were upset by a No. 8 seed in a familiar setting.

However, the Presidents made sure they did not have a repeat performance this year. Washington and Jefferson (10-1) earned and won its first round home game against Christopher Newport 35-29.

In the game, senior linebacker David Gitlitz totaled 14 tackles, three solo. He registered two tackles for losses yardage and 1.5 quarterback sacks.

As a team, Washington and Jefferson allowed Christopher Newport 291 yards of total offense. On the ground, an area where the Presidents have struggled, Christopher Newport managed 197 yards, nearly 60 yards below its season average.

"Our defense is much improved over a year ago," said Presidents coach Mike Sirianni. "The big thing that we wanted to accomplish was to stop the run. We weren't happy with our run defense any of the last few years.

"Besides the two quarters at Thomas More, I thought we had done a great job of stopping the run," he added. "Thomas More came with that little option that we don't see and they do a great job running it. In the game last week, when we're playing the nation's leading rusher, to hold him to 160 yards, [including] a 51-yard run with less than two minutes to go, I felt our guys did a great job."

The victory in the postseason could also be attributed to a new defense. Instead of the traditional 4-3 front Washington and Jefferson ran in the past, they are now utilizing a 4-2-5 with Gitlitz is in charge of getting everyone in the right place to make plays.

"He's our Mike (middle) linebacker, so he makes all the calls," Sirianni said of Gitlitz. "That's a lot on a senior to learn. He embraced it, never complained and did a great job adjusting to a new scheme. Maybe in a 4-3, the Mike linebacker is going to be more of a focus. In a 4-2-5, it's the safety. He's adjusted to not being the No. 1 tackler all the time.

"He covers a lot of ground," added Sirianni. "I wouldn't say he's blinding fast, but he is 6-3 and he's got long strides. He can get downhill fast. One thing we really talked to him about doing this year is getting downhill and making more tackles for loss. He's done that. He's played a lot better in terms of pass rush and that's been a key to our success."

The Presidents struggled against Oberlin at the beginning of the year and lost the Presidents' Athletic Conference championship at Thomas More on Nov. 1. Since that time, Washington and Jefferson is 3-0 and has allowed 45 total points.

To a man, the Presidents learned that every game is a gift that needs to be respected, because victories are not given by simply showing up and walking off the bus.

"The Oberlin game taught us to not be complacent," Gitlitz said. "The year before, we won ten regular season games, most of them easily, and we thought coming in that it'd be easy again. Oberlin woke us up and the Thomas More game, again you get into a little complacency over the season where you think just because you're wearing a W&J uniform, you can go out and beat anybody. The past three weeks, we've really shown how much more focused we are at attaining our ultimate goal.

"We all realized that we need to change," added Gitlitz. "We had a meeting with the team only and said our season's not over. We looked at the '92 and '94 teams that were up on the wall in our coach's office. Both of those teams had a loss in the regular season and they both went on to the national championship game. We all think we can do that."

The road to an appearance in the national championship game goes through Jackson, Miss., and Millsaps on Saturday afternoon.

Millsaps comes in with an unblemished 11-0 record and a strong passing offense. The Majors average 307.6 yards per game through the air. Quarterback Juan Joseph, one of ten players up for this year's Gagliardi Trophy, has completed 67 percent of his passes (270 for 403) for 3,130 yards and 31 touchdowns.

While Joseph has thrown six interceptions on the year, the team has lost 18 of 31 fumbles.

"It's another step toward the goal to win a national championship," Gitlitz said. "This week, we have to play a great game. Millsaps is a great team. We're going to have to get stops on defense. If we get some turnovers, the offense is going to have to put up some points.

"Juan Joseph is a great quarterback," added Gitlitz. "We have to get pressure on him and force him to make mistakes, get them into third-and-long and hopefully, get some stops."

"That's a great challenge and it's a little different," Sirianni said. "They do have a couple good backs, but they're more of a passing team. We're going to have to cause some turnovers. If we go down there and they don't turn the ball over, I don't know if we can win. If we play like we're capable of playing, I think we'll be in the game in the fourth quarter. That's all you can ask for when you're a road team in the playoffs."

By Ryan Tipps
D3football.com

Early in the season there was the game against NAIA's Southern Oregon, where Willamette rallied to win from a 17-3 deficit. Then there was the game five weeks later, when the Bearcats posted 52 points on perennial conference powerhouse Linfield. Of course, going on the road and defensively clamping down against Whitworth was no small feat either.

In searching for a defining aspect of the season, it's hard for Willamette coach Mark Speckman to pick just one.

"It's been an interesting year because we've played well every game," Speckman said, just days after beating Occidental and advancing to Round 2 of the playoffs. "There's not a game where we really stunk it up, or were lucky to win that, or we were down, or we had an off day. [We played at] pretty much the same level every game. I've coached for a long time, and not too many teams have I had that can say that."

Consistency is something that had eluded the Bearcats in recent seasons. In fact, after logging its 11th consecutive victory in this undefeated season, the team has matched its total number of wins over the previous three years combined. A tough schedule that has included top teams in other conferences, as well as stiff NAIA competition, has made this year's spark even more remarkable.

"I think that we're winning the closer games," said Speckman, 53. "I think our turnover ratio is a huge improvement over what it has been. I think we're plus-13 or something like that. … We've gotten more play out of our special teams, we've gotten more defensive touchdowns this year. The ball has kind of bounced our way a little more this year."

Willamette, the No. 1 playoff seed in its bracket, has pummeled teams on the scoreboard and has put up 4,478 yards of total offense so far.

The team channels its firepower through an offense known as the "fly," which brings the flanker in motion on nearly every play, turning him into either a rusher, blocker or receiver. It's a misdirection style that Speckman – who has been with the team for 14 years, 11 as its head coach – is an authority on.

And when Willamette's starting quarterback was injured in the first quarter of the season opener, Speckman helped shape backup Grant Leslie into a team leader. Leslie averages nearly 150 yards per game in the air, and has a touchdown to interception ratio of 16:2.

"Guys who have had a chance because of injury have stepped in and have had great years. I think … those things factor into any team in the country that's having a year like we're having. Those things have to happen," said Speckman, who played linebacker during his college years at Menlo and Azuza Pacific despite being born without hands.

The turnaround that the Bearcats have seen this year is far from one dimensional.

Special teams have improved their play, especially with the consistency of freshman kicker Mitchell Rowan, who has made every field goal at 40 yards or less. The team's running backs are picking up yards and hanging onto the ball better. And the defense, which "was a big question mark coming in," has proven itself against difficult competition. "Both of our inside backers were new, and our safeties were new, all of our defensive tackles were new," the coach noted. "Graduation had hit our defense really hard."

And Speckman is proud with how the pieces came together.

"I think one of the things that's kind of unique about our team this year," he said, "is that all three phases of the game have worked off of each other. …

"Offensively, we've scored a lot of points so that we can be in a situation where we can be a little more conservative and make people drive the field on us. And if they score, it's no big deal because we're going to get the points right back. I think everything has dovetailed together really nice."

As an undefeated team, Willamette isn't short on confidence. It is a well-deserved trait, something that had to be earned through the come-from-behind win against Southern Oregon and the efforts against top teams in the Northwest Conference. Through some early wins, the team saw itself in a new light, one that shone beyond the two-win and four-win seasons of recent years.

And it's one that will be needed on Saturday, when Willamette hosts defending national champion UW-Whitewater. Speckman acknowledges how crisp Whitewater looks on game video and is happy to have this matchup at home. He also said that his players, who have watched UW-W in the Stagg Bowl in recent years, are anticipating the chance to play the Wisconsin school.

"Our kids are excited about this," Speckman said. "It's a tremendous opportunity, and you know, you got to beat them at some point."

Championship-caliber competition is not unfamiliar to the longtime coach. Willamette's last playoff trip was in 2004, the same year that his team in the regular season played both Stagg Bowl teams, Linfield and Mary Hardin-Baylor. It was all part of the challenge he embraces.

"One of the things I try to do is never be satisfied with the status quo. We're always looking for a way to get better."

By Jason Bowen
D3football.com

It is said that familiarity breeds contempt. If that is true, then the second round matchup between Wesley and Mary Hardin-Baylor maybe the most intense football game played in the Division III playoffs on Saturday.

"There is no question that this is a rivalry and there is no love lost between these two teams," Cru coach Pete Fredenburg said. "They have some great athletes and are really well-coached and we know that they will be ready to play. Last time they came to Belton, they embarrassed us, so I don't think our guys will have a problem getting ready to play."

So how do a team from Delaware and a team from Texas become rivals?

"It is interesting that two teams that are so far away, because of the playoffs, have the opportunity to play each other so many times," Wesley coach Mike Drass said. "They're the type of team that wants to pound you on the ground and then hit you with the home run ball. That hasn't changed.

"Their offensive line is the best we've seen. Defensively, they run better than anyone we've played."

They keep running into each other in the playoffs and over the last the past four seasons, these two teams have been as prolific as any on the Division III level, outside of Mount Union and defending national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater.

The two programs have combined to win the last four South Region championships. UMHB advanced to the 2004 Stagg Bowl, while each team has been eliminated by the UW-Warhawks in the semifinals the past three seasons.

The contest will mark the fourth straight year the teams have met all in the second round or later. The Wolverines won the first two meetings in 2005 (46-36) and 2006 (34-20), while the Crusaders broken through last season in Dover with a 27-10 win.

"We know them. They know us," said UMHB safety Derrick Williams, who leads the Crusaders in tackles (75) and interceptions (5). "It seems like they're in our conference now.

"It's like they're a conference team that we see over and over. It's a Texas-Delaware rivalry."

Though both teams started the season ranked in the top four in the country, both encountered some unexpected bumps on the road back to the playoffs this season. And in each case it was unexpected player who stepped in to lift the offense.

For Wesley, it was a change to sophomore quarterback Shane McSweeny, who replaced senior incumbent Jason Schatz in the third quarter of the Wolverines' 25-22 season opening loss to Delaware Valley. McSweeny drove the Wolverines to a late go-ahead score in the game before the Aggies pulled the upset, scoring a touchdown with 11 seconds left.

The moved surprised many, especially since Schatz had passed for more than 2,800 yards and 28 touchdowns the previous year and led Wesley all the way to the quarterfinals in his first season as a starter under center.

"It wasn't an easy choice," Drass said. "It was a situation at that time where Jason was struggling. He was struggling in practice. He was struggling in scrimmages. He was struggling throwing the football and being accurate.

"It was one of those things that I thought that he would play himself out of it. Anyone who was around the team at that time saw it. It was very strange because he had such success as the quarterback last year. He wasn't finding that same success throughout camp and even in the first game of the season. I had talked to Jason a week earlier and said 'look, if you struggle with efficiency we're going to play Shane some.' And Shane came in and did a pretty solid job. We sat down and looked at film and made a determination that the best thing for the team was to go with Shane. Sometimes you have to make decisions that are for the greater good, all coaches know that, but it doesn't make it any easier when a senior who's been a great player for you is relegated to being a back up."

McSweeny quickly earned the trust of his teammates through his proficient performance and hard-nosed play. The sophomore is currently ranked second in the country in passing efficiency, while completing 68.5 percent of his passes for 1,817 yards with 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He has added 304 rushing yards and three touchdowns too.

"In the beginning of the year, they knew I had the ability to play," McSweeny said. "But it helped having Jon (Lanouette), Larry (Beavers), all the running backs and a great line to lean on.

"I don't have to do as much to try to win the game because the pieces are there. They trusted me. There are no doubts."

At times this season McSweeny's play has also inspired his teammates.

"Anytime your quarterback is going to lower his head and run somebody over or make blocks it definitely fires you up." Wesley guard Evan Pritchett said. "We feel happy to have him back there and that he's going to do everything he can to move this team forward.

"He works his butt off at practice and come game day he's reckless. Sometimes, it's a little scary because you don't want him to get hurt."

Drass has tried to get his young quarterback to back off a bit but McSweeny has also impressed the Wesley staff with the way he prepares for the game.

"He's a student of the game," Drass added. "We have to kick him out of the office. He has a desire to be the best that he can be, to lead this team to be the best that we can be and help win us a championship. I think that comes through.

"His style of play is one where he's strong safety playing quarterback. He's going to run through that brick wall every time. We tell to slide or get out of bounds. We've tried. He won't. We told him and he said 'no, I can't do that.' He‘s 100% all-out player. He's never going to run out of bounds. That's just the way he is."

Since earning the starting job, McSweeny has led the Wolverines to nine straight victories and their fourth straight playoff appearance.

For Mary Hardin-Baylor, it was a an injury early in the season at the running back position to Quincy Daniels, who rushed for over 1500 yards last season, that started the Cru on a cycle of "going through running backs like underwear" as one message board post put it.

Daniels' backup, Baylor transfer Matt Hurst and currently the second leading rusher also went down for an extended period of time. As did the team's top deep threat in receiver Pi'Dadro Davis (nearly 30 yards per reception).

"The theme of this season was stepping up," Williams said of a team that had also lost a bunch of starters on offense from last season's regional champs. "When those injuries happened, that theme really came into affect especially at the running back position.

"With an All-American like Quincy Daniels going down that really hurt us. But after he got hurt, we had seven different players rush for 100 yards."

However, the offense suddenly lacked its normal explosiveness and though they continued to win their point production dipped too. Around the time that the 6-0 Crusaders suffered a disappointing loss on the road at NAIA Southern Oregon, the Crusaders turned to junior linebacker Bryson Tucker, at the time their leading tackler, to help fill their mangled running back position.

"Coach asked us as a group how we felt about it," Williams said. "It got pretty quiet, but we were like if it's going to help the team let's ride with it."

While his defensive mates where probably sad to see him move, Tucker had no doubts he could succeed.

"They asked me if I had played running back in the past," said Tucker, who has rushed for 454 yards and two touchdowns on just 69 carries since the switch. "I believe I can play any skill position on the field offense or defense. So when they asked me to move, it was a pretty easy conversion for me."

Tucker has posted two 100-yard games in four starts and is averaging 6.6 yards per carry. A quarterback in high school, the junior played a huge role in UMHB win over America Southwest rival Hardin Simmons last Saturday. Not only did he lead all rushers with 99 yards on 22 carries, his 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown pulled the Cru even in the first quarter after the Tigers had put the first points of the day on the board.

Tucker also threw a touchdown pass to Ervin Johnson early in the fourth quarter that gave UMHB a 35-21 lead at the time. He has accounted for touchdowns in four different ways (rush, kickoff return, punt & pass) this season. He also still ranks as the Crusaders fourth leading tackler with 50 despite not playing their the past four weeks.

NOTES: Wolverine left tackle David Erdman will be the only player to started all four UMHB-Wesley games. The 6-foot-4, 321-pounder shared these thoughts on the contest.

"In a way it makes it like a regular season game. A lot of the time when you play a team in the playoffs that you have no idea about them, but for us and them for them, we've done this before and you know a lot of what everybody's going to do. It comes down to who is going to execute."

Wesley's Larry Beavers will return to the sight of perhaps the most explosive performance by a receiver ever seen the playoffs when he visits Tiger Field in Belton on Saturday. The senior caught six passes for 239 yards and four touchdowns in Wesley's 46-36 victory back in the second round of the 2005 playoffs. Beavers has six touchdown receptions this season and has run back four kickoffs and three punts for scores.

Both teams have owned the first half this season. The Crusaders have outscored opponents 270 to 85, while Wesley has outpaced opponents 235 to 19.

There's no O in Gagliardi, but with nine quarterbacks and one running back among the 10 finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, there will definitely be an offensive player honored next month in Salem, Va.

The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the top well-rounded football player in Division III, has been awarded since 1993, and recognizes the top individual achiever in athletics, academics and community service.

This year's finalists are Augsburg quarterback Jordan Berg, Hartwick quarterback Jason Boltus, Hardin-Simmons quarterback Justin Feaster, Millsaps quarterback Juan Joseph, Mount Union quarterback Greg Micheli, Otterbein quarterback Jack Rafferty, Franklin quarterback Chad Rupp, North Central running back Dominic Sulo, Washington and Jefferson quarterback Bobby Swallow and Case Western Reserve quarterback Dan Whalen.

For the second year in a row, Division III football fans can cast a ballot for the Gagliardi Trophy. The combined vote of fans through this voting page will count as one ballot toward the final result.

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em login | Team capsules Playoff photos | Saturday at Cortland, Ithaca | Wheaton feature

By Tom Haley
D3football.com

Curry coach Skip Bandini's cranium is jammed to capacity this week as he tries to devise a way to win an NCAA second-round playoff game for the first time, against Cortland State.

But there was a temporary diversion after Tuesday's practice. Bandini was in his car en route to a football banquet at Methuen (Mass.) High, putting the finishing touches on his speech. All the thoughts about his Colonels and Saturday's game plan were put on hold ever so briefly.

He would begin his speech by asking the audience: What would you do if you came to a fork in the road?

"Most people would say they would go right or go left," Bandini said while negotiating the highway on the way to the banquet.

"But what if somebody said they would pick it up. They wouldn't be wrong. They would just be thinking a different way."

That was Bandini's way of illustrating the importance of respecting teammates' feelings and the different ways people think. It is something he is very big on in building the team concept. Much of the emphasis from the start of training camp in August is getting teammates to know one another and get in tune with the way others are thinking.

All coaches preach that to a point. Bandini and his staff might take it to a new level.

"Sometimes when a new coach comes in here, he thinks we're crazy. We make sure the players eat dinner together and do things together all the time right from the start of camp," Bandini said.

"People think differently. That doesn't mean they are wrong."

There's no substitute for talent and the Colonels are well stocked in that department.

But you might not want to minimize the Curry Way when it comes to team building. The numbers speak for themselves. The Colonels are 61-4 the past six seasons. When they lost 28-17 to Plymouth State on Oct. 25 it was considered an unusual event. They have qualified for postseason play the last seven years and are making their sixth straight appearance in the NCAA tournament.

They won their first NCAA playoff game last season, taking down Hartwick, 42-21.

Now, they try to take the next step but the obstacle is an imposing one. Cortland went unbeaten in one of the country's toughest conferences and last week toppled that Plymouth team that gave Curry its only blemish.

But the Colonels boast a quarterback in Ryan Van De Giesen with plenty of playoff experience. It began for the senior three years ago when the Colonels got spanked 42-14 in the opening round by Springfield.

"The game has slowed down a lot for him since then," Bandini said. "Everything was fast and furious for him then as I'm sure it would be for any sophomore quarterback. He has learned from that experience."

Now, he has four NCAA playoff games under his belt, including the wins against Hartwick and Ithaca last week.

He has completed 170 of 324 passes for 2,464 yards and 24 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. And he has done it by spreading the ball around as nine receivers have caught TD passes. Brian Taylor is the main target with 59 catches for 846 yards and five touchdowns. But Norman Landry and Jon Rodriguez also have five TD grabs.

The other side of the ball has its own leaders. Scott Driscoll has a team-high six interceptions and is the owner of two New England Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors as well as two ECAC Northeast Division III Player of the Week accolades.

Tim Bloniasz comes in a 5-7 package but the hype following him into the season was big as he was on a pre-season All-America team. He had seven interceptions in 2007 but was injured for a few games this year.

"He is a football player. He studies film night and day," Bandini said.

Daniel Dawson is another standout on defense with 74 tackles, including 20 for a loss.

The Cortland game will be especially meaningful for Curry defensive coordinator Todd Nestor, a 1996 Ithaca graduate and intern Bill Struzzi, a 2007 Ithaca graduate.

Cortland and Ithaca meet each season for the Cortaca Jug, one of the game's great rivalries and one that celebrated its golden anniversary this year. The rivalry between the nearby schools is a fierce one and Saturday will be like a slice of the Cortaca Jug for Nestor and Struzzi as they go against the Red Dragons.

"Struzzi is a lot more than an intern. He is going to be one of the great coaches someday," Bandini said. "No question about it, this game is going to be special for them."

But more than Van De Giesen, Driscoll, Bloniasz, Driscoll, Nestor or anyone else, Bandini would rather talk about his Colonels in a collective manner.

You, see his words at the football banquet were not hollow ones. His speech was not some kind of window dressing or fancy talk to impress high school players and their parents. The message delivered Tuesday night is the Curry Way.

A veteran playoff team seems to run into the same teams year after year, and it's no different with Mary Hardin-Baylor and Wesley. When the two teams meet Saturday, it will be for the fourth time in four seasons.

They haven't changed too much over the years, but each has had some in-season turnover in the starting lineup. Jason Bowen has more in a Road to Salem feature.

Plus we also have new features on Washington and Jefferson, Willamette and Wartburg.

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em login | Team capsules Playoff photos | Gagliardi Trophy fan vote | Wheaton feature

Franklin's shootout win against Otterbein left the Grizzlies alive to fight another week, and gave them a chance to avenge last year's last-second loss to North Central.

Are they a team on a mission? Keith McMillan has more in a Road to Salem feature.

It's getting to the point where we can no longer truly be surprised by whatever Curry manages to do in the postseason. Last year's first-round win was at home and against a lower seed, but last week's win was on the road, a completely different matter.

Disrupting the Cortaca Jug II matchup was just the end result. The cause? Consider it a mix of The Curry Way and The Curry Experience. It's team-building and players accustomed to the NCAA playoffs on the other. Tom Haley has more in a D3football.com Road to Salem feature.

Thanks to the pieces falling the way they did at the end of the regular season, a bunch of teams got a new lease on life. That includes the Wheaton Thunder, who made the most of their second time around with a first-round win at Trine. But playoff experience can only get you so far. More in a Road to Salem feature by Clyde Hughes.

We know for sure one person took us up on our challenge to hit both Cortland State and Ithaca, as Mario Sacco saw both games and lived to write about it. And learned something in the process about writing outdoors in the cold and snow. A D3football.com Road to Salem feature.

By Keith McMillan
D3football.com

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Franklin came into the postseason like most teams, playing to send its seniors out on as high a note as possible.

But the Grizzlies came in carrying three other burdens, two of which were lifted in a 62-45 first-round win against Otterbein.

"It was for all the guys who played in the last seven years and haven't had a [playoff] victory," Franklin coach Mike Leonard said. "I've got vivid memories of losing games and not knowing what to say after seven close losses in 2003. A lot of guys would give their right arm to have this opportunity."

The Grizzlies were very aware that it wasn't just a chance to win for themselves, but for the Heartland Conference, which had been 1-10 since automatic bids were introduced in 1999. Quarterback Chad Rupp, who passed for 527 yards and had a hand in eight touchdowns, put it in perspective.

"I've definitely [never done anything like this before], not this type of day. I have had, personally, some good days, but this one, on this kind of stage, means a lot. To get the HCAC's only second victory and represent them, that's what's special about it."

Having carried the torch for their program and conference, there's one more way, beyond a potential trip to Salem, that Franklin can make this postseason a special one. The Grizzlies wouldn't feed much into it in postgame interviews, but acknowledged it's important to be playing North Central on Saturday. The Cardinals delayed Franklin's playoff gratification with a 19-yard Aaron Fanthorpe-to-Steve Hlavac touchdown pass on the last play of last year's 44-42 first-round win.

"We got beat by 'em last year by two on that last second play, which was really, really tough," Rupp said. "I think it adds a little something extra to the game."

But perhaps more significant is the Grizzlies' opportunity to keep on riding the wave.

"In the back of your mind you always know that you're playing for another game, playing to advance, and it gets a lot of people motivated," said Logan Deffner, whose five touchdown catches against Otterbein surpassed his season total of four.

It's the gift and curse of the playoff system, that one team lives to enjoy another week together, and the other turns in the pads.

"Especially last year it was really tough," Rupp, a senior, said, "but you always think 'Well I've got next year.' This time, I think we have 25 guys, this is our last chance. You never go into a game thinking you're going to lose or nothing like that, but when you really do sit down and think about it, this could be the last game, whether you play great or bad."

After the game, Otterbein coach Joe Loth said he told his team they need to emulate Franklin, to take the pain of a loss – in the Cardinals' case, in the first playoff game in school history – and draw on it during offseason work.

"You could definitely tell Franklin was a team on a mission," Loth said.

Which is the same word Leonard used to describe Franklin's demeanor leading up to the Otterbein game.

"This week, I think we weren't as bright-eyed and overly excited," Leonard said. "It was a little more mission-like, and not 'wow we made it to the playoffs, and do I get tickets, do I get to dress?' That stuff took care of itself because the guys knew what it was all about."

The Grizzlies also know all about playing on the road. They'd scheduled just four home games this season, then, as a No. 5 seed, played at Otterbein. Saturday's game at North Central will be Franklin's eighth away from Faught Stadium this season, which actually doesn't bother them.

"It's kind of nice packing up," Leonard said. "Our AD, Coach [Kerry] Prather, who's also the basketball coach, said 'look at it as a blessing that you're not hosting.' … It allows you to bond as a team, get on the buses, roll, spend the night, eat together, whereas when you're home, you don't get to do that."

Leonard said it compares in some ways to the most familiar of road trips.

"You kind of grow closer as a family when you go on vacation, and that's kind of what's going on with this unit right here," he said.

And the Franklin family, backed perhaps by Division III's most impressive tailgate, if not travel party, has already made this a season to remember. They've earned the first playoff win in Grizzlies history and have catapulted the HCAC into the second round for the first time since Hanover won 20-3 at Hope in 2000.

All of which has boiled Saturday's 657 yards of total offense and 62 points in the second through fourth quarters down to something pretty simple.

"The biggest thing we wanted to do was come here and win," Rupp said. "We didn't care if it was 3-0 or like we won today. In the beginning I thought it was going to be one of those grind-it-out battles, first one to get to 21. It ended up not turning out like that. But just to come here after last year's tough, tough loss, and wanting to prove something for our conference against arguably the best conference in Division III, it's just a special win."

Perhaps another special win, against the Cards, is in the cards.

By Mario Sacco

CORTLAND AND ITHACA, N.Y. -- Thirty-two teams began their journey to Salem, Va., this weekend with aspirations of winning Stagg Bowl XXXVI.

I too took a journey, that led me to see first half white outs, last second thrillers, and an upset we will be talking about all week. I began the day trying by to uncover my car from the dusting of snow we got in upstate New York (a dusting to citizens up here is anything less than two feet). A brief trip down I-81 from Syracuse, N.Y., I settled into the friendly confines of the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex.

With the weather dipping into the high teens I took a lap around the parking lot to see if any brave souls were tailgating. I wasn't let down as I saw Red Dragon fans throwing back some “sodas” and hot dogs well throwing the pigskin around. I would have joined them but shortly after getting out of my car my feet and hands became numb.

Into the stadium I went to enjoy what would be a very entertaining and close first half of football. First off, the facilities at SUNY Cortland are very impressive. If any athletic director would like to take notes on how a new facility should be put together follow SUNY Cortland's lead. I chose to sit on the Plymouth State side of the stadium, first though I had to brush the foot of snow off the bleachers just to find my seat.

I realized early on in my trip though that I had made a few crucial mistakes. You see, I am from and have always lived in the western Pennsylvania area. When I decided to attend Syracuse University in Upstate New York I didn't believe people who said “just wait for the snow.” Boy did I find out first hand what lake effect snow is all about! With three layers of clothes and three layers of socks I thought that I would be fine ... wrong.

Also, never try to write with a pen in 20 degree weather.

So as my butt froze to the metal bleacher I settled into enjoy my first ever East Region playoff game. The first half for Cortland State was the Andrew Giuliano show. Thirteen of the first 15 plays went Giuliano's way in the first half. I give Plymouth State credit though as the Panthers held their ground until late in the second quarter, when Ray Miles hit Hajnos on deep post for a 39-yard pitch-and-catch. That set the score at 14-6 and Plymouth State would get no closer.

The Red Dragons of Cortland were constantly putting eight guys in the box. The only real pass that DeMarco completed in the first half was a scrambling bomb down the sidelines. It seemed like three Cortland State defenders had a chance at DeMarco during the play but a decleating block from Zac Duval sprung DeMarco free from the rush. It set up the only score in the first half for the Panthers, as he capped off the drive on an option keeper around the left end.

I enjoyed my short stay in Cortland, getting to know a few of the fans from Plymouth State. I give them credit, some waking up at the wee hours of the morning to take the drive and bear the cold to take it what turned out to be the last Panthers game of the season. I was very surprised as to how kind I was treated by the New Englanders since I was wearing my Pittsburgh Penguins stocking cap. In all seriousness, the crowd was probably 75 percent Cortland fans but there was at maximum 500 people in the stands.

At halftime I hit Rte. 13 with the heat on full blast as I made my journey down the road to Ithaca, N.Y., to catch what turned out to be the shocker of the first round. Twenty-five minutes later and my feet and hands back to room temperature I settled into Butterfield Stadium.

I was taken back to my high school days at Butterfield Stadium. I personally thought that the field looked in great shape for a game played on grass in late November, but on the field the players struggled with footing all day. Fans, if you have not been to Ithaca to take in a game like I haven't you are in for a different atmosphere. The field sits sort of like a bowl with bleachers on either side on the tops of the hill. It was set up great for viewing the action, as you were up high enough that you could see everything happening.

The teams traded blows in the second half as Curry took a brief lead only to let it escape with 2:16 left in the third as Brian Grastorf hit Kyle Crandall from 10 yards out for the score.

Clinging to a 21-18 lead the Bombers not once but twice had the ball inside the 35 yard line of the Colonels but failed to score. I am never one to second guess a coach's decision but twice coach Mike Welch of Ithaca decided to punt deep in Curry territory. Both times Ithaca gained minimal yardage on the changeover on downs. The Colonels then played the field position game as they drove to the 50 only to stall with five minutes left to play. Curry punted and then got a big defensive stand.

With just over two minutes on the clock the Colonels marched down the field for what would be the game-winning drive. Time after time on the drive Van De Giesen came up big finding his wideouts on quick slants and short hitters. The touchdown was skinny post for 12 yards out as Van de Giesen hit Norman Landry who beat the one-on-one coverage for the score.

Out of pencils to write with (had to change over since the weather was drying up all the ink) I started to hit the walkway back down to my car. I quickly stopped though as the Bombers of Ithaca drove inside Curry territory in a hurry. A pass-interference call in the end zone on Curry set Ithaca up with 15 seconds left and 25 yards to go. Grastorf had a shot on first down as he had a wide-receiver split the secondary of Curry only for the pass to sail high and out of play. One last-ditch pass down the sidelines fell incomplete and the Colonels pulled off, as some in Curry football fans told me, the biggest win in school history.

As stood in the end zone witness for the second consecutive year an underdog pull off a stunner (I was at the W&J game last year when they got upset by North Carolina Wesleyan) I could not help but crack a smile. You're not going to see any of the highlights on SportsCenter but for one day 52 players and their fans had a memory that will last them a lifetime.

This is what fans of D-I football will never feel -- that moment when your team has worked all season and for one Saturday afternoon on the grand stage of the national playoffs they pull off an instant classic. My journey this past Saturday was not about who won and lost but to see first hand once again how splendid football at the D-III level can be.

Mario Sacco is a Washington and Jefferson graduate studying broadcast journalism at Syracuse.

Thanks to the pieces falling the way they did at the end of the regular season, a bunch of teams got a new lease on life for the playoffs.

That includes the Wheaton Thunder, who made the most of their second time around with a first-round win at Trine. But playoff experience can only get you so far. More in a Road to Salem feature by Clyde Hughes.

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em login | Team capsules Playoff photos | First-round coverage | Saturday's game day blog

We know for sure one person took us up on our challenge to hit both Cortland State and Ithaca, as Mario Sacco saw both games and lived to write about it. And learned something in the process about writing outdoors in the cold and snow.

Sacco's story, and his take on Cortland State-Plymouth State and Ithaca-Curry, in a D3football.com Road to Salem feature.

Welcome to the short week of the playoffs, where we know people are focused on the holiday and spending time with family. But coming up this week we'll have even more feature stories.

We'll also be broadcasting from the Road to Salem, including sending publisher Pat Coleman to Salem -- Oregon, that is -- to cover the UW-Whitewater/Willamette game.

By Clyde Hughes
D3football.com

It seemed it had all slipped away for the Wheaton Thunder over an eight-day span after its football team looked to be sitting on the top of the world ranked No. 4 in the country and playing essential for the conference title at home against North Central on Oct. 25.

But a resounding 44-21 loss to the North Central team that would receive the top seed in the Midwest region followed by a 37-23 loss the following week to unranked Elmhurst sent Wheaton stumbling out of the national rankings.

No. 25 Wheaton (9-2), given a second life by the NCAA selection committee as an at-large playoff team, beat No. 20-ranked Trine 14-0 on the road last week and now enters the second week of the playoffs with a renewed energy. The Thunder will travel to Hollett Little Giant Stadium in Crawfordsville, Ind., to take on No. 15 Wabash (10-1).

"It was like a shot of adrenaline," said Wheaton's cornerback and kick return specialist Pete Ittersagen. "We were surprised and excited all at the same time. When you feel you're not going to get something and you're able to get it anyway, you have a greater appreciation for it and you just want to go as far as you can."

Wheaton coach Mike Swider said one of the things in Wheaton's favor was its playoff history. Including this season, the Thunder has made the playoffs five times since 2002 and reached the regional finals in 2003 before it lost to Mount Union 56-10. Since 1999, Wheaton is a perfect 6-0 in first-round games.

"When you win that first round game, it legitimizes your selection," Swider said. "We challenged our players about winning the first-round game because it helps us down the road. We are focused now on being the best we can be because when you reach the round of 16, everybody has numbers. You won't run into a team that hasn't done something special this season."

Wheaton, particularly its offense, bounced back with victories against Illinois Wesleyan 44-10 and Carthage 51-24 to end the regular season. That appears to have been enough to convince the powers to give them a playoff shot.

The Thunder is averaging 34.3 points a game, but has a reputation as a top defensive club, giving up 17.2 points a contest. Wheaton's run defense is particularly stout, giving up 89.3 points a game.

Against Trine, with an offense that was averaging nearly 32 points a game with a victory over No. 18-ranked Franklin already under its belt, Wheaton's defense pitched a shutout. The Thunder held Trine to 66 yards rushing after Trine averaged 191.9 yards a game all season.

"We've been playing pretty solid on defense," Swider said. "We turned the ball over four times and we still had a shutout. That's because we're playing exceedingly well in the red zone. We bent but never broke. Our kids really played well in the red zone."

But Wheaton will meet its defensive equal in Wabash. Wabash is ranked 13th in the nation in total defense, limiting teams to 253 yards a game. Wabash is coming off a 20-17 victory over No. 11 Case Western Reserve last Saturday.

Wabash, which breezed through to the North Coast Athletic Conference title, only stumbled in the final contest of the season against rival DePauw 36-14 in the Monon Bell Game.
"Wabash is a great opponent," Ittersagen said. "Offensively, their quarterback (junior Matt Hudson) is a player. We've scrimmaged them and seen him on film. We have to shut them down up front. We've got to pressure him at quarterback. We have to execute our jobs and do what we are suppose to bed doing."

Swider said in a game with two experienced playoff teams, little things such as special teams, field position and eliminating turnovers can play vital roles in who wins.

"We have to generate some first downs against them," Swider said. "We want to eliminate three-and-outs. We may not score but what we do is improve our field position the next time we have to ball so we can score. When you're playing a good team like this, you want to get first downs and keep the ball moving."

Wheaton is no stranger to winning. Over the past nine years, Wheaton has been one of the most successful football programs in Division III with an .800 winning percentage (80-20).

Swider now has the most victories in school history as a coach with a 105-31 record since taking over the program in 1996.

Swider said regardless of what happens Saturday, he wants his team to make the most of this second chance they got on the season. He said the Thunder can make a big statement for Wheaton with a victory over Wabash.

"Christmas came early here in Wheaton," Swider said. "We're just happy to be alive and kicking and we're very excited about this opportunity. Wabash is a solid team and everyone is good at this level. We're looking forward to the game."

The opening round of the 2008 Division III football playoffs had a little bit of everything: some shutouts, some shootouts and a good number of upsets, at least when you use the NCAA's seedings as your guide.

Keith McMillan was in Ohio and Pat Coleman was in Illinois this weekend and they'll take you through the key points of every bracket, including a first look ahead at the second round games. Get your short week off to a good start with the Around the Nation podcast.

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em login | Team capsules Playoff photos | Saturday's game day blog

Go to the podcast page and click the play button to listen. You can load the podcast page in iTunes or can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3football.com/dailydose/?feed=podcast

Scroll down for more Saturday coverage. Plus check out our weekend photo galleries. Under licensing rules from the NCAA, we can only offer playoff photos for sale for 30 days, so if you're shopping for the holidays, it helps to act fast.

• Thomas More at North Central
• Hardin-Simmons at Mary Hardin-Baylor
• Franklin at Otterbein
• Muhlenberg at Wesley
• St. John's at UW-Whitewater

Dubuque announced that football coach Vince Brautigam along with assistant football coaches Jay Davis and Erik Ross will be leaving the university.

Brautigam joined the Dubuque in 2001, inheriting a program of only 21 players. Since then, he has not only built the number of athletes in the program, but also increased the diversity and quality of players. During his eight year tenure, the Spartans have produced 17 All-IIAC players (including five in 2008 and six in 2005), one All-American and one MVP of the Aztec Bowl. His overall record at UD is 22-58 and 14-52 in Iowa Conference action. The Spartans finished as high as third in the IIAC twice in back-to-back seasons 2006-2007. Last season, the Spartan football team finished with the school's best record since 1980 with a 7-3 finish.

Brautigam started his coaching career at St. Cloud State from 1988-90. In 1990, Brautigam became the head coach at Mount Senario in Ladysmith, Wis.

“I would like to thank coach Brautigam and the football staff for helping to bring the Spartan football program to its current level,” stated Runkle. “I believe that changes are necessary in order to take our football program to the next, and more competitive, level within the Iowa Conference.”

The search for a new football staff will begin immediately.

The No. 7 seeds advanced -- all four of them, in fact -- to the second round of the Division III football playoffs on a Saturday full of upsets, at least by some measures.

Three teams that the NCAA seeded No. 2 in their bracket fell, as did two No. 4 seeds. Seventh-seeded Wesley shut out Muhlenberg 20-0, in fact, while seventh-seeded Wheaton blanked Trine 14-0. Saturday's scoreboard.

But the surprise of the first round had to be Curry. A seventh seed itself, the Colonels pulled off a 26-21 upset at Ithaca behind quarterback Ryan Van De Giesen threw for 268 yards and four touchdowns, the last of them with 32 seconds left for the win.

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em contest | Team capsules Around the Region | Surprises, disappointments | Game day blog

Plymouth State's Jeff Mack gained 100 yards, but needed 27 carries to do it, as the sixth-seeded Panthers lost at third-seeded Cortland State 31-14.

Franklin's offense erupted behind quarterback Chad Rupp and the Grizzlies ousted Otterbein 62-45. (Photo gallery) Rupp threw for 527 yards and seven touchdowns to give the HCAC its first playoff win since 1999. North Central, which dispatched Thomas More 44-23, awaits in a rematch of last year's playoff game. Photo gallery.

Mary Hardin-Baylor survived its first-round home game against Hardin-Simmons, 38-35. Alan Munoz's 33-yard field goal with five seconds remaining was the difference. The Crusaders will host familiar foe Wesley next week. (Photo gallery.) The Wolverines beat Muhlenberg 20-0, ending the Mules' season for the second year in row and limiting John DeLuca to 30 rushing yards. (Photo gallery.) Washington and Jefferson held on to beat Christopher Newport 35-29 and Millsaps dumped LaGrange 51-26.

Matt Hudson connected with Wes Chamblee for a 52-yard touchdown with 48 seconds left to rally Wabash past Case Western Reserve 20-17. The Little Giants get Wheaton next who shut down and shut out Trine, 14-0.

Both sides of the last three Stagg Bowls advanced with ease. Mount Union cruised past Randolph-Macon 56-0 behind 290 rushing yards from Nate Kmic. The Purple Raiders will host Hobart who beat Lycoming 33-15. UW-Whitewater defeated St. John's 37-7 as the Warhawks outgained the Johnnies 445-139. (Photo gallery.) UW-Whitewater will travel to Willamette, which got 169 rushing yards and 104 rushing yards from Merben Woo to beat Occidental 48-33.

In the West region, Wartburg ran out the clock on UW-Stevens Point's magical season. (Photo gallery.) The Knights topped the Pointers 26-14 and will head to Monmouth who handled Aurora 42-13 for the program's first playoff win.

Iona joined the long line of MAAC football programs streaming for the door, as the Gaels, one of a handful of Division I schools permitted to play Division III football in the 1980s and early 1990s, announced it was dropping the sport effective immediately.

Six MAAC football members dropped the sport in the previous six years: Canisius, Fairfield, La Salle, St. Peter's, Siena and St. John's, prompting the league to disband after the 2007 season. Iona played two Division III schools this past season, going 1-1.

"It is with a heavy heart and careful deliberations that we have come to this extremely difficult decision," said athletic director Patrick Lyons. "The dissolution of the MAAC Football League after the 2007 season and the lack of equitable opponents in Division I FCS football was the main factor in the decision."

"A comprehensive system has been put in place to support all football student-athletes in this difficult transition," said school president Br. James Liguori. "Assistance will be provided to all that elect to continue their athletic career at another institution or their academic careers at Iona College."

That's right, it's the time of year again for our playoff capsules. Every year since D3football.com started in 1999 we've taken a look at each playoff team, giving readers a little more knowledge about the teams they may only know from a line in the Scoreboard.

So how will you know if North Central is playing well? How far can Wabash advance in this bracket? What was the turning point that propelled Curry into the postseason, or Millsaps, or Thomas More?

How many playoff teams are running the spread these days? How will Occidental line up on defense? Does Plymouth State ever throw the ball? How many playoff games has Washington and Jefferson won? (And how many wins do the Purple Raiders have, anyway?)

Get those answers and more in the 2008 Playoff Capsules.

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em contest | Around the Region Post-selection show analysis | To come: Predictions

As the excitement of the 32-team playoff bracket approaches, it's time for us here at D3football.com to take a good hard look at it and gaze into our crystal balls.

For the eighth year in a row, Keith McMillan and Pat Coleman try to determine who or what the surprises are in each bracket. Who will win each bracket and advance to the national semifinals? Who or what will disappoint?

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em contest | Team capsules Around the Region | Post-selection show analysis | To come: Triple Take

That's the aim of this week's Around the Nation.

And just in case two takes aren't enough, we've assembled our Stagg Bowl game crew a few weeks early, pulling in Ryan Tipps and Frank Rossi for their look at the brackets as well.

Plus, Keith takes a more in-depth look at the bracket itself and pontificates on what was done right, what was done wrong, and what, apparently, couldn't be helped.

That and more in this week's Around the Nation.

Wheaton's Andy Studebaker has been signed by the Kansas City Chiefs and will be placed on the team's 53-man roster for the Chiefs' game on Sunday against the Bills at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

The D3football.com All-American has been on the practice squad of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles since August. He was a sixth-round pick of the Eagles in the 2008 NFL draft, playing during the team's training camp until he was assigned to the practice squad. Studebaker had a strong preseason for the Eagles as he moved to linebacker from the defensive end spot that earned him All-American accolades at Wheaton. He made five total tackles in the Eagles' preseason games, with a pass deflection and forced a fumble.

Studebaker graduated from Wheaton in May 2008 with a bachelor's degree in applied health science. In four seasons with the Thunder, he tallied 111 total tackles, with 50-1/2 tackles for lost yardage (minus-292 yards), including 30 sacks.

As a junior in 2006 he was selected as the CCIW Defensive Player of the Year and was tabbed as a First Team All-American and the North Region Defensive Player of the Year by D3football.com. He also earned Second Team All-American honors on the 2006 AP Little All-American team. In that junior campaign he led the CCIW with 17-1/2 (minus-142 yards) quarterback sacks and was also the league leader in tackles for lost yardage with 25-1/2 (minus-161 yards).

His 17-1/2 sacks tied the school record for sacks in a single season, and were the most of any player at any NCAA level in 2006.

Franklin takes another crack at ending the HCAC's playoff doldrums with a trip to Otterbein, with All-American quarterback Chad Rupp at the helm.

But it's likely neither last year's playoff trip nor this one would have been possible if Rupp hadn't changed his mind about something. Clyde Hughes has more in this week's Around the Midwest.

The bracket drew a variety of reactions from across the country: relief in Milton, Mass., likely a combination of anticipation and trepidation in Ashland, Va., and perhaps a nod of knowing familiarity in Cleveland.

That last part is because Case Western Reserve gets a familiar foe returning to its backyard, with Wabash coming in for a second year in a row. And Case has a lot of the same pieces in place, chief among them quarterback Dan Whalen.

Whalen, who's thrown only four interceptions this season for the unbeaten Spartans and has a line strikingly similar to 2007, had a significantly different offseason, however. He spent the summer working out with Columbia University ... oh, and that's because he was working at Sports Illustrated.

Matt Florjancic writes more in this week's Around the Great Lakes.

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em contest | Week 11 coverage Post-selection show analysis | To come: Team capsules, predictions

Randolph-Macon, which won an automatic bid at 6-4, got the toughest draw in the entire bracket, traveling to Mount Union in the first round. How do the Yellow Jackets prepare for such a dominant opponent? Ryan Tipps has the story in Around the Mid-Atlantic.

Everything worked out for Plymouth State on Saturday, which controlled its destiny on the field. But for Curry, which needed a lot of help and a benevolent committee on its side, this past week was a lot different. Tom Haley explains in Around the Northeast.

Two games take place in the Around the South territory, with two completely different storylines. Plus, if you thought the East was irate last year at Mount Union getting moved into the bracket, what must they feel this year? That and more in this week's Around the Region.

Pat Coleman and Keith McMillan had an extended discussion yesterday afternoon, with each other as well as teams and fans. If you missed our post-selection analysis show, it doubles as this week's Around the Nation Podcast.

How did Wheaton react to being given second life? What is going to change for Washington and Jefferson this time around?

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em contest | Week 11 coverage

How does Willamette feel about the typical West Coast matchup? And does Mount Union have any extra motivation coming off of a loss in last year's Stagg Bowl?

We talked to all four teams: three coaches and an All-American quarterback. Listen in.

Plus, the 2008 D3football.com Playoff Pick 'em is up and running. Deadline for picks is 11 a.m. ET on Saturday. Register now and log in your picks. Prize is your name in lights -- we believe this makes it safe for those worried about their NCAA eligibility.

Plus check out our weekend photo galleries:

• Gallaudet at Wesley
• St. John's at Carleton
• Albright at Delaware Valley
• Trinity (Texas) at Austin
• Wilmington at Ohio Northern
• Lewis and Clark at Puget Sound

Well, Week 11 was a disaster for so many teams hoping for an at-large bid to the Division III football playoffs. And with only six of those bids to go around, well, there was little margin for error.

Whose error was too big? Whose error was just enough to mess with their seeding? With the 3 p.m. ET selection show approaching, we've got some food for thought.

It's our playoff projections.


Don't forget to join us on our post-selection analysis broadcast.
We'll talk to teams that got in and teams that missed out, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. ET.

If you missed the long and short of Saturday in Division III football, scroll down for full coverage.

Wheaton and Curry in, Montclair State and DePauw out. Those were the surprises when we got to the end of Pool C, the at-large teams selected to the NCAA Division III football playoffs.

We've got the full bracket, downloadable and printable. It has the seedings. We also took questions and interviewed coaches and players on our post-selection broadcast, which is archived for you to hear.

In the end, Curry, on a bye week, somehow passed Rowan in the regional rankings, and since Montclair State had a head-to-head win against Rowan this season, Curry would have had to pass Montclair as well to get selected ahead of them. So, somehow, a conference that has one playoff win in its history has two teams in the field.

The other surprise is less surprising. In fact, Wheaton looks a lot like UW-Eau Claire did last season at this time. The Thunder have two losses in a strong conference. And a first-round trip to Trine which resembles Eau Claire's trip to St. Norbert.

This year, the NCAA originally sent a bracket to ESPN that had Willamette hosting Aurora and Occidental hosting Wartburg. But a correction was issued a couple of hours later, with the bracket as it stands in its final form. "The NCAA made a decision that they would not allow Division III to do two flights," Dick Kaiser said this evening on Inside the HuddLLE. "They had to reduce it to one. So we had to make a change."

According Kaiser, who is the chair of the Division III football committee, when the final Pool C team was selected, DePauw, Montclair State, Cal Lutheran and Wooster were on the board as the top remaining team in each region.

This is the busiest day of the year on D3football.com. We have to shut down some features to keep the site operational. If something doesn't come up for you right away, take a break of a few seconds before hitting refresh.

These were our predictions.

Three of the sport's biggest rivalries had severe playoff implications on the line and the Pool C picture began to fall apart here in the final week of the Division III football regular season.

DePauw retained the Monon Bell for another season, rolling over No. 3 Wabash 36-14 after picking off Matt Hudson four times. Ithaca won the Cortaca Jug in dominating fashion, while Randolph-Macon knocked off Hampden-Sydney and got help from Bridgewater to win the automatic bid from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Saturday's scores.For more commentary and updates from Saturday, check out the Daily Dose.

The Bombers routed Cortland State 35-13 and retained the Cortaca Jug. Brian Grastorf was 19-for-28 passing for 274 yards, getting the start with Dan Juvan out with injury. Alfred saw a two-touchdown lead evaporate, but won 36-33 in overtime, denying St. John Fisher the automatic bid and putting Ithaca in as the Empire 8 champs. Hampden-Sydney was driving with a chance to tie the game with a field goal but fumbled. Randolph-Macon returned it all the way for a touchdown and took a 10-point lead in the closing moments.

Selection Sunday and the Division III football pairings are just around the corner. We'll have a live audio broadcast Sunday afternoon, right after the selection show on ESPNews. Plus we'll have the bracket for you right away, as well as all the coverage all week you've come to expect in a decade of D3football.com.

The automatic bids are in the books. Lycoming captured the MAC's automatic qualifier with a win and some help. Jim Daley returned an interception for a touchdown to lock up the Warriors 23-15 win over Lebanon Valley. Delaware Valley's 34-9 victory over Albright gives the conference tri-champions with Lycoming holding head-to-head victories over the Aggies and the Lions.

St. John's survived a year of parity in the MIAC with a three-play sprint to the end zone in the final minute, winning 14-10 at Carleton. Christopher Newport is returning to the NCAA playoffs after a one-year hiatus. The Captains defeated Ferrum 13-10 to win the USA South Athletic Conference. Plymouth State won the NEFC by blowing out Maine Maritime, while Aurora beat Lakeland to win the NAthC.

Nobody can consider themselves truly safe in their pursuit of at-large bids, with only Hardin-Simmons safely in the clubhouse at 9-1. RPI lost to Merchant Marine 23-21, while Montclair State lost to Kean. Hampden-Sydney and Catholic's losses made for even more room in Pool C. Washington and Jefferson is looking a lot better today, low opponents winning percentage and all, in routing Waynesburg 42-9. In a season of last-minute victories, UW-Stevens Point didn't need late game magic to clinch the WIAC. The Pointers defeated UW-La Crosse 21-7, sending defending national champion UW-Whitewater, which won today, to Pool C. Otterbein needed overtime to win at John Carroll, but finished 9-1 and in good shape for a bid. And Redlands picked up its second loss, adding to the Pool C carnage.

Case Western Reserve beat Washington U. to remain unbeaten and lock up a Pool B slot. Wesley routed Gallaudet 55-7 and seems in line for a Pool B slot of its own, while LaGrange beat Huntingdon 27-17 to win the SLIAC and put itself in the Pool B conversation.

Moravian beat No.6 Muhlenberg 27-24 in overtime after a late fumble by John DeLuca gave the Greyhounds life. Muhlenberg had already wrapped up the Centennial but may have cost itself a home game, or a chance at the top seed in the East.

Late tonight we will have our final set of playoff projections. Keep track as we mock up the Situation Room on the Daily Dose on Saturday to keep you up to date on all the ramifications.

The Selection Show is airing on ESPNews right now. At approximately 3:20 when the show ends, we are allowed to post the bracket. Please don't overload the site by hitting refresh frequently. It's the best time of the year here at D3football.com!

Thirty years after helping to re-launch football at MIT, Dwight Smith has decided to retire from coaching. The 1999 New England Football Conference Coach of the Year, Smith has been on the sidelines for every game in the modern history of Engineer football, including 21 years as a varsity program.

Taking over the reins as head coach of the Tech club program in 1979 after a one-year stint as an assistant, Smith led the Engineers into its first varsity game on Sept. 24, 1988. During Tech's 30-year run on the gridiron, Smith's unit compiled a 102-159-1 mark.

Persevering as the long-time commander of MIT football, Smith has picked up numerous awards and postseason accolades throughout his tenure. In 1983, Smith was named the New England College Football Conference Coach of the Year after guiding the Engineers to a 5-4 record. He was honored by the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference for his contributions to the league at the conclusion of the 1996 season, and was the ECFC Coach of the Year in 1997. In 1999, Smith was named co-Coach of the Year in the New England Football Conference. In 2007, Smith received the Ron Burton Distinguished American Award for Lifetime Achievement sponsored by the Jack Grinold Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation.

“So often in college sports, coaches use their current job as a stepping stone to the next job,” noted athletic director Julie Soriero. “In Dwight's case, the long history of his career here at MIT speaks to his commitment to his team and this institution; it is admirable. To wrap up this season with a number of unprecedented achievements and career records is a fitting way to conclude his historic career.”

Smith, who will remain at MIT as a full-time professor in Physical Education, enjoyed a tremendous season in 2008 as the Engineers shattered a bevy of team records. MIT set single-season records for points, total offense, rushing yards, touchdowns, and first downs while junior DeRon Brown entered the final week of the season as the No. 2 rusher in Division III.

As Selection Sunday approaches, the picture is supposed to get clearer. Automatic bids get locked in, at-large bids become easier to determine and the brackets begin to take shape.

We seem to have some clarity in terms of at-large bids for the moment. But that's the calm before the storm, where the East Region could well force us to make some tough choices when we do our final projection late Saturday night.

Who gets in? Who goes where? Check our take in D3football.com's playoff projections. We usually end up with a lively discussion about the bracket projections as well, so join us on the Daily Dose, D3football.com's blog for all the back-and-forth.

Don't forget the Division III football selection show has been moved back to ESPNews, which will air a five-minute presentation of the playoff brackets on Sunday, Nov. 16. It will air between 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. ET. Click here for more.

Two of Division III's top players have been within sight of some of Division III's most prestigious offensive records all season. And with Mount Union's Nate Kmic and Guilford's Josh Vogelbach within sight of those milestones, it begs the question -- what makes greatness in Division III?

To find the answer, Keith McMillan went back to a previous great passer and great runner. So a pair of Gagliardi Trophy winners, Redlands' Danny Ragsdale and Mount Union's Chuck Moore, weigh in.

Such is the question of greatness, in this week's Around the Nation.

Kmic recently passed UW-Whitewater running back Justin Beaver on the all-time leader board and has fewer than 700 to go to catch Grove City's R.J. Bowers. Vogelbach surpassed Westminster (Mo.) quarterback Justin Peery on his way to the top of Division III's all-time passing chart last week.

That, plus a look at the playoff chase in this week's Around the Nation.

Each week during the regular season we look at some of the key statistical performances from the weekend in Division III football, highlighting one per region.

The Ithaca offensive line may well have been the offensive player of the game for the Bombers as they came back to win 43-35 at Alfred. Senior left tackle Sean Mirkov, senior left guard Chris Gray, junior center Ben Garvey, senior right guard Eric Russo and junior right tackle Jake Queener carried the load as Ithaca lost its starting quarterback and a 1,200-yard rusher to injury in the second quarter. Alfred, which had recorded 26 sacks coming into the game, could not add to its total. Second-string running back Dan Ruggiero ran for 194 yards on 25 carries behind this front five.

Centre linebackers Adam Hay and Brian Sneed helped lead the Colonels to an upset of Trinity (Texas), combining for 27 tackles, 21 solo, in the 26-17 win.

Carleton sophomore safety Neil Kolstad had two interceptions for the Knights on Saturday, each of which turned into scoring drives in Carleton's 41-28 win at Concordia-Moorhead. Kolstad also had 10 tackles, five solo. Carleton hosts St. John's for the MIAC title and automatic bid on Saturday.

Francis Adarkwa didn't finish with an impressive yard total, but he was all the University of Chicago really had going for it as the Maroons knocked off conference rival Wash U 17-14. Adarkwa ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 42 carries, while also throwing a 23-yard pass to start off a 24-yard scoring drive. Chicago completed just two of 10 passes on the day.

Don't forget to check out the weekly ATN podcast and more weekend coverage.

From Western Kentucky's bench to intramurals at Kentucky to Otterbein, and are the playoffs next?

That's the career track that Otterbein quarterback Jack Rafferty has taken so far. The Cardinals, who lost 49-20 at home to Mount Union on Saturday, need another win to put themselves in the NCAA playoff field of 32. Rafferty traces his path for Matt Florjancic in this week's Around the Great Lakes.

Carleton has been surprisingly competitive with St. John's on the field the past couple of years. But that doesn't mean that the impact of this week's matchup isn't a surprise. The unlikely showdown for the MIAC title, in this week's Around the West.

As the season winds down, there's one last big game in Around the South territory. And it's not too surprising that the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title will be settled far from the Gateway city. Jason Bowen looks at the LaGrange-Huntingdon game.

It doesn't get any bigger in Upstate New York than the Cortaca Jug game. And with Cortland assured of a playoff spot and Ithaca fighting for one, the stakes are even higher. Adam Samrov has a preview in Around the East.

Plus, not all first-year head coaches are created equal in Around the Mid-Atlantic and Carthage football has a new face in Around the Midwest. That and more in this week's Around the Region.

The Division III football selection show has been moved back to ESPNews, which will air a five-minute presentation of the playoff brackets on Sunday, Nov. 16. It will air between 3 p.m. and approximately 3:20 p.m. ET.

Since this show is dramatically shorter than the past five years, D3football.com is putting together a post-selection analysis audio program, to run on Sunday afternoon. We'll also post the bracket as soon as it's released.

Scroll down for more weekend coverage, plus, for our first take on how things will play out, check out the Around the Nation podcast.

There's going to be a lot of scoreboard watching on Saturday. With nine leagues' automatic bids still up in the air, plus a logjam for at-large bids, there will be plenty of need to keep an eye on what's going on elsewhere.

Unless you're on the field. You guys just go get the W.

For the rest of you, Keith McMillan and Pat Coleman break down the playoff possibilities in this week's Around the Nation podcast.

What are the scenarios in the topsy-turvy MAC? Can anyone other than Catholic and Hampden-Sydney still get the ODAC's automatic bid? What are RPI's playoff chances, now that they're no longer in control of their Liberty League destiny? Will a team get moved into the East Region as the top seed, or No. 2 seed? Is Husson seriously a playoff candidate? Is Salisbury? Is Redlands? Listen to the podcast for those questions and more.

Go to the podcast page and click the play button to listen. You can load the podcast page in iTunes or can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3football.com/dailydose/?feed=podcast

Scroll down for more Saturday coverage, plus information about Selection Sunday.

Plus check out our weekend photo galleries:

• UW-Stout at No. 5 UW-Whitewater
• McMurry at No. 11 Hardin-Simmons
• Augsburg at St. John's
• Pacific Lutheran at Menlo
• Merchant Marine at Union

No. 14 UW-Stevens Point came up with a stunner in the fourth quarter, as Jared Jenkins pulled a floater out of the air from Jared Beckwith at the goal line with 6.2 seconds left to beat UW-Eau Claire 21-20. Photo gallery.

The catch, which came at the end of a three-play, 46-yard drive that took just 18 seconds, was Jenkins 12th of the afternoon. It keeps the Pointers in line for the WIAC's automatic bid and keeps defending national champ UW-Whitewater looking for an at-large bid, or help next week from UW-La Crosse. Whitewater (photo gallery) kept pace by beating UW-Stout, 17-10, with junior Jeff Schebler tying the D-III career record with his 52nd field goal. Saturday's scoreboard, with game stories.

Mount Union extended its run as the only team to win the OAC automatic bid, rolling over Otterbein 49-20. Greg Micheli hit Cecil Shorts for three touchdowns and ran for another himself, while running back Nate Kmic became the NCAA's all-time leader in touchdowns, adding three to his total. More on this game in our live Game Day blog.

The OAC has a winner. The MIAA does as well, as Trine held off Adrian 9-0. Five other conferences do as well, but not the Liberty League. Hobart spoiled the final regular-season game at '86 Field by beating RPI 20-17 on a 28-yard Conor Callahan field goal as time expired.

No. 2 North Central clinched the CCIW, beating Augustana 41-28. No. 6 Muhlenberg wrapped up the Centennial by trouncing Ursinus. No. 8 Mary Hardin-Baylor did the same in the ASC by crushing Howard Payne 67-0. Franklin beat Manchester to clinch the HCAC. No. 10 Willamette grabbed the NWC's first automatic bid by dumping Puget Sound 49-27. Wartburg beat Dubuque in overtime and clinched the automatic bid from the IIAC (photo below) when Buena Vista lost to Central. Occidental rolled past Pomona-Pitzer 64-33 and celebrated a rivalry that dates to 1895 by clinching the SCIAC's automatic bid.

Hartwick knocked itself out of the Empire 8 three-way tie scenario, losing 45-31 at Springfield. If St. John Fisher beats Alfred next week, the Cardinals will win the automatic bid. Albright stands alone in first place in the MAC after beating Widener while King's upset Lycoming 24-7. Guilford's Josh Vogelbach surpassed Westminster (Mo.) quarterback Justin Peery for the Division III career passing record, but Catholic's Keith Ricca threw for a Division III season-high 530 yards as the Cardinals beat the Quakers 49-34 to stay in line for the ODAC automatic bid.

No. 16 Trinity (Texas) got knocked out of the chase for an at-large bid, falling 26-17 at Centre. No. 21 Montclair State handled Rowan 30-14 to remain in line for an at-large bid. No. 7 Cortland State beat SUNY rival Brockport State to remain unbeaten headed into the Cortaca Jug game. Hampden-Sydney beat Huntingdon 38-34 to remain in line for a Pool C bid and hurt Huntingdon's Pool B chances. No. 13 Case Western Reserve remained unbeaten with a 38-13 win against Carnegie Mellon.

St. John's finds itself on top of the MIAC once again, after the Johnnies beat Augsburg, St. Olaf beat Gustavus Adolphus in double overtime and Carleton beat Concordia-Moorhead. Carleton, tied for the top spot with the Johnnies, hosts St. John's next week for the conference title. Williams edged Amherst 24-23 in the 123rd meeting of one of Division III's top rivalries. Trinity (Conn.) finished its season undefeated by dispatching rival Wesleyan 38-14.

The Hope College campus has been closed effective immediately by the Ottawa County Health Department because of a Norovirus outbreak that has swept across campus.

Classes were dismissed at 1 p.m. Friday and all events activities through Monday have been canceled, including home and away athletic contests. Hope was scheduled to host Alma in football on Saturday. The game does not have a bearing on the outcome of the race for the MIAA championship.

No decisions have been made regarding the rescheduling of events.

Juniata athletic director Larry Bock announced today that Darrell Alt has resigned as football coach, effective Monday, Nov. 10, 2008.

Alt will complete his fifth season at the helm of the Juniata football program on Saturday, when Juniata hosts Dickinson at Knox Stadium. He enters Saturday's game with a 5-44 record, including a 1-8 record this season with a 1-6 mark in the Centennial Conference.

"I want to thank Darrell for his effort and his commitment to Juniata football over the past seven seasons, both as our head coach and as an assistant," said Bock. "Darrell ran the program with a great deal of integrity and commitment, and it's unfortunate that the team's record does not reflect the effort and dedication he put forth during his entire tenure at Juniata. I wish Darrell and his wife Kary all the best in their future."

"Darrell came to Juniata with the credo 'carry the bricks', and he has done just that as a coach. He is leaving this program in much better shape than when he found it," said Bock.

Alt was named Juniata's 20th football coach on an interim basis on June 15, 2004, and was tapped for the position on a permanent basis on January 14, 2005, at the conclusion of the 2004 season. His tenure was the second longest by a Juniata football coach since 1988, and the seventh longest over Juniata's 86 years of varsity football.

Alt joined the Juniata football staff prior to the 2002 season, when he was named linebackers and special teams coach on the staff of former Juniata head coach Kevin Burke.

"In his seven years at Juniata, Coach Alt dedicated himself to our student athletes admirably, and for his efforts he has my thanks and the thanks of the entire Juniata community," said Juniata president Thomas R. Kepple Jr. "Darrell has led the team to improve its performance, providing an excellent foundation on which the next head coach can build. We will now work as quickly as possible to fill the head coaching position, to continue the good work Darrell started, on the way to returning football to the winning tradition for which Juniata athletics is known."

A national search will begin immediately. Current football assistant coach Tom Gibboney will continue in his role as baseball coach.

Much has been made of Millsaps' quest to avenge its Miracle in Mississippi loss to Trinity (Texas) from last October. And while Millsaps did so in a major way this past weekend, it was a much longer time coming.

That's what Keith McMillan learned when he was in San Antonio this past weekend for Millsaps' 56-27 victory. He shares all in this week's Around the Nation.

Plus, Division III football's awards season is coming up. There are lots of intriguing trophies and rankings yet to be determined. Keith rounds them up and gives you the dates to mark on your calendar. And did you think the leap Otterbein made up the Top 25 poll this week was oddly timed? Keith explains why things sometimes happen when they do.

That and more in this week's Around the Nation.

Each week during the regular season we look at some of the key statistical performances from the weekend in Division III football, highlighting one per region.

Adam Anderson scored six touchdowns for Whitworth in the Pirates' 40-29 win against Pacific Lutheran. The junior ran 31 times for a career high 217 yards. He scored three times in the second quarter, once in the third and two more times in the fourth quarter to help rally the Pirates from a 29-21 third-quarter deficit. In a tight game, three of his touchdowns cut Whitworth's deficit to two points and two more gave the Pirates a lead.

Albright junior linebacker Andrew Kibler had seven tackles, two of which were for a loss, one forced fumble, an interception and a sack in the Lions' 31-14 win at Lebanon Valley. As a whole the Albright defense forced four turnovers and limited the Dutchmen to a season-low 115 yards rushing.

North Central's defense got three first-half takeaways and the offense turned each of them into points as the Cardinals scored 24 second-quarter points en route to a 30-7 win.

Matt Wenger had two interceptions and 11 total tackles, a sack among them, to key the defense from his linebacker spot. Four of Illinois Wesleyan's last five possessions ended in turnovers.

Kevin Vaughn helped Josh Vogelbach get a lot closer to the Division III all-time passing record, as the senior receiver caught 15 passes for 221 yards for Guilford in a 55-24 loss to Randolph-Macon. He has scored two touchdowns in each of his past four games. Vogelbach is within 100 yards of the record.

Don't forget to check out the weekly ATN podcast and more weekend coverage.

It's coming a year or two later than expected, but Huntingdon is finally having its breakout season. At 8-0 with Hampden-Sydney coming to town and a rivalry game to follow, the Hawks have a chance to get an NCAA playoff bid. Jason Bowen checks in on them in Around the South.

The run for RPI in its Dutchman Shoes rivalry with Union isn't unprecedented, but it sure has been a long time since the Engineers held the trophy for three years running. But the Liberty League race isn't over for RPI. Adam Samrov has more in this week's Around the East.

Plymouth State essentially wrapped up the NEFC Boyd last week when it beat Curry and made it official this week by beating MIT. The Bogan Division winner, however, is still too close to call. Tom Haley looks at Maine Maritime and Fitchburg State in Around the Northeast.

There's this school that D3football.com tracks that isn't Division III at all. In fact, they're not even a part of the NCAA. But it's home to one of the most unique experiences in the Division III universe: The Apprentice School in Newport News, Va. What's this program all about? Ryan Tipps explains in Around the Mid-Atlantic.

Plus, the little receiver putting up a big season for Kalamazoo in Around the Great Lakes.

That and more in this week's Around the Region.

As Washington and Jefferson joined the ranks of teams hoping for at-large bids to the 2008 Division III playoffs, Wheaton dropped out, for all intents and purposes, with its second loss.

If you're Trinity (Texas), or Hardin-Simmons, or Montclair State, or Rowan and you're fighting for one of those six Pool C bids, you want to win out, but you would sure like to see some other things happen to help your cause. Keith McMillan and Pat Coleman run down some of the key places fans should be looking in this week's Around the Nation podcast.

Keith was in San Antonio on Saturday to see Millsaps and Trinity play and gives us a first-hand report on the prolific Millsaps offense, which is more than quarterback Juan Joseph. And we look at playoff chances across Division III, conference races, Pool B and Pool C.

Go to the podcast page and click the play button to listen. You can load the podcast page in iTunes or can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3football.com/dailydose/?feed=podcast

Scroll down for more Saturday coverage.

Plus check out our weekend photo galleries:

• Rose-Hulman at No. 24 Franklin
• Union at No. 22 RPI
• Gustavus Adolphus at Bethel
• Widener at Delaware Valley

D3football.com All-Americans Derek Stanley and Jerheme Urban each caught touchdown passes on Sunday as Urban's Arizona Cardinals defeated Stanley's St. Louis Rams 34-13.

Stanley's score was an 80-yard catch-and-run that he ripped out of the Cardinals defender's hands, running away with the first score of the game. Urban's catch covered 56 yards, after an underthrown pass was tipped by the defender. It gave him his second TD of the season and the fifth of his career.

Stanley was an All-American as a return man for UW-Whitewater in 2003 and as a wide receiver his senior year in 2006. He's in his second year with the Rams after they drafted him in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL draft. Urban was a first-team All-American for Trinity (Texas) in 2002 and has made 36 of his 49 career NFL catches as an Arizona Cardinal the past two seasons.

Arizona won the game 34-13.